ناغيت " لُبناناً " بشِعريَ جِيلا
وضفرته لجبينهِ إكليلا
I sang of "Lebanon" in my poetry for a generation,
And I wove it a wreath for its forehead.
وردَدْتُ بالنغَمِ الجميلِ لأرزه
ظِلاًّ أفاءَ به عليَّ ظَليلا
And I echoed the beautiful melody for its cedars,
That gave me welcome shade.
أو مَا ترى شعري كأنَّ خِلالَه
نسيَ النسيمُ جناحَهُ المبلولا
Or don't you see my poetry as if its lines
Forgot the rustling breeze its dampened wings.
وحِسانَ لُبنانٍ منحتُ قصائدي
فسحبنهنَّ كَدَلِّهنَّ ذُيولا
And the charm of Lebanon I gave to my poems
So they drew them like drawing their trains.
أهديتُهُنَّ عُيونَهنَّ نوافِذاً
كعيونِهِنَّ إذا رَمَيْنَ قتيلا
I gave them their eyes as open windows
Like their eyes when they cast a slain man glances.
فردَّدنهنَّ من الأسى وجِراحِه
كِسَراً .. فَرُحْتُ المُّهنَّ فُلولا
But they gave them back in sorrow and wounds
Brokenly - so I rejoiced at their remnants.
ورَجَعْتُ أدراجي أجرُّ غنيمةً
من " بنتِ بيروتٍ " جوىً وغليلا
And I went back disappointed, pulling the spoils
Of “the daughter of Beirut” - ardour and anguish.
لُعنَ القصيدُ فأيُّ مُثرٍ شامخٍ
سرعانَ ما استجدى الحسانَ ذليلا
Cursed be poetry so what erect and lofty peak
Swiftly sought favours and became base.
رَدَّتْ مطامِحُه البِعادَ دوانياً
وكثيرَ ما خَدعَ الخيالَ قليلا
Its ambitions cast me into madness
And my imagination often tricked me a little.
ناغيتُ " لُبناناً " وهل أبقى الهوى
بُقيىً على قيثارتي لتقولا
I sang of “Lebanon” - and does love remain
Alive on my zither so it says:
طارحتُه النغماتِ في أعيادِه
بأرقَّ من سجعِ الحمامِ هديلا
I scattered it in its feasts more softly
Than the cooing of the doves.
ومَسحْتُ دمعَ الحُزنِ في أتراحِه
وجعلتُ مَحْضَ عواطفي مِنديلا
And I wiped the tear of sorrow in its dwellings
And made my pure emotions a handkerchief.
وكذاكَ كنتُ وما أزالُ كما بنى
أهلي أُجازي بالجميلِ جميلا
And that is how I was and still am, as my family built me,
I repay good with good.
يا شيخَ " لُبنانَ " الأشمِّ فوارعاً
وشمائلاً ، ومناعةً ، وقبيلا
O sheikh of the astringent "Lebanon" - streets
And features, and sturdiness, and clan!
مثَّلثَهُ في كلِّهنَّ فلم يُردْ
بسواك عنكَ . ولن يريدَ بديلا
Its triangle represented in all of them yet it did not want
Other than you. And it will not seek an alternative.
إنَّ العراقَ وقد نزلتَ رُبوعَهُ
لَيَعُدُّ ساكِنَه لديكَ نزيلا
Iraq where you have descended its expanses
Will count its dweller as your guest.
بُشرى " بشارةُ " أنْ تجوسَ خِلالَها
وتُزيرَ طرَفك أهلَها وتُجيلا
Good tidings “Basharah” that you roam through it
And visit its people and honour it.
قف في ضفافِ الرافدينِ وناجِها
وتفيَّ صَفصافاً بها ونخيلا
Stand on the banks of the two rivers and confide in them
And wander through its apple trees and date palms leisurely.
واسمَعْ غِناء الحاصدينَ حُقولَها
للحاصداتِ من القلوبِ حُقولا
And listen to the singing of its reapers in its fields
For the hearts of the reapers are fields.
سترى القريضَ أقلَّ مِن أنْ يَجتلى
لغةَ النفوسِ عواطفاً ومُيولا
You will find poetry much less than to be revealed
The language of souls - tendencies and inclinations.
