خَفَفتُI hastened إِلىtoward أَوجِthe summit of العُلىgreatness بِمَقاصِديwith my aims
خَفَفتُ إِلى أَوجِ العُلى بِمَقاصِدي
فَأَرجعنيso sent me back صفرَempty اليَدَينِboth hands حَواسِديmy enviers
فَأَرجعني صفرَ اليَدَينِ حَواسِدي
With my aims, I hastened toward the summit of greatness,
I soared to the highest heights with my aspirations
But my enviers sent me back empty-handed.
Yet my empty hands brought me back down
وَكمand how many فيin رُبىthe hills of لُبنانLebanon منof ذيa possessor of مكيدَةٍa scheme
وَكم في رُبى لُبنان من ذي مكيدَةٍ
وَماand not رائِدُthe guide of الحُسّادِthe envious غَيرother than المَكائِدِschemes
وَما رائِدُ الحُسّادِ غَير المَكائِدِ
And how many schemers there are in Lebanon's hills,
How many in the land of Lebanon are filled with guile
And the envious have no guide but schemes.
For the guide of the envious is but intrigues
يَقولونَthey say عَنّيabout me عِندَat أَوَّلِthe first نَظرَةٍglance
يَقولونَ عَنّي عِندَ أَوَّلِ نَظرَةٍ
هُوَhe الحُزنُsorrow فيin جِسمٍa body منfrom السَقمِsickness وارِدِcoming forth
هُوَ الحُزنُ في جِسمٍ من السَقمِ وارِدِ
At the very first glance, they say of me:
They say of me at first glance:
"He is sorrow in a body sprung from sickness;
He is but sorrow in a sickly form
أُصيبَhe was afflicted بِمَسٍّwith a touch منof جُنونِmadness مزاولٍpersistent
أُصيبَ بِمَسٍّ من جُنونِ مزاولٍ
يُرارىءُhe rolls his gaze بِالعَينَينِwith both eyes نَحوtoward الفَراقِدthe Farqad stars
يُرارىءُ بِالعَينَينِ نَحو الفَراقِد
He is afflicted with a touch of persistent madness,
Struck with madness in his diligence
Rolling both eyes toward the Farqad stars,
He stares ahead towards the tombs
كَأَنَّas though العُلىgreatness فيin مَضرَبِthe encampment of النَجمِthe star رابِضٌcrouching
كَأَنَّ العُلى في مَضرَبِ النَجمِ رابِضٌ
يُخالis imagined إِلَيهِto him هابِطاًdescending بِقَلائِدwith necklaces
يُخال إِلَيهِ هابِطاً بِقَلائِد
As though greatness crouched in the star's encampment,
As if glory resides in the orbit of the stars
Imagined descending to him with necklaces.
Imagining it descending, adorned with necklaces
فَيَنظُمُso he composes فيهِabout it لِلوُجودِfor existence قَصائِداًpoems
فَيَنظُمُ فيهِ لِلوُجودِ قَصائِداً
أَلسناdo we not نَراهُsee him ذائِباًdissolving فيin القَصائِدthe poems
أَلسنا نَراهُ ذائِباً في القَصائِد
So he composes poems about it for all existence—
So he composes for existence, poems
Do we not see him dissolving into poetry?"
Do we not see him dissolved in poems?
أَجلyes إِنَّنيindeed I لِلمَجدِfor glory أَسعىI strive وَمَوطِنيand my homeland
أَجل إِنَّني لِلمَجدِ أَسعى وَمَوطِني
يقصِّرُshortens عَنfrom إِدراكِattaining مَجدِيَmy glory ساعِديmy forearm
يقصِّرُ عَن إِدراكِ مَجدِيَ ساعِدي
Yes, I strive for glory, while my homeland
Yes, to glory I strive, and my home
Shortens my arm's reach, keeping it from my glory.
Falls short of reaching the extent of my glory
وَفيهِand in it رجالmen كَالأَساوِدِlike black serpents شيمَةًin disposition
وَفيهِ رجال كَالأَساوِدِ شيمَةً
وَماذاand what أُرَجّيI hope for منfrom سُمومِthe venom of الأَساودِblack serpents
وَماذا أُرَجّي من سُمومِ الأَساودِ
And in it are men with the nature of black serpents;
And in it are men, lions in valor
And what can I hope for from the venom of black serpents?
What can I expect from the venom of lions?
رَأَتنيshe saw me خَريدٌa maiden عِندَهاshe has منof جَمالِهاher beauty
رَأَتني خَريدٌ عِندَها من جَمالِها
طَلائِعُdistinctive signs لَيسَتare not فيamong الحسانِthe beautiful women الخَرائِدthe maidens
طَلائِعُ لَيسَت في الحسانِ الخَرائِد
A maiden saw me; in her beauty were
A maiden saw me dazzled by her beauty
Signs not found among other lovely maidens.
