تألَّقshone كالبرقةlike a lightning flash الخاطفَةْdarting
تألَّق كالبرقة الخاطفَةْ
وجلجلand thundered كالرِّعدةlike a tremor القاصفَهْshattering
وجلجل كالرِّعدة القاصفَهْ
He shone like a darting lightning flash,
He flashed like a fleeting lightning,
And thundered like a shattering tremor.
And thundered like a splitting thunder.
مُبينٌclear منof الحقِّthe truth، فيin صوتهhis voice
مُبينٌ من الحقِّ، في صوته
صدىan echo البطشmight والرحمةِand mercy الهاتفَهْcalling out
صدى البطش والرحمةِ الهاتفَهْ
Truth rings clear in his voice:
Manifesting the truth in his voice,
An echo of might and mercy's call.
The echo of might and pleading mercy.
يخوضُhe plunges into الغِمارَthe depths دمًاblood أوor لظًىflame
يخوضُ الغِمارَ دمًا أو لظًى
ويركبُand rides للمأربِfor his aim العاصفَهْthe tempest
ويركبُ للمأربِ العاصفَهْ
He plunges into the depths, blood or flame,
He charges through blood or flames,
And rides the tempest to reach his aim.
And rides the raging storm.
يطيرhe flies علىupon صَهَواتsaddle-backs السحابthe clouds
يطير على صَهَوات السحاب
ويمشيand walks علىupon اللجِّةِthe deep الرَّاجفَهْtrembling
ويمشي على اللجِّةِ الرَّاجفَهْ
He flies astride the backs of clouds
He flies over the clouds' precipices,
And walks upon the trembling deep.
And walks on the shaking sands.
ويقتحمُand plunges into الموتَdeath فيin مأزقٍa dire strait
ويقتحمُ الموتَ في مأزقٍ
ترىyou see الأرضَthe earth منfrom هولهits terror واجفَهْtrembling
ترى الأرضَ من هوله واجفَهْ
And plunges into death in a dire strait,
He confronts death in distress,
Where you see the earth trembling at its terror.
The earth shudders in awe because of him.
تَمَزَّقَtore apart فيat جانبيهhis two sides الرياحُthe winds
تَمَزَّقَ في جانبيه الرياحُ
وتنفطرُand split open السُّحُبُthe clouds الواكفَهْrain-shedding
وتنفطرُ السُّحُبُ الواكفَهْ
The winds tore apart on either side of him,
The winds tore at his sides,
And the rain-shedding clouds split open.
And the lingering clouds shattered.
وتشتجرُand interlace الرُّجُمُthe projectiles الهاوياتُfalling
وتشتجرُ الرُّجُمُ الهاوياتُ
وتعتنقُand embrace الظُّلَمُthe shadows الزَّاحفَهْcreeping
وتعتنقُ الظُّلَمُ الزَّاحفَهْ
And the falling projectiles interlace,
The plummeting boulders clustered,
And creeping shadows embrace.
And the creeping darkness embraced.
عَشيَّةَat dusk لاnot القلبُthe heart طوعَobedient to النُّهىreason
عَشيَّةَ لا القلبُ طوعَ النُّهى
ولاnor العقلُthe mind تأسِرهholds it captive العاطفَهْemotion
ولا العقلُ تأسِره العاطفَهْ
At dusk, when the heart is not subject to reason,
On an evening when the heart won’t obey dissuasion,
Nor is the mind held captive by emotion,
Nor the mind be restrained by passion.
ولكنهاbut it is وثباتُleaps الجريءِthe daring one
ولكنها وثباتُ الجريءِ
علىover عثراتِthe stumbles المنىhopes الخائفَهْfearful
على عثراتِ المنى الخائفَهْ
But these are the daring one's leaps
But it is the leaps of the audacious
Over the stumbles of fearful hopes.
Over the stumbling-blocks of the timid fate.
شعوبٌpeoples تعالِجُstruggle with أصفادَهاtheir fetters
شعوبٌ تعالِجُ أصفادَها
وتأبىand refuse الحياةَlife بهاin them راسفَهْshackled
وتأبى الحياةَ بها راسفَهْ
Peoples wrestle with their fetters
Nations unshackling their chains,
And refuse to live bound in them.
Refusing the life that weeps over them.
