ﻋﻈﻴﻢ,وﻟﻜﻦ ﺷﺪﻳﺪ اﻟﻌﻨﺎءْ!

عظيم,ولكن شديد العناءْ!

ﻓﻜﻢ راح ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻂ ﻳﻮﻣًﺎ،وﺟﺎءْ

فكم راح في الشط يومًا،وجاءْ

Mighty, yet grievously tormented!

Great, but arduous!

For many a day he went and came along the shore.

So many a day he spent in the shore, back and forth!

ﻫﻮ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ أَﺿﺤﺖ ﻟﻪ ﻗﺼﱠﺔ˚

هو البحر أَضحت له قص َّة ̊

ﻛﺒﻌﺾ الجباﺑﺮة اﻷﻗﻮﻳﺎء

كبعض الجبابرة الأقوياء

He is the sea; he now has a tale,

The sea became to him a tale,

like some of the powerful giants.

Like some mighty giants.

ﺳﺄَروي ﺗﻔﺎﺻﻴﻠﻬﺎ،ﺗﺎرﻛًﺎ

سأَروي تفاصيلها،تاركًا

ﻟﺮأْﻳﻚ أن ﻳﺠﺘﻠﻲ ﻣﺎ ﻳﺸﺎء

لرأْيك أن يجتلي ما يشاء

I shall tell its details, leaving

I will recount its details, leaving

your judgment to discern whatever it wishes.

To your opinion whatever it wishes to elucidate.

ﻓﺈن ﺗﺴﻌﺪي ﺑﻘﺒﻮلٍ ﻟﻬﺎ

فإن تسعدي بقبولٍ لها

ﻛﻔﺎﻧﻲَ, واﻟﺸﻌﺮَ, ﻫﺬا الجزاء!

كفانيَ, والشعرَ, هذا الجزاء!

If you gladden me by accepting it,

If you are pleased to accept it

this reward will suffice for me and poetry!

That suffices me, and poetry, this reward!

ﻟﻘﺪ ﺣﺪﱠﺛﻮا اﻟﺒﺤﺮ ﻋﻦ درﱠةٍ

لقد حد َّثوا البحر عن در َّةٍ

ﺣﻮى اﻟﺸﻂﱡ ﻣﻨﺒﺘﻬﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺧﻔﺎء

حوى الشط ُّ منبتها في خفاء

They told the sea about a pearl

They told the sea about a pearl

whose birthplace the shore kept hidden.

The shore nurtured secretly in hiding,

وﻗﺎﻟﻮا ﻟﻪ: ﻟﻴﺲ ﻓﻲ دُره

وقالوا له: ليس في دُره

ﻛﺬاك اﻟﺸﻌﺎع, وذاك اﻟﻨﻘﺎء

كذاك الشعاع, وذاك النقاء

And they told him: none of his pearls had

And said to it: Not in its pearl

such radiance and such purity.

Is such radiance, and such purity.

ﺗﻜﺎد، إذا أَوﺻﺪت ﺑﺎﺑﻬﺎ

تكاد، إذا أَوصدت بابها

ﺗﻀﻲءُ اﻟﺸﱡﻘﻮق بما ﻓﻲ وراء

تضيءُ الش ُّقوق بما في وراء

When she shuts her door, it is almost as if

When it is shut in its shell

the cracks glow with what lies behind.

It illuminates the crevices with what is behind,

ﻓﻠﻢ ﻳﺤﻀﻦِ اﻟﺼﱠﺪفُ المشرﻗﻲﱡ

فلم يحضنِ الص َّدفُ المشرقي ُّ

ﻣﺜﻴﻼً ﻟﻬﺎ بين ﺻﺨﺮٍِ، وﻣﺎء!

مثيلاً لها بين صخرٍِ، وماء!

For no eastern shell has ever cradled

So the radiant oyster has not held

her equal amid rock and water!

The like of it between rock and water!

ﻓﻬﺎم ﺑﻬﺎ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ، ﻻ ﻳﻨﺜﻨﻲ

فهام بها البحر، لا ينثني

ﻋﻦ اﻟﺸﻂ, ﻓﻲ ﺻﺒﺤﻪ والمساء

عن الشط, في صبحه والمساء

So the sea fell madly in love with her, never turning

Thus the sea lusted for it, not pausing

from the shore, morning or evening.

From the shore, in its morn and evening.

ﻓﻄﻮراً ﻳﺪاﻧﻴﻪ ﺣﻠﻮ اﻟﺮﺿﺎ،

فطوراً يدانيه حلو الرضا،

ﻟﻄﻴﻒ اﻟﺮﱠﺷﺎش، ﻟﻄﻴﻒ اﻟﻬﻮاء

لطيف الر َّشاش، لطيف الهواء

At times he draws near it in sweet contentment,

Sometimes it would approach it gentle with pleasure,

gentle in spray, gentle in breeze;

Delicate spray, delicate air,

وﻃﻮراً ﻳﻴﻤﻤُﻪ ﻏﺎﺿﺒًﺎ

وطوراً ييممُه غاضبًا

ﻳﺠﻠﺠﻞُ ﻛﺎﻟﻠﻴﺚ ﻣﻞءَ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء

يجلجلُ كالليث ملءَ الفضاء

and at times he heads toward it in anger,

And other times it would move angrily towards it

roaring like a lion through the whole expanse.

Roaring like a lion filling the sky.

وﻳﺎ ﻃﺎلما راق، أو رقﱠ، أو

ويا طالما راق، أو رق َّ، أو

ﺗﻌﻠﱠﻰ، وﻛﺮﱠ، وأَﻋﻴﺎ، وﻧﺎء!

