ذكرhe recalled الحداثةyouth جهلهاits ignorance وغرامهاand its passion
ذكر الحداثة جهلها وغرامها
وأعادand revived فيin خطراتهhis passing thoughts أحلامهاits dreams
وأعاد في خطراته أحلامها
He recalled youth, its ignorance and its passion,
He recalled the ignorance of modernity and his passion for it
And in his passing thoughts revived its dreams.
And repeated in his writings its dreams
وتلمَّسand reached for الدنياthe world الكعابthe nubile maiden فلمbut not تجدfind
وتلمَّس الدنيا الكعاب فلم تجد
يدهhis hand لياليهاher nights ولاnor أيامهاher days
يده لياليها ولا أيامها
He reached for the world, that nubile maiden, yet never did
And he felt around the deceitful world but did not find
His hand find her nights or her days.
Its nights or days in his hands
ماnot زالceased يُتلفhe destroys وردهاher roses ويذيلهand debases them
ما زال يُتلف وردها ويذيله
حتىuntil تولىit passed away فاشتهىso he craved قُلاَّمهاher saltwort
حتى تولى فاشتهى قُلاَّمها
He kept destroying her roses and debasing them,
He continued to coddle its roses and cherish them
Till the bloom was gone, and he craved her saltwort.
Until he took over and then lusted for its pens
فأدارso he turned فيamong العوادthe sickbed visitors مقلةan eye باحثof a seeker
فأدار في العواد مقلة باحث
تزنweighs الوجوهthe faces سكوتهاtheir silence وكلامهاand their speech
تزن الوجوه سكوتها وكلامها
So he turned a searching eye upon the sickbed visitors,
So he turned the returning pilgrims into an inquisitor
Weighing their faces, their silence and their speech.
Weighing their silence and speech
كبتstumbled الشبيبةyouth فيin اللجامthe bridle وطالماand so often
كبت الشبيبة في اللجام وطالما
ظنhe thought الأعنةthe reins لاnot تردhold back لجامهاits bridle
ظن الأعنة لا ترد لجامها
Youth stumbled in the bridle, though so often
He held back the youth in reins and for so long
He had thought the reins could never check its bridle.
He thought the helpless would not resist their bridles
كانتthere was عليهaround him منof المآلفfamiliar companions زحمةa crowd
كانت عليه من المآلف زحمة
واليومand today قدalready فضdispersed السقامillness زحامهاtheir throng
واليوم قد فض السقام زحامها
A crowd of familiar companions once gathered around him;
There used to be a crowd of flatterers around him
And today illness has dispersed their throng.
And today sickness has scattered its crowds
وتأخرand drew back الأترابhis peers عنهfrom him وطالماand so often
وتأخر الأتراب عنه وطالما
كانواthey were لبانةthe desire of روحهhis soul وجَمالهاand its beauty
كانوا لبانة روحه وجَمالها
And his peers drew back from him, though so often
His comrades grew distant from him though for so long
They had been his soul's desire and its beauty.
They had been the soul and beauty of his being
لهفيmy grief عليهfor him قشيبfresh جلبابcloak الصباyouth
لهفي عليه قشيب جلباب الصبا
لمnot يلبسhe donned الدنياthe world ولاnor هندامهاher finery
لم يلبس الدنيا ولا هندامها
Alas for him, with youth's cloak still new:
A companion of his youthful cloak grieves for him
He has never donned the world or her finery.
One who did not wear the garb and costume of the world
لفظhe spat out الحياةlife نُفاثةa drop of spittle فنفاثةthen another drop of spittle
لفظ الحياة نُفاثة فنفاثة
مثلlike الزجاجةthe bottle قدalready قلبتَyou turned over فدامهاits straining cloth
مثل الزجاجة قد قلبتَ فدامها
He spat out life, one drop of spittle after another,
He casts out life in bursts and gasps
Like a bottle whose cloth-covered mouth you have turned downward.
Like a flask whose seal was broken
لاdo not تنبذوهcast him aside فماfor not علمتمyou know بالذيwhat
لا تنبذوه فما علمتم بالذي
تزجىsends forth الحياةlife منfrom الغيوبthe unseen أمامهاbefore her
تزجى الحياة من الغيوب أمامها
Do not cast him aside, for you do not know what
Do not reject him for you do not know what
Life sends forth before her from the unseen.
Life pours out from the unseen before it
إنindeed الذيHe who جعلplaced الحياةlife بكفهin His palm
إن الذي جعل الحياة بكفه
والموتand death صرّفdirected كيفhowever شاءHe willed زمامهاher reins
والموت صرّف كيف شاء زمامها
Surely He who has placed life in His palm—
Indeed He who made life in His grasp
And death—guides her reins however He wills.
