أَيَعْقِلُ حُزْني عَنْ وَدَاعِكَ مَنْطِقِي

أَيَعْقِلُ حُزْني عَنْ وَدَاعِكَ مَنْطِقِي

وَأَعْلَمُ أَنَّا عَنْ قَرِيبٍ سَنَلْتَقِي

وَأَعْلَمُ أَنَّا عَنْ قَرِيبٍ سَنَلْتَقِي

Does my reason restrain my grief over your farewell?

Does grief at bidding you farewell fetter my speech,

Yet I know that before long we shall meet.

Though I know that we shall meet again before long?

صَدِيقِي لاَ تَبْعَدْ فَمَا أَنَا مُبْتَغٍ

صَدِيقِي لاَ تَبْعَدْ فَمَا أَنَا مُبْتَغٍ

مِنَ الْعَيْشِ إِنْ تَبْعَدْ وَمَا أَنا مُتَّقِ

مِنَ الْعَيْشِ إِنْ تَبْعَدْ وَمَا أَنا مُتَّقِ

My friend, do not go far, for I desire nothing—

My friend, do not go far; what am I to seek

nothing from life if you go far, nor would I care to preserve it.

From life if you go far, and what am I to fear?

سَبَقْتَ وَفِي قَلْبِي أَسىً لِتَخَلُّفِي

سَبَقْتَ وَفِي قَلْبِي أَسىً لِتَخَلُّفِي

وَمَنْ يَجْرِ فِي المضْمارِ جِرْيَكَ يَسْبَقِ

وَمَنْ يَجْرِ فِي المضْمارِ جِرْيَكَ يَسْبَقِ

You have gone before me, and my heart grieves that I remain behind;

You have gone before me, and my heart grieves at being left behind;

whoever runs the course as you ran it will outstrip all others.

And whoever runs the course as you did will come first.

فَوَا حَرَبَا مَا لَوْعَةُ الشَّوْقِ فِي غَدٍ

فَوَا حَرَبَا مَا لَوْعَةُ الشَّوْقِ فِي غَدٍ

وَبِي قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْأَى لَظى مِنْ تَشَوُّقِي

وَبِي قَبْلَ أَنْ تَنْأَى لَظى مِنْ تَشَوُّقِي

Alas, what will become tomorrow of longing’s burning pangs,

Oh, my anguish! What will longing's torment be tomorrow,

when already, before you go far, my yearning is a blaze within me!

When, before you go far, a blaze of yearning already burns within me?

وَيَا شَجْوَ أَطْفَالٍ ضِعَافُ تَرَكْتَهُمْ

وَيَا شَجْوَ أَطْفَالٍ ضِعَافُ تَرَكْتَهُمْ

وَكُنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُشْفِقاً أَيَّ مُشْفِقِ

وَكُنْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ مُشْفِقاً أَيَّ مُشْفِقِ

O my sorrow for your frail children, whom you left behind—

And oh, the grief of the frail children you have left,

you were compassionate toward them—how compassionate!

For whom you cared with such tender concern!

أَفِي الْحَقِّ أَنْ تُلْفَى مَدَى الدَّهْرِ هَاجِعاً

أَفِي الْحَقِّ أَنْ تُلْفَى مَدَى الدَّهْرِ هَاجِعاً

تَمُرُّ بِكَ الأَحْدَاثُ غَيْرَ مُؤَرَّقِ

تَمُرُّ بِكَ الأَحْدَاثُ غَيْرَ مُؤَرَّقِ

Can it truly be that you will lie asleep forever,

Is it true that you shall be found sleeping for all time,

while events pass you by without ever disturbing your sleep?

While events pass you by, never troubling your rest?

