ياO خفيhidden الغاياتthe ends والأغراضِand the aims
يا خفي الغايات والأغراضِ
هاتbring ماwhat كانwas باقياًremaining فيin الوفاضِthe pouches
هات ما كان باقياً في الوفاضِ
O you whose ends and purposes lie hidden,
O you whose ends and aims are hidden,
bring forth whatever remains in the quiver.
Bring what was left in the pouches.
عدتyou returned منfrom بعدafter ماthat انتهىceased معولthe pickaxe الهدdemolition (first part)
عدت من بعد ما انتهى معول الهد
م(completes 'demolition') فأطلقso release يديكyour two hands فيamong الأنقاضِthe ruins
م فأطلق يديك في الأنقاضِ
You have returned after demolition’s pickaxe was spent;
You returned after the pickaxe of demolition had ceased;
now loose both your hands among the ruins.
So give your hands free rein among the ruins.
وَأَعِدْand restore ذاهباًwhat has gone وأنشئand create جديداًsomething new
وَأَعِدْ ذاهباً وأنشئ جديداً
واقضand decree فيin الحالتينthe two cases ماwhat أنتyou قاضيdecreeing
واقض في الحالتين ما أنت قاضي
Restore what has gone, and fashion something new;
And restore what has gone, and create something new,
in either case, decree whatever you will.
And in both cases, decree what you will.
والذيand that which أنتyou غيرnot آخذهtaking it بالby the
والذي أنت غير آخذه بال
عنفforce خذهtake it برقةwith gentleness المرتاضِthe self-disciplined man
عنف خذه برقة المرتاضِ
What you cannot take by
And what you do not take by
force, take with the practiced one’s gentleness.
Force, take with a self-disciplined man's gentleness.
قدalready عرضناwe offered عليكto you ماwhat نتمنىwe wish for
قد عرضنا عليك ما نتمنى
ورضيناand we were content بماwith what بهwith it أنتyou راضيcontent
ورضينا بما به أنت راضي
We have laid before you what we desire,
We have offered you what we wish for,
and accepted that with which you are content.
And accepted what you are content with.
وأردناand we wanted كماjust as أردتyou wanted سلاماًpeace
وأردنا كما أردت سلاماً
بعدafter طولlong duration الإباءdefiance والإعراضِand turning away
بعد طول الإباء والإعراضِ
Like you, we have desired peace,
And we wanted peace, as you wanted it,
after long refusal and estrangement.
After long defiance and turning away.
ورأتand saw عينكyour eye الحميةthe fervor تجريflowing
ورأت عينك الحمية تجري
فيthrough الحمىthe homeland جريَthe flowing of نيلهits Nile الفياضthe overflowing
في الحمى جريَ نيله الفياض
Your eyes saw patriotic ardor coursing
And your eye saw fervor flow
through the homeland like its bountiful Nile.
Through the homeland as its overflowing Nile flows.
وسمعتand you heard الهُتافthe cheering فيin الجوthe air يدويresounding
وسمعت الهُتاف في الجو يدوي
منfrom قصورpalaces منيفةlofty ورياضand gardens
من قصور منيفة ورياض
You heard the cry resound in the air,
And you heard cheering resound in the air,
from lofty palaces and gardens.
From lofty palaces and gardens.
ذهبpassed الدهرtime بينbetween أخذtaking وردand giving back
ذهب الدهر بين أخذ ورد
واجتماعand gathering لمغرمٍfor a levy وانفضاضand dispersal
واجتماع لمغرمٍ وانفضاض
An age passed in give-and-take,
Time passed amid give-and-take,
in union for the ardent lover, and separation.
And gathering for a levy, and dispersing.
وبلوناand we experienced منsome of ذلكthat الثمرthe fruit المرthe bitter (first part)
وبلونا من ذلك الثمر المر
رِ(completes 'bitter') وعفناand we spurned شرابthe drink of تلكthose الحياضthe pools
رِ وعفنا شراب تلك الحياض
We tasted that bitter fruit
And we tasted some of that bitter fruit,
and recoiled from the drink of those pools.
And spurned the drink from those pools.
