هَمَّ فَجْرُ الحَيَاةِ بِالإِدْبَارِ
فَإِذَا مَرَّ فهْيَ فِي الآثَارِ
The morning of life declines into the past,
And once it has gone, trace of it will not last.
وَالصَّبا كَالكرَى نَعِيمٌ وَلَكِنْ
يَنْقَضِي وَالفَتَى غَيْرُ دَارِي
Youth is bliss but fleeting, never staying,
The lad remains while homelands are decaying.
يغْنَمُ المَرْءُ عَيْشَهُ فِي صِبَاهُ
فَإِذَا بَانَ عَاشَ بِالتِّذْكَارِ
In youth man stores all that he'll later dwell on,
When it has gone he'll live on memories alone.
إِيهِ آثَارَ بَعْلَبَكَّ سَلاَمٌ
بَعْدَ طولِ النَّوَى وَبُعْدِ المَزَارِ
Ruins of Baalbek, hail! Though far and razed,
Still glorious are the works your hands have raised.
وَوُقِيتِ العَفَاءَ مِنْ عَرَصَاتٍ
مُقْوِيَاتٍ أَوَاهِلٍ بِالفَخَارِ
And you aqueducts, though wrecked remain sublime,
Triumphs of skill whose makers mocked old Time!
ذَكَرِيني طُفُولَتِي وَأَعِيدِي
رَسْمَ عَهْدٍ عَنْ أَعْيُنِي مُتَوَارِي
Recall my childhood, bring back to me
Days vanished, sank in life's obscurity!
مُسْتَطَابِ الحَالَيْنِ صَفْواً وَشَجْواً
مُسْتَحَبٍ فِي النَّفعِ وَالإِضْرَارِ
Those days were sweet and passionate by turn
Mingled profit and delight, loss and concern.
يَومَ أَمْشِي عَلَى الطُّلُولِ السْوَاجِي
لا افْتِرَارٌ فِيهِنَّ إِلاَّ افْتِرَارِي
I walked on hills, no track to guide or bind,
I roamed rejoicing, reason left behind,
نَزِقاً بَيْنَهُنَّ غِرّاً لَعُوباً
لاَهِياً عَنْ تَبَصُّرٍ واعْتِبَارِ
Free, proud, those crags and steeps treading at will,
With wild birds winging past me down the hill.
مُسْتَقِلاًّ عَظِيمَهَا مُسْتَخِفّاً
مَا بِهَا مِنْ مَهَابَةٍ وَوَقارِ
Alone with Hind, we'd wander through the night,
Love and Desire our fellowship and light,
يَوْمَ أَخْلو بِهِنْدَ تَلْهُو وَنَزْهُو
وَالهَوَى بَيْنَنَا أَلِيفٌ مُجَارِي
Like butterflies that flit from bloom to bloom,
That roam unfixèd, every flower their home.
كَفَرَاشِ الرَّيَاضِ إِذْ يَتَبَارَى
مَرَحاً مَا لَهُ مِنِ اسْتِقْرَارِ
We'd meet, then part, then reunite once more,
Each speck of dust forever on the soar.
نَلْتَقِي تَارَةً وَنَشْرُدُ أُخْرَى
كُلُّ تِرْبٍ فِي مَخْبَإٍ مُتَدَارِي
And when too long we were kept apart,
Such fire would kindle in my hungry heart!
فإِذا البُعْدُ طالَ طَرْفةَ عَيْنٍ
حَثَّنا الشَّوْق مُؤْذِناً بِالبِدَارِ
Brief meetings, sudden partings, such our way -
Together, then divided, night and day.
وَعِدَادَ اللِّحَاظِ نَصْفُو وَنشْقى
بِجِوارٍ فَفُرْقةٍ فَجِوَارِ
No life untouched by sorrow. Joy is made
From troubles past, and peace comes after shade.
لَيْسَ فِي الدَّهْرِ مَحْضُ سَعْدٍ وَلَكِنْ
تَلِدُ السَّعدَ مِحْنَةُ الأَكْدَارِ
Each meeting was a feast. We would embrace
As loved ones do returning from th' far place,-
كُلَّمَا نَلْتَقِي اعْتَنَقْنَا كَأَنَّا
جِدُّ سَفْرٍ عَادُوا مِنَ الأسْفَارِ
Pure kisses, virtuous as the children's kiss,
Or kiss of friend when night's first breezes kiss,
قُبُلاَتٌ عَلَى عَفَافٍ تُحَاكِي
قُبُلاَتِ الأَنْدَاءِ وَالأَسْحَارِ
That love was cool as waters from a spring
Till manhood made its hidden fires take wing.
وَاشْتِبَاكٌ كَضَمِّ غُصْنٍ أَخَاهُ
وَكَلَثْمِ النُّوَّارِ لِلنُّوَّارِ
Dear Hind! How she loved that time, but still
All things must fail; naught stands Time's eroding will.
