شَيَّعوا الشَمسَ وَمالوا بِضُحاها
وَاِنحَنى الشَرقُ عَلَيها فَبَكاها
They bid farewell to the sun and leaned on its morning glow
And the East bowed over it, crying
لَيتَني في الرَكبِ لَمّا أَفَلَت
يوشَعٌ هَمَّت فَنادى فَثَناها
I wish I were among the caravan when it set
Joshua's desire stirred and he called it back
جَلَّلَ الصُبحَ سَواداً يَومُها
فَكَأَنَّ الأَرضَ لَم تَخلَع دُجاها
The dawn clothed its day in blackness
As if the earth had not shed its darkness
اِنظُروا تَلقَوا عَلَيها شَفَقاً
مِن جِراحاتِ الضَحايا وَدِماها
Look, they meet it with an afterglow
From the wounds of victims and their blood
وَتَرَوا بَينَ يَدَيها عَبرَةً
مِن شَهيدٍ يَقطُرُ الوَردَ شَذاها
And you see before it a tear
From a martyr whose roses drip their scent
آذَنَ الحَقُّ ضَحاياها بِها
وَيحَهُ حَتّى إِلى المَوتى نَعاها
The Truth gave tidings to its victims through it
And awakened even the dead with its call
كَفَّنوها حُرَّةً عُلوِيَّةً
كَسَتِ المَوتَ جَلالاً وَكَساها
They shrouded it a free Alawite
Having clothed death with majesty and honor
مِصرُ في أَكفانِها إِلّا الهُدى
لُحمَةُ الأَكفانِ حَقٌّ وَسُداها
Except for guidance, Egypt gained nought from its shroud
The flesh of the shroud is truth and its warp
خَطَرَ النَعشُ عَلى الأَرضِ بِها
يَحسِرُ الأَبصارَ في النَعشِ سَناها
The bier passed over the ground bearing it
Eyes peered into the bier scanning its height
جاءَها الحَقُّ وَمِن عادَتِها
تُؤثِرُ الحَقَّ سَبيلاً وَاِتِّجاها
Ask Safita about her weddings
Did the announcer walk through it and erase it?
ما دَرَت مِصرٌ بِدَفنٍ صُبِّحَت
أَم عَلى البَعثِ أَفاقَت مِن كَراها
It disturbed the holidaymaker from his chatter
And vanished from the riverbank and its sediment
صَرَخَت تَحسَبُها بِنتَ الشَرى
طَلَبَت مِن مِخلَبِ المَوتِ أَباها
At night it opened the doors of its monastery
And the bells established their allegiance to it
وَكَأَنَّ الناسَ لَمّا نَسَلوا
شُعَبُ السَيلِ طَغَت في مُلتَقاها
Lightning split the gloom unfolding it
The land of Syria and folding its sky
وَضَعوا الراحَ عَلى النَعشِ كَما
يَلمَسونَ الرُكنَ فَاِرتَدَّت نَزاها
Bearing the news creeping sadly
Like bereavement processions in the heat of their wake
خَفَضوا في يَومِ سَعدٍ هامَهُم
وَبِسَعدٍ رَفَعوا أَمسِ الجِباها
Doubt assaulted her and she wavered
Whispering into ears and lips
سائِلوا زَحلَةً عَن أَعراسِها
هَل مَشى الناعي عَلَيها فَمَحاها
I said: O people gather your dreams
Each soul in its veins denies them
عَطَّلَ المُصطافَ مِن سُمّارِهِ
وَجَلا عَن ضِفَّةِ الوادي دُماها
O enemy of captivity, no specter smiled at him
In a blueprint unless he consented to it
فَتَحَ الأَبوابَ لَيلاً دَيرُها
وَإِلى الناقوسِ قامَت بيعَتاها
Your tether will not chafe from the captivity
That wandered the slave-market and covenanted with it
