ماwhat ليfor me ارىI see الشعرَpoetry قدalready ضاعتْwas lost بهin it الحكمُwisdom
ما لي ارى الشعرَ قد ضاعتْ به الحكمُ
وقدand already تهاوتْcollapsed بهin it الأخلاقُmorals والقيمُand values
وقد تهاوتْ به الأخلاقُ والقيمُ
Why do I see poetry with its wisdom lost,
Why do I see poetry being misused
and morals and values crumbled within it?
With morals and values cast away?
هلwhether أحجمrecoiled الشعرُpoetry عنfrom ويلاتِcalamities أمّتهits nation
هل أحجم الشعرُ عن ويلاتِ أمّته
وقدand already تمادىran rampant بهاwithin it الأملاقُpoverty والسقمُand sickness
وقد تمادى بها الأملاقُ والسقمُ
Has poetry recoiled from its nation's calamities,
Should poetry shy from the plight of the nation
while poverty and sickness have run rampant within it?
As moral decay spreads its sway?
كيفhow التغاضيturning a blind eye وقدand already فُكّتْwere broken أواصرناour bonds
كيف التغاضي وقد فُكّتْ أواصرنا
حتّىuntil غدوناwe became معwith الأهلينkinsfolk نصطدمُwe clash
حتّى غدونا مع الأهلين نصطدمُ
How can we turn a blind eye when our bonds have been broken,
How can we be silent, when bonds are unfastened,
till we have come to clash with our own kin?
And we clash with our own kith and kin?
دارَturned الوجوهfaces عنaway from الأحداثِevents مُنزوياًwithdrawn
دارَ الوجوه عن الأحداثِ مُنزوياً
معwith الحياِةlife كأنّas though الشعرَpoetry مُختصمُat odds
مع الحياِة كأنّ الشعرَ مُختصمُ
It turned its faces away from events, withdrawing,
The poet turns from events, secluded
as though poetry were at odds with life.
As if poetry itself were a sin
لمnot يبلغreach الشعرُpoetry إلّاexcept جسمَbody غانيةٍa beautiful woman
لم يبلغ الشعرُ إلّا جسمَ غانيةٍ
فالخدُso the cheek يُشغلهpreoccupies it والخصرُand the waist والقدمُand the foot
فالخدُ يُشغله والخصرُ والقدمُ
Poetry has reached no further than a beautiful woman's body;
Poetry now is just singing of a flirt
so the cheek preoccupies it, as do the waist and the foot.
Her cheeks and waist - its only concern
أنif يبصرbehold الشعراءُpoets الجنسَsex ماnot لمحواthey glimpsed
أن يبصر الشعراءُ الجنسَ ما لمحوا
إلاّexcept النساءَwomen وهمand they فيin مدحهاpraising them الخدمُservants
إلاّ النساءَ وهم في مدحها الخدمُ
If poets behold sex, they glimpse nothing
The poets see women, no higher thought
but women, and they are servants in their praise.
Like slaves, praising them, they yearn
بكلّwith every عضْوbody part أجادواthey excelled فيabout النساwomen غزلاًlove verse
بكلّ عضْو أجادوا في النسا غزلاً
ماnot صدّهمdeterred them عنfrom خليعِlewd الوصفِdescription مُحتشمُa modest person
ما صدّهم عن خليعِ الوصفِ مُحتشمُ
They excelled in love verse about every part of women's bodies;
Each part of a woman they versify
no modest person deterred them from lewd description.
No modesty hinders their graphic lines
برواthey carved ضَلالاًin delusion منfrom العوراتprivate parts الهةًgods
بروا ضَلالاً من العورات الهةً
حتّىeven عبادتهاworshipping them جازواthey went beyond بماthrough what نظمواthey composed
حتّى عبادتها جازوا بما نظموا
In delusion, they carved gods from private parts;
They've sanctioned vulgarity, made it sublime
through what they composed, they went beyond even worshipping them.
Even worship it in their rhyming shrines
ياO ويحwoe to شعرpoetry بكفِّin the palm of اللهوfrivolity ريشتهits quill
يا ويح شعر بكفِّ اللهو ريشته
يحذوfollows الصباياmaidens وعندand at الليلِnight يحتلمُhas wet dreams
يحذو الصبايا وعند الليلِ يحتلمُ
Alas for poetry whose quill lies in frivolity's palm!
Alas for poetry, wanton its inspiration
It follows maidens, and at night has wet dreams.
