صديان يغلي في حشاه المرجل

صديان يغلي في حشاه المرجل

ترثي الجنوب له وتحنو الشمأل

ترثي الجنوب له وتحنو الشمأل

Parched, a cauldron boils within his breast.

The pot boils in the furnace of the steamer

The south wind laments for him, and the north wind shows him tenderness.

The south mourns for it and the north yearns

هيهات تلهيه الطيور بشدوها

هيهات تلهيه الطيور بشدوها

ويبلّ غلّته الرحيق السلسل

ويبلّ غلّته الرحيق السلسل

Far from it: birds cannot distract him with their song,

Alas, the birds cannot distract him with their chirping

nor can smooth-flowing nectar quench his burning thirst.

And its bitterness wets the dripping honeycomb

كابن الملوح لا يفرّ قراره

كابن الملوح لا يفرّ قراره

أبدا إلى ليلى يحنّ ويسال

أبدا إلى ليلى يحنّ ويسال

Like Ibn al-Mulawwah, he never finds rest [uncertain reading],

Like the son of Milaah, his resolve does not waver

forever yearning toward Layla and asking after her.

He always longs and asks about Layla

يا لائمه سقيتم صاب الأسى

يا لائمه سقيتم صاب الأسى

كفّوا متى بلّ الأوام الحنظل

كفّوا متى بلّ الأوام الحنظل

O you who reproach him, may you be made to drink sorrow's bitter sap!

O you who blame him, you have watered the saplings of grief

Desist! When has colocynth ever quenched burning thirst?

Stop, when the tender branches have become rough

هيمان كم ذكر الحمى وأقامه

هيمان كم ذكر الحمى وأقامه

وله وأقعده الهوى المتغلغل

وله وأقعده الهوى المتغلغل

Distraught, how often he recalled his homeland! He was roused

How much Himaan remembered zeal and established it

by lovesickness, while all-pervading love made him sit down.

And made it dwell, and infatuated love made it settle

وأغرورقت عيناه أو كادت فيا

وأغرورقت عيناه أو كادت فيا

لهوّى تطيب به النفوس وتكمل

لهوّى تطيب به النفوس وتكمل

And his eyes brimmed with tears—or nearly did. Oh,

And his eyes brimmed with tears, or nearly

what a love, through which souls grow serene and whole,

For a love that brings joy to souls and completes them

وتجود بالغالي وسحقا لامرىء

وتجود بالغالي وسحقا لامرىء

لا يبذل الغالي النفيس ويبخل

لا يبذل الغالي النفيس ويبخل

and give what is precious! Ruin upon the man

And gives generously, and curse the one

who will not give what is precious and prized, but is miserly

Who does not give the precious and the exquisite and is stingy

بسبيل موطنيه وحبّ بلاده

بسبيل موطنيه وحبّ بلاده

هذا ولا عاش الخؤون المبطل

هذا ولا عاش الخؤون المبطل

in the cause of his two homelands and love of his country.

For the sake of his homeland and love of his country

Thus—and may the treacherous wrongdoer never live!

This one has not lived a wasted life

لهفان ها هو والظلام مخيّم

لهفان ها هو والظلام مخيّم

متلهّف في جنحه متعلّل

متلهّف في جنحه متعلّل

Grief-stricken, here he is, while darkness settles,

Yearning, here he is while darkness descends

yearning beneath its cover, seeking solace.

Yearning in its wings, complaining

متعطش والذكريات هواتفٌ

متعطش والذكريات هواتفٌ

تهفو بخافقه الحنون وتنهل

تهفو بخافقه الحنون وتنهل

Thirsting, while memories are voices calling,

Thirsty, and memories are whispering calls

fluttering through his tender heart and pouring forth.

That stir his affectionate heart and draw from it

وتعربد الأحلام فوق جفونه

وتعربد الأحلام فوق جفونه

سحرا ويقيها الهوى المسترسل

سحرا ويقيها الهوى المسترسل

And dreams run riot over his eyelids

Dreams flutter over his eyelids

before dawn, and unrestrained love protects them.

Like magic, and passionate love protects them

يصبو ويبعث والنسيم رسوله

يصبو ويبعث والنسيم رسوله

قبلا يكاد يذوب فيها المرسل

قبلا يكاد يذوب فيها المرسل

He yearns and sends, with the breeze his messenger,

He dreams and sends the breeze as his messenger

kisses in which their sender almost melts,

With a kiss, he almost melts into it

لمسارح وملاعب ومراتع

لمسارح وملاعب ومراتع

ومرابع فيها البدور الكمّل

ومرابع فيها البدور الكمّل

to open fields, playgrounds, and pastures,

Of theaters, playgrounds, meadows

and springtime dwellings with their perfect full moons.

And watering places where the perfect ones gathered

شطّت وعانقت الرؤى أطيافها

شطّت وعانقت الرؤى أطيافها

وعليه في وادي الكرى تتنزّل

وعليه في وادي الكرى تتنزّل

They grew distant, and visions embraced their phantoms,

Visions have swirled and embraced their ghosts

and upon him, in the valley of slumber, they descend.

And descended upon him in the valley of al-Karaa

ولهان قد طبع الحنين بذهنه

ولهان قد طبع الحنين بذهنه

صورا فدعه غارقا يتخيّل

صورا فدعه غارقا يتخيّل

Love-bewildered, longing has imprinted in his mind

And passion has stamped his mind

images; leave him immersed in imagining:

With images, so let him stay engrossed imagining

صورا مجنّحة بريشة وهمه

صورا مجنّحة بريشة وهمه

تغري وتدبر في الخيال وتقبل

تغري وتدبر في الخيال وتقبل

images winged by the brush of his fancy,

Winged images with the feathers of his imagination

enticing, retreating in imagination, and approaching again.