صحَتْthey awoke بعدafter إغفاءةa slumber الحالمينthe dreamers
صحَتْ بعد إغفاءة الحالمين
علىupon لُجَّةِthe deep الزمنِtime الجارفَهْsweeping away
على لُجَّةِ الزمنِ الجارفَهْ
They awoke after the dreamers' slumber
They woke up after the dreamers’ slumber
Upon the sweeping sea of time.
On the tide of the sweeping time.
وحسبكَand sufficient for you بالدهرis time منas منذرٍa warner
وحسبكَ بالدهر من منذرٍ
كَرَبِّlike a lord يعاقبُwho punishes منwhoever خالفَهْdefies him
كَرَبِّ يعاقبُ من خالفَهْ
And time is warning enough for you,
And it suffices that fate warns you
Like a lord who punishes whoever defies him.
Like a Lord who punishes those who disobeyed him.
رأيتَyou saw السفينةthe ship فيin بحرهits sea
رأيتَ السفينة في بحره
تنَازعُهاcontend over it اللججُthe billows القاذفَهْtossing
تنَازعُها اللججُ القاذفَهْ
You saw the ship upon its sea,
You saw the ship battling the waves in the sea,
The tossing billows contending over it.
You extended your hands and established it,
مددتَyou stretched out يديكyour two hands فأرسيتهاso you moored it
مددتَ يديك فأرسيتها
أمانًاin safety منfrom الغمرةِthe flood الحائفَهْravaging
أمانًا من الغمرةِ الحائفَهْ
You stretched out your hands and moored it,
Saving it from the engulfing abyss.
Safe from the ravaging flood.
And behind you a nation of Arabs
وخلفكand behind you منfrom يَعْرُبٍYa'rub أمةٌa nation
وخلفك من يَعْرُبٍ أمةٌ
إلىtoward النورthe light فازعةًhastening for refuge شاعفَهْardently yearning
إلى النور فازعةً شاعفَهْ
And behind you stands a nation of Ya'rub,
Rising to the light, fervently zealous.
Hastening toward the light, ardently yearning.
It brandished a Faisal forged from the swords’ refinement,
نَضَتْunsheathed فيصلًاFaisal منfrom صقالthe polish السيوفswords
نَضَتْ فيصلًا من صقال السيوف
يُقَبِّلُkisses فيهin him الضحىthe morning light شارِفَهْhis lofty crest
يُقَبِّلُ فيه الضحى شارِفَهْ
It unsheathed Faisal from the gleam of swords,
Upon whom the dawn leaves a kissing mark.
In him, morning light kisses his lofty crest.
You restored its coveted glory,
أعدتَyou restored لهاto it مجدهاits glory المجتبَىchosen
أعدتَ لها مجدها المجتبَى
وبوَّأتهاand settled it upon الذروةthe summit الشائِفَهْoverlooking
وبوَّأتها الذروة الشائِفَهْ
You restored to it its chosen glory
And stationed it at the lofty pinnacle.
And set it upon the commanding summit.
An structure built by the Arabs’ arms
بناءٌa structure منof السؤددgrandeur الْيَعْرُبِيِّof Ya'rub
بناءٌ من السؤدد الْيَعْرُبِيِّ
دَعمْتَyou buttressed بتالدهwith its ancient heritage طارفَهْits new gains
دَعمْتَ بتالده طارفَهْ
A structure of Ya'rub's grandeur,
That you supported with its pillars.
You buttressed its new glory with its ancient heritage.
In it Baghdad relived the days of Al-Rashid
جَلَتْunveiled فيهin it (بغدادُBaghdad) عهدَthe age الرشيدal-Rashid
جَلَتْ فيه (بغدادُ) عهدَ الرشيد
وأحيتْand revived لياليَّهَاits nights السالِفَهْbygone
وأحيتْ لياليَّهَا السالِفَهْ
In it, Baghdad unveiled the age of al-Rashid
And revived its past nights.
And revived its bygone nights.
After its forgetfulness you sent it
وأرسلتَهاand sent it forth بعدafter نسيانهاits oblivion
وأرسلتَها بعد نسيانها
حديثَa tale النباهةِrenown والعارفَهْand beneficence
حديثَ النباهةِ والعارفَهْ
And after its oblivion, you sent it forth
The news of alertness and cognition.
As a tale of renown and beneficence.