قَلْبُنَا طَاهِرٌ وَلَيْسَ خَليِّاً
أَطْهَرُ الحُبِّ فِي قُلوبِ الصِّغارِ
My heart has weakened and my body failed
Ruin knocks now where mirth so late prevailed.
كَان ذَاكَ الهَوَى سَلاَماً وَبَرْداً
فَاغْتدَى حِينَ شبَّ جَذْوَةَ نَارِ
Desolate lie the gardens where of old
Were wonders that amazed both young and old.
حَبَّذَا هِنْدُ ذِلكَ العَهْدُ لَكِنْ
كُلُّ شَيءٍ إِلَى الرَّدَى وَالبَوَارِ
Miracles of art and giant works were there,
The makers we revere beyond compare.
هَدَّ عَزْمِي النَّوَى وَقَوَّضَ جِسْمِي
فَدَمَارٌ يَمْشِي بِدَارِ دَمَارِ
Clothed by the sun in gorgeous robes they stood,
Turquoise and ruby gems in gold ensconced.
خِرَبٌ حَارَتِ الْبَرِيَّة فِيهَا
فتْنة السَّامِعِينَ وَالنُّظارِ
Moistened at night by honey-scented showers,
Lustrous in daylight's most lustrous hours.
مُعْجِزَاتٌ مِنَ البِنَاءِ كِبَارٌ
لأُنَاسٍ مِلْءَ الزَّمَانِ كِبَارِ
Old age but added awfulness and weight,
On all Time's gales have poured their flakes of state.
أَلْبَسَتْهَا الشُّموسُ تَفْوِيفَ دُرٍ
وَعَقِيقٍ عَلَى رِدَاءِ نُضَارِ
Ofttimes white hairs are beauty's perfect crown
When the Lord's might has hammered talent down.
وَتَحَلَّتْ مِنَ اللَّيالِي بِشَامَا
تٍ كَتَنْقِيطِ عَنْبَرٍ فِي بَهَارِ
A temple of mysteries that structure raised
But its conception was the greatest maze.
وَسَقاهَا النَّدَى رَشَاشَ دُمُوعٍ
شَرِبَتْهَا ظَوَامِيءَ الأَنْوَارِ
Copied in each part the skills of every race
Images of wisdom, power and grace.
زَادَهَا الشَّيبُ حُرْمَةً وَجَلاَلاً
تَوَّجَتْهَا بِهِ يَدُ الأَعْصَارِ
Out of dead stone they made fruits grow up high
By human genius that could scale the sky,
رُبَّ شَيْبٍ أَتَمَّ حُسْناً وَأَوْلَى
وَاهِنَ العَزْمِ صَوْلَةَ الْجَبَّارِ
Flowers and stars so bright, birds winging by,
Though only carved, they cheat both heart and eye.
مَعْبَدٌ لِلأَسْرَارِ قَامَ وَلَكِنْ
صُنْعُهُ كَانَ أَعْظَمَ الأَسْرَارِ
Set in bright gardens where sweet waters run
As brilliant as the moon, as hot as sun,
مِثَّل القَوْمُ كُلَّ شَيءٍ عَجِيبٍ
فِيهِ تَمْثِيلَ حِكْمَةٍ وَاقْتِدَارِ
With lions dreadful when they roar and stir
And show their teeth without a fight to spur.
صَنَعُوا مِنْ جَمَادِهِ ثَمَراً يُجْنَى
وَلَكِنْ بِالعَقْلِ وَالأَبْصَارِ
From their grim jaws smoke coils, from eyeballs pour
Red flames, their very silence seems to roar.
وَضُرُوباً مِنْ كُلِّ زَهْرٍ أَنِيقٍ
لَمْ تَفُتْهَا نَضَارَةُ الأَزْهَارِ
These were their works; till the last days of earth
Men will flock there to wonder and admire.
وَشُمُوساً مُضِيئَةً وَشِعَاعاً
بَاهِرَاتٍ لَكِنَّها مِنْ حِجَارِ
One mind it was that bound all into one
So closely were those scattered glories spun
وَطُيُوراً ذَوَاهِباً آيِبَاتٍ
خَالِدَاتِ الغَدُوِّ وَالإِبْكَارِ
Into a place where minds as well as eyes
After the Lord, are led to idolize
فِي جِنَانٍ مُعَلَّقَاتٍ زَوَاهٍ
بِصُنُوفِ النُّجومِ وَالأَنْوَارِ
Supreme in rendering beauty, loveliness,
Where hearts are shaken, ravished witnesses.
وَأُسُوداً يُخْشَى التَّحفزُ مِنْهَا
وَيَرُوعُ السَّكوتُ كَالتَّزْآرِ
Hail, men of Phoenicia! When this earth is dead
Still your high feats across the sea are spread.
