لا تَسَل أَينَ الهَوى وَالكَوثَرُ

لا تَسَل أَينَ الهَوى وَالكَوثَرُ

سَكَتَ الشادي وَبُحَّ الوَتَرُ

سَكَتَ الشادي وَبُحَّ الوَتَرُ

Do not ask where love and al-Kawthar are.

Do not ask where the passion and the sweet abundance are,

The singer fell silent, and the string grew hoarse—

The singer has fallen silent, and the lute string is rasping.

فَجأَة وَاِنقَلَبَ العُرسُ إِلى

فَجأَة وَاِنقَلَبَ العُرسُ إِلى

مَأتَمٍ ماذا جَرى ما الخَبَرُ

مَأتَمٍ ماذا جَرى ما الخَبَرُ

suddenly—and the wedding turned into

Suddenly, the wedding feast transformed into

a funeral. What happened? What is the news?

A funeral; what has happened? What is the news?

ماجَتِ الدارُ بِمَن فيها كَما

ماجَتِ الدارُ بِمَن فيها كَما

ماجَ نَهرٌ ثائِرٌ مُنكَدِرُ

ماجَ نَهرٌ ثائِرٌ مُنكَدِرُ

The house surged with those within it, as

The house surged with its occupants, just as

a raging, turbid river surges.

A turbulent, muddy river surges.

كُلُّهُم نُستَفسِرٌ صاحِبَهُ

كُلُّهُم نُستَفسِرٌ صاحِبَهُ

كُلُّهُم يُؤذيهِ مَن يَستَفسِرُ

كُلُّهُم يُؤذيهِ مَن يَستَفسِرُ

Each questions his companion;

Everyone is questioning their companion;

each is pained by whoever asks.

Everyone is pained by the one who asks.

هَمَسَ المَوتُ بِهِم هَمسَتَهُ

هَمَسَ المَوتُ بِهِم هَمسَتَهُ

إِنَّ هَمسَ المَوتِ ريحٌ صَرصَرُ

إِنَّ هَمسَ المَوتِ ريحٌ صَرصَرُ

Death whispered its whisper to them;

Death whispered its whisper amongst them;

indeed, death's whisper is a bitter, howling wind.

Truly, the whisper of death is a howling, freezing gale.

فَإِذا الحَيرَةُ في أَحداقِهِم

فَإِذا الحَيرَةُ في أَحداقِهِم

كَيفَما مالوا وَأَنّى نَظَروا

كَيفَما مالوا وَأَنّى نَظَروا

And behold, bewilderment in their eyes,

And behold, bewilderment fills their eyes,

whichever way they turned, wherever they looked.

Whichever way they turn, wherever they gaze.

عَلِموا يا لَيتَهُم ما عَلِموا

عَلِموا يا لَيتَهُم ما عَلِموا

أَنَّ دُنيا مِن رُأىً تُحتَضَرُ

أَنَّ دُنيا مِن رُأىً تُحتَضَرُ

They knew—if only they had never known—

They learned—oh, would that they had never learned—

that a world of visions lay dying.

That a world of visions is in its death throes.

وَالَّذي أَطرَبَهُم عَن قُدرَةٍ

وَالَّذي أَطرَبَهُم عَن قُدرَةٍ

باتَ لا يَقوى وَلا يَقتَدِرُ

باتَ لا يَقوى وَلا يَقتَدِرُ

And he who had delighted them through his skill

And he who once enchanted them with such command

now had neither strength nor power.

Has become weak, stripped of all power.

يَبِسَ الضِحكُ عَلى أَفواهِهِم

يَبِسَ الضِحكُ عَلى أَفواهِهِم

فَهوَ كَالسُخر وَإِن لَم يَسخَروا

فَهوَ كَالسُخر وَإِن لَم يَسخَروا

Laughter dried upon their mouths;

Laughter has withered upon their lips;

so it seemed like mockery, though they did not mock.

It looks like mockery, though they did not mean to mock.

وَإِذا الآسي يَدٌ مَذولَةٌ

وَإِذا الآسي يَدٌ مَذولَةٌ

وَمُحَيّا اليَأسُ فيهِ أَصفَرُ

وَمُحَيّا اليَأسُ فيهِ أَصفَرُ

And behold the physician: a numb hand,

And see, the healer stands with a helpless hand,

and a face, yellow with despair.

While the face of despair within him is pale.

شاعَ في الدارِ الأَسى حَتّى شَكَت

شاعَ في الدارِ الأَسى حَتّى شَكَت

أَرضَها وَطَأَته وَالجَدرُ

أَرضَها وَطَأَته وَالجَدرُ

Grief spread through the house, till even

Grief spread through the house until the very floor

its floor and walls complained beneath its weight.

Complained of its tread, as did the walls.

