أَعجَمِيٌّa non-Arab كادَnearly يَعلوrises above نَجمُهُhis star
أَعجَمِيٌّ كادَ يَعلو نَجمُهُ
فيin سَماءِthe sky of الشِعرِpoetry نَجمَthe star of العَرَبيthe Arab
في سَماءِ الشِعرِ نَجمَ العَرَبي
A foreigner whose star was nearly rising
A non-Arab whose star nearly rose above
in poetry’s sky above the Arab’s star.
The Arab's star in the sky of poetry.
صافَحَclasped hands with العَلياءَthe heights فيهاin it وَاِلتَقىand met
صافَحَ العَلياءَ فيها وَاِلتَقى
بِالمَعَرّيwith al-Ma'arri فَوقَabove هامِthe heads of الشُهُبِthe shooting stars
بِالمَعَرّي فَوقَ هامِ الشُهُبِ
Its star clasped the heights there and met
He clasped hands with the heights there, and met
al-Ma'arri above the crests of the shooting stars.
Al-Ma'arri above the heads of shooting stars.
ماnot ثُغورُthe mouths of الزَهرِflowers فيin أَكمامِهاtheir calyces
ما ثُغورُ الزَهرِ في أَكمامِها
ضاحِكاتٍlaughing مِنbecause of بُكاءِthe weeping of السُحُبِthe clouds
ضاحِكاتٍ مِن بُكاءِ السُحُبِ
The flower-mouths within their calyxes,
No flower-mouths within their calyces—
smiling from the weeping of the clouds,
Laughing at the clouds' weeping,
نَظَمَstrung الوَسمِيُّthe autumn rain فيهاin them لُؤلُؤاًpearls
نَظَمَ الوَسمِيُّ فيها لُؤلُؤاً
كَثَناياlike the front teeth of الغيدِgraceful maidens أَوor كَالحَبَبِlike water bubbles
كَثَنايا الغيدِ أَو كَالحَبَبِ
where the seasonal rain has strung pearls
Where autumn rain has strung pearls
like maidens’ teeth or glistening bubbles,
Like graceful maidens' front teeth or water bubbles—
عِندَin the judgment of مَنone who يَقضيjudges بِأَبهىany more beautiful مَنظَراًin appearance
عِندَ مَن يَقضي بِأَبهى مَنظَراً
مِنthan مَعانيهِhis meanings الَّتيwhich تَلعَبُplay بيwith me
مِن مَعانيهِ الَّتي تَلعَبُ بي
are not, to one who judges, fairer to behold
Are, to one who judges, lovelier to behold
than his meanings, which play upon me.
Than his meanings, which play with me.
بَسَمَتsmiled لِلذِهنِupon the mind فَاِستَهوَتand so captivated نُهىthe intellect
بَسَمَت لِلذِهنِ فَاِستَهوَت نُهى
مُغرَمِone enamored of الفَضلِexcellence وَصَبِّand a passionate lover of الأَدَبِliterature
مُغرَمِ الفَضلِ وَصَبِّ الأَدَبِ
They smiled upon the mind, captivating the understanding
They smiled upon the mind, captivating the intellect
of the lover of excellence, the devotee of letters.
Of a lover of excellence and a passionate devotee of literature;
وَجَلَتهاand unveiled them حِكمَةًas wisdom بالِغَةًconsummate
وَجَلَتها حِكمَةً بالِغَةً
أَعجَزَتexceeded أَطواقَthe capacities of أَهلِthe people of المَغرِبِthe West
أَعجَزَت أَطواقَ أَهلِ المَغرِبِ
They shone forth as consummate wisdom,
And it unveiled them as consummate wisdom
beyond the powers of the people of the West.
That exceeded the powers of the people of the West.
