أَنا لستُ أدري كيف أرثي واحداً

أَنا لستُ أدري كيف أرثي واحداً

أَمسى برغمِ الموتِ حيا خالداً

أَمسى برغمِ الموتِ حيا خالداً

I do not know how to elegize a man

I know not how to eulogize one

Who, despite death, lives on, immortal,

Who became immortal despite death

أَبقى من (الأهرام) في آثارِه

أَبقى من (الأهرام) في آثارِه

وَأجل مأثرةً وَأبلغ شاهدا

وَأجل مأثرةً وَأبلغ شاهدا

More enduring than the Pyramids in the works he left,

Remaining in his works more enduring

More glorious in achievement, more eloquent as a witness.

Than the pyramids, a glorious, eloquent witness

دبَّ الفناءُ له فعاد بخيبةٍ

دبَّ الفناءُ له فعاد بخيبةٍ

خزيانَ ينظرُ مستشيطاً حاقدا

خزيانَ ينظرُ مستشيطاً حاقدا

Annihilation crept toward him, then returned defeated,

Time crept up to destroy him, but retreated disappointed

Disgraced, staring in fury and spite.

Looking on, furious and spiteful

ما نال منه وَلو علاه سكونُه

ما نال منه وَلو علاه سكونُه

فالبحرُ بحرٌ زاخراً أو راكدا

فالبحرُ بحرٌ زاخراً أو راكدا

It took nothing from him, though its stillness covered him;

It could not touch him, even if it stilled him

For the sea is the sea, whether surging or still.

For the sea remains a bountiful or placid sea

شوقي وَهل أَرثيه يومَ خلودِه

شوقي وَهل أَرثيه يومَ خلودِه

فالسيفُ يبغي شاهراً لا غامدا

فالسيفُ يبغي شاهراً لا غامدا

Shawqi—shall I elegize him on the day of his immortality?

Shawqi, how can I mourn him on his day of eternity

For the sword seeks one to draw it, not one to sheath it.

When the sword seeks a brandisher, not a sheath

دعني أُشدْ بالعبقريةِ إنَّها

دعني أُشدْ بالعبقريةِ إنَّها

كالشمسِ إنْ غربتْ أرتك فراقدا

كالشمسِ إنْ غربتْ أرتك فراقدا

Let me sing the praises of genius: it is

Let me sing of genius, for it is

Like the sun: when it sets, it shows you bright stars.

Like the sun - when it sets, it leaves a twilight

أَو شعلة لمعتْ فجلَّتْ غيهباً

أَو شعلة لمعتْ فجلَّتْ غيهباً

وَهدتْ أخا جوْرٍ وَردَّتْ حائدا

وَهدتْ أخا جوْرٍ وَردَّتْ حائدا

Or a flame that flashed and dispelled deep darkness,

Or a flame that flashed and lit up the horizon

Guided a wrongdoer, and brought back one who strayed.

Guiding an oppressed brother and returning a stray

تتمخّضُ الأجيالُ أعصاراً بها

تتمخّضُ الأجيالُ أعصاراً بها

حتى يتيح الغيبُ منها وافدا

حتى يتيح الغيبُ منها وافدا

Generations labor to give birth to it for ages,

Generations gestate storms within them

Until the unseen brings forth a newcomer from them.

Until the unknown sends forth one of its own

كالبحرِ يندرُ أنْ يجودَ بدرِّه

كالبحرِ يندرُ أنْ يجودَ بدرِّه

وَتراه بالأَصدافِ يقذِفُ جائدا

وَتراه بالأَصدافِ يقذِفُ جائدا

Like the sea, which rarely yields its pearls,

Like the sea, it rarely casts up its pearls

Yet you see it generously casting up shells.

And you see it tossing refuse upon the shore

فإذا أَراد اللهُ نهضةَ أُمةٍ

فإذا أَراد اللهُ نهضةَ أُمةٍ

أهدى إليها العبقريةَ قائدا

أهدى إليها العبقريةَ قائدا

When God wills the rise of a nation,

So if God wills the renaissance of a nation

He bestows genius upon it as a leader.