And death He steered however He wished
ياoh ربmany a متروكabandoned man يموتdies بدائهof his disease
يا رب متروك يموت بدائه
لوhad عاشhe lived أقعدbrought low أمةa nation وأقامهاand raised it up
لو عاش أقعد أمة وأقامها
Ah, many an abandoned man dies of his disease,
O Lord a neglected one dies of his sickness
Who, had he lived, could have brought a nation low and raised it up.
If he lived he would establish a nation and raise it
ومضيَّعand one neglected لشقائهthrough his misfortune لوif لمnot يِضعhe were lost
ومضيَّع لشقائه لو لم يِضع
بلغتattained علىat يدهhis hand البلادthe land مرامهاits goal
بلغت على يده البلاد مرامها
And many a man wasted by his misfortune—had he not been lost,
And one lost to his misery if he did not lose hope
The land would have attained its goal through him.
The country would achieve its purpose by his hand
الصدرthe chest منamong غرفchambers الحياةlife دعامهاtheir support
الصدر من غرف الحياة دعامها
فإذاso when ألحpersists السلtuberculosis هدّdemolishes دِعامهاtheir support
فإذا ألح السل هدّ دِعامها
The chest, among life's chambers, is their pillar;
The chest is a pillar of life's chambers
And when consumption persists, it brings their pillar down.
So when tuberculosis persists it collapses its pillars
لصthief الشبابyouth إذاwhen سرىsteals فيinto مهجةa heart
لص الشباب إذا سرى في مهجة
وردتencounters علىupon شطthe shore of الحياةlife حمامهاits death
وردت على شط الحياة حمامها
Thief of youth—when it steals into a heart,
Consumption steals away when it creeps into the mind
That heart meets its death upon the shore of life.
And returns at the bank of life like a dove
يغترcatches unawares حرصَthe watchful care of الشيخthe old man نحوtoward وليدهhis young son
يغتر حرصَ الشيخ نحو وليده
ويسلand steals away منfrom خدرthe secluded chamber of الرؤومthe tender mother غلامهاher boy
ويسل من خدر الرؤوم غلامها
It outwits the old man's watchful care for his son,
Old age deceives in its greed for its child
And steals the tender mother's boy from her secluded chamber.
And the drowsiness of sleep soils its youth
ويدبand creeps فيin ذيلthe trailing hem of العروسthe bride إذاwhen مشتshe walks
ويدب في ذيل العروس إذا مشت
وينالand reaches قبلbefore فمthe mouth of الحليلthe husband لثامهاher veil
وينال قبل فم الحليل لثامها
And creeps into the bride's trailing hem as she walks,
And it creeps into the train of the bride when she walks
And touches her veil before her husband's mouth does.
And reaches her lips before the groom's veil
ياoh منwho لإنسانيةfor humanity مهضومةwronged
يا من لإنسانية مهضومة
قطعsevered البنونthe sons بظلمهمthrough their injustice أرحامهاher kinship ties
قطع البنون بظلمهم أرحامها
Oh, who will come to the aid of wronged humanity?
O you whose humanity is oppressed
Her sons have severed her kinship ties through their injustice.
The estrangement of children has severed its wombs
زادواthey increased بنسيانby forgetting الشقىthe wretched person شقاءهاher misery
زادوا بنسيان الشقى شقاءها
وبجفوةand by shunning الدنفthe wasted sufferer السقيمailing سقامهاher sickness
وبجفوة الدنف السقيم سقامها
They increased her misery by forgetting the wretched,
They increased the wretchedness of the miserable with neglect
And her sickness by shunning the wasted invalid.
And the coldness of the feeble body with sickness
قالواthey said هيshe الزادthe sustenance الحرامforbidden وأخرجواand removed
قالوا هي الزاد الحرام وأخرجوا
منfrom أكلهمtheir eating مالthe wealth of اليتيمthe orphan حرامهاher forbiddenness
من أكلهم مال اليتيم حرامها
They said, 'She is forbidden fare,' yet removed
They said it is forbidden sustenance and took out
Her taint of sin from their eating of an orphan's wealth.
From their food the orphan's forbidden money
ومشىand walked علىover المتحطمينthe shattered people بصخرهاby her rocks
ومشى على المتحطمين بصخرها
منhe who جدّstrove يجمعgathers باليدينwith both hands حطامهاher debris
من جدّ يجمع باليدين حطامها
And over those shattered by her rocks walked
And he who seriously gathered its rubble with his hands
The man who strove to gather her debris with both hands.
