مقابرٌcemeteries إنْif تزُرْهاyou visit them تلتقِyou meet الموتىْthe dead
مقابرٌ إنْ تزُرْها تلتقِ الموتىْ
فيهاin them كأنّهُمُas though they were الأحياءُthe living لاnot أنتَyou
فيها كأنّهُمُ الأحياءُ لا أنتَ
Cemeteries—if you visit them, you meet the dead;
there, they seem to be the living, not you.
لوif أنّهُمْthat they دُفنواthey were buried فيin أقحَلِthe most barren الأرْضِthe earth
لو أنّهُمْ دُفنوا في أقحَلِ الأرْضِ
لاخْضَوْضَرَwould turn green يبْسُهاits dry soil وأَخرَجتْand it would bring forth نبْتاplants
لاخْضَوْضَرَ يبْسُها وأَخرَجتْ نبْتا
If they were buried in the most barren ground,
its dry soil would turn green and it would bring forth plants.
ياoh ليْتَif only ماwhat بينناbetween us مِنْof مانعbarrier اللّحْدِthe grave
يا ليْتَ ما بيننا مِنْ مانع اللّحْدِ
يزولُwould vanish حتّىso that تُقيمَyou might stay بينهُمamong them وقْتاfor a while
يزولُ حتّى تُقيمَ بينهُم وقْتا
If only the grave’s barrier between us
would vanish, so you could stay among them awhile.
ولوand if فعَلْتَyou did لصارَwould become حُلمُكyour dream الأغْلىْthe dearest
ولو فعَلْتَ لصارَ حُلمُك الأغْلىْ
لوif only أنّكَthat you ابْتَعْتَyou bought فيin جوارِهمْtheir vicinity بيْتاa house
لو أنّكَ ابْتَعْتَ في جوارِهمْ بيْتا
And if you did, your dearest dream would be
to buy a house beside them.
لكنّهمbut they هاbehold هُناhere أئمّةٌleaders كانُواthey were
لكنّهم ها هُنا أئمّةٌ كانُوا
ولمْand did not تزلْyou cease to be ماwhat عهِدتُI have known منذُsince أنْthat جِئتَyou came
ولمْ تزلْ ما عهِدتُ منذُ أنْ جِئتَ
But here they were leaders,
and you remain as I have known you since you came.
وماand not سمِعتُI have heard بمَجدٍof glory هادنَmade peace with الذلَّhumiliation
وما سمِعتُ بمَجدٍ هادنَ الذلَّ
ولاnor بِحُرِّيَّةٍof freedom تُساكنُdwells with الكبْتَrepression
ولا بِحُرِّيَّةٍ تُساكنُ الكبْتَ
And I have not heard of glory making peace with humiliation,
nor of freedom dwelling with repression.
صالُواthey charged وجالُواand they ranged فماbut not صُلتَyou charged ولاnor جُلْتَyou ranged
صالُوا وجالُوا فما صُلتَ ولا جُلْتَ
سادُواthey led ونالُواand they achieved فماbut not سُدتَyou led ولاnor نُلتَyou achieved
سادُوا ونالُوا فما سُدتَ ولا نُلتَ
They charged and ranged; you neither charged nor ranged.
They led and achieved; you neither led nor achieved.
بفعلِهمْthrough their deeds كتبَdecreed اللهُGod لهمْfor them خُلْدًاimmortality
بفعلِهمْ كتبَ اللهُ لهمْ خُلْدًا
ماnot زادهُمadded to them أنْthat ورِثْتَyou inherited مجدَهمْtheir glory صِيْتاrenown
ما زادهُم أنْ ورِثْتَ مجدَهمْ صِيْتا
Through their deeds, God decreed immortality for them;
your inheriting their glory added nothing to their renown.
وفيand in الدّيارِthe land قصورٌpalaces ماتَdied منْthose who فيهاinside them
وفي الدّيارِ قصورٌ ماتَ منْ فيها
أمسَتْbecame بموتهمُthrough their death الحياةُlife فيamong الموْتَىthe dead
أمسَتْ بموتهمُ الحياةُ في الموْتَى
And in the land stand palaces whose inhabitants have died;
with their death, life came to be among the dead.
حتّىeven الجمادُinanimate matter جوارَهمْbeside them غداbecame عظمًاbone
حتّى الجمادُ جوارَهمْ غدا عظمًا
أمسيْتُI came to be فيin وجهِهِits face أُكلِّمُI address الصّمتَsilence
أمسيْتُ في وجهِهِ أُكلِّمُ الصّمتَ
Even inanimate matter beside them turned to bone;
I found myself facing it, speaking to silence.
منهُfrom it جرىْflowed فيin قصائِديmy poems دمٌblood حتّىuntil
منهُ جرىْ في قصائِدي دمٌ حتّى
جاورَdwelt beside موْتىdead people فصارَand so became مثلَهمْlike them ميْتاdead
جاورَ موْتى فصارَ مثلَهمْ ميْتا
From it, blood flowed through my poems, until
it dwelt beside the dead and became dead like them.
أمّاas for القصيدُthe poetry فأمسىthen became بينهُمْamong them نثرًاprose
أمّا القصيدُ فأمسى بينهُمْ نثرًا
لملمتُI gathered together أشْتاتهُits scattered fragments فلمْbut did not أجِدْI find بيْتاa verse
لملمتُ أشْتاتهُ فلمْ أجِدْ بيْتا
As for poetry, among them it turned to prose;
I gathered its scattered fragments, but found no verse.
فقلتهُso I recited it آملًاhoping أنto ألتقيI meet أُذناan ear
فقلتهُ آملًا أن ألتقي أُذنا
تحياcomes alive بهthrough it فيكونَso it might become عندَهمْfor them سَمْتاa path
تحيا به فيكونَ عندَهمْ سَمْتا
So I recited it, hoping to find an ear
that would come alive through it, so it might become a path for them,
وناسيًاand forgetting أنّهمthat they لمْhad not يسمعواthey listened to اللهَGod
وناسيًا أنّهم لمْ يسمعوا اللهَ
أيَسْمعونَwould they listen? الّذيthe one who أنشدَrecited verse أوْor أفتَىgave a religious ruling؟
أيَسْمعونَ الّذي أنشدَ أوْ أفتَى؟
and forgetting that they had not listened to God—
would they listen to one who recited verse or gave a religious ruling?
موتٌdeath وأقبِحْand how hideous بهِit is إذْwhen يرتدِيit wears وجهَthe face of
موتٌ وأقبِحْ بهِ إذْ يرتدِي وجهَ
الحياةِlife فيat حينِa time أنّهاthat it تُرىis seen موْتاdeath
الحياةِ في حينِ أنّها تُرى موْتا
Death—and how hideous it is when it wears the face
of life, while life is seen as death.
Sol 6.1