محبة صدقٍ لم تكن بنت ساعةٍ

محبة صدقٍ لم تكن بنت ساعةٍ

ولا وريت حين ارتيادٍ زنادها

ولا وريت حين ارتيادٍ زنادها

A true love, not the daughter of an hour,

A true love was not born in an hour

A sincere love, never the offspring of a fleeting hour,

Nor were its fire-sticks kindled at a moment of seeking;

Nor did it grow when tending its wick

Nor was its spark struck upon a casual seeking glance;

ولكن على مهلٍ سرت وتولدت

ولكن على مهلٍ سرت وتولدت

بطول امتزاجٍ فاستقر عمادها

بطول امتزاجٍ فاستقر عمادها

But slowly it spread and came into being,

But slowly it went and was born

Rather, at a gentle pace it crept and came to life

Through long mingling, until its pillar stood firm.

Through a long mingling, so its pillars settled

Through long mingling, until its pillars firmly settled.

فلم يدن منها عزمها وانتقاضها

فلم يدن منها عزمها وانتقاضها

ولم ينأ عنها مكثها وازديادها

ولم ينأ عنها مكثها وازديادها

So neither its resolve nor its unraveling drew near it,

Neither its resolve nor its fervor approached it

Dissolution and unraveling have never drawn near it,

Nor did its continuance and increase withdraw from it.

Nor did its constancy and growth diminish

Nor has endurance and ever-growing depth stayed far.

يؤكد ذا أنا نرى كل نشأةٍ

يؤكد ذا أنا نرى كل نشأةٍ

تتم سريعاً عن قريبٍ معادها

تتم سريعاً عن قريبٍ معادها

This is confirmed by our seeing that every growth

This confirms what we see

This is affirmed by what we see in all creation:

That matures swiftly soon returns whence it came.

That every growth is quickly completed according to its purpose

Whatever ripens in haste soon meets its swift demise.

ولكني أرض عزاز صليبةٍ

ولكني أرض عزاز صليبةٍ

منيع إلى كل الغروس انقيادها

منيع إلى كل الغروس انقيادها

But I am hard, stony, solid earth,

But I am hard, barren ground

Yet I am a soil of hard and unyielding ground,

Whose yielding to any planting is hard to win.

Impervious to all roots taking hold

Impenetrable, refusing submission to every seedling;

فما نفذت منها لديها عروقها

فما نفذت منها لديها عروقها

فليس تبالي أن يجود عهادها

فليس تبالي أن يجود عهادها

So any of those plantings whose roots have penetrated it

None of its roots penetrated me

Still, whatever roots have pierced deeply within it

Cares not whether its successive rains pour down.

So it does not care if its pillars collapse

Cares not whether the first season's rains pour generously.