لولاwere it not for نبوغكyour genius ماnot بكيتI mourned صباكاyour youth
لولا نبوغك ما بكيت صباكا
أنتyou المصابthe stricken one بذاby this ونحنand we بذاكاby that
أنت المصاب بذا ونحن بذاكا
Were it not for your genius, I would not have mourned your youth.
Had it not been for your genius, youth would not have wept for you
You are stricken by this, and we by that.
You are the one afflicted, while we are afflicted because of that
إنif راعalarmed قومكyour people أنthat تموتyou die فإنماthen only
إن راع قومك أن تموت فإنما
ريعواthey were alarmed لآمالٍfor hopes تموتthat die وراكاbehind you
ريعوا لآمالٍ تموت وراكا
If your death alarmed your people, it was only
If your people wanted you to die, it is only
That they feared for hopes dying in your wake.
Because they had hopes that died with you
فجعواthey were bereaved بهاof them وعديلand equal to عمركyour lifetime عمرهاtheir lifetime
فجعوا بها وعديل عمرك عمرها
ولقدand indeed نعاهاannounced their death الدهرTime يومthe day نعاكاit announced your death
ولقد نعاها الدهر يوم نعاكا
They were bereaved of them; their lifespan matched yours,
They mourned them, and your life's companion was its life
And Time announced their death the day it announced yours.
And time itself eulogized it the day it eulogized you
لمnot يبقremained فيon أفقthe horizon الأمانيof hopes بارقٌa lightning flash
لم يبق في أفق الأماني بارقٌ
إلاexcept that طواهit folded it away الموتdeath حينwhen طواكاit folded you away
إلا طواه الموت حين طواكا
No lightning flash remained on the horizon of hope
No glimmer remains on the horizon of hopes
That death did not fold away when it folded you away.
Except those the death shrouded when it shrouded you
ياO جانJean هذاthis الروضgarden روضكyour garden يابساًwithered
يا جان هذا الروض روضك يابساً
أدبرتyou turned away عنهfrom it وماand not جنيتyou gathered جناكاyour fruit
أدبرت عنه وما جنيت جناكا
O Jean, this garden—your garden—lies withered;
O soul this garden, your garden, is now barren
You turned away from it without gathering your fruit.
You turned away from it, and did not reap its harvest
ماnot كادalmost يدنوdraw near قطفهits fruit لتنالهfor you to reach it
ما كاد يدنو قطفه لتناله
بيديكwith your two hands حتىwhen أفلتتهlet it slip يداكاyour two hands
بيديك حتى أفلتته يداكا
Scarcely had its fruit drawn near for you to grasp it
No sooner had it approached harvesting by your hands
With both hands, when your hands let it slip.
Than your hands let it slip away
ياO ناشرraiser الأجيالof generations منfrom أرماسهاtheir tombs
يا ناشر الأجيال من أرماسها
فيin بعلبكBaalbek إذنthen يكونis to be جزاكاyour recompense
في بعلبك إذن يكون جزاكا
O raiser of generations from their tombs
O spreader of generations from their sheaths
In Baalbek—is this, then, your recompense?
In Baalbek then will be your reward
أيقظتهاyou awakened them بعدafter القرونcenturies منfrom الكرىslumber
أيقظتها بعد القرون من الكرى
لتنامso that you might sleep أنتyou ولاand never يزالis dispelled كراكاyour slumber
لتنام أنت ولا يزال كراكا
You woke them from slumber after centuries,
You awakened them after centuries of ruin
Only for you to sleep, and your slumber never end.
Only for you to sleep, while your ruin remains awake
رممتyou restored ماwhat دكdemolished الزمانTime وعدتand returned بالـwith the—
رممت ما دك الزمان وعدت بالـ
أملاكkings فوقَupon عروشهاtheir thrones أملاكاas kings
أملاك فوقَ عروشها أملاكا
You restored what Time demolished and brought back the
You rebuilt what time had destroyed, and returned
Kings upon their thrones, as kings.
Your kingdoms upon their thrones as kingdoms
ورجعتand returned بالأبعالِwith the Baals ماثلةًstanding هياbeginning of 'their temples'
ورجعت بالأبعالِ ماثلةً هيا
كلهاcompletion of 'their temples' بهاwithin it وبروجهاand their towers تتواكاlean on one another
كلها بها وبروجها تتواكا
And brought back the Baals, their temples standing
And returned the temples standing tall again
There, their towers leaning upon one another.
