هُنا ركايا الصَّفو سالت ندى

هُنا ركايا الصَّفو سالت ندى

واسترسلت في البيد ماءً وزادْ

واسترسلت في البيد ماءً وزادْ

Here the wells of purity flowed with dew,

The steeds of guidance danced for jihad

and streamed through the wastes as water and sustenance.

From their depths the horizon arose chanting

هنا لتاريخ الندى مولدٌ

هنا لتاريخ الندى مولدٌ

هنا لأعراس الجلالِ امتدادْ

هنا لأعراس الجلالِ امتدادْ

Here the history of generosity has its birthplace;

And the horizon lent an attentive ear...and remembered

here the weddings of majesty stretch onward.

The desert turned green, and poured from

هذا اللظى من قَدْحِ ضبَّاحةٍ

هذا اللظى من قَدْحِ ضبَّاحةٍ

هذا الشجى الواري بقايا اتقاد

هذا الشجى الواري بقايا اتقاد

This blaze comes from a panting mare striking sparks;

Its yellow dunes the face of the steed

this burning sorrow is what remains of a blaze.

And the pulse of water shook off its stillness

هذي القلاع الجُرد في حجرها

هذي القلاع الجُرد في حجرها

تراقصتْ خيلُ الهُدى للجهادْ

تراقصتْ خيلُ الهُدى للجهادْ

These bare fortresses—in their embrace,

The rock became fertile and the inanimate flowed

the steeds of guidance danced for jihad.

These black citadels from their splendor

من عُمقها قام المدى منشداً

من عُمقها قام المدى منشداً

وأرهف السَّمعَ المدى ... واستعاد

وأرهف السَّمعَ المدى ... واستعاد

From their depths, the expanse rose singing,

A history awakened and slumber was disturbed

and the expanse listened intently ... and remembered.

Why are they black when revelation in

واخضرَّت الصحراء ، وانثال مِنْ

واخضرَّت الصحراء ، وانثال مِنْ

كُثبانها الصفراءُ وجهُ الجواد

كُثبانها الصفراءُ وجهُ الجواد

And the desert grew green, and there poured forth from

Their bosoms whitens from it the darkness

its yellow dunes the face of the noble steed.

And their lovers like the bright dawn

وهزَّ نبض الماءِ جلمودها

وهزَّ نبض الماءِ جلمودها

فأخصب الصّخرُ وجاد الجماد

فأخصب الصّخرُ وجاد الجماد

And the pulse of water shook its boulder,

From a passionately devoted one who died...and was lost

so rock grew fertile, and lifeless matter gave generously.

What is this darkness...what is its secret

هذي القلاع السُّود من زهوها

هذي القلاع السُّود من زهوها

أفاق تاريخٌ وأغفى رُقاد

أفاق تاريخٌ وأغفى رُقاد

These black fortresses—from their splendor,

Like an eyelid which the sleepy one covers?

a history awoke, and slumber fell asleep.

Did the sun mature it yearning for it

ما بالها سوداءُ والوحيُ في

ما بالها سوداءُ والوحيُ في

أكنافها يبيضُّ منه السوادْ

أكنافها يبيضُّ منه السوادْ

Why are they black, when revelation within

Or were calamities folded into it?

their precincts makes blackness turn white?

A question that kills me

وعاشقوها كالصباحِ المضيءْ

وعاشقوها كالصباحِ المضيءْ

من عاكفٍ ماتَ اشتياقاً .. وباد

من عاكفٍ ماتَ اشتياقاً .. وباد

And their lovers are like the radiant morning—

And poetry is the sweetest thing I have to resist!

among them a devotee who died of longing ... and vanished.

O you whose letter surges in its horizon

ما هذه الحُلكةُ .. ما سرها

ما هذه الحُلكةُ .. ما سرها

كمُقلة يطوي بهاها السُّهاد ؟

كمُقلة يطوي بهاها السُّهاد ؟

What is this deep darkness ... what is its secret,

Not everyone who strives attains what he wants

like an eye whose radiance sleeplessness folds away?

You looked blind without insight

هل أنضجتها الشمسُ شوقاً لها

هل أنضجتها الشمسُ شوقاً لها

أم انطوتْ فيها الخطوبُ الشدادْ ؟

أم انطوتْ فيها الخطوبُ الشدادْ ؟

Has the sun ripened them out of longing for them,

With an eyelid that confused...and half-convinced

or have dire calamities folded themselves within them?

And a fluttering that trembles in its fluttering

تساؤلٌ يعتادُني قاتلٌ

تساؤلٌ يعتادُني قاتلٌ

والشِّعرُ أحلى ما لديه العِنادْ !

والشِّعرُ أحلى ما لديه العِنادْ !

A deadly question keeps returning to me,

As if it were a market with thousands bidding

and poetry's sweetest trait is defiance!

You brought out the guide but since his day

يا من يموجُ الحرْفُ في أفقه

يا من يموجُ الحرْفُ في أفقه

ما كلُّ من يسعى ينال المُرادْ

ما كلُّ من يسعى ينال المُرادْ

O you in whose horizon the word surges,

I dressed history in the garb of mourning

not everyone who strives attains the desired goal.

نظرتَ معصوباً بلا نظرةٍ

نظرتَ معصوباً بلا نظرةٍ

بمقلةٍ حيرى .. ونصف اعتقادْ

بمقلةٍ حيرى .. ونصف اعتقادْ

You looked blindfolded, without a glance,

with a bewildered eye ... and half a belief,

وخافقٍ يرتجُّ في خفقه ..

وخافقٍ يرتجُّ في خفقه ..

كأنه سُوقٌ بألفي مزاد

كأنه سُوقٌ بألفي مزاد

and a heart trembling in its beating ...

as though it were a market with two thousand auctions.

أخرجتُم الهادي ومن يومه

أخرجتُم الهادي ومن يومه

لبستُ للتاريخ ثوبَ الحداد

لبستُ للتاريخ ثوبَ الحداد

You drove out the Guide, and since that day

I donned, for history, a robe of mourning.