ما الشعر الا نغم

يجيد فيه الملهم

Poetry is nothing but melody,

in which the inspired one excels.

يشدو به المحزون وال

مفتون والمتيم

The sorrowful sing it, and the

enraptured and the love-stricken.

لقد بكى سامعه

فدمعه منسجم

Its listener has indeed wept,

his tears flowing freely,

كما بكى قائله

ابان كان ينظم

just as its speaker wept

when he was composing.

لا يعرف المؤلمن في

الحياة الا المؤلم

None knows the afflicted in

life but the afflicted.

ابك فان عبرة

الباكين سلوى لهم

Weep, for the tears of

those who weep bring them solace.

أليس ثغر الدمع في

وجه الحزين يبسم

Does not the mouth of tears on

the sorrowful one's face smile?

الف يعيش بائساً

وواحد منعم

A thousand live in misery,

and one in comfort.

الشعر لا وزن ولا

قافية تلتزم

Poetry is neither meter nor

a rhyme to be observed,

بل هو معنى ثائر

قد قيدته الكلم

but a rebellious meaning

that words have shackled.

تكاد من ثورته

قيوده تنجذم

Its revolt nearly causes

its fetters to snap.

والشعر موسيقى يهز

النفس منها النغم

And poetry is music, stirring

the soul through its melody.

فتارة يبسطها

وتارة يلملم

At times it unfolds the soul,

and at times gathers it in.

وتارة يبني المنى

وتارة يهدم

At times it builds up hopes,

and at times destroys them.

وهو لقوم عضهم

صرف الزمان مأتم

For a people bitten by

time's vicissitudes, it is a mourning gathering.

وهو لرهط اعرسوا

قيثارة ترنم

For a band who have celebrated a wedding,

it is a singing lyre.

وهو لمن قد عوجت

اخلاقه مقوم

And for one with warped

morals, it is a reformer.

الاولون ابتدؤا

والاخرون تمموا

The earlier ones began,

and the later ones completed.

وهو سماء قد علت

تضيئ فيها الانجم

It is a sky raised high,

in which the stars shine.

وهو شعور لشعو

ر السامعيه يضرم

It is feeling; the feelings

of its listeners it sets ablaze.

وهو بالوان الخيا

ل في الحياة مفعم

And with the colors of imagination

in life it is filled.

وهو اذا خطب عرا

بصدقه يعتصم

And when a calamity strikes,

it takes refuge in its truthfulness.

ان ذكر الآداب

فهو وحده المقدم

If literature is mentioned,

it alone is foremost.

والشاعر الفحل له

من نفسه معلم

And the master poet has

a teacher within himself.

همومه له ترو

ض والحياة تلهم

His cares train him,

and life inspires him.

حتى اذا جاش الشعو

ر مثلته الكلم

Until, when feeling surges,

words give it form.

يعجبني من الهزا

ر الشدو والترنم

What delights me in the nightingale

is its song and trilling,

وهو على غصن من الدوح

وريق يجثم

as upon a branch of spreading trees,

lush with leaves, it perches.

اني بشدوك الشجيّ

يا هزار مغرم

I am, with your plaintive song,

O nightingale, enamored.

فانت عما في فؤا

دي من اسىً تترجم

For you give voice to what is in my heart,

to the sorrow within.

الشعر في اوطانه

قد غيظ وهو يكظم

Poetry in its homelands

has been angered, yet restrains its rage.

هناك ثلة تقو

ل فيه ما لا تعلم

There is a band that says

about it what it does not know.

والنقد بالاغراض في

اكثره متهم

And criticism is suspected of ulterior motives

for the most part.

ورب ناقد يمج

السم فهو ارقم

Many a critic spits

venom, for he is a speckled viper.

وما بمطفئ اوا

ر حقده الا الدم

And nothing quenches the blaze

of his hatred but blood.

لو حكم النقد بعد

ل فهو نعم الحكم

If criticism judged justly,

it would be an excellent judge.

لكنه يجور في

احكامه ويظلم

But it is unjust in

its judgments and does wrong.

وانما النقد النزيه

نفعه مسلم

Only impartial criticism

has an unquestioned benefit.

ورب شعر حسن

له بقبح وصموا

Many a fine poem

they have branded with ugliness.

قد جحدوا جماله

كأنهم عنه عموا

They have denied its beauty,

as though they were blind to it.

والشعر قد يثور غضبان

وقد ينتقم

And poetry may rise in anger,

and may take revenge.

ويل لمن يصيبه

شواظه المضطرم

Woe to whomever is struck

by its blazing flame!

اذا رمى الشعر فلا

تطيش منه الاسهم

When poetry shoots, never

do its arrows go astray.

يومئذ يود كل

ناقد لو يسلم

On that day, every

critic wishes he might escape unharmed.

ويعقب العرس الذي

افرح قوما مأتم

And the wedding that

gladdened a people is followed by mourning.

ان الذي ينقده

بصخرة يصطدم

Whoever criticizes it

collides with a rock.

خير له ان يؤثر الفرار

فهو اسلم

Better for him to choose flight,

for that is safer.

الشعر لا يرهب نقداً

سيفه منثلم

Poetry does not fear criticism

whose sword is notched.

لا ناره نار ولا

خميسه عرمرم

Its fire is no fire, nor

is its army a mighty host.

لا خير في نقد امرئ

حديثه مرّجم

No good lies in the criticism of a man

whose speech is mere conjecture.

لا يستوى الباطل والحق

لدى من يفهم

Falsehood and truth are not equal

to one who understands.

هذا نهار مشرق

وذاك ليل مظلم

This is a radiant day,

and that a dark night.

الصدق يلقى حرمة

والكذب لا يحترم

Truth meets with reverence,

and falsehood is not respected.

قالوا لقد مات القريض

بعد من تقدموا

They said: 'Poetry has indeed died

after those who came before.'

قد كذبوا فالشعر حيّ

بالنشاط مفعم

They lied: poetry is alive,

brimming with vigor.

عش ايها الشعر فانك

الزعيم الاعظم

Live, O poetry, for you are

the greatest leader.

تحت لوائك القلو

ب اجتمعت تزدحم

Beneath your banner, hearts

have gathered, crowding together.

فهي اذا مشيت تمشي

او جثمت تجثم

They walk when you walk,

or crouch when you crouch.

وانت في الحياة لي

يا شعر دين قيم

And in life, to me you are,

O poetry, an upright faith.