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I stood, and silence had spread its expanse,

وقفت وقد مد السكون رواقه

1. I stood, and silence had spread its expanse,
Covering it, a night of early darkness.

١. وَقَفْتُ وَقَدْ مَدَّ السُّكُونُ رِوَاقَهُ
عَلَيْهَا وَغَطَّاهَا أَصِيلٌ مِنَ التِّبْرِ

2. Humbly, as if prostrating in a temple,
Silently, as if alone by a grave.

٢. خَشُوعًا كَأَنِّي سَاجِدٌ ضِمْنَ هَيْكَلٍ
صَمُوتًا كَأَنِّي مُسْتَقِلٌّ عَلَى قَبْرِ

3. My eyes were all wondrous, gazing,
Forbidding my heart its breath in my chest.

٣. وَكُلِّي عُيونٌ معْجَباتٌ شواخصٌ
مَنَعْنَ على قلبي التَّنَفُّسَ فِي صَدْرِي

4. They wandered upon it, and it was a page of glory,
Passing from one splendid line to another.

٤. تَنَقَّلْنَ فِيهَا وَهْيَ للمجدِ صفحةٌ
ذَوَاهِبَ مِنْ سطرٍ مجيدٍ إِلَى سَطْرِ

5. Oh how lofty, unaffected by tremors,
Unshaken by man nor the passing of time.

٥. فَيَا لَطُلولٍ لَا الزلازلُ زَعْزَعَتْ
بُنَاهَا وَلَا الإِنْسَانُ أَوْ غِيَرُ الدَّهْرِ

6. It retained its palaces and awesomeness,
With no means for immortalizing artistry and fame.

٦. فَأَبْقَتْ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ قُصُورٍ وَرَهْبَةٍ
وَلَيْسَ لِتَخْلِيدِ الصِّنَاعَةِ وَالذِّكْرِ

7. Pillars filling the sky, as if
With their necks they sought to embrace the blossoms.

٧. وَأَعْمِدَةٍ مِلْءِ الفَضَاءِ كَأَنَّهَا
بِأَعْنَاقِهَا تَبْغِي مُعَانَقَةَ الزُّهْرِ

8. Colossi aspiring haughtily to the ground,
Glancing at the horizon with a teasing gaze.

٨. جَبَابِرَةٍ تَرْنُو بِكِبْرٍ إِلَى الثَّرَى
وَتَرْمُقُ وَجْهَ الأُفقِ بِالنَّظَرِ الشَّزْرِ

9. Massive stones like mountains, when tumbling
Onto a mountain, splitting its cliffs with heaviness.

٩. وَضَخمِ حجارٍ كالجِبَالِ إِذَا هَوَتْ
عَلَى جَبَلٍ شَقَّتْ رَوَابِيهِ بِالوَقرِ

10. Erected to a Creator, lowering them perplexes
How they were raised and moved.

١٠. عَلَى خَالِقٍ مَنْصُوبةٍ عزَّ خَفْضُهَا
تُحَيِّرُ فِي كَيْفِيَّةِ الرفعِ والجرِّ

11. And skilled idols whose artistry expired before
The precision of their carving and engraving faded.

١١. وَمُتْقَنِ أَصْنَامٍ عَفَا الفَنُّ قَبْلَمَا
عَفَا مَا بِهَا مِنْ دِقَّةِ النَّقْشِ وَالحَفْرِ

12. Eras passed, many, and it did not fade
Of beautiful sights and verdant grace.

١٢. خَلَتْ أَعْصُرٌ كُثْرٌ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا خَلَتْ
مِنَ المَنْظَرِ الخَلَّابِ وَالرَّوْنَقِ النَّضْرِ

13. Brilliant motifs, if you observed their making
You would admire the order and prose within.

١٣. وَزَاهِي نُقُوشٍ لَوْ تَفَحَّصْتَ صُنْعَهَا
لَأَكْبَرْتَ مَا فِيهَا مِنَ النَّظْمِ وَالنَّثْرِ

14. The garden bloomed times over and blossomed after,
Yet remains lush with what it holds of flowers.

١٤. ذَوَى الرَّوْضُ مَرَّاتٍ وَأَزْهَرَ بَعْدَهَا
وَمَا زَالَ غَضًّا مَا تَضُمُّ مِنَ الزَّهْرِ

15. Lions of deaf rock, their forms posing
To pounce then settle with pride.

١٥. وَأُسْدٍ مِنَ الصَّخْرِ الأَصَمِّ تَخَالُهَا
تَهِمُّ بِوَثْبٍ ثُمَّ تَرْبِضُ عَنْ كِبْرِ

