سَيَّرتُ في فَجرِ الحَياةِ سَفينَتي

سَيَّرتُ في فَجرِ الحَياةِ سَفينَتي

وَاِختَرتُ قَلبِيَ أَن يَكونَ إِمامي

وَاِختَرتُ قَلبِيَ أَن يَكونَ إِمامي

At life's dawn, I set my ship sailing,

I sailed my ship in the dawn of life

I launched my vessel at the dawn of life,

and chose my heart to be my guide.

And chose my heart to be my guide

And chose my heart to be my guide;

فَجَرَت عَلى الأَمواجِ قَصراً مِن رُأى

فَجَرَت عَلى الأَمواجِ قَصراً مِن رُأى

مِلءَ الفَضا مِلءَ المَدى المُتَرامي

مِلءَ الفَضا مِلءَ المَدى المُتَرامي

So it sailed upon the waves, a palace of visions,

It sailed like a palace on the waves

It sailed upon the waves, a palace made of visions,

filling space, filling the far-flung expanse.

Filling space, filling the endless horizon

Filling the void, filling the sprawling expanse.

وَأَقَلَّ مِنها البَحرُ حينَ أَقَلَّها

وَأَقَلَّ مِنها البَحرُ حينَ أَقَلَّها

دُنيا مِنَ الأَضواءِ وَالأَنغامِ

دُنيا مِنَ الأَضواءِ وَالأَنغامِ

And when the sea bore it, it bore from it

The sea bore it gently when it bore it

And the sea bore within it, as it bore the ship,

a world of lights and melodies.

A world of lights and melodies

A world composed of lights and melodies.

وَمَشى الخَيالُ عَلى الحَياةِ بِسِحرِهِ

وَمَشى الخَيالُ عَلى الحَياةِ بِسِحرِهِ

فَإِذا الهَوى في الماءِ وَالأَنسامِ

فَإِذا الهَوى في الماءِ وَالأَنسامِ

And imagination walked over life with its magic,

And imagination walked on life with its magic

Imagination walked upon life with its magic,

and behold, love was in the water and the breezes.

And there was passion in the water and breeze

Transforming love into water and gentle breezes.

وَإِذا الرِمالُ أَزاهِرٌ فَوّاحَةٌ

وَإِذا الرِمالُ أَزاهِرٌ فَوّاحَةٌ

وَالشَطُّ هَيكَلُ شاعِرٍ رَسّامِ

وَالشَطُّ هَيكَلُ شاعِرٍ رَسّامِ

And behold, the sands were fragrant flowers,

And the sands were fragrant blossoms

Suddenly the sands became fragrant blossoms,

and the shore a poet-painter's temple.

And the shore a painter's temple

And the shore, a temple for a painting poet.

وَإِذا العَبابُ مَلاعِبٌ وَمَراقِصٌ

وَإِذا العَبابُ مَلاعِبٌ وَمَراقِصٌ

وَإِذا أَنا مِن صَبوَةٍ لِغَرامِ

وَإِذا أَنا مِن صَبوَةٍ لِغَرامِ

And behold, the surging sea was playgrounds and dance floors,

And the spindrift were games and dances

The surging waves became playgrounds and dance halls,

and I passed from infatuation to passionate love.

And I was drunk with desire

And I drifted from youthful fancy to deep infatuation.

أَتَلَقَّفُ اللَذاتِ غَيرَ مُحاذِرٍ

أَتَلَقَّفُ اللَذاتِ غَيرَ مُحاذِرٍ

وَأَعُبُّ في الزَلّاتِ وَالآثامِ

وَأَعُبُّ في الزَلّاتِ وَالآثامِ

I snatched up pleasures without caution,

I grasped pleasures heedlessly

Snatching up pleasures without caution,

and drank deeply of missteps and sins.

And reveled in sins and misdeeds

And gulping down errors and sins.

لا أَكتَفي وَأَخافُ أَنّي أَكتَفي

لا أَكتَفي وَأَخافُ أَنّي أَكتَفي

فَكَأَنَّما في الاِكتِفاءِ حِمامي

فَكَأَنَّما في الاِكتِفاءِ حِمامي

I was never satisfied, and feared that I might be,

Never content, fearing I'd be content

Never sated, yet fearing that I might be sated,

as though satisfaction meant my death.

As though fulfillment would ruin me

As if in contentment lay my very death.

