طَرَفتI blinked فلماthen when أغرورقتbrimmed with tears عينيmy eye
طَرَفت فلما أغرورقت عيني
وصحتand I cried out صحوتُI awoke للوعةto the anguish of البينِparting
وصحت صحوتُ للوعة البينِ
I blinked; then, when my eye brimmed with tears,
My eyes brimmed over, when I awoke to the pain of estrangement
And I cried out, I awoke to the anguish of parting.
Five years have passed
خمسٌfive منof السنواتthe years قدalready ذهبتhave gone
خمسٌ من السنوات قد ذهبت
بأعزِّaway with the dearest of ماwhat سميتهُI called it وطنيmy homeland
بأعزِّ ما سميتهُ وطني
Five years have swept away
Of what I called, my most precious homeland
The dearest of all I called my homeland.
Joys still plunder it
ماnot زالتceased الأفراحthe celebrations تنهبهُplunder it
ما زالت الأفراح تنهبهُ
وهيand they are المآتمُfunerals فيin رؤَىthe visions of الفطنِthe discerning
وهي المآتمُ في رؤَى الفطنِ
Celebrations still plunder it,
And they are the tragedies in the visions of the wise
Though, to discerning eyes, they are funerals.
Joys of lords and elites
أفراحُcelebrations of ساداتٍmasters لهfor it نُجبٍnoble
أفراحُ ساداتٍ له نُجبٍ
منfrom كلِّevery صُعلوكٍvagabond وُممتنِّand a boaster of favors
من كلِّ صُعلوكٍ وُممتنِّ
Celebrations of its noble masters,
Of every upstart and pretentious one
Drawn from every vagabond and boaster of favors.
Their hands reached the highest peaks, then they fell from the heights
طالتgrew long أياديهمtheir hands واذand when لمسواthey touched
طالت أياديهم واذ لمسوا
أعلىthe highest of الُّذَرىthe heights سقطواthey fell عنfrom القننthe peaks
أعلى الُّذَرى سقطوا عن القنن
Their hands stretched far, and when they touched
I wish they had fallen without leaving
The highest summits, they fell from the peaks.
Groups that follow them aimlessly
ياليتهمif only they سقطواhad fallen وماand had not تركواleft
ياليتهم سقطوا وما تركوا
زُمَراًbands تُتابعهمfollowing them بلاwithout أَينِweariness
زُمَراً تُتابعهم بلا أَينِ
Would that they had fallen without leaving
They left their followers, ascending
Bands to follow them without tiring.
Evil birds, whose bellies contain their brother, Ghanem
تركواthey left الوصوليينthe opportunists صاعدهمthe climber among them
تركوا الوصوليين صاعدهم
صنوٌa counterpart لهاfor her/it (misdivided here) بطهمunclear fragment of 'their fallen one' أخوa brother of ضَغنِrancor
صنوٌ لها بطهم أخو ضَغنِ
They left opportunists behind: the one rising among them
As if they are water jugs
Is the twin of their fallen one, a brother in rancor.
Spinning with evil for the wise
وكأنَّهمand as though they أكوازُbuckets of ساقيةa waterwheel
وكأنَّهم أكوازُ ساقية
دوَّارةٍrevolving بالشِّرwith evil للفطنِto the discerning
دوَّارةٍ بالشِّر للفطنِ
And they are like buckets on a waterwheel,
Nothing preoccupies and pleases them
Revolving with evil, to discerning eyes.
Except harming others, openly and in secret
لاno شئَthing يشغلهمoccupies them ويُسعدهمand delights them
لا شئَ يشغلهم ويُسعدهم
إلاّexcept الأذَىharm فيin السِّرsecret والعلنand in public
إلاّ الأذَى في السِّر والعلن
Nothing occupies them and makes them happy
They toyed with us and everything that Egypt,
Except harm, in secret and in public.
The precious, inherited from the riches of time
عبثواthey trifled بناwith us وبكلand with all ماthat ورثتinherited
عبثوا بنا وبكل ما ورثت
مصرُEgypt العزيزةُbeloved منfrom غِنىَthe riches of الزَّمنtime
مصرُ العزيزةُ من غِنىَ الزَّمن
They trifled with us and all that was inherited
This gentle spring, leave it
By beloved Egypt from the riches of time.
