أرىI see شُعاعاًa ray of light علىover لبنانَLebanon منبسِطاًspreading out
أرى شُعاعاً على لبنانَ منبسِطاً
زَعَمتُهُI thought it وَضَحاًbright light منfrom شمسِthe sun of لبنانLebanon
زَعَمتُهُ وَضَحاً من شمسِ لبنان
I see a ray of light spreading over Lebanon.
I see a ray stretching over Lebanon
I took it for bright light from Lebanon’s sun.
I thought it was the light of the Lebanese sun
هَدَىguided النفوسَthe souls فلمso did not تعثُرfalter مبادئُهاtheir principles
هَدَى النفوسَ فلم تعثُر مبادئُها
ونَزَّهand purified العلمَknowledge لمdid not يدنَسْbecome sullied ببهتانِby slander
ونَزَّه العلمَ لم يدنَسْ ببهتانِ
It guided souls, so their principles did not falter,
It guided souls so their principles stumbled not
And kept knowledge pure, unsullied by slander.
And purified science, unstained by confusion
إِمَّاif استمدَّdrew strength فرَدْحاًthen for a long while يستفيضoverflows هُدىًwith guidance
إِمَّا استمدَّ فرَدْحاً يستفيض هُدىً
فيin معهدٍan institute بجمالwith the beauty of الروحthe soul ملآنfilled
في معهدٍ بجمال الروح ملآن
If it draws strength, it overflows with guidance for a long while
Drawing either inspiration that overflows as guidance
In an institute filled with the soul’s beauty.
In an institute filled with the beauty of the spirit
كالكهرباءةِlike electricity فيin أَسمىthe loftiest طبائِعهاits qualities
كالكهرباءةِ في أَسمى طبائِعها
روحٌa spirit تَحجَّبُveils itself خَلفbehind النّيرِthe luminary السانيradiant
روحٌ تَحجَّبُ خَلف النّيرِ الساني
Like electricity in its loftiest qualities,
Like electricity in its highest qualities
A spirit veils itself behind the radiant luminary.
A spirit veiled behind the shining pillar
بنونboys ملءthe fullness of الصباyouth كالطيرlike birds دارجَةٌtaking their first steps
بنون ملء الصبا كالطير دارجَةٌ
فيin الروضthe garden تحتَbeneath ظلالٍshade عندbeside غُدرانِpools
في الروض تحتَ ظلالٍ عند غُدرانِ
Boys in the fullness of youth, like birds taking their first steps,
Its children filled youth like birds wandering
In the garden, beneath shade, beside pools.
In the meadow below the shades of the potteries
تفيَّأتthey sheltered in shade وارِفاًample واستمرأَتْand savored سَلِساًsmooth to drink
تفيَّأت وارِفاً واستمرأَتْ سَلِساً
ظِلاَّshade لذيfor one with لَغْبٍweariness أوor وردَa draught ظمآنِa thirsty person
ظِلاَّ لذي لَغْبٍ أو وردَ ظمآنِ
They sheltered in ample shade and savored a smooth draught—
It rested in a shelter and settled smoothly
Shade for the weary, or a draught for the thirsty.
A shade for one with thirst or a rose for the thirsty
إذاwhen هِيَthey انطلقتtook flight منfrom عُشّهاtheir nest فَرَقاًin fear
إذا هِيَ انطلقت من عُشّها فَرَقاً
رأيتَهاyou saw them أنسُراًeagles فيin إثرthe wake of عُقبانِeagles
رأيتَها أنسُراً في إثر عُقبانِ
When they took flight from their nest in fear,
When it burst forth from its nest in fragments
You saw them as eagles in the wake of eagles.
You saw it swiftly following the eagles
كَسَتclothed جَناحَينِtwo wings منof دِينٍfaith ومنand of أدبculture
كَسَت جَناحَينِ من دِينٍ ومن أدب
والسّرand the secret فيamong الطيرbirds للسَّبْقfor taking the lead الجناحانِthe two wings
والسّر في الطير للسَّبْق الجناحانِ
Clad in two wings of faith and culture,
It wore two wings of religion and manners
And birds’ secret of taking the lead is their two wings.
And the secret to the bird is the two racing wings
دُنياكِyour world ثنتانِtwo things أَخلاقٌmorals ومعرفةٌand knowledge
دُنياكِ ثنتانِ أَخلاقٌ ومعرفةٌ
فهذّبso refine العقلَthe mind والأخلاقَand morals فيat آنِone time
فهذّب العقلَ والأخلاقَ في آنِ
Your world is twofold: morals and knowledge.
Your world has two things: morals and knowledge
So refine the mind and morals together.
So refine the mind and morals at once
نَسْرٌan eagle طوىtraversed الجوَّthe sky لاnot يدنوdraws near فتُدرِكهso you may reach it
نَسْرٌ طوى الجوَّ لا يدنو فتُدرِكه
وشُعلةٌand a flame منof شعاعٍradiance وارفٍwide-spreading دانِnear at hand
وشُعلةٌ من شعاعٍ وارفٍ دانِ
An eagle that has traversed the sky, not drawing near for you to reach it,
An eagle that crossed the air out of reach
And a flame of spreading radiance, close at hand.
And a flame from an ample and close ray
فالجوُّso the sky أَفسَحُهُits widest expanse للعزمfor resolve أَضْيَقُهits narrowest expanse
فالجوُّ أَفسَحُهُ للعزم أَضْيَقُه
وماand not يَضيقُgrows narrow لغيرِfor anyone other than الخاملthe idle الوانيthe listless
وما يَضيقُ لغيرِ الخامل الواني
Thus the sky’s narrowest expanse is its widest for resolve,
The air - its wideness is for resolve, its narrowness
And it grows narrow only for the idle and listless.
And nothing is narrow except for the fading and weak
الصورتانthe two images شُعاعa ray of light فيin مَبَاهِجهِits splendors
الصورتان شُعاع في مَبَاهِجهِ
والطيرُand birds سَبَّاقةٌracing ahead فيin الجوthe sky سيانِare alike
والطيرُ سَبَّاقةٌ في الجو سيانِ
The two images—a ray in its splendors,
The two images: a ray in its joys
And birds racing ahead in the sky—are alike.
And the bird outpacing in the air the same
كلتاهماboth of them أَنتَyou إشعاعاًas radiance وأجنحةًand as wings
كلتاهما أَنتَ إشعاعاً وأجنحةً
كالكهرباءةَlike electricity فيin سرّsecrecy وإِعلانِand openness
كالكهرباءةَ في سرّ وإِعلانِ
Both are you, as radiance and wings,
Both of them you are: a ray and wings
Like electricity, hidden and manifest.
Like electricity in secret and declaration
بَعَثْتَهاyou sent it forth قوةًas a force سمحاءَbenevolent فاندَلعَتْso it blazed up
بَعَثْتَها قوةً سمحاءَ فاندَلعَتْ
كأنَّas though رمزاًan emblem لهاfor it استحقاقُthe merit of لبنانِLebanon
كأنَّ رمزاً لها استحقاقُ لبنانِ
You sent it forth as a benevolent force, so it blazed up,
You made it a sublime power so it blazed
As though Lebanon’s merit were its emblem.
As if its symbol deserves Lebanon
Sol 6.1