وتلمَّسِ الآهاتِ في نَبَراتِهِمْ
يُشعِلْنَ من حَدَقِ العيونِ فتيلا
And touch the sighs in their tones
That kindle from the corner of eyes a wick.
واستنطِقِ " الرَّمَلاتِ " في جَنَباتها
ولطالما استوحى النبوغُ رمولا
And interrogate its “sandy grounds” in its sides
For genius has often been inspired by its sands.
واستوحِ كُوفاناً وبصرةَ إذ هُما
يتصدَّرانِ العالَمَ المأهولا
And be inspired by Kufa and Basra as they
Head the inhabited world.
يستورِدانِ حَضارةً ومواهباً
ويُصدِّرانِ فطاحلاً وفحولا
They import civilization and talents
And export champions and stallions.
وتَقرَّ " بغداداً " فانَّ دُروبَها
ستُريكَ من سِفرْ الزمانِ فُصولا
And visit “Baghdad” for its roads
Will show you seasons of the journey of time.
ستُريكَ كيف إذا استتمّتْ دولةٌ
أعمى الغرورُ رجالَها لتدولا
It will show you how when a state was completed
Pride blinded its men and it declined.
إيهٍ " بِشارةُ " لم تكنْ لتَحُدَّ من
مهوى النفوسِ ولم تكنْ لتحولا
Oh “Basharah”, you were not created
To diminish the desires of souls nor to change them.
إني رَصَدتُكَ من بعيد لم أُرِدْ
إذناً عليكَ ولا بعثتُ رسولا
I have watched you from afar. I did not want
Permission to you nor sent a messenger.
ودخلتُ نفسَك لم أزاحِمْ حاجباً
عنها ، ولم ألجِ " الرِواقَ " فضولا
And I entered your soul. I did not disturb
Its barrier, nor pried open “the porch” out of curiosity.
وحَلَفْتُ لا أُوذي الملوك ولا أُرى
ظِلاًّ على بابِ " الأميرِ " ثقيلا
And I swore I will not harm kings nor see
A shadow on the “prince’s” door burdened.
صَونٌ لمجدِ الشعرِ أوهمَ خاطئاً
أنّي خُلِقتُ على قِلىً مجبولا
Safeguarding the glory of poetry made a fool think
That I was born to be easily deceived.
ولربما ظنَّ الرواجمُ أنّهمْ
سيرَوْنَ من هذا " المنخَّل " غُولا
And perhaps scoundrels thought that they
Would see a “sieve” bring out ghosts from me.
وعرفتُ فضلَكَ قبل كونِك عاهلاً
تُرخي عليكَ حِجابَك المسدولا
And I knew your merit before you became ruler
Lowering over you your draped curtain.
تَلِجُ العقولَ عباقراً ونوابغاً
وتُمحِّصُ المعقولَ والمنقولا
You perplex minds - geniuses and eminent,
And scrutinize the reasonable and transmitted.
ووجدتُك المُعطي السياسةَ حقَّها
ترعى النُّصوصَ وتُحسِنُ التأويلا
And I found you who gives politics its due
Observing texts and adept at interpretation.
والمستجيرَ بظلِّها من ظلِّها
تتخيرُ التحويرَ والتحويلا
And who takes refuge in its shade from its shade
Choosing distortion and twisting.
ولمستُ يومَك حين ضجَّ ضجيجُها
ومشتْ تدُكُّ روابياً وسهولا
And I touched your day when its clamour roared
And its torrents surged over plains and plateaus.
تستخدمُ المتفجراتِ لدافعٍ
عن حقِّهِ وتُسخِّرُ " الأسطولا "
It employs explosives out of a motive
To defend its right and recruits its “navy”.
وعُقابُ " لبنانٍ " تَضُمُّ جَناحَها
تحمي الفِراخَ وتحرُسُ الزُّغلولا
And Lebanon’s punishment - its wings embrace -
Protects chicks and guards cubs.
وبنوكَ أُسْدَ الغابِ في لبِداتِهِمْ
عُبْلُ السواعد يمنعونَ الغيلا
And your lions in their lairs - the might of their arms
Prevent wrongdoing.