ومشتand crept بينناamong us الخصومةthe strife فيover الدسthe constitution (first part)
ومشت بيننا الخصومة في الدس
تور(completes 'constitution') حتىuntil طغتit encroached علىon الأعراضpeople's honor
تور حتى طغت على الأعراض
Discord over the constitution moved among us
Strife over the constitution crept among us,
until it encroached upon people’s honor.
Until it encroached on people's honor.
لمnot يدمendure فيunder جديدهits new form الضيِّقthe narrow الحكrule (first part)
لم يدم في جديده الضيِّق الحك
م(completes 'rule') ولاnor فيunder قديمهits old form الفضفاضthe ample
م ولا في قديمه الفضفاض
Rule endured neither in its narrow new form
Rule did not endure under its narrow new form,
nor in its spacious old one.
Nor under its ample old one.
ولكلand for each نصيبهits share منof نقيضيtwo opposites (first part)
ولكل نصيبه من نقيضي
ن(completes 'two opposites') ارتفاعٍa rise كماas ترىyou see وانخفاضand a fall
ن ارتفاعٍ كما ترى وانخفاض
Each had a share in the two opposites:
And each has its share of two opposites:
ascent, as you see, and decline.
A rise, as you see, and a fall.
والفريقانand the two sides بينbetween يومa day انبساطٍexpansion
والفريقان بين يوم انبساطٍ
فيin مداريهماtheir two orbits ويومand a day انقباضcontraction
في مداريهما ويوم انقباض
The two parties alternate between a day of expansion
And both sides move between a day of expansion
in their twin orbits and a day of contraction.
In their two orbits, and a day of contraction.
آنit is time أنthat نعرفwe know الحقيقةthe truth منfrom بعafter (first part)
آن أن نعرف الحقيقة من بع
د(completes 'after') احتمالconjecture أطلتهyou prolonged it وافتراضand supposition
د احتمال أطلته وافتراض
It is time we knew the truth, after
It is time we knew the truth, after
endurance that you prolonged, and supposition.
Conjecture you prolonged, and supposition.
والأراجيفand the rumors رائحاتgoing at evening غوادgoing at dawn
والأراجيف رائحات غواد
فيin ميادينهاtheir arenas الطوالthe long العراضthe broad
في ميادينها الطوال العراض
Rumors circulate by evening and morning,
And rumors go forth at evening and at dawn,
across their arenas, long and broad.
Across their long, broad arenas.
قدalready عرفتyou have known الهوىaffection فلاso do not تلتمسهseek it
قد عرفت الهوى فلا تلتمسه
بعدafter هذاthis منfrom النواحيthe quarters البغاضthe hostile
بعد هذا من النواحي البغاض
You have learned what desire is; seek it no longer
You have known affection; so do not seek it
after this among the hostile quarters.
After this, from hostile quarters.
ليسnot يبقىendures علىagainst الأعاصيرthe whirlwinds عهدa covenant
ليس يبقى على الأعاصير عهد
تبتنيهyou build it منfrom القلوبthe hearts المراضthe diseased
تبتنيه من القلوب المراض
No compact can withstand the hurricanes
No covenant can withstand the whirlwinds
when you build it out of diseased hearts.
If you build it from diseased hearts.
يطلبdemands الشعبthe people حقهtheir right وهوand it is حتمan imperative
يطلب الشعب حقه وهو حتم
غيرnot مستبدلexchangeable ولاnor معتاضreplaceable by compensation
غير مستبدل ولا معتاض
The people demand their right, and it is an imperative
The people demand their right; it is an imperative,
neither to be exchanged nor bartered away.
Not to be exchanged or replaced by compensation.
ويرىand they consider الصلحreconciliation بالفريقينfor the two sides أولىmore fitting
ويرى الصلح بالفريقين أولى
وهوand they are ماضٍpressing ahead بهwith it كماjust as أنتyou ماضيpressing ahead
وهو ماضٍ به كما أنت ماضي
They deem reconciliation better for both parties,
And they deem reconciliation more fitting for both sides,
and pursue it, just as you do.
And they press ahead with it, just as you do.