ياO ضياءlight الحقولِthe fields، ياO غنوةَsong الفـthe farmer (first part)
يا ضياء الحقولِ، يا غنوةَ الفـ
ـلَّاحfarmer (completion) فيin الساجياتِthe quiet hours منof أسحارهْhis predawn hours
ـلَّاح في الساجياتِ من أسحارهْ
O light of the fields, O song of the
O light of the fields, O joy of the farmer at dawn in the meadows,
Oh light of the fields, oh song of the far-
Farmer in his quiet predawn hours,
Come; for spring still lingers in the valley, so let your echo resound before it wanes.
mer in the quietude of his dawns.
أقبِلِيcome؛ فالربيعfor spring ماnot زالhas ceased فيin الواthe valley (first part)
أقبِلِي؛ فالربيع ما زال في الوا
ديvalley (completion)، فبُلِّيso quench صداكِyour thirst قبلbefore احتضارهits dying
دي، فبُلِّي صداكِ قبل احتضاره
Come; spring is still in the
The eyes behold only its remnants, and nothing but daydreaming of its traces.
Come forth; for spring is still in the val-
Valley; quench your thirst before it dies.
A bouquet by a brook shaking off beams upon it and tossing in its stillness.
ley, so quench your thirst before its dying.
لاnot تصيبُcatch sight of العيونُthe eyes إلَّاexcept بقاياremnants
لا تصيبُ العيونُ إلَّا بقايا
هُits، وغيرand other than الشرودwhat has fled منof آثارهits traces
هُ، وغير الشرود من آثاره
The eyes find only the remnants
And in every playground a rosy flower that escaped from its seasons.
The eyes perceive nothing but its rem-
Of it, and those of its traces that have not fled:
In the gloomy evening, and the desolate crossing, and the sullen stones around it,
nants, and nothing but the fleeting of its traces.
دوحةًa spreading tree عندbeside جدولٍa stream تنفضshakes off الأفْـthe shadows (first part)
دوحةً عند جدولٍ تنفض الأفْـ
ـياءَshadows (completion) عنهاfrom itself وترتميand flings itself فيinto قرارهits depths
ـياءَ عنها وترتمي في قراره
A spreading tree by a stream shakes off the
Attentively listening, about to imagine from intense listening the horizon bursting apart.
A great tree by a stream shaking the sha-
Shadows from itself and flings itself into its depths;
I gaze at the path whenever the wind blows and the old trees rustle their leaves,
dows off itself and casting itself into its depths.
وعلىand on كلevery ملعبٍa playground زهرةٌa flower غيْـlush (first part)
وعلى كل ملعبٍ زهرةٌ غيْـ
ـناءَlush (completion) فرَّتْfled إليهِto it منfrom أيَّارهits May
ـناءَ فرَّتْ إليهِ من أيَّاره
And on every playground a lush flower
Whenever the howl of a farmer grieving the stars with the complaint of his day,
And on every playground a lush flo-
That fled there from its May.
Cries: "O night," and the distant echo awakens on the hillside and what is around it.
wer that fled to it from its May.
فيin المساءِthe evening الكئيبdreary، والمعبرُand the crossing المهْـdeserted (first part)
في المساءِ الكئيب، والمعبرُ المهْـ
ـجُورُdeserted (completion)، والعابساتُand the frowning ones منamong أحجارِهits stones
ـجُورُ، والعابساتُ من أحجارِه
In the dreary evening, while the deserted
Then every hill echoes: "O night," and the echo sleeps on its zither!
In the gloomy evening, and the aban-
Crossing and its frowning stones
Where are the flutters of your white feet among the grass above its greenery,
doned crossing, and the frowning of its stones.
مُصغياتٌlistening، تكادalmost منfrom شدَّةthe intensity الإصْـlistening (first part)
مُصغياتٌ، تكاد من شدَّة الإصْـ
ـغاءlistening (completion) أنto تُوهِمَmake imagine المدىthe expanse بانفجارِهof its bursting
ـغاء أن تُوهِمَ المدى بانفجارِه
Listen so intently that they almost
Like two stars escaped from their orbits so the light beams aimlessly,
Listening intently, almost from the intensity of list-
Make the expanse imagine itself bursting,
Or two white butterflies awoke to steal nectar from its goblet!
ening, they trick the expanse into bursting.