Oh what a pity! How you terrified it
فواso, oh أسفًاsorrow، كيفhow روعتَهَاyou terrified it
فوا أسفًا، كيف روعتَهَا
بفقدكthrough your loss فيin الليلةِthe night السادفَهْdark
بفقدك في الليلةِ السادفَهْ
Alas, how you terrified it
When it lost you in that malign night!
By your loss on the dark night!
Berlin woke up to a news about you
صَحَتْawoke (برنُBern) منكَfrom you علىto نبأةٍa report
صَحَتْ (برنُ) منكَ على نبأةٍ
تسيلstream البروقُthe lightning flashes بهاthrough it راعفَهْbleeding
تسيل البروقُ بها راعفَهْ
Bern awoke to tidings of you,
At which lightnings pour heavily.
Through which lightning streams, bleeding.
The West threw its sparks at the East,
رمىhurled الغربَthe West بالشرقat the East إيماضَهاits flash
رمى الغربَ بالشرق إيماضَها
فردَّand so turned الشموسَthe suns بهthere كاسفَهْeclipsed
فردَّ الشموسَ به كاسفَهْ
The West hurled its flash at the East,
So it repelled the suns back grimly.
And left the suns there eclipsed.
It docked over Iraq’s cypresses,
أناخَsettled علىupon سَرَوَاتthe nobles العراقIraq
أناخَ على سَرَوَات العراق
فقصَّفَso shattered أفنانَهاtheir branches الوارفَهْbroad-shading
فقصَّفَ أفنانَها الوارفَهْ
It settled upon the nobles of Iraq,
And it fanned its branches lavishly.
And shattered their broad-shading branches.
The dawn of it was folded by the smiles of fortune,
طوىfolded away فجرُهاits dawn بسماتِthe smiles المنىhopes
طوى فجرُها بسماتِ المنى
وأسكتَand silenced أوتارَهاits strings العازفَهْplaying
وأسكتَ أوتارَها العازفَهْ
Its dawn folded away the smiles of hope
And it silenced its singing strings.
And silenced its sounding strings.
And those felicitated in the morn fell down
ومُصطبحينَand morning drinkers هوتْfell كأسهمtheir cup
ومُصطبحينَ هوتْ كأسهم
حُطامًاin fragments علىupon الشفةِthe lip الراشفَهْsipping
حُطامًا على الشفةِ الراشفَهْ
And morning drinkers—their cup fell
Shattered on the edge of the flask.
In shards upon the sipping lip.
They woke up to a lofty dream,
أفاقواthey awoke علىto حُلُمٍa dream رائعٍterrifying
أفاقوا على حُلُمٍ رائعٍ
كأنَّas though بهمupon them فَزَعَterror الأزفَهْthe approaching Hour
كأنَّ بهم فَزَعَ الأزفَهْ
They awoke to a terrifying dream,
As if they were startled abruptly.
As though seized by the dread of the approaching Hour.
They rebut the voice of certainty with doubt,
يردُّونthey counter بالشكِّwith doubt صوتَthe voice اليقينِcertainty
يردُّون بالشكِّ صوتَ اليقينِ
وتصدقُهand affirm it الأعينُthe eyes الذارفَهْshedding tears
وتصدقُه الأعينُ الذارفَهْ
They counter certainty's voice with doubt,
While the overflowing eyes confirm it.
And tear-shedding eyes affirm it.
And I indeed hear what they hear!
وإنيand indeed I لأسمعُsurely I hear ماwhat يسمعونَthey hear!
وإني لأسمعُ ما يسمعونَ!
صدىan echo الويلِwoe فيin صخَبthe clamor العاصفَهْthe tempest!
صدى الويلِ في صخَب العاصفَهْ!
And I indeed hear what they hear:
The echo of wailing in the clamor of the storm!
The echo of woe in the tempest's clamor!
How so! While you were the star of hope,
وكيفَand how؟ وقدwhen indeed كنتَyou were نجمَthe star الرجاءِhope
وكيفَ؟ وقد كنتَ نجمَ الرجاءِ
إذاwhen قيلَit was said: ليسthere is not لهاfor it كاشفَهْa dispeller
إذا قيلَ: ليس لها كاشفَهْ
And how could this be? You were hope's star
When it is said: “it has no reliever”.
When it was said, "There is none to dispel it."
