ياO روحَspirit يوسفِناour Yusuf الكبيرِthe great
يا روحَ يوسفِنا الكبيرِ
رُفيflutter علىover القومِthe people الحضورpresent
رُفي على القومِ الحضور
O spirit of our great Yusuf,
O spirit of our great Yusuf
flutter over the gathered people,
Hover over the people's presence
وفيand hover بأَجنِحةِwith wings الجلالof majesty
وفي بأَجنِحةِ الجلال
عليَّover me مُلهمَةَinspiring وطيريand fly
عليَّ مُلهمَةَ وطيري
and hover with wings of majesty
And with the wings of majesty
over me, inspiring me, and fly.
Inspire my weak utterance
أَوحيinspire إلىto نطقيmy speech الضعيفِfeeble
أَوحي إلى نطقي الضعيفِ
فصاحةeloquence اللسنِthe eloquent speaker القديرِcapable
فصاحة اللسنِ القديرِ
Inspire my feeble speech
With the eloquence of mighty tongues
with the eloquence of a masterful speaker,
That I may barely meet
فعسىso perhaps بذلكthrough that أنthat أفيI fulfill
فعسى بذلك أن أفي
منof حقِّهِhis due بعضَsome اليسيرِthe little
من حقِّهِ بعضَ اليسيرِ
so perhaps, through that, I may render
His rightful due of praise
some small part of what is his due.
O holder of momentous fate
ياO صاحبَpossessor of القدرِstature الخطيرِlofty
يا صاحبَ القدرِ الخطيرِ
هُنِئتَcongratulations to you بالذكرِon the remembrance الخطيرِillustrious
هُنِئتَ بالذكرِ الخطيرِ
O you of lofty stature,
You were congratulated for momentous mention
congratulations on this illustrious remembrance.
This is your example of sincerity
هذاthis مِثالكَyour likeness فيin الصفاsmooth stone
هذا مِثالكَ في الصفا
يحكيmirrors مثالكَyour likeness فيin الصدورِhearts
يحكي مثالكَ في الصدورِ
This is your likeness in stone;
Told in hearts
it mirrors your likeness in hearts.
Told only with attributes
يحكيهِmirrors it إِلاexcept بالصفاتِin the qualities
يحكيهِ إِلا بالصفاتِ
الغُرِّradiant والخلقِand the character الطهورِpure
الغُرِّ والخلقِ الطهورِ
It mirrors it, save for the qualities
Of honesty and pure nature
so radiant, and the character so pure.
The painter despaired of depicting them
أعياbaffled المصوِرَthe sculptor رسمُهاdepicting them
أعيا المصوِرَ رسمُها
فتظلُّso they remain فيin طيِّthe folds of الضميرthe inner heart
فتظلُّ في طيِّ الضمير
Depicting them baffled the sculptor,
So they remain in the folds of the soul
so they remain in the folds of the heart.
Is this your pleasure, Abu Najib
أأَباO father of نجيبٍNajib هذهِthese
أأَبا نجيبٍ هذهِ
مرضاكَyour patients باسمةُsmiling الثُغورِmouths
مرضاكَ باسمةُ الثُغورِ
O Abu Najib, these are
With grief over the battlefields?
your patients, with smiling lips.
This day he made them forget
أَنساهُمُmade them forget الأَوجاعَpains هذاthis
أَنساهُمُ الأَوجاعَ هذا
اليومُday منfrom فرطِthe excess of الحبورِjoy
اليومُ من فرطِ الحبورِ
They have been made to forget their pains by this
Their pains in profuse delight
day, through overflowing joy.
You accustomed them to see you
عوَّدتَهمyou accustomed them انthat يُبصروكَthey see you
عوَّدتَهم ان يُبصروكَ
لدىat العشيِّevening وفيand in البكورِthe early morning
لدى العشيِّ وفي البكورِ
You accustomed them to seeing you
In the evening and at dawn
at evening and in the early morning.