Chasing girls, lustful dreams its location
ماnot حرّكstirred الريشَthe quills إلّاexcept طيفa vision فاتنةٍan alluring woman
ما حرّك الريشَ إلّا طيف فاتنةٍ
كأنّماas though الجنسُsex فيin أرواحهمtheir souls صنمُan idol
كأنّما الجنسُ في أرواحهم صنمُ
Nothing stirred the quills but a vision of an alluring woman;
A beauty's ghost stirs the pen to creation
as though sex were an idol in their souls.
Women are idols, the poets their minions
ياليتهمif only they للحجابِfor the veil الشعرَpoetry قدalready نظمواthey composed
ياليتهم للحجابِ الشعرَ قد نظموا
وكيفand how فيهin it وقارُdignity البنتِthe girl يرتسمُtakes shape
وكيف فيه وقارُ البنتِ يرتسمُ
If only they had composed poetry for the veil,
If only their rhymes were veils drawn over daughters
and on how a girl's dignity takes shape in it.
Where chastity and dignity still matter
وللأمومةِand for motherhood برّاًin devotion ليتهمif only they كتبواthey wrote
وللأمومةِ برّاً ليتهم كتبوا
وكيفand how يُحييenlivens عطاهاher giving الحبُlove والألمُand pain
وكيف يُحيي عطاها الحبُ والألمُ
And if only they had written in homage to motherhood,
If only they wrote of a mother's love
and of how love and pain breathe life into her giving.
Where affection and anguish deeply stir
ماwhat ضرّcaused harm لوif كتبواthey wrote للخُلقِfor moral character مدرسةًa school
ما ضرّ لو كتبوا للخُلقِ مدرسةً
فيهاin it النساءُwomen منfrom الأهواءِpassions تعتصمُtake refuge
فيها النساءُ من الأهواءِ تعتصمُ
What harm would it do if they wrote a school of virtue,
No harm if they made their verse a school
where women take refuge from passions?
Where feminine virtue stood proud and tall
النسوةُwomen السترُmodest concealment لاnot أجسادbodies عاريةnaked
النسوةُ السترُ لا أجساد عارية
لهاfor them التقىpiety حاجبٌa screen والأهلُand family والشيمُand noble traits
لها التقى حاجبٌ والأهلُ والشيمُ
Women are modesty, not naked bodies;
Woman's honor lies in her inner jewel
piety is their screen, as are family and noble traits.
Not bare bodies the eye must fall
المرأةwoman البنتُthe daughter والأمُّand the mother الّتيwho حملتcarried a child
المرأة البنتُ والأمُّ الّتي حملت
والأختand the sister والزوجand the wife والدنياand the world ومعتصمand a refuge
والأخت والزوج والدنيا ومعتصم
Woman is the daughter and the mother who carried a child,
She's daughter, wife, mother, sister, friend
and the sister, the wife, the world, and a refuge.
The home's honor, its peace and stem
هيshe الهويةُidentity والمعنىand meaning لأسرتهاfor her family
هي الهويةُ والمعنى لأسرتها
والقدرُand worth والشرفُand honor المكنونُclosely guarded والرحِمُand kinship
والقدرُ والشرفُ المكنونُ والرحِمُ
She is her family's identity and meaning,
Why can't poetry rise, conventions transcend
and worth, closely guarded honor, and kinship.
If purpose and principles guide the pen?
لاno بأسharm فيin غزلٍlove verse يهفوyearns الفؤادُthe heart لهfor it
لا بأس في غزلٍ يهفو الفؤادُ له
يرقىrises حياءًin modesty وتُغنيand enrich فكرهits thought القيمُvalues
يرقى حياءً وتُغني فكره القيمُ
There is no harm in love verse the heart yearns for;
What greatness poetry can still attain
it rises in modesty, and values enrich its thought.
If themes match conscience, beneficent and sane!
لاno خيرgood فيin الشعرpoetry أنif زاغتْstrayed مقاصدهُits aims
لا خير في الشعر أن زاغتْ مقاصدهُ
وساقهُand drove it عنaway from دروبِpaths الحقّtruth مُغتنمُan opportunist
وساقهُ عن دروبِ الحقّ مُغتنمُ
There is no good in poetry if its aims stray,
When lofty ideals in verses remain
and an opportunist drives it from the paths of truth.
Hearts respond, for it makes life's meaning plain
ماhow أعظمgreat الشعرpoetry لوif تسموrise high مبادئهits principles
ما أعظم الشعر لو تسمو مبادئه
تقفوfollow نداءاتهits calls الأحداثُevents والأممُand nations
تقفو نداءاته الأحداثُ والأممُ
How great poetry would be if its principles soared,
with events and nations following its calls!
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1