حتى إذا انجلتِ العَجاجةُ وارتمى
شِلْواً – ربيبُ " فَجارةٍ " منخولا
Until when the dust settled and the scoundrel flung himself,
A whelp - Nursling of the “delinquent” - downcast.
وتخلتِ الأقدارُ عن متجبِّرٍ
ملأ البلادَ وأهلَها تنكيلا
And fate abandoned an arrogant one
Who filled the country and its people with injustice.
وبرزتَ مثلُ السيفِ لا مُستسلماً
جُبْناً ، ولا نِكْساً ، ولا مخذولا
You appeared like an uncovered sword - neither surrendering
Cowardly, nor defeated, nor helpless.
وتزاحمتْ بالهاتفينَ شِعابُها
يُزجُونكَ التكبيرَ والتهليلا
And its valleys crammed at the two phones
Proclaiming your magnification and praise.
كنتَ الجديرَ بكلِّ ذاكَ وفوقَه
إذ كنتَ سيفَ جهادِها المسلولا
You deserved all that and more
For you were its bared sword of holy war.
يا شيخَ " لبنانٍ " وحَسْبُكَ خِبرةً
رَفَعَتْك شيخاً في الملوك جليلا
O sheikh of “Lebanon” - and your experience is enough -
It raised you a venerable sheikh among kings.
جرَّبتَ حنظلةَ الدخيلِ وطعمَها
وصميمَها وطِلاءَها المعسولا
You tasted the deception of the foreigner and its flavour
And essence and its sweet coating.
ولمستَ من لَهَبِ السياطِ ووَقْعها
فوقَ الظهورِ على الطُّغاةِ دليلا
And you touched the flames of whips and their impact
Over backs upon tyrants as evidence.
ورأيتَ كيف العِلْجُ يُسمِنُ أهلَهُ
يُقري بنيهِ شعبَك المهزولا
And you saw how the solution fattened its people
Feeding your starving people.
وعرفتَ قدرَ العاملينَ مبجَّلاً
شكراً ، وحظَّ العاملينَ جزيلا
And you knew the worth of the revered workers
Thanking, and the lot of workers abundantly.
رَنتِ العيونُ إليكَ تُكبِرُ موقفاً
من " شيخِ " لُبنانَ النبيل نبيلا
Eyes have looked to you magnifying a stand
From the noble sheikh of Lebanon.
وتُريدُ منك وقد تقلَّصَ ظلُّهم
ألا تَميزَ على الدخيلِ دخيلا..
And they want from you - when their shadow has shrunk -
That you don't favour the foreigner over the foreigner.
فلقد خَبَرنا نحنُ قبلَك مِثلَهُ
وأشرَّ في لغةِ الطُغاةِ مثيلاً
For we - before you - have experienced the like of him
And more evil in the language of tyrants.
فاذا بـ " حنظلةٍ " تَحِنُ لأختِها
وإذا بـ " شدقمَ " يستظلُّ " جديلا "
So a Khanzir leans to its sister
And a Shidqam takes shade under a Jadil.
وإذا بأولاوءٍ تفرِّقُ بينَهم
شتى الدُّروبِ ويلتقونَ سبيلا
And evildoers divide between them
Different paths and meet on one way.
فاوِض فقد غَدَت العوالِمُ عالماً
ما زالَ حَبْلُ صِلاتهِ موصولا
So negotiate - for worlds have become one world
Its connection rope still joined.
وسيجرِفُ التاريخُ في تيّارِه
شعباً يَظَلُ مُجانِباً معزولا
And history will dredge in its current
A people remaining isolated and secluded.
وتُراثُ " لُبنانٍ " قديمٌ نشرهُ
في المشرقينِ مواهباً وعقولا
Lebanon's heritage is old - its talents and minds
Spread it in the two Easts.
لكنْ تَوَقَّ من الوعودِ سلاسلاً
برّاقةً ، ومن العهودِ كُبولا
But it avoided from promises gleaming
Chains, and from covenants fetters.
