لاdo not تَسلْask عنabout سلامتِهْhis safety
لا تَسلْ عن سلامتِهْ
روحهhis soul فوقabove راحتِهْhis palm
روحه فوق راحتِهْ
Do not ask about his safety.
Do not ask of his peace,
His soul lies upon his palm.
His spirit above his comfort.
بدَّلَتْهُgave him in exchange همومُهُhis worries
بدَّلَتْهُ همومُهُ
كفناًa shroud منin place of وسادِتهْhis pillow
كفناً من وسادِتهْ
His worries have given him
His worries have changed him,
a shroud in place of his pillow.
To a shroud of his pillow.
يَرقبُwatches for الساعةَthe hour التيthat
يَرقبُ الساعةَ التي
بعدَهاafter it هولُterror ساعتِهْhis hour
بعدَها هولُ ساعتِهْ
He watches for the hour that
He awaits the hour,
is followed by the terror of his own hour.
After which, the horror of his hour.
شاغلٌoccupying فكرَthe thoughts of مَنْwhoever يراهُsees him
شاغلٌ فكرَ مَنْ يراهُ
بإطراقِwith the bowing of هامتِهْhis head
بإطراقِ هامتِهْ
He occupies the thoughts of whoever sees him
Busy is the mind of he who sees him,
with his bowed head.
With the frown of his anxiety.
بيْنَbetween جنبيْهِhis two sides خافقٌa beating heart
بيْنَ جنبيْهِ خافقٌ
يتلظَّىblazes بغايتهْwith his purpose
يتلظَّى بغايتهْ
Between his sides is a beating heart,
Between his sides flutters a heart,
ablaze with his purpose.
That burns for its purpose.
منwho رأىhas seen فَحْمةَthe coal of الدُّجىnight-darkness
من رأى فَحْمةَ الدُّجى
أُضْرِمَتْwas set ablaze منby شرارتِهْhis spark
أُضْرِمَتْ من شرارتِهْ
Who has seen the coal of night
Who saw the darkness of gloom,
set ablaze by his spark?
Kindled from his embers?
حَمَّلَتْهُcharged him جهنَّمٌHell
حَمَّلَتْهُ جهنَّمٌ
طَرفَاًa part منof رسالتِهhis mission
طَرفَاً من رسالتِه
Hell has charged him
Hell burdened him,
with part of his mission.
With part of his message.
هوhe بالبابat the door واقفُstanding
هو بالباب واقفُ
والرًّدىand death منهof him خائفُafraid
والرًّدى منه خائفُ
He stands at the door,
He is at the door standing,
and death is afraid of him.
And destruction is afraid of him.
فاهدأيso be still ياO عواصفُstorms
فاهدأي يا عواصفُ
خجلاًin shame منbefore جراءتِهْhis daring
خجلاً من جراءتِهْ
So be still, O storms,
So calm, O storms,
in shame before his daring.
Ashamed of his determination.
صامتٌsilent لوْif تكلَّماhe spoke
صامتٌ لوْ تكلَّما
لَفَظَhe spewed النَّارَfire والدِّماand blood
لَفَظَ النَّارَ والدِّما
He is silent; were he to speak,
Silent - if they conversed,
he would spew fire and blood.
He would pronounce fire and blood.
قُلْsay لمنto whoever عابfound fault with صمتَهُhis silence
قُلْ لمن عاب صمتَهُ
خُلِقَwas created الحزمُresolve أبكماmute
خُلِقَ الحزمُ أبكما
Tell whoever found fault with his silence:
Say to those who disapproved his silence,
Resolve was created mute.
Wisdom was created mute.
وأخوand the man of الحزمresolve لمhas not تزلceased
وأخو الحزم لم تزل
يدُهُhis hand تسْبِقُprecedes الفماthe mouth
يدُهُ تسْبِقُ الفما
And the man of resolve has always
And the brother of wisdom has never
had his hand precede his mouth.
Ceased to have his hand precede his mouth.
لاdo not تلوموهblame him قدindeed رأىhe saw
لا تلوموه قد رأى
منْهجَthe path of الحقِّtruth مُظلماdark
منْهجَ الحقِّ مُظلما
Do not blame him; he has seen
Do not blame him, for he has seen
the path of truth in darkness,
The path of truth obscured.
وبلاداًand a land أحبَّهاhe loved it
وبلاداً أحبَّها
ركنُهاits pillar قدalready تهدًّماhad crumbled
ركنُها قد تهدًّما
and a land he loved,
And a country he loved,
whose pillar had crumbled,
Whose pillar has crumbled.
وخصوماًand foes ببغْيِهمْbecause of their oppression
وخصوماً ببغْيِهمْ
ضجَّتcried out الأَرضُthe earth والسماand the sky
ضجَّت الأَرضُ والسما
and foes at whose oppression
And enemies whose hatred
earth and sky cried out.
Made the earth and sky roar.
مرَّpassed حينٌa time فكادand almost يقfirst part of 'kills him'
مرَّ حينٌ فكاد يق
تُلهُrest of 'kills him' اليأْسُdespair إنَّماyet
تُلهُ اليأْسُ إنَّما
There was a time when he was nearly killed
A time has passed almost
by despair; yet—
Killing him with despair.
هوhe بالبابat the door واقفُstanding
هو بالباب واقفُ
والرَّدىand death منهof him خائفُafraid
والرَّدى منه خائفُ
He stands at the door,
He is at the door standing,
and death is afraid of him.
And destruction is afraid of him.
فاهدأيso be still ياO عواصفُstorms
فاهدأي يا عواصفُ
خجلاًin shame مِنbefore جراءتِهْhis daring
خجلاً مِن جراءتِهْ
So be still, O storms,
So calm, O storms,
in shame before his daring.
Ashamed of his determination.