فؤادa heart دأبهits constant habit الذكَرُremembrance
فؤاد دأبه الذكَرُ
وعينand an eye ملؤهاits fullness عبرُtears
وعين ملؤها عبرُ
A heart whose constant habit is remembrance,
And an eye filled with tears,
ونفسand a soul فيin شبيبتهاits youth
ونفس في شبيبتها
وجسمand a body مسّهُhas touched it الكبرُold age
وجسم مسّهُ الكبرُ
And a soul still in its youth,
And a body touched by old age,
وآمالand hopes مضيّعةwasted
وآمال مضيّعة
ووقتand time كلهُall of it هدرُwaste
ووقت كلهُ هدرُ
And hopes laid to waste,
And time all squandered,
وعيشand a life عذبهُits sweetness مضضanguish
وعيش عذبهُ مضض
وعمرand a lifetime صفوهits clarity كدرُmurkiness
وعمر صفوه كدرُ
And a life whose sweetness is anguish,
And a lifetime whose clarity is clouded.
أماis there no ياO ليلnight منany صبحdawn
أما يا ليل من صبح
لمنfor those who سهرواhave kept vigil فينتظرso it may be awaited
لمن سهروا فينتظر
Is there, O night, no dawn
For those who keep vigil to await?
جفونeyelids الناسthe people هاجعةsleeping
جفون الناس هاجعة
وجفنيand my eyelid ضافهvisited it as a guest السهرwakefulness
وجفني ضافه السهر
The people's eyelids sleep,
And wakefulness has come as a guest to my eyelid.
اذاif سورsurges تولتreceded منكof you
اذا سور تولت منك
عنيfrom me أقبلتapproached سورsurges
عني أقبلت سور
If surges of you recede
From me, other surges approach.
أفانيهاI strive to destroy them فتفنينيbut they destroy me
أفانيها فتفنيني
وأطويهاand I fold them up فتنتشرbut they spread out
وأطويها فتنتشر
I try to end them, but they end me;
And I fold them up, but they spread out.
وحيداalone ًفيكwithin you ذاpossessing حذرcaution
وحيدا ًفيك ذا حذر
يكادalmost يخوننيbetrays me الحذرcaution
يكاد يخونني الحذر
Alone in you, full of caution,
My caution almost betrays me.
فلاso there are no كتبbooks أسامرهاI converse with them at night
فلا كتب أسامرها
أذاwhen ماemphatic particle شاقنيstirs my longing السمرnighttime conversation
أذا ما شاقني السمر
So I have no books to converse with
When I long for nighttime talk,
ولاand no نظمverse ولاand no نثرprose
ولا نظم ولا نثر
وقدthough indeed نظمواthey composed verse وقدand indeed نثرواthey wrote prose
وقد نظموا وقد نثروا
Nor verse nor prose,
Though they have composed verse and written prose.
سأقضيI shall spend العمرthe lifetime فيin أسرcaptivity
سأقضي العمر في أسر
ويسعدand will be happy بعدafterward منthose who أسرواtook captives
ويسعد بعد من أسروا
I shall spend my lifetime in captivity,
And afterward the captors will rejoice.
أرىI see سيواسSivas تغمدنيsheathes me
أرى سيواس تغمدني
كأنيas though I were صارمa sharp sword ذكرof hard steel
كأني صارم ذكر
I see Sivas sheathing me,
As though I were a sharp sword of hard steel.
صدأتI have rusted بهاin it وأحسبنيand I think that I
صدأت بها وأحسبني
سأصدأI shall rust ماas long as جرىruns on العمرlife
سأصدأ ما جرى العمر
I have rusted there, and I think I
Shall rust as long as life runs on.
أيخذلنيwill it forsake me وإخوانيand my brothers
أيخذلني وإخواني
وينصرand grant victory to خصمناour enemy القدرfate
وينصر خصمنا القدر
Will fate forsake me and my brothers
And grant our enemy victory?
فواso, alas لهفيmy anguish علىfor سربa herd
فوا لهفي على سرب
تولىundertook رعيهits tending النمرthe leopard
تولى رعيه النمر
Alas for a herd
Whose care the leopard has assumed!
غداhas come to be فيin أرضa land مسغبةfamine
غدا في أرض مسغبة
جفاهاhas forsaken it النبتvegetation والشجرand trees
جفاها النبت والشجر
It is now in a famine-stricken land
That plants and trees have forsaken.
قضىdied راعيهits shepherd منsince زمنsome time
قضى راعيه من زمن
وضلتand strayed بعدهafter him العفرthe tawny gazelles
وضلت بعده العفر
Its shepherd died long ago,
And after him the tawny gazelles strayed.
