Sol 6.1

  1. كانَ ما كان

    في رُبى لُبنان

    Once upon a time,

    In the hills of Lebanon,

  2. شاحِبٌ كَالطَيف

    أَهيَفٌ أَسمَر

    Pale as a phantom,

    Slender-waisted and dark-complexioned,

  3. ضامِرٌ كَالسَيف

    أَو أَضمَر

    Lean as a sword,

    Or leaner still;

  4. خَدَرُ الرُؤيا عَلى عَينَيه

    وَاِرتِعاشُ الحُبِّ في فَمِهِ

    The languor of vision upon his eyes,

    And love's trembling in his mouth;

  5. عَرَقُ الوَحيِ عَلى صُدغَيه

    فاضَ مِن دَمِهِ

    The sweat of inspiration upon his temples

    Flowed from his blood.

  6. قَلبُهُ ما أَبعَدَ الآثام

    عَن هَواهُ عَن لَياليهِ

    His heart—how far removed are sins

    From his love, from his nights!

  7. وَالهَوى إِن راحَ يُخفيهِ

    حَدَّثَت عَن سِرِّهِ الأَحلام

    And if he set about hiding his love,

    Dreams told of his secret,

  8. وَأَغانيهِ

    وَالحَوَر سَهران

    And his songs.

    And the poplars lie awake

  9. موهَنَ الخَضرِ

    وَالقَمَر سَكران

    In the greenery's deep night,

    And the moon is drunk

  10. في النَهرِ

    وَالرُبى أَلوان

    In the river,

    And the hills are colors.

  11. كانَ ما كان

    بَكَّرَ العُصفور

    Once upon a time,

    The sparrow rose early,

  12. دونَ ميعادِ

    وَاِستَفاقَ النور

    Without an appointed hour,

    And the light awoke

  13. في الوادي

    وَالصَبا لَمّا تَزَل سَكرى

    In the valley;

    And the east wind is still drunk,

  14. تَخبِطُ الدوحَ وَتَمرُدُهُ

    وَبِرِفقٍ تَعطِفُ النَهرا

    Buffeting the great trees and stripping them bare,

    And gently bending the river

  15. لا تُجَعِّدُهُ

    وَالنَدى يَصحو عَلى العُنقود

    Without wrinkling it.

    And dew awakes upon the grape cluster;

  16. فَكَحُلمِ الطِفلِ مَبسِمُهُ

    وَشِفاهُ الشَمسِ تُطعِمُه

    So its smiling mouth is like a child's dream,

    And the sun's lips feed it

  17. وَتُرَوّي كَنزَهُ المَرصود

    حينَ تَلثِمُهُ

    And water its guarded treasure

    As they kiss it.

  18. وَالدُمى الأَجفان

    وَالشَذا العابِر

    And the figurines, the eyelids,

    And the passing fragrance—

  19. كُلُّها أَلوان

    لِلشّاعِر

    All of them are colors

    For the poet,

  20. كُلُّها أَلحان

    كانَ ما كان

    All of them are melodies.

    Once upon a time,

  21. هذِهِ الأَلواح

    في رُبى زَحلَه

    These panels,

    In the hills of Zahleh,

  22. كَالهَوى وَالراح

    وَالقُبلَه

    Like love and wine

    And the kiss;

  23. جِنَّةُ الأَظلالِ تَرسُمُها

    وَعَروسُ النورِ تُحييها

    The jinn of the shadows paint them,

    And the bride of light brings them to life.

  24. عَبقَرٌ النورِ تُحييها

    عَبقَرٌ حَتّى جَهَنَّمُها

    Abqar of light brings them to life.

    Abqar—even its hell

  25. عَرَّشَت خَضرا بِواديها

    دَرَجَت فيها مُخَيَّلَتُه

    Spread a green canopy in its valley.

    His imagination took its first steps there—

  26. شاعِرُ الأَحلامِ وَالحُبِّ

    وَاِرتَوَت مِن نَهرِها العَذبِ

    Poet of dreams and love—

    And drank its fill from its sweet river.

  27. تَأخُذُ الأَصباغَ اَخيِلَتُه

    مِن دَمِ القَلبِ

    His visions draw their pigments

    From the heart's blood.

  28. حُبُّهُ النَشوان

    مِن جَنى السِحرِ

    His intoxicated love,

    From the harvest of enchantment,

  29. غائِمٌ سَهران

    لِلفَجرِ

    Clouded and sleepless

    Until dawn,

  30. ذاهِلٌ حَيران

    كانَ ما كان

    Dazed and bewildered.

    Once upon a time,

  31. غَرَّبَ الشَحرور

    وَالنَوى جُرحُ

    The blackbird flew west,

    And separation is a wound;

  32. فَالمَسا مَهجور

    وَالصُبحُ

    So evening is forsaken,

    And morning.

  33. قالَتِ الأَغصانُ لِلنَهرِ

    ذاتَ يَومٍ أَينَ شادينا

    The branches said to the river

    One day: Where is our singer?

