ياO جيرةneighbors of السينthe Seine يحياlives فيin مرابعكمyour dwelling places
يا جيرة السين يحيا في مرابعكم
فتىًa young man إلىto النيلthe Nile يشكوlaments غربةexile الدارِhome
فتىً إلى النيل يشكو غربة الدارِ
O neighbors of the Seine, there lives in your haunts
O neighbors of the Seine, there lives amid your haunts
a youth who laments to the Nile his exile from home.
A young man who laments to the Nile his exile from home.
جنَنتclosed in عليهupon him لياليهhis nights وأسلمهُand handed him over
جنَنت عليه لياليه وأسلمهُ
إلىto الحوادثcalamities صحبٌcompanions غيرnot أبرارِvirtuous
إلى الحوادث صحبٌ غير أبرارِ
His nights wronged him, and he was handed over
His nights have closed in upon him; he was handed over
to calamity by companions devoid of honor.
To calamities by companions lacking virtue.
أحالهtransformed him الدهرtime فيamid لأواءthe hardships of غربتهhis exile
أحاله الدهر في لأواء غربته
روحاًa soul معنىّtormented وجسماand a body نضوَworn thin by أسفارjourneys
روحاً معنىّ وجسما نضوَ أسفار
Time transformed him, amid the hardship of exile,
Time, amid the hardships of his exile, has made him
into a tormented spirit and a body worn lean by travel.
A tormented soul and a body worn thin by journeys.
يسعىstrives إلىfor المجدglory ترميهِpelt him مخاطرهُits perils
يسعى إلى المجد ترميهِ مخاطرهُ
بنافعwith something beneficial منof شظاياهاtheir shards وضرّارِand something gravely harmful
بنافع من شظاياها وضرّارِ
He strives toward glory; its perils pelt him
He strives for glory; its perils pelt him
with shards that bring both benefit and harm.
With fragments of theirs, some helpful and some grievously harmful.
عزاؤهُhis consolation أنthat عقبىthe outcome of كلevery عاديةٍcalamity
عزاؤهُ أن عقبى كل عاديةٍ
يشقىsuffers بهاfrom it الحرّthe free man إكليلٌa wreath منof الغارِlaurel
يشقى بها الحرّ إكليلٌ من الغارِ
His solace is that the end of every onslaught
His consolation is that the outcome of every calamity
through which the free man suffers is a crown of laurel.
A free man suffers is a wreath of laurel.
ياO خافقَflashing البرقlightning ترتاعُtremble القلوبhearts لهُat it
يا خافقَ البرق ترتاعُ القلوب لهُ
كوقدةِlike the blaze of الغيظrage فيin أحشاءthe entrails of جبّارِa tyrant
كوقدةِ الغيظ في أحشاء جبّارِ
O flicker of lightning, at which hearts quake,
O flashing lightning, at which hearts tremble,
like the blaze of rage in a tyrant’s entrails,
Like the blaze of rage in a tyrant's entrails.
تعالَcome أُهديكI offer you منfrom روحيmy soul بعاصفةٍwith a tempest
تعالَ أُهديك من روحي بعاصفةٍ
تردىlays low الأنامmankind ومنand from قلبيmy heart بإعصارِwith a whirlwind
تردى الأنام ومن قلبي بإعصارِ
come—I will present you with a tempest from my soul
Come; I offer you, from my soul, a tempest
that lays mankind low, and with a hurricane from my heart.
That lays mankind low, and from my heart, a whirlwind.
الناسُpeople ماwhat are الناسُpeople لاnot تدرىyou know سرائرهمtheir secrets
الناسُ ما الناسُ لا تدرى سرائرهم
وماnor what يجنونthey reap منof كيدٍscheming ومنand of نارfire
وما يجنون من كيدٍ ومن نار
People—what are people? You cannot know their secrets,
People—what are people? You do not know their secrets,
nor what guile and fire they reap.
Nor what they reap of scheming and fire.
لوif يفصحdiscloses الغيبthe unseen يوماًone day عنabout مصائرهمtheir fates
لو يفصح الغيب يوماً عن مصائرهم
لأقصرَwould desist from اللؤمَbaseness قومٌsome people أيّhow complete a إقصارِcessation
لأقصرَ اللؤمَ قومٌ أيّ إقصارِ
If the unseen one day disclosed their destinies,
If the unseen one day disclosed their fates,
the believer would draw far back from mankind—how utterly!
Some people would desist from baseness—how completely!
حارwere baffled النبيونthe prophets فيin تطهيرpurifying فطرتهمtheir innate nature
حار النبيون في تطهير فطرتهم
فماso what عسىcould نفعbenefit أمثاليpeople like me واشعاريand my poems
فما عسى نفع أمثالي واشعاري
The prophets were baffled in trying to purify those people’s innate nature;
The prophets were at a loss to purify their nature;
what good, then, can the likes of me and my poems do?
What good, then, could people like me and my poems do?
رباهُO my Lord آمنتI have believed لكنيyet I علىin خطرٍperil
رباهُ آمنت لكني على خطرٍ
يغتالنيassassinates me الشكdoubt فيin جهرىmy openness وإسراريand my secrecy
يغتالني الشك في جهرى وإسراري
My Lord, I have believed, yet I stand in peril:
O my Lord, I have believed, yet I am in peril;
doubt waylays me in all I avow and all I conceal.
Doubt strikes me down, in public and in private.
سوّيتَYou fashioned فيin الناسpeople أخلاطاmixtures مبعثرةًscattered
سوّيتَ في الناس أخلاطا مبعثرةً
تشوكُprick عشاقlovers of صنعthe handiwork of المبدعthe Originator الباريthe Creator
تشوكُ عشاق صنع المبدع الباري
You have fashioned among mankind scattered, motley kinds
You have fashioned among mankind scattered mixtures
that prick those who love the handiwork of the Originator, the Creator.
That prick those who love the handiwork of the Originator, the Creator.
أرىI see وجوهاًfaces بصدقwith sincerity of الودaffection واعدةًpromising
أرى وجوهاً بصدق الود واعدةً
ولاand not أرىI see ظلa shadow of قلبٍa heart غيرnot ختّارdeeply treacherous
ولا أرى ظل قلبٍ غير ختّار
I see faces promising sincere affection,
I see faces promising sincere affection,
yet never see the shadow of a heart that is not treacherous.
Yet I see no shadow of a heart that is not treacherous.
كمhow many منof عشيرٍa companion أُواسيهِI comfort him وأنصرُهand support him
كم من عشيرٍ أُواسيهِ وأنصرُه
يرعىgrazes in حمايَmy preserve بقلبٍwith a heart جاحدٍungrateful ضارِsavage
يرعى حمايَ بقلبٍ جاحدٍ ضارِ
How many a kinsman I console and champion,
How many a companion I comfort and support
while he grazes in my preserve with a thankless, harmful heart.
Grazes in my preserve with an ungrateful, savage heart!
غفرانَكYour forgiveness اللَهO God هذيthis نفثةٌan outburst غلبتoverwhelmed
غفرانَك اللَه هذي نفثةٌ غلبت
ألقىcast forth بهاwith it الشعرpoetry لمwas not تسبقpreceded بإصرارby deliberate intent
ألقى بها الشعر لم تسبق بإصرار
Your pardon, God—this outburst overcame me;
Forgive me, O God: this is an outburst that overcame me;
I poured it out in verse, with no intent beforehand.
Poetry cast it forth; no deliberate intent had preceded it.
Sol 6.1