اعكفْkeep vigil عَلَىover جدثٍa grave فيin عدوةِthe bank of الواديthe valley
اعكفْ عَلَى جدثٍ في عدوةِ الوادي
(بميسلونat Maysalun) سقاهwatered it الرائحُthe evening rain الغاديthe morning rain
(بميسلون) سقاه الرائحُ الغادي
Keep vigil over a grave on the valley’s bank,
Brood by a grave on the edge of the valley
at Maysalun—may rain at dusk and dawn water it.
Watered by the passing breeze in Meisaloon
وطأْطىءِand bow الرأسَthe head إجلالاًin reverence لمرقدِfor the resting place of مَنْone who
وطأْطىءِ الرأسَ إجلالاً لمرقدِ مَنْ
قضىdecreed لهfor him اللهُGod تخليداًimmortality بإمجادthrough glorification
قضى له اللهُ تخليداً بإمجاد
And bow your head in reverence at the resting place of one
Bow your head in reverence at the tomb of one
for whom God decreed immortality through glory.
Whose glory Allah granted perpetuation
واجعلْand make تحيَّتَهthe greeting to him عندduring الطوافِcircling بهaround it
واجعلْ تحيَّتَه عند الطوافِ به
ريحانةَa basil sprig النفسِthe soul لاnot ريحانةa basil sprig الواديthe valley
ريحانةَ النفسِ لا ريحانة الوادي
And let your greeting to him, as you circle his grave,
Make your circumambulation greeting unto him
be the soul’s basil sprig, not the valley’s basil sprig.
A solace to your soul, not to the valley
تحيةُthe tribute to القبرthe grave لَوif عدناwe returned بسنَّتِهاwith its custom
تحيةُ القبر لَو عدنا بسنَّتِها
للجاهليَّةِto the Age of Ignorance آبائيmy fathers وأجداديand my forefathers
للجاهليَّةِ آبائي وأجدادي
The grave’s tribute, were we to return with its custom
The tomb greeting - had we kept its tradition
to the Age of Ignorance, would be my fathers and forefathers.
Would have returned my fathers and ancestors to paganism
أَجللتُI revered مرقدَهhis resting place عنabove عقْرِthe slaughter of راحلةٍa riding camel
أَجللتُ مرقدَه عن عقْرِ راحلةٍ
واخترتُand I chose عقْراًa sacrifice لهfor him نفسيmyself وأولاديand my children
واخترتُ عقْراً له نفسي وأولادي
I deemed his resting place too august for slaughtering a riding camel,
I honored his tomb lest the mount of a rider be desecrated
and chose myself and my children as a sacrifice to him.
And chose to desecrate myself and my children instead
بناwithin us علَىfor يوسفYusuf إذْwhen حمَّwas decreed مصرعُهhis death
بنا علَى يوسف إذْ حمَّ مصرعُه
أَحزانُthe sorrows of (يعقوبYaqub) منsome خافٍhidden ومنand some بادmanifest
أَحزانُ (يعقوب) من خافٍ ومن باد
Within us, for Yusuf, when his death was decreed,
Over Joseph we mourned when he met his death
were Yaqub’s sorrows, hidden and manifest.
The sorrows of Jacob, fearful and distraught
هوىhe fell وحلَّتُهand his robe حمراءُred منfrom دمِهhis blood
هوى وحلَّتُه حمراءُ من دمِه
كالشمسlike the sun حينwhen هَوَتْit sank فيin ثوبهاits robe الجاديsaffron-dyed
كالشمس حين هَوَتْ في ثوبها الجادي
He fell, his robe red with his blood,
He fell, his coat dyed red with his blood
like the sun when it sank in its saffron-dyed robe.
Like the sun when it sets in its bloody garb
صديانthirsty لمdid not يروhave his thirst quenched حتىuntil عبَّdrank deeply منfrom دمِهhis blood
صديان لم يرو حتى عبَّ من دمِه
والهفَoh, the anguish of نفسيmy soul لهfor him ربّانthirst-quenched أوor صاديthirsty
والهفَ نفسي له ربّان أو صادي
Thirsting, he was not quenched until he drank deep of his blood.
The fawn had not quenched its thirst when his blood poured
O, my soul’s anguish for him, quenched or thirsty!