صَدَعَ البَرقُ الدُجى تَنشُرُهُ
أَرضُ سورِيّا وَتَطويهِ سَماها
The messengers descended upon him and the feet
Of the noble stumbled over it and pardoned it
يَحمِلُ الأَنباءَ تَسري موهِناً
كَعَوادي الثُكلِ في حَرِّ سُراها
O remains like the basil of dawn
Which Eden crowned the zeal of its creatures
عَرَضَ الشَكُّ لَها فَاِضطَرَبَت
تَطَأُ الآذانَ هَمساً وَالشِفاها
And remnants of a temple of generosity
And life that the land cultivated its vitality
قُلتُ يا قَومُ اِجمَعوا أَحلامَكُم
كُلُّ نَفسٍ في وَريدَيها رَداها
Justice bid farewell to its emblems through it
And the systems of consultation wept their counsel
يا عَدُوَّ القَيدِ لَم يَلمَح لَهُ
شَبَحاً في خُطَّةٍ إِلّا أَباها
It embraced your funeral bier and huddled around it
A flag you ransomed from indignity
لا يَضِق ذَرعُكَ بِالقَيدِ الَّذي
حَزَّ في سوقِ الأَوالي وَبَراها
It embraced the breast that embraced it
And warded off the arrow from it and protected it
وَقَعَ الرُسلُ عَلَيهِ وَاِلتَوَت
أَرجُلُ الأَحرارِ فيهِ فَعَفاها
My wonder at it and its leader
How does an unarmed elder protect its sanctuary
يا رُفاتاً مِثلَ رَيحانِ الضُحى
كَلَّلَت عَدنٌ بِها هامَ رُباها
The pulpit of the river collapsed
From bereaving it, its dowels withered from its habitation
وَبَقايا هَيكَلٍ مِن كَرمٍ
وَحَياةٍ أَترَعَ الأَرضَ حَياها
Who shot the horseman off his steed
And stunned rhetoric into silence
وَدَّعَ العَدلُ بِها أَعلامَهُ
وَبَكَت أَنظِمَةُ الشورى صُواها
Fate writhed in cities twisting them
And stunned mountains with what stunned them
حَضَنَت نَعشَكَ وَاِلتَفَّت بِهِ
رايَةٌ كُنتَ مِنَ الذُلِّ فِداها
It seized Bostra and ruined a clan
That touched the death rattle with its hand
ضَمَّتِ الصَدرَ الَّذي قَد ضَمَّها
وَتَلَقّى السَهمَ عَنها فَوَقاها
The chalice circulated among the tribes
From the wine of patriotism it imbibed
عَجَبي مِنها وَمِن قائِدِها
كَيفَ يَحمي الأَعزَلُ الشَيخُ حِماها
It distracted its minarets from a captivating lute
A mellifluous and sublimely adroit chord
مِنبَرُ الوادي ذَوَت أَعوادُهُ
مِن أَواسيها وَجَفَّت مِن ذُراها
The spirit of its nation swooned over it
And an ear that loved it with both ears
مَن رَمى الفارِسَ عَن صَهوَتِها
وَدَها الفُصحى بِما أَلجَمَ فاها
Every day a spiritual sermon
Like psalms and the melodies of its diction
قَدَرٌ بِالمُدنِ أَلوى وَالقُرى
وَدَها الأَجبالَ مِنهُ ما دَهاها
It deluded Egypt even if in it
Were horsemen that deluded the desolate ranges
غالَ بَسطورا وَأَردى عُصبَةً
لَمَسَت جُرثومَةَ المَوتِ يَداها
Guardian of the Fount of Truth and defender of its basin
Destiny unleashed its edicts against it
طافَتِ الكَأسُ بِساقي أُمَّةٍ
مِن رَحيقِ الوَطَنِيّاتِ سَقاها
It took Saad from the house a hand
That seizes lions from the origin of their burrows
عَطِلَت آذانُها مِن وَتَرٍ