He guides genius to it as a leader

شوقي وَأنتَ رسالةٌ علويةٌ

شوقي وَأنتَ رسالةٌ علويةٌ

مرَّتْ عَلَى سمعِ الزمانِ نشائدا

مرَّتْ عَلَى سمعِ الزمانِ نشائدا

Shawqi, you are a heavenly message

Shawqi, you were a divine message

That passed through the ear of time as songs;

That coursed through the ears of time chanting verses

روحٌ من اللهِ الكريمِ وَرحمةٌ

روحٌ من اللهِ الكريمِ وَرحمةٌ

أَحيا بها مَيْتاً وَأيقظَ هاجدا

أَحيا بها مَيْتاً وَأيقظَ هاجدا

A spirit from God the Generous, and a mercy

A soul from Generous God and a mercy

With which He revived the dead and awakened a sleeper.

With which He revived the dead and awakened the prostrate

رُضْتَ القريضَ عَلَى اختلافِ فنونِه

رُضْتَ القريضَ عَلَى اختلافِ فنونِه

في كل وادٍ همْتَ كنتَ الراشدا

في كل وادٍ همْتَ كنتَ الراشدا

You tamed verse in all its varied forms;

You mastered poetry in all its forms

In every valley you wandered, you were rightly guided.

In every valley you roamed, you were rightly guided

أما القديمُ ففزتَ منه بروعةٍ

أما القديمُ ففزتَ منه بروعةٍ

وَجلوتَ من آيِ الجديدِ مشاهدا

وَجلوتَ من آيِ الجديدِ مشاهدا

As for the old, you won splendor from it,

Of the old, you grasped the essence

And revealed scenes from the wonders of the new.

And from the new, you extracted insightful tableaux

فرفعتَ للفصحى (بمصرٍ) دولةً

فرفعتَ للفصحى (بمصرٍ) دولةً

كانتْ تطالع فيك نجماً صاعدا

كانتْ تطالع فيك نجماً صاعدا

Thus you raised a realm for classical Arabic in Egypt,

You raised the Arabic language in Egypt to a kingdom

Which beheld in you a rising star.

It saw within you a rising star

توَّجْتَ (مصر) وَشدتَ عرشَ فخارِها

توَّجْتَ (مصر) وَشدتَ عرشَ فخارِها

وَعقدتَ في جيدِ (الشآم) قلائدا

وَعقدتَ في جيدِ (الشآم) قلائدا

You crowned Egypt and built the throne of her glory,

You crowned Egypt and buttressed the throne of its pride

And fastened necklaces around al-Sham's neck.

And adorned the neck of Damascus with necklaces

للعربِ والإسلامِ في آلامِهمْ

للعربِ والإسلامِ في آلامِهمْ

كنتَ اللسانَ مترجماً والساعدا

كنتَ اللسانَ مترجماً والساعدا

For the Arabs and Islam, amid their sufferings,

For the Arabs and Islam in their sorrows

You were the tongue that spoke for them, and their arm.

You were the eloquent tongue and helping hand

أضحى بيانُك جامعاً أَهواءَهمْ

أضحى بيانُك جامعاً أَهواءَهمْ

ومن الخمولِ إلى النباهةِ رائدا

ومن الخمولِ إلى النباهةِ رائدا

Your eloquence became the unifier of their aspirations,

Your rhetoric united their various passions

And a guide from obscurity to renown.

And led from lethargy to awareness as guide

ما أَقْلَقَ الإسلامَ خطبٌ فادحٌ

ما أَقْلَقَ الإسلامَ خطبٌ فادحٌ

إلا نهضتَ مواسيا أو ذائدا

إلا نهضتَ مواسيا أو ذائدا

No grievous calamity troubled Islam

No grave calamity disturbed Islam

Without your rising to console or defend.

Without you rising in consolation or defence

"وَدعوتَ للخلقِ الكريم؛ وشر ما"

"وَدعوتَ للخلقِ الكريم؛ وشر ما"

أَودى بنا قد كان خلقاً فاسدا

أَودى بنا قد كان خلقاً فاسدا

And you called for noble character; and the worst thing

"You called people to noble character; and the worst"

That brought us to ruin was corrupt character.

Destruction upon us was the work of the corrupt

ما زالَ فينا مَنْ يكيدُ لقومِهِ

ما زالَ فينا مَنْ يكيدُ لقومِهِ

كم ذا نُطيقُ مداجياً أو كائدا

كم ذا نُطيقُ مداجياً أو كائدا

Among us there is still one who plots against his people;

Among us there remain those who conspire against their people

How long can we endure a dissembler or a schemer?

