حَلَّقَsoared النَّسْرُthe eagle كَمَاas شَاءَhe wished وَصَاحْand cried out
حَلَّقَ النَّسْرُ كَمَا شَاءَ وَصَاحْ
وَرَمَىand hurled بِالْقَيْدِthe fetter فِيinto وَجْهِthe face of الرِّيَاحْthe winds
وَرَمَى بِالْقَيْدِ فِي وَجْهِ الرِّيَاحْ
The eagle soared as he wished and cried out,
And hurled the fetter into the face of the winds.
وَجَلَاand cleared عَنْfrom رِيشِهِhis feathers الْعَارَdisgrace كَمَاas
وَجَلَا عَنْ رِيشِهِ الْعَارَ كَمَا
تَنْجَلِيclears away الْأَصْدَاءُrust عَنْfrom بِيضِbright الصِّفَاحْsword blades
تَنْجَلِي الْأَصْدَاءُ عَنْ بِيضِ الصِّفَاحْ
And cleared disgrace from his feathers, as
Rust clears from bright sword blades.
وَأَطَاحَand hurled away الْقَفَصَthe cage الْمَشْئُومَill-omened، لَاnot
وَأَطَاحَ الْقَفَصَ الْمَشْئُومَ، لَا
تَعْرِفُknow الْجِنُّthe jinn مَتَىwhen أَوْor أَيْنَwhere طَاحْit fell
تَعْرِفُ الْجِنُّ مَتَى أَوْ أَيْنَ طَاحْ
And hurled away the ill-omened cage; not even
The jinn know when or where it fell.
كَمْhow often قَضَىhe spent اللَّيْلَthe night بِهِin it مُسْتَيْئِسًاdespairing
كَمْ قَضَى اللَّيْلَ بِهِ مُسْتَيْئِسًا
جَزِعًاanguished، بَيْنَbetween أَنِينٍgroaning وَنُوَاحْand wailing
جَزِعًا، بَيْنَ أَنِينٍ وَنُوَاحْ
How often he spent the night within it, despairing,
Anguished, between groaning and wailing.
وَلَكَمْand how often حَنَّhe yearned إِلَىfor أَوْطَانِهِhis homelands
وَلَكَمْ حَنَّ إِلَى أَوْطَانِهِ
قَلِقَrestless الْأَضْلَاعِthe ribs، خَفَّاقَbeating الْجَنَاحْthe wing
قَلِقَ الْأَضْلَاعِ، خَفَّاقَ الْجَنَاحْ
And how often he yearned for his homelands,
His ribs restless, his wing beating.
يُرْسِلُhe casts الْعَيْنَhis gaze فَلَاbut does not يَلْقَىfind سِوَىexcept
يُرْسِلُ الْعَيْنَ فَلَا يَلْقَى سِوَى
لُجَجٍdeep seas خُضْرٍgreen دَمِيمَاتٍugly شِحَاحْgrudging
لُجَجٍ خُضْرٍ دَمِيمَاتٍ شِحَاحْ
He casts his gaze, but finds nothing save
Green seas, ugly and grudging.
يَشْتَكِيhe complains لِلَّيْلِto the night فِيin وَحْشَتِهِhis loneliness
يَشْتَكِي لِلَّيْلِ فِي وَحْشَتِهِ
فَإِذَاthen when غَابَit is gone تَشَكَّىhe complains لِلصَّبَاحْto the morning
فَإِذَا غَابَ تَشَكَّى لِلصَّبَاحْ
He complains to the night in his loneliness;
Then, when it is gone, he complains to the morning.
ذَهَبَhas gone الْمَاضِيthe past مَجِيدًاglorious حَافِلًاeventful
ذَهَبَ الْمَاضِي مَجِيدًا حَافِلًا
رَحْمَةُthe mercy of اللهِGod عَلَيْهِupon it! أَيْنَwhere رَاحْhas it gone؟
رَحْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ! أَيْنَ رَاحْ؟
The past has gone, glorious and eventful;
God's mercy be upon it! Where has it gone?
أَإِسَارُis the captivity الْحُرِّof the free man حَقٌّa right سَائِغٌpermissible
أَإِسَارُ الْحُرِّ حَقٌّ سَائِغٌ
وَإِبَاءُand the defiance الْحُرِّof the free man شَيْءٌa thing لَاnot يُبَاحْpermitted؟!
وَإِبَاءُ الْحُرِّ شَيْءٌ لَا يُبَاحْ؟!
Is taking a free man captive a lawful right,
And a free man's defiance something forbidden?!
