ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod إنindeed العهدthe covenant
يا أخي في الله إن العهد
فيin اللهGod وثيقfirm
في الله وثيق
O my brother in God, truly the covenant
O my brother in God, the covenant
in God is firm.
In God is strong
وطريقand the path الحقof truth ضحياsunlit (word fragment)
وطريق الحق ضحيا
نcompletes 'sunlit' فهيّاso come والطريقand the path
ن فهيّا والطريق
And the path of truth is sunlit;
And the path of truth is clear
so come—take the path!
So come, let's take the path
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod هذاthis
يا أخي في الله هذا
الفجرthe dawn ممدودoutstretched الظلالthe shadows
الفجر ممدود الظلال
O my brother in God, this
O my brother in God, this
dawn, its shadows outstretched,
Dawn with far-reaching shadows
كانwas ليfor me بالأمسyesterday محرابa sanctuary
كان لي بالأمس محراب
صلاةprayer وابتهالand supplication
صلاة وابتهال
was yesterday my sanctuary
Was for me yesterday a place of prayer
of prayer and supplication.
And supplication
ذهبwent away الأمسyesterday فلاso do not تهفyearn
ذهب الأمس فلا تهف
إليهfor it وتعالand come
إليه وتعال
Yesterday is gone; do not yearn
Yesterday is gone, so do not yearn
for it, but come.
For it, and come
نزرعwe sow الأفقthe horizon منيhopes
نزرع الأفق مني
حمراءred يخشاهاfears them الزوالextinction
حمراء يخشاها الزوال
Let us sow the horizon with hopes
We will sow the horizon with
red, which extinction fears.
Scarlet that the decline fears
ونوشيand we embroider بالقناwith the spears المخضوبbloodstained
ونوشي بالقنا المخضوب
أعناقnecks الجبالof the mountains
أعناق الجبال
And embroider with bloodstained spears
And let us irrigate with the sword-reddened canal
the necks of the mountains.
The necks of mountains
إنهاindeed it is ساعةan hour إيمانof faith
إنها ساعة إيمان
وعزمand resolve ونضالand struggle
وعزم ونضال
It is an hour of faith
It is an hour of faith
and resolve and struggle,
Resolve and struggle
نبتتsprouted فيin الزمنthe age الغربيبpitch-black
نبتت في الزمن الغربيب
بيضاءwhite المجالin expanse
بيضاء المجال
sprung up in a pitch-black age,
It sprouted in strange times
white in its expanse.
White in its arena
فاغتنمهاso seize it يقظawake الوجدانthe inner consciousness
فاغتنمها يقظ الوجدان
مشبوبaflame الخيالthe imagination
مشبوب الخيال
So seize it, your heart awake,
So seize it, awake in fervor
your imagination aflame.
Imagination kindled
وأدرand turn عينيكyour two eyes فيacross البيداءthe desert
وأدر عينيك في البيداء
واستفتand seek counsel from الرمالthe sands
واستفت الرمال
And turn your eyes across the desert,
And turn your eyes to the desert
and ask the sands for counsel.
And ask the sands
فلهاfor they have فيin عالمthe world الصمتof silence
فلها في عالم الصمت
نداءاتcalls طوالlong
نداءات طوال
For in the world of silence they have
For in the world of silence
long calls.
It has long calls
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod إنindeed العهدthe covenant
يا أخي في الله إن العهد
فيin اللهGod وثيقfirm
في الله وثيق
O my brother in God, truly the covenant
O my brother in God, the covenant
in God is firm.
In God is strong
وطريقand the path الحقof truth ضحياsunlit (word fragment)
وطريق الحق ضحيا
فهياso come والطريقand the path
فهيا والطريق
And the path of truth is sunlit;
And the path of truth is clear
so come—take the path!
So come, let's take the path
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod هذيthese
يا أخي في الله هذي
القممthe summits الشمّlofty شهودwitnesses
القمم الشمّ شهود
O my brother in God, these
O my brother in God, these
lofty summits bear witness.
Peaks witness
لكyours فيهاin them حسبancestral honor ضخمgrand
لك فيها حسب ضخم
الأحاديثin tales مجيدglorious
الأحاديث مجيد
In them is your ancestral honor, grand
For you in them a great
in its tales and glorious.