They did not recognize your lack of perfection,
وماand not عرفواthey knew عنكof you نقصَa shortfall التمامperfection
وما عرفوا عنك نقصَ التمام
وبيعَand selling الصحيحةَthe genuine بالزائفَهْfor the counterfeit
وبيعَ الصحيحةَ بالزائفَهْ
They never knew you to fall short of perfection
Or that the genuine is sold by the fake.
Or to trade the genuine for the counterfeit.
The immaculate angels envy you,
تحفكsurrounds you أبَّهةُthe pomp المالكينsovereigns
تحفك أبَّهةُ المالكين
ونفسُكand your soul عنfrom زهوهاits pride صادفَهْturning away
ونفسُك عن زهوها صادفَهْ
The pomp of sovereigns surrounds you,
While you are ascetic towards its arrogance.
Yet your soul turns away from its pride.
You walked with composure during your wrath,
سَرَتْit moved by night بالوداعةwith gentleness فيin بأسهاits might
سَرَتْ بالوداعة في بأسها
سُرَىthe night-passage النَّسْمِbreezes فيin الليلةthe night الصائفَهْsummery
سُرَى النَّسْمِ في الليلة الصائفَهْ
It moved with gentleness in its might,
Like the stroll of breeze in a summer night.
As breezes pass through a summer night.
And you carry their burden that would
وتحملُand bears عنهمon their behalf منof العبءthe burden ماthat which
وتحملُ عنهم من العبء ما
تخرُّcollapse الجبالُthe mountains لهbecause of it خاسفَهْsinking
تخرُّ الجبالُ له خاسفَهْ
And bears for them burdens so great
Make mountains collapse and sink.
That mountains fall and sink beneath them.
You deride the tribulations of misery,
تَهزَّأُit mocks منat صرعاتthe fatal blows الردىdeath
تَهزَّأُ من صرعات الردى
وتُمسيand at evening is علىto أمرهمtheir affairs عاكفَهْdevoted
وتُمسي على أمرهم عاكفَهْ
It mocks the fatal blows of death
And you spend your days fulfilling their needs.
And at evening stays devoted to their affairs,
Until the misfortunes that fold the darkness,
إلىuntil أنthat طوتْهاfolded it away وأودتْand did away بهاwith it
إلى أن طوتْها وأودتْ بها
غوائلُstealthy perils تطويcross الدجىthe darkness خاطفَهْsnatching
غوائلُ تطوي الدجى خاطفَهْ
Until it was folded away and destroyed
Took and conveyed you away hastily.
By stealthy perils that cross the darkness, snatching.
So it started dripping over its palm
فراحتْand so it went ترفُّfluttering علىupon كفِّهاtheir palm
فراحتْ ترفُّ على كفِّها
رفيفَthe fluttering النَّدىdew فيin اليدthe hand القاطفَهْplucking
رفيفَ النَّدى في اليد القاطفَهْ
And so it fluttered upon their palm,
The murmur of dew into a picking hand.
As dew flutters in the hand that plucks.
And it is nothing but tears of sorrow,
وماand not هيَit إلاexcept دموعُtears الأَسىsorrow
وما هيَ إلا دموعُ الأَسى
هَمتْpoured منfrom جراحاتهاits wounds النازفَهْbleeding
هَمتْ من جراحاتها النازفَهْ
And it is nothing but tears of sorrow
Dripping from its bleeding injuries.
That poured from its bleeding wounds.
And it did not forget Tigris, it circles around it,
وماand not نَسِيَتْhas forgotten دجلةًthe Tigris إنَّهاindeed it
وما نَسِيَتْ دجلةً إنَّها
بشطَّيْهِalong its two banks حائمةhovering طائفَهْcircling
بشطَّيْهِ حائمة طائفَهْ
And it has not forgotten the Tigris; indeed it
Roaming its two banks meaningfully.
Hovers and circles along its two banks,
They bless them from the sky of immortality,
تباركهمblesses them منfrom سماءheaven الخلودeternity
تباركهم من سماء الخلود
وتدعوand prays لغازيهمُfor their Ghazi هاتفَهْcalling out
وتدعو لغازيهمُ هاتفَهْ
Blessing them from the heaven of eternity
And supplicate for their martyrs pleadingly.
And calling out in prayer for their Ghazi.
Partial English translation: 79 of 80 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1