ياO شعرPoetry منwhom ترجوyou hope for تحسبyou think أنهthat he is
يا شعر من ترجو تحسب أنه
أولىmore worthy بحبكof your love أوor بعيدof a celebration باهرsplendid
أولى بحبك أو بعيد باهر
O Poetry, whom do you look to, thinking that he is
O poetry, who do you expect will love you more,
More worthy of your love or of a splendid celebration?
Or stay dazzled by you from afar?
ولدتwere born أزاهيرblossoms الربيعof spring بعيدهat his celebration
ولدت أزاهير الربيع بعيده
فتضمّختso they were perfumed منهfrom him بنفحwith a waft عاطرfragrant
فتضمّخت منه بنفح عاطر
The blossoms of spring were born at his celebration,
The flowers of spring were born in remoteness,
And were perfumed by a fragrant waft from him.
So they were imbued with its fragrant breeze.
ومشىand walked الجمالbeauty مواكباin processions بحقولهthrough his fields
ومشى الجمال مواكبا بحقوله
علويّةheavenly مثلlike المسيحChrist الطاهرthe pure
علويّة مثل المسيح الطاهر
And beauty walked in processions through his fields,
Beauty walked accompanying it through its fields -
Heavenly, like the pure Christ.
Transcendent, like the immaculate Christ.
جاءتcame عقودdecades سنينهof his years بتراثهاwith their legacy
جاءت عقود سنينه بتراثها
للعارفينto those acquainted بهwith him عقودnecklaces جواهرof jewels
للعارفين به عقود جواهر
The decades of his years came bearing their legacy,
The decades of its years came with their heritage
As necklaces of jewels to those who know him.
To the knowledgeable, decades of gems.
أنسيتهhave you forgotten him? ياO شعرPoetry حاشاfar be it أنthat ترىyou be seen
أنسيته يا شعر حاشا أن ترى
فيamong الجاحدينthe ungrateful لماهدto a trailblazer ولماهرand to a master
في الجاحدين لماهد ولماهر
Have you forgotten him, O Poetry? Far be it that you be seen
Forget it, O poetry - never think
Among those ungrateful to a trailblazer and a master.
That the ungrateful are worthy or splendid.
ضحىhe sacrificed وضحىand he sacrificed باسماsmiling أوor صابراenduring
ضحى وضحى باسما أو صابرا
حتىuntil مشىhe walked للصلبto crucifixion أكرمthe noblest صابرone who endures
حتى مشى للصلب أكرم صابر
He sacrificed, and sacrificed, smiling or enduring,
He rose at dawn and made sacrifices in the name
Until he walked to crucifixion, the noblest of the steadfast.
Of steadfastness until he walked to the cross, the most noble steadfast one.
هيهاتimpossible تنسىyou forget كيفhow تنسىyou forget مبدعاa creator
هيهات تنسى كيف تنسى مبدعا
نجواهhis whispers كالإيمانlike faith ملءfilling خواطرthoughts
نجواه كالإيمان ملء خواطر
You could never forget! How could you forget a creator
How could you forget the inspired creator?
Whose whispers, like faith, fill minds?
His brilliance fills consciences like faith.
منwho ساحroamed فيin دنياthe world الفنونof the arts ولمand has not يزلceased
من ساح في دنيا الفنون ولم يزل
السائحthe wanderer القهارthe all-conquering غيرnot مفاخرboastful
السائح القهار غير مفاخر
Who roamed the world of the arts and remains
He who toured the world of arts and remains
The all-conquering wanderer, without boasting?
The conquering wanderer, though not boastful.
منwho أبدعcreated القصصthe stories العجيبةthe wondrous مثلماjust as
من أبدع القصص العجيبة مثلما
خلقتwere created بإبداعby the artistry of الإلهGod القادرthe Almighty
خلقت بإبداع الإله القادر
Who created wondrous stories, as though
He who created wondrous tales, as
They were fashioned by the artistry of Almighty God?
The Able God created with his divine creativity.
منwho سلسلmade flow الأنشاءliterary composition سمفونيةa symphony
من سلسل الأنشاء سمفونية
أخاذةcaptivating وملاحماand epics للساحرfor the enchanter
أخاذة وملاحما للساحر
Who made prose flow into a symphony,
He who chained phrases into a thrilling
Captivating, and epics for the enchanter?
Symphony and epics of the magician.
منwho أرجعbrought back التاريخhistory بينamong دروسهhis studies
من أرجع التاريخ بين دروسه
عبراlessons وأوقفهand set it مكانin the place of الحاضرthe present
عبرا وأوقفه مكان الحاضر
Who brought history back amid his studies,
He who brought history back to its lessons -
As lessons, and set it in the present's place?
Wisdom, stopping it in the present.
منwho علمtaught الآدابliterature إنسانيةhumanity
من علم الآداب إنسانية
شعتshone بإشراقwith the radiance of الصباحmorning لثائرfor a rebel
شعت بإشراق الصباح لثائر
Who taught literature humanity
He who taught humanity noble morals
That shone with morning's radiance for a rebel?
That shone with the dawn’s radiance, the rebel.
منwho لقّنtaught الإيثارselflessness ديناas a creed للورىto humankind
من لقّن الإيثار دينا للورى
كأخيهlike his brother واستبقاand both raced استباقthe race of الغافرthe forgiver
كأخيه واستبقا استباق الغافر
Who taught selflessness as a creed to humankind,
He who taught altruism as the creed for all
Like his brother—and both raced the race of the forgiver?
