ماذاwhat أَصَبتَhave you gained مِنَfrom الأَسفارِthe journeys وَالنَصَبِand toil
ماذا أَصَبتَ مِنَ الأَسفارِ وَالنَصَبِ
وَطَيِّكَand your folding away العُمرَlife بَينَbetween الوَخدِswift striding وَالخَبَبِand trotting
وَطَيِّكَ العُمرَ بَينَ الوَخدِ وَالخَبَبِ
What have you gained from journeys and toil,
What did you gain from all the journeys and hardships,
and folding away your life between swift strides and trotting?
And spending your life between pillow and blanket?
نَراكَwe see you تَطلُبُyou seek لاnot هَوناًleisurely وَلاnor كَثَباًnearby
نَراكَ تَطلُبُ لا هَوناً وَلا كَثَباً
وَلاnor نَرىwe see لَكَbelonging to you مِنany مالٍwealth وَلاnor نَشَبِproperty
وَلا نَرى لَكَ مِن مالٍ وَلا نَشَبِ
We see you seeking, neither leisurely nor nearby,
We see you seeking neither ease nor abundance,
yet we see neither wealth nor property to your name.
With no money or possessions to your name.
لاdo not تُطعِمانِيَyou two make me taste أَنيابَthe fangs المَلامِof reproach عَلىfor
لا تُطعِمانِيَ أَنيابَ المَلامِ عَلى
هَذاthis العِثارِstumble فَإِنّيfor indeed I مَهبِطُa landing place العَجَبِof wonders
هَذا العِثارِ فَإِنّي مَهبِطُ العَجَبِ
Do not, you two, make me taste the fangs of reproach for
Do not let the jaws of blame bite me
this stumble, for I am where wonders descend.
For this failure, I descend from wonder.
وَدِدتُI wished لَوthat طَرَحواthey had cast بيme يَومَthe day جِئتُهُمُI came to them
وَدِدتُ لَو طَرَحوا بي يَومَ جِئتُهُمُ
فيinto مَسبَحِthe swimming ground الحوتِof the whale أَوor فيinto مَسرَحِthe arena العَطَبِof destruction
في مَسبَحِ الحوتِ أَو في مَسرَحِ العَطَبِ
I wished they had cast me, the day I came to them,
I wish they had cast me out the day I came to them
into the whale's swimming ground, or the arena of destruction.
In the whale's prayer niche or the lion's den.
لَعَلَّperhaps مانِيَMani لاقىencountered ماwhat أُكابِدُهُI endure it
لَعَلَّ مانِيَ لاقى ما أُكابِدُهُ
فَوَدَّso he wished تَعجيلَناhastening us مِنfrom عالَمِthe world الشَجَبِof sorrow
فَوَدَّ تَعجيلَنا مِن عالَمِ الشَجَبِ
Perhaps Mani encountered what I endure,
Perhaps what I endure would have appeased my wisher
so he wished to hasten us out of the world of sorrow.
And he would have wished to hasten us from this world of thorns.
إِنّيindeed I اِحتَسَبتُreckoned as lost شَباباًyouth بِتُّI kept أُنفِقُهُI spend it
إِنّي اِحتَسَبتُ شَباباً بِتُّ أُنفِقُهُ
وَعَزمَةًand a resolve شابَتِgrew gray الدُنياthe world وَلَمbut not تَشِبِit grew gray
وَعَزمَةً شابَتِ الدُنيا وَلَم تَشِبِ
I have counted as lost the youth I kept spending,
I squandered a youth I should have spent
and a resolve—the world grew gray, but it did not.
And a resolve the world made white but did not dye.
كَمhow often هِمتُI wandered فيthrough البيدِthe deserts وَالآرامُand the white gazelles قائِلَةٌresting at noon
كَم هِمتُ في البيدِ وَالآرامُ قائِلَةٌ
وَالشَمسُand the sun تَرميhurls أَديمَthe skin الأَرضِof the earth بِاللَهَبِwith flame
وَالشَمسُ تَرمي أَديمَ الأَرضِ بِاللَهَبِ
How often I wandered through deserts while the white gazelles rested at noon,
How often I worried in the desert and the ruins slept
and the sun pelted the earth's skin with flame.
While the sun flung the earth's skin with flames.