وَإِذَاand when مُدَّتْis extended لِإِحْسَانٍfor doing good يَدٌa hand
وَإِذَا مُدَّتْ لِإِحْسَانٍ يَدٌ
هَزَّتِshakes الْفِتْنَةُstrife أَطْرَافَthe tips of الرِّمَاحْthe spears؟!
هَزَّتِ الْفِتْنَةُ أَطْرَافَ الرِّمَاحْ؟!
And when a hand is extended in kindness,
Does strife shake the tips of spears?!
وَإِذَاand when جَفَّتْis parched لَهَاةٌa palate ظَمَأًwith thirst
وَإِذَا جَفَّتْ لَهَاةٌ ظَمَأً
ضَنَّتِbegrudge الْأَنْفُسُsouls بِالْمَاءِthe water الْقَرَاحْpure؟!
ضَنَّتِ الْأَنْفُسُ بِالْمَاءِ الْقَرَاحْ؟!
And when a palate is parched with thirst,
Do souls begrudge pure water?!
وَإِذَاand when مَالَinclines أَخٌa brother نَحْوَtoward أَخٍa brother
وَإِذَا مَالَ أَخٌ نَحْوَ أَخٍ
مَلَأَfills الْأَفْوَاهَthe mouths شَغْبٌtumult وَصِيَاحْand shouting؟!
مَلَأَ الْأَفْوَاهَ شَغْبٌ وَصِيَاحْ؟!
And when a brother inclines toward a brother,
Do tumult and shouting fill the mouths?!
وَإِذَاand when أَنَّgroans جَرِيحٌa wounded man دَنِفٌgravely ill
وَإِذَا أَنَّ جَرِيحٌ دَنِفٌ
لِطَبِيبٍto a physician، قِيلَit is said: لَاdo not تَشْكُcomplain of الْجِرَاحْthe wounds؟!
لِطَبِيبٍ، قِيلَ: لَا تَشْكُ الْجِرَاحْ؟!
And when a wounded man, gravely ill, groans
To a physician, is he told, 'Do not complain of wounds'?!
هَلْis there عَلَىupon الْمَفْجُوعِthe grief-stricken man فِيover أَوْطَانِهِhis homelands
هَلْ عَلَى الْمَفْجُوعِ فِي أَوْطَانِهِ
حَرَجٌany blame إِنْif رَدَّدَhe repeats الشَّكْوَىthe complaint وَبَاحْand speaks out؟!
حَرَجٌ إِنْ رَدَّدَ الشَّكْوَى وَبَاحْ؟!
Is one bereaved of his homelands
At fault if he repeats his complaint and speaks out?!
أَوْor عَلَىupon مَنْone who رَامَsought أَنْto يَحْيَاlive كَمَاas
أَوْ عَلَى مَنْ رَامَ أَنْ يَحْيَا كَمَا
يَتَمَنَّىwishes الْحُرُّthe free man ذَنْبٌsin أَوْor جُنَاحْblame؟!
يَتَمَنَّى الْحُرُّ ذَنْبٌ أَوْ جُنَاحْ؟!
Or does one who sought to live as
A free man wishes incur sin or blame?!
أَوْor عَلَىupon الْعَانِيthe captive مَلَامٌblame إِنْif رَنَاhe gazes longingly
أَوْ عَلَى الْعَانِي مَلَامٌ إِنْ رَنَا
بَعْدَafter عِشْرِينَtwenty، لِإِطْلَاقِfor granting السَّرَاحْrelease؟!
بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ، لِإِطْلَاقِ السَّرَاحْ؟!
Or is a captive to blame if he gazes longingly,
After twenty years, toward release?!
ثُمَّthen قَالُواthey said: لَمْdid not يَصُنْkeep مِيثَاقَهُhis pact
ثُمَّ قَالُوا: لَمْ يَصُنْ مِيثَاقَهُ
وَنَبَاand strayed عَنْfrom خُلُقِthe character of الْعُرْبِthe Arabs السِّمَاحْgenerous
وَنَبَا عَنْ خُلُقِ الْعُرْبِ السِّمَاحْ
Then they said, 'He did not keep his pact,
And strayed from the ways of the generous Arabs.'
أَيُّwhat عَهْدٍpact يَرْتَضِيهِwould accept it بَاسِلٌa valiant man
أَيُّ عَهْدٍ يَرْتَضِيهِ بَاسِلٌ
عَرَبِيُّArab النَّبْعِin origin، رِيفِيُّRifian الْجِمَاحْin unbridled spirit؟!
عَرَبِيُّ النَّبْعِ، رِيفِيُّ الْجِمَاحْ؟!
What pact would a valiant man accept,
Arab in origin, Rifian in his unbridled spirit?!
