جُعتُ وَالخُبزُ وَفيرٌ في وِطابي

جُعتُ وَالخُبزُ وَفيرٌ في وِطابي

وَالسَنا حَولي وَروحي في ضَبابِ

وَالسَنا حَولي وَروحي في ضَبابِ

I hungered, though bread was plentiful in my leather bags,

I gathered, though bread was scarce in my abode

I starved while bread was plentiful in my sacks,

And light was all around me, while my soul was in a fog.

And years around me, and my soul in haze

And though radiance surrounded me, my soul remained in fog.

وَشَرِبتُ الماءَ عَذباً سائِغاً

وَشَرِبتُ الماءَ عَذباً سائِغاً

وَكَأَنّي لَم أَذُق غَيرَ سَرابِ

وَكَأَنّي لَم أَذُق غَيرَ سَرابِ

And I drank water, sweet and pleasant to drink,

I drank the water fresh and sweet

I drank water that was fresh and sweet,

And it was as though I had tasted nothing but a mirage.

As though I'd tasted naught but mirage all my days

Yet it was as if I tasted nothing but a mirage.

حَيرَةٌ لَيسَ لَها مَثَلٌ سِوى

حَيرَةٌ لَيسَ لَها مَثَلٌ سِوى

حَيرَةِ الزَورَقِ في طاغي العُبابِ

حَيرَةِ الزَورَقِ في طاغي العُبابِ

Bewilderment with no parallel save

A bafflement, none other can compare

A bewilderment unmatched by anything, save for

The bewilderment of a skiff in the raging swell.

Save a boat in stormy seas and towering waves

The bewilderment of a skiff amidst the tyrannical waves.

لَيسَ بي داءٌ وَلَكِنّي اِمرُؤٌ

لَيسَ بي داءٌ وَلَكِنّي اِمرُؤٌ

لَستُ في أَرضي وَلا بَينَ صَحابي

لَستُ في أَرضي وَلا بَينَ صَحابي

I have no illness, but I am a man

No sickness plagues me, just a man am I

No illness afflicts me, yet I am a man

Not in my own land, nor among my companions.

Who's not in native land or with his mates

Who is neither in his own land nor among his companions.

مَرَّتِ الأَعوامُ تَتلو بَعضَها

مَرَّتِ الأَعوامُ تَتلو بَعضَها

لِلوَرى ضِحكي وَلي وَحدي اِكتِئابي

لِلوَرى ضِحكي وَلي وَحدي اِكتِئابي

The years passed, one following another;

Years passed, succeeding each the one before

The years have passed, following one after another;

My laughter was for humankind; my gloom was mine alone.

My land laughed, while I grieved in solitude

My laughter belongs to the crowds, while my melancholy is mine alone.

كُلَّما اِستَولَدتُ نَفسي أَمَلاً

كُلَّما اِستَولَدتُ نَفسي أَمَلاً

مَدَّتِ الدُنيا لَهُ كَفَّ اِغتِصابِ

مَدَّتِ الدُنيا لَهُ كَفَّ اِغتِصابِ

Whenever I made my soul give birth to hope,

Whene'er I fostered in myself some hope

Whenever I sought to birth a hope from within myself,

The world reached for it with a plundering hand.

Did life extend its fist to seize and snatch away

The world extended a hand to violently snatch it away.

أَفلَتَت مِنّي حَلاواتُ الرُؤى

أَفلَتَت مِنّي حَلاواتُ الرُؤى

عِندَما أَفلَتُّ مِن كَفّي شَبابي

عِندَما أَفلَتُّ مِن كَفّي شَبابي

The sweetness of visions slipped away from me

The sweet illusions slipped from me

The sweetness of visions has slipped away from me,

When I let my youth slip from my hand.

When from my hands did youth itself depart

Just as I let my youth slip through my fingers.