ساحِرٍ رَنَّ مَلِيّاً فَشَجاها
Had it struck other than one with a soul it would not
Have been safe from it, neither peak nor dale
أَرغُنٌ هامَ بِهِ وِجدانُها
وَأَذانٌ عَشِقَتهُ أُذُناها
It defies medicine with its glove
The malady of fate that frustrated its cure
كُلَّ يَومٍ خُطبَةٌ روحِيَّةٌ
كَالمَزاميرِ وَأَنغامِ لُغاها
From behind the ear it obtained an affliction
That his peers attained only through prestige
دَلَّهَت مِصراً وَلَو أَنَّ بِها
فَلَواتٍ دَلَّهَت وَحشَ فَلاها
It did not square with the frankest of souls
Neither hand, nor tongue, nor repose, nor vigilance
ذائِدُ الحَقِّ وَحامي حَوضِهِ
أَنفَذَت فيهِ المَقاديرُ مُناها
These planks from Adam neither revealed their pace
Nor recognized their gait or track
أَخَذَت سَعداً مِنَ البَيتِ يَدٌ
تَأخُذُ الآسادَ مِن أَصلِ شَراها
It conveyed an anxiety and leaned towards doom
That in life failed to evade its steps
لَو أَصابَت غَيرَ ذي روحٍ لَما
سَلِمَت مِنها الثُرَيّا وَسُهاها
It mixes the two lifetimes, white hair and youth
And the two lives, misery and comfort
تَتَحَدّى الطِبَّ في قُفّازِها
عِلَّةُ الدَهرِ الَّتي أَعيا دَواها
A boat floating forever in tears
That recognized no shore but the one after it
مِن وَراءِ الإِذنِ نالَت ضَيغَماً
لَم يَنَل أَقرانَهُ إِلّا وِجاها
The bereft slip along its traces
And when it hid from them one day, their lips cracked
لَم تُصارِح أَصرَحَ الناسِ يَداً
وَلِساناً وَرُقاداً وَاِنتِباها
A nation sheds over Saad blood
From the rock of truth it built its edifice
هَذِهِ الأَعوادُ مِن آدَمَ لَم
يَهدَ خُفّاها وَلَم يَعرَ مَطاها
It is sheer obstinacy in its fount
And sheer refusal in the clamor of its limpidity
نَقَلَت خوفو وَمالَت بِمِنا
لَم يَفُت حَيّاً نَصيبٌ مِن خُطاها
Its elders taught it the truth and faith
Imbibed the truth through it like sucklings
تَخلِطُ العُمرَينِ شيباً وَصِباً
وَالحَياتَينِ شَقاءً وَرَفاها
It spent money, safety, and blood
And on its leader cast its hope
زَورَقٌ في الدَمعِ يَطفو أَبَداً
عَرَفَ الضَفَّةَ إِلّا ما تَلاها
It burdened it with a pact it fulfilled
And tested it with rights that it dispensed
تَهلَعُ الثَكلى عَلى آثارِهِ
فَإِذا خَفَّ بِها يَوماً شَفاها
The son of seventy endured captivity for it
And the misery of prison and woe of exile
تَسكُبُ الدَمعَ عَلى سَعدٍ دَماً
أُمَّةٌ مِن صَخرَةِ الحَقِّ بَناها
A journey from Eden on earth to
An abode nearer than its axis
مِن لَيانٍ هُوَ في يَنبوعِها
وَإِباءٍ هُوَ في صُمِّ صَفاها
A vanquisher who flung it into a boulder
That repelled the eagles to it and gave it refuge
لُقِّنَ الحَقَّ عَلَيهِ كَهلُها
وَاِستَقى الإيمانُ بِالحَقِّ فَتاها
A jewel in sea and land deprecated its crown
Ask it and ask those who envy it
بَذَلَت مالاً وَأَمناً وَدَماً
وَعَلى قائِدِها أَلقَت رَجاها
Why did nothing but it flow from the pearl