سائِلواask الطَيرَthe birds إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هاجَكُمstirs you
سائِلوا الطَيرَ إِذا ما هاجَكُم
شَدوُهاtheir song بَينَbetween الهَوىlove وَالطَرَبِand rapture
شَدوُها بَينَ الهَوى وَالطَرَبِ
Ask the birds, whenever you are stirred
Ask the birds whenever you are stirred
by their song between longing and rapture:
By their song between love and rapture:
هَلquestion particle تَغَنَّتsang أَوor أَرَنَّتtrilled بِسِوىwith anything other than
هَل تَغَنَّت أَو أَرَنَّت بِسِوى
شِعرِthe poetry of هوغوHugo بَعدَafter عَهدِthe age of العَرَبِthe Arabs
شِعرِ هوغو بَعدَ عَهدِ العَرَبِ
have they sung or warbled anything but
Have they sung or trilled anything other than
Hugo’s poetry since the age of the Arabs?
Hugo's poetry since the age of the Arabs?
كانَhe was مُرَّunyielding النَفسِin spirit أَوuntil تَرضىis satisfied العُلاglory
كانَ مُرَّ النَفسِ أَو تَرضى العُلا
تَظمَأُthirst الأَفلاكُthe celestial spheres إِنif لَمdid not يَشرَبِdrink
تَظمَأُ الأَفلاكُ إِن لَم يَشرَبِ
His soul was embittered—would the heights accept
He was unyielding in spirit until glory was satisfied;
that the spheres go thirsty if he does not drink?
The celestial spheres thirsted if he did not drink.
عافَscorned فيin مَنفاهُhis exile أَنto يَدنوdraw near بِهِwith him
عافَ في مَنفاهُ أَن يَدنو بِهِ
عَفوُthe pardon of ذاكَthat القاهِرِthe oppressor المُغتَصِبِthe usurper
عَفوُ ذاكَ القاهِرِ المُغتَصِبِ
In exile, he disdained being brought near
In exile, he scorned to be drawn near
by the pardon of that overpowering usurper.
By the pardon of that oppressive usurper.
بَشَّروهُgave him glad tidings بِالتَدانيof rapprochement وَنَسواand forgot
بَشَّروهُ بِالتَداني وَنَسوا
أَنَّهُthat he ذاكَthat العِصامِيُّthe self-made man الأَبيthe unbending one
أَنَّهُ ذاكَ العِصامِيُّ الأَبي
They brought him news that return was near, forgetting
They brought him glad tidings of rapprochement, and forgot
that he was that self-made, unbowed man.
That he was that self-made, unbending man.
كَتَبَwrote المَنفِيُّthe exile سَطراًa line لِلَّذيto the one who
كَتَبَ المَنفِيُّ سَطراً لِلَّذي
جاءَهُcame to him بِالعَفوِwith the pardon فَاِقرَأso read وَاِعجَبِand marvel
جاءَهُ بِالعَفوِ فَاِقرَأ وَاِعجَبِ
The exile wrote a line to the man
The exile wrote a line to the one
who came to him with pardon: read and marvel—
Who brought him the pardon—so read and marvel:
أَبَريءٌan innocent man? عَنهُhim يَعفوpardons مُذنِبٌa guilty man
أَبَريءٌ عَنهُ يَعفو مُذنِبٌ
كَيفَhow تُسديbestows العَفوَpardon كَفُّthe hand of المُذنِبِthe guilty man
كَيفَ تُسدي العَفوَ كَفُّ المُذنِبِ
“Shall a guiltless man be pardoned by a sinner?
"An innocent man—does a guilty man pardon him?
How can the culprit’s hand bestow pardon?”
How can a guilty man's hand bestow pardon?"
جاءَhe came وَالأَحلامُwhile the minds فيin أَصفادِهاtheir shackles
جاءَ وَالأَحلامُ في أَصفادِها
ماnot لَهاfor them فيin سِجنِهاtheir prison مِنany (emphatic) مَذهَبِway out
ما لَها في سِجنِها مِن مَذهَبِ
He came while dreams were shackled,
He came while minds lay in their shackles,
with nowhere to go inside their prison.
With no way out of their prison.
طَبَعَstamped الظُلمُoppression عَلىupon أَقفالِهاtheir locks
طَبَعَ الظُلمُ عَلى أَقفالِها
بِلَظاهُwith its blaze خاتَماًa seal مِنof رَهَبِterror
بِلَظاهُ خاتَماً مِن رَهَبِ
Tyranny stamped their locks,
Oppression stamped upon their locks
branding them with a seal of dread from its blaze.