عَابِسَاتِ الوُجُوهِ غَيْرَ غِضَابٍ
بَادِيَاتِ الأَنْيَابِ غَيْرَ ضَوَارِي
Yours is earth's tenure, yours her crown through all
For daring works and wonders ne'er to pall.
فِي عَرَانِينِهَا دُخَانٌ مُثَارٌ
وَبِأَلْحَاظِهَا سُيُولُ شَرَارِ
The untamed ocean manned your ships alone
When steam's force harnessed not one wave its own.
تِلْكَ آيَاتُهُمْ وَمَا بَرِحَتْ فِي
كُلِّ آنٍ رَوَائِعَ الزُّوَّارِ
Its rage and shrugging strength could not disheart
Your disappearance or dismay depart.
ضَمَّها كُلَّهَا بَدِيعُ نِظَامٍ
دَقَّ حَتَّى كَأَنَّها فِي انْتِثَارِ
Had it attacked, you knew the way to curb
And bring it into order from disturbance.
فِي مَقَامٍ لِلحُسْنِ يُعْبَدُ بَعْدَ
العَقْلِ فِيهِ وَالعَقْلُ بَعْدَ الْبَارِي
Almost you rode its very waves in sport
As though you'd seize the stars for steering port.
مُنْتَهَى مَا يُجَادُ رَسْماً وَأَبْهَى
مَا تَحُجُّ الْقُلُوبُ فِي الأَنْظَارِ
Easy to serve one whom the seas accept
Whose name through cities of the waves has crept!
أَهْلَ فِينيقِيا سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكُمْ
يَوْمَ تَفْنَى بَقِيَّة الأَدْهَارِ
Raised to the sun a rich and dazzling hall
Till Romans capped the structure, finished all,
لَكُمُ الأَرْضُ خَالِدِينَ عَلَيْهَا
بِعَظِيمِ الأَعْمَالِ وَالآثَارِ
Heralded farmers for the growing earth
Spreaders of shelter, succour, light and worth.
خُضْتُمُ البَحْرَ يَوْمَ كَانَ عَصِيّاً
لَمْ يُسَخَّرْ لِقُوَّةٍ مِنْ بُخَارِ
Carved out secure and lasting monuments
From thinking subtle, skillful and condense.
وَرَكِبْتُمْ مِنْهُ جَوَاداً حَرُوناً
قَلِقاً بِالمُمَرَّسِ المِغْوَارِ
Tamed bronze till it appeared through their hard toil
Arbiter itself of every chance and foil.
إِنْ تَمَادَى عَدْواً بِهِمْ كَبَحُوهُ
وَأَقَالُوهُ إِنْ كَبَا مِنْ عِثَارِ
Bowed down before their works, their gods confessed!
Adoring worship from their wondrous best.
وَإِذَا مَا طَغَى بِهِمْ أَوْشَكُوا أَنْ
يَأْخُذُوا لاَعبِينَ بِالأَقْمَارِ
Is any further marvel thought to await
Or but the wish from excellence to prate?
غَيْرُ صَعْبٍ تَخْلِيدُ ذِكْرٍ عَلَى الأَرْ
ضِ لِمَنْ خَلَّدُوهُ فَوْقَ البِحَارِ
Seeing such beauty made Hind envious, still
My Hind no need of envy's droops to feel!
شَيَّدُوهَا لِلشَّمسِ دَارَ صَلاَةٍ
وَأَتَمِّ الرُّومَانُ حَلْيَ الدَّارِ
All lovely idols those dreamers raised up
Are humble bondmaids to your beauty's cup!
هُمْ دُعَاةُ الفَلاَحِ فِي ذلِكَ
العَصْرِ وَأَهْلُ العُمْرَانِ فِي الأَمْصَارِ
نَحَتُوا الرَّاسِيَاتِ تَحْتَ صُخُورٍ
وَأَبَانُوا دَقَائِقَ الأَفْكَارِ
وَأَجَادُوا الدمَى فَجَازَ عَلَيْهِمْ
أَنَّها الآمِرَاتُ فِي الأَقْدَارِ
سَجَدُوا لِلَّذِي هُمُ صَنَعُوهُ
سَجَدَاتِ الإِجْلاَلِ وَالإِكْبَارِ
بَعْدَ هَذَا أَغَايَةٌ فَتُرَجَّى
لِتَمَامٍ أَمْ مَطْمَعٌ فِي افْتِخارِ
نَظَرَتْ هِنْدُ حُسْنَهُنَّ فَغَارَتْ
أَنْتِ أَبْهَى يَا هِنْدُ مِنْ أَنْ تَغَارِي
كُلُّ هَذِي الدُّمَى الَّتِي عَبَدُوهَا
لَكِ يَا رَبَّة الجَمَالِ جَوَارِي
