أطرقَ والفِكرَةُ للمُطرِقِ

أطرقَ والفِكرَةُ للمُطرِقِ

فيما مَضى مِنهُ وما قَد بَقي

فيما مَضى مِنهُ وما قَد بَقي

He bowed his head—for thought belongs to one who bows—

He bowed his head; the pensive man's thoughts dwell

over what of his life has passed, and what remains.

on what has passed for him and what still remains.

ثمَّ رأى الفِكرةَ تَعتادُه

ثمَّ رأى الفِكرةَ تَعتادُه

فاعتَادَها يَلقى بِها ما لَقي

فاعتَادَها يَلقى بِها ما لَقي

Then he found reflection returning to him,

Then he saw thought repeatedly visit him,

and grew accustomed to it, facing through it whatever befell.

so he kept returning to it, meeting through it what he had met.

فَما عَلى الرُّكبانِ في أَرضِكُم

فَما عَلى الرُّكبانِ في أَرضِكُم

لَو عالَجوا مِن عَطَشٍ مُحرِقِ

لَو عالَجوا مِن عَطَشٍ مُحرِقِ

What blame, then, falls upon the riders in your land

What blame, then, lies on riders in your land

if they struggle against a searing thirst?

if they grappled with a scorching thirst?

إِني إِذا لَم استَقِ الماءَ مِن

إِني إِذا لَم استَقِ الماءَ مِن

مَنبَعهِ استَسقَيتُ من يَستَقي

مَنبَعهِ استَسقَيتُ من يَستَقي

If I cannot draw water

Indeed, when I cannot draw water from

from its spring, I ask a drink of one who can.

its spring, I ask for water from whoever draws it.

قالوا مَتى تَسلو فَقُلتُ اقصِروا

قالوا مَتى تَسلو فَقُلتُ اقصِروا

فَلا مَتى إِلا مَتى نَلتَقي

فَلا مَتى إِلا مَتى نَلتَقي

They asked, “When will you forget?” I said, “Be patient—

They asked, 'When will you cease to pine?' I said, 'Enough!'

there is no ‘when’ for me but: When shall we meet?”

So there is no 'when' but 'When shall we meet?'

وإِنَّ في الخَيلِ لمَحمولَةٍ

وإِنَّ في الخَيلِ لمَحمولَةٍ

مَحبوسَةٌ كالحامِلِ المُطلِقِ

مَحبوسَةٌ كالحامِلِ المُطلِقِ

And surely among the steeds there is something borne,

And among the horses is indeed one that is carried,

confined like a woman about to give birth:

confined like a pregnant woman in labor:

شَقراءُ بَيروتِيةٌ أرسِلَت

شَقراءُ بَيروتِيةٌ أرسِلَت

عَلى عُقولٍ قُرَّحٍ سُبَّقِ

عَلى عُقولٍ قُرَّحٍ سُبَّقِ

a golden wine of Beirut, set loose

a chestnut mare from Beirut, unleashed

upon seasoned minds that once led the race.

upon minds—full-grown steeds, foremost in the race.

تَمرحُ كالمُهرَةِ واسأل بِها

تَمرحُ كالمُهرَةِ واسأل بِها

كَم أبلَتِ المُهرَةُ مِن مُهرَقِ

كَم أبلَتِ المُهرَةُ مِن مُهرَقِ

It prances like a filly—ask of it

She frolics like a filly; and ask about her:

how much spilled blood that filly has exacted!

how many a parchment the filly has worn out!

إِذا استَجدَّت كانَ تاريخُها

إِذا استَجدَّت كانَ تاريخُها

تاريخَ بالٍ دارسٍ مُخلَقِ

تاريخَ بالٍ دارسٍ مُخلَقِ

Whenever it appears new, its date proves

When she was new, her date was

the date of something worn, effaced, and threadbare.

that of something worn, faded, and threadbare.

شَرِبتُها في حَلِقٍ واسِعٍ

شَرِبتُها في حَلِقٍ واسِعٍ

رَحبٍ وَعيشٍ حَرجٍ ضَيِّقِ

رَحبٍ وَعيشٍ حَرجٍ ضَيِّقِ

I drank it through a capacious throat,

I drank her down a wide throat,

broad, while my life was straitened and narrow,

spacious, though life was constrained and cramped,

في جَيشِ همٍّ قادَه الليلُ لي

في جَيشِ همٍّ قادَه الليلُ لي

هَل فَلَقٌ يَعدو عَلى فَيلَقِ

هَل فَلَقٌ يَعدو عَلى فَيلَقِ

amid an army of cares that night led against me.

amid an army of grief that night led to me.

Is there a dawn that can assault a legion?

Will daybreak charge against a legion?

أُضامُ والدَّولَة عَدلٌ فَيا

أُضامُ والدَّولَة عَدلٌ فَيا

سَعيدَها ارثِ لِهَذا الشَّقي

سَعيدَها ارثِ لِهَذا الشَّقي

Am I wronged while the state is justice itself? O—

I am wronged, though the state is just; O

fortunate one of that state, mourn this wretch!

its fortunate one, pity this unfortunate man.