فاوِضْ وخلِّ وراءَ سمعِك مُغرياً
وأمامَ عينِكَ شامتاً وعَذولا
So negotiate and leave behind you enticer
And before your eye gloating and vindictive.
ولأنتَ أعلمُ إنْ تُزحْزَحْ عندَهم
شبراً ، فسوفَ يُزحزحونكَ ميلا
For you know best if you are pushed aside from them
A handspan - they will push you a mile.
وإذا ارتختْ عُقَدٌ تيسّرَ حلُّها
جدُّوا لكم عُقَداً تُريدُ حُلولا
And if knots are loosened that make their untying easy
They strain you with knots wanting solutions.
" عبدَ الاله " وليس عاباً أنْ أرى
عِظمَ المقَامِ مُطوِّلاً فأطيلا
Abdullah - and it's no shame that I see
The great status lengthening so I lengthen.
كرَّمت صيفَك يستثيرُ جلاله
نُطقاً ، ويدفعُ قائلاً ليقولا
I honoured your summer arousing its sublimity
Speaking, and impelling the speaker to say:
يا ابنَ الذينَ تنزَّلتْ ببيوتِهم
سُوَرُ الكتابِ ، فرُتِّلتْ ترتيلا
O son of those who revelations descended upon their homes,
Reciting a recital.
الحاملينَ من الأمانةِ ثقلَها
لا مُصعِرينَ ولا أصاغِرَ مِيلا
Bearers of its heaviness honestly
Not submissive nor smaller in inclination.
والناصبينَ بيوتَهم وقبورَهم
للسائلينَ عن الكرامِ دليلا
They established their homes and graves
For the questioners about generosity as guides.
والطامسينَ من الجهالةِ غَيْهباً
والمُطلعينَ من النُّهى قِنديلا
They buried ignorance’ obscurity
And enlightened deviation with a lantern.
ملكوا البلادَ عروشَها وقصورَها
واستعذبوا وعْث التراب مَقيلا
They possessed the lands - their thrones and palaces
And made the dust of the earth sweet habitation.
يا ابنَ النبيِّ وللملوكِ رسالةٌ
مَنْ حَقَّها بالعدلِ كانَ رسولا
O son of the prophet - and for kings a message
Those who fulfilled its justice were messengers.
يرجو العراقُ بظلِّ رايةٍ فيصلٍ
أنْ يرتقي بكما الذُّرى ويطولا
Iraq hopes in the shade of the Faisal banner
To rise in it and lengthen.
لا شك أنَّ وديعةً مرموقةً
عز الكفيلُ لها فكنت كفيلا
No doubt a lofty deposit
The guarantor was capable so you were guarantor.
وكيانُ مُلكٍ في حداثةِ عهدِه
يتطلَّبُ التلطيفَ والتدليلا!
And the entity of a kingdom in its novelty
Requires gentling and pampering!
وسياسة حضنتْ دُعاةَ هزيمةٍ
وتبنَّتِ التفريقَ والتضليلا
And a policy that embraced proponents of defeat
And adopted separation and misleading.
تُغري المثقفَّ أن يكون مُهادِناً
وابنَ الجهالةِ أنْ يظَلَّ جَهولا
Tempts the intellectual to be an appeaser
And the son of ignorance to remain ignorant.
ألقت على كتِفيكَ من زَحَماتِها
عبءاً تنوءُ بهِ الرِّجالُ ثقيلا
It burdened your shoulder with some of its crowds
A load men stagger under, heavy.
شدَّتْ عروقَك من كرائمِ هاشمٍ
بيضٌ نمينَ خديجةً وبتولا
It tied your veins with the nobilities of Hashim
White Namin birthed Khadeejah and Batool.
وحَنَتْ عليكَ من الجدودِ ذؤابةٌ
رَعَتِ الحسينَ . وجعفراً وعقيلا
And it had mercy upon you from ancestors benevolence
That grazed Al-Hussein, Ja'far and Aqeel.
قُدْتَ السفينةَ حين شَقَّ مقادُها
وتطلَّبتْ رُبَّانَها المسؤولا
You steered the ship when its pole was split
And its captain was held responsible.