How much backbiting and plotting can we bear?

كم موقِفٍ لك في (دمشق) وأهلها

كم موقِفٍ لك في (دمشق) وأهلها

قدْ هزَّ يقظاناً ونبَّه راقِدا

قدْ هزَّ يقظاناً ونبَّه راقِدا

How many a stand you took for Damascus and her people

How many stands you took in Damascus and its people

Stirred the wakeful and roused the sleeping!

Rousing the vigilant and awakening the sleeping

غَنَّيْتَها لَحناً يفيضُ صَبابةً

غَنَّيْتَها لَحناً يفيضُ صَبابةً

فتمايلتْ فيها الغُصونُ تواجُدا

فتمايلتْ فيها الغُصونُ تواجُدا

You sang of her in a melody overflowing with love,

You sang it a melody brimming with youth

So the branches within her swayed in ecstasy.

In which the branches swayed, keeping time

وشَركْتَها في بُؤْسِها ونعيمها

وشَركْتَها في بُؤْسِها ونعيمها

يا مَنْ رأى ولداً يشاطر والدا

يا مَنْ رأى ولداً يشاطر والدا

And you shared her misery and her bliss,

You shared in its sorrows and joys

O you who have seen a son share his father's lot!

O you who saw a son sharing with his father!

في الجامعِ الأُمويِّ قُمتَ مكَبِّراً

في الجامعِ الأُمويِّ قُمتَ مكَبِّراً

وذكرْتَ مجدَ بني (أُميَّةَ) ساجدا

وذكرْتَ مجدَ بني (أُميَّةَ) ساجدا

In the Umayyad Mosque you stood, proclaiming God's greatness,

In the Umayyad Mosque you stood, magnifying

And, prostrate, recalled the glory of the sons of Umayya.

And recalled the glory of Umayya's descendants in prayer

خلَّفتَ في (الزهراءِ) دمعَك جاريا

خلَّفتَ في (الزهراءِ) دمعَك جاريا

وتركْتَ في (الفيحاءِ) قلبَكَ واجدا

وتركْتَ في (الفيحاءِ) قلبَكَ واجدا

In al-Zahra you left your tears flowing,

You left your tears flowing in Az-Zahraa

And in al-Fayha you left your heart grieving.

And your heart ardently burning in Al-Faihaa

واسَيْتَ (جلَّق) في عظيمِ مُصابِها

واسَيْتَ (جلَّق) في عظيمِ مُصابِها

وَنضحتَ عنها بالبيان مُجاهدا

وَنضحتَ عنها بالبيان مُجاهدا

You consoled Jilliq in her great affliction,

You consoled Jallaq in its great calamity

And fought in her defense with eloquence.

And defended it with eloquent resistance

صعَّدتَ أَنفاساً وَجُدتَ بأَدمعٍ

صعَّدتَ أَنفاساً وَجُدتَ بأَدمعٍ

في يومِ محْنتِها فكُنَّ قصائدا

في يومِ محْنتِها فكُنَّ قصائدا

You sent up sighs and gave freely of tears

You sent up souls consumed with tears

On the day of her ordeal, and they became poems.

On its day of tribulation, so they were like poems

أَشْجاك أَنْ تُمسي الجنانُ بها لظىً

أَشْجاك أَنْ تُمسي الجنانُ بها لظىً

وتبيت داراتُ النَّعيمِ مَراقدا

وتبيت داراتُ النَّعيمِ مَراقدا

It grieved you that her gardens should become flames,

Would that the gardens became infernos from them

And the mansions of bliss become graves by night.

And the abodes of bliss overnight mass graves

جعلوا مُنيفاتِ القصورِ ومَنْ بها

جعلوا مُنيفاتِ القصورِ ومَنْ بها

للنّارِ في غَلسِ الظَّلامِ حصائدا

للنّارِ في غَلسِ الظَّلامِ حصائدا

They made the towering palaces and those within them

They made the palaces' resting places, and those within

A harvest for the fire in the gloom of darkness.

Into prey for the flames in the dead of night

عاثَتْ بها سودُ الوُجوهِ تَخالهمْ

عاثَتْ بها سودُ الوُجوهِ تَخالهمْ

بين الطُّلولِ عقارِباً وأَساوِدا

بين الطُّلولِ عقارِباً وأَساوِدا

Black-faced men ravaged her; you would think them

The black-faced swept through them, imagining themselves

Scorpions and black snakes among the ruins.

