هكْتورُHector إِنْif أَبْطَأَwas late شُكْرِيmy thanks فَمَاyet not
هكْتورُ إِنْ أَبْطَأَ شُكْرِي فَمَا
قَلdiminished عَلَىdespite إِبْطَائِهِits delay الشُّكرُgratitude
قَل عَلَى إِبْطَائِهِ الشُّكرُ
Hector, if my thanks are late, they have not
grown less despite their delay.
وَفِيand in يَقِينِيmy certainty أَنَّهthat it قَامَhas arisen لِيfor me
وَفِي يَقِينِي أَنَّه قَامَ لِي
عِنْدَwith أَخِيmy brother مِنْfrom نَفْسِهِhis own self عُذْرُan excuse
عِنْدَ أَخِي مِنْ نَفْسِهِ عُذْرُ
And I am certain that there is for me
an excuse my brother has found within himself.
أَتَكْبُرُdoes it loom large? الصُّغرَىthe minor fault لَدَيْهِto him وَفِيwhile in
أَتَكْبُرُ الصُّغرَى لَدَيْهِ وَفِي
سَاحَاِتِهhis courts يُغْتَفَرُis forgiven الْوِزْرُsin
سَاحَاِتِه يُغْتَفَرُ الْوِزْرُ
Can a small fault loom large to him, when in
his courts even sin is forgiven?
جَادَhe gave generously وَلَكِنْand yet جَاءَcame دِيوانُهُhis poetry collection
جَادَ وَلَكِنْ جَاءَ دِيوانُهُ
حِينَwhen الْعَوَادِيadversities دُونَهُbarring access to it كُثرُmany
حِينَ الْعَوَادِي دُونَهُ كُثرُ
He gave generously, but his book of poems arrived
when many adversities barred my way to it.
فَبَاتَso it remained فِيin دُرْجِيmy drawer مَصُوناًsafeguarded كَمَاjust as
فَبَاتَ فِي دُرْجِي مَصُوناً كَمَا
يُصَانُis guarded فِيin مَخْبَئِهِits hiding place الذُّخْرُtreasure
يُصَانُ فِي مَخْبَئِهِ الذُّخْرُ
So it lay safe in my drawer, as
treasure is guarded in its hiding place.
أَهْفُوI yearn إِلَيْهِfor it وَالمُلِمَّاتُwhile calamities لاَdo not
أَهْفُو إِلَيْهِ وَالمُلِمَّاتُ لاَ
تَعْفُوshow mercy وَلاَnor يُعْصَىis disobeyed لَهَاof theirs أَمْرُa command
تَعْفُو وَلاَ يُعْصَى لَهَا أَمْرُ
I yearn for it, while calamities do not
show mercy, nor is any command of theirs defied.
أَلْيَوْمُthe day بَعْدَafter الْيَوْمِthe day يُطْوَىis folded away عَلَىin
أَلْيَوْمُ بَعْدَ الْيَوْمِ يُطْوَى عَلَى
هَذَاthis وَيُقْضَىand is spent الشَّهْرُthe month فَالشَّهْرُthen the next month
هَذَا وَيُقْضَى الشَّهْرُ فَالشَّهْرُ
Day after day is folded away in
this way, and month after month is spent.
حَتَّىuntil إِذَاwhen قَيَّضwas granted لِيto me فُرْصَةٌan opportunity
حَتَّى إِذَا قَيَّض لِي فُرْصَةٌ
مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter أَنْthat ضَنَّwas stingy بِهَاwith it الدَّهْرُTime
مِنْ بَعْدِ أَنْ ضَنَّ بِهَا الدَّهْرُ
Until, when a chance was granted me,
after Time had grudged it,
أَقْبَلْتُI turned أَتْلُوهُI read it حَرِيصاًcarefully كَمَاjust as
أَقْبَلْتُ أَتْلُوهُ حَرِيصاً كَمَا
يَحْرِصُis careful منْone who فِيin يَدِهِhis hand شَذْرُgold nuggets
يَحْرِصُ منْ فِي يَدِهِ شَذْرُ
I turned to read it with care, as
one guards gold nuggets in his hand.
يَاO حُسْنَbeauty of لُبْنَانَLebanon وَيَاand O بَرْحَanguish of مَاwhat
يَا حُسْنَ لُبْنَانَ وَيَا بَرْحَ مَا
هِيجَwas stirred لَهُfor it وَجْدِيَmy longing وَالذِّكْرُand remembrance
هِيجَ لَهُ وَجْدِيَ وَالذِّكْرُ
O beauty of Lebanon! How painfully
my longing and remembrance are stirred for it!
أَعُبُّI drink deeply عَبّاًin deep draughts مِنْfrom يَنَابِيعِهِits springs
أَعُبُّ عَبّاً مِنْ يَنَابِيعِهِ
وَالْقَلْبُand the heart يُرْوَىis quenched لَهُfor it حَرُّheat
وَالْقَلْبُ يُرْوَى لَهُ حَرُّ
I drink in deep draughts from its springs,
and the heart's heat is quenched.
تَاللّهِby God مَاnot أَدْرِيI know أَبِيis there in me? فِتْنَةٌan enchantment
تَاللّهِ مَا أَدْرِي أَبِي فِتْنَةٌ
تَشُبُّهاkindle it جَنَّاتُهُits gardens الْخُضْرُgreen
تَشُبُّها جَنَّاتُهُ الْخُضْرُ
By God, I do not know: is there a spell within me,
kindled by its green gardens?