My tears and the tears of misery in my homeland
هذاthis الربيعُspring السمحُgenerous واكفهُits falling rain
هذا الربيعُ السمحُ واكفهُ
دمعيmy tears ودمعُand the tears of البؤسِmisery فيin وطنيmy homeland
دمعي ودمعُ البؤسِ في وطني
This generous spring has for its falling rain
Assuan disappointed me, they forcefully took
My tears and misery's tears in my homeland.
Its benefits from me
خَلفَّتهI left it behind أسوانَsorrowful قدalready سلبواthey stripped away
خَلفَّته أسوانَ قد سلبوا
قَهراًby force وشائجَthe bonds of نفعهِbenefiting it مِنِّىfrom me
قَهراً وشائجَ نفعهِ مِنِّى
I left it, grieving; they had wrested
It disappointed me, nothing preoccupies me
By force, my bonds of service to it.
Except it, and it is preoccupied from me
خَلفَّتهُI left it behind لاno شئَthing يَشغلنيoccupies me
خَلفَّتهُ لا شئَ يَشغلني
إلاَّهُexcept it وهوwhile it بِشغلهِwith its own preoccupation عَنِّيaway from me
إلاَّهُ وهو بِشغلهِ عَنِّي
I left it; nothing occupies me
And it left the most precious one, with whom
Except it, while its own concerns keep it from me.
My soul was infatuated and turned away from my art
وتركتهand I left it الأَغلىthe dearest الذيwhich فُتنتwas enthralled
وتركته الأَغلى الذي فُتنت
رُوحيmy soul بهby it وأشاحَand it turned away عنfrom فَنِّيmy art
رُوحي به وأشاحَ عن فَنِّي
And I left it, the dearest, which had enthralled
Oh spring, jesting and happy
My soul, yet turned away from my art.
And if it cried, it saddened my ear
ياoh للربيعُfor spring! (exclamation) ممازِحاًplayful فرِحاًjoyous
يا للربيعُ ممازِحاً فرِحاً
ولئنand even if بكىit wept ومُشنِّفاًand delighting أُذنيmy ear
ولئن بكى ومُشنِّفاً أُذني
Ah, spring—playful and joyous,
I listen to it but do not feel it
And delighting my ear, even when it weeps!
And its love is in my heart and in my eye
أصغيI listen إليهِto it ولاand not أحسُّI feel بهit
أصغي إليهِ ولا أحسُّ به
وَهوَاهand love for it فيin قلبيmy heart وفيand in عَينيmy eye
وَهوَاه في قلبي وفي عَيني
I listen to it, yet do not feel it,
It flows and leaps playfully
Though love for it is in my heart and in my eye.
From one art to another
يَجريِit runs ويقفزُand leaps فيin مُداعبةٍplayfulness
يَجريِ ويقفزُ في مُداعبةٍ
نشوانَintoxicated منfrom فَننٍa branch إلىto فَننِa branch
نشوانَ من فَننٍ إلى فَننِ
It runs and leaps in play,
The sun left its locks
Intoxicated, from branch to branch.
Prey to it, so it indulged in seduction
والشمسُand the sun قدalready تَركَتhas left غلائلهاher gauzy veils
والشمسُ قد تَركَت غلائلها
نَهباًas plunder لديهbefore it فَلجَّso it persisted فيin الفِتنِseductions
نَهباً لديه فَلجَّ في الفِتنِ
And the sun has left her gauzy veils
Its brides appeared, born
As plunder before it; so it persisted in seductions.
In the dawn, dancing and flirting with me
وَبَدتand appeared عرائِسهُits brides وقدand already وُلِدتwere born
وَبَدت عرائِسهُ وقد وُلِدت
فيat الفجرِdawn راقصةًdancing تُغازُلنيflirting with me
في الفجرِ راقصةً تُغازُلني
And its brides appeared, newly born
Bare and all her being is fragrance
At dawn, dancing and flirting with me.
