قومي وما قومي سوى شيعتي

قومي وما قومي سوى شيعتي

يراعتي والليلُ والفرقَد

يراعتي والليلُ والفرقَد

My people—and my people are none but my companions:

My people, rise! None but my followers,

my reed pen, the night, and the Farqad star.

In the dark night when all are asleep.

اطلقتموني شاعراً ساهراً

اطلقتموني شاعراً ساهراً

والناسُ في غفوتهم رقد

والناسُ في غفوتهم رقد

You set me free, a wakeful poet,

You made me a poet, awake through the night,

while people lie asleep in their slumber.

While people slumber, gripped by sleep.

أرود ما بين السما والثرى

أرود ما بين السما والثرى

أستكنه الخلق واسترشد

أستكنه الخلق واسترشد

I roam the space between heaven and earth,

I roam between heaven and earth,

probing creation’s essence and seeking guidance.

Observing creation, seeking guidance.

أمر بالزارع في كوخه

أمر بالزارع في كوخه

أو حقله يرويه أو يحصد

أو حقله يرويه أو يحصد

I pass by the farmer in his hut,

I pass the farmer in his hut,

or in his field, watering it or reaping.

Watering his field or harvesting his crop.

فأكبر الهمة في بؤسه

فأكبر الهمة في بؤسه

وعونه دنيا له تجحد

وعونه دنيا له تجحد

So I admire his resolve amid his hardship,

Noble in his poverty,

and his aid to a world that is thankless to him.

Though life has abandoned him.

فمرة يرعى قطيعاً له

فمرة يرعى قطيعاً له

عصاه تسترجع ما يشرد

عصاه تسترجع ما يشرد

At times he tends a flock of his own,

Sometimes tending his flock,

his staff bringing back whatever strays.

His staff gathering back what strays.

ومرةً يشجيه مزماره

ومرةً يشجيه مزماره

كأنه داود إذ ينشد

كأنه داود إذ ينشد

And at times his flute moves him to sorrow,

Sometimes charming it with his flute,

as though he were David when he chants.

As if he were David chanting a psalm.

ما أجمل الغادة في ريفها

ما أجمل الغادة في ريفها

أخلاقها عن قدسها ذود

أخلاقها عن قدسها ذود

How lovely the maiden in her countryside!

How lovely is the village girl,

Her virtues are guardians of her purity.

Her virtue protecting her sanctity.

إذ تحمل الجرة مملوءةً

إذ تحمل الجرة مملوءةً

تمشي بها ما ساندتها يدُ

تمشي بها ما ساندتها يدُ

As she carries the full jar,

Bearing a full jug upon her head,

she walks with it, with no hand to support it.

Walking without the support of hands.

لو أدرك الأعرابُ إجهادها

لو أدرك الأعرابُ إجهادها

ما كانت الأنثى إذاً توءد

ما كانت الأنثى إذاً توءد

Had the Bedouins understood her toil,

If only the bedouins knew her exhaustion,

then no girl would have been buried alive.

Women would not be so mistreated!

وأدخل المدن أرى ما بها

وأدخل المدن أرى ما بها

الزيغ والدعوى وما يفسد

الزيغ والدعوى وما يفسد

And I enter the cities, seeing what lies within:

I entered the cities and saw within

waywardness, pretension, and all that corrupts.

Corruption, pretense and wickedness.

كم قر مغرور بها مترفٌ

كم قر مغرور بها مترفٌ

مستمرئ في عيشه يرغد

مستمرئ في عيشه يرغد

How many a deluded, pampered man has settled there,

How many deluded souls in luxury,

relishing his life, living at ease.

Complacent in their easy life.

وكم شحيح كانز ماله

وكم شحيح كانز ماله

يوغل في الجمع ولا يرقد

يوغل في الجمع ولا يرقد

And how many a miser hoards his wealth,

How many misers hoarding their money,

plunging deeper into hoarding, never sleeping.

Amassing wealth, never resting.

أغشى الجماعات على حيرةٍ

أغشى الجماعات على حيرةٍ

من رؤية الضدين إذ أشهد

من رؤية الضدين إذ أشهد

I frequent gatherings, bewildered

The groups are lost in confusion

at seeing two opposites as I look on:

At the sight of such extremes, which I witness.

كم من مناحاتٍ على راحلٍ

كم من مناحاتٍ على راحلٍ

ومهرجان لامرئٍ يولد

ومهرجان لامرئٍ يولد

how many laments for one departed,

Celebrations for every newborn,

and a celebration for someone being born.

Cries of grief over the departed.

