ذكرَ الطائرُ الرياضَ فغنَّى

ذكرَ الطائرُ الرياضَ فغنَّى

وتناسى باللَّحن أسراً وسِجنا

وتناسى باللَّحن أسراً وسِجنا

The bird remembered the gardens, so he sang.

The bird recalled the gardens, so it sang

And through melody put captivity and prison out of mind.

And forgot with melody, captivity and prison

نسماتُ الغصونِ هبَّت عليه

نسماتُ الغصونِ هبَّت عليه

فغدا في هُبوبِها يتثنَّى

فغدا في هُبوبِها يتثنَّى

Breezes from the boughs blew over him,

The branches' breeze blew upon it

So he began to sway as they blew.

So it swayed delicately in its blowing

وتراءَت له الرِّياضُ عليها

وتراءَت له الرِّياضُ عليها

يرفُلُ النُّورُ ما أُحَيلى وأَسنى

يرفُلُ النُّورُ ما أُحَيلى وأَسنى

And the gardens appeared to him; upon them

The gardens appeared to it on them

Light moved in splendor—how sweet and radiant!

Light frolics, how twisted and branched

فتداعت حَواجزُ السِّجنِ والظُّلمةِ

فتداعت حَواجزُ السِّجنِ والظُّلمةِ

واليأس حولَه واطمأنا

واليأس حولَه واطمأنا

Then the barriers of prison and darkness crumbled,

So the barriers of prison and darkness collapsed

And those of despair around him; he felt at peace.

And despair around it calmed

وانثنى يرمُقُ الخَيالَ ويَشدو

وانثنى يرمُقُ الخَيالَ ويَشدو

من فنونِ الإنشادِ لحناً فلَحنا

من فنونِ الإنشادِ لحناً فلَحنا

And he turned, gazing at the vision and singing

And it inclined to gaze at imagination and chirp

From the arts of song, melody after melody.

From the genres of chanting, a tune so it tuned

وجناحاهُ يَخفُقانِ ابتهاجاً

وجناحاهُ يَخفُقانِ ابتهاجاً

لخَيالٍ رأى به ما تَمَنَّى

لخَيالٍ رأى به ما تَمَنَّى

And his two wings beat with delight,

And its wings flutter joyfully

At a vision in which he saw what he wished for.

For an imagination it saw with it what it wished

شدَّدَ العزمُ فيها ما تَراخى

شدَّدَ العزمُ فيها ما تَراخى

ونَفى عنهما رُكوناً ووَهنا

ونَفى عنهما رُكوناً ووَهنا

Resolve tightened all that had slackened there,

Determination strengthened in it what slackened

And banished inertia and weakness from them.

And denied them laxity and weakness

فاشمخرَّا ورَفرَفا ثم كادا

فاشمخرَّا ورَفرَفا ثم كادا

أن يطيرا لوِ المَطِيرُ تَسَنَّى

أن يطيرا لوِ المَطِيرُ تَسَنَّى

So they rose high and fluttered, then were about

So they stiffened and fluttered then almost

To fly—if only flight had been possible.

Flew if the rain had drizzled

صدما حاجزَ الحديدِ فعادا

صدما حاجزَ الحديدِ فعادا

مقشعرَّينِ خيبةً واستكنَّا

مقشعرَّينِ خيبةً واستكنَّا

They struck the iron barrier, then returned,

They hit the iron barrier so they returned

Shuddering with disappointment, and grew still.

Shivering in disappointment and tranquility

فتوارى روضُ الخيالِ بعيداً

فتوارى روضُ الخيالِ بعيداً

وبدا دونه الذي كان أدنى

وبدا دونه الذي كان أدنى

Then imagination's garden vanished in the distance,

So the garden of imagination disappeared far

And what had been nearer appeared before it:

And what was nearer appeared beyond it

قفصٌ مغلقٌ به أشبع اليأسُ

قفصٌ مغلقٌ به أشبع اليأسُ

وليدَ الرجاء ضرباً وطعنا

وليدَ الرجاء ضرباً وطعنا

A closed cage, where despair had sated

A closed cage in which despair is saturated

Hope's newborn with blows and stabs.

Struck the newborn hope, beating and stabbing

فانزوى الطائرُ الأسيرُ حزيناً

فانزوى الطائرُ الأسيرُ حزيناً

ليته ما رأى ولم يتغنَّ

ليته ما رأى ولم يتغنَّ

So the captive bird withdrew in sorrow:

So the captive bird recoiled sadly

If only he had neither seen nor sung.

If only it never saw or sang