بشراكgood tidings to you هذاthis العمthe uncle عيIsa (first part)
بشراك هذا العم عي
سىIsa (completion) صارbecame فيناamong us العمthe uncle سامSam
سى صار فينا العم سام
Good tidings to you! This Uncle Isa
With you, my dear friend, time has passed
has become our Uncle Sam.
And with you, my friend, time has settled
أنظرlook إلىat عثنونهhis beard
أنظر إلى عثنونه
فلقدfor indeed تزايدgrew واستقامand straightened
فلقد تزايد واستقام
Look at his beard:
Look at his dignity
for it has grown and straightened.
For it has grown and straightened
قدindeed كانwas فيin حزمfirm resolve الشيوthe elders (first part)
قد كان في حزم الشيو
خthe elders (completion) فصارthen he became فيin زهوexuberance الغلامthe youth
خ فصار في زهو الغلام
He once had the firmness of elders,
Once he was shy and discreet
then took on a young man's exuberance.
Now he is proud and stately
منwho ذاthat one يطاولهrivals him in height وهand these (first part)
من ذا يطاوله وه
ذيthese (completion) الناطحاتthe skyscrapers لهfor him تقامare erected
ذي الناطحات له تقام
Who could rival him in height,
Who can challenge him
with these skyscrapers rising for him?
With his towering stature
اليومtoday يملكhe possesses كلevery شيءthing
اليوم يملك كل شيء
حولهaround him ملكdominion الهيامpassionate love
حوله ملك الهيام
Today he possesses everything
Today he owns everything
around him, with passionate love's dominion,
Around him a kingdom of passion
فيin موطنa homeland حرfree بهin it
في موطن حر به
الأحرارthe free people خدامservants السلامpeace
الأحرار خدام السلام
in a free homeland where
In a free homeland
free people are servants of peace.
Where the free are servants of peace
لاno عيبfault فيهin it سوىexcept سماits generosity (first part)
لا عيب فيه سوى سما
حتهits generosity (completion) التيwhich تغريtempts اللئامthe ignoble
حته التي تغري اللئام
It has no fault save its generosity,
No fault in him except his generosity
which tempts the ignoble.
That allures the undeserving
فيهin it المساواةequality العميall-embracing (first part)
فيه المساواة العمي
مةall-embracing (completion) ملةa creed ولهand it has ذمامa covenant
مة ملة وله ذمام
There, all-embracing equality
In him is perfect equality
is a creed, and it has a covenant.
A nation, and he holds its reins
فرصopportunities النهوضadvancement تكافأتbecame equal
فرص النهوض تكافأت
فيهin it كذراتlike particles الغمامthe clouds
فيه كذرات الغمام
Opportunities for advancement are equal
Opportunities for advancement are equalized
there, like the particles of clouds.
Like the abundant clouds
لاno بدعwonder إنif جذبdrew النجوthe stars (first part)
لا بدع إن جذب النجو
مthe stars (completion) إلهa god واعتنقand embraced الدوامeternity
م إله واعتنق الدوام
No wonder if the stars are drawn
It is inevitable that he attracts the stars and embraces eternity
by a god who embraces eternity.
And today he reaps the bounty of the towering, free, and zealous Isa
واليومand today يغنمit benefits from فضلmerit عيIsa (first part)
واليوم يغنم فضل عي
سىIsa (completion) الشامخthe lofty الحرthe free الهمامthe valiant
سى الشامخ الحر الهمام
And today it benefits from the merit of Isa,
How many stands for truth we recall
lofty, free, and valiant.
Year after year
كمhow many موقفa stand للحقfor truth نذwe remember it (first part)
كم موقف للحق نذ
كرهwe remember it (completion) لهto his credit عاماa year فعامthen another year
كره له عاما فعام
How many a stand for truth
How much advice he dispensed
we recall to his credit, year after year!
Like light piercing the darkness
كمhow many منof نصائحpieces of advice بثهاhe spread them
كم من نصائح بثها
كالنورlike light يخترقpierces الظلامthe darkness
كالنور يخترق الظلام
How much counsel he has spread,
Take turns celebrating him
like light piercing the darkness!
With love, not the fervor of wine
فتناوبواso take turns أنخابهtoasts to him
فتناوبوا أنخابه
بالحبwith love لاnot وهجblaze المدامwine
بالحب لا وهج المدام
So take turns toasting him
For cups of devotion are dearer
with love, not wine's blaze.
Than one who came and left
إنindeed الكؤوسthe cups منof الولاloyalty (first part)
إن الكؤوس من الولا
ءloyalty (completion) أحبdearer منthan راحwine وجامand a goblet
ء أحب من راح وجام
For cups of loyalty
Today is a day of purity, let us celebrate it
are dearer than wine and goblets.
And purity is no sin
اليومtoday يومa day الصفوserenity نغwe seize it (first part)
اليوم يوم الصفو نغ
نمهwe seize it (completion) وماand not الصفوserenity حرامforbidden
نمه وما الصفو حرام
Today is a day of serenity;
Laughing and jubilant
let us seize it—serenity is not forbidden.
Our elation shakes the crowds
متضاحكينlaughing together مهللينcheering
متضاحكين مهللين
يهزّstirs نشوتناour rapture الزحامthe throng
يهزّ نشوتنا الزحام
Laughing together and cheering,
And perhaps slumber has evaded us
the throng stirs our rapture.
As none of us sleep
ولربماand perhaps أصىapparently roused (unclear form) النياthe sleepers (first part)
ولربما أصى النيا
مthe sleepers (completion) فلمso did not يعدremain فيناamong us نيامsleepers
م فلم يعد فينا نيام
And perhaps it roused the sleepers,
I am among you whenever ill health keeps me away
so none among us remains asleep.
My poetry is my peer that dwells in my poetry
أناI بينكمamong you مهماhowever نأيI went far away (first part)
أنا بينكم مهما نأي
تI went far away (completion) إذاwhen استبدoverpowered بيme السقامillness
ت إذا استبد بي السقام
I am among you, however far I go,
So accept it despite my incapacity, O noble friends
when illness overpowers me.
And take inspiration from Scheherazade
شعريmy poetry نظيريmy counterpart بلnay أعزmore precious
شعري نظيري بل أعز
نهايmy intellect فيin شعريmy poetry أقامmade its home
نهاي في شعري أقام
My poetry is my counterpart—nay, more precious;
Love before the plenty of food
my intellect has made its home in my verse.
For today Isa is like the Rightly Guided
فتقبّلوهso accept it برغمdespite عجmy incapacity (first part)
فتقبّلوه برغم عج
زيmy incapacity (completion) أيهاO you الصحبthe friends الكرامthe noble
زي أيها الصحب الكرام
So accept it despite my incapacity,
And his right is the right of passion
O noble friends,
واستلهمواand draw inspiration منfrom شهرزادScheherazade
واستلهموا من شهرزاد
الحبlove قبلbefore غنىrichness الطعامfood
الحب قبل غنى الطعام
and draw inspiration from Scheherazade:
love before the richness of food.
فاليومfor today عيسىIsa كالرشيدlike al-Rashid
فاليوم عيسى كالرشيد
وحقّهand his due حقّthe due الغرامlove
وحقّه حقّ الغرام
For today Isa is like al-Rashid,
and his due is love's due.
Partial English translation: 41 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1