لناfor us البحرthe sea والريحand the wind والمرفأand the harbor
لنا البحر والريح والمرفأ
لناfor us الكفthe palm ، والصفُّand the rank إذwhen نبدأُwe begin
لنا الكف ، والصفُّ إذ نبدأُ
Ours are the sea, the wind, and the harbor.
We have the sea, the wind, and the harbor,
Ours are the palm and the rank as we begin.
We have the palm, and the rank when we initiate,
لناfor us دائماًalways نكهةthe flavor المستحيلthe impossible
لنا دائماً نكهة المستحيل
فقلso tell للمخِبينto those hastening أنthat يهدأواthey grow calm
فقل للمخِبين أن يهدأوا
Ours is always the flavor of the impossible.
We always have the flavor of the impossible,
So tell those hastening to be still.
So tell the misguided ones to calm down,
وُلِدناwe were born منfrom الريحthe wind والمعصراتand the rain-bearing clouds
وُلِدنا من الريح والمعصرات
ونوَّارةand the blossom النهرthe river لاnot تظمأthirsts
ونوَّارة النهر لا تظمأ
We were born of the wind and the rain-bearing clouds.
We were born of the wind and the strainers,
And the river's blossom does not thirst.
And the river's lamp never thirsts,
منfrom الأفقthe horizon تنداحspreads forth شاميةa woman of Sham
من الأفق تنداح شامية
إذاwhen أسرجتshe lit وجههاher face طأطؤواthey bowed their heads
إذا أسرجت وجهها طأطؤوا
From the horizon, a woman of Sham spreads forth.
From the horizon, a Levantine woman emerges,
When she lights her face, they bow their heads.
When she saddles her face, they cower,
لناfor us قامةa stature النخلthe date palms قِنديلهاits lantern
لنا قامة النخل قِنديلها
وبرقٌand lightning علىupon صدرهاits breast يهزأmocks
وبرقٌ على صدرها يهزأ
Ours is a stature, the date palms its lantern,
We have the stature of the palm tree, its chandelier,
And lightning mocks upon its breast.
And lightning on its chest that mocks,
وفيand in مقلةthe eye الحُرthe free man تزهوpreens القذاةthe mote
وفي مقلة الحُر تزهو القذاة
لأنbecause الدجىthe darkness قلبهits heart مطفأextinguished
لأن الدجى قلبه مطفأ
And in the free man's eye, the mote preens,
In the pupil of the free, the speck shines,
For darkness's heart is extinguished.
Because its heart has extinguished the darkness,
ويمضيand proceeds النهارthe day علىalong دربهits path
ويمضي النهار على دربه
أصابَwere right المُريبونthe suspect ones أمor أخطؤواthey erred
أصابَ المُريبون أم أخطؤوا
And the day proceeds along its path,
And the day goes on its way,
Whether the suspect ones were right or wrong.
Did the doubters hit or miss?
لناfor us البرقthe lightning والخفقand the throbbing والمنتهىand the ultimate end
لنا البرق والخفق والمنتهى
لأناbecause we بغاياتناfor our aims الأكفأthe most capable
لأنا بغاياتنا الأكفأ
Ours are the lightning, the throbbing, and the ultimate end,
We have the lightning, the flutter, and the end,
For we are the most capable of attaining our aims.
For our goals are the most sufficient,
خبرناwe have known نقوشاًengravings لهاthey have مبدأan origin
خبرنا نقوشاً لها مبدأ
رديءbase ومعدنهاand their metal أردأbaser
رديء ومعدنها أردأ
We have known engravings whose origin is
We have inscribed traces that have a principle,
Base, and whose metal is baser still.
Whose essence is the foulest,
ولكنناbut we فوقهاabove them غيمةa cloud
ولكننا فوقها غيمة
وطبعand the nature الغطاريفthe noblemen أنthat يربؤواthey rise above
وطبع الغطاريف أن يربؤوا
But we are a cloud above them,
But above them we have a cloud,
And it is the nature of noblemen to rise above.
And the trait of scoundrels is to boast,
غسلناwe washed الحزَازاتthe grudges ،لكنbut أبتthey refused
غسلنا الحزَازات ،لكن أبت
فنفسfor the soul المنافقthe hypocrite لاnot تبرأheals
فنفس المنافق لا تبرأ
We washed the grudges, but they resisted;
We have washed the gravel, but it refused,
For the hypocrite's soul does not heal.
For the soul of the hypocrite does not become pure,
لناfor us فوقهمabove them صيْقلٌa burnisher منof هوىlove
لنا فوقهم صيْقلٌ من هوى
وسيفand the sword الصبابةardent longing لاnot يصدأrusts
وسيف الصبابة لا يصدأ
Ours, above them, is a burnisher of love,
We have above them a polish of passion,
And the sword of longing does not rust.
And the youth's sword does not rust,
لهمfor them فيin الهوىlove مبدأٌa principle راسخٌfirmly rooted
لهم في الهوى مبدأٌ راسخٌ
ونحنand we لناfor us فيin الهوىlove مبدأa principle
ونحن لنا في الهوى مبدأ
They have in love a firmly rooted principle,
They have in passion a firm beginning,
And we have a principle in love.
And we in passion have a beginning,
هُمُthey يلجأونthey seek refuge إلىin كيدهمtheir scheming
هُمُ يلجأون إلى كيدهم
ونحنand we إلىin ربناour Lord نلجأwe seek refuge
ونحن إلى ربنا نلجأ
They seek refuge in their scheming,
They resort to their cunning,
And we seek refuge in our Lord.
And we resort to our Lord.
Sol 6.1