قضى لم يجد سعيٌ واغترابُ

قضى لم يجد سعيٌ واغترابُ

ولم يشفع به ذاك الشباب

ولم يشفع به ذاك الشباب

He died; striving and wandering abroad were of no avail.

A fateful end with no gains or distant exile

Nor did that youth intercede for him.

His youth did not intercede for him

ولم تنفعه آمال كبارٌ

ولم تنفعه آمال كبارٌ

ولم تمنعهُ أخلاقٌ عذابُ

ولم تمنعهُ أخلاقٌ عذابُ

Nor did great hopes benefit him.

Great hopes did not benefit him

Nor did gentle virtues protect him.

Nor did virtues protect him from torment

ولا رد المنية عنه عزمٌ

ولا رد المنية عنه عزمٌ

تعود أن تذلَّ لهُ الصعابُ

تعود أن تذلَّ لهُ الصعابُ

Nor did resolve ward death off from him,

Nor did resolve repel death from him

Accustomed to hardships bowing before it.

Misfortunes were accustomed to humbling him

فتىً كان الفضاء له مجالاً

فتىً كان الفضاء له مجالاً

يجوب بعزمه ما لا يُجاب

يجوب بعزمه ما لا يُجاب

A young man for whom the open expanse was an arena,

He was a youth for whom space was a domain

He traversed, with his resolve, what could not be traversed,

To roam with resolve where none respond

ويطوي الأرض في طلب المعالي

ويطوي الأرض في طلب المعالي

كأنَّ الأرضَ في يدهِ كتابُ

كأنَّ الأرضَ في يدهِ كتابُ

And folded up the earth in pursuit of lofty aims,

And traverse the earth seeking the heights

As though the earth were a book in his hand.

As though the earth in his hand were a book

فحيناً في الجنوب له انحدارٌ

فحيناً في الجنوب له انحدارٌ

وحيناً في الشمالِ لهُ انصبابُ

وحيناً في الشمالِ لهُ انصبابُ

So at times he made his way down to the south,

At times descending southwards for him

And at times he surged toward the north;

At others rising northwards for him

وآناً تحتَ أخمصه رمالٌ

وآناً تحتَ أخمصه رمالٌ

وآنا تحت أخمصهِ عبابُ

وآنا تحت أخمصهِ عبابُ

And at times sands lay beneath his sole,

Once sands beneath his sole

And at times the surging sea lay beneath his sole.

Another time seas beneath his sole

فبينا هو يحلق في سماءِ

فبينا هو يحلق في سماءِ

من الآمالِ ليس بها ضبابُ

من الآمالِ ليس بها ضبابُ

But while he was soaring in a sky

While he flew in a sky

Of hopes, with no fog within it,

With no clouds of hopes

أصابَ جَناحَهُ سهمُ المنايا

أصابَ جَناحَهُ سهمُ المنايا

فأهوى من محلقه العقابُ

فأهوى من محلقه العقابُ

Death's arrow struck his wing,

Death's arrow struck his wing

So the eagle plunged from its soaring height.

And down fell from his lofty flight

فراحَ مخضباً بالترب قسراً

فراحَ مخضباً بالترب قسراً

وفي كفيهِ من شهبٍ خضابُ

وفي كفيهِ من شهبٍ خضابُ

So he lay stained with dust against his will,

Now lying blood-stained with dust by force

While his palms bore the dye of shooting stars.

With ashes of stars dyeing his palms

أَشاهينٌ وأنتَ أعزُّ ثاوٍ

أَشاهينٌ وأنتَ أعزُّ ثاوٍ

وأَكرَمُ من تضمنهُ التُرابُ

وأَكرَمُ من تضمنهُ التُرابُ

O Shahin, you are the dearest of those at rest,

O you the noblest, most honored eagle

And the noblest of those the earth has enfolded.

And most generous whom dust did claim

جميعُ الناسَ بعدك من شقيرٍ

جميعُ الناسَ بعدك من شقيرٍ

فليس سوى اسىً وحَشاً تُذابُ

فليس سوى اسىً وحَشاً تُذابُ

After you, all people are kin to Shuqayr;

After you all men are but runts

For there is nothing but sorrow and hearts that melt.

Nothing but misery and wild beasts roam

وما راعَ الفؤادَ سوى نداءٍ

وما راعَ الفؤادَ سوى نداءٍ

بلبنانٍ تميدُ به الهضابُ

بلبنانٍ تميدُ به الهضابُ

And nothing shook the heart but a cry,

And nothing disturbed the heart but a call

In Lebanon, making the hills reel.

In Lebanon where the meadows overflow

على تلك الرُبى أُمٌّ جَزوعٌ

على تلك الرُبى أُمٌّ جَزوعٌ

تناديك الغداةَ ولا تُجابُ

تناديك الغداةَ ولا تُجابُ

Upon those heights, a distraught mother

At that burial site a bereft mother

Calls to you at daybreak and is not answered.

Calling you at dawn with no response

أَتاها الخطبُ من غيرِ انتظارٍ

أَتاها الخطبُ من غيرِ انتظارٍ

فيوشكُ أن يفارقها الصوابُ

فيوشكُ أن يفارقها الصوابُ

Calamity came upon her without warning,

Misfortune came to her without waiting

So reason is about to desert her.

Soon sanity will leave her

تمدُّ إلى المحيط بناظرَيها

تمدُّ إلى المحيط بناظرَيها

لعلَّ من الحبيبِ دنا الأَيابُ

لعلَّ من الحبيبِ دنا الأَيابُ

She stretches her gaze toward the ocean,

She stretches her sights to the ocean

Perhaps her beloved's return has drawn near.

Perchance her beloved came near

وترقبهُ لكلّ طلوعِ فجرٍ

وترقبهُ لكلّ طلوعِ فجرٍ

وترقبهُ إِذا حانَ الغيابُ

وترقبهُ إِذا حانَ الغيابُ

And awaits him at every break of dawn,

She awaits him at every dawn

And awaits him when sunset comes.

She awaits him when dusk arrives

فيا عضباً تجرَّدَ للّيالي

فيا عضباً تجرَّدَ للّيالي

ولم يثلمهُ طعنٌ أو ضرابُ

ولم يثلمهُ طعنٌ أو ضرابُ

So, O keen sword, drawn against the nights,

O anger that stripped itself for nights

And never nicked by thrust or blow,

And was not marred by a stab or blow

يعزُّ عليَّ أنك قبل وقتٍ

يعزُّ عليَّ أنك قبل وقتٍ

أُعِدتَ وضمَّ حدَّيكَ القِرابُ

أُعِدتَ وضمَّ حدَّيكَ القِرابُ

It grieves me that, before your time,

It pains me that before your time

You were put back, and the sheath embraced your two edges.

You were prepared and shrouded by your kin