وسَائلةٍand a woman asking أأنتare you تُسبُّyou are reviled جهراًopenly
وسَائلةٍ أأنت تُسبُّ جهراً
ألستare you not محجّa pilgrimage destination شبانٍyoung men وشيبِand the grey-haired ؟
ألست محجّ شبانٍ وشيبِ ؟
And a woman asks: Are you openly reviled?
Are you a channel that curses aloud?
Are you not a place of pilgrimage for young men and the grey-haired?
Are you not a guide for youth and old age?
ألستare you not خليفةَthe heir to الأدبliterature المصفّىrefined
ألست خليفةَ الأدب المصفّى
ألستare you not منارةَthe beacon of البلدthe land السليبplundered !؟
ألست منارةَ البلد السليب !؟
Are you not the heir to refined literature,
Are you not the heir of refined literature?
Are you not the beacon of the plundered land?!
Are you not the beacon of the barren land!?
أيسرحُdo they roam free شاتموكyour revilers بلاwithout حسيبٍone who holds accountable
أيسرحُ شاتموك بلا حسيبٍ
وتُسْمَعُand you are made to hear منfrom هناكthere بلاwithout نسيبِa kinsman !
وتُسْمَعُ من هناك بلا نسيبِ !
Do your revilers roam free, with none to call them to account,
Do those who insult you roam freely
And are you made to hear it from there, with no kinsman?!
And are heard from afar without kinsmen!
أقولI say لهاto her ألاshall I not اكفيكِspare you عبئاًa burden
أقول لها ألا اكفيكِ عبئاً
ألاshall I not أُنبيكtell you بالعجبِof the marvel العجيبِwondrous !؟
ألا أُنبيك بالعجبِ العجيبِ !؟
I tell her: Shall I not spare you a burden?
I say to it, isn't it enough of a burden
Shall I not tell you of the wondrous marvel?!
Should I not warn you of the strange wonder!?
لقدindeed هِجْتِyou have stirred اللواعجburning pangs كامناتٍlying hidden
لقد هِجْتِ اللواعج كامناتٍ
وقدand indeed نغّرتِyou have prodded بالجرحِat the wound الرغيبِgaping
وقد نغّرتِ بالجرحِ الرغيبِ
You have indeed stirred the burning pangs that lay hidden,
You have provoked the docile wolves
And have prodded at the gaping wound.
And have been emboldened by the appalling wound
برئتI have disowned منfrom الزحوفthe marching throngs وانand even if تلاقتْthey converge
برئت من الزحوف وان تلاقتْ
تسدُّthey block عليّbefore me منعطفَthe bend of الدروبِthe roads
تسدُّ عليّ منعطفَ الدروبِ
I have disowned the marching throngs, even if they converge
You are rid of transgressions even if they meet
To block the bend in the roads before me.
To block off the turns of my path for me
زحوفthe throngs of "الرافدينthe Two Rivers" فقدfor indeed تهزّتhave stirred
زحوف "الرافدين" فقد تهزّت
بهنّby them مزاحفُthe marching crowds of البلدِthe land الغريبِforeign
بهنّ مزاحفُ البلدِ الغريبِ
The throngs of the Two Rivers—for stirred into motion
The transgressions of "Al-Rafidain" so they shook
By them were the marching crowds of the foreign land.
With them crawled the reptiles of the strange land
فأكرمso, nobler منthan مساخِرَfarces زاحفاتٍcrawling
فأكرم من مساخِرَ زاحفاتٍ
مساخرُfarces ليلةٍof a night جُبلىdrunken طروبِmerry
مساخرُ ليلةٍ جُبلى طروبِ
So nobler than farces crawling onward
More generous than the mocking of crawling reptiles
Are the farces of a drunken, merry night.
Is the mocking of a night laden with perfume
برئتI have disowned منfrom الزحوفِthe marching throngs بدونwithout حولٍstrength
برئت من الزحوفِ بدون حولٍ
سوىexcept قُبَلِthe kisses of الحبيبِthe beloved علىupon الحبيبِthe beloved
سوى قُبَلِ الحبيبِ على الحبيبِ
I have disowned the marching throngs, powerless
Rid of transgressions without might
Save for the beloved's kisses upon the beloved.
Except the kisses of the lover upon her lover
تسدُّthey close in عليهaround him فيon يومa day رخيًّeasy
تسدُّ عليه في يوم رخيًّ
لتسلمهُto hand him over إلىto يومٍa day عصيبِdire
لتسلمهُ إلى يومٍ عصيبِ
They hem him in on a day of ease,
It blocks him on a day of comfort
To hand him over to a day of hardship;
To deliver him to a woeful day
لتسلمهto hand him over إلىto وَبْشٍrabble خسيسٍbase
لتسلمه إلى وَبْشٍ خسيسٍ
ومرتكبٍand an offender ومشبوهٍand a suspect مريبِdubious
ومرتكبٍ ومشبوهٍ مريبِ
To hand him over to base rabble,
To deliver him to despicable tidings
And an offender, and a dubious suspect;
And a reprehensible and dubious evildoer
إلىto صُحُفٍnewspapers تَسفُّthey sink low بلاwithout ضميرٍa conscience
إلى صُحُفٍ تَسفُّ بلا ضميرٍ
سوىexcept ماwhat دُسَّwas slipped منهاfrom them فيinto الجيوبِthe pockets
سوى ما دُسَّ منها في الجيوبِ
To newspapers that sink low, without a conscience
To pages that cast with no conscience
Save what of them is slipped into pockets.
