قالوا هي الخضراء أرض فلاحة

قالوا هي الخضراء أرض فلاحة

فأجبتهم وأبو الأنام فلاحي

فأجبتهم وأبو الأنام فلاحي

They said, “The Green Land is a land of farming.”

They said, “She is the Green Land, a land of farming.”

I answered them, “The father of humankind, too, was a farmer.”

I answered them, “And humankind’s father is a farmer.”

ولذاك قام الاقتصاد بنهضة

ولذاك قام الاقتصاد بنهضة

ما بيننا فادعوا لها بفلاح

ما بيننا فادعوا لها بفلاح

And for that reason the economy has risen in renewal

And so the economy embarked on a revival

among us—so pray that it may prosper.

among us; pray, then, for its success.

يسعى ورا الفلاح في استنهاضه

يسعى ورا الفلاح في استنهاضه

حسب الظروف وخطة الإصلاح

حسب الظروف وخطة الإصلاح

It strives to rouse the farmer

It seeks out the farmer, striving to rouse him,

as circumstances and the plan of reform require.

according to circumstances and the plan of reform.

فأنى بآلات الحراثة ينتقي

فأنى بآلات الحراثة ينتقي

منها الكفيل لحارث بنجاح

منها الكفيل لحارث بنجاح

So it selects from among the implements of tillage

How, then, does it choose among ploughing machines

the one that guarantees the plowman success.

one that guarantees a ploughman’s success?

فرأت بها سيارة حراثة

فرأت بها سيارة حراثة

تخطو فيزدان الثرا بوشاح

تخطو فيزدان الثرا بوشاح

Then a motorized plow appeared,

Then she saw there a motorized plough

striding through the arena of the soil, wearing a sash.

stepping forward, adorning the soil with a sash.

ودعا سراة الحي تنظر صنعها

ودعا سراة الحي تنظر صنعها

وضيعها نظر الفتى المرقاح

وضيعها نظر الفتى المرقاح

It invited the district’s notables to behold its handiwork,

He invited the district’s notables to behold its work,

and its humble attendant was a handsome, high-spirited youth.

and its humble man, to look with a resourceful youth’s gaze.

خطت سطورا بالتراب كأنها

خطت سطورا بالتراب كأنها

خط ابن مقلة يا لها من واح

خط ابن مقلة يا لها من واح

It traced lines in the soil as though they were

It traced lines in the soil, as though they were

the script of Ibn Muqla—what splendid tablets!

Ibn Muqla’s handwriting—what a scribe!

وتقلبت كتقلب الحرباء في

وتقلبت كتقلب الحرباء في

جوف الثرا ومشت كمشي رداح

جوف الثرا ومشت كمشي رداح

It twisted like a chameleon across

It turned like a chameleon turning within

the soil’s expanse, and walked like a stately, swaying woman.

the earth’s belly, and walked like a full-hipped woman.

فترى الخطوط وراءها مصطفة

فترى الخطوط وراءها مصطفة

كالموج حول سفينة الملاح

كالموج حول سفينة الملاح

Behind it you could see the lines arrayed in ranks,

You see the lines behind it arrayed

like waves around a sailor’s ship.

like waves around the sailor’s ship.

وتخطرت بين الصفوف تشقها

وتخطرت بين الصفوف تشقها

وتجرها ببراثن التمساح

وتجرها ببراثن التمساح

It swaggered between the rows, cleaving them,

It swaggered between the rows, cleaving them,

and dragging them with crocodile claws.

and dragging them with a crocodile’s claws.

وسطت معاولها على أحشائها

وسطت معاولها على أحشائها

دون اكتراث سطرة السفاح

دون اكتراث سطرة السفاح

Its mattocks swept across the earth’s entrails

Its picks assaulted her entrails,

heedlessly, with a slaughterer’s violence.

heedlessly, with a slaughterer’s stroke.

فألانها وهو الشديد صلابة

فألانها وهو الشديد صلابة

وغدا يداعبها بوخز رماح

وغدا يداعبها بوخز رماح

It softened her, though it itself was exceedingly hard,

It softened her, though itself so hard,

and began caressing her with spear-pricks.

and began to caress her with spear-pricks.

فعجبت غذ هشت ولان فؤادها

فعجبت غذ هشت ولان فؤادها

وهي الشخينة منه بالأجراح

وهي الشخينة منه بالأجراح

I marveled: she welcomed it, and her heart grew tender,

I marvelled [when] she brightened and her heart softened,

though her wounds from it still burned.

though she was [sorely stricken] with wounds from it.

فكأنها قلب المحب يشقه

فكأنها قلب المحب يشقه

سهم الصبابة من جفون ملاح

سهم الصبابة من جفون ملاح

She was like a lover’s heart, split

She seemed the lover’s heart, pierced

by passion’s arrow from the eyelids of a beauty.

by longing’s arrow from the eyelids of beauties.

بسطت لقوته جناح خضوعها

بسطت لقوته جناح خضوعها

فاختال بين غدوه ورواح

فاختال بين غدوه ورواح

Beneath its power she spread the wing of submission,

She spread the wing of her submission before its strength,

while it strutted in its comings and goings.

and it swaggered on its morning and evening rounds.

