خفقان برق وارتجاف جنان

خفقان برق وارتجاف جنان

هذا نعيّك طاف في لبنانِ

هذا نعيّك طاف في لبنانِ

Lightning's pulse and a heart's trembling—

Flashes of lightning and trembling of bliss -

This is your death notice, making its rounds through Lebanon.

This is your elegy circulating in Lebanon.

السلك يرجف والقلوب خوافق

السلك يرجف والقلوب خوافق

فالخافقان عليك يرتجفانِ

فالخافقان عليك يرتجفانِ

The wire trembles, and hearts are throbbing;

The wire trembles and hearts are apprehensive,

so both horizons tremble for you.

So the fluttering hearts for you tremble.

بَكَرَ النعيّ مروِّعاً بمحمد

بَكَرَ النعيّ مروِّعاً بمحمد

مُهَجَ العداةِ وأنفُسَ الخلاّنِ

مُهَجَ العداةِ وأنفُسَ الخلاّنِ

Early came the death notice of Muhammad, terrifying

The elegy came early, terrifying with Muhammad,

the hearts of enemies and the souls of friends.

Inciting the enemies and souls of the wicked.

يا يومَه ما فيك غيرُ لواعج

يا يومَه ما فيك غيرُ لواعج

بين الضلوع لها لظى النيرانِ

بين الضلوع لها لظى النيرانِ

O day of his passing, you hold nothing but burning sorrows

O his day! In you there is nothing but calamities

between the ribs, blazing with the fire of flames.

Among the ribs, having the burning of fire.

يا يومَه ما فيك غيرُ مدامع

يا يومَه ما فيك غيرُ مدامع

تذري وغيرُ تلهّف وحنانِ

تذري وغيرُ تلهّف وحنانِ

O day of his passing, you hold nothing but tears

O his day! In you there is nothing but tears

pouring forth, and anguish and tender longing.

Flowing, and nothing but yearning and affection.

طفنا به ويدٌ تعالج أدمعاً

طفنا به ويدٌ تعالج أدمعاً

ويدٌ لقلب دائم الخفقانِ

ويدٌ لقلب دائم الخفقانِ

We circled him, one hand tending tears,

We have been affectionate with him, a hand that wipes tears

and another upon a heart that pounded without cease.

And a hand for a heart constantly fluttering.

حتى إذا سكن الوجيف وأمسكت

حتى إذا سكن الوجيف وأمسكت

حيناً مدامعنا عن التهتانِ

حيناً مدامعنا عن التهتانِ

Until, when the pounding stilled and

Until when the funeral was over and our tears

our tears ceased streaming for a while,

Ceased for a while from wandering astray,

وتخشّعت منّا النفوسُ وراعها

وتخشّعت منّا النفوسُ وراعها

ما في المنَّية من رهيب الشانِ

ما في المنَّية من رهيب الشانِ

and our souls bowed humbly, awed

And our souls became submissive, alarmed by

by the terrible nature of death,

What there is in death of the awe of glory.

وثبت إلى المُقَل القلوبُ تشوّقاً

وثبت إلى المُقَل القلوبُ تشوّقاً

وغدت ترفّ عليه بالأجفانِ

وغدت ترفّ عليه بالأجفانِ

our hearts leapt into our eyes in longing

And hearts leaned towards the departed, yearning

and began fluttering over him with our eyelids.

And they started to flutter over him with the eyelids.

من قال يوماً قبل يومِ محمدٍ

من قال يوماً قبل يومِ محمدٍ

إنّ القلوب مكانُها العينانِ

إنّ القلوب مكانُها العينانِ

Who ever said, before Muhammad's day,

Who said one day before Muhammad’s day

that hearts have their home in the eyes?

That hearts belong in the eyes?

يا مُفنيَ الصبرَ الجميلَ لو أنه

يا مُفنيَ الصبرَ الجميلَ لو أنه

يَفْنَى لعيك ولا تكون الفاني

يَفْنَى لعيك ولا تكون الفاني

O destroyer of noble patience, if only it

O you who destroyed beautiful patience, if only

could perish at your death notice, and you were not the one to perish!

It would be destroyed without you being the destroyer.

يا مُصعِدَ الزفرات لو أصعدتها

يا مُصعِدَ الزفرات لو أصعدتها

ووَفَتْ حياتَك حسرةُ اللّهفانِ

ووَفَتْ حياتَك حسرةُ اللّهفانِ

O you who send sighs aloft, if only you had raised them

O you who made sighs ascend, if only you made them ascend

and a mourner's anguish had redeemed your life!

And the longing of the yearners accompanied your life.

يا مؤنسَ المَوتى بمُدرجة الفنا

يا مؤنسَ المَوتى بمُدرجة الفنا

آنستَهم يا موحشَ الأوطانِ

آنستَهم يا موحشَ الأوطانِ

O comforter of the dead along the path of annihilation,

O companion of the dead in the station of annihilation

you have brought them company, O you who leave homelands desolate.

You made them intimate, O desolate one of homelands.

أمسيتَ حيث عَدَتْك أسبابُ المنى

أمسيتَ حيث عَدَتْك أسبابُ المنى

ولقد تكون وأنت لهفُ أماني

ولقد تكون وأنت لهفُ أماني

You now dwell where the means of hope have passed you by,

You have become where the reasons of death took you

yet once you were the object of yearning hopes,

And indeed you can become while you are yearning for wishes

وغياثُ محتاد وموئلُ بائس

وغياثُ محتاد وموئلُ بائس

ونصير مفتقرٍ وملجأ عانِ

ونصير مفتقرٍ وملجأ عانِ

and succor for the needy, a refuge for the wretched,

And aid of the distressed, and refuge of the miserable

and a defender of the destitute, a haven for the captive.

