بَرٌّ وَبَحْرٌ حَائِلاَ
نِ وَفَوْقَ مَا وَسِعَا صِعَابُ
A land and sea blocking
My path, and beyond what was traversable lay difficulties.
أَلْبَاخِراتُ تَأَهَبتْ
وَعَلاَ مَدَاخِنَهَا سَحَابُ
The steamers were made ready,
And above their funnels rose a cloud.
وَالْقَاطِرَاتُ بِهَا نَشِيـ
ـشٌ لِلتَّحَرُّكِ وَاصْطِخَابُ
And in them was the hustle and bustle
Of movement and perturbation.
وَالطَّائِرَاتُ يَكَادُ يُلْـ
ْـقَى عَنْ شَوَاكِلِهَا الرِّكَابُ
The aeroplanes - one would think
Their passengers were almost flung from their frames.
كَثُرَتْ وَسَائِلُ الاقْتِرَا
بِ وَأَيْنَ مِنَّا الاقْتِرابُ
The means of approach multiplied,
Yet how far we still were from approaching!
أَبْغِي الذَّهَابَ فَفِيمَ أُحْْـ
ْـرَمُهُ وَيَسْتَعْصِي الذَّهَابُ
I wish to go, yet by what means
Can I go, when going itself eludes me?
إِنِّي لَفِي دَارِي وَفِي
قَلْبِي عَنِ الدَّارِ اغْتِرابُ
Though I am in my house, estrangement
From the house lies within my heart.
إِخْوَانُنَا ارْتَقَبُوا تَلاَ
قِينَا فَما أجْدَى ارْتِقَابُ
Our brothers awaited our meeting -
Of what use was this waiting?
أَثْوِي وَآلاَمِي مُبَرِّ
حَةٌ وَآمَالِي غِضَابُ
I find rest, yet my pains
Are eased, and my hopes angered.
وَلِغَضْبَةِ الآمَالِ كَمْ
ظُفُرٌ تَصُولُ بِهِ وَنَابَ
And through the anger of hopes,
How often does its fang prevail and bite!
مَاذَا جَنَيْتُ عَلَى الْعُلَى
فيَنَالَنِي هَذَا الْعِقَابُ
What have I gained from the lofty ones
That I should suffer this punishment?
يَا رُفْقَتِي هَيْهَاتَ يَشْْـ
ْـفِي حُرْقَتِي هَذَا الْخِطَابُ
O my companions! Alas, this address
Will not assuage my burning pain.
كَيْفَ العَرَائِشُ مُوقَدَا
تِ وَالمَدَارِجُ وَالْهِضَابُ
How are the meadows ablaze,
The hills and dales?
هَلْ يَزْخَرُ الْوَادِي وَتُخْْـ
ْـطِئُنِي مَوَارِدُهُ الْعِذَابُ
Will the valley teem, and its springs
Make my misfortunes gush forth?
تِلْكَ الرَّقَائِقُ مَدَّهُنَّ
النَّهْرُ في كَبِدي حِرَابُ
Those gentle beauties the river extends -
In my heart there is nothing but war.
لَيْسَ النَّدِيمُ مُسَرِّياً
عَنِّي الْهُمُومَ وَلاَ الشَّرَابُ
Neither the cupbearer or wine
Can dispel my cares.
لاَ بَلْ لِيَغْفِرْ لِلْحَيَا
ةِ ذُنُوبَهَا هَذَا المَتَابُ
Rather, may this book forgive
The sins of life!
يُوبِيلُ شُكْرِي قَائِمٌ
وتَضِيقُ بِالْحَشْدِ الرِّحَابُ
My gratitude stands fulfilled,
Yet the vastness constrains.
أعْيَانُ زَحْلَةَ حَوْلَهُ
وَبَنُو الْعُمُومَةِ وَالصِّحَابُ
The notables of Saida surround him
Kin and comrades...
حَفْلٌ يُكَرِّمُهُ وَلاَ
دَخَلٌ هُنَاكَ وَلاَ ارْتِيَابُ
A throng honouring him, with no
Doubt or misgiving there.
في مِهْرَجَانٍ بَاهِرٍ
زِينَاتُهُ عَجَبٌ عُجَابُ
At a resplendent festival
Whose adornments are wondrous marvels.
رَاعَتْ حِلاَهَ وَلَمْ يُخَلِّْـ
ْـدُ مِثْلَ ذِكْرَاهُ كِتَابُ
Minds are vacant, and nothing like
His mention occupies books.
بِالْقَلْبِ أَحْضُرُهُ وَلَمْ
يَحْجُبْ سِوَى الْجِسْمِ الْغِيَابُ
In my heart I attend though
Nothing but the body is absent.
أَنَحِيبُ إِنْ تُبْلِغْهُمُ
عُذْرِي فَقَدْ أُمِنَ الْعِتَابُ
Shall I wail if they convey
My excuse? For blame is precluded.
قُوْلُ الطَّبِيبِ وَأَنْتَ قَا
ئِلُهُ شَهِيٌّ مُسْتَطَابُ
A doctor’s word, when you state it,
Is esteemed and refined.
أَلعِلْمُ وَالأَدَبُ الَّذِي
يَجْلُوهُ وَالفّضْلُ اللُّبَابُ
The knowledge and manners that polish him,
And the merit that adorns him.
وَسَمَاحَةُ الآسِي المُؤا
سِي كَمْ بِهَا لِلْخَيْرِ بَابُ
And the tolerance of that gentle,
Compassionate soul - how many doors to good they open!
مَا حَالُ شُكْرِي هَلْ تَرَى
عَنْ فَوْدِهِ طَارَ الغُرَابُ
What of my gratitude? Do you think
It has flown from his presence like the crow?
أَمْ صَرَّحْتْ نُذُرُ المَشِيْـ
ْـبِ وَظَلَّ يُنْكِرُهَا الشَّبَابُ
Or have the vows of my passion declared themselves,
While the youths continue to deny them?
تَدْرِي الصِّحَافَةُ مَنْ فَتَى الْْـ
أَقْوَامِ إِنْ عَزَّ الطِّلاَبُ
The press knows who the brave one of the
People is, be the students many or few.
رَجُلٌ صَلِيبُ الْعُودِ في الْْـ
ْـجُلّى وَإِنْ نَضُرَ الإِهَابُ
A man with a wooden sword in deadly earnest,
Though his eyebrows be delicate.
ذَرِبُ الْيَرَاعَةِ لاَ يَفُلُّ
شَبَاةَ صَارِمَهِ الضِّرَابُ
Dexterous with the staff, his blows
Defend the rights of the country without fear.
طَلْقُ اللِّسَانِ يَذُودُ عَنْ
حَقِّ الْبِلاَدِ وَلاَ يَهَابُ
In his seriousness and jest
Lies the essence of events and jesting.
في جِدِّهِ وَدِعَابَهَ
جِدُّ الْحَوَادِثِ وَالدِّعَابُ
A critic of truth - rarely does
His writing transgress what is right.
نَقَّادُ صِدْقٍ قَلَّمَا
يَعْدُو مَقَالَتَهُ الصَّوَابُ
If he seeks nothing but reform,
What flaw can be found?
إِنْ يَبْتَغِي إِلاَّ الصَّلاَ
حَ وَهَلْ عَلَيْهِ فِيهِ عَابُ
However much we extol his reward,
From us it is but little reward.
مَهْمَا يَجِلَّ ثَوَابُهُ
مِنَّا فَقَدْ قَلَّ الثَّوَابُ
