عبقريٌّ من النَّغَمْ

عبقريٌّ من النَّغَمْ

رَجْعُهُ الحبُّ والألَمْ

رَجْعُهُ الحبُّ والألَمْ

A genius fashioned from melody,

A genius of melody

Its echo is love and pain;

His return is love and pain

نَبْعُهُ قلبُ شاعرٍ

نَبْعُهُ قلبُ شاعرٍ

شارفَ النُّورَ في القمَمْ

شارفَ النُّورَ في القمَمْ

Its wellspring is a poet's heart

His spring is a poet’s heart

That approached the light upon the peaks,

That reached the light at the peaks

ورأى مولدَ الحيا

ورأى مولدَ الحيا

ةِ على شاطئ العدمْ

ةِ على شاطئ العدمْ

And saw the birth of life

And saw the birth of life

Upon the shore of nothingness,

On the shore of nothingness

في رفيفٍ من النَّدَى

في رفيفٍ من النَّدَى

وحفيفٍ من النسمْ

وحفيفٍ من النسمْ

Amid a fluttering of dew,

In a whisper of dew

And a rustling of breezes,

And rustle of breeze

وإطارٍ من السَّنَا

وإطارٍ من السَّنَا

جمع الكونَ وانتظمْ

جمع الكونَ وانتظمْ

And a frame of radiance

And a frame of luminosity

That gathered the universe and took harmonious form.

That brought the universe into harmony

ورآها وقد بَدَتْ

ورآها وقد بَدَتْ

مِثلَ حوريَّة الحُلُمْ

مِثلَ حوريَّة الحُلُمْ

And he saw her, now revealed,

And he saw it appear

Like the houri of a dream.

Like a houri of dreams

هيَ سَكْرَى تجرَّدتْ

هيَ سَكْرَى تجرَّدتْ

من ثيابٍ ومن عِصَمْ

من ثيابٍ ومن عِصَمْ

She, intoxicated, had stripped herself

She is an intoxication that shed

Of garments and of bonds.

Her clothes and chastity

وهو لاهٍ بخدرها

وهو لاهٍ بخدرها

ثَمِلٌ بالذي غَنِمْ

ثَمِلٌ بالذي غَنِمْ

And he, at play in her boudoir,

And he was distracted by her intoxication

Was drunk on what he had gained.

Satiated with what he gained

تعصر الكرمَ راحتا

تعصر الكرمَ راحتا

هُ لها، وهي تبتسمْ

هُ لها، وهي تبتسمْ

His two palms press the vine

She squeezed the grapes gently

For her, while she smiles.

For him, while smiling

فشدا أوَّلَ الرعا

فشدا أوَّلَ الرعا

ةِ بشبَّابة القِدَمْ

ةِ بشبَّابة القِدَمْ

So he sang, first among shepherds,

So he sang the first of vigor

On the reed flute of antiquity,

With the youthfulness of steps

قبل أن يُسْعِدَ الغنا

قبل أن يُسْعِدَ الغنا

ءُ بها راعيَ الغنَمْ

ءُ بها راعيَ الغنَمْ

Before song could gladden

Before the singing gladdened

The shepherd of sheep with it.

The shepherd of sheep

خطرةٌ من شبابهِ

خطرةٌ من شبابهِ

وَمَضَتْ، فاشتكى السأمْ

وَمَضَتْ، فاشتكى السأمْ

A fleeting fancy from his youth

A fleeting moment of his youth

Flashed by; then he complained of boredom.

That passed, so he complained of boredom

وإذا الشاعرُ المدلـ

وإذا الشاعرُ المدلـ

ـهُ يقظانُ لم يَنَمْ

ـهُ يقظانُ لم يَنَمْ

And suddenly, the love-bewildered poet

And there the infatuated poet

Is awake; he has not slept.

Awake, did not sleep

أرَّقته صبابةٌ

أرَّقته صبابةٌ

بين جنبيهِ تضطرمْ

بين جنبيهِ تضطرمْ

Ardent longing has kept him sleepless,

Insomnia kindled between his ribs

Burning between his sides.

Roaming alone he cuts through time

يقطع الدهرَ وَحْدَهُ

يقطع الدهرَ وَحْدَهُ

ذاهلًا تائِهَ القدَمْ

ذاهلًا تائِهَ القدَمْ

He passes through time alone,

Absently wandering

Dazed, his footsteps wandering.