Each with its zodiac signs aligned above
شيدتyou built وحدكalone ماwhat قضتspent أممٌnations علىon
شيدت وحدك ما قضت أممٌ على
تشييدهbuilding it أعمارهاtheir lifetimes استهلاكاto exhaustion
تشييده أعمارها استهلاكا
You alone built what nations spent
You built alone what nations spent
Their lifetimes building, to exhaustion.
Their lifetimes building, only to destroy
هذيthese كتلكlike those معاقلٌstrongholds بقبابهاwith their domes
هذي كتلك معاقلٌ بقبابها
وشخوصهاand their figures ونقوشهاand their carvings تتحاكىmirror one another
وشخوصها ونقوشها تتحاكى
These strongholds, like those, with their domes,
These like those, citadels with their domes
Their figures and carvings, mirror one another.
And statues and carvings, so similar
فكأنماso it is as though الرومانthe Romans واليونانُand the Greeks قدhad
فكأنما الرومان واليونانُ قد
جمعواgathered حجاهمtheir intellect كلهall of it بحجاكاin your intellect
جمعوا حجاهم كله بحجاكا
So it is as though the Romans and the Greeks had
As if the Romans and the Greeks had gathered
Gathered all their intellect into yours.
All their stones for your citadel
وكأنكand as though you استعبدتenslaved منthose whom عبدواthey worshipped فلمso not
وكأنك استعبدت من عبدوا فلم
يأبقescaped إلهٌa god عنbeyond نطاقthe bounds رضاكاof your pleasure
يأبق إلهٌ عن نطاق رضاكا
And as though you enslaved those they worshipped, so no
As if you enslaved those who once enslaved
God escaped beyond the bounds of your pleasure.
Leaving no god outside your dominion
انindeed الألىthose whom حملتهمbore them تلكthose الرواbeginning of 'the solid structures'
ان الألى حملتهم تلك الروا
سخcompletion of 'the solid structures' لمnot يصيبواattained فيin المضاءresolve مداكاyour reach
سخ لم يصيبوا في المضاء مداكا
Indeed, those borne by those solid
The gods they carried in their friezes
Structures never reached your measure of resolve.
Could not touch your kingdom in the heavens
حملتهمyou bore them وحملتهاand bore them فرداًalone ولمand not
حملتهم وحملتها فرداً ولم
يحملbore معاقلthe strongholds بعلبكof Baalbek سواكاanyone but you
يحمل معاقل بعلبك سواكا
You bore them and those structures all alone; no one
You carried them and their temples, alone
But you bore the strongholds of Baalbek.
No citadels of Baalbek carried but you
وأممتand you headed for مهدthe cradle السينof the Seine تعرضهاto display it علىto
وأممت مهد السين تعرضها على
أممٍnations منfrom الغربthe West احتشدنassembled هناكاthere
أممٍ من الغرب احتشدن هناكا
And you headed for the Seine's cradle to display it to
And nationalized the cradle of Sene, displaying it
Nations of the West assembled there.
To nations of the West flocking there
أممٌnations رأتsaw عجباًa wonder بأعجبin a most wondrous آيةٍsign
أممٌ رأت عجباً بأعجب آيةٍ
هيit is بعلبكBaalbek تزيحهاmoves it يمناكاyour right hand
هي بعلبك تزيحها يمناكا
Nations that saw a wonder in a most wondrous sign:
Nations that saw wonders in the most wondrous sign
It was Baalbek, transported by your right hand.
Baalbek, nudging it with your right hand
وكأنماand as though حسدٌenvy دهاكstruck you وأنتwhile you were شرbeginning of 'Eastern'
وكأنما حسدٌ دهاك وأنت شر
قيُّcompletion of 'Eastern' وليتَand would that الغربthe West كانhad been فِداكyour ransom
قيُّ وليتَ الغرب كان فِداك
And it was as though envy struck you, a man of the
As if envy itself murdered you, yet you Eastern
East—would that the West had been your ransom!
Star, if only the West could have ransomed you
فمضىso departed القضاءُfate بنابغwith a genius لوif لمnot يكنhe had been
فمضى القضاءُ بنابغ لو لم يكن
مناone of us لداسhe would have trodden بنعلهwith his sandal الأفلاكاthe celestial spheres
منا لداس بنعله الأفلاكا
So fate carried off a genius who, had he not been
Destiny would have stamped out, had you not been
One of us, would have trodden the celestial spheres with his sandal.