My soul bleats for him - is there a shepherd or hunter?
فيamong فتيةٍyoung men نفرواrushed forth للموتِtoward death حينwhen بداit appeared
في فتيةٍ نفروا للموتِ حين بدا
جريدةًa detached troop منof زرافاتٍbands وآجادand individuals (uncertain reading)
جريدةً من زرافاتٍ وآجاد
Among young men who rushed toward death when it appeared
Among the youth who marched to their death when it loomed
as a detached force of bands and individuals.
A battalion of giraffes and camels
صلّىmay God bless الإلهGod عليهمupon them منof مجندلةٍcast to the ground
صلّى الإله عليهم من مجندلةٍ
أشلاؤُهمtheir limbs بَيْنَbetween أغوارٍlowlands وانجادand highlands
أشلاؤُهم بَيْنَ أغوارٍ وانجاد
May God bless them, laid low,
Allah's peace be upon them in al-Majandal
their limbs strewn between lowlands and highlands.
Their limbs strewn between valleys and sands
فَدىhe ransomed العروبةَArabhood بالنفسِwith the soul التيthat كرمتْwas noble
فَدى العروبةَ بالنفسِ التي كرمتْ
ياO رحمةَmercy of اللهِGod للمفديِّfor the ransomed والفاديand the ransomer
يا رحمةَ اللهِ للمفديِّ والفادي
He ransomed Arabhood with his noble life.
He ransomed the Arabism that ennobled him
O God’s mercy, be upon the ransomed and the ransomer!
O Allah's mercy upon the ransomed and redeemer
وعاشَand he lived ماas long as عاشَhe lived يحمينهاprotecting it ويحرسُهاand guarding it
وعاشَ ما عاشَ يحمينها ويحرسُها
ومَاتَand he died يدفعُwarding off عنfrom حوزاتهاits territories العاديthe aggressor
ومَاتَ يدفعُ عن حوزاتها العادي
And throughout his life he protected it and guarded it,
And he lived protecting and guarding it
and died warding the aggressor off its lands.
And died repelling the transgressor from its territory
قدindeed كانhe was قائدهاits leader حَيّاًalive وجامعهاand its unifier
قد كان قائدها حَيّاً وجامعها
مَيْتاًdead فبورِكso may he be blessed فيin الحالينboth states منas a هادguide
مَيْتاً فبورِك في الحالين من هاد
He was indeed its leader in life, and its unifier
He gathered it in life as its leader
in death; blessed be that guide in both states.
And in death as well - so blessings in both states to the guide
لاnot كالذينlike those who تولواbore responsibility for كبرَthe greater part of نكبتِناour calamity
لا كالذين تولوا كبرَ نكبتِنا
وطوَّقوناand bound our necks بِأغلالِwith fetters وأصفادand shackles
وطوَّقونا بِأغلالِ وأصفاد
Not like those who bore chief responsibility for our calamity
Not like those who assumed leadership in our greatest calamity
and bound our necks with fetters and shackles.
And shackled us in chains and shackles
بالأمسِyesterday كانتwas إلىto قحطانِQahtan نسبتُهمtheir lineage
بالأمسِ كانت إلى قحطانِ نسبتُهم
واليومand today يستنكرونthey disavow النطقَspeaking بالضادin the language of ḍād
واليوم يستنكرون النطقَ بالضاد
Yesterday they traced their lineage to Qahtan,
Yesterday, their lineage was traced to Qahtan
and today they disavow speaking the language of ḍād.
Today, they disavow the pronunciation of "Dhad"
همthey يدَّعونclaim بأنَّthat العقلَreason رائدُهمtheir guide
هم يدَّعون بأنَّ العقلَ رائدُهم
وماand not دعواthey called لسوىfor anything but غيٍّerror وإفسادand corruption
وما دعوا لسوى غيٍّ وإفساد
They claim that reason is their guide,
They claim that reason is their guide
yet they have called for nothing but error and corruption.
Yet they call not except to ruin and corruption
أفيis it part of التّعقلِreasonableness أَنْthat نبقىwe remain وموطنُناwhile our homeland
أفي التّعقلِ أَنْ نبقى وموطنُنا
سبيَّةٌa captive woman يصطفيهاchooses her for himself كلُّevery مرتادseeker
سبيَّةٌ يصطفيها كلُّ مرتاد
Is it reasonable that we should remain while our homeland
Is it reason to remain while our homeland
is a captive woman whom every seeker chooses for himself?