أعْطتْكَ دَفَّتها فلم تَرجِعْ بها
خوفَ الرِّياحِ ولا اندفعتَ عَجولا
It gave you its wheel so you did not return it
Fearing the winds nor were you hasty.
وَمنَحْتَها والعاصِفاتُ تؤودُها
مَتناً أزلَّ وساعداً مفتولا
And you granted it - and gales try to destroy it -
A body unbowed and an unfettered arm.
أُعطِيتَ ما لم يُعطَ قبلَكَ مثلَه
شعباً على عِرفانِكُمْ مجبولا
You were given what none were given the like of
A people built on your gratitude.
إنَّ العراقَ يُجلُّ بيْعةَ هاشمٍ
من عهدِ جدِّكَ بالقرونِ الأولى
Iraq reveres the pledge of Hashim
Since the era of your grandfather in the early centuries.
هذي مصارِعُ مُنجبيكَ ودورُهم
يملأنَ عَرضاً للعراقِ وطُولا
Filling Iraq’s breadth and length.
Their pilgrimage and circumambulation of its masses
ما كانَ حجُّهُمُ وطوفُ جموعِهمْ
لقبورِ أهلِكَ ضَلَّةً وفُضولا
To the graves of your family were not straying nor meddling.
The love of the first - they inhabited the abode appeasing them
حبُّ الأُولى سكنوا الديارَ يَشفُّهم
فيعاوِدونَ طلولَها تقبيلا
So they repeat its caressing kissing.
O sheikh of “Lebanon” the scream of a screamer
يا شيخَ " لُينانٍ " شكيَّةَ صارخٍ
تتخلَّلُ الترحيبَ والتأهيلا
Penetrates the welcoming and honouring.
We wanted you - not “gloomy” hearts among us
كنّا نُريدُك لا القلوب " مغيمة "
فينا . ولا خِصبُ النفوسِ مَحيلا
Nor fertility of souls barren.
To show you Iraq’s joys - its north
لنريكَ أفراحَ العراقَ شَمالَه
وجنوبَه وشبيبةً وكُهولا
And south, and youths and elders.
You came to Iraq while in it from Palestine
جئتَ العراقَ ومِن فِلَسْطِينٍ به
وَجَعٌ مطببَّهُ يعودُ عليلا
A pain bandaged returning sick.
And the grieving mosque casts over
والمسجدُ المحزونُ يُلقي فوقَه
ليلاً – على الشرقِ الحزينِ – طويلا
The sorrowful East a long night.
Palestine left as if it did not recognize
ذهبتْ فِلَسْطينٌ كأن لم تَعترِفْ
مِن كافليها ضامناً وكفيلا
Among its patrons a guarantor and caretaker.
And it forgot as if Jesus and Ahmad did not walk
وعفَتْ كأن لم يمشِ في ارجائها
" عيسى " ، و " أحمدُ " لم يَطِرْ محمولا
Carried in its surroundings.
And the Aqsa mosque as if the call did not rise in it
والمسجدُ الأقصى كأنْ لم يرتفعْ
فيهِ أذانٌ بُكرةً وأصيلا
At dawn and nightfall.
And Saladin’s soil trampled and his armies
وثرى صلاح ِالدينِ دِيسَ وأنعلتْ
منه جيوشُ الواغلِين خُيولا
Of invading horses saddled it.
And the “Khanziri” with his alliance and promises
و " الحنظلُّي " بحِلْفِهِ ووعُودهِ
ما زالَ كاذبُ وعدِه ممطولا
Remains liar - his promise elongated.
He did not heed the law of the unbelievers, nor fulfilled
لم يرعَ شرعَ الكافرينَ ، ولا وفى
حقَّيهما القرآن َ والانجيلا
Both their rights - the Quran and the Bible.
He gave Elnby its people so Balfour took care of them
أعطى " إلَنْبي " أهلَها فاستامهم
بلفورُ ، فاستوصى بهم عِزريلا
And bequeathed them to Israel.
And today he boasts with "neutrality" as boasting
واليومَ يفخرُ " بالحيادِ " كفاخرٍ
بالقتلِ إذ لم " يُسلَخِ " المقتولا
Of killing if he did not “skin” the killed.