Of us, the planets beneath its shoes
لهفيmy grief علىfor لبنانLebanon بعدكafter you ساكناًmotionless
لهفي على لبنان بعدك ساكناً
كسكونِas still as قلبكyour heart لاnot يطيقcan manage حراكاmovement
كسكونِ قلبك لا يطيق حراكا
Alas for Lebanon, motionless after your passing,
My longing for Lebanon after you, still
As still as your heart, unable to stir.
As the stillness of your heart, unable to stir
لاno مارحٌreveller فيin روضهits garden يلهوplays ولاnor
لا مارحٌ في روضه يلهو ولا
قمرa moon يريهshows it وجههits face ضحاكاlaughing
قمر يريه وجهه ضحاكا
There is no reveller playing in its garden, nor
No lover in its meadows frolicking, no
A moon showing it a laughing face.
Moon to show it his smiling face
لاno غادةٌmaiden إلاexcept كمنlike the one whom غادرتهاyou left her
لا غادةٌ إلا كمن غادرتها
تبكيweeps وكلُّand every فتىًyouth بكىwept كفتاكاlike your boy
تبكي وكلُّ فتىً بكى كفتاكا
No maiden but, like the one you left behind,
No beauties but those you left behind
Weeps; and every youth has wept like your boy.
Weeping, and every lad weeps for your loss
ومناحةٍand a mourning assembly فيin المعهدthe institute الـعلميِّof learning يعـbeginning of 'convene it'
ومناحةٍ في المعهد الـعلميِّ يعـ
ـقدهاcompletion of 'convene it' شبابٌyoung men منamong رفاقِthe companions of صباكاyour youth
ـقدها شبابٌ من رفاقِ صباكا
And a mourning assembly at the institute of learning,
And the bereavement in the scholarly institute
Convened by young men, companions of your youth.
Where youths contract it, comrades of your youth
نثرواthey scattered عليهاupon it الدرpearls دمعاًas tears مثلماjust as
نثروا عليها الدر دمعاً مثلما
نثروهthey scattered them لفظاًas words غالياًprecious برثاكاin lament for you
نثروه لفظاً غالياً برثاكا
They scattered pearls upon it as tears, just as
Strewing prose upon it like the teardrops
They scattered them as precious words lamenting you.
They strewed, precious elegy for your death
أمجاورO neighbor of النسرthe eagle الكبيرgreat بقبرهat his tomb
أمجاور النسر الكبير بقبره
هلdid مرpass هوغوHugo باكياًweeping بثراكاby your grave's soil
هل مر هوغو باكياً بثراكا
O neighbor of the great eagle at his tomb,
My neighbor, the great eagle by his grave
Did Hugo pass by your grave in tears?
Did Hugo pass by it, crying for you?
إنif فاتهeluded him الشعرpoetry النضيرfresh وهبتهI will give him
إن فاته الشعر النضير وهبته
شعريmy poetry ليؤنسso it may soothe وحشةًloneliness بنواكاin your distant abode
شعري ليؤنس وحشةً بنواكا
If fresh verse eludes him, I will give him
If he missed your poetry, your peer, I gave him
My verse to soothe the loneliness of your distant abode.
Verses to console the loneliness of your bier
غرّبتyou sent westward عناaway from us بعلبكBaalbek ومتand died مغـbeginning of 'abroad'
غرّبت عنا بعلبك ومت مغـ
ـترباًcompletion of 'abroad' وغرّبand sent abroad دهرناour fate مثواكاyour resting place
ـترباً وغرّب دهرنا مثواكا
You sent Baalbek westward from us and died
You left Baalbek and died far from us
Abroad; our fate sent your resting place abroad too.
And far removed was our fate by your leaving
ماnot منany صنيعكyour handiwork أوor عيانكthe sight of you عندناamong us
ما من صنيعك أو عيانك عندنا
أثرٌa trace يقيمremains فحسبناso sufficient for us ذكراكاyour memory
أثرٌ يقيم فحسبنا ذكراكا
Of your handiwork or the sight of you, we have
Of your works or ruins here we have
No lasting trace; your memory must suffice us.
No remnants, so we make do with your memory
ذاthis حظthe lot لبنانٍof Lebanon فكلfor every فتىًyouth لهit has
ذا حظ لبنانٍ فكل فتىً له
عاليlofty النهىin intellect يقصيهdrives him away ماwhat أقصاكاdrove you away
عالي النهى يقصيه ما أقصاكا
Such is Lebanon's lot: every youth it has
Such is Lebanon's fortune, for every lad
Of lofty intellect is driven away by what drove you away.
Of sublime principles is far removed like you
Sol 6.1