وَلَنْ تَنْظِمَ الآرَاءَ نَظْمَ مُوَفِّقٍ

وَلَنْ تَنْظِمَ الآرَاءَ نَظْمَ مُوَفِّقٍ

وَلَنْ تَنْثُرَ الآلاَءَ نَثْرَ مُفَرِّقِ

وَلَنْ تَنْثُرَ الآلاَءَ نَثْرَ مُفَرِّقِ

No longer will you marshal ideas with the order of one rightly guided,

And you will no longer arrange ideas with a harmonizer's skill,

nor scatter blessings as a generous giver scatters them;

Nor scatter blessings as a giver would;

وَلَنْ تُعْمِلَ الأَقْلاَمَ وَهْيَ أَسِنَّةٌ

وَلَنْ تُعْمِلَ الأَقْلاَمَ وَهْيَ أَسِنَّةٌ

فَتَطْعَنَ أَهْلَ الْبَغْي فِي كُلِّ مَفْرِقِ

فَتَطْعَنَ أَهْلَ الْبَغْي فِي كُلِّ مَفْرِقِ

no longer will you wield pens, though they are spearheads,

And you will no longer wield the pens—spearheads that they are—

to pierce the people of oppression at every joint.

To pierce each oppressor through the crown of his head.

إِذَا بَانَ سَرْكِيسُ الأَدِيبُ فَمَنْ لَهُ

إِذَا بَانَ سَرْكِيسُ الأَدِيبُ فَمَنْ لَهُ

بَرَاعَةُ مُفْتَنٍّ وَعِلْمُ مُحَقِّقِ

بَرَاعَةُ مُفْتَنٍّ وَعِلْمُ مُحَقِّقِ

Now that Sarkis the man of letters is gone, who possesses

When Sarkis, the man of letters, is gone, who possesses

the artistry of a versatile creator and the learning of a meticulous scholar?

A versatile artist's mastery and a discerning scholar's learning?

وَمَنْ يُبْتَغَى لِلأُنْسِ فِي كُلِّ مَحْفِلٍ

وَمَنْ يُبْتَغَى لِلأُنْسِ فِي كُلِّ مَحْفِلٍ

وَمَنْ يُرْتَجَى لِلْغَوْثٍ فِي كُلِّ مَأْزِقِ

وَمَنْ يُرْتَجَى لِلْغَوْثٍ فِي كُلِّ مَأْزِقِ

Whom shall we seek for genial company at every gathering,

And who will be sought for companionship in every gathering,

and whom may we trust to plunge into every crisis?

And who will be looked to for help in every crisis?

ذَكَاءٌ لَهُ لَمْعُ الْوَمِيضِ إِذَا وَرَى

ذَكَاءٌ لَهُ لَمْعُ الْوَمِيضِ إِذَا وَرَى

فَأَشْرَقَ فِي جَوْنٍ مِنَ السُّحبِ مُطْبِقِ

فَأَشْرَقَ فِي جَوْنٍ مِنَ السُّحبِ مُطْبِقِ

His intelligence had the gleam of lightning when it blazed,

An intellect with the gleam of lightning when it flares,

shining through the blackness of massed clouds;

And shines amid an enveloping blackness of clouds;

وَمَعْنىً كَتَفْتِيحِ الأَزَاهِرِ بَهْجَةً

وَمَعْنىً كَتَفْتِيحِ الأَزَاهِرِ بَهْجَةً

وَلَفْظٌ كَمَاءِ الْجَدْوَلِ المُتَرَقْرِقِ

وَلَفْظٌ كَمَاءِ الْجَدْوَلِ المُتَرَقْرِقِ

his thought was as delightful as blossoms opening,

And meaning as joyous as the opening of blossoms,

and his diction like the rippling water of a brook;

And diction like the rippling water of a brook;

وَلُطْفُ حَدِيثٍ يُطْرِبُ السَّمعَ آخِذٌ

وَلُطْفُ حَدِيثٍ يُطْرِبُ السَّمعَ آخِذٌ

لِكُلِّ طَرِيفٍ يَشْرَحُ الصَّدْرَ مُونِقِ

لِكُلِّ طَرِيفٍ يَشْرَحُ الصَّدْرَ مُونِقِ

his gracious conversation delighted the ear, embracing

And a charm of speech that delights the ear, embracing

every fresh and charming theme that gladdened the heart.