It engendered revolution a free woman
حَمَّلَتهُ ذِمَّةً أَوفى بِها
وَاِبتَلَتهُ بِحُقوقٍ فَقَضاها
Through the honored, free lifetimes it nurtured
None wished for offspring but it
اِبنُ سَبعينَ تَلَقّى دونَها
غُربَةَ الأَسرِ وَوَعثاءَ نَواها
And who begets the radiant spurns all but it
From its cubs the forest flowed
سَفَرٌ مِن عَدَنِ الأَرضِ إِلى
مَنزِلٍ أَقرَبُ مِنهُ قُطُباها
Between its eyes, writhing with fervor
God bless its branch
قاهِرٌ أَلقى بِهِ في صَخرَةٍ
دَفَعَ النَسرَ إِلَيها فَأَواها
And ordain the good for Egypt in its yield
Did it not write its constitution for it
كَرِهَت مَنزِلَها في تاجِهِ
دُرَّةٌ في البَحرِ وَالبَرِّ نَفاها
With free blood and elevate its tribune
We wrote it so it became an image
اِسأَلوها وَاِسأَلوا شائِنَها
لِمَ لَم يَنفِ مِنَ الدُرِّ سِواها
Its core truth and its end truth
The rebel slept except for revolution
وَلَدَ الثَورَةَ سَعدٌ حُرَّةً
بِحَياتَي ماجِدٍ حُرٍّ نَماها
In the path of truth whose embers will not fade
As a child it adopted it warming
ما تَمَنّى غَيرُها نَسلاً وَمَن
يَلِدِ الزَهراءَ يَزهَد في سِواها
Its palms, and as a youth it nurtured it
It toured it with a rousing pen
سالَتِ الغابَةُ مِن أَشبالِها
بَينَ عَينَيهِ وَماجَت بِلَباها
And tongue whenever its enclosures wearied
And cast itself into its volcano
بارَكَ اللَهُ لَها في فَرعِها
وَقَضى الخَيرَ لِمِصرٍ في جَناها
Thus becoming the first of men to face its flames
Have you known after Moses one with a hand
أَوَ لَم يَكتُب لَها دُستورَها
بِالدَمِ الحُرِّ وَيَرفَعُ مُنتَداها
That flung a staff into Pharaoh's face
And a grieving, screaming woman
قَد كَتَبناها فَكانَت صورَةً
صَدرُها حَقٌّ وَحَقٌّ مُنتَهاها
Whose visage the yoke, O people, adorned and crowned
It obtained victory over the arrogant from an arrogant one
رَقَدَ الثائِرُ إِلّا ثَورَةً
في سَبيلِ الحَقِّ لَم تَخمُد جُذاها
Victorious over the days, divinely supported
The deaf Nile mutters around it
قَد تَوَلّاها صَبِيّاً فَكَوَت
راحَتَيهِ وَفَتِيّاً فَرعاها
And India's blades did not speak nonsense
Where is the free soul from my eyes
جالَ فيها قَلَماً مُستَنهِضاً
وَلِساناً كُلَّما أَعيَت حَداها
I used to see with my eyes yesterday?
Whenever I came it roused itself
وَرَمى بِالنَفسِ في بُركانِها
فَتَلَقّى أَوَّلَ الناسِ لَظاها
And confided the good tidings of me to it and summoned it
And time flowed so what did it remember
أَعَلِمتُم بَعدَ موسى مِن يَدٍ
قَذَفَت في وَجهِ فِرعَونَ عَصاها
And the soul's recollection is part of its troth
I glimpse the days in it and I see
وَطِأَت نادِبَةً صارِخَةً
شاهَ وَجهُ الرِقِّ يا قَومُ وَشاها
Behind old-age the statue of its youth
I do not know when its freshness darkened,
ظَفِرَت بِالكِبرِ مِن مُستَكبِرٍ
ظافِرِ الأَيّامِ مَنصورِ لِواها
Did age climb above it or did it climb over age?
