أَرِقتُI lay sleepless لِبَرقٍbecause of lightning مِنfrom أَهاضيبِthe heights of لُبنانِLebanon
أَرِقتُ لِبَرقٍ مِن أَهاضيبِ لُبنانِ
خَفوقٍflickering كَقَلبيlike my heart مُمتَرٍmilking سُحبَthe clouds of أَجفانيmy eyelids
خَفوقٍ كَقَلبي مُمتَرٍ سُحبَ أَجفاني
I lay sleepless at lightning from the heights of Lebanon,
I was kept awake by lightning flashes from the hills of Lebanon,
flickering like my heart, milking the clouds of my eyelids.
Pulsing like my restless heart, clouds lowering their lids.
لَهُit has وَمَضانُthe gleam of الهِندوانِيِّthe Indian sword مُصلَتاًunsheathed
لَهُ وَمَضانُ الهِندوانِيِّ مُصلَتاً
وَهَلand can يُمتَرىbe milked بِالسَيفِwith a sword غَيرُother than الدَمِblood القانيcrimson
وَهَل يُمتَرى بِالسَيفِ غَيرُ الدَمِ القاني
It has the gleam of an unsheathed Indian sword;
It and the lamps of India vie in continual prayer –
and can anything but crimson blood be milked with a sword?
And does aught but blood stain the blade of a sword?
ذَمَمتُI blamed زَمانيmy age إِذwhen رَمانيit cast me بِمَعشَرٍamong a company
ذَمَمتُ زَماني إِذ رَماني بِمَعشَرٍ
يَرَونَthey see عُلُوَّelevation of الشَأنِstanding فيin حَطِّهِمtheir lowering شانيmy standing
يَرَونَ عُلُوَّ الشَأنِ في حَطِّهِم شاني
I blamed my age when it cast me among people
I censured Time when it cast me among a band
who see their own high standing in lowering mine.
Who saw the height of glory in other men’s low estate.
فَلَمso did not أَلقَI find ليfor me مِنany صاحِبٍcompanion غَيرَother than حاصِبٍa stone-thrower
فَلَم أَلقَ لي مِن صاحِبٍ غَيرَ حاصِبٍ
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see فيamong الإِخوانِthe brethren ليfor me غَيرَother than خَوّانِa habitual betrayer
وَلَم أَرَ في الإِخوانِ لي غَيرَ خَوّانِ
So I found no companion but a stone-thrower,
So I found no friend but one who criticized and blamed,
and among my brethren I saw only betrayers.
No brethren in the brotherhood but traitors and tyrants.
هُمُthey نَبَذونيthey cast me off نَبذَهُمtheir casting off كُلَّall سُؤدَدٍnobility
هُمُ نَبَذوني نَبذَهُم كُلَّ سُؤدَدٍ
وَهُمand they رَفَضونيthey rejected me رَفضَهُمtheir rejection of كُلَّall إِحسانِgoodness
وَهُم رَفَضوني رَفضَهُم كُلَّ إِحسانِ
They cast me off as they cast off all nobility,
They spurned me like spurns every mean wretch
and they rejected me as they rejected all goodness.
And rejected me like rejects every kindness.
وَقَدand indeed سَرَّنيit pleased me أَنthat أَبغَضونيthey hated me لِأَنَّنيbecause I
وَقَد سَرَّني أَن أَبغَضوني لِأَنَّني
رَأَيتُهُمI saw them لَمdid not يُؤثِرواthey prefer حُبَّlove of إِنسانِa human being
رَأَيتُهُم لَم يُؤثِروا حُبَّ إِنسانِ
And it pleased me that they hated me, because I
Yet it pleased me they should hate me, for I saw
saw that they did not choose to love any human being.
They never prized a human being’s love.
فَكَمso how often صَفِرَتbecame empty مِنof راحَتيmy comfort راحَتيmy palm وَكَمand how often
فَكَم صَفِرَت مِن راحَتي راحَتي وَكَم
عَضَضتُI bit لِندمانيbecause of my boon companion أَنامِلَthe fingertips of نَدمانِa remorseful man
عَضَضتُ لِندماني أَنامِلَ نَدمانِ
How often my palm lay empty of comfort, and how often
How often my right hand has wrung my right hand,
I bit my fingertips in remorse over my boon companion.
And I gnawed my fingers in remorse!
وَمِنand from قَبلُbefore أَوصىenjoined اللَهُGod بِالجارِconcerning the neighbor جارَهُhis neighbor
وَمِن قَبلُ أَوصى اللَهُ بِالجارِ جارَهُ
وَإِنّيand indeed I إِلَيهِto Him أَشتَكيI complain جَورَthe injustice of جيرانيmy neighbors
وَإِنّي إِلَيهِ أَشتَكي جَورَ جيراني
And earlier, God enjoined each neighbor to care for his neighbor;
Long ago God enjoined love of one's neighbor,
and I complain to Him of my neighbors’ injustice.
Yet I complain of my neighbors' tyranny.
Sol 6.1