Walked over the crushed ones with its boulders
كمعادنlike the mines of الذهبgold استقلtook sole possession بتبرهاof her raw gold
كمعادن الذهب استقل بتبرها
قومsome people وزوّدand were supplied آخرونothers رغامهاher dust
قوم وزوّد آخرون رغامها
As in gold mines, her raw gold was monopolized
As gold mines it claimed its dust
By some, while others were supplied with her dust.
While others provided its coal
ألاbehold ملائكةangels بزىّin the garb of أوادمhumans
ألا ملائكة بزىّ أوادم
ندعوهمwe call them لخشوعهمfor their humility خدّامهاher servants
ندعوهم لخشوعهم خدّامها
Behold, angels in human garb,
Lo, angels in human attire
Whom, for their humility, we call her servants.
We call them servants for their humility
يَسَعونthey make room for فيin أكنافهمtheir shelter فقراءهاher poor
يَسَعون في أكنافهم فقراءها
ويظللونand shade بعطفهمwith their compassion أيتامهاher orphans
ويظللون بعطفهم أيتامها
They make room for her poor within their shelter,
They strive in its folds for its poor
And shade her orphans with their compassion.
And shade its orphans with their kindness
قدalready أنفقواthey spent الساعاتthe hours منfrom أعمارهمtheir lives
قد أنفقوا الساعات من أعمارهم
يتعهدونthey tend دموعهاher tears وكِلامهاand her wounds
يتعهدون دموعها وكِلامها
They have spent hours of their lives
They spent hours from their lifetimes
Tending her tears and her wounds.
Tending to its tears and sorrows
هجمواthey assailed علىagainst الأمراضthe diseases لماwhen أعضلتthey became intractable
هجموا على الأمراض لما أعضلت
فسعواso they strove عسىin hope أنthat يكسرواthey might break آلامهاher pains
فسعوا عسى أن يكسروا آلامها
They assailed diseases when they became intractable,
They rushed upon the diseases when they became complex
So they strove, hoping to shatter her agonies.
Hoping to alleviate its pain
بالظهرon the ridge منof حمدونHamdun أوor رمّانهRummanah
بالظهر من حمدون أو رمّانه
بيتa house تملgrows weary النفسthe soul فيهاin it مقامهاits stay
بيت تمل النفس فيها مقامها
On the ridge of Hamdun or Rummanah
With their backs bent like praise or tossing
Stands a house where the soul grows weary of its stay.
A home where the soul settles comfortably
لاnot تملكretain المرضىthe sick بهin it أرواحهاtheir souls
لا تملك المرضى به أرواحها
سأماfrom weariness وإنand even if ملكتthey retain بهin it أجسامهاtheir bodies
سأما وإن ملكت به أجسامها
The sick cannot keep hold of their souls there,
The patients do not tire of it though their bodies do
From weariness, though they retain their bodies there.
I forgot a piece of the Emigrant's land
نسيتforgot قوارينQaruns (wealthy magnates) المهاجرthe diaspora بقعةa place
نسيت قوارين المهاجر بقعة
ذَرَعtraversed السبابreviling وهادهاits hollows وأكامهاand its hills
ذَرَع السباب وهادها وأكامها
The Qaruns of the diaspora have forgotten a place;
Which hosted insults and settled them
Reviling has traversed its hollows and hills.
A home it is the generous cradle and residence
دارa home هيit is المهدthe cradle الكريمnoble ومنزلand an abode
دار هي المهد الكريم ومنزل
حضنembraced الأصولَthe forebears رفاتهاtheir remains وعظامهاand their bones
حضن الأصولَ رفاتها وعظامها
A home that is the noble cradle, and an abode
That embraced its relics and bones
That embraced their forebears, their remains and their bones.
Say to the Emigrant give charity from her wealth
قلsay للمَهَاجرto the diaspora تعطlet it give فضلةthe surplus of مالهاits wealth
قل للمَهَاجر تعط فضلة مالها
وتؤدّand discharge واجبهاits duty وتقضand fulfill ذمامهاits obligations
وتؤدّ واجبها وتقض ذمامها
Tell the diaspora to give the surplus of its wealth,
And fulfill her duty and settle her debts
And discharge its duty and fulfill its obligations.
And it is said the Emigrant's wealth cannot be counted
ويقالand it is said لاnot تحِصىcan be counted المهاجرthe diaspora ثروةin wealth
ويقال لا تحِصى المهاجر ثروة
وأقولand I say لاnot يحصىcan count الرجاءhope كرامهاits generous people
وأقول لا يحصى الرجاء كرامها
And it is said: the diaspora's wealth is beyond counting;
And I say the hopes of her generosity cannot be counted
And I say: hope cannot count its generous people.
Partial English translation: 63 of 64 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1