أرقصيdance أيتهاO you الthe (article fragment)
أرقصي أيتها ال
أضواءlights بالحلمwith the dream المرددoft-repeated
أضواء بالحلم المردد
Dance, O
Dance, O lights, with the echoing dream
lights, with the oft-repeated dream;
And rejoice, O fire, for a renewed faith
وافرحيand rejoice أيتهاO you النthe fire (opening fragment)
وافرحي أيتها الن
نارfire لإيمانfor faith مجددrenewed
نار لإيمان مجدد
and rejoice, O
The fast has passed and the torment of the cross dissipated
fire, for renewed faith.
And Christ today is free, shrouded in glory
قدalready مضىhas passed الصومthe fast وزاand vanished (opening fragment)
قد مضى الصوم وزا
لvanished (ending fragment) الصلبthe crucifixion كابوساa nightmare تبددdissipated
ل الصلب كابوسا تبدد
The fast has passed, and gone is
Like truth which, though worn out, renews itself
the crucifixion—a nightmare dispelled.
Like love which reveals itself in the temple of the universe
والمسيحand Christ اليومtoday فيin
والمسيح اليوم في
عليائهhis lofty realm حرfree مسودsovereign
عليائه حر مسود
And Christ today, in
Like nobility which, without it, humanity disperses
his lofty realm, is free and sovereign:
Like man who, through God, excels and unifies
مثلlike الحقtruth الذيwhich إنif
مثل الحق الذي إن
ظنwas thought بهof it يبلىwears out يتجددrenews itself
ظن به يبلى يتجدد
like truth, which, if
He revolted for justice when the oppressed collapsed
thought to wear out, renews itself;
And accepted pain as loyalists of death immortalized
مثلlike الحبlove الذيwhich فيin
مثل الحب الذي في
الكونthe universe يستجليهmakes it manifest معبدجa temple (uncertain reading)
الكون يستجليه معبدج
like love, which in
He left the world, while fortune was unsettled
the universe is unveiled by a temple [uncertain reading];
Bearing all the sins of people like a sturdy structure
مثلlike النبلnobility الذيwhich لولاwere it not for
مثل النبل الذي لولا
هُit فيin الدهرtime تشردwandered astray
هُ في الدهر تشرد
like nobility, without
Ascending to the heavens like a shooting star or meteor
which one would wander lost through time;
Opening a new eternal kingdom
مثلlike الإنسانhumankind فيin اللGod (opening fragment)
مثل الإنسان في الل
هِGod (ending fragment) تسامىrose sublime وتوحدand became one
هِ تسامى وتوحد
like humankind, who in
Announcing to angels and planets peace and servitude
God rose sublime and became one.
Then the universes in lights guiding light to tomorrow
ثارrose up للعدلfor justice فخرَّso fell الظُّلoppression (opening fragment)
ثار للعدل فخرَّ الظُّل
مُoppression (ending fragment) حينwhen اغترgrew presumptuous وانهدand collapsed
مُ حين اغتر وانهد
He rose for justice; down fell
After shaking the earth which once threatened
oppression when it grew presumptuous and collapsed.
After darkening the world when light was dark
وارتضىand willingly accepted الآلامthe sufferings أصحاcompanions (opening fragment)
وارتضى الآلام أصحا
باcompanions (ending fragment) وعدand deemed الموتdeath أخلدmore enduring
با وعد الموت أخلد
And he accepted sufferings as
Celebrate today, O world, with elation or prostration
companions, and deemed death more enduring.
Celebrate amidst symbols of love, adorned and prepared
ودعbade farewell الدنياthe world عيوفdisdainful النفthe soul (opening fragment)
ودع الدنيا عيوف النف
سِsoul (ending fragment) بيناwhile الحظfortune عربدran riot
سِ بينا الحظ عربد
He bade the world farewell, with a disdainful
Make the earth fields for hopes that pave the way
soul, while fortune ran riot;
Passionately, with the magic of joy like perfumed sorcery
حاملاbearing كلall خطاياsins النthe people (opening fragment)
حاملا كل خطايا الن
ناسpeople كالصرحlike the palace الممردpolished; smooth
ناس كالصرح الممرد
bearing all the sins of
Celebrate as you wish, for this feast is like glorious God
humankind, like a polished palace;
Religions and morals have benefited from its provisions
صاعداascending نحوtoward السماthe heavens (opening fragment)
صاعدا نحو السما
واتheavens (ending fragment) شهاباa meteor أوor مهندan Indian-forged sword
وات شهابا أو مهند
ascending toward the
These sweets and eggs are poems of meaning
heavens, a meteor or an Indian-forged sword;
And the procession of people worshipping
فاتحاopening ملكاa kingdom جديداnew
فاتحا ملكا جديدا
ماnot تناهىreached an end وهوwhile it يمتدexpands
ما تناهى وهو يمتد
opening a new kingdom,
O pilgrims in Jerusalem, camels that yearn
unending as it expands.
I am one of you though distant, in prayer without confines
بشرbrought glad tidings الأملاكthe angels والand the (article fragment)
بشر الأملاك وال
أفلاكcelestial spheres بالسلمof peace وعبدand was worshipped
أفلاك بالسلم وعبد
He brought glad news to the angels and
I've known my philosophy of symbols and pure mysticism
the spheres—news of peace—and was worshipped.