بِتُّ لا الإِلهامُ بابٌ مُشَرَعٌ

بِتُّ لا الإِلهامُ بابٌ مُشَرَعٌ

لي وَلا الأَحلامُ تَمشي في رِكابي

لي وَلا الأَحلامُ تَمشي في رِكابي

Now inspiration is no door thrown open

No more's inspiration's door ajar for me

I have come to be where inspiration is no longer an open door for me,

For me, nor do dreams walk in my train.

Or do my dreams walk in my footsteps' prints

Nor do dreams march any longer in my retinue.

أَشتَهي الخَمرَ وَكَأسي في يَدي

أَشتَهي الخَمرَ وَكَأسي في يَدي

وَأُحِسُّ الروحَ تَعرى في ثِيابي

وَأُحِسُّ الروحَ تَعرى في ثِيابي

I crave wine, though my cup is in my hand,

I crave wine, and my cup's held in my grip

I crave wine though my cup is in my hand,

And I feel my soul grow naked within my clothes.

While I can feel my soul from robes slip

And I feel my soul standing naked beneath my clothes.

يا رِفاقي حَطِّموا أَقداحَكُم

يا رِفاقي حَطِّموا أَقداحَكُم

لَيسَ في دَنِّيَ خَمرٌ لِاِنسِكابِ

لَيسَ في دَنِّيَ خَمرٌ لِاِنسِكابِ

O my companions, shatter your cups:

Oh friends, break your vessels in disdain

O my comrades, shatter your goblets;

There is no wine in my jar to pour out.

For in my world no wine for pouring remains

There is no wine left in my cask to pour.

جَفَّ ضَرعُ الشِعرِ عِندي وَذَوى

جَفَّ ضَرعُ الشِعرِ عِندي وَذَوى

وَلَكَم عاشَ لِمَريٍ وَاِحتِلابِ

وَلَكَم عاشَ لِمَريٍ وَاِحتِلابِ

Poetry's udder has dried and withered in me,

For me poetry's udder's dried up and gone

The wellspring of poetry within me has dried up and withered,

And how long it lived to be stroked and milked!

Though long it lived on Marri and cavil and fray

After having lived so long to be milked and drawn upon.

أَيُّها السائِلُ عَنّي مَن أَنا

أَيُّها السائِلُ عَنّي مَن أَنا

أَنا كَالشَمسِ إِلى الشَرقِ اِنتِسابي

أَنا كَالشَمسِ إِلى الشَرقِ اِنتِسابي

O you who ask about me—who I am—

You ask who am I? I hail, like the sun, from the east

O you who ask about me, wondering who I am:

I am like the sun: I belong to the East.

Steel is the language my tongue spoke yesterday

I am like the sun; my lineage belongs to the East.

لُغَةُ الفولاذِ هاضَت لُغَتي

لُغَةُ الفولاذِ هاضَت لُغَتي

لا يَعيشُ الشَدوُ في دُنيا اِصطِخابِ

لا يَعيشُ الشَدوُ في دُنيا اِصطِخابِ

The language of steel has broken my language;

No ardor survives in a world full of qualms and unease

The language of steel has fractured my tongue;

Song cannot live in a world of clamour.

I make no complaint if others their sorrows relay

For song cannot survive in a world of clamor.

لَستُ أَشكو إِن شَكا غَيري النَوى

لَستُ أَشكو إِن شَكا غَيري النَوى

غُربَةُ الأَجسامِ لَيسَت بِاِغتِرابِ

غُربَةُ الأَجسامِ لَيسَت بِاِغتِرابِ

I do not complain, even if others lament separation;

For exile of bodies cannot estrangement imply

I do not complain, even if others lament the distance,

Bodily exile is not estrangement.

I'm like the vine, if abroad it did not stray

For the exile of the body is not true alienation.