That seduce, ponder in the imagination, and accept

منها أطلّت ذكريات حلوة

منها أطلّت ذكريات حلوة

بيض يقصّ روّاه وهي تؤول

بيض يقصّ روّاه وهي تؤول

From them sweet memories looked out,

From them flashed sweet memories

bright; he recounts his visions [uncertain reading] as they are interpreted.

White, which he tells as stories that lead

حفّت بها الآمال سكرى والمنى

حفّت بها الآمال سكرى والمنى

ودنت فكاد يضمّها فتقبّل

ودنت فكاد يضمّها فتقبّل

Drunken hopes and wishes gathered about them,

Hopes surrounded it with intoxication and wishes

and they drew near; he almost embraced them, and they offered kisses.

And drew near, so he almost embraced and kissed

فهنا الطفولة والصبا وهنا الهوى

فهنا الطفولة والصبا وهنا الهوى

وهناك ملعبه وهذا المنزل

وهناك ملعبه وهذا المنزل

Here are childhood and youth, and here is love,

And there his playground, and this is the house

and there his playground, and this the house.

And here are loved ones who said farewell, here

وهنا الأحبّة ودّعوه ها هنا

وهنا الأحبّة ودّعوه ها هنا

ومضى وراح بحسنها يتغزّل

ومضى وراح بحسنها يتغزّل

And here his loved ones bade him farewell—here,

He left, and went away singing their beauty

and he departed, and went on extolling her beauty in love-verse.

Delighted, when he listens with the ear of his imagination

نشوان إذا أصغى بأذن خياله

نشوان إذا أصغى بأذن خياله

والوهم يملى والوداد يسجّل

والوهم يملى والوداد يسجّل

Enraptured whenever he listened with his imagination's ear,

And illusion dictates, and affection records

while fancy dictated and affection recorded,

And fervor shakes in the depths of his soul

والوجد يرفض في قرارة روحه

والوجد يرفض في قرارة روحه

والشوق يعزف والفؤاد يرتل

والشوق يعزف والفؤاد يرتل

and passion poured forth in the depths of his soul,

And longing plays music, and the heart sings along

and longing played music, and his heart chanted.

So he plucked a flute for it and a poet sang

فشدا له ناي وغنى شاعر

فشدا له ناي وغنى شاعر

وترنّمت ورق ورجّع جدول

وترنّمت ورق ورجّع جدول

Then a reed flute sang to him, and a poet sang,

And leaves rustled, and a stream babbled

and gray doves warbled, and a brook echoed.

A mother wondered and remembered, and a father prayed

وتساءلت أمّ وذكر والد

وتساءلت أمّ وذكر والد

ودعا أخو روح وأمّن محفل

ودعا أخو روح وأمّن محفل

And a mother wondered, and a father remembered,

And a soul brother wished well, and a gathering affirmed

and a brother in spirit prayed, and a gathering answered 'Amen,'

A sister asked, and a young girl called

واستفرت أخت ونادت طفلة

واستفرت أخت ونادت طفلة

والكل منهم شقة ما يجمل

والكل منهم شقة ما يجمل

and a sister inquired [uncertain reading], and a little girl called.

And all of them, he is a part of their beauty

And each of them bore hardship beyond telling [wording unclear].

A world of illusions he was briefly lost in

دنيا من الأوهام غاب سويعة

دنيا من الأوهام غاب سويعة

فيها وعاد وقلبه يتململ

فيها وعاد وقلبه يتململ

A world of illusions: he vanished for a little while

And returned, his heart fluttering

within it, then returned, his heart restless.

Hopeful, unaware of an entrance

متفائل لا البأس يعرف مدخلا

متفائل لا البأس يعرف مدخلا

لفؤاده وهو الشجيّ فيدخل

لفؤاده وهو الشجيّ فيدخل

Hopeful: adversity knows no gateway

To his heart, but he is valiant so he enters

into his heart, sorrowful though he is, through which to enter.

He defeated doubts with his resolve and certainty

صرع الشكوكَ بحزمه ويقينه

صرع الشكوكَ بحزمه ويقينه

ومن الوساوس ما يحرّ ويقتل

ومن الوساوس ما يحرّ ويقتل

He felled doubts with his resolve and certainty,

And the whispers that burn and kill

and among troubling thoughts are those that scorch and kill.

So listen, O you who praise a homeland

فاسمعه يا هذا يحيّى موطنا

فاسمعه يا هذا يحيّى موطنا

في جانحيه له المقام الأوّل

في جانحيه له المقام الأوّل

So hear him, you there, saluting a homeland

In his wings it has the highest place

that holds foremost place within his breast:

My homeland, I would sacrifice life and blood for you, be safe and good

وطني فديتك عش ودم واسلم وطب

وطني فديتك عش ودم واسلم وطب

فحمائم السلم القريب ستهدل

فحمائم السلم القريب ستهدل

My homeland, I am your ransom: live, endure, be safe, and be well!

For the doves of nearby peace will soon alight

For the doves of approaching peace will coo,

And glory in your name, O sanctified land

والمجد باسمك يا ربوع مسبّح

والمجد باسمك يا ربوع مسبّح

والفخر يهتف والزمان يهلل

والفخر يهتف والزمان يهلل

and glory chants praise in your name, O beloved lands,

And pride shouts and time rejoices

and pride cries out, and time exults.