أقبلcome علىto موكبthe procession الحيارىthe bewildered
أقبل على موكب الحيارى
ياO عيدEid ياO موقظawakener الحيارىthe bewildered
يا عيد يا موقظ الحيارى
Come to the procession of the bewildered,
Come to the procession of the lost,
O Eid, O awakener of the bewildered!
O festival, O awakener of the lost,
أقبلcome وفيand in كفّكyour palm الأمانيwishes
أقبل وفي كفّك الأماني
باركbless بهاwith them البيدthe wastelands والصحارىand the deserts
بارك بها البيد والصحارى
Come, with wishes in your palm;
Come with your hopes in your hands,
Bless the wastelands and deserts with them.
Bless them in the desert and wilderness.
أقبلcome علىto الشوقlonging والتمنىand wishing
أقبل على الشوق والتمنى
كغائبٍlike one absent أبصرsighted الدياراthe dwellings
كغائبٍ أبصر الديارا
Come to longing and yearning,
Come to longing and wish,
Like one away who has sighted home.
Like one absent who saw his homes.
أقبلcome علىto أكبدlivers تلظّىare ablaze
أقبل على أكبد تلظّى
وأعينand eyes دمعهاtheir tears استجاراsought refuge
وأعين دمعها استجارا
Come to livers ablaze,
Come to a blazing liver,
And eyes whose tears have sought refuge.
And eyes whose tears pleaded.
وسرand walk معwith الناسthe people حيثwherever سارواthey walked
وسر مع الناس حيث ساروا
ودرand turn معwith الدهرtime حيثwherever داراit turned
ودر مع الدهر حيث دارا
And walk with the people wherever they walk,
Walk with people wherever they went,
And turn with time wherever it turns.
And chat with time wherever it turned.
وسائلand question الليلthe night والنهاراand the day
وسائل الليل والنهارا
ومنand whoever رأىsaw الليلthe night والنهاراand the day
ومن رأى الليل والنهارا
And question the night and the day,
Ask the night and the day,
And whoever has seen the night and the day:
And whoever saw the night and day,
إذاwhen دهىbefell الأرضthe earth ماwhat دهاهاbefell it
إذا دهى الأرض ما دهاها
منwho شبّهاkindled it فيin الوجودexistence ناراa fire
من شبّها في الوجود نارا
When what befell the earth befell it,
When the land was illuminated as it was illuminated,
Who kindled it into a fire in existence,
By a fire they compared to existence.
أشعلهاset it ablaze فتنةًstrife ضروساًfierce
أشعلها فتنةً ضروساً
اشاعتspread البؤسmisery والدماراand destruction
اشاعت البؤس والدمارا
Setting it ablaze in fierce strife
A fierce sedition ignited it,
That spread misery and destruction,
Spreading misery and destruction.
علّمتtaught البومthe owls كيفhow يبكىto weep
علّمت البوم كيف يبكى
خرابهاits ruin الشؤمill-omened والعماراand habitation
خرابها الشؤم والعمارا
And taught the owls how to weep
It taught the owl how to cry
For its ill-omened ruins and its inhabited places?
Over its ruin, ill fate and construction.
مصارعscenes of death لاnot تزالcease تجريto unfold
مصارع لا تزال تجري
وعالمand a world يشتكيlaments انهياراcollapse
وعالم يشتكي انهيارا
Scenes of death still unfold,
Battles still take place,
And a world laments collapse.
And a world complains of collapsing.
أقبلcome علىto العالمthe world الكئيبsorrowful
أقبل على العالم الكئيب
فرحانjoyful أوor باكيweeping النحيبsobbing
فرحان أو باكي النحيب
Come to the sorrowful world,
Come to the gloomy world,
Joyful or weeping in lamentation.
Happy or crying the elegy.
وقلand say لمنto those who عاقرواquaffed المناياdeaths
وقل لمن عاقروا المنايا
علىto شجيplaintive strains المدفعthe cannon الطروبrapturous
على شجي المدفع الطروب
And tell those who quaffed death
And say to those who defied fate,
To the plaintive strains of the rapturous cannon:
With the loud explosion of guns,
عصرتمyou squeezed الكاسthe cup فاشربوهاso drink it
عصرتم الكاس فاشربوها
والكأسand the cup مسعورةblazing fiercely اللهيبflame
والكأس مسعورة اللهيب
You squeezed the cup—so drink it,
You have picked the cup so drink it,
While the cup blazes with raging flame.
And the cup's flames are blazing.
