ماnot جَلَّwas exalted فيهِمamong them عيدُكَyour anniversary المَأثورُrenowned
ما جَلَّ فيهِم عيدُكَ المَأثورُ
إِلّاexcept وَأَنتَand you are أَجَلُّmore exalted ياO فِكتورُVictor
إِلّا وَأَنتَ أَجَلُّ يا فِكتورُ
However grand your famed anniversary among them,
How glorious were your feasts of old
you are grander still, O Victor.
Yet you, Victor, were more glorious still
ذَكَروكَthey commemorated you بِالمِئَةِwith a hundred السِنينَyears وَإِنَّهاand indeed it
ذَكَروكَ بِالمِئَةِ السِنينَ وَإِنَّها
عُمرٌa lifetime لِمِثلِكَfor one like you فيamong النُجومِthe stars قَصيرُshort
عُمرٌ لِمِثلِكَ في النُجومِ قَصيرُ
They commemorated your centenary, though that
A hundred years they celebrate your name
is a brief lifetime for one like you among the stars.
Though for one like you, too brief a life to fill
سَتدومُyou will endure ماas long as دامَendures البَيانُeloquence وَماand as long as اِرتَقَتadvanced
سَتدومُ ما دامَ البَيانُ وَما اِرتَقَت
لِلعالَمينَfor humankind مَدارِكٌpowers of understanding وَشُعورُand feeling
لِلعالَمينَ مَدارِكٌ وَشُعورُ
You will endure while eloquence endures, and while
Your fame endures as long as eloquence
humankind's understanding and feeling advance.
And orbits span the cosmic spheres
وَلَئِنand even if حُجِبتَyou were veiled فَأَنتَthen you are فيin نَظَرِthe sight الوَرىhumankind
وَلَئِن حُجِبتَ فَأَنتَ في نَظَرِ الوَرى
كَالنَجمِlike a star لَمnot يُرَwas seen مِنهُof it إِلّاexcept النورُthe light
كَالنَجمِ لَم يُرَ مِنهُ إِلّا النورُ
And though you are veiled, in humankind's eyes you are
Though veiled from sight, in spirit you still shine
like a star, of which only light is seen.
As star whose light, not form, appears
لَولاwere it not for التُقىpiety لَفَتَحتُI would open قَبرَكَyour grave لِلمَلاfor the assembly
لَولا التُقى لَفَتَحتُ قَبرَكَ لِلمَلا
وَسَأَلتُand I would ask أَينَwhere السَيِّدَthe master المَقبورُthe buried one
وَسَأَلتُ أَينَ السَيِّدَ المَقبورُ
Were it not for piety, I would open your grave before the people,
Propriety prevents me from unsealing your tomb
and ask: Where is the buried master?
To ask the throngs: where lies the buried lord?
وَلَقُلتُand I would say ياO قَومُpeople اُنظُرواlook اِنجيلَكُمyour Gospel
وَلَقُلتُ يا قَومُ اُنظُروا اِنجيلَكُم
هَلwhether فيهِin it مِنfrom قَلَمِthe pen الفَقيدِthe departed one سُطورُlines
هَل فيهِ مِن قَلَمِ الفَقيدِ سُطورُ
And I would say: O people, look at your Gospel—
And say: O people! See - his hallowed gospel
are there lines in it from the departed one's pen?
Bears no trace of the hand that penned this word
مَنwho بَعدَهُafter him مَلَكَruled البَيانَeloquence فَعِندَكُمfor you have
مَن بَعدَهُ مَلَكَ البَيانَ فَعِندَكُم
تاجٌa crown فَقَدتُمyou have lost رَبَّهُits sovereign وَسَريرُand a throne
تاجٌ فَقَدتُم رَبَّهُ وَسَريرُ
Who after him has ruled eloquence? For you have
He ruled supreme in eloquence and art
a crown whose sovereign you have lost, and a throne.
Yet you have lost both throne and crown
ماتَdied القَريضُpoetry بِمَوتِwith the death هوجوHugo وَاِنقَضىand ended
ماتَ القَريضُ بِمَوتِ هوجو وَاِنقَضى
مُلكُthe reign البَيانِeloquence فَأَنتُمُso you are جُمهورُa republic
مُلكُ البَيانِ فَأَنتُمُ جُمهورُ
Poetry died with Hugo's death, and ended
With Hugo dead, the poet laureate’s reign is done
the reign of eloquence: you are a republic.
