أمودّعيO you who bid me farewell منfrom قبلbefore أنthat يلقانيhe meets me
أمودّعي من قبل أن يلقاني
ماذاwhat تركتyou left لحلميfor my dream الفتانenchanting
ماذا تركت لحلمي الفتان
O you who bid me farewell before meeting me,
I bid you farewell before we meet
What have you left for my enchanting dream?
What have you left for my alluring dream?
ليلانtwo nights قدindeed مراthey passed مرورthe passing of جحافلmighty armies
ليلان قد مرا مرور جحافل
والآنand now أحرمI am deprived of وحيكyour inspiration النورانيradiant
والآن أحرم وحيك النوراني
Two nights have swept past like mighty armies,
Two nights have passed swiftly
And now I am deprived of your radiant inspiration,
And now I am deprived of your luminous company
حينwhen الغبارthe dust المستثارstirred up يحفsurrounds بيabout me
حين الغبار المستثار يحف بي
والشمسand the sun قدindeed ضاعتwas lost ضياعa loss of هوانhumiliation
والشمس قد ضاعت ضياع هوان
When the stirred-up dust surrounds me,
When the stirred dust surrounds me
And the sun has vanished, lost in humiliation.
And the sun has shamefully disappeared
هلاwhy did you not بقيتyou remained لكيso that أمتعI might delight ناظريmy eyes
هلا بقيت لكي أمتع ناظري
زمناfor a while وكيفand how تغيبyou vanish فيin نيسانApril
زمنا وكيف تغيب في نيسان
Why did you not remain, so I might delight my eyes
Why did you not stay to delight my eyes?
For a while? And how can you vanish in April?
For a while, before vanishing in April
ياO تاركone who leaves الشعرpoetry الوضيءradiant ذخيرةa treasure
يا تارك الشعر الوضيء ذخيرة
كبرىgreat وقدand indeed خلّفتyou left behind ماwhat أغنانيenriched me
كبرى وقد خلّفت ما أغناني
O you who bequeathed radiant poetry as a treasure,
O you who left poetry a great treasure
A great one—and you have left what enriched me.
And bequeathed what has enriched me
الشعرpoetry أنتyou وكلand all ماthat which أودعتهyou entrusted it
الشعر أنت وكل ما أودعته
ديوانكyour poetry collection الحيliving المعزّennobling زمانيmy age
ديوانك الحي المعزّ زماني
You are poetry, as is all that you placed
You are poetry and all that you embedded
In your living collection, which ennobles my age.
In your living, honored book of my era
هيهاتnever يغنيit satisfies رغمdespite ذلكthat شاعراa poet
هيهات يغني رغم ذلك شاعرا
يهوىhe loves بكin you المثلthe ideal الرفيعlofty السانيradiant
يهوى بك المثل الرفيع الساني
For all that, it can never satisfy a poet
Alas! Despite that a poet is inspired
Who loves in you the lofty, radiant ideal.
By your sublime ideals and brilliant path
ياO أوحدpeerless one العصرthe age الذيwho إيمانهhis faith
يا أوحد العصر الذي إيمانه
بالحقin truth اسعدgladdened دائماalways إيمانيmy faith
بالحق اسعد دائما إيماني
O peerless one of the age, whose faith
O exceptional of the age whose faith
In truth has always gladdened my faith.
In truth has always gladdened my faith
ياO منwho تفننdisplayed artistry فيin ابتداعcreating عوالمworlds
يا من تفنن في ابتداع عوالم
شتىvaried وجددand renewed منof نهىintellect الفنانthe artist
شتى وجدد من نهى الفنان
O you who excelled in creating worlds
O you who excelled in creating diverse worlds
Of many kinds, and renewed the artist's intellect.
And renewed what the artist has forbidden
ياO منwhom رأتهsaw him العبقريةgenius ندهاits equal
يا من رأته العبقرية ندها
فيin الخلقcreation والآدابand literature والإحسانand benevolence
في الخلق والآداب والإحسان
O you whom genius saw as its equal
O you whom genius saw as its equal
In creation, literature, and benevolence.
In creation, morals and benevolence
ياO منwho شأىsurpassed صورimages الحياةlife مصوراportraying
يا من شأى صور الحياة مصورا
عجباa marvel منof الإحساسsensation والوجدانand feeling
عجبا من الإحساس والوجدان
O you who surpassed life's images, portraying
O you who depicted the images of life
A marvel of sensation and feeling.
Wondrously with feeling and passion
ياO منwhom أحبتهloved him الطبيعةNature حبهاher love
يا من أحبته الطبيعة حبها
للهfor God فيin ملكوتهHis kingdom الروحانيspiritual
لله في ملكوته الروحاني
O you whom Nature loved with the love she bears
O you whom nature loved as it loves itself
For God in His spiritual kingdom.
In its spiritual kingdom
ياO نunclear fragment; likely 'who' يرفshimmers النقشthe design نفضa flourish يراعهhis reed pen
يا ن يرف النقش نفض يراعه
بيتيمةwith a peerless work الألحانmelodies والألوانand colors
بيتيمة الألحان والألوان
O [you] at whose reed pen's flourish the design shimmers,
O he who refines etching and oversees it
With a peerless work of melodies and colors.
The orphan of melodies and colors
ياO منwho مآثرglorious deeds نبلهhis nobility وشموخهand his loftiness
يا من مآثر نبله وشموخه
كمآثرlike the glorious deeds of الأضواءthe lights فيin لبنانLebanon
كمآثر الأضواء في لبنان
O you whose noble and lofty deeds
O he whose noble feats and pride
Are like the deeds of the lights in Lebanon,
Are like the feats of lights in Lebanon
ويهزand he stirs آلافthousands المشاعرfeelings بعدماafter
ويهز آلاف المشاعر بعدما
ماتتthey died منfrom التغريرdeception والبهتانand slander
ماتت من التغرير والبهتان
And who stirs thousands of feelings after
And moves thousands of feelings after
They have died from deception and slander,
They died of deception and confusion
ويطهرand he purifies الجيلthe generation الجديدnew بشعرهwith his poetry
ويطهر الجيل الجديد بشعره
منof كلall شعوذةcharlatanry ومنand of كفرانingratitude
من كل شعوذة ومن كفران
And purifies the new generation with his poetry
And purifies the new generation with his poetry
Of all charlatanry and ingratitude.
From every sorcery and blasphemy
ياO منwhom أوّعهunclear; likely 'I bid him farewell' ولستand I am not مودعاbidding farewell
يا من أوّعه ولست مودعا
منone who ظلcontinued يشغلoccupies بيwithin me أعزdearest مكانplace
من ظل يشغل بي أعز مكان
O you to whom I [bid farewell], yet I do not bid farewell
O you whom I never bid farewell
To one who has always held the dearest place within me.
As you occupy the dearest place to me
وتخونناand betrays us الدنياthe world وليسand does not يخونهbetray him
وتخوننا الدنيا وليس يخونه
منّيfrom me سوىsave دمعيmy tears وفرطand the excess of خنانيmy nasal sobbing
منّي سوى دمعي وفرط خناني
And the world betrays us, yet he is not betrayed
And though life betrays us, never shall I betray him
By me, save through my tears and my excessive sobbing.
Except for my tear and intense ardor
Sol 6.1