وَكَمand how often لَبِستُI wore الدُجىthe darkness وَالتُربُand the dust ناعِسَةٌdrowsing
وَكَم لَبِستُ الدُجى وَالتُربُ ناعِسَةٌ
وَاللَيلُand the night أَهدَأُcalmer مِنthan جَأشيmy heart لَدىduring النُوَبِcalamities
وَاللَيلُ أَهدَأُ مِن جَأشي لَدى النُوَبِ
And how often I wore the darkness while the dust lay drowsing,
And how often I wore the night's gown when the dust slept
and the night was calmer than my heart amid calamities.
While the night was calmer than my sighing beside the fires.
وَالنَجمُand the star يَعجَبُmarvels مِنat أَمريmy plight وَيَحسَبُنيand considers me
وَالنَجمُ يَعجَبُ مِن أَمري وَيَحسَبُني
لَدىduring السُرىnight travel ثامِناًan eighth لِلسَبعَةِto the seven الشُهُبِbright stars
لَدى السُرى ثامِناً لِلسَبعَةِ الشُهُبِ
And the star marvels at my plight and considers me,
The stars wonder at my affair and think me
on my night journeys, an eighth among the seven bright stars.
Beside thePleiades, an eighth to the seven planets.
لَكِنَّنيbut I غَيرُnot مَجدودٍfortunate وَماand not فَتِئَتhas ceased
لَكِنَّني غَيرُ مَجدودٍ وَما فَتِئَت
يَدُthe hand المَقاديرِof fate تُقصينيkeeps me away عَنِfrom الأَرَبِthe desired goal
يَدُ المَقاديرِ تُقصيني عَنِ الأَرَبِ
But I am not fortunate, and unceasingly
But I am not auspicious, and the hand of fate
the hand of fate keeps me from my desire.
Keeps pushing me away from success.
وَقَدand indeed غَدَوتُI have become وَآماليand my hopes مُطَرَّحَةٌcast aside
وَقَد غَدَوتُ وَآمالي مُطَرَّحَةٌ
وَفيand in أُمورِيَmy affairs ماwhat لِلضَبِّthe spiny-tailed lizard has فيin الذَنَبِthe tail
وَفي أُمورِيَ ما لِلضَبِّ في الذَنَبِ
And I have come to this, my hopes cast aside,
I have risen while my hopes lie discarded
and my affairs are as knotted as the spiny-tailed lizard's tail.
And in my affairs, confusion reigns supreme.
فَإِنso if تَكُنis نِسبَتيmy affiliation لِلشَرقِto the East مانِعَتيdenying me
فَإِن تَكُن نِسبَتي لِلشَرقِ مانِعَتي
حَظّاًgood fortune فَواهاًthen ah! لِمَجدِfor the glory التُركِof the Turks وَالعَرَبِand the Arabs
حَظّاً فَواهاً لِمَجدِ التُركِ وَالعَرَبِ
So if my belonging to the East denies me
If my lineage to the East prevents me
good fortune, then ah, for the glory of the Turks and Arabs!
From the Turks' and Arabs' glory, alas!
وَقاضِباتٍand keen swords لَهُمbelonging to them كانَتwere إِذاwhenever اِختُرِطَتunsheathed
وَقاضِباتٍ لَهُم كانَت إِذا اِختُرِطَت
تَدَثَّرَcloaked itself الغَربُthe West فيin ثَوبٍa robe مِنَof الرَهَبِdread
تَدَثَّرَ الغَربُ في ثَوبٍ مِنَ الرَهَبِ
And for their keen swords: whenever they were drawn,
It used to be when they were provoked
the West would cloak itself in a robe of dread;
The West donned a robe of monasticism.
وَجَمرَةٍand an ember لَهُمbelonging to them فيin الشَرقِthe East ماnot هَمَدَتwent out
وَجَمرَةٍ لَهُم في الشَرقِ ما هَمَدَت
وَلاnor عَلاهاcovered it رَمادُthe ash الخَتلِof guile وَالكَذِبِand lies
وَلا عَلاها رَمادُ الخَتلِ وَالكَذِبِ
and for their ember in the East, which never went out,
And their ember in the East did not die out
nor did the ash of guile and lies cover it.
Nor did the ashes of decadence and falsehood extinguish it.
مَتىwhen أَرىshall I see النيلَthe Nile لاnot تَحلوbecome sweet مَوارِدُهُits watering places
مَتى أَرى النيلَ لا تَحلو مَوارِدُهُ
لِغَيرِto anyone other than مُرتَهِبٍfearful لِلَّهِof God مُرتَقِبِwatchful
لِغَيرِ مُرتَهِبٍ لِلَّهِ مُرتَقِبِ
When shall I see the Nile, its watering places sweet to none
When will I see the Nile, its channels not sweetened
but one who fears God and stays watchful?
