خَبِّروني ماذا رَأَيتُم أَأَطفالاً

خَبِّروني ماذا رَأَيتُم أَأَطفالاً

يَتامى أَم مَوكِباً عُلوِيّا

يَتامى أَم مَوكِباً عُلوِيّا

Tell me what you saw—children

Tell me what you saw -

Tell me, what is it that you have seen? Was it children?

Who are orphans, or a heavenly procession?

Were they orphans or a glorious parade?

Orphans, or a celestial procession?

كَزُهورِ الرَبيعِ عَرفاً زَكِيّاً

كَزُهورِ الرَبيعِ عَرفاً زَكِيّاً

وَنُجومِ الرَبيعِ نوراً سَنِيّا

وَنُجومِ الرَبيعِ نوراً سَنِيّا

Like spring flowers in sweet fragrance,

Like the flowers of spring, so pure and bright,

Like the flowers of spring, fragrant and pure,

And spring stars in radiant light,

And the stars of spring, shining light.

And the stars of spring, radiant and bright,

وَالفَراشاتِ وَثبَةً وَسُكوناً

وَالفَراشاتِ وَثبَةً وَسُكوناً

وَالعَصافيرِ بَل أَلَذُ نَجِيّا

وَالعَصافيرِ بَل أَلَذُ نَجِيّا

And butterflies in leaping and stillness,

With butterflies fluttering in poise and rest,

And butterflies, in their flitting and their stillness,

And sparrows—yet sweeter as confidants.

And birds singing the sweetest melodies.

And sparrows—nay, even sweeter in their whispering?

إِنَّني كُلَّما تَأَمَّلتُ طِفلاً

إِنَّني كُلَّما تَأَمَّلتُ طِفلاً

خِلتُ أَنّي أَرى مَلاكاً نَجِيّا

خِلتُ أَنّي أَرى مَلاكاً نَجِيّا

Indeed, whenever I contemplate a child,

For whenever I look upon a child,

Whenever I gaze deeply upon a child,

I fancy I see an angel, a confidant.

I feel I’m seeing an angel so mild.

I fancy that I see an angel in intimate communion.

قُل لِمَن يُبصِرُ الضَبابَ كَثيفاً

قُل لِمَن يُبصِرُ الضَبابَ كَثيفاً

إِن تَحتَ الضَبابِ فَجراً نَقِيّا

إِن تَحتَ الضَبابِ فَجراً نَقِيّا

Tell whoever sees the fog as dense:

Say to those who see only heavy fog -

Say to the one who sees only the thick fog,

Indeed, beneath the fog lies a clear dawn.

Beneath it lies a bright new dawn.

That beneath the fog lies a pristine dawn.

اليَتيمُ الَّذي يَلوحُ زَرِيّاً

اليَتيمُ الَّذي يَلوحُ زَرِيّاً

لَيسَ شَيئاً لَو تَعلَمونَ زَرِيّا

لَيسَ شَيئاً لَو تَعلَمونَ زَرِيّا

The orphan who appears lowly

The little orphan who seems so frail

The orphan who appears wretched to the eye,

Is no lowly thing, if only you knew.

Is nothing, if you only unveil,

Is not—if you only knew—wretched at all.

إِنَّهُ غَرسَةٌ سَتَطلُعُ يَوماً

إِنَّهُ غَرسَةٌ سَتَطلُعُ يَوماً

ثَمَراً طَيِّباً وَزَهراً جَنِيّا

ثَمَراً طَيِّباً وَزَهراً جَنِيّا

Indeed, he is a sapling that will one day yield

A seedling that will bloom one day

He is a sapling that will one day rise,

Good fruit and blossoms ready for picking.

With sweetest fruit and flowers gay.

Bearing good fruit and fresh blossoms.

رُبَّما كانَ أَودَعَ اللَهُ فيهِ

رُبَّما كانَ أَودَعَ اللَهُ فيهِ

فَيلَسوفاً أَو شاعِراً أَو نَبِيّا

فَيلَسوفاً أَو شاعِراً أَو نَبِيّا

Perhaps God has placed within him

Perhaps God has hidden within him

Perhaps God has deposited within him

A philosopher or a poet or a prophet.

A poet, philosopher or sage supreme.

A philosopher, a poet, or a prophet.

لَم يَكُن كُلُّ عَبقَرِيٍّ يَتيماً

لَم يَكُن كُلُّ عَبقَرِيٍّ يَتيماً

إِنَّما كانَ كَاليَتيمِ صَبِيّا

إِنَّما كانَ كَاليَتيمِ صَبِيّا

Not every genius was an orphan;

Not every genius was an orphan child,

Not every genius was an orphan,

But each, like the orphan, was a child.

But like an orphan, innocent and mild.

But he was once a boy, just like the orphan.

لَيسَ يَدري لَكِنَّهُ سَوفَ يَدري

لَيسَ يَدري لَكِنَّهُ سَوفَ يَدري

أَنَّ رَبَّ الأَيتامِ ما زالَ حَيّا

أَنَّ رَبَّ الأَيتامِ ما زالَ حَيّا

He does not know, but he will know

He knows not, but he will come to know

He does not know, yet he shall surely come to know,

That the Lord of orphans is still alive,

That the Lord of orphans lives, for He is not low.

That the Lord of the orphans is Ever-Living.