Among the masses like scorpions and serpents

وأَشدُّ مِنْ هذا الزَّبانيةُ الأُولى

وأَشدُّ مِنْ هذا الزَّبانيةُ الأُولى

كادوا لها يلقون عيشاً راغدا

كادوا لها يلقون عيشاً راغدا

And worse than this are the tormentors who

Worse still were the early tyrants

Plotted against her, enjoying an easy life,

Who almost made life for it tranquil and stable

من كُلِّ عبدٍ للطُّغاةِ وحِزبهمْ

من كُلِّ عبدٍ للطُّغاةِ وحِزبهمْ

وتراه شيطاناً علينا ماردا

وتراه شيطاناً علينا ماردا

Each a slave to the tyrants and their party,

From each slave of the oppressors and their party

And you see him as a devil, defiant against us.

You see in him a raging devil

كم متعةٍ في عيشِها لو أَنَّهمْ

كم متعةٍ في عيشِها لو أَنَّهمْ

ما كَدَّروه مصادراً ومَواردا

ما كَدَّروه مصادراً ومَواردا

How much delight there would be in her life, if only they

What pleasures its life would have

Had not muddied it at its sources and watering places!

Had they not poisoned its springs and courses!

هَيهاتَ لا تنسى صَنيعك إِنَّها

هَيهاتَ لا تنسى صَنيعك إِنَّها

جعلتْ بَلابِلَها لِساناً حامدا

جعلتْ بَلابِلَها لِساناً حامدا

Far from it! She will not forget your kindness; indeed, she

Alas! It will not forget your deeds

Has made her nightingales a tongue of praise.

For it has made its nightingales tongues in praise

والآنَ دَعْ جفني يبحْ بشؤونِه

والآنَ دَعْ جفني يبحْ بشؤونِه

فالدَّمْعُ أثقله كميناً جامدا

فالدَّمْعُ أثقله كميناً جامدا

And now let my eyelid speak openly of its troubles,

And now let my eyelids pour with their sorrows

For tears have weighed it down, lurking, congealed.

For tears weigh heaviest when withheld

وَذرِ الحزينَ يبثُّ بعضَ شكاتِه

وَذرِ الحزينَ يبثُّ بعضَ شكاتِه

فالصدرُ يحرجُ بالهمومِ حواشدا

فالصدرُ يحرجُ بالهمومِ حواشدا

And let the grieving man pour out some of his complaints,

Leave the grieving to vent some of their complaints

For the breast grows tight with gathering sorrows.

For the heart recoils, congested with anxieties

لكنْ أَخاف عليك تبريحَ الأَسى

لكنْ أَخاف عليك تبريحَ الأَسى

يوري عَلَى جنبيْك جمراً واقدا

يوري عَلَى جنبيْك جمراً واقدا

But I fear for you the torment of sorrow,

But I fear the outpouring of anguish upon you

Kindling burning embers upon your sides.

Shows glowing embers upon your sides

فاربطْ عَلَى قلبٍ وَطأمنْ لوعةً

فاربطْ عَلَى قلبٍ وَطأمنْ لوعةً

واشددْ عَلَى كبدٍ وَصابر جاهدا

واشددْ عَلَى كبدٍ وَصابر جاهدا

So brace your heart and calm your anguish,

So restrain a bursting heart, appease its torment

And brace your liver, and persevere with all your might.

Buckle down, steel a liver, and bravely endure

يا ناشداً بالأَمسِ نوماً شارداً

يا ناشداً بالأَمسِ نوماً شارداً

هلاّ نشدتَ اليوم صبراً نافدا

هلاّ نشدتَ اليوم صبراً نافدا

O you who yesterday sought a sleep that fled,

O you who called yesterday for fleeting sleep

Why not seek today the patience that is spent?

Can you call today for lasting patience?

خطبانِ قلبُ العرب قاسى منهما

خطبانِ قلبُ العرب قاسى منهما

جرحاً يسيلُ دماً وَسهماً قاصدا

جرحاً يسيلُ دماً وَسهماً قاصدا

Two calamities—the Arab heart has suffered from them

Two calamities have pierced the Arabs' heart

A wound streaming blood and an arrow aimed true.

