مُنذُ اِفتَرَقنا لَم أَذُق وَسَنا

مُنذُ اِفتَرَقنا لَم أَذُق وَسَنا

لِلَّهِ ما صَنَعَ الفِراقُ بِنا

لِلَّهِ ما صَنَعَ الفِراقُ بِنا

Since we parted, I have not tasted slumber.

Since we parted, I have not tasted pleasure,

Since we parted, I have known no slumber,

By God, what parting has done to us!

Oh God, what separation has done to us!

God knows what separation has done to us.

قُل لِلخَلِيِّينَ الثَناءَ لَكُم

قُل لِلخَلِيِّينَ الثَناءَ لَكُم

الحُبُّ قَد خَلَقَ العَذابَ لَنا

الحُبُّ قَد خَلَقَ العَذابَ لَنا

Tell the carefree: praise is yours;

Tell those who blame that praise be to you,

Say to the carefree: Praise be yours,

love has created torment for us.

Love has created torment for us.

For love has created torment for us.

لَم أَنسَ قَولَتَها الَّتي مَلَأَت

لَم أَنسَ قَولَتَها الَّتي مَلَأَت

نَفسي أَسىً وَجَوانِحي شَجَنا

نَفسي أَسىً وَجَوانِحي شَجَنا

I have not forgotten her words, which filled

I cannot forget her words that filled

I have not forgotten her words that filled

my soul with grief and my breast with sorrow:

My soul with sorrow and my being with melancholy.

My soul with sorrow and my heart with grief:

ماذا جَنَينا كَي تُفارِقَنا

ماذا جَنَينا كَي تُفارِقَنا

أَملَلتَنا وَسَإِمتَ صُحبَتَنا

أَملَلتَنا وَسَإِمتَ صُحبَتَنا

What have we done wrong, that you should leave us?

What wrong did we commit that you left us?

"What crime have we committed that you should leave us?

Have you tired of us and grown weary of our company?

Did we bore you and tire of our company?

Have you grown tired of us and weary of our company?"

فَأَجَبتُها بِلِسانِ مُعتَذِرٍ

فَأَجَبتُها بِلِسانِ مُعتَذِرٍ

لَم تَجني أَنتِ وَلا مَلَلتُ أَنا

لَم تَجني أَنتِ وَلا مَلَلتُ أَنا

So I answered her in an apologetic voice:

I answered her with apologies:

So I answered her with an apologetic tongue:

You have done no wrong, nor have I grown weary.

You did no wrong, nor did I grow weary.

"You have committed no wrong, nor have I grown weary.

لَكِن رَأَيتُ الماءَ مُنطَلِقاً

لَكِن رَأَيتُ الماءَ مُنطَلِقاً

رَياً فَإِن هُوَ لَم يَسِر أَجَنا

رَياً فَإِن هُوَ لَم يَسِر أَجَنا

But I have seen water, freely flowing,

But I saw water flowing,

But I have observed that flowing water

quench thirst; if it does not flow, it turns stale.

Irrigating, though it did not flow gently.

Remains sweet, but if it ceases to move, it stagnates.

وَالسَيفُ إِن طالَ الثَواءُ بِهِ

وَالسَيفُ إِن طالَ الثَواءُ بِهِ

يَصدَء وَيُصبِحُ حَدُّهُ خَشِنا

يَصدَء وَيُصبِحُ حَدُّهُ خَشِنا

And if a sword lies idle too long,

A sword, if worn too long in its sheath

And the sword, if it lingers too long in its sheath,

it rusts, and its edge grows rough.

Grows dull, and its edge becomes blunt.

Rusts, and its edge becomes dull and rough.

وَالسُحُبُ إِن وَقَفَت وَما هَطَلَت

وَالسُحُبُ إِن وَقَفَت وَما هَطَلَت

لَم تَروِ أَودِيَةً وَلا قِنَنا

لَم تَروِ أَودِيَةً وَلا قِنَنا

And if clouds stand still and shed no rain,

Clouds, if they linger without raining,

And the clouds, if they stand still and pour no rain,

they water neither valleys nor peaks.

Bring no valleys or gardens to life.

Will quench neither the valleys nor the mountain peaks.

إِنَّ الحَياةَ مَعَ الجُمودِ قَذىً

إِنَّ الحَياةَ مَعَ الجُمودِ قَذىً

وَمَعَ الحِراكِ بَشاشَةً وَهَنا

وَمَعَ الحِراكِ بَشاشَةً وَهَنا

Life with stagnation is grit in the eye,

Life with stillness is misery,

Truly, life in stagnation is a painful speck in the eye,

but with movement, cheerfulness and bliss.