بقولwith the words of أحبتيmy loved ones صبراًpatience!
بقول أحبتي صبراً
وهلand can فيin النارthe fire يصطبرone endure patiently
وهل في النار يصطبر
With my loved ones saying, 'Patience!'—
Yet can one endure patiently in the fire?
عداةenemies الحقof truth قدindeed ربحواhave won
عداة الحق قد ربحوا
وأهلand the people الحقof truth قدindeed خسرواhave lost
وأهل الحق قد خسروا
The enemies of truth have won,
And the people of truth have lost.
ونحنand we أمامناbefore us وطنa homeland
ونحن أمامنا وطن
نراهwe see it اليومtoday يحتضرin its death throes
نراه اليوم يحتضر
And before us lies a homeland;
We see it in its death throes today.
فمنso whoever يجزعloses heart فمعذورis therefore excused
فمن يجزع فمعذور
ولكنbut قلfew are منthose who عذرواhave offered pardon
ولكن قل من عذروا
So whoever loses heart is excused,
But few are those who offer pardon.
فياso, O أفقhorizon ألتهبblaze! حزناwith grief
فيا أفق ألتهب حزنا
وجدand give generously بالدمعwith tears ياO مطرrain
وجد بالدمع يا مطر
So blaze with grief, O horizon,
And be generous with tears, O rain!
علامwhy نلومdo we blame اعداءenemies
علام نلوم اعداء
علىfor شرevil إذاwhen قدرواthey have the power
على شر إذا قدروا
Why do we blame enemies
For evil, when they have the power?
بلوناهمwe have tested them لدنsince شبواthey reached youth
بلوناهم لدن شبوا
اننساهمshall we forget them إذاwhen كبرواthey grow old
اننساهم إذا كبروا
We have tried them since they were young;
Shall we forget them when they grow old?
نصحناهمwe counseled them فماbut not انتصحواthey heeded counsel
نصحناهم فما انتصحوا
زجرناهمwe rebuked them فماbut not ازدجرواthey were deterred
زجرناهم فما ازدجروا
We counseled them, but they took no counsel;
We rebuked them, but they were not deterred.
لقدindeed صلدتhave hardened قلوبهمtheir hearts
لقد صلدت قلوبهم
كأنas though قلوبهمtheir hearts حجرstone
كأن قلوبهم حجر
Their hearts have indeed hardened,
As though their hearts were stone.
إذاif أتمرواthey take counsel together علىfor كيدa plot
إذا أتمروا على كيد
فإناthen we indeed سوفshall نأتمرtake counsel together
فإنا سوف نأتمر
If they take counsel for a plot,
Then we too shall take counsel.
فمنso whom نخشىdo we fear وفوقand upon العرthe throne (word continues)
فمن نخشى وفوق العر
شcompletion of 'throne' مهماhowever much يغتررhe grows conceited بشرa mortal
ش مهما يغترر بشر
Whom, then, should we fear, when upon the throne—
However conceited he may be—is only a mortal?
وفيand in الأيامthe days متسعample room
وفي الأيام متسع
وفيand in الأقدارdestiny's decrees مدخرsomething held in reserve
وفي الأقدار مدخر
And in the days there is ample room,
And destiny holds something in reserve,
وفيand in الأجداثthe graves معتبرa lesson
وفي الأجداث معتبر
لوif only أنthat الناسpeople تعتبرwould take heed
لو أن الناس تعتبر
And in the graves there is a lesson,
If only people would take heed.
وهذاand this التاجcrown منعفرcovered in dust
وهذا التاج منعفر
غداًtomorrow والقصرand the palace مندثرobliterated
غداً والقصر مندثر
And this crown shall lie in the dust
Tomorrow, and the palace shall be obliterated.
رويداًwait a little إنهاindeed these are دولturns of power
رويداً إنها دول
تدولpass in turn وبعدهاand after them أخرothers
تدول وبعدها أخر
Wait a little: these are turns of power;
They pass, and others follow them.
يظلremains الحقtruth منهزماًdefeated
يظل الحق منهزماً
زماناًfor a time ثمthen ينتصرit triumphs
زماناً ثم ينتصر
Truth remains defeated
For a time, then it triumphs.
سيوفswords اللهGod إنif سلتare unsheathed
سيوف الله إن سلت
فلاthen do not تبقيspare ولاand do not تذرleave anything behind
فلا تبقي ولا تذر
God's swords, if unsheathed,
Spare nothing and leave nothing.
Sol 6.1