فقالت لي رويدك لا تسمُني

فقالت لي رويدك لا تسمُني

تحملَ ما يكون عليَّ وقرا

تحملَ ما يكون عليَّ وقرا

She said to me, “Gently—do not make me

Then she said to me: “Easy now—do not ask me

bear whatever may weigh heavily upon me.

to bear what would be a heavy burden upon me.

افي وقت كهذا تقتضيني أل

افي وقت كهذا تقتضيني أل

سكوت ولو سكتُّ لمتُّ قهرا

سكوت ولو سكتُّ لمتُّ قهرا

At such a time, do you demand si—

At a time like this, do you demand of me

—lence of me? Were I silent, I would die of anguish.

silence? Were I silent, I would die of anguish.

تحرضني عليهِ وأنت مني

تحرضني عليهِ وأنت مني

لأعلم باستحالتهِ وأَدرى

لأعلم باستحالتهِ وأَدرى

You urge me toward it, though you, better than I,

You urge me to it, though you, more than I,

know its impossibility and discern it more clearly.

surely know its impossibility and understand it better.

ولو مثلي افتكرت بهِ قليلاً

ولو مثلي افتكرت بهِ قليلاً

لما صوَّبت فيهِ قطُّ فكرا

لما صوَّبت فيهِ قطُّ فكرا

Had you, as I have, thought about it even a little,

And had you, like me, thought about it a little,

you would never have turned a thought toward it.

you would never have directed a thought toward it.

ومن يك يستطيع اليوم قولاً

ومن يك يستطيع اليوم قولاً

ويسكت يُستخف بهِ ويزرى

ويسكت يُستخف بهِ ويزرى

Whoever today is able to speak,

And whoever today is able to speak

yet keeps silent, is despised and scorned.

yet stays silent is scorned and disparaged.

أأسكت والجمادُ يئز حولي

أأسكت والجمادُ يئز حولي

ويهدر طالباً للنطق مجرى

ويهدر طالباً للنطق مجرى

Shall I be silent while lifeless matter clamors around me

Shall I be silent while lifeless matter buzzes around me

and roars, seeking an outlet for speech?

and roars, seeking an outlet for speech?

وأنت وانت من لحم ودمٍ

وأنت وانت من لحم ودمٍ

تظل على سكوتك مستمرا

تظل على سكوتك مستمرا

And you—yes, you, made of flesh and blood—

And you, though you are of flesh and blood,

do you persist in your silence?

go on, persisting in your silence.

ألم تر هول هذي الحرب غشى

ألم تر هول هذي الحرب غشى

محياها فأدجن وأكفهرَّا

محياها فأدجن وأكفهرَّا

Have you not seen the horror of this war veil

Have you not seen how the horror of this war veiled

its countenance, until it darkened and glowered?

its face, which grew overcast and grim,

وناب جمادها فعراهُ ذعرٌ

وناب جمادها فعراهُ ذعرٌ

فجلجل من جراه واقشعرا

فجلجل من جراه واقشعرا

It assailed even its lifeless matter, and terror seized it;

and struck its lifeless matter, so terror seized it,

because of that, it thundered and shuddered.

so it rumbled because of it and shuddered?

الم تسمع حديث الناس عنهُ

الم تسمع حديث الناس عنهُ

يكرر مرة ويعاد أخرى

يكرر مرة ويعاد أخرى

Have you not heard the people’s talk about it,

Have you not heard people's talk of it,

repeated once and then recounted yet again?

repeated time and time again?

صداه مرددٌ في كل نادٍ

صداه مرددٌ في كل نادٍ

وكلُّ فمٍ بهِ كلفٌ ومغرى

وكلُّ فمٍ بهِ كلفٌ ومغرى

Its echo reverberates in every gathering,

Its echo resounds in every gathering-place,

and every mouth is enamored of it, enthralled.

and every mouth is enamored of it and drawn to it.

فان تعرض فليس سواه يشرى

فان تعرض فليس سواه يشرى

وان تكتب فليس سواه يقرا

وان تكتب فليس سواه يقرا

If anything is offered for sale, nothing but it is bought;

So if you offer anything, nothing but it is bought;

if anything is written, nothing but it is read.

and if you write, nothing but it is read.

وسلك البرق لا يهتز الا

وسلك البرق لا يهتز الا

بهِ فيذرهُ في الارض ذرَّا

بهِ فيذرهُ في الارض ذرَّا

The telegraph wire quivers only

And the telegraph wire quivers only

with it, then scatters it far and wide across the earth.

with it, scattering it across the earth.

وان يك كل هذا غير كافٍ

وان يك كل هذا غير كافٍ

لرفع القيد عنك فلست حرا

لرفع القيد عنك فلست حرا

And if all this is not enough

And if all this is not enough

to lift the fetter from you, then you are not free.

to lift the fetter from you, then you are not free.

والا فاجلُ ذهنك يصفُ واشحذ

والا فاجلُ ذهنك يصفُ واشحذ

يراعك يمضِ منصلتاً مكرَّا

يراعك يمضِ منصلتاً مكرَّا

Otherwise, polish your mind till it clears, and sharpen

Otherwise, polish your mind so it clears, and sharpen

your reed pen, that it may surge forth—a charging blade.

your reed pen, so it advances unsheathed and charging;

وخط به على القرطاسِ شعرا

وخط به على القرطاسِ شعرا

يزفُّ الى نهى القراءِ سحرا

يزفُّ الى نهى القراءِ سحرا

With it inscribe upon the page a poem

and with it write upon the paper poetry

borne like a bride to readers’ minds as magic.

that carries enchantment to the readers' minds.”