With its blaze a seal of terror.
أَمعَنَpenetrated deeply التَقليدُimitation فيهاwithin them فَغَدَتso they became
أَمعَنَ التَقليدُ فيها فَغَدَت
لاnot تَرىsee إِلّاexcept بِعَينِthrough the eye of الكُتُبِbooks
لا تَرى إِلّا بِعَينِ الكُتُبِ
Imitation went so far in them that they came
Imitation penetrated deeply into them, so they came
to see only through the eyes of books.
To see only through the eye of books.
أَمَرَcommanded التَقليدُimitation فيهاwithin them وَنَهىand forbade
أَمَرَ التَقليدُ فيها وَنَهى
بِجُيوشٍwith armies مِنfrom ظَلامِthe darkness of الحُجُبِthe veils
بِجُيوشٍ مِن ظَلامِ الحُجُبِ
Imitation commanded and forbade among them
Imitation commanded and forbade within them,
with armies drawn from the darkness of veils.
With armies drawn from the darkness of veils.
جاءَهاcame to them هوغوHugo بِعَزمٍwith a resolve دونَهُbeneath it
جاءَها هوغو بِعَزمٍ دونَهُ
عِزَّةُthe majesty of التاجِthe crown وَزَهوُand the pomp of المَوكِبِthe procession
عِزَّةُ التاجِ وَزَهوُ المَوكِبِ
Hugo came to them with a resolve
Hugo came to them with a resolve greater than
before which the crown’s might and the procession’s pomp were as nothing.
The crown's majesty and the procession's pomp.
وَاِنبَرىand set about يَصدَعُshattering مِنsome of أَغلالِهاtheir fetters
وَاِنبَرى يَصدَعُ مِن أَغلالِها
بِاليَراعِwith the reed pen الحُرِّfree لاnot بِالقُضُبِwith swords
بِاليَراعِ الحُرِّ لا بِالقُضُبِ
He rose to cleave away their shackles
And he set about shattering some of their fetters
with the free pen, not with swords.
With the free reed pen, not with swords.
هالَهُappalled him أَلّاthat ... not يَراهاhe sees them حُرَّةًfree
هالَهُ أَلّا يَراها حُرَّةً
تَمتَطيride فيin البَحثِinquiry مَتنَthe back of الكَوكَبِthe star
تَمتَطي في البَحثِ مَتنَ الكَوكَبِ
It appalled him not to see them free,
It appalled him not to see them free,
mounting the back of a star in their inquiry.
Riding the back of a star in their inquiry.
ساءَهُgrieved him أَلّاthat ... not يَرىhe sees فيamong قَومِهِhis people
ساءَهُ أَلّا يَرى في قَومِهِ
سيرَةَthe way of الإِسلامِIslam فيin عَهدِthe time of النَبيthe Prophet
سيرَةَ الإِسلامِ في عَهدِ النَبي
It grieved him not to see among his people
It grieved him not to see among his people
the way of Islam in the Prophet’s age.
The way of Islam in the Prophet's time.
قُلتَyou said عَنabout نَفسِكَyourself قَولاًa statement صادِقاًtruthful
قُلتَ عَن نَفسِكَ قَولاً صادِقاً
لَمdid not تَشُبهُtaint it شائِباتُthe taints of الكَذِبِfalsehood
لَم تَشُبهُ شائِباتُ الكَذِبِ
You spoke truly about yourself,
You spoke a truthful word about yourself;
untainted by any admixture of lies:
No taints of falsehood sullied it:
أَناI كَالمَنجَمِlike a mine تِبرٌgold dust وَثَرىًand earth
أَنا كَالمَنجَمِ تِبرٌ وَثَرىً
فَاِطرَحواso cast away تُربيmy earth وَصونواand preserve ذَهَبيmy gold
فَاِطرَحوا تُربي وَصونوا ذَهَبي
“I am like a mine—gold ore and earth;
"I am like a mine: gold dust and earth;
cast away my soil and preserve my gold.”
So cast away my earth, and preserve my gold."
Sol 6.1