Harbingers not accustomed to such sublime allure
منهَّدةُfull and rounded الثديينِboth breasts باسِمَةُsmiling اللمىdusky lips
منهَّدةُ الثديينِ باسِمَةُ اللمى
وَلَيسَتand she is not عَلىin a state of ضُعفِfrailty الثَديّthe breasts النواهِدِbudding
وَلَيسَت عَلى ضُعفِ الثَديّ النواهِدِ
Full-breasted, smiling with dusky lips,
Her breasts peeking, shining glance
Nor showing the slightness of budding breasts,
Not bound by feeble garments
فَقالَتthen she said لِماذاwhy لاnot نَرىwe see لكَof yours بَسمَةًa smile
فَقالَت لِماذا لا نَرى لكَ بَسمَةً
تعوّدكaccustoms you الدنياthe world عَلىto ذيthese العَوائِدhabits
تعوّدك الدنيا عَلى ذي العَوائِد
She said, "Why do we see no smile from you?
She said: Why do we not see you smile
The world accustoms you to these habits.
And grow accustomed, as others do?
كَأَنَّكas though you مولودborn لتلبثَto remain شارداًwandering
كَأَنَّك مولود لتلبثَ شارداً
وَماand not راقَتِpleased الأَكوانُthe worlds يَوماًever لشارِدِto a wanderer
وَما راقَتِ الأَكوانُ يَوماً لشارِدِ
As though you were born to remain a wanderer,
As if you were born to remain distracted
And never has the universe delighted a wanderer."
Never did the cosmos appreciate one distracted
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her لاnot أَعرِفُI know الخُبثَmalice وَالرياand hypocrisy
فَقُلتُ لَها لا أَعرِفُ الخُبثَ وَالريا
لِأَسلُكَso I may mingle معwith رَهطٍa band بِلُبنانin Lebanon فاسِدِcorrupt
لِأَسلُكَ مع رَهطٍ بِلُبنان فاسِدِ
I told her, "I know no malice or hypocrisy
I said: I know not malice and pretense
By which to mingle with a corrupt band in Lebanon.
To walk with the corrupt in Lebanon
وُلدتُI was born وَفيand in صَدريmy breast مَزيجٌa blend مِنof العُلىgreatness
وُلدتُ وَفي صَدري مَزيجٌ مِن العُلى
وَماand not رائِديmy guiding aim إِلّاexcept كَرائِدِlike the guiding aim of والِديmy father
وَما رائِدي إِلّا كَرائِدِ والِدي
I was born with greatness mingled in my breast,
I was born with the heights in my heart
And my guiding aim is no different from my father's.
My guide being none but my father’s
إِلىto مِصرَEgypt رَحليmy journey ياO اِبنَةَdaughter of الجارthe neighbor إِنَّنيindeed I
إِلى مِصرَ رَحلي يا اِبنَةَ الجار إِنَّني
سَأَترُكُI will leave أَهليmy kin فيin الحِمىthe homeland غيرnot واجِدِgrieving
سَأَترُكُ أَهلي في الحِمى غير واجِدِ
My journey is to Egypt, O neighbor's daughter; I
To Egypt I journey, O neighbor's daughter
Will leave my kin in the homeland without sorrow.
I will leave my family lacking nothing
فَفيfor on أَبطَحِthe broad plain of الأَهرامِthe Pyramids يبسمُsmiles ليon me غدٌa tomorrow
فَفي أَبطَحِ الأَهرامِ يبسمُ لي غدٌ
وَإِنَّand indeed هناhere يَوميmy today يجورُoppresses عَلىupon غَديmy tomorrow
وَإِنَّ هنا يَومي يجورُ عَلى غَدي
For on the plain of the Pyramids, tomorrow smiles on me,
In the valley of the pyramids, tomorrow smiles at me
While here my today oppresses my tomorrow.
While here, each day wrongs the next
لَقَدindeed حانَhas come بُعديmy departure عَنfrom بِلادٍa land خبرتهاI have known it well
لَقَد حانَ بُعدي عَن بِلادٍ خبرتها
وَكمand how often راقَwas pleasant عيشٌlife لَلفَتىfor the young man المُتَباعِدِwho goes far away
وَكم راقَ عيشٌ لَلفَتى المُتَباعِدِ
Indeed, the time has come to leave a land I have known well,
The time has come to leave lands I once knew
And how often life has pleased a young man far away!
How pleasant was the life of one far removed
فَياso, O حَبَّذاhow lovely تِلكَthat الكَنانَةُthe Quiver (Egypt) مورداًas a watering place
فَيا حَبَّذا تِلكَ الكَنانَةُ مورداً
تحدَّرflowed down فيهاwithin it النَيلُthe Nile عَذبَsweet المَوارِدِthe watering places
تحدَّر فيها النَيلُ عَذبَ المَوارِدِ
Oh, how lovely is that Quiver as a watering place,
Would that Kanan was a place to reside
Through it the Nile flows down, its watering places sweet.