Magnificent tradition
تربهاtheir dust الصديانthirsty آباءٌfathers
تربها الصديان آباءٌ
كرامnoble وجدودand forefathers
كرام وجدود
Their thirsty dust is fathers—
Its soil fathers
noble ones—and forefathers,
Noble and generous
توجواthey crowned المجدglory بتاجwith the crown الخلدof immortality
توجوا المجد بتاج الخلد
والمجدand glory وليدa newborn
والمجد وليد
who crowned glory with immortality's crown
Crowned with the crown of eternity
while glory was a newborn.
And glory is born
الزمانtime الكهلaged غابa forest
الزمان الكهل غاب
وهموand they فيهin it الأسودthe lions
وهمو فيه الأسود
Aged time was a forest,
Old age has passed
and they were its lions.
And in it the lions sleep
عربArabs كالشهبlike shooting stars وضاءونradiant
عرب كالشهب وضاءون
مضاءونresolute صيدproud
مضاءون صيد
Arabs, radiant as shooting stars,
Arabs like shooting stars shone
resolute, proud.
Radiant prey
لمdid not يكنexist فيهمamong them لغيرfor anything but
لم يكن فيهم لغير
الحقtruth والخيرand goodness وجودexistence
الحق والخير وجود
Among them, nothing other than
In them there was no existence except
truth and goodness existed.
For truth and goodness
وفراعينand pharaohs علىupon أمجادهمtheir glories
وفراعين على أمجادهم
صلّىprayed الخلودimmortality
صلّى الخلود
And pharaohs, upon whose glories
And knights over their glories
immortality prayed.
Prayed for eternity
ذكرهمtheir memory فيin خاطرthe mind
ذكرهم في خاطر
الدهرof time قديمold وجديدand new
الدهر قديم وجديد
Their memory, in the mind
Their memory in the mind
of time, is old and new.
Of time is ancient and new
كلهمall of them قلبٌa heart يناجيcommunes
كلهم قلبٌ يناجي
ولسانand a tongue يستعيدrecalls
ولسان يستعيد
Together, they are a heart that communes
All of them a heart whispering
and a tongue that recalls.
And a tongue remembering
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod إنindeed العهدthe covenant
يا أخي في الله إن العهد
فيin اللهGod وثيقfirm
في الله وثيق
O my brother in God, truly the covenant
O my brother in God, the covenant
in God is firm.
In God is strong
وطريقand the path الحقof truth ضحياsunlit (word fragment)
وطريق الحق ضحيا
فهيّاso come والطريقand the path
فهيّا والطريق
And the path of truth is sunlit;
And the path of truth is clear
so come—take the path!
So come, let's take the path
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod
يا أخي في الله
هذيthese القممthe summits الشمlofty عدولupright witnesses
هذي القمم الشم عدول
O my brother in God,
O my brother in God
these lofty summits are upright witnesses.
These witnessing peaks
هذهthis الرملةgrain of sand تحكيechoes أختهاits sister فيماin what تقولit says
هذه الرملة تحكي أختها فيما تقول
إنهاindeed it تنشرunfolds للذّروةfor the summit
إنها تنشر للذّروة
This grain of sand echoes its sister in what it says.
This sand grain tells its sister in what it says
It unfolds for the summit
That it spreads for the summit
ماwhat تطوىfold away السهولthe plains
ما تطوى السهول
ويحهاalas for it ظمياءthirsty تخشىfears
ويحها ظمياء تخشى
what the plains fold away.
What the plains fold
Alas for it—thirsty, it fears
And woe betide it fears
الريّquenching of thirst منfrom دمّthe blood الضلولof the errant one
الريّ من دمّ الضلول
شربتهit drank it أزرقblue المعدنin substance
شربته أزرق المعدن
being quenched with the errant one's blood.
The irrigation of the misguided
It drank it—blue in substance,
He drank it blue ore
مسمومpoisoned الأصولat the roots
مسموم الأصول
ثمthen دارturned الزمنtime الماردthe giant
ثم دار الزمن المارد
poisoned at its roots.
Poisonous roots
Then time, the giant, turned,
Then the defiant time turned
عجلانswift الفصولthe seasons
عجلان الفصول
وجرىand ran صهيونZion خلفafter
وجرى صهيون خلف
swift in its seasons.
Swift seasons
And Zion ran after
And Zion ran after
الوهمillusion والوهمand illusion قتولdeadly
الوهم والوهم قتول
فبنىso it built قبرthe grave أمانيهof its hopes
فبنى قبر أمانيه
illusion—and illusion is deadly.