وَكَأَنَّ هُدبِيَ أَن تَطولَ ضَلالَتي

وَكَأَنَّ هُدبِيَ أَن تَطولَ ضَلالَتي

وَكَأَنَّ رَبّي أَن يَدومَ أُوامي

وَكَأَنَّ رَبّي أَن يَدومَ أُوامي

And as though my lashes [perhaps: my aim] were to prolong my straying,

As though it was my fate for my misguidance to last

As though my aim was for my delusion to endure,

and as though unending thirst were my god.

As though it was my Lord's will my blindness endure

And my prayer was that my thirst should last forever.

مَرَّت بِيَ الأَعوامُ تَتلو بَعضَها

مَرَّت بِيَ الأَعوامُ تَتلو بَعضَها

وَأَنا كَأَنِّيَ لَستُ في الأَعوامِ

وَأَنا كَأَنِّيَ لَستُ في الأَعوامِ

The years passed me by, one following another,

The years passed, following each other

The years passed me by, one trailing the other,

while I seemed untouched by the years.

While I was as if not in the years

While I felt as though I existed outside of time.

كَالمَوجِ ضِحكي كَالضِياءِ تَرَنُّحي

كَالمَوجِ ضِحكي كَالضِياءِ تَرَنُّحي

كَالفَجرِ زَهوي كَالخِضَمِّ عُرامي

كَالفَجرِ زَهوي كَالخِضَمِّ عُرامي

My laughter was like the waves, my swaying like light;

My laughter like a wave, my sigh like light

My laughter like the waves, my swaying like the light,

my exultation like dawn, my turbulence like the deep sea.

My bloom like dawn, my features rugged

My pride like the dawn, my ferocity like the ocean.

حَتّى إِذا هَتَفَ المَشيبُ بِلِمَّتي

حَتّى إِذا هَتَفَ المَشيبُ بِلِمَّتي

وَدَنَت يَدُ الماحي إِلى أَحلامي

وَدَنَت يَدُ الماحي إِلى أَحلامي

Until gray hair called out in my locks,

Until when old age called to me

Until, when gray hair cried out in my locks,

and the effacer's hand drew near my dreams,

And the hand of erasure neared my dreams

And the hand of the Eraser drew near to my dreams,

صَرَخَ الحِجى بي ساخِطاً مُتهَكِماً

صَرَخَ الحِجى بي ساخِطاً مُتهَكِماً

هَذا الغِنى شَرٌّ مِنَ الإِعدامِ

هَذا الغِنى شَرٌّ مِنَ الإِعدامِ

reason shouted at me, angry and mocking:

Reason shrieked at me, angry and mocking

Reason screamed at me, indignant and mocking:

This wealth is worse than destitution!

“This richness was worse than nothingness”

"This wealth is worse than destitution!"

أَسلَمتَني لِلقَلبِ وَهوَ مُضَلَّلٌ

أَسلَمتَني لِلقَلبِ وَهوَ مُضَلَّلٌ

فَأَدرَّني وَأَضَرَّكَ اِستِسلامي

فَأَدرَّني وَأَضَرَّكَ اِستِسلامي

You surrendered me to the heart, itself misled;

You surrendered me to a misguided heart

"You surrendered me to the Heart, a misguided guide,"

so my surrender made me yield and harmed you.

So it led me astray and your surrender ruined me

"So it harmed me, and my surrender harmed you."

يا صاحِبي أَطلِقني مِن سِجنِ الرُأى

يا صاحِبي أَطلِقني مِن سِجنِ الرُأى

أَنا تائِهٌ أَنا جائِعٌ أَنا ظامي

أَنا تائِهٌ أَنا جائِعٌ أَنا ظامي

My friend, release me from the prison of visions!

Oh my companion, free me from the prison of sight

"O my friend, release me from the prison of visions;"

I am lost, I am hungry, I am thirsty.

I am lost, I am hungry, I am thirsty

"I am lost, I am hungry, I am parched."

وَأَرادَ عَقلي أَن يَقودَ سَفينَتي

وَأَرادَ عَقلي أَن يَقودَ سَفينَتي

لِلشَطِّ في بَحرِ الحَياةِ الطامي

لِلشَطِّ في بَحرِ الحَياةِ الطامي

And my mind wished to steer my ship

And reason wanted to steer my ship

So my Reason sought to steer my ship

to the shore through life's swelling sea.

To the shore in the surging sea of life

Toward the shore in life's flooding sea.