And visions and hues of color
عَرِيَتthey became bare وكلand all كيانهاtheir being عَبقٌfragrance
عَرِيَت وكل كيانها عَبقٌ
ورؤىًand visions وأطيافٌand phantoms منof اللَّونِcolor
ورؤىً وأطيافٌ من اللَّونِ
They bared themselves; their whole being was fragrance,
Oh her charm as she exchanges with me
And visions and phantoms of color.
Varied wonders of her artistry
ياoh لطفهاtheir gentleness فيماin what تُبادلنيthey exchange with me
يا لطفها فيما تُبادلني
بمنَّوعٍwith varied forms منof سحرهاtheir magic الفنِّىartistic
بمنَّوعٍ من سحرها الفنِّى
How gentle they are in sharing with me
And I am as if I was not distinguished by it
The varied forms of their artistic magic!
My poetry did not flourish with it, nor my time
وأناand I كأنيّas though I لمdid not أَخصَّdevote بهاto them
وأنا كأنيّ لم أَخصَّ بها
شعريmy poetry ولمand did not يزخرoverflow بهاwith them زمنيmy time
شعري ولم يزخر بها زمني
And I—as though I had not devoted to them
As if she forgave my estrangement
My poetry, nor had my days overflowed with them.
And saw my misery as greater than my religion
وكأنّماand as though غفرتthey forgave مُجانبتيmy keeping away
وكأنّما غفرت مُجانبتي
ورأتand deemed أساىَmy sorrow أجلَّgreater منthan دينيmy debt
ورأت أساىَ أجلَّ من ديني
And as though they had forgiven my keeping away,
Who feels the feeling of an expatriate
And judged my sorrow greater than my debt.
Except spring with its flirtation
مَنwho ذاis it that يُحسُّfeels شُعورَthe feeling of مُغتربٍan exile
مَن ذا يُحسُّ شُعورَ مُغتربٍ
غيرُother than الربيعspring بدمعهِwith its tears الهتنfreely flowing
غيرُ الربيع بدمعهِ الهتن
Who can feel an exile's feelings,
Except nature, as it draws near
Other than spring, with its streaming tears,
And strives to grant us what it reaps
غُيرother than الطبيعةِnature وهيwhile she is حانيةٌtender
غُير الطبيعةِ وهي حانيةٌ
تسعىshe strives وتمنحناand grants us الذيwhat تجنيshe reaps
تسعى وتمنحنا الذي تجني
Other than nature, tenderly caring,
It knows my burning anguish
Striving and granting us what she reaps?
And all the tribulations I faced
هيَshe بيof me وَلوعَةِand the anguish of مُهجتيmy heart أدرَىknows best
هيَ بي وَلوعَةِ مُهجتي أدرَى
وبكلِّand with all ماthat ألقاهُI encounter it منof مِحنِordeals
وبكلِّ ما ألقاهُ من مِحنِ
She knows me and my heart's anguish best,
And if it raged and became angry
And every ordeal I encounter.
Reproach is directed at the wolf
ولئنand even if تكنshe has عَصفتstormed فَغضبتهاthen her anger
ولئن تكن عَصفت فَغضبتها
شِبهُlike العتابa reproach يُساقis directed للوَسنto the drowsy
شِبهُ العتاب يُساق للوَسن
And even if she storms, her anger
If sickness prevented meeting it
Is like a reproach addressed to the drowsy,
And the bed besieged my mind
إنif حالَstood دوُنَin the way of لقائِهاmeeting her مرضىmy illness
إن حالَ دوُنَ لقائِها مرضى
وغداand became الفراشُthe bed مُحاصِراًbesieging ذِهنيmy mind
وغدا الفراشُ مُحاصِراً ذِهني
If my illness stands in the way of meeting her,
Wounding, with passion for it
And the bed comes to besiege my mind.
And through it I remain addressing my homeland
جارحةٍa limb/faculty (fragment unclear) لهاfor her شَغفيmy passion
جارحةٍ لها شَغفي
وبهاand through her أَظلI remain مُناجِياًcommuning with وطنيmy homeland
وبها أَظل مُناجِياً وطني
A faculty—my passion for her [unclear fragment].
And through her I keep communing with my homeland.
Partial English translation: 56 of 58 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1