فَعَلى الأَضواءِ مِنهُ فَترَةٌ

فَعَلى الأَضواءِ مِنهُ فَترَةٌ

وَعَلى الأَلوانِ مِنهُ أَثَرُ

وَعَلى الأَلوانِ مِنهُ أَثَرُ

So its languor lay upon the lights,

Upon the lights, it casts a dim lethargy,

and its trace upon the colors.

And upon the colors, it leaves a stain.

وَالقَناني صُوَرٌ باهِتَةٌ

وَالقَناني صُوَرٌ باهِتَةٌ

وَالأَغاني عالَمٌ مُندَثِرُ

وَالأَغاني عالَمٌ مُندَثِرُ

And the bottles were faded images,

The wine vessels are merely faded images,

and the songs a vanished world.

And the songs are a world obliterated.

الهَنا أُفلِتَ مِن أَيديهِم

الهَنا أُفلِتَ مِن أَيديهِم

وَالأَماني إِنَّها تَنتَحِرُ

وَالأَماني إِنَّها تَنتَحِرُ

Happiness slipped from their hands,

Bliss has slipped from their grasp,

and hopes—indeed, they are committing suicide.

And hopes—truly, they are committing suicide.

ذَبَحَت أَفراحَهُم في لَمحَةٍ

ذَبَحَت أَفراحَهُم في لَمحَةٍ

قُوَّةٌ تَجني وَلا تَعتَذِرُ

قُوَّةٌ تَجني وَلا تَعتَذِرُ

Their joys were slaughtered in an instant

A force slaughtered their joys in an instant,

by a power that does harm and never apologizes.

A power that reaps and offers no apology.

تَقلَعُ النَبتَ الَّذي تَغرُسُهُ

تَقلَعُ النَبتَ الَّذي تَغرُسُهُ

وَالشَذا فيه وَفيهِ الثَمَرُ

وَالشَذا فيه وَفيهِ الثَمَرُ

It uproots the plant it plants,

It uproots the very seedling it planted,

with fragrance in it, and fruit within.

While fragrance and fruit still linger within it.

إِعبَثِ ما شِئتِ يا دُنيا بِنا

إِعبَثِ ما شِئتِ يا دُنيا بِنا

وَتَحَكَّم ما تَشاءُ يا قَدَرُ

وَتَحَكَّم ما تَشاءُ يا قَدَرُ

Toy with us as you will, O world,

Toy with us as you wish, O World,

and rule as you wish, O Fate.

And decree whatever you desire, O Fate.

إِن تَكُن زَهراً فَما أَمجَدَنا

إِن تَكُن زَهراً فَما أَمجَدَنا

أَو نَكُن شَوكاً فَهَذا الخَطَرُ

أَو نَكُن شَوكاً فَهَذا الخَطَرُ

If we are flowers, how glorious we are!

If we are flowers, how glorious is our state;

Or if we are thorns, therein lies the danger.

Or if we are thorns, that is the peril.

فَلنَعِش في الأَرضِ زَهراً وَليَطُل

فَلنَعِش في الأَرضِ زَهراً وَليَطُل

أَجَلُ الشَوكِ الَّذي لا يُزهِرُ

أَجَلُ الشَوكِ الَّذي لا يُزهِرُ

So let us live on earth as flowers, and let

So let us live on earth as flowers, and let

the life of thorns that never bloom be long.

The lifespan of the bloomless thorn drag on.

رَحَلَ الشاعِرُ عَن دارِ الأَذى

رَحَلَ الشاعِرُ عَن دارِ الأَذى

وَاِنقَضَت مَعَهُ اللَيالي الغُرَرُ

وَاِنقَضَت مَعَهُ اللَيالي الغُرَرُ

The poet departed from the abode of suffering,

The poet has departed from the abode of suffering,

and with him the radiant nights came to an end.

And with him, the radiant nights have ended.

كَم حَوَته وَحَواها مَلِكاً

كَم حَوَته وَحَواها مَلِكاً

دَولَةُ الروحِ الَّتي لا تُقهَرُ

دَولَةُ الروحِ الَّتي لا تُقهَرُ

How often it embraced him, and he embraced it as king—

How often he held it, and it held him as a king—

the realm of the spirit that cannot be conquered.

The kingdom of the spirit that can never be vanquished.

عاشَ لا يُنكِرُ إِلّا ذاتَهُ

عاشَ لا يُنكِرُ إِلّا ذاتَهُ

إِنَّ حُبَّ الذاتِ شَيءٌ مُنكَرُ

إِنَّ حُبَّ الذاتِ شَيءٌ مُنكَرُ

He lived, denying nothing but himself;

He lived denying nothing but his own self;

indeed, self-love is a reprehensible thing.

Truly, self-love is a thing to be renounced.