He asks the night, the stars, the clouds, the rain

يسأل الليلَ، والكوا

يسأل الليلَ، والكوا

كبَ، والسُّحْبَ، والدِّيَمْ

كبَ، والسُّحْبَ، والدِّيَمْ

He questions the night and the stars,

His passionate lyre laments what was dear and harmonized

And the clouds and the steady rains.

And on his cheek tears flowed

ناح قيثارُهُ الشجـ

ناح قيثارُهُ الشجـ

ـيُّ بما رقَّ وانسجمْ

ـيُّ بما رقَّ وانسجمْ

His plaintive lyre lamented

Of regret

With tender, harmonious strains.

Love melted his heart

وعلى خدِّه جَرَتْ

وعلى خدِّه جَرَتْ

عَبَرَاتٌ من الندَمْ

عَبَرَاتٌ من الندَمْ

And down his cheek flowed

And his body showed sickness

Tears of remorse.

And the unseen revealed his secret

ذوَّبَ الحبُّ قلبه

ذوَّبَ الحبُّ قلبه

وبَرَى جسمهَ السَّقمْ

وبَرَى جسمهَ السَّقمْ

Love melted his heart,

Between his eyes and was depicted

And sickness wore his body away.

So the most beautiful poetry and melody streamed through his hymn

وجلا الغيبُ سرَّهُ

وجلا الغيبُ سرَّهُ

بين عينيه وارتسمْ

بين عينيه وارتسمْ

And the unseen unveiled its secret

So look which poet

Before his eyes, and it took shape.

Is he among you at the celebration

فجرى في نشيده

فجرى في نشيده

أروعُ الشعر والنغَمْ

أروعُ الشعر والنغَمْ

So through his song flowed

That masterful composer

The most wondrous poetry and melody.

In the image of words

فانظروا أيَّ شاعرٍ

فانظروا أيَّ شاعرٍ

هو في الحفل بينكمْ

هو في الحفل بينكمْ

So behold what a poet

The goddess of wisdom complained of him

He is among you at this gathering.

To the goddess of the pen

ذلك المبدعُ الروا

ذلك المبدعُ الروا

ئع في صورة الكَلِمْ

ئع في صورة الكَلِمْ

That creator of masterpieces

She disputed his love

In the form of words.

While he is the adversary and judge

ربَّةُ الحكمة اشتكتـ

ربَّةُ الحكمة اشتكتـ

ـه إلى ربَّةِ القَلَمْ

ـه إلى ربَّةِ القَلَمْ

The goddess of wisdom complained

So listen now to his poetry

Of him to the goddess of the pen.

And enjoy it above nations

نازعَتْهَا غرامَهُ

نازعَتْهَا غرامَهُ

وَهُوَ الخصمُ والحكَمْ

وَهُوَ الخصمُ والحكَمْ

She vied with her for his love,

Frail of body, his name

And he is both adversary and arbiter.

Encompasses the universe with greatness

فاسمعوا الآن شعره

فاسمعوا الآن شعره

وتَمَلَّوْهُ عن أَمَمْ

وتَمَلَّوْهُ عن أَمَمْ

So listen now to his poetry,

Short, and his glory

And gaze your fill upon him from nearby.

Towering like the bright dawn

ضامرُ الجسم واسمُهُ

ضامرُ الجسم واسمُهُ

يَسَعُ الكونَ بالعِظَمْ

يَسَعُ الكونَ بالعِظَمْ

Lean of body, yet his name

That poet who won

Encompasses the universe in greatness.

Love and was characterized

وقصيرٌ، ومجدهُ

وقصيرٌ، ومجدهُ

باذخٌ كالضحى أشَمْ

باذخٌ كالضحى أشَمْ

And short in stature, yet his glory

Immortalized by what he sang

Is towering like the morning light, exalted.

Immortalized by what he composed

ذلك الشاعر الذي

ذلك الشاعر الذي

فاز بالحب واتَّسَمْ

فاز بالحب واتَّسَمْ

That is the poet who

That is "Naji" and it suffices

Triumphed through love and bore its mark,

That he is the flag poet!

خالدٌ بالذي شدا

خالدٌ بالذي شدا

خالدٌ بالذي نظَمْ

خالدٌ بالذي نظَمْ

Immortal through what he sang,

Immortal through what he composed.

ذلك «ناجي» وحَسْبُهُ

ذلك «ناجي» وحَسْبُهُ

أنَّه الشاعرُ العلَمْ!

أنَّه الشاعرُ العلَمْ!

That is Naji; enough for him

That he is the illustrious poet!