زَجر الرَعد مُثقَلات الغَمامِ

زَجر الرَعد مُثقَلات الغَمامِ

وَحدتها السمال جَنح الظَلام

وَحدتها السمال جَنح الظَلام

Thunder drove the heavily laden clouds onward,

The thunder rebuked the burdened clouds

And the north wind urged them on under cover of darkness.

And drove them with the darkness of night

وَسَرى البَرق في السَماءِ كَأَن ال

وَسَرى البَرق في السَماءِ كَأَن ال

برق أَمسى يَقودَها بِزِمامِ

برق أَمسى يَقودَها بِزِمامِ

And lightning coursed through the sky, as though the

Lightning streaked the sky as though

lightning had begun to lead them by a rein.

It led the clouds, holding their reins

فَاتَت سَفح قاسيون صَباحاً

فَاتَت سَفح قاسيون صَباحاً

وَأِستَهَلت عَلى جِنان الشَئام

وَأِستَهَلت عَلى جِنان الشَئام

Then they came to the foot of Qasioun in the morning,

Dawn broke over Mt Qasioun

And poured rain upon the gardens of al-Sham—

And shone upon the gardens of evil

مَنبع العلم مشرع الفَضل مَأوى ال

مَنبع العلم مشرع الفَضل مَأوى ال

أَنبياء الكِرام دار السَلام

أَنبياء الكِرام دار السَلام

A wellspring of knowledge, a watering-place of excellence, a refuge for the

Fountain of knowledge, courtyard of virtue, refuge

noble prophets, an abode of peace;

Of the noble prophets, abode of peace

مَعدَن الجود مَجمَع الظَرف وَالآ

مَعدَن الجود مَجمَع الظَرف وَالآ

داب وَالأُنس صَيقل الأَفهام

داب وَالأُنس صَيقل الأَفهام

A mine of generosity, a gathering-place of refinement and

Mine of generosity, gathering of manners and courtesy

culture and conviviality, a burnisher of minds;

And companionship, polishing of minds

مَطلع الحُسن بَل مَنازل أَقما

مَطلع الحُسن بَل مَنازل أَقما

ر الهَوى بَل مَسارح الآرام

ر الهَوى بَل مَسارح الآرام

The rising-place of beauty—nay, the dwellings of the moons

Rising of beauty, rather dwellings of the beloved

of love—nay, the roaming grounds of gazelles.

Rather theaters of tranquility

ثُم حَيت عَني وُجوهاً تَضيءُ الل

ثُم حَيت عَني وُجوهاً تَضيءُ الل

يل مِن مَعشَر عَليَّ كِرام

يل مِن مَعشَر عَليَّ كِرام

Then they greeted on my behalf faces that light up the

Then I was greeted by faces that illuminate the night

night, from a company of people dear to me—

From a group honorable to me

أَوجُهاً تَقطر البَشاشة مِنها

أَوجُهاً تَقطر البَشاشة مِنها

في خِلال الحَديث وَالإِبتِسام

في خِلال الحَديث وَالإِبتِسام

faces from which cheerfulness drips

Faces dripping cheerfulness from them

in the course of conversation and smiling.

In the course of talk and smiles

لا يَزالُ الحَياء يُلهبها حَتّى

لا يَزالُ الحَياء يُلهبها حَتّى

تَراها لِصَبغِهِ كَالدَوامي

تَراها لِصَبغِهِ كَالدَوامي

Modesty never ceases to kindle them, until

Modesty keeps inflaming them until

you see them, tinged by it, as though blood-stained.

You see them blushed like pomegranates

أَنا راعٍ لِعَهدِهم أَنا مُشتا

أَنا راعٍ لِعَهدِهم أَنا مُشتا

ق إِلى طيب قُربِهم أَنا ظامي

ق إِلى طيب قُربِهم أَنا ظامي

I am faithful to their covenant; I yearn

I tend their pact, I yearn for the goodness

for the sweetness of their nearness; I am thirsty.

Of their nearness, I am a protector

فَلو أَني سُقيت جيحان ما أَطفَأ

فَلو أَني سُقيت جيحان ما أَطفَأ

لِوَحي بيرده وَأَوامي

لِوَحي بيرده وَأَوامي

For even if I were given Jayhan to drink, it would not quench

If I were given a cup of wine, it would not

my thirst and burning thirst with its coolness.

Quench my fervor and aspirations

ما بِأَمري فِراقهم بَل بِحُكم الدَهر

ما بِأَمري فِراقهم بَل بِحُكم الدَهر

وَالدَهر أَظلَم الحُكام

وَالدَهر أَظلَم الحُكام

Parting from them was not my choice, but Time's decree;

It was not my choice to part from them, but the decree

and Time is the most unjust of judges.

Of fate, and fate is the most unjust judge

ظَلَمَتني حَوادث الدَهر لَما

ظَلَمَتني حَوادث الدَهر لَما

تَخذتني دَرية لِلسِهام

تَخذتني دَرية لِلسِهام

Time's vicissitudes wronged me when

The vicissitudes of fate wronged me when

they made me a target for arrows.

They made me a prey for arrows

وَرَحيل الأَحرار عار عَلى البُلدان

وَرَحيل الأَحرار عار عَلى البُلدان

لا بَل عَيب عَلى الأَيام

لا بَل عَيب عَلى الأَيام

And the departure of free men is a disgrace to lands—

The departure of the noble is disgrace upon countries

no, rather a blemish upon the days.

Rather, a blemish upon the days

وَبِنَفسي فيهُم أَخاً قَصرت عَن

وَبِنَفسي فيهُم أَخاً قَصرت عَن

دَرك أَوصاف قَدرِهِ أَوهامي

دَرك أَوصاف قَدرِهِ أَوهامي

And I would ransom with my life a brother among them; my imaginings fall short of

And I am, among them, a brother who fell short

grasping the qualities of his worth.

Of grasping the virtues of their worth in my imaginations

غَير أَني أَراهُ أَلطَف عِندي

غَير أَني أَراهُ أَلطَف عِندي

مِن مَجال الأَرواح في الأَجسام

مِن مَجال الأَرواح في الأَجسام

Yet in my eyes he is subtler

Except I see him as more gentle to me

than the coursing of souls within bodies.

Than the spirit's range in bodies

كُلَّما غَنَت الحَمائِم في الفَجر

كُلَّما غَنَت الحَمائِم في الفَجر

سَقَتني ذِكراه كَأس الحَمام

سَقَتني ذِكراه كَأس الحَمام

Whenever doves sing at dawn,

Whenever the doves cooed at dawn

remembrance of him makes me drink the cup of death.

Their mention gave me a cup of fervor

يا حَياتي أَراكِ عاراً مَع التَفريق

يا حَياتي أَراكِ عاراً مَع التَفريق

وَالبُعد فَاِذهَبي بِسَلام

وَالبُعد فَاِذهَبي بِسَلام

O my life, I see you as a disgrace amid separation

Oh my life, I see you disgraced with separation

and distance; so depart in peace.

And distance, so depart in peace