While life with motion is joy and ease.

While in movement, it brings cheer and delight.

لا تَعذِليني فَالقُرى أَرَبي

لا تَعذِليني فَالقُرى أَرَبي

حَيثُ الحَياةُ رَغائِبٌ وَمُنى

حَيثُ الحَياةُ رَغائِبٌ وَمُنى

Do not reproach me, for villages are my desire,

Do not blame me, for villages are places

Do not blame me, for the villages are my desire,

where life is filled with desires and hopes;

Where life’s pleasures and desires abound,

Where life is full of longing and aspirations.

حَيثُ النُجومُ تَلوحُ سافِرَةً

حَيثُ النُجومُ تَلوحُ سافِرَةً

لَم تَلتَحِف سِتراً وَلا كَفَنا

لَم تَلتَحِف سِتراً وَلا كَفَنا

where the stars shine unveiled,

Where stars shine bright in the open,

Where the stars shimmer unveiled,

cloaked in neither a covering nor a shroud;

Uncovered by any veil or shroud.

Cloaked in neither curtain nor shroud.

وَالفَجرُ مِلءُ جُيوبِهِ أَرَجٌ

وَالفَجرُ مِلءُ جُيوبِهِ أَرَجٌ

وَالطَيرُ يَملَءُ شَدوُها الوُكُنا

وَالطَيرُ يَملَءُ شَدوُها الوُكُنا

and dawn's pockets are filled with fragrance,

Dawn’s pockets are full of fragrances,

And the dawn, with its pockets full of fragrance,

and the birds' song fills the nests;

Birds fill their songs in hidden nests.

While the song of birds fills the nests.

وَعَلى الرُبى الأَظلالُ راقِصَةٌ

وَعَلى الرُبى الأَظلالُ راقِصَةٌ

وَيَدُ النَسيمِ تُداعِبُ الغُصُنا

وَيَدُ النَسيمِ تُداعِبُ الغُصُنا

and on the hills the shadows dance,

Shadows dance over the hills,

Upon the hills, the shadows dance,

and the breeze's hand caresses the branches.

The hand of the breeze strokes the branches.

And the hand of the breeze caresses the boughs.

وَيحَ المَدائِنِ إِنَّ ساكِنَها

وَيحَ المَدائِنِ إِنَّ ساكِنَها

كَالمَيتِ لَم يُطمَر وَلا دُفِنا

كَالمَيتِ لَم يُطمَر وَلا دُفِنا

Alas for the cities! Their inhabitant

But cities’ dwellers are like the dead,

Woe unto the cities! For he who dwells within them

is like a dead man, neither covered with earth nor buried.

Buried without a grave or funeral.

Is like a corpse neither hidden away nor buried.

كَم رُحتُ أَستَسقي سَحائِبَها

كَم رُحتُ أَستَسقي سَحائِبَها

فَهَمَت وَلَكِن مِحنَةً وَضَنى

فَهَمَت وَلَكِن مِحنَةً وَضَنى

How often I sought rain from their clouds,

How often I asked its clouds for rain,

How often have I sought rain from their clouds,

and they poured down—but only affliction and wasting sickness.

Yet they wavered, granting only trials.

And they poured forth—but only hardship and sickness.

وَلَكَم سَهِرتُ فَلَم أَجِد قَمَراً

وَلَكَم سَهِرتُ فَلَم أَجِد قَمَراً

وَلَكَم شَدَوتُ فَلَم أَجِد أُذُنا

وَلَكَم شَدَوتُ فَلَم أَجِد أُذُنا

And how often I kept vigil, yet found no moon;

How often I stayed up but found no moon,

How often have I kept vigil but found no moon,

and how often I sang, yet found no ear.

And how often I sang but found no ear.

And how often have I sung but found no listening ear.

لَو كانَ يَألَفُ بُلبُلٌ غَرِدٌ

لَو كانَ يَألَفُ بُلبُلٌ غَرِدٌ

قَفَصاً أَحَبَّ الشاعِرُ المُدُنا

قَفَصاً أَحَبَّ الشاعِرُ المُدُنا

If a tuneful nightingale could grow fond of

Had a caged nightingale loved cages,

If a warbling nightingale could ever grow fond

a cage, the poet would love cities.

The poet would have loved cities.

Of a cage, then might the poet love the cities.