By anyone but those hoping in God and fearing Him?
فَقَدfor indeed غَدَتhas become مِصرُEgypt فيin حالٍa state إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتis recalled
فَقَد غَدَت مِصرُ في حالٍ إِذا ذُكِرَت
جادَتpoured forth جُفونيmy eyelids لَهاfor her بِاللُؤلُؤِwith pearls الرَطِبِwet
جادَت جُفوني لَها بِاللُؤلُؤِ الرَطِبِ
For Egypt has come to such a state that, when recalled,
Egypt has reached a state that when mentioned
my eyelids pour forth wet pearls for her.
My eyelids overflow for it with moist pearls
كَأَنَّنيas though I were عِندَwhen ذِكريmy recalling ماwhat أَلَمَّbefell بِهاher
كَأَنَّني عِندَ ذِكري ما أَلَمَّ بِها
قَرمٌa noble champion تَرَدَّدَwavered بَينَbetween المَوتِdeath وَالهَرَبِand flight
قَرمٌ تَرَدَّدَ بَينَ المَوتِ وَالهَرَبِ
As I recall what has befallen her, I seem like
As if when I remember what befell it
a noble champion wavering between death and flight.
I am a hyena, wavering between death and flight.
إِذاif نَطَقتُI speak فَقاعُthen the floor السِجنِof the prison مُتَّكَأٌa resting place
إِذا نَطَقتُ فَقاعُ السِجنِ مُتَّكَأٌ
وَإِنand if سَكَتُّI keep silent فَإِنَّthen indeed النَفسَthe soul لَمnot تَطِبِfinds peace
وَإِن سَكَتُّ فَإِنَّ النَفسَ لَم تَطِبِ
If I speak, the prison floor is my resting place;
When the prison bubbles, I lean
and if I keep silent, my soul finds no peace.
And when silent, still my soul is not content.
أَيَشتَكيdoes ... complain? الفَقرَof poverty غاديناour morning-goer وَرائِحُناand our evening-goer
أَيَشتَكي الفَقرَ غادينا وَرائِحُنا
وَنَحنُwhile we نَمشيwalk عَلىupon أَرضٍa land مِنَof الذَهَبِgold
وَنَحنُ نَمشي عَلى أَرضٍ مِنَ الذَهَبِ
Do our people who go out morning and evening complain of poverty,
Does absence make us complain of poverty, going and coming
while we walk upon a land of gold?
While we walk on land made of gold?
وَالقَومُand the people فيin مِصرَEgypt كَالإِسفِنجِlike a sponge قَدalready ظَفِرَتhas obtained
وَالقَومُ في مِصرَ كَالإِسفِنجِ قَد ظَفِرَت
بِالماءِthe water لَمnot يَترُكواthey left ضَرعاًan udder لِمُحتَلِبِfor a milker
بِالماءِ لَم يَترُكوا ضَرعاً لِمُحتَلِبِ
And the people in Egypt are like a sponge that has soaked up
The people in Egypt are like a sponge that soaked up
the water; they have left no udder for a milker.
The water, leaving no teat for the milker.
ياO آلَHouse of عُثمانَOsman ماwhat هَذاthis الجَفاءُcoldness لَناtoward us
يا آلَ عُثمانَ ما هَذا الجَفاءُ لَنا
وَنَحنُwhile we فيin اللَهِGod إِخوانٌbrothers وَفيand in الكُتُبِthe Scriptures
وَنَحنُ في اللَهِ إِخوانٌ وَفي الكُتُبِ
O House of Osman, what is this coldness toward us,
O house of Osman, what is this estrangement from us
while we are brothers in God and in the Scriptures?
When in God we are brothers and in scriptures?
تَرَكتُموناyou have left us لِأَقوامٍto peoples تُخالِفُناwho differ from us
تَرَكتُمونا لِأَقوامٍ تُخالِفُنا
فيin الدينِreligion وَالفَضلِand virtue وَالأَخلاقِand morals وَالأَدَبِand manners
في الدينِ وَالفَضلِ وَالأَخلاقِ وَالأَدَبِ
You have left us to peoples who differ from us
You left us to people contrary to us
in religion, virtue, morals, and manners.
In religion, merit, morals and manners.
Sol 6.1