لاdo not تبردواcool yourselves بالشرابwith the drink حتىso that
لا تبردوا بالشراب حتى
لاnot تسلكواtread أبعدthe farthest الدروبpaths
لا تسلكوا أبعد الدروب
Do not cool yourselves with the draught, lest
Do not cool down with the drink until
You tread the farthest paths.
You take the farthest paths.
والحروبand wars ماas تعلمونyou know فوضىchaos
والحروب ما تعلمون فوضى
تغرىentice بأسلوبهاwith their manner العجيبstrange
تغرى بأسلوبها العجيب
And wars, as you know, are chaos,
And wars whose chaos you know,
Enticing with their strange ways.
Tempts with its strange method.
بدأتموهاyou began them فلاso do not تولواturn away
بدأتموها فلا تولوا
والريحwhile the wind فيat أوّلthe beginning of الهبوبblowing
والريح في أوّل الهبوب
You began them, so do not turn away,
You started them so do not retreat,
While the wind is only beginning to blow.
While the wind is at first blowing.
وأرضكمand your land أرضكمyour land فشقّواso dig
وأرضكم أرضكم فشقّوا
فيin جوفهاits belly القبرthe grave الغريبstrange
في جوفها القبر الغريب
And your land is your land—so dig
Your land, your land, so split
Within its belly the strange grave.
In its interior a strange grave.
لاdo not تجعلواmake ريّthe watering of ماwhat نمتهnurtured it
لا تجعلوا ريّ ما نمته
إلّاexcept حميمscalding liquid الدمblood الصبيبstreaming
إلّا حميم الدم الصبيب
Let nothing water what it has grown
Do not make the water you put to sleep
But scalding, streaming blood,
Anything but hot blood.
منكمfrom you وممّنand from those who بغيtransgressed عليكمagainst you
منكم وممّن بغي عليكم
سيّانboth alike فيin شرعةthe law of الحروبwars
سيّان في شرعة الحروب
From you and from those who wronged you:
Of you and those who oppressed you
Both are equal under the law of war.
It's the same in the law of wars.
فلمso no longer يعدremains فوقهاupon it مجالroom
فلم يعد فوقها مجال
للمنطقfor logic الرائعsplendid الرتيبmonotonous
للمنطق الرائع الرتيب
So upon it there is no longer room
So there is no more room above it
For splendid, monotonous logic.
For the splendid orderly logic.
كمhow many هديةٍa gift أعقبتwas followed بأخرىby another
كم هديةٍ أعقبت بأخرى
لمnot نجنwe reaped منfrom مدهنa dissembler خيراgood
لم نجن من مدهن خيرا
How many a gift has been followed by another!
How much a gift was reciprocated with another,
We reaped no good from a dissembler,
We did not gain any good from its cities,
إلّاexcept مزيداmore منof الضحاياvictims
إلّا مزيدا من الضحايا
يزيدناincreases our فيin الرجالmen فقراpoverty
يزيدنا في الرجال فقرا
Only more victims,
Except more victims
Making us poorer in men.
That increase our poverty in men.
نقدمwe advance حتىuntil يقولsay قومsome people
نقدم حتى يقول قوم
النصرvictory للعربfor the Arabs لاno مفراescape
النصر للعرب لا مفرا
We advance until some people say:
We proceed until some people say,
"Victory belongs to the Arabs—there is no escape!"
Victory is for the Arabs, no escape.
ويصبحand becomes البرdry land منfrom دماناour blood
ويصبح البر من دمانا
ومنand from دماءthe blood of العدوّthe enemy بحراa sea
ومن دماء العدوّ بحرا
And dry land becomes, from our blood
And righteousness becomes from our blood,
And from the enemy's blood, a sea.
And from the enemy's blood a sea.
حتىuntil إذاwhen الهيجةthe battle استحرّتgrew fierce
حتى إذا الهيجة استحرّت
ودمدمand thundered الموتdeath واكفهراand scowled
ودمدم الموت واكفهرا
Until, when the battle grew fierce
Until when rage is provoked,
And death thundered and scowled,
And death thunders and turns yellow.
لاذواthey sought refuge بأكنافناat our sides فقالواthen they said
لاذوا بأكنافنا فقالوا
السلمpeace بالعاقلينfor the sensible أحرىmore fitting
السلم بالعاقلين أحرى
They sought refuge at our sides and said:
They resorted to our bosoms and said,
"Peace better befits the sensible."
Peace is more proper for the reasonable.
كأنماas though العقلreason أنthat يولّىshould turn
كأنما العقل أن يولّى
المقتولthe slain man للقاتلينto the killers ظهراa back
المقتول للقاتلين ظهرا
As though reason meant that
As if reason is that the killed
The slain man should turn his back to the killers!
