إلىto اللّهGod أشكوI lament محنةًan ordeal إثرafter محنةِan ordeal
إلى اللّه أشكو محنةً إثر محنةِ
وفرقةand separation from خلa dear friend أفتديهI would ransom him بمهجتيwith my lifeblood
وفرقة خل أفتديه بمهجتي
To God I lament ordeal upon ordeal,
To God I complain of affliction after affliction
and separation from a dear friend I would ransom with my lifeblood.
And separation from one whose loss rends my soul
سرىhe journeyed by night مصحباًtaking along معهُwith him الفؤادthe heart وليتنيand would that I
سرى مصحباً معهُ الفؤاد وليتني
أصاحبهI might accompany him أنّىwherever يسيرhe goes بجملتيwith my whole being
أصاحبه أنّى يسير بجملتي
He journeyed by night, taking my heart with him; would that I
He left with my heart accompanying him - would that
might accompany him wherever he goes, with my whole being.
I had gone with him wherever he traveled
سرىhe journeyed by night فيthrough بحارٍseas والبخارand steam يسوقهُpropels him
سرى في بحارٍ والبخار يسوقهُ
وماand not هوit إلاexcept منfrom زفيريmy sighs ولوعتيand my burning anguish
وما هو إلا من زفيري ولوعتي
He journeyed by night across seas, with steam propelling him,
He left on seas with the wind impelling him
and it comes from nothing but my sighs and burning anguish.
Yet he is but the breath of my sighing, my agony
إليكaway with you نسيمbreeze الصبحof dawn عنيfrom me فأنهfor he
إليك نسيم الصبح عني فأنه
بفكرتهthrough his thought يدريhe understands رسائلmessages فكرتيof my thought
بفكرته يدري رسائل فكرتي
Away from me, breeze of dawn, for he
To you, morning breeze, comes news of him
understands through his own thoughts the messages of mine.
For with your thoughts you know the messages of my mind
وماليand I have no بأسلاكfor the wires الإشارةof signaling حاجةneed
ومالي بأسلاك الإشارة حاجة
أحييهI greet him فيin سريmy inward thoughts فيدريso he knows تحيتيmy greeting
أحييه في سري فيدري تحيتي
And I have no need of telegraph wires;
I have no need for telegraph wires
I greet him in my inward thoughts, so he knows my greeting.
To greet him in secret, and he knows my greeting
أياO قلبheart سرjourney by night منfrom صدرthe breast of بيروتBeirut قاصداًheading toward
أيا قلب سر من صدر بيروت قاصداً
منازلthe dwellings of ليفرLiver- (in Liverpool) بول-pool (in Liverpool) أفخرmost splendid بلدةtown
منازل ليفر بول أفخر بلدة
O heart, journey by night from Beirut's breast, bound for
O heart, traveling from the breast of Beirut
the dwellings of Liverpool, most splendid of towns.
To the dwellings of Liverpool, that proudest city
وقيلand say (likely intended) ياO أهيلdear people الحيof the quarter ليI have فيin دياركمyour dwellings
وقيل يا أهيل الحي لي في دياركم
منof الإنسhumankind ظبيa gazelle فأعطفوهso make him kindly disposed بلفتهwith his turning glance
من الإنس ظبي فأعطفوه بلفته
And say: O dear people of this quarter, in your dwellings I have
They said, O people of the neighborhood, among you
a gazelle in human form; coax him to turn a kindly glance toward me.
Is a gazelle - so treat him with kindness
تغارare envious غصونbranches البانof the bān tree منهُof him إذاwhen بداhe appears
تغار غصون البان منهُ إذا بدا
بقدwith a stature لهذاfor this قدindeed دعوهthey have called him بنخلةas a palm tree
بقد لهذا قد دعوه بنخلة
The bān-tree branches envy him when he appears
The boughs of the wild plum envy him when he appears
with such a stature that they have called him a palm tree.
With a form that calls him a date palm
فتىa young man سطرتinscribed أيديthe hands of النباهةdistinction أسطراًlines
فتى سطرت أيدي النباهة أسطراً
عليupon وجههhis face تنبيكtell you عنof حسنgoodness of سيرةconduct
علي وجهه تنبيك عن حسن سيرة
A youth: the hands of distinction have inscribed lines
A youth whose hands were inscribed by elegance
upon his face, telling you of upright conduct,
With lines that speak of the goodness of his character
ورقةand gentleness of طبعnature زانهاadorned it الخيرgoodness والتقىand piety
ورقة طبع زانها الخير والتقى
وand ذانكthose two نعمexcellent are الصاحبانthe two companions بغربةin a foreign land
و ذانك نعم الصاحبان بغربة
and a gentle nature adorned by goodness and piety;
A natural disposition adorned with beneficence and piety
and those two are excellent companions far from home.