شاعِرٌ أَعجَبُ مَعنىً صاغَهُ

شاعِرٌ أَعجَبُ مَعنىً صاغَهُ

لِلبَرايا مَوتُهُ المُبتَكَرُ

لِلبَرايا مَوتُهُ المُبتَكَرُ

A poet: the most wondrous meaning fashioned

A poet, whose most wondrous crafted meaning

for humankind by his unprecedented death.

For all creation was his own inventive death.

الجَمالُ الحَقُّ ما يَعبُدُهُ

الجَمالُ الحَقُّ ما يَعبُدُهُ

وَالجَمالُ الزورُ ما لا يُبصِرُ

وَالجَمالُ الزورُ ما لا يُبصِرُ

True beauty is what he worships,

True beauty is what he worships,

and false beauty is what he does not see.

And false beauty is what he does not see.

وَالحَديثُ الصَفوُ ما يَنشُرُهُ

وَالحَديثُ الصَفوُ ما يَنشُرُهُ

وَالحَديثُ السوءُ ما يَختَصِرُ

وَالحَديثُ السوءُ ما يَختَصِرُ

And pure speech is what he spreads,

Pure conversation is what he disseminates,

and evil speech is what he cuts short.

And evil speech is what he cuts short.

إِنَّهُ كانَ مَلاكاً بَشَراً

إِنَّهُ كانَ مَلاكاً بَشَراً

فَمَضى عَنّا المَلاكُ البَشَرُ

فَمَضى عَنّا المَلاكُ البَشَرُ

He was indeed an angel in human form,

He was an angel in human form;

and so the human angel has left us.

And now the human angel has gone from us.

وَنُفوسُ الخَلقِ إِمّا طينَةٌ

وَنُفوسُ الخَلقِ إِمّا طينَةٌ

لا سَنا فيها وَإِمّا جَوهَرُ

لا سَنا فيها وَإِمّا جَوهَرُ

And human souls are either clay

The souls of people are either made of clay

with no radiance within, or jewels.

With no radiance within, or they are pure gems.

يا رَفيقي ما بَلَغتَ المُنتَهى

يا رَفيقي ما بَلَغتَ المُنتَهى

لَيسَتِ الحَدَّ الأَخيرَ الحُفَرُ

لَيسَتِ الحَدَّ الأَخيرَ الحُفَرُ

O my companion, you have not reached the end;

O my comrade, you have not reached the end;

the graves are not the final boundary.

The grave pits are not the final boundary.

فَاِعبُرِ النَهرَ إِلى ذاكَ الحِمى

فَاِعبُرِ النَهرَ إِلى ذاكَ الحِمى

حَيثُ جُبرانُ العَميدُ الأَكبَرُ

حَيثُ جُبرانُ العَميدُ الأَكبَرُ

So cross the river to that sanctuary

Cross the river to that sanctuary,

where Jibran is the foremost elder,

Where Gibran is the supreme master,

وَرَشيدٌ نَغمَةٌ شادِيَةٌ

وَرَشيدٌ نَغمَةٌ شادِيَةٌ

وَنَسيبٌ نَغَمٌ مُستَبشِرُ

وَنَسيبٌ نَغَمٌ مُستَبشِرُ

and Rashid a singing melody,

And Rashid is a chanting melody,

and Nasib a joyous tune,

And Nasib is a joyous tune,

وَجَميلٌ فِكرَةٌ هائِمَةٌ

وَجَميلٌ فِكرَةٌ هائِمَةٌ

وَأَمينٌ أَمَلٌ مُخضَوضِرُ

وَأَمينٌ أَمَلٌ مُخضَوضِرُ

and Jamil a wandering thought,

And Jamil is a wandering thought,

and Amin a verdant hope.

And Amin is a verdant hope.

قُل لَهُم إِنّا غَدَونا بَعدَهُم

قُل لَهُم إِنّا غَدَونا بَعدَهُم

لا حَديثٌ طَيِّبٌ لا سَمَرُ

لا حَديثٌ طَيِّبٌ لا سَمَرُ

Tell them that, after them, we are left

Tell them that, in their absence, we have become

with no pleasant talk, no evening converse,

Bereft of good conversation and evening tales;

كَسَماءٍ لَيسَ فيها أَنجُمٌ

كَسَماءٍ لَيسَ فيها أَنجُمٌ

أَو كَرَوضٍ لَيسَ فيهِ زَهرُ

أَو كَرَوضٍ لَيسَ فيهِ زَهرُ

like a sky without stars,

Like a sky that holds no stars,

or a garden without flowers.

Or a garden that holds no flowers.

كُلُّنا مُنتَظِرٌ ساعَتَهُ

كُلُّنا مُنتَظِرٌ ساعَتَهُ

وَالمَصيرُ الحَقُّ ما نَنتَظِرُ

وَالمَصيرُ الحَقُّ ما نَنتَظِرُ

Each of us awaits his hour,

Each of us is awaiting his hour,

and what we await is our true destiny.

And the true destiny is what we await.