Turn their backs to the killers.
فقلso say لهمto them تبّmay it perish ماwhat أرادواthey desired
فقل لهم تبّ ما أرادوا
أصبحhas become عهدthe pact of السلامpeace ذكرىa memory
أصبح عهد السلام ذكرى
So tell them: may what they desired perish!
So tell them sorry for what they wanted,
The pact of peace has become a memory.
The era of peace became a memory.
بنيتمyou built القبرthe grave فاسكنوهso dwell in it
بنيتم القبر فاسكنوه
ياO ذلّةhumiliation فيamong القبورthe graves قبراa grave
يا ذلّة في القبور قبرا
You built the grave—so dwell in it.
You built the grave so inhabit it,
What a disgraced grave among graves,
O disgrace in graves, a grave.
يضمكمencloses you شاكياًcomplaining وترجوand wishes
يضمكم شاكياً وترجو
حصباؤهits pebbles لوif only تكونcould be أخرىother ones
حصباؤه لو تكون أخرى
It encloses you, complaining; and
It includes you complaining and hoping
Its pebbles wish they were other pebbles!
Its pebbles would be others.
أقبلتyou came عيداًas a feast وأنتand you عيدa feast
أقبلت عيداً وأنت عيد
لوif قرّgrew still شيطانهاits devil المريدُrebellious
لو قرّ شيطانها المريدُ
You have come as a feast—and a feast you would be,
You came a festival, and you are a festival,
If its rebellious devil were still.
If its obstinate serpent rested.
وددتI wished لوthat هاجهroused him ندائيmy call
وددت لو هاجه ندائي
وهزّهand shook him صوتيmy voice الجديدnew
وهزّه صوتي الجديد
I wished my call would rouse him,
I wish it was roused by my call,
And my new voice would shake him.
And moved by my new voice.
الفلكthe ship ياO فولكFolke نحنwe فيهin it
الفلك يا فولك نحن فيه
وموجand the waves of طغيانكمyour tyranny شديدfierce
وموج طغيانكم شديد
The ship, O Folke—we are aboard it,
The boat, O boat, we are in it,
And the waves of your tyranny are fierce.
And your surge of tyranny is strong.
أردتمyou desired السلمpeace فاستجبناso we responded
أردتم السلم فاستجبنا
والدهرand time ماwhat بينناbetween us شهيدa witness
والدهر ما بيننا شهيد
You desired peace, so we responded,
You wanted peace so we responded,
And time bears witness to what lies between us.
And time between us is a witness.
وكمand how many بذلتمyou offered لناto us وعوداpromises
وكم بذلتم لنا وعودا
ولمand not تدمendure منكمfrom you الوعودthe promises
ولم تدم منكم الوعود
And how many promises you gave us!
And how many promises you gave us,
Yet your promises did not endure.
Yet your promises did not last.
فماso not وثقتمyou trusted ولاnor وثقناwe trusted
فما وثقتم ولا وثقنا
فحربناso our war طارفnewly acquired تليدinherited
فحربنا طارف تليد
So you did not trust, nor did we,
You did not trust, nor did we trust,
So our war is both new and ancestral.
So we fought, a lingering fight.
فأضرمواso kindle النارthe fire أضرموهاkindle it
فأضرموا النار أضرموها
فكلناfor all of us عندهاbefore it وقودfuel
فكلنا عندها وقود
So kindle the fire—kindle it!
So ignite the fire, ignite it,
For, before it, we are all fuel.
We are all at it fuel.
ونحنand we أبناءsons منof those who شدَوهاsang it
ونحن أبناء من شدَوها
ملاحماas epics روحهاtheir soul الخلودimmortality
ملاحما روحها الخلود
And we are sons of those who sang it
And we are the sons of those who ignited it,
As epics whose soul is immortality.
Epic deeds, their spirit is eternity.
ومجدناand our glory المجدglory ماthat which علمتمyou have known
ومجدنا المجد ما علمتم
ويعلمand knows اللهGod والوجودand existence
ويعلم الله والوجود
And our glory is the glory you have known,
Our glory, the glory you did not know,
And God and all existence know it.
And God and existence know.
أقبلتyou came عيداًas a feast فأنتso you عيدa feast ياO
أقبلت عيداً فأنت عيد يا
عيدEid لوif فكّتwere undone القيودthe fetters
عيد لو فكّت القيود
You have come as a feast—so a feast you would be, O
You came a festival, so you are a festival,
Eid, if the fetters were undone.
O festival, if only the shackles were untied!
Sol 6.1