ما الشعر الا نغم

يجيد فيه الملهم

Poetry is but a melody

In which the inspired one excels

يشدو به المحزون وال

مفتون والمتيم

The sad and the infatuated lament in it

And the lovesick and the devoted recite it

لقد بكى سامعه

فدمعه منسجم

The listener cried over hearing it

His tears harmonizing

كما بكى قائله

ابان كان ينظم

Just as the reciter cried

When he was composing it

لا يعرف المؤلمن في

الحياة الا المؤلم

The suffering know nothing

In life but suffering

ابك فان عبرة

الباكين سلوى لهم

Weep, for the tears

Of the weeping are solace for them

أليس ثغر الدمع في

وجه الحزين يبسم

Does not the tearful smile

Appear on the face of the sorrowful?

الف يعيش بائساً

وواحد منعم

A thousand live miserably

And one in bliss

الشعر لا وزن ولا

قافية تلتزم

Poetry is neither meter nor

Rhyme to be adhered to

بل هو معنى ثائر

قد قيدته الكلم

Rather it is a rebellious meaning

That words have restrained

تكاد من ثورته

قيوده تنجذم

Its bonds almost unravel

From its rebellion

والشعر موسيقى يهز

النفس منها النغم

And poetry is music that shakes

The soul with its melody

فتارة يبسطها

وتارة يلملم

Sometimes it relaxes it

And sometimes it gathers it

وتارة يبني المنى

وتارة يهدم

And sometimes it builds hopes

And sometimes it destroys them

وهو لقوم عضهم

صرف الزمان مأتم

It is for a people whose

Era has passed in mourning

وهو لرهط اعرسوا

قيثارة ترنم

And it is for a group who

Were wedded with a lyre that sings

وهو لمن قد عوجت

اخلاقه مقوم

It is for those whose

Morals have been corrected

الاولون ابتدؤا

والاخرون تمموا

The early ones began

And the later ones completed

وهو سماء قد علت

تضيئ فيها الانجم

It is a lofty sky

With stars illuminating it

وهو شعور لشعو

ر السامعيه يضرم

It is a feeling that ignites

The feelings of the listeners

وهو بالوان الخيا

ل في الحياة مفعم

It is the hues of imagination

Infused into life

وهو اذا خطب عرا

بصدقه يعتصم

It is, when it addresses virtues

The foremost in mentions

ان ذكر الآداب

فهو وحده المقدم

The master poet - it is from

Himself that he is taught

والشاعر الفحل له

من نفسه معلم

His worries compose for him

And life inspires him

همومه له ترو

ض والحياة تلهم

Until when passion boils

Words represent it

حتى اذا جاش الشعو

ر مثلته الكلم

I love the singing and the

Melody from merriment

يعجبني من الهزا

ر الشدو والترنم

It is upon a branch of flowers

And leaves that perch

وهو على غصن من الدوح

وريق يجثم

With your singing my heart flutters

O melody I am enamored

اني بشدوك الشجيّ

يا هزار مغرم

For you translate what is in my mind

Of sorrows

فانت عما في فؤا

دي من اسىً تترجم

Poetry in its homeland

Has been angered as it suppressed

الشعر في اوطانه

قد غيظ وهو يكظم

There is a group that says of it

What they do not know

هناك ثلة تقو

ل فيه ما لا تعلم

Most criticism has ulterior motives

And is suspect

والنقد بالاغراض في

اكثره متهم

And how much critics poison

Their swords and attack

ورب ناقد يمج

السم فهو ارقم

Nothing extinguishes the fires

Of their hatred but blood

وما بمطفئ اوا

ر حقده الا الدم

If criticism judged fairly

It would be excellent judgment

لو حكم النقد بعد

ل فهو نعم الحكم

But it is unjust in its rulings

And oppresses

لكنه يجور في

احكامه ويظلم

As for sincere criticism

Its benefit is undisputed

وانما النقد النزيه

نفعه مسلم

Yet much good poetry

They have insulted and defamed

ورب شعر حسن

له بقبح وصموا

Denying its beauty

As if they were blind to it

قد جحدوا جماله

كأنهم عنه عموا

Poetry may rise up enraged

And take revenge

والشعر قد يثور غضبان

وقد ينتقم

Woe to those struck

By its flaming embers

ويل لمن يصيبه

شواظه المضطرم

When poetry casts, arrows fly

And no arrows return fruitless

اذا رمى الشعر فلا

تطيش منه الاسهم

Then every critic wishes

He could make peace

يومئذ يود كل

ناقد لو يسلم

And a wedding that brought joy

To some turns into mourning for them

ويعقب العرس الذي

افرح قوما مأتم

For those who criticize it

Hit a rock and are injured

ان الذي ينقده

بصخرة يصطدم

It is best for them to flee

For that is safer

خير له ان يؤثر الفرار

فهو اسلم

Poetry does not fear criticism

Its sword is unblunted

الشعر لا يرهب نقداً

سيفه منثلم

Its fire is true fire

And its gathering is momentous

لا ناره نار ولا

خميسه عرمرم

No good in the criticism of one

Whose talk is nonsense

لا خير في نقد امرئ

حديثه مرّجم

Falsehood and truth are not equal

To one who comprehends

لا يستوى الباطل والحق

لدى من يفهم

This is a radiant day

And that is a dark night

هذا نهار مشرق

وذاك ليل مظلم

Truth is treated with sanctity

While falsehood has no respect

الصدق يلقى حرمة

والكذب لا يحترم

They said poetry is dead

After those who preceded

قالوا لقد مات القريض

بعد من تقدموا

They have lied, for poetry lives

Full of vitality

قد كذبوا فالشعر حيّ

بالنشاط مفعم

Live O poetry, for you are

The greatest leader

عش ايها الشعر فانك

الزعيم الاعظم

Under your banner hearts

Have gathered crowding

تحت لوائك القلو

ب اجتمعت تزدحم

For they walk when you walk

Or settle when you settle

فهي اذا مشيت تمشي

او جثمت تجثم

You are in life, O poetry

For me an established faith

وانت في الحياة لي

يا شعر دين قيم