A bleeding wound and a well-aimed arrow

ما جفَّ دمعُهمُ لمصرعِ (حافظ)

ما جفَّ دمعُهمُ لمصرعِ (حافظ)

حتى استهلَّ بيومِ (شوقي) واردا

حتى استهلَّ بيومِ (شوقي) واردا

Their tears for Hafiz's death had not dried

Their tears for Hafiz did not dry

Before they poured afresh on the day of Shawqi's passing.

Before the day of Shawqi arrived

لم أنسَ مؤتمر النساءِ وَقد نعى

لم أنسَ مؤتمر النساءِ وَقد نعى

شوقي فظلَّ من التفجع مائدا

شوقي فظلَّ من التفجع مائدا

I have not forgotten the women's congress, when it mourned

I cannot forget the women's assembly eulogizing

Shawqi, and kept reeling with grief.

Shawqi, remaining flooded with grief

ريعَ العقائلُ والأَوانسُ أَعولتْ

ريعَ العقائلُ والأَوانسُ أَعولتْ

وَنثرنَ من عبراتهن فرائدا

وَنثرنَ من عبراتهن فرائدا

The noblewomen were aghast, and the maidens wailed,

The gentlewomen and maidens wailed

And scattered precious pearls from their tears.

And from their tears scattered elegies

أوجعنَ لي قلبي وهجن مدامعي

أوجعنَ لي قلبي وهجن مدامعي

وتركن جفني للفجيعةِ ساهدا

وتركن جفني للفجيعةِ ساهدا

They pained my heart and stirred my tears,

They pained my heart and reddened my tears

And left my eyelid sleepless with bereavement.

And left my eyelids awake to the tragedy

سرُّ الحياةِ يدقُّ عن فهم الورى

سرُّ الحياةِ يدقُّ عن فهم الورى

حارَ اللبيبُ به فأطرق سامدا

حارَ اللبيبُ به فأطرق سامدا

The secret of life is too subtle for mortals to grasp;

The secret of life eludes the mind's grasp

The wise man is bewildered by it, and bows his head, dazed.

The wise remained baffled, falling silent

لولا رياضُ الشعرِ في صحرائها

لولا رياضُ الشعرِ في صحرائها

كانتْ جياتُك محنةً وَشدائدا

كانتْ جياتُك محنةً وَشدائدا

Were it not for poetry's gardens in life's desert,

Were it not for the gardens of poetry in the desert

Your life would be ordeal and hardship.

Your life would have been hardship and woes

تدنو بأسبابِ الحياةِ إلى الردى

تدنو بأسبابِ الحياةِ إلى الردى

أنّى اتجهتَ رأيت منه راصدا

أنّى اتجهتَ رأيت منه راصدا

Through the means of life, you draw closer to death;

However you approached the instruments of life

Wherever you turn, you see one of its ambushers.

You saw one lying in wait for you

والمرءُ في دنياه طيرٌ مانجا

والمرءُ في دنياه طيرٌ مانجا

من صائدٍ إلاّ ليلقى صائدا

من صائدٍ إلاّ ليلقى صائدا

And a man in his world is a bird that never escapes

A person in his world is a stray bird

From one hunter except to meet another.

Fleeing from one hunter only to meet another

دعْ عنك تمحيصَ الحقيقةِ إنها

دعْ عنك تمحيصَ الحقيقةِ إنها

تدعُ الفتى في كل شيءٍ زاهدا

تدعُ الفتى في كل شيءٍ زاهدا

Leave off probing the truth; it

Abandon analyzing the truth, for it

Leaves a man indifferent to everything.

Leaves one detached from all things

وانصتْ إلى وَحي الخيالِ فإِنَّه

وانصتْ إلى وَحي الخيالِ فإِنَّه

لولاه كان العيش معنى باردا

لولاه كان العيش معنى باردا

And listen to the inspiration of imagination, for

But listen to fancy's revelation

Without it, life would be a cold abstraction.

Without which life would be frigid and meaningless

وَإذا بكيتَ عَلَى امرىءٍ فابك الذي

وَإذا بكيتَ عَلَى امرىءٍ فابك الذي

ملك البيان طريفَه والتالدا

ملك البيان طريفَه والتالدا

And if you weep for a man, weep for him who

And if you weep for a person, then weep for one

Possessed eloquence, its new treasures and its inherited wealth.

Who mastered eloquence, prolific and creative