As if I was present at the crucifixion and the precise resurrection
فإذاthen behold الأكوانthe worlds فيamid الthe (article fragment)
فإذا الأكوان في ال
أضواءlights تهديoffer النورlight للغدto tomorrow
أضواء تهدي النور للغد
And behold, the worlds amid
But only my laments, sorrows, and blazing revenge remain
the lights offer light to tomorrow,
It is my love that remains eternal
بعدماafter زلزلتwas shaken الthe (article fragment)
بعدما زلزلت ال
أرضearth وقدand indeed كانتhad been تهددbeing threatened
أرض وقد كانت تهدد
after the shaking of the
earth, which had been threatened;
بعدماafter أظلمتgrew dark الدنياthe world
بعدما أظلمت الدنيا
وكانand was الضوءlight أسودblack
وكان الضوء أسود
after the world grew dark
and the light was black.
فتهاديso sway gracefully اليومtoday ياO
فتهادي اليوم يا
دنياworld بماسwith diamonds أوor بعسجدwith gold
دنيا بماس أو بعسجد
So sway gracefully today, O
world, with diamonds or gold;
عيديcelebrate بينamid رموزsymbols الthe (article fragment)
عيدي بين رموز ال
حُبِّlove مخضلاdew-moistened مهدهدgently cradled
حُبِّ مخضلا مهدهد
celebrate amid the symbols of
love, dewy and gently cradled;
واجعليand make الأرضthe earth أزاflowers (opening fragment)
واجعلي الأرض أزا
هيرَflowers (ending fragment) لآمالٍfor hopes تُمهدpave the way
هيرَ لآمالٍ تُمهد
and turn the earth into
flowers that pave the way for hopes,
عابقاتfragrant بشذىwith the scent of الthe (article fragment)
عابقات بشذى ال
فرحةِjoy كالسحرlike magic الموسَّدpillowed
فرحةِ كالسحر الموسَّد
fragrant with the scent of
joy, like pillowed magic.
عيديcelebrate ماas much as شِئتِyou wish هذاthis
عيدي ما شِئتِ هذا
العيدُthe feast كاللهlike God ممجَّدglorified
العيدُ كالله ممجَّد
Celebrate as you wish: this
feast, like God, is glorified.
عبّتdrank deeply الأديانthe religions والand the (article fragment)
عبّت الأديان وال
آدابletters; literature منهfrom it تتزوّدdraw sustenance
آداب منه تتزوّد
Deeply have religions and
letters drunk from it, drawing sustenance.
هذهthis الحلوىthe sweets وهذاand this الthe (article fragment)
هذه الحلوى وهذا ال
بيضeggs أشعارpoems تقصدare intended
بيض أشعار تقصد
These sweets and these
eggs are poems with a purpose;
والحفيّand the welcoming الموكبthe procession السthe radiant (opening fragment)
والحفيّ الموكب الس
سانيradiant لشعبof a people يتعبدworships devoutly
ساني لشعب يتعبد
and the welcoming procession,
radiant, of a people at worship.
أيهاO you الحجاجthe pilgrims فيin الthe (article fragment)
أيها الحجاج في ال
قدسJerusalem زُرافاتin throngs تأودsway
قدس زُرافات تأود
O pilgrims in
Jerusalem, swaying in throngs,
أناI منكمone of you رغمdespite بعديmy distance
أنا منكم رغم بعدي
فيin صلاةprayer لاnot تحددis bounded
في صلاة لا تحدد
I am one of you, despite my distance,
in prayer that knows no bounds.
عرفتunderstood فلسفتيmy philosophy الرمزthe symbol
عرفت فلسفتي الرمز
كعرفانيlike my understanding المجردabstract
كعرفاني المجرد
My philosophy has understood the symbol,
as has my abstract understanding;
وكأنيand as though I قدalready حضرتwitnessed الصthe crucifixion (opening fragment)
وكأني قد حضرت الص
صَلبَcrucifixion والبعثand the resurrection المسددrightly guided
صَلبَ والبعث المسدد
and it is as though I had witnessed
the crucifixion and the rightly guided resurrection.
فأبتso refused ليfor me غيرother than ألحاsongs (opening fragment)
فأبت لي غير ألحا
نيmy songs (ending fragment) ماwhat يروىis told ويسردand is recounted
ني ما يروى ويسرد
So I was denied all but my own
songs by all that is told and recounted.
إنهاthey are indeed دمعيmy tears وأشand sorrows (opening fragment)
إنها دمعي وأش
جانيmy sorrows (ending fragment) وثأرand vengeance يتوقدblazes
جاني وثأر يتوقد
They are my tears and my
sorrows, and a vengeance ablaze;
إنهاthey are indeed حبيmy love الذيwhich يبendures (opening fragment)
إنها حبي الذي يب
قىendures (ending fragment) علىthroughout الدهرtime المخلدeverlasting
قى على الدهر المخلد
they are my love, which
endures through everlasting time.
Partial English translation: 32 of 66 Arabic lines translated.