You stood watching over them
فوقفتَso you stood ترعاهُمُyou watch over them كماas
فوقفتَ ترعاهُمُ كما
قدindeed كنتَyou were فيin الزمنِthe time العسيرِdifficult
قد كنتَ في الزمنِ العسيرِ
So you stood watching over them, as
As you did in the dire times
you once did in times of hardship.
Fear no rain this day
لاnot ترهبُyou dread اليومَthe day المطيرَrainy
لا ترهبُ اليومَ المطيرَ
ولاnor تخافُyou fear منof الهجيرِthe noonday heat
ولا تخافُ من الهجيرِ
You do not dread the rainy day,
Nor storms' fierce squalls
nor fear the noonday heat.
How much have you heard from my poems
كمhow often كنتyou used to تسمَعُhear منof نظيميmy verse
كم كنت تسمَعُ من نظيمي
فيabout النجيبِNajib, the noble one ومنand of نثيريmy prose
في النجيبِ ومن نثيري
How often you heard some of my verse
About the great one and my songs
about Najib, and some of my prose;
Great poetry shakes you
فيهزُّكَso it stirs you الشعرُthe poetry الكبيرُgreat
فيهزُّكَ الشعرُ الكبيرُ
يقالُis spoken فيabout الرجلِthe man الكبيرِgreat
يقالُ في الرجلِ الكبيرِ
and great poetry would stir you,
Said about the great man
spoken about a great man.
And today for you my tune rings
واليومُand today فيكَabout you ترنُّميmy singing
واليومُ فيكَ ترنُّمي
فاسمَعهُso hear it منfrom فوقِabove الأَثيرِthe ether
فاسمَعهُ من فوقِ الأَثيرِ
And today my song is of you,
Hear it from atop the ether
so hear it from above the ether.
If I compose, then I'm a poet
أَناI إِنif نظمتُI compose verse فشاعرٌthen a poet
أَنا إِن نظمتُ فشاعرٌ
يرويrecounts الصحيحَwhat is genuine منof الشعورِfeeling
يروي الصحيحَ من الشعورِ
If I compose verse, I am a poet
Who tells the truth from emotions
who gives voice to genuine feeling.
No desire for verse incited me
لاnot رغبةُthe desire النظمِversification استفزَّتنيroused me
لا رغبةُ النظمِ استفزَّتني
ولاnor حبُّlove الظهورِprominence
ولا حبُّ الظهورِ
No urge to versify has spurred me,
Nor love of fame
nor any love of prominence.
Tell those who envied me
قلsay للألىto those who جارواthey wronged عليَّagainst me
قل للألى جاروا عليَّ
وأَنكرواand they denied فضليmy merit وخيريand my goodness
وأَنكروا فضلي وخيري
Tell those who wronged me
And denied my merit and good
and denied my merit and my goodness:
If my silence deceived you
إِنif غرَّكمdeceived you منيfrom me السكوتُsilence
إِن غرَّكم مني السكوتُ
لسوفsurely will يبغتُكُمsurprise you زئيريmy roar
لسوف يبغتُكُم زئيري
If my silence has deceived you,
My roar shall ambush you
my roar will surely take you by surprise.
O enduring monument
ياO أَيُّهاyou النصبُthe monument المقيمُenduring
يا أَيُّها النصبُ المقيمُ
هناhere علىthrough مرِّthe passing of الدهورِthe ages
هنا على مرِّ الدهورِ
O enduring monument,
What a difference between your magnificent present
here through the passing of the ages,
And trivial past
كمhow great بينَbetween حاضرِكَyour present الجليلِglorious
كم بينَ حاضرِكَ الجليلِ
أَجلyes وماضيكَand your past الحقيرِlowly
أَجل وماضيكَ الحقيرِ
how great the gulf between your glorious present—
You were once but stones
yes—and your lowly past!
Now the pride of eras
قدonce كنتَyou were منamong بعضِsome of الصخورِthe rocks
قد كنتَ من بعضِ الصخورِ
فصرتَso you became منamong فخرِthe pride of العصورِthe ages
فصرتَ من فخرِ العصورِ
You were once but one of the rocks,
so you have become a source of pride for the ages.
Partial English translation: 44 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1