تعل َّى، وكر َّ، وأَعيا، وناء!

And oh, how often he grew clear, or gentle, or

How often it has calmed or stirred, risen up

rose high, surged back, grew weary, and heaved under strain!

Or towered, charged or languished or wailed!

ﻓﺂﻧًﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺷﻌﻔﺎت الجبال،

فآنًا كما شعفات الجبال،

وآﻧًﺎ ﻛﻤﺎ ﺻﻔﺤﺎت المراء

وآنًا كما صفحات المراء

now like the mountain peaks,

Now like the cliffs of mountains,

and now like the surfaces of mirrors.

And now like the plains of contention!

وﻛﻢ ﻋﺎف،واﻟﺸﻤﺲ ﻋﻨﺪ المغيب

وكم عاف،والشمس عند المغيب

ﻣﻔﺎﺗﻦَ بين اﻟﺴﱠﻨﻰ، واﻟﺴﱠﻨﺎء!

مفاتنَ بين الس َّنى، والس َّناء!

And how often he spurned, as the sun was setting,

And how often when the sun was setting

charms amid radiance and splendor!

It neglected charms between traditionalism and modernity!

ﻓﻠﻢ ﻳﺤﺘﻔﻞْ ﺑﻌﺮوس اﻟﻨﱠﻬﺎر

فلم يحتفلْ بعروس الن َّهار

ورﻛﺐِ الجلال، وﺧَﻄﻮِ اﻟﻀﻴﺎء

وركبِ الجلال، وخَطوِ الضياء

He paid no heed to the bride of day,

And how often in the night a sand dune arose

nor the cavalcade of majesty, nor the tread of light.

And it paid the barren sands no heed!

وﻛﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﻐﻠﻴﻞ ﻏﺪت رﻣﻠﺔٌ

وكم في الغليل غدت رملةٌ

وﻟﻢ ﻳﻠﺘﻔﺖ ﻟﻠﺮﻣﺎل اﻟﻈﻤﺎء!

ولم يلتفت للرمال الظماء!

And how often a patch of sand grew parched,

And how often on the coasts a human woman

yet he paid no heed to the thirsty sands!

Came to it, stripped of all cover,

وﻛﻢ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻮاﻃﺊ إِﻧﺴﻴﱠﺔ

وكم في الشواطئ إِنسي َّة

أَﺗﺘﻪ، وﻗﺪ ﻋﺮﻳﺖ ﻣﻦ ﻏﻄﺎء

أَتته، وقد عريت من غطاء

And how many a mortal woman upon the shores

Diving a leg, and snatching another,

came to him, stripped of all covering,

What bliss for him, a playing field for the winds!

ﺗﻐﻮص ﺳﺎﻗﺎ، وﺗﺨﻄﻒ أُﺧﺮى

تغوص ساقا، وتخطف أُخرى

ﻓﻠﱠﻠﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻠﻌﺐٍ ﻟﻠﺮﱡواء

فل َّله من ملعبٍ للر ُّواء

dipping one leg and snatching back the other—

But the sea was preoccupied in its obsession

God, what a playground for beauty!

With the one who deprived it of repose!

وﻟﻜﻨﻤﺎ اﻟﺒﺤﺮ ﻓﻲ ﻫﻤﻪ

ولكنما البحر في همه

ﺑﺘﻠﻚ اﻟﺘﻲ ﺣﺮﻣﺘﻪ اﻟﺜﱠﻮاء!

بتلك التي حرمته الث َّواء!

But the sea is lost in his cares

So if you came close to it once

for her who deprived him of repose!

Appearing from an alcove or courtyard,

ﻓﺈن أﻧﺖِ ﺷﺎرﻓﺘِﻪ ﻣﺮﱠةً

فإن أنتِ شارفتِه مر َّةً

تطلين ﻣﻦ ﻛﻮﱠ ٍة, أو ﻓِﻨﺎء

تطلين من كو َّ ٍة, أو فِناء

So if you should draw near him once,

And it was sure you had come to it,

looking out from a window or a courtyard,

It would come with its blueness and clarity,

وأَﻳﻘﻦ أﻧﻚِ واﻓﻴﺘﻪ

وأَيقن أنكِ وافيته

ﻓﺠﺎء ﺑﺰرﻗﺘﻪ، واﻟﺼﱠﻔﺎء

فجاء بزرقته، والص َّفاء

and he knows for certain that you have come to him,

And seethe in the shore after the roar,

and so comes in his blueness and clarity,

And after the circumambulation and the groaning.

وﻏﻠﻐﻞ ﻓﻲ اﻟﺸﻂ ﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻬﺪﻳﺮ

وغلغل في الشط بعد الهدير

وﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻄﱠﻮاف، وﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻌﻴﺎء

وبعد الط َّواف، وبعد العياء

and flows deep into the shore after his roaring,

Then do not ask people: Why is it

after his wandering and after his weariness,

Ecstatic? For it is easily pleased!

ﻓﻼ ﺗﺴﺄﻟﻲ اﻟﻨﺎس: ﻣﺎ ﺑﺎﻟﻪ

فلا تسألي الناس: ما باله

ﺗﻬﻠﱠﻞ؟ ﻓﻬﻮ ﻗﺮﻳﺐ اﻟﺮﺿﺎء

تهل َّل؟ فهو قريب الرضاء

then do not ask people why he

has lit up—for he is easily pleased.