Is captivity, picked at by every vagrant?
أَعزبْbegone بعقلِكwith your reason ليسis not العقلُreason منamong أربيmy desires
أَعزبْ بعقلِك ليس العقلُ من أربي
إنif كانit is يقضيleads إلىto ذلٍّabasement بإخلادthrough acquiescence
إن كان يقضي إلى ذلٍّ بإخلاد
Begone with your reason! I have no wish for reason
Let your reason, not unreasoned emotion, rule
if it leads to abasement through acquiescence.
If it concludes with such disgrace and bondage
ياO دينَanguish of قلبيَmy heart منfrom يومٍa day ورىkindled كبديmy liver
يا دينَ قلبيَ من يومٍ ورى كبدي
وَطَالَand grew long هميmy sorrow لذكراهat its remembrance وتسهاديand my sleeplessness
وَطَالَ همي لذكراه وتسهادي
O, my heart’s anguish from a day that set my liver aflame,
O religion of my heart since the day grief
and long endured my sorrow and sleeplessness at its memory.
Afflicted my liver and prolonged my concern
فيat ميسلونMaysalun منof الأشجانsorrows سلسلةٌa chain
في ميسلون من الأشجان سلسلةٌ
نيطتْwas fastened بأطرافِهاto its ends أرجاءُthe reaches of أروادArwad
نيطتْ بأطرافِها أرجاءُ أرواد
At Maysalun there is a chain of sorrows,
In Meisaloon, from the tree of sorrows, a chain hangs
to whose ends the reaches of Arwad are bound.
Its ends tied to the corners of shanties
هلis there فيin سبيلٍa path إلىto الإنصافِjustice منfrom زمنٍan age
هل في سبيلٍ إلى الإنصافِ من زمنٍ
جَلَّتْwere too great رزاياهits calamities عنfor حصرٍreckoning وَتعدادand counting
جَلَّتْ رزاياه عن حصرٍ وَتعداد
Is there a path to justice from an age
Is there a way to justice in an age
whose calamities are too great to reckon and count?
Whose calamities surpass count and number?
فيin مسمعِthe ear of الدهرِTime وقرٌdeafness عنto شكايتِناour complaint
في مسمعِ الدهرِ وقرٌ عن شكايتِنا
فهلْso will يصيحit cry out إلىto نوحيmy lament وَإنشاديand my chanting
فهلْ يصيح إلى نوحي وَإنشادي
Time’s ear is deaf to our complaint;
The age turns a deaf ear to our complaints
will it then cry out in answer to my lament and song?
Can it hear my groaning and chanting?
ليهنَmay it gladden (تموزTammuz) منthose who فازواtriumphed بهin it فلقدْfor indeed
ليهنَ (تموز) من فازوا به فلقدْ
كانwas الشقاءmisery لناfor us فيهin it بمرصادlying in ambush
كان الشقاء لنا فيه بمرصاد
May Tammuz gladden those who triumphed in it, for indeed
Tammuz has favored those who won it
misery lay in ambush for us within it.
While misfortune for us lay in ambush
قدindeed خصّناsingled us out بجواريfor the coursing stars of النحسِill fortune حينwhile جرتْcoursed
قد خصّنا بجواري النحسِ حين جرتْ
عَلَىover سواناothers besides us جواريهits coursing stars بإسعادwith good fortune
عَلَى سوانا جواريه بإسعاد
It singled us out for ill-fortune’s stars, while there coursed
It singled us out for the curses of fate
over others its stars bearing good fortune.
When its curses joyfully befell us
وَربماand perhaps عثرةa stumble ترجىis hoped for إقالتهاits redress
وَربما عثرة ترجى إقالتها
وَخذلةand a defeat أضمرتْconcealed نصراًa victory لميعادfor an appointed time
وَخذلة أضمرتْ نصراً لميعاد
Yet perhaps a stumble may still be set right,
Perhaps a stumbling that we wish to end
and a defeat may harbor victory for an appointed hour.
Or abandonment that secretly plots a promised victory
Sol 6.1