16. If the roar of a prowling lion eludes them,
They never fail to fill the heart with dread.

١٦. إِذَا فَاتَهَا مِنْ لَيْثِ غَابٍ زَئِيرُهُ
فَمَا فَاتَهَا أَنْ تَمْلَأَ القَلْبَ بِالذُّعْرِ

17. And nothing startled me but the hoot of an owl
Crying over ruins, searching with claws.

١٧. وَمَا رَاعَنِي فِيهَا سِوَى صَوْتِ بُومَةٍ
نَعُوبٍ عَلَى الأَطْلَالِ تَفْحَصُ بِالظِّفْرِ

18. There was silence, then it spread its wing
Casting a wing of sorcery over my soul.

١٨. وَكَانَ سُكُوتٌ ثُمَّ أَلْقَى جَنَاحَهُ
فَأَلْقَى عَلَى رُوحِي جَنَاحًا مِنَ السِّحْرِ

19. It flew with it to a world not my own
Overlooking the past, clad in mystery.

١٩. وَطَارَ بِهَا فِي عَالَمٍ غَيْرِ عَالَمِي
يُطِلُّ عَلَى المَاضِي المُمَنْطَقِ بِالسِّرِّ

20. With it I spanned eras in an instant,
Spreading and folding them between insights and thoughts.

٢٠. فَهَامَتْ بِهِ تطوِي العُصُورَ بِلَحْظَةٍ
وَتَنْشُرُهَا بَيْنَ النَّوَاظِرِ وَالفِكْرِ

21. I fancied I was in a dream’s haze,
Or drowning in intoxicating bewilderment.

٢١. وَخُيِّلَ لِي أَنِّي مِنَ الحُلْمِ فِي دُجًى
أَوَ انِّي غَرِيقٌ فِي عُبَابٍ مِنَ السُّكْرِ

22. Then I saw, regaining consciousness around me,
The vigor of its verdant days returned to it.

٢٢. فَأَبْصَرْتُ مَا حَوْلِي اسْتَعَادَ رُوَاءَهُ
وَعَادَ إِلَيْهِ زَهْوُ أَيَّامِهِ الخُضْرِ

23. And Baalbek again thronged with pilgrims,
Earth’s children flocking with vows and offerings.

٢٣. وَعَادَتْ مِحَجًّا بَعْلَبَكُّ يَؤُمُّهَا
بَنُو الأَرْضِ طُرًّا لِلعِبَادَةِ وَالنَّذْرِ

24. Worshippers coming and going in its precincts,
Surging like the sea with rises and falls.

٢٤. يَرُوحُ وَيَغْدُو العَابِدُونَ بِسَاحِهَا
يَمُوجُونَ مَوْجَ البَحْرِ بِالمَدِّ وَالجَزْرِ

25. I nearly in my fascination and utter confusion
Fell upon my face and professed disbelief.

٢٥. فَكِدْتُ لِإِعْجَابِي وَشِدَّةِ حَيْرَتِي
أَخِرُّ عَلَى وَجْهِي وَأَجْهَرُ بِالكُفْرِ

26. And forgot my God, while He in hiddenness
And worshipped idols of rock instead.

٢٦. وَأَنْسَى إِلَهِي وَهْوَ فِي الغَيْبِ مُضْمَرٌ
وَأَعْبُدُ أَصْنَامًا هُنَاكَ مِنَ الصَّخْرِ

27. Moments passed and I awoke with a gasp
To see what I now saw were deluded dreams.

٢٧. وَلَمْ يَمْضِ حِينٌ فَاسْتَفَقْتُ بِغُصَّةٍ
أَرَى مَا رَأَيْتُ الآنَ أَوْهَامَ مُغْتَرِّ

28. Oh what a den it's become, when once
A fortress against plunder and eagles!

٢٨. فَيَا لَكِ وَكْرًا صَارَ لِليَوْمِ مَسْرَحًا
وَقَدْ كَانَ حِصْنًا لِلهَزَارِ وَللنسْرِ!

29. Oh what a palace it was, for arts and devotion,
Now a tomb for indulgence and remembrance!

٢٩. وَيَا لَكِ قَصْرًا كَانَ لِلفَنِّ وَالتُّقَى
فَأَصْبَحَ قَبْرًا لِلمَنَاحَةِ وَالذِّكْرِ!