Every delightful novelty that gladdens the heart;

وَمُبْتَكَرَاتٌ كُلَّ آنٍ جَدِيدَةٌ

وَمُبْتَكَرَاتٌ كُلَّ آنٍ جَدِيدَةٌ

لَهَا مِنْ أَفَانِينِ الحِلَى كُلُّ رَوْنَقِ

لَهَا مِنْ أَفَانِينِ الحِلَى كُلُّ رَوْنَقِ

And original creations, forever new at every moment,

And original creations, new at every moment,

adorned with every splendor from the varied arts of ornament;

With every splendor of adornment's varied forms;

إِلى خُلُقٍ مَهْمَا يَقُلْ فِيهِ مَادِحٌ

إِلى خُلُقٍ مَهْمَا يَقُلْ فِيهِ مَادِحٌ

ثَنَاءً عَلَيْهِ قَالَتِ النَّاسُ أَخْلِقِ

ثَنَاءً عَلَيْهِ قَالَتِ النَّاسُ أَخْلِقِ

together with a character of which, whatever a eulogist said

Along with a character: whatever a praiser says of it

in praise, the people answered, “How well deserved!”

In its praise, people say, 'How fitting!'

وَعَزْمٌ كَأَنَّ الدَّهْرَ نَاطَ بِبَعْضِهِ

وَعَزْمٌ كَأَنَّ الدَّهْرَ نَاطَ بِبَعْضِهِ

هُمُومَ الْوَرَى مَا بَيْنَ غَرْبٍ وَمَشْرِقِ

هُمُومَ الْوَرَى مَا بَيْنَ غَرْبٍ وَمَشْرِقِ

And resolve—as though Fate had hung upon a part of it

And a resolve as though Time had hung upon a part of it

all humankind’s cares between west and east.

The cares of humankind between west and east.

لَقَدْ شَغَلَتْهُ بِالْعُلَى عَنْ حُطَامِهَا

لَقَدْ شَغَلَتْهُ بِالْعُلَى عَنْ حُطَامِهَا

حَيَاةٌ بِهَا إِنْ تُعْنَ بِالرِّزْقِ تُرْزَقِ

حَيَاةٌ بِهَا إِنْ تُعْنَ بِالرِّزْقِ تُرْزَقِ

His lofty pursuits kept him from life’s paltry goods—

He was indeed kept busy with lofty pursuits, away from its worldly dross,

a life in which, if you attend to livelihood, you are provided for.

By a life in which, if you tend to your livelihood, you are provided for.

فَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْنِ أَهْلُ الحِطَامِ أَدِيبَهُمْ

فَإِنْ لَمْ يُعْنِ أَهْلُ الحِطَامِ أَدِيبَهُمْ

فَهَلْ ذَنْبُهُ أَنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ مُوَفَّقِ

فَهَلْ ذَنْبُهُ أَنْ كَانَ غَيْرَ مُوَفَّقِ

So if the people of worldly goods did not support their man of letters,

So if the people of wealth did not help their man of letters,

is it his fault that fortune did not favor him?

Is it his fault that he was not fortunate?

فَدَيْتُكَ لَوْ فِي الأَرْضِ حَيٌّ مُخَلَّدٌ

فَدَيْتُكَ لَوْ فِي الأَرْضِ حَيٌّ مُخَلَّدٌ

بِفَضْلٍ لَكُنْتَ المَرْءَ مَا بَقَيْتَ بَقِي

بِفَضْلٍ لَكُنْتَ المَرْءَ مَا بَقَيْتَ بَقِي

I would ransom you! If merit could make any living soul on earth immortal,

May I be your ransom! If any living soul on earth were immortal

you would be that man, destined to endure forever.

Through virtue, you would be that man, enduring as long as you endured.

وَفَيْتَ لَهَا بِالقِسْطِ لَكِنْ تَنُكَّرَتْ

وَفَيْتَ لَهَا بِالقِسْطِ لَكِنْ تَنُكَّرَتْ

مَنَازِلُهَا فَابْغِ السَّماوَاتِ وَارْتَقِ

مَنَازِلُهَا فَابْغِ السَّماوَاتِ وَارْتَقِ

You gave life its full and rightful due, but its dwellings

You dealt justly with the earth, but were disowned

turned hostile; so seek the heavens, and ascend.

By its dwellings; so seek the heavens and ascend.