أَرمُقI watch الدربَthe path، كُلماwhenever هبَّتِblew الريـthe wind (first part)
أَرمُق الدربَ، كُلما هبَّتِ الريـ
ـحُwind (completion) وحَفَّand rustled العتيقُthe ancient ones منamong أشجارِهits trees
ـحُ وحَفَّ العتيقُ من أشجارِه
I watch the path whenever the
You are in every darkness an appointment and intimacy, your day still awaits.
I gaze at the path, whenever the wind blo-
Wind blows and its ancient trees rustle,
ws and the ancient of its trees rustle.
كُلماwhenever أذهلstunned الرُّبىthe hills نَوحُlament فلَّاa farmer (first part)
كُلما أذهل الرُّبى نَوحُ فلَّا
حٍfarmer (completion) يبثُّpours out to النجومَthe stars شكوىcomplaint نهارِهhis day
حٍ يبثُّ النجومَ شكوى نهارِه
Whenever the hills are stunned by the lament of a
Whenever the hills are stunned by the wailing of a far-
Farmer pouring out to the stars his day's complaint.
mer broadcasting to the stars the complaint of his day.
صاحَhe cried: «ياO ليلnight» فاستفاقso awoke الصدىthe echo الغاsleeping (first part)
صاحَ: «يا ليل» فاستفاق الصدى الغا
فِيsleeping (completion) علىon السَّفحِthe hillside والذيand the one فيin جوارِهits vicinity
فِي على السَّفحِ والذي في جوارِه
He cried, 'O night!' and the sleeping echo awoke
He shouted: "Oh Night!" and the echo awoke, do-
On the hillside, and the one beside it;
zing on the slope and that which is near it.
فإذاthen behold كلُّevery ربوةٍa hill رَجعُan echo «ياO ليْـnight (first part)
فإذا كلُّ ربوةٍ رَجعُ «يا ليْـ
ـلُnight (completion)» وَنامَand slept الصدىthe echo علىupon قيثارِهits lyre!
ـلُ» وَنامَ الصدى على قيثارِه!
Then every hill was an echo of 'O
And lo, every hill is the return of "Oh Ni-
Night!' And the echo slept upon its lyre!
ght" and the echo slept upon his lyre!
أينَwhere منهُنَّamong them خفقُthe flutter أقدامكِyour feet البيْـwhite (first part)
أينَ منهُنَّ خفقُ أقدامكِ البيْـ
ـضاءِwhite (completion) بينamid الحشيشthe grass فوقupon اخضرارِهits greenness
ـضاءِ بين الحشيش فوق اخضرارِه
Where among them is the flutter of your white
Where among them is the patter of your whi-
Feet amid the grass, upon its greenness,
te feet amidst the grass upon its greenery.
مثلَlike نجمَينtwo stars أفلتاboth slipped free منfrom مدارَيْـtwo orbits (first part)
مثلَ نجمَين أفلتا من مدارَيْـ
ـنِdual ending فجالso roamed الضياءُthe light فيin غيرother than دارِهits home
ـنِ فجال الضياءُ في غير دارِه
Like two stars that slipped free from two
Like two stars that escaped from two orbi-
Orbits, so the light roamed outside its home,
ts, so the light roamed in a home not its own.
أوor فراشَينtwo butterflies أبيَضَيْنboth white استفاقاboth awoke
أو فراشَين أبيَضَيْن استفاقا
يسرقانthey both steal الرحيقthe nectar منfrom خمَّارِهits wine-seller!
يسرقان الرحيق من خمَّارِه!
Or two white butterflies that awoke,
Or two white butterflies that awoke
Stealing nectar from its wine-seller!
Stealing nectar from its vintner!
أنتِyou فيin كلِّevery ظلمةٍdarkness مَوعِدٌa rendezvous وَسْـdrowsy (first part)
أنتِ في كلِّ ظلمةٍ مَوعِدٌ وَسْـ
ـنانُdrowsy (completion)، ماnot زالhas ceased يومُهits day فيin انتظارِهwaiting for it
ـنانُ، ما زال يومُه في انتظارِه
In every darkness you are a drowsy
You are in every darkness a drowsy appoin-
Rendezvous whose day is still waiting for it.
tment, whose day is still awaiting it.
Partial English translation: 15 of 30 Arabic lines translated.