فَطَوتِ أَعلامَ الهَوى وَهَجَرتُها

فَطَوتِ أَعلامَ الهَوى وَهَجَرتُها

وَنَسَيتُ حَتّى أَنَّها أَعلامي

وَنَسَيتُ حَتّى أَنَّها أَعلامي

So it furled love's banners, and I abandoned them,

So I furled the flags of passion and left them

I furled the banners of passion and abandoned them,

and even forgot that they were my banners.

Forgetting they were even my flags

Forgetting even that they were once my own.

وَحَسِبتُ آلمي اِنتَهَت لَمّا اِنتَهى

وَحَسِبتُ آلمي اِنتَهَت لَمّا اِنتَهى

فَإِذا النِهايَةُ أَعظَمُ الآلامِ

فَإِذا النِهايَةُ أَعظَمُ الآلامِ

And I thought my pain had ended when it ended,

And I thought my pain had ended when it ended

I thought my pains had ended when passion ceased,

but behold, the ending was the greatest of pains.

But the ending was the greatest pain

But behold, the end was the greatest pain of all.

وَإِذا الطَريقُ مَخاوِفٌ وَوَساوِسٌ

وَإِذا الطَريقُ مَخاوِفٌ وَوَساوِسٌ

وَإِذا أَنا مِن هَبوَةٍ لَقَتّامِ

وَإِذا أَنا مِن هَبوَةٍ لَقَتّامِ

And behold, the road was fears and misgivings,

And the road was fears and doubts

Suddenly the path became fears and dark whispers,

and I passed from a dust haze into dense dust.

And I was in a flurry of darkness

And I moved from a haze into utter gloom.

أَبغي الثَراءَ وَلَم يَكُن مِن مَطلَبي

أَبغي الثَراءَ وَلَم يَكُن مِن مَطلَبي

وَأَرى الجَمالَ بِناظِرٍ مُتَعامِ

وَأَرى الجَمالَ بِناظِرٍ مُتَعامِ

I sought wealth, though it had never been my aim,

I seek wealth though it was never my pursuit

I seek wealth, though it was never my desire,

and looked at beauty with an eye feigning blindness.

And see beauty with a blind eye

And I look upon beauty with a blinded eye.

وَأُشيدُ مِثلَ الناسِ مَجداً زائِفاً

وَأُشيدُ مِثلَ الناسِ مَجداً زائِفاً

وَأَشُدُّ حَولَ الروحِ ثَوبَ رُغامِ

وَأَشُدُّ حَولَ الروحِ ثَوبَ رُغامِ

And I built, like others, a false glory,

And build, like people, an edifice of false glory

I build, like others, a counterfeit glory,

and tightened around the soul a garment of dust.

And wrap tight the cloak of pretense around my soul

And wrap around my soul a shroud of dust.

فَإِذا أَنا وَالأَرضُ مِلكِيَ وَالسَما

فَإِذا أَنا وَالأَرضُ مِلكِيَ وَالسَما

قَد صِرتُ عَبدَ الناسِ عَبدَ حُطامي

قَد صِرتُ عَبدَ الناسِ عَبدَ حُطامي

And behold, I—with earth and sky my own—

So that I and the earth and sky

So even if the earth and sky were mine,

had become a slave to people, a slave to my worldly dross.

Became slaves of people, slaves of rubble

I have become a slave to people, a slave to my own wreckage.

فَتَضايَقَ القَلبُ السَجينُ وَقالَ لي

فَتَضايَقَ القَلبُ السَجينُ وَقالَ لي

يا أَيُّها الجاني قَتَلتَ هَيامي

يا أَيُّها الجاني قَتَلتَ هَيامي

Then the imprisoned heart grew distressed and said to me:

Then my imprisoned heart grew narrow and said to me

Then the imprisoned Heart grew weary and spoke to me:

O wrongdoer, you have killed my passion!

“Oh you villain, you killed my vitality!”

"O perpetrator, you have murdered my passion."

القَفرُ بِالأَحلامِ رَوضٌ ضاحِكٌ

القَفرُ بِالأَحلامِ رَوضٌ ضاحِكٌ

فَإِذا تَلاشَت فَالرِياضُ مُوامي

فَإِذا تَلاشَت فَالرِياضُ مُوامي

With dreams, the wilderness is a smiling garden;

A dreamful wasteland is a laughing meadow

"With dreams, the wasteland is a laughing garden,"

but when they vanish, gardens become wastelands.