أَنا كَالكَرمَةِ لَو لَم تَغتَرِب

أَنا كَالكَرمَةِ لَو لَم تَغتَرِب

ما حَواها الناسُ خَمراً في الخَوابي

ما حَواها الناسُ خَمراً في الخَوابي

I am like the vine: had it not gone abroad,

No wine for people's cellars would thereby

I am like the grapevine: had it not been transplanted,

People would not have stored it as wine in jars.

I'm like the lily, if it did not wander

People would never have stored its essence as wine in their jars.

أَنا كَالسَوسَنِ لَو لَم يَنتَقِل

أَنا كَالسَوسَنِ لَو لَم يَنتَقِل

لَم يُتَوَّج زَهرُهُ رَأسَ كَعابِ

لَم يُتَوَّج زَهرُهُ رَأسَ كَعابِ

I am like the iris: had it not been moved,

No garland its flower would crown, atop the array

I am like the lily: had it not been moved,

Its blossom would not have crowned a maiden's head.

I stand in New York in body, while my soul

Its bloom would never have crowned a maiden's brow.

أَنا في نيويوركَ بِالجِسمِ وَبِالـ

أَنا في نيويوركَ بِالجِسمِ وَبِالـ

ـروحِ في الشَرقِ عَلى تِلكَ الهِضابِ

ـروحِ في الشَرقِ عَلى تِلكَ الهِضابِ

I am in New York in body, and in

Dwells in the east, on those plateaus far away

I am in New York in body, but in

Spirit in the East, upon those heights;

In smile of dawn, in silence of gloaming

Spirit I am in the East, upon those very hills.

في اِبتِسامِ الفَجرِ وَفي صَمتِ الدُجى

في اِبتِسامِ الفَجرِ وَفي صَمتِ الدُجى

في أَسى تِشرينَ في لَوعَةِ آبِ

في أَسى تِشرينَ في لَوعَةِ آبِ

In dawn's smile and in the silence of night,

In autumn's grief, in August's dismay

In the smile of the dawn and the silence of the night,

In Tishrin's sorrow, in August's anguish.

I am, in Ghouta, a bud and a dew

In the sorrow of Tishrin and the burning anguish of August.

أَنا في الغوطَةِ زَهرٌ وَنَدىً

أَنا في الغوطَةِ زَهرٌ وَنَدىً

أَنا في لُبنانَ نَجوى وَتَصابي

أَنا في لُبنانَ نَجوى وَتَصابي

In Ghouta I am blossom and dew;

I am, in Lebanon, a whisper and ardour in play

In the Ghouta I am a flower and the dew;

In Lebanon I am intimate whispers and youthful play.

Lord, grant me return to my country

In Lebanon, I am whispered secrets and youthful passion.

رَبِّ هَبني لِبِلادي عَودَةً

رَبِّ هَبني لِبِلادي عَودَةً

وَليَكُن لِلغَيرِ في الأُخرى ثَوابي

وَليَكُن لِلغَيرِ في الأُخرى ثَوابي

My Lord, grant me a return to my homeland,

And let others gain reward in their own homeland to stay

O Lord, grant me a return to my homeland,

And let my reward in the hereafter be for others.

You who come from that zeal, O youth

And let others have my reward in the Hereafter.

أَيُّها الآتونَ مِن ذاكَ الحِمى

أَيُّها الآتونَ مِن ذاكَ الحِمى

يا دُعاةَ الخَيرِ يا رَمزَ الشَبابِ

يا دُعاةَ الخَيرِ يا رَمزَ الشَبابِ

O you who come from that sanctuary,

Harbingers of good, emblems for youth under way

O you who come from that sanctuary,

O advocates of good, O symbol of youth,

How we trundled and how you trundled for wishes

O advocates of good, O symbols of youth.