Where the Nile flows, sweet and pure
هناكَthere أَبوfather of الخَيراتِbounties فيهِin him فَوائِدٌbenefits
هناكَ أَبو الخَيراتِ فيهِ فَوائِدٌ
تفيضُoverflow عَلىupon مَنwhoever جاءَهُcomes to him لِلفَوائِدfor benefits
تفيضُ عَلى مَن جاءَهُ لِلفَوائِد
There is the Father of Bounties, full of benefits
The Father of Bounties is there, with benefits
That overflow upon whoever comes to him for benefits.
Overflowing upon any who come seeking benefits
وَليسَand does not يَضيعُgo to waste السعيُeffort فيهِin it لجاهِدٍfor a striver
وَليسَ يَضيعُ السعيُ فيهِ لجاهِدٍ
وَكَمand how often ضاعَwas wasted فيin لُبنانَLebanon سعيٌeffort لجاهِدfor a striver
وَكَم ضاعَ في لُبنانَ سعيٌ لجاهِد
And there no striver's effort is wasted,
No effort of one striving is wasted
And how often in Lebanon has a striver's effort been wasted!
While much was wasted by the diligent in Lebanon
غداhas become وَطنُthe homeland of الأَحرارِthe free سلعَةَa commodity of تاجِرٍa merchant
غدا وَطنُ الأَحرارِ سلعَةَ تاجِرٍ
تُباعُis sold وَتُشرىand is bought خلسَةًsecretly فيin المَعابِدِthe temples
تُباعُ وَتُشرى خلسَةً في المَعابِدِ
The homeland of the free has become a merchant's commodity,
Tomorrow, the home of the free becomes a merchant's wares
Sold and bought in secret in the temples.
Sold and bought secretly in temples
وَلِلحُرِّand for the free man آمالٌhopes يَراهاhe sees them مشاهداًas scenes
وَلِلحُرِّ آمالٌ يَراها مشاهداً
تريهthey show him بِأُمِّwith the very العَينِeye أَنكىmost grievous المَشاهِدِthe sights
تريه بِأُمِّ العَينِ أَنكى المَشاهِدِ
And the free man has hopes he beholds as scenes
And the free man has hopes he sees as miracles
That show him, before his very eyes, the most grievous sights.
That show him, clear as day, the most dismal scenes
هوhe الحَرُّthe free man فيin لُبنانَLebanon أَصبَحَhas become جانِباًan outsider
هو الحَرُّ في لُبنانَ أَصبَحَ جانِباً
يَجورoppresses عَلَيهِupon him ظُلمُthe injustice of تِلكَthose العَقائِدcreeds
يَجور عَلَيهِ ظُلمُ تِلكَ العَقائِد
He, the free man in Lebanon, has become an outsider,
The free man in Lebanon has become marginalized
Oppressed by the injustice of those creeds.
Oppressed by the injustice of those doctrines
تَبدُperish مباديthe principles of الكُلِّeveryone معwith كُلevery بائِدٍone who perishes
تَبدُ مبادي الكُلِّ مع كُل بائِدٍ
وَلكِنَّbut مبداthe principle of الحرّthe free man لَيسَis not بِبائدِperishable
وَلكِنَّ مبدا الحرّ لَيسَ بِبائدِ
Everyone's principles perish with every one who perishes,
The principles of all pass with the faded
But the free man's principle does not perish.
But the principle of the free does not fade
زهدتُI have renounced بِلاديmy homeland فَاِترُكيso leave ليfor me لبانَةًa cherished desire
زهدتُ بِلادي فَاِترُكي لي لبانَةً
أَمُدُّI stretch إِلَيهاtoward it فيacross شُسوعِthe vastness of المَدىthe distance يَديmy hand
أَمُدُّ إِلَيها في شُسوعِ المَدى يَدي
I have turned from my homeland; leave me a cherished desire,
I became estranged from my country, so leave me be
Toward which I stretch my hand across the vast distance.
I extend my hand to it from afar
لَعَلَّperhaps بِلاديmy homeland إِنif رَأَتنِيَit sees me نائِياًfar away
لَعَلَّ بِلادي إِن رَأَتنِيَ نائِياً
تَحِنُّit yearns إِلىfor مَرأىthe sight of الهَوىlove فيin نَشائِديmy songs
تَحِنُّ إِلى مَرأى الهَوى في نَشائِدي
Perhaps my homeland, if it sees me far away,
Perhaps if my country sees me distant
Will long for the sight of love in my songs."
It will yearn to see me in my poems again
Sol 6.1