Seventy alighted in its temple
القَنا الصُمُّ نَشاوى حَولَهُ
وَسُيوفُ الهِندِ لَم تَصحُ ظُباها
So it wavered while plentiful in its column
The fright of the club if it jests
أَينَ مِن عَينَيَّ نَفسٌ حُرَّةٌ
كُنتُ بِالأَمسِ بِعَينَيَّ أَراها
Its jest will not take away its splendor
Excuse will prevail against its utmost anger
كُلَّما أَقبَلتُ هَزَّت نَفسَها
وَتَواصى بِشرُها بي وَنَداها
And affection attain the ends of its approval
It has patience for its enviers
وَجَرى الماضي فَماذا اِدَّكَرَت
وَاِدِّكارُ النَفسِ شَيءٌ مِن وَفاها
Resembling pardoning and a clemency from attacking it
I do not forget a laughing page
أَلمَحُ الأَيّامَ فيها وَأَرى
مِن وَراءِ السِنِّ تِمثالَ صِباها
That seizes the soul and courses to its passion
And a discourse like the tales of infatuation
لَستُ أَدري حينَ تَندى نَضرَةً
عَلَتِ الشَيبَ أَمِ الشَيبُ عَلاها
That kindled in the youth a yearning and narrated it
And a rugged canal that if granted
حَلَّتِ السَبعونَ في هَيكَلِها
فَتَداعى وَهيَ مَوفورٌ بِناها
To the unarmed fish it would be bewildered and lost in it
Where am I from a pen if
رَوعَةُ النادي إِذا جَدَّت فَإِن
مَزَحَت لَم يُذهِبِ المَزحُ بَهاها
I appoint it to eulogize the sun and elegy it
It betrayed me on Saad's day and overflowed
يَظفَرُ العُذرُ بِأَقصى سُخطِها
وَيَنالُ الوُدُّ غاياتِ رِضاها
In the eulogies and fell short of its scope
In God's bliss a soul that was granted
وَلَها صَبرٌ عَلى حُسّادِها
يُشبِهُ الصَفحَ وَحِلمٌ عَن عِداها
The delights of life yet did not forget its piety
Neither revealing knowledge when its pride approached
لَستُ أَنسى صَفحَةً ضاحِكَةً
تَأخُذُ النَفسَ وَتَجري في هَواها
With destiny nor the science that adorned it
It passed away devout
وَحَديثاً كَرِواياتِ الهَوى
جَدَّ لِلصَبِّ حَنينٌ فَرواها
Free from the perplexity of doubt guiding it
It perceived a frail humanity and saw
وَقَناةً صَعدَةٌ لَو وُهِبَت
لِلسِماكِ الأَعزَلِ اِختالَ وَتاها
Behind the ephemeral world its God
It only hastened when the Truth called it
أَينَ مِنّي قَلَمٌ كُنتُ إِذا
سُمتُهُ أَن يَرثِيَ الشَمسَ رَثاها
Would that it were the day of anguish that called it
خانَني في يَومِ سَعدٍ وَجَرى
في المَراثي فَكَبا دونَ مَداها
في نَعيمِ اللَهِ نَفسٌ أوتِيَت
أَنعُمَ الدُنيا فَلَم تَنسَ تُقاها
لا الحِجى لَمّا تَناهى غَرَّها
بِالمَقاديرِ وَلا العِلمُ زَهاها
ذَهَبَت أَوّابَةً مُؤمِنَةً
خالِصاً مِن حَيرَةِ الشَكِّ هُداها
آنَسَت خَلقاً ضَعيفاً وَرَأَت
مِن وَراءِ العالَمِ الفاني إِلَها
ما دَعاها الحَقُّ إِلّا سارَعَت
لَيتَهُ يَومَ وَصيفٍ ما دَعاها