Except what is tucked away in pockets
تطوّحthey fling بالمواهبthe talents للدواهيto calamities
تطوّح بالمواهب للدواهي
وتدفعand drive بالمحاسنthe virtues للعيوبِtoward faults
وتدفع بالمحاسن للعيوبِ
They hurl talents into calamities,
Aspiring talents for charlatans
And drive virtues into faults.
And directing virtues towards faults
برئتُI have disowned منfrom الزحوفِthe marching throngs مجعجعاتٍclamorous
برئتُ من الزحوفِ مجعجعاتٍ
تُخلَّفis left behind سكتةthe hush of الموتdeath الرهيبِdreadful
تُخلَّف سكتة الموت الرهيبِ
I have disowned the clamorous marching throngs;
Rid of the transgressions of the great confusion
In their wake remains the hush of dreadful death.
That leaves behind it the terrifying sudden death
مباحٌpermitted عندهنّin their eyes دميmy blood لذئبٍto a wolf
مباحٌ عندهنّ دمي لذئبٍ
ولاand no أسدٌlion يبيحpermits دماًblood لذيبِto a wolf
ولا أسدٌ يبيح دماً لذيبِ
In their eyes, my blood is fair game for a wolf,
My blood is permitted to them like a wolf's
Yet no lion grants a wolf leave to shed blood.
And no lion permits his blood to a wolf
فليتso, if only فداءa ransom for شهمٍa valiant man مستميتٍready to die fighting
فليت فداء شهمٍ مستميتٍ
زرافاتcrowds تنشَّرُperfume themselves بالطيوبِwith perfumes
زرافات تنشَّرُ بالطيوبِ
If only a valiant man ready to die could be ransomed
If only the ransom were a resolute hero
By crowds that perfume themselves with sweet scents.
Giraffes that graze on the meadows
وماand has not برِحَceased السؤالُthe question بلاwithout مجيبٍan answerer
وما برِحَ السؤالُ بلا مجيبٍ
ولمand have not تزلِceased الرؤوسُthe heads علىupon الكعوبِthe heels
ولم تزلِ الرؤوسُ على الكعوبِ
And still the question has none to answer it,
And the question remains unanswered
And heads remain upon heels.
While heads remain on their shoulders
أَيُنْهِضُdoes it rouse مَقْدميmy arrival ستينsixty ألفاًthousand
أَيُنْهِضُ مَقْدمي ستين ألفاً
ينطّleaps بهاamong them البعيدُthe far-off علىupon القريبِthe nearby !؟
ينطّ بها البعيدُ على القريبِ !؟
Does my coming rouse sixty thousand,
Will my vanguard of sixty thousand arise
Among whom the far-off leap upon those nearby?!
To pounce on those afar for those near!?
تلقفthey catch eagerly ماwhat أصوغI compose لهاfor them وقوفاًstanding
تلقف ما أصوغ لها وقوفاً
تصيحُthey shout إلىto صدىthe echo of الحرفthe word الذهيبِgolden
تصيحُ إلى صدى الحرف الذهيبِ
Standing, they seize what I compose for them,
It seizes what I forge for it while standing
Shouting to the echo of the golden word.
It screams to the echo of the golden letter
ويُعملُand is put to use كيْso that أمسَّحI wipe away عنهfrom him طفلٌa child
ويُعملُ كيْ أمسَّح عنه طفلٌ
كماas مَسحَwiped "المسيحChrist" علىupon الصليبِthe cross
كما مَسحَ "المسيح" على الصليبِ
And a child is put to use, so I may wipe him clean,
And a child is tasked to wipe it away for me
As Christ did upon the cross.
As "Christ" wiped on the crucifix
وأُنبذُand I am cast out بالعراءinto the open بلاwithout نصيرٍa defender
وأُنبذُ بالعراء بلا نصيرٍ
نبيلnoble أوor أديبa man of letters أوor أريبِdiscerning
نبيل أو أديب أو أريبِ
And I am cast into the open, without a defender,
And I am discarded in the wilderness without an ally
Whether noble, a man of letters, or discerning.
Noble, literate or knowledgeable
فياso, oh لكfor you أعزلاًunarmed ولهand he has جيوشٌarmies
فيا لك أعزلاً وله جيوشٌ
ملايينٌmillions تقاتلfight بالوجيبِwith heartbeats
ملايينٌ تقاتل بالوجيبِ
Ah, what an unarmed man, though he has armies—
Oh you who has armies in the millions
Millions who fight with heartbeats!
That battle for the beloved land
أَيدفعُcan it ward off عنكfrom you ملحمةcarnage وضرّاًand harm
أَيدفعُ عنك ملحمة وضرّاً
بأنby the fact that تطوىare folded الضلوعُthe ribs علىover القلوبِthe hearts !؟
بأن تطوى الضلوعُ على القلوبِ !؟
Can it ward off carnage and harm from you
Will it defend you from an epic and harm
By folding ribs over hearts?!
By ribs folding over hearts!?
وياand oh لمؤلهٍfor one deified فيهاamong them غريبٍa stranger
ويا لمؤلهٍ فيها غريبٍ
وياand oh لتعاسةfor the misery of البلدthe country العجيبِastonishing !
ويا لتعاسة البلد العجيبِ !
And oh, for one deified among them, yet a stranger!
Oh what a stranger in it
And oh, the misery of this bewildering land!
And what misery in the strange land!
Sol 6.1