كَرِهَ الوَرى طولَ المُقامِ بِها

كَرِهَ الوَرى طولَ المُقامِ بِها

فَاِستَنبَطوا العَجَلاتِ وَالسُفُنا

فَاِستَنبَطوا العَجَلاتِ وَالسُفُنا

Humankind hated staying long in them,

They disliked living there for so long

Mankind loathed their long sojourn there,

so they invented wheels and ships.

And invented carts and ships.

So they devised wheels and ships to escape.

وَلَقَد ظَفِرتُ بِمَركَبٍ لَجِبٍ

وَلَقَد ظَفِرتُ بِمَركَبٍ لَجِبٍ

فَخَرَجتُ أَطوي السَهلَ وَالحُزُنا

فَخَرَجتُ أَطوي السَهلَ وَالحُزُنا

And I secured a noisy conveyance,

I managed to obtain a sturdy vessel

And I have secured a clamorous vessel,

so I set out, traversing plains and rugged ground,

And sailed, traversing plains and sorrow.

Setting forth to traverse both plain and rugged terrain.

وَالشَوقُ يَدفَعُهُ وَيَدفَعُني

وَالشَوقُ يَدفَعُهُ وَيَدفَعُني

حَتّى بَلَغتُ المَنزِلَ الحَسَنا

حَتّى بَلَغتُ المَنزِلَ الحَسَنا

with longing driving it and driving me,

Yearning drove me and I drove it

Driven by longing, which propels both it and me,

until I reached the lovely abode.

Until I reached a beautiful home.

Until I reached that beautiful abode.

قِف يا قِطارُ عَلى رُبوعِهِم

قِف يا قِطارُ عَلى رُبوعِهِم

إِنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ يا قِطارُ هُنا

إِنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ يا قِطارُ هُنا

Stop, O train, at their homesteads:

Stop, oh train, over their lands,

Halt, O train, at their dwellings!

the loved ones, O train, are here.

For loved ones, oh train, are here.

For the beloved ones, O train, are here.

هَذي مَنازِلُهُم تَهَشُّ لَنا

هَذي مَنازِلُهُم تَهَشُّ لَنا

أَخطَأتَ بَل هَذي مَنازِلُنا

أَخطَأتَ بَل هَذي مَنازِلُنا

These are their homes, smiling in welcome to us—

These are their homes beckoning us!

These are their homes, smiling to welcome us—

you are mistaken: rather, these are our homes.

No, these are our homes!

Nay, I was mistaken; these are *our* homes.

ما حَلَّ مِنهُم مَوضِعاً أَحَدٌ

ما حَلَّ مِنهُم مَوضِعاً أَحَدٌ

إِلّا وَصارَ لِكُلِّنا وَطَنا

إِلّا وَصارَ لِكُلِّنا وَطَنا

Not one of them has settled in a place

None of them occupied a place

For not one of them settles in a place

without its becoming a homeland for us all.

That did not become a homeland for us all.

Without it becoming a homeland for us all.

سورِيَّةٌ في كانتٍ نَغَمٌ

سورِيَّةٌ في كانتٍ نَغَمٌ

عَذبٌ وَلِبنانٌ شَذىً وَسَنا

عَذبٌ وَلِبنانٌ شَذىً وَسَنا

Syria in Kant is a melody,

Syria is a tender melody in an oud,

Syria is therein a sweet melody,

sweet; and Lebanon is fragrance and radiance.

Lebanon is fragrant and delight.

And Lebanon is fragrance and radiance.

إِن تَنطَفِئ زُهُرُ النُجومِ فَفي

إِن تَنطَفِئ زُهُرُ النُجومِ فَفي

هَذي الوُجوهِ عَنِ النُجومِ غِنى

هَذي الوُجوهِ عَنِ النُجومِ غِنى

If the bright stars go out, then in

If the flowers of stars lose their light,

If the blossoming stars should lose their light,

these faces lies all we need instead of stars.

In these faces the stars find their radiance.

In these faces is a brilliance that replaces the stars.

وَإِذا الحَياةُ طَوَت مَحاسِنَها

وَإِذا الحَياةُ طَوَت مَحاسِنَها

عَنّي وَصارَ نَعيمُها مِحَنا

عَنّي وَصارَ نَعيمُها مِحَنا

And if life folds away its beauties

And if life concealed its beauty from me

And if life should withdraw its beauties

from me, and its bliss turns to affliction,

And its bliss became torment,

From me, and its bliss turn to tribulation,

مَثَّلتُهُم في خاطِري فَإِذا

مَثَّلتُهُم في خاطِري فَإِذا

دُنيايَ فيها لِلسُرورِ دُنى

دُنيايَ فيها لِلسُرورِ دُنى

I picture them in my mind, and suddenly

I imagined them in my mind, and found

I picture them in my mind, and behold:

my world contains worlds of joy.