When dreams fade, meadows are tombs

"But when they vanish, even gardens turn to deserts."

أَينَ العُيونُ تُذيبُني حَرَكاتُها

أَينَ العُيونُ تُذيبُني حَرَكاتُها

وَتَموتُ في سَكَناتِها آلامي

وَتَموتُ في سَكَناتِها آلامي

Where are the eyes whose movements melt me,

Where are the eyes that melted me with their motions

"Where are the eyes whose movements melt me,"

and in whose stillness my pains die away,

And in their stillness my pains died?

"And in whose stillness my sorrows die?"

وَأُطِلُّ مِن أَهدابِها السَكرى عَلى

وَأُطِلُّ مِن أَهدابِها السَكرى عَلى

ظِلٍّ وَأَنداءٍ وَزَهرٍ نامِ

ظِلٍّ وَأَنداءٍ وَزَهرٍ نامِ

and through whose drunken lashes I look out upon

I'd look from their sleepy lids at

"From whose drunken lashes I would look out upon"

shade and dewdrops and growing flowers?

Shade, echoes, and slumbering blossoms

"Shade, dew, and blossoming flowers."

لَمّا عَصاني أَن أُشِبَّ ضَرامَها

لَمّا عَصاني أَن أُشِبَّ ضَرامَها

أَعيا عَلَيها أَن تَشِبَّ ضَرامي

أَعيا عَلَيها أَن تَشِبَّ ضَرامي

When kindling their blaze proved beyond me,

When their branches refused to be lit by me

"When I could no longer kindle its fire,"

it proved beyond them to kindle my blaze.

I was too weak to light their branches

"It became too weary to kindle mine."

الخَمرُ مِلءُ الجامِ لَكِن قَد مَضى

الخَمرُ مِلءُ الجامِ لَكِن قَد مَضى

شَوقي إِلى الخَمرِ الَّتي في الجامِ

شَوقي إِلى الخَمرِ الَّتي في الجامِ

Wine fills the goblet, but already gone is

Wine fills the cup but my craving

"The cup is full of wine, yet gone is"

my longing for the wine within the goblet.

For the wine in the cup has passed

"My longing for the wine within the cup."

أَسلَمتَني لِلعَقلِ وَهوَ مُضَلَّلٌ

أَسلَمتَني لِلعَقلِ وَهوَ مُضَلَّلٌ

فَأَضَرَّني وَأَضَرَّكَ اِستِسلامي

فَأَضَرَّني وَأَضَرَّكَ اِستِسلامي

You surrendered me to the mind, itself misled;

You surrendered me to misguided reason

"You surrendered me to Reason, a misguided guide,"

so my surrender harmed me and harmed you.

So it ruined me and your surrender ruined me

"So it harmed me, and my surrender harmed you."

أُنظُر أَلَستَ تَراكَ في أَوهامِهِ

أُنظُر أَلَستَ تَراكَ في أَوهامِهِ

أَشقى وَأَتعَسَ مِنكَ في أَوهامي

أَشقى وَأَتعَسَ مِنكَ في أَوهامي

Look—do you not see yourself in its illusions

Look, don't you see yourself in its delusions

"Look! Do you not see yourself, in its illusions,"

more wretched and miserable than in mine?

More miserable and wretched than me in my delusions?

"More wretched and miserable than you were in mine?"

المالُ مَن ذا يَشتَريهِ كُلَّهُ

المالُ مَن ذا يَشتَريهِ كُلَّهُ

مِنّي بِلَيلِ صَبابَةٍ وَغَرامِ

مِنّي بِلَيلِ صَبابَةٍ وَغَرامِ

Wealth—who will buy it all

Who will buy from me, in a night of youth and passion

"Who would buy all this wealth,"

from me for a night of yearning and love?

All of this money?

"From me, in exchange for one night of yearning and love?"

يا صاحِبي أَطلِقني مِن سِجنِ النُهى

يا صاحِبي أَطلِقني مِن سِجنِ النُهى

أَنا تائِهٌ أَنا جائِعٌ أَنا ظامي

أَنا تائِهٌ أَنا جائِعٌ أَنا ظامي

My friend, release me from the prison of reason!

Oh my companion, free me from the prison of censure

"O my friend, release me from the prison of the intellect;"

I am lost, I am hungry, I am thirsty.

I am lost, I am hungry, I am thirsty

"I am lost, I am hungry, I am parched."