مد الجناح مزغزغا أوتاره

مد الجناح مزغزغا أوتاره

ما بين جعجعة وبين صياح

ما بين جعجعة وبين صياح

It stretched its wing, setting its strings ululating,

It stretched its wing, tickling its strings,

amid grinding rumble and clamor.

amid a grinding din and shrieks.

وقضى الليانة فاكتست وجناتها

وقضى الليانة فاكتست وجناتها

لون الأصيل وفض ختم الراح

لون الأصيل وفض ختم الراح

When it had finished making her pliant, her cheeks donned

It completed the softening, and her cheeks took on

the hue of sunset, and the wine’s seal was broken.

the late afternoon’s hue, and it broke the seal of wine.

وتلا على الزراع فأتوا حرثكم

وتلا على الزراع فأتوا حرثكم

إني قضيت مهمة الإلقاح

إني قضيت مهمة الإلقاح

Then it recited to the farmers: “Come unto your tilth—

It recited to the farmers: “Come to your tilth;

I have completed the work of fertilization.”

I have completed the task of impregnation.”

ودعت له الأنعام إذ وضعت به

ودعت له الأنعام إذ وضعت به

أثقالها ودعته للأفراح

أثقالها ودعته للأفراح

The beasts prayed for it, since through it they laid

The livestock prayed for it, since through it they laid down

down their burdens, and invited it to their festivities.

their burdens, and invited it to festivities.

وحضرت في ذاك المساء لخبره

وحضرت في ذاك المساء لخبره

وكأن حضرت ليوم عقد نكاح

وكأن حضرت ليوم عقد نكاح

That evening I attended to learn its story,

I came that evening to hear its news,

as though I were attending the signing of a marriage contract.

as though I had come for the day a marriage was contracted.

وشهدت ما شاهدت بالحكم التي

وشهدت ما شاهدت بالحكم التي

نزلت على بنز بوحي الواحي

نزلت على بنز بوحي الواحي

I witnessed what I witnessed through the maxims that

I witnessed what I saw through the wisdom that

descended upon Benz by inspiration of the Inspirer.

descended upon Benz by revelation from the revealer.

وتلوث فامشوا في مناكبها على

وتلوث فامشوا في مناكبها على

بسط الحرير وطرة الإصباح

بسط الحرير وطرة الإصباح

And I recited, “Walk upon her shoulders,” over

[And I recited:] “Walk upon its shoulders,” over

carpets of silk and morning’s embroidered hem.

silken carpets and the fringe of daybreak.

واليكمو تفصيل ما شاهدته

واليكمو تفصيل ما شاهدته

ذاك المسا للحارث الجحجاح

ذاك المسا للحارث الجحجاح

Here, then, is the detail of what I witnessed

Here for you is an account of what I witnessed

that evening of the mighty plowman.

that evening of the mighty ploughman.

في ساعة به أنت حارث فرسخ

في ساعة به أنت حارث فرسخ

ما شئت منفردا بأي براح

ما شئت منفردا بأي براح

In one hour with it, you can plow a farsakh,

In an hour, with it, you plough a parasang,

as you wish, alone, across any open tract.

as you please, alone, in any open field.

في نحو قنبلة يقدر قوة

في نحو قنبلة يقدر قوة

عجبا ولم يحوج لكبح جماح

عجبا ولم يحوج لكبح جماح

Its power is reckoned at roughly that of a bomb—

Its power is reckoned at roughly that of a troop of horses—

a marvel, yet it needs no bridle to curb its spirit.

a marvel, yet it needed no curb on its unruliness.

في طول أربعة من الامتار في

في طول أربعة من الامتار في

متر ونصف عرضه يا صاح

متر ونصف عرضه يا صاح

It is four meters long,

Four metres long by

and a meter and a half wide, my friend.

a metre and a half wide, my friend.

في مثل عرضه دون عشر سمته

في مثل عرضه دون عشر سمته

في الارتفاع موشح بوشاح

في الارتفاع موشح بوشاح

Its height is one-tenth less than its width;

Its stature matches its width, less a tenth,

it rises, adorned with a sash.

in height, adorned with a sash.

وتدير هاتيك الدوالب عجلة

وتدير هاتيك الدوالب عجلة

كبرى تسيرها يد الممراح

كبرى تسيرها يد الممراح

A great wheel sets those wheels turning,

Those wheels are turned by a wheel,

guided by the merry operator’s hand.

a large one, set in motion by the merry man’s hand.

أدواتها في علبة مجموعة ال

أدواتها في علبة مجموعة ال

أجزاء لم تترتب بكف رياح

أجزاء لم تترتب بكف رياح

Its implements are gathered together in a casing—

Its mechanisms are in a casing; assembled are the

not parts scattered by the hand of the wind.

parts, not ordered by the hand of winds.

لبساطة التركيب خفّض سعره

لبساطة التركيب خفّض سعره

وغذاؤه من أي ما لوّاح

وغذاؤه من أي ما لوّاح

Its simple construction has brought its price down,

Its price was lowered by the simplicity of its construction,

and its food is any flammable liquid.

and its food is anything that blazes.