سألوني لم ارتحلتَ كأني

سألوني لم ارتحلتَ كأني

لم أجبهم بسيرتي نصفَ قرنِ

لم أجبهم بسيرتي نصفَ قرنِ

They asked me, "Why did you depart?"—as though I

They asked me why I left

had not answered them with my life over half a century,

As if I had not told them half a century of my life story

شادياً بالطليقِ من شعريَ الباكي

شادياً بالطليقِ من شعريَ الباكي

أغنى لمجدِهم ما أغنى

أغنى لمجدِهم ما أغنى

singing the unfettered strains of my weeping verse,

Exalting the freedom in my weeping poetry

singing for their glory all that I sing.

I sang praise of their glory as much as I sang

وحياتي لعِّزهم في كفاحٍ

وحياتي لعِّزهم في كفاحٍ

ككفاحِ الشُّعاعِ في وسطِ دَجن

ككفاحِ الشُّعاعِ في وسطِ دَجن

And my life is a struggle for their honor,

And my life for their dignity in such a struggle

like a ray of light struggling amid gloom.

Like the struggle of light amidst gloom

مُثل لن تُحدَّ نَوعاً وعداً

مُثل لن تُحدَّ نَوعاً وعداً

كنجومِ السماءِ في كل فنِ

كنجومِ السماءِ في كل فنِ

Ideals, boundless in kind and number,

I have been an example never to be limited to one type or promise

like the stars of heaven in every art.

Like the stars of the sky in every art

وتَبَّلغتُ بالعذابِ وبالبؤسِ

وتَبَّلغتُ بالعذابِ وبالبؤسِ

مراراً وكل حظى التجَّنى

مراراً وكل حظى التجَّنى

And I subsisted on torment and misery,

And I have suffered torment and misery

again and again, with unjust blame my only lot.

Bitterly though each was mean to me

وكأني وَحدِي المسئُ بإحسا

وكأني وَحدِي المسئُ بإحسا

ني لعصري أو أنه لم يَسعني

ني لعصري أو أنه لم يَسعني

And as though I alone were at fault for my kindness

As if I alone was to blame for my sadness

to my era—or as though it had no room for me.

For my time or that it did not accommodate me

ما كَفاهُم أنِّى أعاني وجودي

ما كَفاهُم أنِّى أعاني وجودي

في وُجودٍ بقاؤه مَحضُ غَبنِ

في وُجودٍ بقاؤه مَحضُ غَبنِ

It did not suffice them that I endured my existence

It was not enough for them that I suffer my existence

in a world where living on is sheer injustice.

In an existence whose survival is pure loss

ما كَفاهُم أني أواصلُ ليلى

ما كَفاهُم أني أواصلُ ليلى

بنهاري لأجلهم وسطَ من

بنهاري لأجلهم وسطَ من

It did not suffice them that I joined my night

It was not enough for them that I continue my night

to my day for their sake, amid boasts of favors.

For their sake in the midst of people

ما كفاهم أني أضحى بروحي

ما كفاهم أني أضحى بروحي

حينما عزَّ من يُضحَّى ويُغنى

حينما عزَّ من يُضحَّى ويُغنى

It did not suffice them that I sacrificed my soul

It was not enough for them that I sacrificed my soul

when those who sacrifice and enrich were scarce.

When one makes sacrifice and is denied

ما كفاهم أني تناسيتُ نفسي

ما كفاهم أني تناسيتُ نفسي

فوق نسيانهمُ حقوقي وأينى

فوق نسيانهمُ حقوقي وأينى

It did not suffice them that I chose to forget myself,

It was not enough for them that I forgot myself

besides their forgetting my rights and my weariness.

Above their forgetting my rights and where I lived

ما كفاهم أنى لهم ذلك الرا

ما كفاهم أنى لهم ذلك الرا

ئدُ يشقى كالراحِ في أسرِدنِّ

ئدُ يشقى كالراحِ في أسرِدنِّ

It did not suffice them that I was that pioneer for them,

It was not enough for them that I was that leader

suffering like wine captive in a jar.

Who suffers like ghosts in coffins

ما كفاهُم أني ارتضيتُ شقائي

ما كفاهُم أني ارتضيتُ شقائي

لي جزاءً ويهدمون وأبنى

لي جزاءً ويهدمون وأبنى

It did not suffice them that I accepted my misery

It was not enough for them that I accepted my misery

as my reward, while they tear down and I build.

As a reward while they destroy and I rebuild

ما كفاهُم هذا وهذا فنادوا

ما كفاهُم هذا وهذا فنادوا

بعقوقي وما رَعَوا حق سنِّى

بعقوقي وما رَعَوا حق سنِّى

This and that did not suffice them, so they cried out

It was not enough for them so they called

that I was ungrateful, heedless of the rights of my years.

To my filial impiety not heeding my old age

ثم حالوا بين المثاليِّةِ العل

ثم حالوا بين المثاليِّةِ العل

يا لفكري وبين سعيى وبيني

يا لفكري وبين سعيى وبيني

Then they came between the lofty idealism

Then they hindered between my idealism

of my thought, my striving, and myself.

Of thought and between my quest and me

فترَّحلتُ حيثُ يحُترمُ الاحرا

فترَّحلتُ حيثُ يحُترمُ الاحرا

رُ وحيثُ الهواءُ طلقٌ لذهني

رُ وحيثُ الهواءُ طلقٌ لذهني

So I departed where free people are respected,

So I traveled where dignity is respected

and where the air is free for my mind.

And where the air is free for my mind

وأظل الوفي رغمَ اغترابي

وأظل الوفي رغمَ اغترابي

لبلادٍ ما غُيبِّت قطَّ عنِّي

لبلادٍ ما غُيبِّت قطَّ عنِّي

And I remain faithful, despite my exile,

And I remain loyal despite my exile

to a land never once absent from me.

To a homeland that has never been absent from me