لا تَسأَلوني اليَومَ عَن قيثارَتي

لا تَسأَلوني اليَومَ عَن قيثارَتي

قيثارَتي خَشَبٌ بِلا أَنغامِ

قيثارَتي خَشَبٌ بِلا أَنغامِ

Do not ask me today about my lyre;

Ask me not today about my lyre

Do not ask me today about my lyre;

my lyre is wood without melodies.

My lyre is wood without melody

My lyre is but wood devoid of melody.

يا شاعِراً غَنّى فَرَدَّ لِيَ الصِبا

يا شاعِراً غَنّى فَرَدَّ لِيَ الصِبا

فَإِذا مَواكِبُهُ تَسيرُ أَمامي

فَإِذا مَواكِبُهُ تَسيرُ أَمامي

O poet who sang and restored my youth to me,

Oh poet, sing and give me back my youth

O poet who sang and restored my youth,

behold, its processions move before me.

With your processions marching ahead of me

So that I saw its processions marching before me,

إِنّا اِلتَقَينا في الشَبابِ وَفي الهَوى

إِنّا اِلتَقَينا في الشَبابِ وَفي الهَوى

في حَومَتَينِ الشِعرِ وَالإِلهامِ

في حَومَتَينِ الشِعرِ وَالإِلهامِ

Indeed, we met in youth and in love,

We met in youth and in passion

We met in youth and in passion,

in two arenas: poetry and inspiration.

In the rapture of poetry and inspiration

In the arenas of poetry and inspiration.

وَسَنَلتَقي وَإِنِ اِفتَرَقنا في غَدٍ

وَسَنَلتَقي وَإِنِ اِفتَرَقنا في غَدٍ

في حُبِّ لُبنانٍ وَحُبِّ الشامِ

في حُبِّ لُبنانٍ وَحُبِّ الشامِ

And we shall meet, even if tomorrow we part,

And we will meet, though we part tomorrow

And we shall meet, even if we part tomorrow,

in love for Lebanon and love for al-Sham.

In love of Lebanon and love of Syria

In the love of Lebanon and the love of Syria.

وَسَتَلتَقي روحي وَروحِكَ بَعدَما

وَسَتَلتَقي روحي وَروحِكَ بَعدَما

تَفنى الهَياكِلُ في الإِلَهِ السامي

تَفنى الهَياكِلُ في الإِلَهِ السامي

And my soul and yours shall meet—after

And after forms perish, my soul and your soul

And my soul and yours shall meet,

our bodily temples perish—in God Most High.

Will meet in the Sublime God

After bodies perish, in the Sublime God.

أَهلاً بِذي الأَدَبِ الصُراحِ المُصطَفى

أَهلاً بِذي الأَدَبِ الصُراحِ المُصطَفى

بِالفاتِحِ الرَوحِيِّ بِالمِقدامِ

بِالفاتِحِ الرَوحِيِّ بِالمِقدامِ

Welcome to the bearer of pure, choice literature,

Greetings O gentleman of frankness, chosen one

Welcome to the master of pure, choice literature,

to the spiritual conqueror, the valiant one,

Spiritual conqueror, daring one

To the spiritual conqueror, the bold pioneer.

بِالشاعِرِ الغِرّيدِ في أَلحانِهِ

بِالشاعِرِ الغِرّيدِ في أَلحانِهِ

عَبَقُ الرَبيعِ وَنُضرَةُ الأَكمامِ

عَبَقُ الرَبيعِ وَنُضرَةُ الأَكمامِ

to the sweet-singing poet, in whose melodies

Poet who trills in his melodies

To the singing poet, in whose melodies lie

are spring's fragrance and the freshness of flower buds.

The fragrance of spring and greenness of meadows

The fragrance of spring and the bloom of buds.

هُوَ إِن ذَكَرتَ الشِعرَ مِن أُمَرائِهِ

هُوَ إِن ذَكَرتَ الشِعرَ مِن أُمَرائِهِ

وَإِذا ذَكَرتَ المَجدَ فَهوَ عِصامي

وَإِذا ذَكَرتَ المَجدَ فَهوَ عِصامي

If you speak of poetry, he is one of its princes;

If you mention poetry, he is its prince

If you speak of poetry, he is among its princes,

and if you speak of glory, he is a self-made man.

And if you mention glory, he is its pillar

And if you speak of glory, he is self-made.