Illusion, and illusion is lethal
So it built the grave of its hopes,
So it built the grave of its wishes
وأغراهand enticed it الفضولcuriosity
وأغراه الفضول
وأرادand willed اللهGod أنthat ينتحرcommit suicide
وأراد الله أن ينتحر
and curiosity enticed it.
And greed seduced it
And God willed the suicide
And God wanted the lazy
الحظfortune الكسولindolent
الحظ الكسول
فإذاand behold ماwhat شاءdesired صهيونZion
فإذا ما شاء صهيون
of indolent fortune.
Fortune to commit suicide
And behold, what Zion wished for
So if Zion willed
غثاءflotsam فيin سيولtorrents
غثاء في سيول
وأتيناand we came ولناand we have بالنصرin victory
وأتينا ولنا بالنصر
was flotsam in torrents.
Rubbish in torrents
And we came; in victory we had
While we have faith
إيمانٌfaith طليقunfettered
إيمانٌ طليق
نبعثwe resurrect الماضيthe past الذيthat
نبعث الماضي الذي
an unfettered faith,
Strong and pure
resurrecting the past that
We resurrect the past that
كفّنهshrouded it الدهرtime السحيقremote
كفّنه الدهر السحيق
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod
يا أخي في الله
remote time had shrouded.
The ancient time shrouded
O my brother in God,
O my brother in God
إنindeed الحربwar عمياءblind الدخانwith smoke
إن الحرب عمياء الدخان
كانwas فيin عينيmy eyes نهارdaylight
كان في عيني نهار
war, indeed, is blind with smoke.
War is blind with smoke
There was daylight in my eyes;
In my eyes there was
لاdo not تسلنيask me كيفhow كانit was
لا تسلني كيف كان
طرقknocked الليلnight علىamid الهيجاءbattle
طرق الليل على الهيجاء
do not ask me how it was.
A day, do not ask me how
Night knocked amid the fray
The ways of night were
أبوابthe doors الزمانof time
أبواب الزمان
فاجعلso make الليلةtonight دهراan age
فاجعل الليلة دهرا
at the doors of time.
On the raging one, doors of time
So make tonight an age
So make the night an era
منof جلادsword-fighting وطعانand spear-thrusts
من جلاد وطعان
واسقand give to drink صهيونZion لظاهاits blaze
واسق صهيون لظاها
of sword-fighting and spear-thrusts.
Of executioner and stabber
And give Zion its blaze to drink,
And quench Zion’s thirst
حممىlava-hot الغليانboiling
حممى الغليان
وإذand when ناداكcalled you منfrom أحلافthe allies
وإذ ناداك من أحلاف
lava-hot in its boiling.
With the boiling lava
And when you are called from among the allies
And if the tongues of
صهيونof Zion لسانa tongue
صهيون لسان
يتمنىlongs for هدنةa truce الحربin war
يتمنى هدنة الحرب
of Zion by a tongue
Zion's allies called you
that longs for a truce in war
Wishing for truce of war
وإغمادand sheathing السنانthe spearhead
وإغماد السنان
فاذكرso remember القتلىthe slain
فاذكر القتلى
and the sheathing of the spearhead,
And sheathing of swords
then remember the slain
Then remember the dead
وماand what ذاقواهthey tasted it منfrom كفّthe hand الجبانof the coward
وما ذاقواه من كفّ الجبان
وارتقبand await يوميmy day
وارتقب يومي
and what they tasted at the coward's hand.
And what they suffered from the coward’s palm
And await my day,
And wait for my day
فيوميfor my day مثلماjust as أعلمI know دانnear
فيومي مثلما أعلم دان
ياO أخيmy brother فيin اللهGod
يا أخي في الله
for my day, as I know, is near.
For my day, as I know, is close
O my brother in God,
O my brother in God
إنindeed العهدthe covenant فيin اللهGod وثيقfirm
إن العهد في الله وثيق
وطريقand the path الحقof truth ضحياsunlit (word fragment)
وطريق الحق ضحيا
the covenant in God is indeed firm.
The covenant in God is strong
And the path of truth is sunlit;
And the path of truth is clear
نcompletes 'sunlit' فهيّاso come والطريقand the path
ن فهيّا والطريق
so come—take the path!
So come, let's take the path
Sol 6.1