And those two excellent companions in a foreign land
أتانيcame to me بشيرa bearer of glad tidings منfrom لدنهُhis presence رسالةa letter
أتاني بشير من لدنهُ رسالة
مضمخةperfumed بالمسكwith musk كالغادةlike a lovely maiden التيwhose
مضمخة بالمسك كالغادة التي
A bearer of glad tidings came to me from him—a letter,
A messenger came to me from him with a letter
perfumed with musk, like a lovely maiden whose
Steeped in musk like the soft perfumed Gamadia
وقفتI stood لاتلوto recite نثرthe prose of آياتthe signs of حسنهاher beauty
وقفت لاتلو نثر آيات حسنها
ولكنّbut دمعيmy tears نثرهtheir scattering خانbetrayed وقفتيmy stance
ولكنّ دمعي نثره خان وقفتي
beauty's signs in prose I stood to recite;
I stood to read the prose of its beautiful phrases
but my tears, scattering, betrayed me as I stood.
But my tears poured forth and broke my composure
ولوand if لمnot أكنI had بالقلبin the heart حالاat once نقشتهاengraved it
ولو لم أكن بالقلب حالا نقشتها
كففتI would have held back لئلاlest تنمحيit be erased وكفَthe dripping of عبرتيmy tears
كففت لئلا تنمحي وكفَ عبرتي
Had I not immediately engraved it in my heart,
If my heart had not already engraved it
I would have checked my tears' flow, lest it be erased.
I would curb my tears lest they erase it
ولوand if لمnot أعللI comforted مهجنيmy lifeblood (likely intended) بلقائكمwith meeting you
ولو لم أعلل مهجني بلقائكم
فديتكmay I be your ransom ماnot دامتwould have lasted إلىuntil الآنnow مهجتيmy life
فديتك ما دامت إلى الآن مهجتي
Had I not comforted my soul with the hope of meeting you,
If my soul were not already infused with longing for you
my life would not have lasted till now—may I be your ransom.
I would ransom it, for as long as it remains my soul
فبعدُكfor your distance ميخائيلُMikhail عنيfrom me جهنمٌhell
فبعدُك ميخائيلُ عني جهنمٌ
وتعليقand pinning آماليmy hopes بقربكon your nearness جنتيmy paradise
وتعليق آمالي بقربك جنتي
For your distance from me, Mikhail, is hell,
Without you, Michael, is a hell for me
and pinning my hopes on your nearness is my paradise.
And to cling to hopes of nearness to you is my heaven
ولماand when نماgrew شوقيmy longing وزادand increased سعيرهits blaze
ولما نما شوقي وزاد سعيره
بعثتI sent إليكمto you all بالمدادin ink تحيتيmy greeting
بعثت إليكم بالمداد تحيتي
And when my longing grew and its blaze intensified,
And when my passion grew and its fires blazed
I sent you my greeting in ink.
I sent you my greeting by means of the ink
ويوسفand Yusuf معwith أنطوانAntoine معwith جانJean جملةall together
ويوسف مع أنطوان مع جان جملة
كذاlikewise بطرسButrus معwith بولسBulus خيرthe best أخوةِbrothers
كذا بطرس مع بولس خير أخوةِ
And Yusuf, together with Antoine and Jean,
Joseph, with Antoine, with John - all excellent brothers
and likewise Butrus with Bulus, the best of brothers,
Likewise Peter with Paul, the best of comrades
ومعهمand with them ايميليEmilie ومريمand Maryam والتيand she who
ومعهم ايميلي ومريم والتي
بفلّةby the name Fulla تدعىis called معwith أهبليmy family (likely intended) وعترتيand my kin
بفلّة تدعى مع أهبلي وعترتي
and with them Emilie, Maryam, and the one
With them Ameely, and Miriam, and she
called Fulla, with my family and my kin,
Who in Fleta is called, with Ablah and my family
يؤدونthey convey منfrom قلبa heart محبloving تحيةًa greeting
يؤدون من قلب محب تحيةً
يرافقهاaccompanies it قلبُthe heart of الحنونةthe tenderhearted woman حنةِHanna
يرافقها قلبُ الحنونة حنةِ
send a greeting from a loving heart,
Conveying from a loving heart a greeting
accompanied by the heart of tender Hanna.
Accompanied by the affection of devoted Hanna
Sol 6.1