كَم هَشَشنا وَهَشَشتُم لِلمُنى

كَم هَشَشنا وَهَشَشتُم لِلمُنى

وَبَكَيتُم وَبَكَينا في مُصابِ

وَبَكَيتُم وَبَكَينا في مُصابِ

How often we rejoiced, and you rejoiced, in hopes,

And you wept and we wept in tribulations' affray

How often we, like you, rejoiced in our hopes,

And you wept, and we wept, in affliction,

In a struggle we shared, or an ordeal or distress

And how you wept, as we did, in times of calamity.

وَاِشتَرَكنا في جِهادٍ أَو عَذابِ

وَاِشتَرَكنا في جِهادٍ أَو عَذابِ

وَاِلتَقَينا في حَديثٍ أَو كِتابِ

وَاِلتَقَينا في حَديثٍ أَو كِتابِ

And we shared in struggle or suffering,

And we met in discourse or perusing essays

We shared in the struggle or the suffering,

And we met in conversation or in a book,

You knew and we knew, like yourselves

And we met through conversation or in writing.

وَعَرَفتُم وَعَرَفنا مِثلَكُم

وَعَرَفتُم وَعَرَفنا مِثلَكُم

أَنَّما الحَقُّ لِذي ظُفرٍ وَنابِ

أَنَّما الحَقُّ لِذي ظُفرٍ وَنابِ

And you knew, and we knew as you did,

That right is for victor, however bloodied the fray

You learned, and we learned just like you,

That right belongs only to those with claws and fangs.

Each land that its people neglect

That rights belong only to those with fang and claw.

كُلُّ أَرضٍ نامَ عَنها أَهلُها

كُلُّ أَرضٍ نامَ عَنها أَهلُها

فَهيَ أَرضٌ لِاِغتِصابٍ وَاِنتِهابِ

فَهيَ أَرضٌ لِاِغتِصابٍ وَاِنتِهابِ

Every land whose people sleep heedless of it

Becomes one for pillage and plunder and prey

Every land whose people slumber in neglect

Is therefore a land for seizure and plunder.

But in your faces, I espy

Is a land destined for usurpation and plunder.

إِنَّني أَلمَحُ في أَوجُهِكُم

إِنَّني أَلمَحُ في أَوجُهِكُم

دَفقَةَ النورِ عَلى تِلكَ الرَوابي

دَفقَةَ النورِ عَلى تِلكَ الرَوابي

Indeed, I glimpse in your faces

A glow on those hills that does flood o'er the way

Truly, I glimpse within your faces

The outpouring of light upon those hills;

And specters of years gone before I behold

The burst of light upon those hills.

وَأَرى أَشباحَ أَعوامٍ مَضَت

وَأَرى أَشباحَ أَعوامٍ مَضَت

في كِفاحٍ وَنِضالٍ وَوَثابِ

في كِفاحٍ وَنِضالٍ وَوَثابِ

And I see the ghosts of years gone by

In struggle, resistance, stand, and foray

And I see the ghosts of years gone by,

In struggle, resistance, and leaps forward;

And figures of an era, refulgent, arising

Spent in struggle, resistance, and bold leaps.

وَأَرى أَطيافَ عَصرٍ زاهِرٍ

وَأَرى أَطيافَ عَصرٍ زاهِرٍ

طالِعٍ كَالشَمسِ مِن خَلفِ الحِجابِ

طالِعٍ كَالشَمسِ مِن خَلفِ الحِجابِ

And I see visions of a radiant age

Like the sun, from beyond the veil's curtained doorway

And I see visions of a flourishing age,

Rising like the sun from behind the veil.

Would that it hastens, so I see it still

Rising like the sun from behind the veil.

لَيتَهُ يُسرِعُ كَي أُبصِرَهُ

لَيتَهُ يُسرِعُ كَي أُبصِرَهُ

قَبلَ أَن أَغدو تُراباً في التُرابِ

قَبلَ أَن أَغدو تُراباً في التُرابِ

If only it would hasten, so I might behold it,

Before to dust in the dust I decay

Would that it hasten, so I might behold it

Before I become dust amid the dust.

Before I become dust within the dust.