  34. ما دَهى حُلقومَهُ السِحري

    لا يُغَنّينا

    What has befallen his magical throat?

    He does not sing to us.

  35. وَالسَواقي قُلنَ لِلزَهرِ

    أَينَ مَن كانَ يُناجينا

    And the watercourses said to the flowers:

    Where is he who used to whisper to us,

  36. يَملأُ تَلاحينا

    ما دَهاهُ فيمَ لا يَجري

    Filling our melodies?

    What has befallen him? Why does it not flow—

  37. ظِلُّهُ فينا

    وَالهَوى الظَمآن

    His shadow within us?

    And thirsty love

  38. قالَ لِلبانِ

    لا أَرى مَن كان

    Said to the ben tree:

    I do not see the one who used to

  39. يَرعاني

    كانَ ما كان

    Tend me.

    Once upon a time,

  40. عِشتِ يا أَغصان

    عِشتَ يا نَهرُ

    Live on, O branches!

    Live on, O river!

  41. الهَوى رَيّان

    وَالشِعرُ

    Love is well-watered,

    And poetry too.

  42. فَالدُمى في الكَرمِ ناهِدَةٌ

    وَعَلَيها الطلُّ في حَرَمِ

    For the figurines in the vineyard are full-breasted,

    And dew lies upon them in a sanctuary;

  43. كَرِضاعِ الحُبِّ جامِدَةٌ

    نُقَطٌ مِنهُ عَلى الحَلَمِ

    Like love's suckling milk, congealed,

    Drops of it upon the nipples.

  44. وَرَشاشُ العِطرِ وَالأَنغام

    وَخَريرُ الجَدولِ الكَوثَر

    And the spray of perfume and melodies,

    And the murmur of the bountiful brook,

  45. وَالحَلبُ الخَمرُ وَالعَنبَر

    حُمِلَت مِن شاطيء الأَحلام

    And the milk—wine and ambergris—

    Were borne from the shore of dreams

  46. لِذُرى عَبقَر

    فَالمَسا المَلآن

    To the heights of Abqar.

    So evening, full

  47. مِن دَمِ الكَرمِ

    لَم يَزَل يَهمي

    Of the vineyard's blood,

    Still pours down,

  48. مِثلَما كان

    بِبَنانِ النور

    Just as it did before.

    With light's fingertips,

  49. لَم يَزَل هاروت

    يَفرِشُ الياقوت

    Harut still

    Spreads rubies

  50. في المَدى المَسور

    وَعَلى هَودَجِهِ الهادي

    In the enclosed expanse,

    And upon its tranquil howdah,

  51. يَنفُثُ اللَيلُ مصابيحَه

    وَسَريرُ الحُبِّ في الوادي

    Night breathes forth its lamps;

    And the bed of love in the valley

  52. لَم يَزَل لِلطَيرِ أُرجوحَه

    كُلُّ ما مَرَّ بِنا يَبقى

    Is still a swing for the birds.

    Everything that passed through us remains

  53. ثابِتَ اللَونِ كَما كانا

    إِنَّما الأَرواحُ أَحيانا

    Unchanging in color, as it was.

    Only souls, sometimes,

  54. حَسبَما تَسفُلُ أَو تَرقى

    تُكسِبُ الأَشياءَ أَلوانا

    According as they sink or rise,

    Give colors to things.

  55. وَالهَوى إيمان

    لَم يَزَل ناضِر

    And love is faith,

    Still fresh

  56. في دَمِ الشاعِر

    مِثلَما كانَ

    In the poet's blood,

    Just as it was.

  57. في رُبى الأَسرار

    حَيثُ لا شَهوَه

    In the hills of secrets,

    Where there is no lust,

  58. قالَتِ الأَزهار

    لِلرَّبوَه

    The flowers said

    To the knoll:

  59. أُنظُري عَينَيِ يا أُمّي

    فَالهَوى باقٍ بِعَينَيهِ

    Look at my eyes, O mother,

    For love remains in his eyes.

  60. جَفنُهُ كَم ذابَ في حُلمي

    كُحلُ جَفنَيهِ

    His eyelid—how often in my dream has melted

    The kohl of his eyelids!

  61. ما أُحَيلى هذِهِ الخَلوَه

    هَل سَمِعتِ الحُبِّ يا أُختِ

    How very sweet this solitude!

    Have you heard, O sister? Love

  62. عادَ مُشتاقاً كما عُدتِ

    فَأَجابَت أُمُّها الرَبوَه

    Has returned yearning, as you returned.

    Then her mother, the knoll, answered:

  63. عادَ يا بِنتِ

    قَلبُهُ الوَلهان

    He has returned, O daughter.

    His lovesick heart—

  64. هكذا كانا

    عادَ وَلهانا

    Thus it was;

    He returned lovesick,

  65. مِثلَما كان

    Just as he was.