أَيُّwhat عَهْدٍpact هُوَis it أَنْthat أُذْبَحَI be slaughtered مِنْfrom
أَيُّ عَهْدٍ هُوَ أَنْ أُذْبَحَ مِنْ
غَيْرِother than سِكِّينٍa knife، وَلَاand not أَشْكُوI complain of الذُّبَاحْthe throat pain؟!
غَيْرِ سِكِّينٍ، وَلَا أَشْكُو الذُّبَاحْ؟!
What pact is this—that I should be slaughtered
Without a knife, yet not complain of my throat's agony?!
هُوَit عَهْدُthe pact of الذِّئْبِthe wolf يُمْلِيهِdictates it عَلَىto
هُوَ عَهْدُ الذِّئْبِ يُمْلِيهِ عَلَى
شَاتِهِhis ewe الْمِخْلَبُthe claw وَالنَّابُand the fang الْوَقَاحْbrazen!
شَاتِهِ الْمِخْلَبُ وَالنَّابُ الْوَقَاحْ!
It is the wolf's pact, dictated to
His ewe by claw and brazen fang!
وَهُوَand it is الْقُوَّةُmight، مَاhow أَجْرَأَهَاbrazen it is!
وَهُوَ الْقُوَّةُ، مَا أَجْرَأَهَا!
إِنْif مَشَتْit marches يَوْمًاone day إِلَىtoward الْحَقِّright الصُّرَاحْmanifest
إِنْ مَشَتْ يَوْمًا إِلَى الْحَقِّ الصُّرَاحْ
And it is might—how brazen it is,
If ever it marches against manifest right!
كَمْhow many a سِلَاحٍweapon صَالَcharged مِنْfrom غَيْرِother than يَدٍa hand
كَمْ سِلَاحٍ صَالَ مِنْ غَيْرِ يَدٍ
وَيَدٍand a hand تَدْفَعُdefends مِنْfrom غَيْرِother than سِلَاحْa weapon!
وَيَدٍ تَدْفَعُ مِنْ غَيْرِ سِلَاحْ!
How many a weapon has charged without a hand,
And how many a hand defends without a weapon!
قَصَدَhe made for الْفَارُوقَal-Faruq يَبْغِيseeking مَوْئِلًاa refuge
قَصَدَ الْفَارُوقَ يَبْغِي مَوْئِلًا
فِيin رِحَابٍprecincts لِبَنِيfor the sons of الْعُرْبِthe Arabs فِسَاحْspacious
فِي رِحَابٍ لِبَنِي الْعُرْبِ فِسَاحْ
He made for al-Faruq, seeking refuge
In spacious precincts for the sons of the Arabs.
هِمَّةٌhigh resolve جَاءَتْcame تُنَاجِيto commune with هِمَّةًhigh resolve
هِمَّةٌ جَاءَتْ تُنَاجِي هِمَّةً
وَيَدٌand a hand مُدَّتْwas extended إِلَىtoward أَكْرَمِthe most generous of رَاحْpalms
وَيَدٌ مُدَّتْ إِلَى أَكْرَمِ رَاحْ
High resolve came to commune with high resolve,
And a hand was stretched toward the most generous of palms.
مَلِكٌa king يَرْنُوgazes لِعُلْيَاtoward the eminence of مَلِكٍa king
مَلِكٌ يَرْنُو لِعُلْيَا مَلِكٍ
وَطِمَاحٌand ambition يَتَسَامَىsoars لِطِمَاحْtoward ambition
وَطِمَاحٌ يَتَسَامَى لِطِمَاحْ
A king gazes toward a king's high station,
And ambition soars toward ambition.
فَثَوَىso came to rest فِيin خَيْرِthe best غِمْدٍsheath آمِنًاsafe
فَثَوَى فِي خَيْرِ غِمْدٍ آمِنًا
صَارِمٌa keen sword أَرْهَفَهُhoned it طُولُthe length of الْكِفَاحْthe struggle
صَارِمٌ أَرْهَفَهُ طُولُ الْكِفَاحْ
So, safe within the finest sheath, there rested
A keen sword, honed by long struggle.
لَمْdid not يَجِدْfind غَيْرَother than بَشَاشَاتِbeaming smiles الْمُنَىhopes
لَمْ يَجِدْ غَيْرَ بَشَاشَاتِ الْمُنَى
وَارْتِيَاحٍand delight لِلنَّدَىin generosity أَيِّwhat ارْتِيَاحْdelight!
وَارْتِيَاحٍ لِلنَّدَى أَيِّ ارْتِيَاحْ!
He found nothing but the beaming smiles of hope,
And delight in generosity—what delight!
Sol 6.1