فيروزُ لحنٌ فمُ الدنيا فما الخبر ؟

فيروزُ لحنٌ فمُ الدنيا فما الخبر ؟

من قَندل الليل حتى أزهر القمرُ ؟

من قَندل الليل حتى أزهر القمرُ ؟

Fairuz is a melody, the world's mouth—what news, then?

Fairouz, a melody, so what's the news?

Who lit the night with lantern-light until the moon blossomed?

From the moon of darkness to the blossoming moon?

من صبَّ هذا النشيد العَذب في شفتي

من صبَّ هذا النشيد العَذب في شفتي

ومن يسامر يا عصفورتي السَّمر

ومن يسامر يا عصفورتي السَّمر

Who poured this sweet song into my lips,

Who poured this gentle hymn into my lips

and whom does evening talk keep company, O my little bird?

And who converses, my nightingale, the wakeful?

لِمن يمُدُّ الندى كفَّيه أشرعةً

لِمن يمُدُّ الندى كفَّيه أشرعةً

لمن يدندن بعدَ العُزلةِ الوترُ ؟

لمن يدندن بعدَ العُزلةِ الوترُ ؟

For whom does the dew stretch out its palms as sails?

For whom does the dew extend its hands like sails

For whom does the string hum after solitude?

For whom does the lute hum after seclusion?

لمن يوشوِش هذا النخل في بلدي ؟

لمن يوشوِش هذا النخل في بلدي ؟

لمن يُقيم الذي يحلو له السَّفر ؟

لمن يُقيم الذي يحلو له السَّفر ؟

For whom does this palm grove whisper in my homeland?

For whom does this palm tree murmur in my country?

For whom does he who delights in travel stay?

For whom does the one who loves to travel settle?

جئتِ وذاكرةُ الأيام مُثقلةٌ

جئتِ وذاكرةُ الأيام مُثقلةٌ

بحُزنها والليالي نبضها عبر

بحُزنها والليالي نبضها عبر

You came, and the memory of days was weighed down

You came and the memory of days was burdened

by its sorrow, and the nights—their pulse was tears.

With its sadness, and the nights pulsed with its crossing

فانثال وجهُكِ أوقاتاً معطرةً

فانثال وجهُكِ أوقاتاً معطرةً

بالبشر وانهلَّت الأحلام والصُّور

بالبشر وانهلَّت الأحلام والصُّور

Then your face poured forth as moments perfumed

So your face poured scented times

with gladness, and dreams and images poured down.

With good tidings, and dreams and images streamed

وأقبل العام محمولاً على طبقٍ

وأقبل العام محمولاً على طبقٍ

من المحبة لا خوفٌ ولا ضجر

من المحبة لا خوفٌ ولا ضجر

And the year arrived, borne on a platter

And the year came carried on a tray

of love—no fear, no weariness.

Of love - no fear or boredom

تضاءلت حولكِ الأبعاد وانبثقت

تضاءلت حولكِ الأبعاد وانبثقت

من بُعد عينيك شمسٌ طعمها مطر

من بُعد عينيك شمسٌ طعمها مطر

Distances shrank around you, and there sprang forth

Around you dimensions shrank, and from the distance of your eyes

from the far reaches of your eyes a sun whose taste was rain.

A sun emerged whose taste was rain

جئتِ والصبحُ صبحٌ لا صباح له

جئتِ والصبحُ صبحٌ لا صباح له

وللبدايات وجهٌ لونه كدر

وللبدايات وجهٌ لونه كدر

You came when dawn was a dawn with no morning,

You came and the dawn was an unconditional dawn

and beginnings had a face of murky hue.

With a face whose color was gloomy

كان المدار دخاناً والديار لظىً

كان المدار دخاناً والديار لظىً

والوقت داجي الطوايا ماله سَفر

والوقت داجي الطوايا ماله سَفر

The orbit was smoke, and the dwellings were flame,

The orbit was smoke, and the dwellings were infernos

and time was dark in its folds, with no dawning.

And time was a ship with no voyage

كان "الخليج" دماءً و "الجليل" أسى

كان "الخليج" دماءً و "الجليل" أسى

وفوق " بامير " سيل الظلم يستعر

وفوق " بامير " سيل الظلم يستعر

The Gulf was blood, and Galilee sorrow,

The "Gulf" was blood, and the "Galilee" was grief

and above Pamir the torrent of oppression blazed.

And above "Bamiyan" the torrent of injustice roared

كانت نسائمنا ريحاً مصرصرة

كانت نسائمنا ريحاً مصرصرة

ناريةَ اللفح لا تُبقي ولا تذر

ناريةَ اللفح لا تُبقي ولا تذر

Our breezes were a shrieking wind,

Our breezes were fiery winds

fiery in its blast, sparing nothing and leaving nothing.

Blazing hot, leaving nothing intact

وقريتي مُلئت صمتاً وحشرجةً

وقريتي مُلئت صمتاً وحشرجةً

كأنه لم يَُرَقِّص رأسها سمر

كأنه لم يَُرَقِّص رأسها سمر

And my village was filled with silence and a death rattle,

And my village filled with silence and desolation

as though evening talk had never made its head dance.

As if no partridge had shaken its head there

استدفئوا "علب الإسمنت" واحترقوا

استدفئوا "علب الإسمنت" واحترقوا

بدفئهم والأسى يهمي وما شعروا

بدفئهم والأسى يهمي وما شعروا

They sought warmth in "cement boxes" and burned

They warmed themselves with "concrete cans" and burned

in their warmth, while sorrow rained down and they did not feel it.

With their warmth, while grief roared and they did not feel

لا الدار داري التي أهديتها عبقي

لا الدار داري التي أهديتها عبقي

يوماً ولا أهلها يا زهرتي بشرُ

يوماً ولا أهلها يا زهرتي بشرُ

The house is not my house, to which I gave my fragrance

Neither was the house mine that I once gifted its scent

one day; nor are its people, O my flower, human.

Nor its people, my flower, humans

أتيت بُشرى صفاءُ الحب ينشرها

أتيت بُشرى صفاءُ الحب ينشرها

غمامةٌ في نداها يغرق الشجر

غمامةٌ في نداها يغرق الشجر

You came as glad tidings spread by the purity of love,

You brought good news, the purity of love it spreads

a cloud in whose dew the trees drown,

A cloud in its softness that drowns the trees

وجْهاً غُلالته طُهرٌ وسحنته

وجْهاً غُلالته طُهرٌ وسحنته

شعرٌ وفي مقلتيه يبحر السَّحر

شعرٌ وفي مقلتيه يبحر السَّحر

a face whose veil is purity and whose complexion

A face whose shyness is purity and charm is hair

is poetry, and in whose eyes the predawn hour sails;

And in its eyelashes the magic sails

معنىً بعيداً وشِعراً لا يُطاوله

معنىً بعيداً وشِعراً لا يُطاوله

عقلٌ هوى مشرقياً ليس يختصر

عقلٌ هوى مشرقياً ليس يختصر

a distant meaning, and poetry beyond the reach

A distant meaning and poetry no mind can grasp

of any mind; an Eastern passion that cannot be abridged.

It passionately rose, not to be confined

وجئتُ أُزجي القوافي طالباً قبساً

وجئتُ أُزجي القوافي طالباً قبساً

من البراءة جئتُ اليومَ أعتذرُ

من البراءة جئتُ اليومَ أعتذرُ

And I came, sending forth rhymes, seeking a spark

And I came to string rhymes seeking a spark

from innocence; I came today to apologize.

Of innocence - today I came to apologize