And supporter of the needy, and shelter of the helpless.

يا نِعْمَِ هاتيك الخلال حديثُها

يا نِعْمَِ هاتيك الخلال حديثُها

وقضيتَ وهي حديث كلِّ لسانِ

وقضيتَ وهي حديث كلِّ لسانِ

Ah, how fine the telling of those virtues!

O excellent, those attributes whose conversation -

You passed away while they were the talk of every tongue.

And you passed away while it is the conversation of every tongue.

لو كفًّنوك بها غَنِتَ بطِيبها

لو كفًّنوك بها غَنِتَ بطِيبها

عن راتعات الطيب في الأكفانِ

عن راتعات الطيب في الأكفانِ

Had they shrouded you in them, their fragrance would have sufficed

If only we sufficed you with it, you would have sung with its fragrance

in place of the perfumes roaming freely through the shrouds.

Without the burial spices in the shrouds.

ولقد ذكرتك والحوادث جمَّة

ولقد ذكرتك والحوادث جمَّة

والحربُ ملءُ العين والآذانِ

والحربُ ملءُ العين والآذانِ

And I remembered you, with calamities abounding,

I remembered you while calamities were numerous

and war filling the eyes and ears,

And war filling the eye and ear,

والموتُ تقذفه البنادقُ والثَرى

والموتُ تقذفه البنادقُ والثَرى

سال النجيع عليه أحمرَ قاني

سال النجيع عليه أحمرَ قاني

and rifles hurling death, while the soil

And death being flung by rifles while blood

ran with blood, red and deep crimson.

Of the slain flowed over it intensely red.

والأرضُ واجفة يكاد عظيم ما

والأرضُ واجفة يكاد عظيم ما

تلقاه يُذهلها عن الدًّوَرانِ

تلقاه يُذهلها عن الدًّوَرانِ

And the earth shuddered; the enormity of what

And the earth convulsing, about to be overwhelmed by the great

it suffered almost made it forget to turn.

Amount it receives, losing its rotation.

والناس بين مكذِّب ومصدِّق

والناس بين مكذِّب ومصدِّق

نبأَ السلام ومننتهى العُدوانِ

نبأَ السلام ومننتهى العُدوانِ

And people were divided between denying and believing

And people between deniers and verifiers

the news of peace and the end of aggression.

Of the news of peace and the utmost aggression.

فحمدتُ رأيَك عاقلاً متحفِّظاً

فحمدتُ رأيَك عاقلاً متحفِّظاً

تتتبَّعُ البرهانَ بالبرهانِ

تتتبَّعُ البرهانَ بالبرهانِ

So I praised your judgment: rational and cautious,

So I praised your rational opinion, cautious,

you followed proof with proof.

Pursuing evidence with evidence.

تُدلي بحجّة عالمِ لا مُدَّعٍ

تُدلي بحجّة عالمِ لا مُدَّعٍ

سفهاً ولا متصَّنِّعَ العرفانِ

سفهاً ولا متصَّنِّعَ العرفانِ

You argued with a scholar's proof, not as one boasting

Inferring with the proof of a scholar, not a pretender

foolishly, nor as one feigning knowledge.

Out of ignorance, nor feigning mystic knowledge.

أَدبُ المُناظر في الجدال وحُك

أَدبُ المُناظر في الجدال وحُك

مة الشيخ الحليم بحضرة الشبّانِ

مة الشيخ الحليم بحضرة الشبّانِ

A disputant's courtesy in debate, and the wisdom

The etiquette of debate in argument, and the wisdom

of a forbearing elder before the young.

Of the forbearing elder in the presence of youth.

الحربُ علمٌ والشجاعةُ خلَّة

الحربُ علمٌ والشجاعةُ خلَّة

فالرأي قبل شجاعة الشجعانِ

فالرأي قبل شجاعة الشجعانِ

War is a science, and courage a trait;

War is a science, and courage a trait,

so judgment precedes the courage of the brave.

So opinion before the courage of the courageous.

أَمحمدٌ لا الماضياتُ رواجعٌ

أَمحمدٌ لا الماضياتُ رواجعٌ

يوماً ولا المستقبلاتُ دوانِ

يوماً ولا المستقبلاتُ دوانِ

O Muhammad, bygone days will not return

Is Muhammad not to be turned back by past days

ever, nor will future days draw near.

Nor future days to cease?

رأيي كرأيك في الزمان وأهله

رأيي كرأيك في الزمان وأهله

والناسُ فوضى والحياة أمانِ

والناسُ فوضى والحياة أمانِ

My view of time and its people is like yours:

My opinion is as your opinion of the time and its people,

people are in chaos, and life is wishes.

While people are chaos and life is safe.

عبثاً أحاول أن أبثّك لوعتي

عبثاً أحاول أن أبثّك لوعتي

فعواطفي غلبت على إمكاني

فعواطفي غلبت على إمكاني

In vain I try to confide my anguish to you,

In vain I try to convey my sorrow to you

for my feelings have overwhelmed my ability.

For my emotions have overcome my ability.

لا عِلمَ لي في الغامضات وكنهها

لا عِلمَ لي في الغامضات وكنهها

فأقول بالرحمات والعفرانِ

فأقول بالرحمات والعفرانِ

I have no knowledge of mysteries or their essence,

I have no knowledge of the mysteries and their essence

so I invoke mercy and forgiveness.

So I speak of mercies and pardon.

حسبي عزاءً أنني لك ذاكرٌ

حسبي عزاءً أنني لك ذاكرٌ

والقلب قلبي والبيان بياني

والقلب قلبي والبيان بياني

It is consolation enough that I remember you,

It is enough of consolation for me that I remember you

while my heart is my own and my words my own.

While my heart is my heart and my expression my expression.