مَاذَاwhat يُرِينِيmakes me see صَخْرَهُits rock بَاسِماًsmiling
مَاذَا يُرِينِي صَخْرَهُ بَاسِماً
أَكْلَحَgrimmest مَاwhat يَبْدُوappears لِيَto me الصَّخرُrock
أَكْلَحَ مَا يَبْدُو لِيَ الصَّخرُ
What makes me see its rock smiling,
when rock is the grimmest thing I see?
أَكُلُّis all مَاthat تُظْهِرُreveal أَعْلاَمَهُits peaks
أَكُلُّ مَا تُظْهِرُ أَعْلاَمَهُ
وَكُلُّand all مَاthat تُخْفِيthey hide بِهِin it سِحْرُmagic
وَكُلُّ مَا تُخْفِي بِهِ سِحْرُ
Is all that its peaks reveal,
and all they hide, filled with magic?
أَكُلُّdoes every مَطْوِيٍّfold عَلَىalong كَشْحِهِits flank
أَكُلُّ مَطْوِيٍّ عَلَى كَشْحِهِ
مِنْamong الثَّنايَاthe mountain passes لِيfor me بِهِin it سِرُّa secret
مِنْ الثَّنايَا لِي بِهِ سِرُّ
Does every fold tucked along its flank,
among the mountain passes, hold a secret for me?
لِكُلِّfor every بَدْرٍfull moon حُسْنُهُits beauty حَيْثُمَاwherever
لِكُلِّ بَدْرٍ حُسْنُهُ حَيْثُمَا
لاَحَit shines وَلكِنْand yet بَدْرُهُits full moon الْبَدْرُthe full moon
لاَحَ وَلكِنْ بَدْرُهُ الْبَدْرُ
Each full moon has its beauty, wherever
it shines; but Lebanon's is the full moon indeed.
وَالْوَرْدُand roses أَزْهَىfairest مَاthat زَهَاbloomed وَرْدُهُits roses
وَالْوَرْدُ أَزْهَى مَا زَهَا وَرْدُهُ
وَعِطْرُهُand its fragrance الذَّاكِيintensely fragrant هُوَit الْعِطْرُthe fragrance
وَعِطْرُهُ الذَّاكِي هُوَ الْعِطْرُ
And the fairest roses ever to bloom are its roses,
and its heady fragrance is fragrance itself.
أَعْجِبْmarvel بِهِat it مِنْas بَلَدٍa land مُنجِبٍbearing gifted offspring
أَعْجِبْ بِهِ مِنْ بَلَدٍ مُنجِبٍ
إِنْif يَفْتَخِرْit boasts حُقَّis due لَهُto it الْفَخْرُpride
إِنْ يَفْتَخِرْ حُقَّ لَهُ الْفَخْرُ
Marvel at it—a land that bears gifted sons!
If it boasts, its pride is well deserved.
مِزَاجُهُits temperament شِعْرٌpoetry فَلاَso no غَرْوَwonder أَنْthat
مِزَاجُهُ شِعْرٌ فَلاَ غَرْوَ أَنْ
يُخْلَقَis created فِيin أَبْنَائِهِits sons الشِّعرُpoetry
يُخْلَقَ فِي أَبْنَائِهِ الشِّعرُ
Its very nature is poetry, so no wonder that
poetry is born in its sons.
مَلاَّطُMallat وَالأَخْطلُand al-Akhtal وَالقُرْمُand al-Qurm هَلْhas ...?
مَلاَّطُ وَالأَخْطلُ وَالقُرْمُ هَلْ
أُوتِيَbeen granted أَنْدَاداًequals لهمْto them قُطْرُa land
أُوتِيَ أَنْدَاداً لهمْ قُطْرُ
Mallat, al-Akhtal, and al-Qurm—has
any land been granted their equals?
يَاO صَاحِبَauthor of الدِّيوَانِthe poetry collection أَمْتَعْتَنِيyou delighted me
يَا صَاحِبَ الدِّيوَانِ أَمْتَعْتَنِي
بِمَاwith what اشْتَهَاهُdesired it الْقَلْبُthe heart وَالْفِكْرُand the mind
بِمَا اشْتَهَاهُ الْقَلْبُ وَالْفِكْرُ
O author of the collection, you have delighted me
with what the heart and mind desired.
مَنْwho لِيfor me بِأَنْthat تَجْمَعَنَاbring us together ذُرْوَةٌa summit
مَنْ لِي بِأَنْ تَجْمَعَنَا ذُرْوَةٌ
يَحْنُوbend tenderly عَلَيْنَاover us أَرْزُهَاits cedars النَّضِرُverdant
يَحْنُو عَلَيْنَا أَرْزُهَا النَّضِرُ
Who will grant me a summit to bring us together,
its verdant cedars bending tenderly over us?
أَنْهَلُI drink مَاءَwater of النَّبْعِthe spring مِنْfrom حَيْثُwhere لاَnot
أَنْهَلُ مَاءَ النَّبْعِ مِنْ حَيْثُ لاَ
يَنْهَلُdrinks إِلاِّexcept أَنْتَyou وَالنَّسرand the eagle
يَنْهَلُ إِلاِّ أَنْتَ وَالنَّسر
I would drink the spring's water where none
drinks but you and the eagle.
Sol 6.1