Racing his brother to forgive.
منwho فلسفmade philosophical الشعرpoetry الذيwhich غنىhe sang بهwith it
من فلسف الشعر الذي غنى به
فشدتso they sang جداولهits streams كبحرlike a sea زاخرsurging
فشدت جداوله كبحر زاخر
Who imbued the poetry he sang with philosophy,
He who philosophized the poetry that sang to him
So its streams sang like a surging sea?
Until its streams flowed like a teeming sea.
منwho ظلcontinued يحسبis regarded جدهhis earnestness ومزاحهand his jest
من ظل يحسب جده ومزاحه
كالآيتينlike the two signs لمؤمنto a believer ولكافرand to an unbeliever
كالآيتين لمؤمن ولكافر
Whose earnestness and jest have always been regarded
He who thought his seriousness and jest
As two signs to a believer and an unbeliever?
Were like verses for believer and skeptic.
عبدAbd (servant) المسيحal-Masih (the Messiah) العبقريّthe genius وحسبهand enough for him
عبد المسيح العبقريّ وحسبه
فيin العبقريةgenius خلقcharacter شهمa noble soul نادرrare
في العبقرية خلق شهم نادر
Abd al-Masih, the genius—and he needs no more
Abdel Masih the genius - and for genius
To be a genius than the character of a rare, noble soul.
His nature is exceptionally rare.
أناthat we التففناwe gathered حولaround أمجادglories لهof his
أنا التففنا حول أمجاد له
مثلlike التفافthe clustering of السفنships حولaround منائرlighthouses
مثل التفاف السفن حول منائر
We have gathered around his glories,
We rallied around his glories
Like ships clustering around lighthouses,
Like ships around a lighthouse.
أوor كالتفافlike the gathering of النحلbees لماwhen أولعتthey became enamored
أو كالتفاف النحل لما أولعت
بالشهدwith honey حولaround معاسلnectaries لأزاهرof blossoms
بالشهد حول معاسل لأزاهر
Or like bees gathering, when they became enamored
Or like bees crazed with passion
Of honey, around the nectaries of blossoms.
For nectar, around meadows of flowers.
جئناwe came نعيّدwe celebrate شاكرينgiving thanks وربماand perhaps
جئنا نعيّد شاكرين وربما
يدريknows جلالthe grandeur of العيدthe celebration غيرone other than الشاكرthe grateful person
يدري جلال العيد غير الشاكر
We came to celebrate, giving thanks—and perhaps
We came to celebrate in gratitude but perhaps
The ungrateful knows the celebration's grandeur.
The splendor of celebration eludes the ungrateful.
والشمسand the sun قدmay يشكوcomplains of نفوذthe penetration of شعاعهاits rays
والشمس قد يشكو نفوذ شعاعها
عانa sufferer ويصغرهاand belittles it حليفan ally of صغائرpetty things
عان ويصغرها حليف صغائر
And the sun—its rays' piercing power may be lamented
The sun may complain of its penetrating rays
By a sufferer, while an ally of pettiness belittles it.
Obscured, belittled by lesser beams.
الأربعونforty years ونيفand a little more منof عمرهhis life
الأربعون ونيف من عمره
مثلتappeared بهذاat this العيدcelebration مثلlike بشائرglad tidings
مثلت بهذا العيد مثل بشائر
Forty years and a little more of his life
His forty-five years
Appeared at this celebration like glad tidings,
Signaled this celebration like heralds.
توحيthey inspire الجديدthe new لناto us وقبلاand earlier طالماoften
توحي الجديد لنا وقبلا طالما
أوحتthey inspired ولمand did not تبرحcease كفلكlike a celestial sphere دائرrevolving
أوحت ولم تبرح كفلك دائر
Inspiring us with the new; and many times before
Bringing us novel creativity - though long
They inspired, never ceasing, like a revolving sphere.
Radiant and constant like a revolving lighthouse.
منwhoever فاتهeluded him إبداعهاtheir artistry قدindeed فاتهeluded him
من فاته إبداعها قد فاته
إشعاعهاtheir radiance النفاذpenetrating خلفbehind ستائرveils
إشعاعها النفاذ خلف ستائر
Whoever missed their artistry has indeed missed
He who missed its creativity missed
Their penetrating radiance behind veils.
Its illuminating rays beyond curtains.
أرثيI feel pity لهfor him أضعافmany times ماwhat يرثيhe feels pity لناfor us
أرثي له أضعاف ما يرثي لنا
ولئنand even if تمادىpersists فيin رقاعةimpudence ساخرa scoffer
ولئن تمادى في رقاعة ساخر
I pity him many times more than he pities us,
I mourn for him multiples of what is mourned for us
And even if a scoffer persists in impudence,
And if he persists in mockery and jest
فالحقso truth لاnot تخفيهconceals it ضلةthe delusion of ساخرa scoffer
فالحق لا تخفيه ضلة ساخر
كاللهlike God لاnot تنفيهnegates Him غضبةa fit of rage of فاجرa sinner
كالله لا تنفيه غضبة فاجر
Yet truth is not concealed by a scoffer's delusion,
Truth cannot be hidden by the mocker’s aberration
Just as God is not negated by a sinner's rage.
Like God cannot be denied by the sinner’s wrath.
Sol 6.1