يا بَركاتِ الدينِ يا عِزَّهُ

يا بَركاتِ الدينِ يا عِزَّهُ

صِدقاً إن الألقاب لم تَصدقِ

صِدقاً إن الألقاب لم تَصدقِ

O Barakāt al-Dīn, O glory of the Faith—

O Barakat al-Din, O the faith's glory,

truly, titles have failed to do you justice.

truly so, even if titles fail to speak truth.

ويا أَخا الجودِ الفَريد الَّذي

ويا أَخا الجودِ الفَريد الَّذي

أَخوهُ لَولا الجودُ لَم يُخلَقِ

أَخوهُ لَولا الجودُ لَم يُخلَقِ

O peerless brother of generosity, whose equal,

And O brother of peerless generosity, whose

but for generosity, would never have been created;

brother, but for generosity, would not have been created.

وقائِد الجُردِ المَذاكي إِلى

وقائِد الجُردِ المَذاكي إِلى

مَواردٍ يَظما بِها مَن سُقي

مَواردٍ يَظما بِها مَن سُقي

and leader of the sleek, mature steeds toward

And leader of the sleek, full-grown steeds toward

watering places where whoever drinks grows thirstier.

watering places where even those given drink grow thirsty.

خالفَ خوفُ العارِ خوفَ الرَّدى

خالفَ خوفُ العارِ خوفَ الرَّدى

فَكُلُّ مَن لا يُتَّقى يَتَّقي

فَكُلُّ مَن لا يُتَّقى يَتَّقي

Fear of disgrace defied the fear of death,

Fear of disgrace opposed fear of death;

so everyone who is not feared fears you.

so whoever is not feared feels fear.

الصَّوتُ مِنهُم والقَنا والظُّبى

الصَّوتُ مِنهُم والقَنا والظُّبى

مِنكَ فهُم إِن يرعدوا تَبرقِ

مِنكَ فهُم إِن يرعدوا تَبرقِ

The clamor is theirs; the lances and sword-blades

The noise is theirs; the spears and the blade-edges

are yours—if they thunder, you flash lightning.

are yours: if they thunder, you flash lightning.

لكِن مَع الأَيد الأَيادي الَّتي

لكِن مَع الأَيد الأَيادي الَّتي

ألحقَتِ المَأسورَ بالمُعتقِ

ألحقَتِ المَأسورَ بالمُعتقِ

Yet with might go the generous hands that

Yet alongside strength are the favors that

set the captive free.

have brought the captive among the freed.

أغرَبتَ إِذ غبَّرتَ في أَوجُهٍ

أغرَبتَ إِذ غبَّرتَ في أَوجُهٍ

سَبقاً ولَم تَبرح ولَم تَلحقِ

سَبقاً ولَم تَبرح ولَم تَلحقِ

You surpassed all bounds, leaving dust in their faces

You wrought a marvel when you cast dust in faces,

as you raced ahead, never ceasing and never overtaken.

outstripping them, though you neither stirred nor caught up.

حفَرتَ تَبغي في الحَضيضِ العُلى

حفَرتَ تَبغي في الحَضيضِ العُلى

واعَجَباً للنازلِ المُرتَقي

واعَجَباً للنازلِ المُرتَقي

You dug into the depths, seeking the heights—

You dug, seeking heights in the depths;

how wondrous, the man who descends yet rises!

and how wondrous—the man who descends yet ascends!

فَيا مَسيحَ المَجدِ أخرَجتَه

فَيا مَسيحَ المَجدِ أخرَجتَه

مِن الثَّرى في نُورِه المُشرِقِ

مِن الثَّرى في نُورِه المُشرِقِ

O reviver of glory, you brought it forth

So, O Messiah of glory, you brought it forth

from the dust into its radiant light.

from the dust, in its radiant light.

فابنِ سَوا السورِ فإِن لَم يقم

فابنِ سَوا السورِ فإِن لَم يقم

بِاسمِكَ لَم يعلُ عَلى الخَندَقِ

بِاسمِكَ لَم يعلُ عَلى الخَندَقِ

Build, then, beyond the wall; for if it does not rise

So build something besides the wall; for if it does not stand

in your name, it will not tower above the trench.

in your name, it will not rise above the moat.

خُذني مِن الدَّهرِ تَجِدني إِذا

خُذني مِن الدَّهرِ تَجِدني إِذا

أخلَقَ ثَوبُ الدَّهرِ لَم أخلقِ

أخلَقَ ثَوبُ الدَّهرِ لَم أخلقِ

Wrest me from Time: you will find that when

Take me from Time; you will find me, when

Time’s robe wears threadbare, I shall not wear away.

Time's robe wears out, still unworn.

واجمَع عَليَّ اليومَ أجمَع عَلى

واجمَع عَليَّ اليومَ أجمَع عَلى

مَدحِكَ بينَ الغَربِ والمَشرِقِ

مَدحِكَ بينَ الغَربِ والمَشرِقِ

Muster everyone against me today; I am resolved

And heap your favors on me today; I shall unite

to praise you from West to East.

West and East in your praise.

فَالشِّعرُ يَبقَى بَينَنا كُلَّما

فَالشِّعرُ يَبقَى بَينَنا كُلَّما

خُطَّ عَلى أَثوابِ عرضٍ نَقي

خُطَّ عَلى أَثوابِ عرضٍ نَقي

For poetry endures between us whenever it is

For poetry endures between us whenever

traced upon the robes of unstained honor.

it is inscribed upon the robes of unsullied honor.