وأبصر القين على كيره

وأبصر القين على كيره

يجهده التطريق والمبرد

يجهده التطريق والمبرد

And I see the blacksmith at his bellows;

I saw the poor in their misery,

hammering and the file wear him out.

Exhausted by pleading and hunger.

وراكبٍ سيارة فخمةً

وراكبٍ سيارة فخمةً

كأنه في قومه السيد

كأنه في قومه السيد

And a rider in a luxurious car,

The wealthy in their lavish cars,

as though he were the master among his people;

Lords among their people.

وراجلٍ يمشي على رسله

وراجلٍ يمشي على رسله

ومسرع صاح به الموعد

ومسرع صاح به الموعد

and a pedestrian walking at his own pace,

The pedestrian walking barefoot,

and one rushing, the appointed hour calling out to him.

The hurried answering duty’s call.

الكل مصروف إلى قصده

الكل مصروف إلى قصده

أقفر منه السهل والمسجدُ

أقفر منه السهل والمسجدُ

Each is absorbed in his own aim;

All preoccupied with their aims,

the plain and the mosque stand deserted without him.

Emptier than the plains and mosques.

جانبتهم في الطير مستبصراً

جانبتهم في الطير مستبصراً

وقد تآخى الصقر والصفرد

وقد تآخى الصقر والصفرد

I withdrew from them, seeking insight among the birds,

I avoided them and flew like a bird,

and the falcon and the partridge had become brothers.

Where hawk and sparrow befriend each other.

فوق غصون الدوح في ظلها

فوق غصون الدوح في ظلها

كم مستفئ عندها يربد

كم مستفئ عندها يربد

Upon the spreading trees’ branches, in their shade,

Many sought shade in the branches,

how many a shade-seeker lingers beside them!

Cooling themselves in the palm’s shade.

وجدولٍ قال على جسره

وجدولٍ قال على جسره

بعضٌ وبعض دونه يرقد

بعضٌ وبعض دونه يرقد

And a stream, upon whose bridge a midday rest was taken

A stream said to the bridge spanning it,

by some, while others sleep below it.

“Some above me, some below resting.”

وكرمةٍ قامت على عرشها

وكرمةٍ قامت على عرشها

في الروض وهو المزهر الموردُ

في الروض وهو المزهر الموردُ

And a grapevine rising upon its trellis,

A vine standing proud on its arbor

in the garden, itself blooming and rose-adorned.

In the garden, that fecund place.

ناست دواليها ثرياتها

ناست دواليها ثرياتها

أعنابها سبحان من ينضد

أعنابها سبحان من ينضد

Its trailing vines swayed; its chandeliers—

It let down its tendrils, heavy with fruit.

its grapes! Glory to Him who arrays them.

Glorified is He who provides!

وطال بي السير إلى موضع

وطال بي السير إلى موضع

حيث الوحوش العجم والقنفد

حيث الوحوش العجم والقنفد

And my long journey brought me to a place

I wandered far to a place

where dwell the speechless beasts and the hedgehog.

Where wild beasts, hyena and rabbit, dwelt.

فارتاحت النس بما شاهدت

فارتاحت النس بما شاهدت

والمرء مأخوذ بما يشهد

والمرء مأخوذ بما يشهد

So the soul found comfort in what it saw,

My soul was eased by what I saw,

and a person is captivated by what he witnesses.

One is affected by what one witnesses.

الوحش للوحش به رحمةٌ

الوحش للوحش به رحمةٌ

ما بالنا للناس نستأسد

ما بالنا للناس نستأسد

There, one beast shows mercy to another;

Beast shows mercy towards beast -

why do we act like lions toward people?

Why do we show cruelty to fellow man?

حتى إذا استوعبت أخبارهم

حتى إذا استوعبت أخبارهم

عدت إليكم شاهداً أنقد

عدت إليكم شاهداً أنقد

Until, when I had taken in all their stories,

When I had absorbed their circumstances,

I returned to you, a witness offering criticism.

I returned to you an impartial witness.

قومي وما قومي سوى شيعتي

قومي وما قومي سوى شيعتي

يراعتي والليلُ والفرقد

يراعتي والليلُ والفرقد

My people—and my people are none but my companions:

My people, rise! None but my followers,

my reed pen, the night, and the Farqad star.

In the dark night when all are asleep.

ملك سليمان ترى ملككم

ملك سليمان ترى ملككم

وإنني في شعبه الهدهد

وإنني في شعبه الهدهد

Is your kingdom, I wonder, Solomon’s kingdom?

King Solomon, see how your kingdom is now,

And I am the hoopoe among his people.

And I am but a hoopoe among your subjects.