Now but a noble public left alone
ماذاwhat يَزيدُadds العيدُthe anniversary فيto إِجلالِهِreverence for him
ماذا يَزيدُ العيدُ في إِجلالِهِ
وَجَلالُهُand his grandeur بِيَراعِهِwith his pen مَسطورِinscribed
وَجَلالُهُ بِيَراعِهِ مَسطورِ
What does the anniversary add to his honor,
What can this feast add to his hallowed name?
when his grandeur is inscribed by his pen?
His glory by his works is set and framed
فَقَدَتlost وُجوهَthe faces الكائِناتِall beings مُصَوِّراًa painter
فَقَدَت وُجوهَ الكائِناتِ مُصَوِّراً
نَزَلَdescended الكَلامُlanguage عَلَيهِupon him وَالتَصويرُand imagery
نَزَلَ الكَلامُ عَلَيهِ وَالتَصويرُ
The faces of all beings have lost a painter
The world has lost its great recorder
upon whom language and imagery descended.
Words rain down on him, imagery pours
كُشِفَwas lifted الغَطاءُthe veil لَهُfor him فَكُلُّso every عِبارَةٍphrase
كُشِفَ الغَطاءُ لَهُ فَكُلُّ عِبارَةٍ
فيin طَيِّهاits folds لِلقارِئينَfor readers ضَميرُan inner thought
في طَيِّها لِلقارِئينَ ضَميرُ
The veil was lifted for him, so every phrase
The veil’s removed, each verse and expression
holds within its folds an inner thought for readers.
Speaks in secret ciphers to its readers
لَمnot يُعيِهِbaffle him لَفظٌa word وَلاnor مَعنىًa meaning وَلاnor
لَم يُعيِهِ لَفظٌ وَلا مَعنىً وَلا
غَرَضٌa theme وَلاnor نَظمٌverse وَلاnor مَنثورُprose
غَرَضٌ وَلا نَظمٌ وَلا مَنثورُ
No word or meaning baffled him, nor
No phrase or meaning that he failed to master
theme, verse, or prose.
No theme or prose or verse left incomplete
مُسليconsoler الحَزينِthe sorrowful يَفُكُّهُfrees him مِنfrom حُزنِهِhis sorrow
مُسلي الحَزينِ يَفُكُّهُ مِن حُزنِهِ
وَيَرُدُّهُand returns him لِلَّهِto God وَهوَand he is قَريرُat peace
وَيَرُدُّهُ لِلَّهِ وَهوَ قَريرُ
Consoler of the sorrowful, he frees him from his sorrow
Consoler of the grieved, relieving sadness
and brings him back to God, at peace.
Guiding them back to faith and calm at need
ثَأَرَtook vengeance on المُلوكُthe kings وَظَلَّand kept عِندَbefore إِبائِهِhis proud refusal
ثَأَرَ المُلوكُ وَظَلَّ عِندَ إِبائِهِ
يَرجوhopes وَيَأمَلُand longs for عَفوَهُhis pardon المَثؤورُthe target of vengeance
يَرجو وَيَأمَلُ عَفوَهُ المَثؤورُ
He took vengeance on kings, and before his proud refusal,
The avenged kings still seek their father’s grace
the target of vengeance kept hoping and longing for his pardon.
Yearning, hoping for mercy on misdeeds
وَأَعارَand lent واتِرلوWaterloo جَلالَthe grandeur يَراعِهِhis pen
وَأَعارَ واتِرلو جَلالَ يَراعِهِ
فَجَلالُso the grandeur ذاكَthat السَيفِsword عَنهُcompared with it قَصيرُfalls short
فَجَلالُ ذاكَ السَيفِ عَنهُ قَصيرُ
And he lent Waterloo the grandeur of his pen,
Waterloo’s victory fades before his brilliance
so the grandeur of that sword falls short of his pen's.
For that sword’s glory his is no match indeed
ياO أَيُّهاyou البَحرُsea الَّذيthat عَمَّرَmade flourish الثَرىthe earth
يا أَيُّها البَحرُ الَّذي عَمَّرَ الثَرى
وَمِنَand from الثَرىthe earth حُفَرٌpits لَهُfor it وَقُبورُand graves
وَمِنَ الثَرى حُفَرٌ لَهُ وَقُبورُ
O sea that made the earth flourish,
Oh sea whose waves once nurtured lands
yet from the earth come pits and graves for it.