عِندَما يُصبِحُ الصَغيرُ فَتِيّاً

عِندَما يُصبِحُ الصَغيرُ فَتِيّاً

عِندَما يَلبِسُ الشَبابُ حُلِيّا

عِندَما يَلبِسُ الشَبابُ حُلِيّا

When the little one becomes a youth,

When the little becomes a youth so keen,

When the little one grows into a youth,

When youth puts on its jewels.

When the young wear jewels and finery sheen.

When youth adorns itself in finery,

كُلُّ نَجمٍ يَكونُ مِن قَبلِ أَن يَب

كُلُّ نَجمٍ يَكونُ مِن قَبلِ أَن يَب

دو سَديماً عَنِ العُيونِ خَفِيّا

دو سَديماً عَنِ العُيونِ خَفِيّا

Every star is, before it appears,

Every star becomes, before it starts to fade,

Every star, before it begins to shine,

A nebula hidden from sight.

A nebula, from people's eyes waylaid.

Is but a nebula, hidden from the eyes.

إِن يَكُ المَوتُ قَد مَضى بِأَبيهِ

إِن يَكُ المَوتُ قَد مَضى بِأَبيهِ

ما مَضى بِالشُعورِ فيكَ وَفِيّا

ما مَضى بِالشُعورِ فيكَ وَفِيّا

If death has indeed carried off his father,

If death has taken his father away,

If death has taken his father away,

It has not carried off the loyal feeling within you.

It takes not the love in you, ever to stay.

It has not taken away the compassion within you and me.

وَشَقاءٌ يُوَلِّدُ الرِفقَ فينا

وَشَقاءٌ يُوَلِّدُ الرِفقَ فينا

لَهُوَ الخَيرُ بِالشَقاءِ نَزِيّا

لَهُوَ الخَيرُ بِالشَقاءِ نَزِيّا

And suffering that breeds compassion within us

And hardship begets kindness, don't you see?

And a misery that births kindness within us

Is indeed goodness, springing forth through suffering.

It is a blessing, though bitterly.

Is truly goodness drawn forth from pain.

لا تَقولوا مَن أُمِّهِ مَن أَبوهُ

لا تَقولوا مَن أُمِّهِ مَن أَبوهُ

فَأَبوهُ وَأُمُّهُ سورِيّا

فَأَبوهُ وَأُمُّهُ سورِيّا

Do not say, 'Who is his mother? Who is his father?'

Say not who was his mother or his sire,

Do not ask, "Who is his mother? Who is his father?"

For his father and mother are Syria.

For Syria was his father and his mother.

For his father and his mother are Syria.

فَأَعينوهُ كَي يَعيشَ وَيَنمو

فَأَعينوهُ كَي يَعيشَ وَيَنمو

ناعِمَ البالِ في الحَياةِ رَضِيّا

ناعِمَ البالِ في الحَياةِ رَضِيّا

So help him, that he may live and grow,

So help him live and grow, at peace,

So aid him, that he may live and grow,

At ease in mind, content in life.

With tranquil spirit and joy increased.

With a peaceful mind and a contented heart.

رُبَّ ذِهنٍ مِثلَ النَهارِ مُنيرٍ

رُبَّ ذِهنٍ مِثلَ النَهارِ مُنيرٍ

صارَ بِالبُؤسِ كَالظَلامِ دَجِيّا

صارَ بِالبُؤسِ كَالظَلامِ دَجِيّا

Many a mind, radiant as the day,

Many a bright mind darkened woefully

How many a mind, bright as the day,

Has turned, through misery, black as darkness.

When steeped in poverty and agony.

Has turned, through misery, as dark as the night?

كَم أَثيمٍ في السِجنِ لَو أَدرَكَتهُ

كَم أَثيمٍ في السِجنِ لَو أَدرَكَتهُ

رَحمَةُ اللَهِ كانَ حُرّاً سَرِيّا

رَحمَةُ اللَهِ كانَ حُرّاً سَرِيّا

How many a sinner in prison, had he been touched by

How many sinners, when mercy touched their hearts,

How many a sinner in prison—had he but received

God's mercy, would have been free and noble!

Became, though jailed, free in secret parts.

The mercy of God—would have been free and noble?

حارَبوا البُؤسَ فيو الصِغارِ صَغيراً

حارَبوا البُؤسَ فيو الصِغارِ صَغيراً

قَبلَ أَن يَستَبِدَّ فيهِم قَوِيّا

قَبلَ أَن يَستَبِدَّ فيهِم قَوِيّا

Fight misery in the little ones while it is small,

Fight poverty in the little ones now small,

Fight misery in the young while it is still small,

Before, grown strong, it tyrannizes over them.

Before in them it grows beyond recall.

Before it grows strong and tyrannizes them.

كُلُّهُم ذَلِكَ الجَريحُ المُلقى

كُلُّهُم ذَلِكَ الجَريحُ المُلقى

فَلنَكُن كُلُّنا الفَتى السامِرِيّا

فَلنَكُن كُلُّنا الفَتى السامِرِيّا

They are all that wounded man, left lying there;

See all of them as that man, hurt and lame,

Each of them is that wounded traveler cast down;

So let us all be the young Samaritan.

And like the Samaritan, let us do the same.

So let us all be the Good Samaritan.