قطبguiding pole السفينthe ships وقبلةand the direction of prayer الربّانthe helmsman
قطب السفين وقبلة الربّان
ياO ليتif only نوركyour light نافعbeneficial to وجدانيmy inner being
يا ليت نورك نافع وجداني
Pole-star of ships, qibla of every helmsman,
The ships' guiding pole and the helmsman's qibla,
if only your light might illumine my heart—
O, if only your light could aid my inner being!
يزجيsends forth مناركyour lighthouse بالضياءwith light كأنهas though it were
يزجي منارك بالضياء كأنه
أرقsleeplessness يقلبturns مقلتيthe two eyes of ولهانa lovesick man
أرق يقلب مقلتي ولهان
your lighthouse casts its radiance as though it were
Your lighthouse sends forth light, as though it were
sleeplessness turning the eyes of a lovesick man.
sleeplessness turning a lovesick man's two eyes.
وعلىand upon الخضمّthe vast sea مطارحscattered patches منof ومضهits flashing
وعلى الخضمّ مطارح من ومضه
تسريdrift مدلهةbewildered بغيرwithout عنانa rein
تسري مدلهة بغير عنان
Across the mighty sea, paths cast by its flashes
And on the vast sea, patches of its flashing light
travel by night, bewildered and unrestrained,
drift bewildered, without a rein,
كمطارحlike the scattered patches of الأفكارthoughts فيin لججdepths علىupon
كمطارح الأفكار في لجج على
لججdepths منof الشبهاتdoubts والاشجانand sorrows
لجج من الشبهات والاشجان
like the courses of thoughts through abyss upon
like thoughts cast into depths upon
abyss of doubts and sorrows.
depths of doubts and sorrows.
تخفيvanish وتظهرand appear وهيand they are فيin ظلمائهاtheir darkness
تخفي وتظهر وهي في ظلمائها
بابthe gate of النجاةsalvation وموئلand the refuge of الحيرانthe bewildered one
باب النجاة وموئل الحيران
They vanish and appear; yet there within their darkness lies
They vanish and appear, and in their darkness are
the gate of deliverance, the bewildered wanderer’s refuge.
the gate of salvation and the bewildered one's refuge.
أمسيتyou have reached evening احداقthe eyes of السفائنthe ships شرعwide open
أمسيت احداق السفائن شرع
صورturned اليكtoward you منfrom البحارthe seas روانgazing
صور اليك من البحار روان
At evening, the ships’ eyes are all turned
Evening finds you with the ships' eyes wide open,
toward you from across the seas, gazing fixedly.
turned toward you, gazing from the seas.
كالبيتlike a home يجمعgathers بعدafter تشتيتthe scattering caused by النوىseparation
كالبيت يجمع بعد تشتيت النوى
شملthe company of الاحبةthe loved ones فيهwithin it والاخوانand the brothers
شمل الاحبة فيه والاخوان
Like the Sacred House, it gathers, after distance has scattered them,
Like a home that, after separation has scattered them, gathers
the whole company of loved ones and brethren within it.
loved ones and brothers together within it.
جوديّMount Judi كلevery سفينةship لمdid not يبنهاbuild it
جوديّ كل سفينة لم يبنها
نوحNoah ولمand did not يمخرsail علىupon الطوفانthe Flood
نوح ولم يمخر على الطوفان
A Mount Judi for every ship that was not built
The Judi of every ship not built by
by Noah and never cleaved the Flood.
Noah, nor sailed by him upon the Flood.
فيهاwithin it التقىmet برٌّland وبحرٌand sea واستوىand became equal
فيها التقى برٌّ وبحرٌ واستوى
شرقٌEast وغربٌand West ليسnot يستويانthe two are equal
شرقٌ وغربٌ ليس يستويان
There land and sea have met and become level—
Within it land and sea have met, and on equal terms stand
East and West, though they are not alike.
East and West, though they are not equal.
بسطتit has spread ذراعيهاits two arms تودعbidding farewell to راحلاًone departing
بسطت ذراعيها تودع راحلاً
عنهاfrom it وتحفلand attends بالنزيلto the guest الدانيdrawing near
عنها وتحفل بالنزيل الداني
She spreads her arms, bidding farewell to one departing
It has spread its arms to bid farewell to one departing
from her and welcoming the guest who draws near.
from it, and welcomes the guest drawing near.
زُمَرgroups توافتhave gathered للفراقto part فقاصدso one bound for
زُمَر توافت للفراق فقاصد
وطناa homeland ومغتربand one living abroad عنaway from الأوطانhomelands
وطنا ومغترب عن الأوطان
Companies converge for parting: one bound
Groups have gathered to part: one bound for
for home, another an exile far from the homelands.
a homeland, and another abroad, away from homelands.
متجاوريadjacent in الأجسادbodies مفترقيdivided in الهوىaffections
متجاوري الأجساد مفترقي الهوى
متباينيdiffering in اللهجاتdialects والألوانand colors
متبايني اللهجات والألوان
Bodies side by side, their longings far apart,
Their bodies side by side, their affections apart,
differing in accents and complexions.
differing in dialects and colors.
فانظرso look الىat تلكthose الوجوهthe faces فانهاfor they are
فانظر الى تلك الوجوه فانها
شتىvarious ديارlands جمّعتwere gathered بمكانيin my place
شتى ديار جمّعت بمكاني
Look upon those faces, for they are
Look, then, at those faces, for they are
diverse homelands gathered here where I stand.
various lands gathered where I stand,
فيin فرضةٍa harbor متقاصرٍfalling short عنof متنْهاits upper surface
في فرضةٍ متقاصرٍ عن متنْها
موجٌa wave اشمlofty احمّblack ليسnot بوانat all flagging
موجٌ اشم احمّ ليس بوان
In a harbor, falling short of her deck,
in a harbor whose upper surface is beyond the reach of
a proud, pitch-dark wave—never flagging.
a lofty, black wave that never flags.
موجa wave يطيفcircles بهاaround it وقدwhile already رانhas settled الكرىslumber
موج يطيف بها وقد ران الكرى
فيهاwithin it طوافthe circling of الضيغمthe lion الغرثانfamished
فيها طواف الضيغم الغرثان
A wave circles her, though sleep has overcome her—
A wave circles it, while slumber has settled
circling her like a ravenous lion.
within it, as a famished lion circles.
ألقتdropped مراسيهاtheir anchors السفائنthe ships عندهاbeside it
ألقت مراسيها السفائن عندها
وتحصنتand took refuge منهاfrom it بدارin a dwelling of أمانsafety
وتحصنت منها بدار أمان
The ships have cast their anchors beside her
The ships have dropped their anchors beside it,
and taken shelter from it in a haven of safety.
and taken refuge in a safe abode it offered.
فكأنso it is as though ضوءthe light of منارهاits lighthouse نارthe fire of القرىhospitality
فكأن ضوء منارها نار القرى
لوif كانwere يُبعثbrought to life ميتthe dead one among النيرانfires
لو كان يُبعث ميت النيران
It is as though her lighthouse’s glow were hospitality’s fire—
Its lighthouse's light is thus like the fire of hospitality,
if the dead among fires could be revived.
if a dead fire could be brought to life.