In earth you rest in vaulted tomb obscure
أَنتَyou الحَقيقَةُtruth إِنif تَحَجَّبَbecomes veiled شَخصُهاits embodied form
أَنتَ الحَقيقَةُ إِن تَحَجَّبَ شَخصُها
فَلَهاthen it has عَلىover مَرِّthe passage الزَمانِtime ظُهورُmanifestation
فَلَها عَلى مَرِّ الزَمانِ ظُهورُ
You are truth: if its embodied form is veiled,
Reality itself, though your form lies hidden
it will reveal itself through the passage of time.
Throughout time’s march you shine, your truths endure
اِرفَعlift حِدادَmourning العالَمينَhumankind وَعُدand return لَهُمto them
اِرفَع حِدادَ العالَمينَ وَعُد لَهُم
كَيماso that يُعَيِّدَmay celebrate بائِسٌa wretched person وَفَقيرُand a poor person
كَيما يُعَيِّدَ بائِسٌ وَفَقيرُ
Lift humankind's mourning, and return to them,
Lift up the world's long mourning, bring back days
so that the wretched and the poor may celebrate.
When paupers too could celebrate and feast
وَاِنظُرand look إِلىat البُؤَساءِthe wretched نَظرَةَthe gaze راحِمٍa compassionate one
وَاِنظُر إِلى البُؤَساءِ نَظرَةَ راحِمٍ
قَدindeed كانَused to يُسعَدُgladden جَمعَهُمtheir whole company وَيُجيرُand shelter
قَد كانَ يُسعَدُ جَمعَهُم وَيُجيرُ
And look upon the wretched with the gaze of one compassionate,
Look with pity on the suffering, as you did,
who once gladdened them all and gave them refuge.
When you brought joy and refuge to the least
الحالُthe condition باقِيَةٌremains كَماas صَوَّرتَهاyou portrayed it
الحالُ باقِيَةٌ كَما صَوَّرتَها
مِنsince عَهدِthe time آدَمَAdam ماno بِهاin it تَغييرُchange
مِن عَهدِ آدَمَ ما بِها تَغييرُ
The state of things remains as you portrayed it;
The wheel still turns just as you painted it
since Adam's time, it has not changed.
Unchanged since Adam’s time in endless spin
البُؤسُmisery وَالنُعمىand prosperity عَلىin حالَيهِماtheir respective states
البُؤسُ وَالنُعمى عَلى حالَيهِما
وَالحَظُّand fortune يَعدِلُacts justly تارَةًat times وَيَجورُand acts unjustly
وَالحَظُّ يَعدِلُ تارَةً وَيَجورُ
Misery and prosperity remain as they were,
Blessings and woes both hold their sway
and fortune is sometimes just and sometimes unjust.
Fortune unjust, then just, tips her scale on a whim
وَمِنَand among القَوِيِّthe strong عَلىover الضَعيفِthe weak مُسَيطِرٌone who dominates
وَمِنَ القَوِيِّ عَلى الضَعيفِ مُسَيطِرٌ
وَمِنَand among الغَنِيِّthe rich عَلىover الفَقيرِthe poor أَميرُa ruler
وَمِنَ الغَنِيِّ عَلى الفَقيرِ أَميرُ
And among the strong is one who dominates the weak,
Might makes right – the weak bow down
and among the rich, a ruler over the poor.
The rich rule over peasants in their need
وَالنَفسُand the soul عاكِفَةٌabsorbed عَلىin شَهَواتِهاits desires
وَالنَفسُ عاكِفَةٌ عَلى شَهَواتِها
تَأويtakes refuge إِلىin أَحقادِهاits hatreds وَتَثورُand revolts
تَأوي إِلى أَحقادِها وَتَثورُ
And the soul remains absorbed in its desires;
Souls seek selfish pleasures, nurse their grudges
it takes refuge in its hatreds and rises in revolt.
Sink into hatred, chaos and greed
وَالعَيشُand life آمالٌhopes تَجِدُّarise anew وَتَنقَضيand pass away
وَالعَيشُ آمالٌ تَجِدُّ وَتَنقَضي
وَالمَوتُand death أَصدَقُtruer وَالحَياةُand life غُرورُdelusion
وَالمَوتُ أَصدَقُ وَالحَياةُ غُرورُ
And life is hopes that arise anew and pass away,
Life brings shifting hopes then lets men down
and death is truer, while life is delusion.
Death alone brings truth, life leads astray
Sol 6.1