My world filled again with joy.

My world contains worlds of joy within.

يا قَومُ هَذا اليَومُ يَومَكُمو

يا قَومُ هَذا اليَومُ يَومَكُمو

مَن يَنتَهِزهُ يَنَل رِضىً وَثَنا

مَن يَنتَهِزهُ يَنَل رِضىً وَثَنا

O people, this day is yours;

O people, today is your day,

O people, this day is truly yours;

whoever seizes it will gain approval and praise.

Seize it and you will gain satisfaction and praise.

He who seizes it shall win contentment and praise.

فَلتَنبَسِط أَيديكُمو كَرَماً

فَلتَنبَسِط أَيديكُمو كَرَماً

السُحبُ أَنفَعُها الَّذي هَتَنا

السُحبُ أَنفَعُها الَّذي هَتَنا

So let your hands open in generosity;

So extend your hands generously,

So let your hands be outstretched in generosity,

of clouds, the most useful is the one that pours rain.

The clouds that are seized bring rainfall.

For the most useful clouds are those that pour rain.

أَنا لا أَرى مِثلَ البَخيلِ فَتىً

أَنا لا أَرى مِثلَ البَخيلِ فَتىً

يَضوي وَيَهزُلُِ كُلَّما سَمُنا

يَضوي وَيَهزُلُِ كُلَّما سَمُنا

I see no young man like the miser,

I see no youth like the miser

I see no one like the miserly man,

who wastes away and grows lean whenever he grows fat.

Wasting away and withering whenever he grows fat.

Who wastes away and grows frail the fatter he gets.

مَن لا يُشيدُ بِمالِهِ أَثَراً

مَن لا يُشيدُ بِمالِهِ أَثَراً

أَو يَستَفيدُ بِمالِهِ مِنَنا

أَو يَستَفيدُ بِمالِهِ مِنَنا

Whoever does not build a monument with his wealth,

One who does not build with his money

He who does not raise a monument with his wealth,

or gain favors with his wealth,

Or benefit us with his wealth,

Or use his fortune to earn gratitude,

وَيَعيشُ مِثلَ العَنكَبوتِ يَعِش

وَيَعيشُ مِثلَ العَنكَبوتِ يَعِش

في الناسِ مَذموماً وَمُمتَهِنا

في الناسِ مَذموماً وَمُمتَهِنا

and lives like a spider, will live

Who lives like a spider, despised and disgraced among men.

Living as the spider lives—

among people, blamed and despised.

So build and construct, and you will be honored,

He remains among men, blamed and despised.

فَاِبنوا وَشيدوا تُكرَموا رَجُلاً

فَاِبنوا وَشيدوا تُكرَموا رَجُلاً

كَم قَد سَعى مِن أَجلِكُم وَبَنى

كَم قَد سَعى مِن أَجلِكُم وَبَنى

So build and raise high, to honor a man

For one who strove for your sake and built.

So build and construct, to honor a man

who has so often labored for you and built.

A nation and people seeking refuge in you -

Who has long striven and built for your sake.

وَطَنٌ وَأَهلٌ لائِذونَ بِكُم

وَطَنٌ وَأَهلٌ لائِذونَ بِكُم

أَفَتَخذِلونَ الأَهلَ وَالوَطَنا

أَفَتَخذِلونَ الأَهلَ وَالوَطَنا

A homeland and a people seek refuge with you:

Will you abandon your people and nation?

A homeland and kin serve as your refuge;

will you then forsake the people and the homeland?

Your children, O Cotton, have awakened today,

Will you then forsake your kin and your land?

قَطَنا بَنوكِ اليَومَ قَد نَهَضوا

قَطَنا بَنوكِ اليَومَ قَد نَهَضوا

فَتَجَمَّدي بِبَنيكِ يا قَطَنا

فَتَجَمَّدي بِبَنيكِ يا قَطَنا

Qatana, your sons have risen today;

So stand tall and proud with your children, O Cotton.

O Qatana, your sons have risen today;

so glory in your sons, O Qatana (probable intended reading).

So stand tall and proud with your sons, O Qatana.