دعواleave الأرضَthe earth ليto me ياO حمُاةَguardians السماءْheaven
دعوا الأرضَ لي يا حمُاةَ السماءْ
أُوَسِّعُI widen رُقعَتَهاher expanse بالغِناءْwith song
أُوَسِّعُ رُقعَتَها بالغِناءْ
Leave the earth to me, O guardians of heaven.
Leave the earth to me, O guardians of the sky
I widen her expanse with song.
I will expand its expanse with singing
ولاand do not تزعمواyou claim أنَّنيthat I قدindeed خُلِقتْI was created
ولا تزعموا أنَّني قد خُلِقتْ
لأُكملَso I may complete فيon الأرضِthe earth نَهرَthe river البكاءْweeping
لأُكملَ في الأرضِ نَهرَ البكاءْ
And do not claim that I was created
And do not claim that I was created
to complete the river of weeping on earth.
To complete the river of weeping on earth
سأشدوI will sing إلىuntil أنْthat يذوبَmelts الصقيعُthe frost
سأشدو إلى أنْ يذوبَ الصقيعُ
وأحدوand I chant إلىuntil أنْthat يَنِدَّflees العَراءْthe barren expanse
وأحدو إلى أنْ يَنِدَّ العَراءْ
I will sing until the frost melts,
I will sing until the frost melts
and chant until the barren expanse flees.
And chant until the bare land flourishes
دعواleave الأرضَthe earth ليto me إنَّنيindeed I لمnot أزلْI cease
دعوا الأرضَ لي إنَّني لم أزلْ
أصلِّيI pray بِin(معبدthe temple) هذاthis البهاءْsplendor
أصلِّي بِ(معبد) هذا البهاءْ
Leave the earth to me; I still
Leave the earth to me, I have never ceased
pray in the temple of this splendor,
To pray in this beautiful temple
وأدعوand I supplicate فأشعرُso I feel أنَّthat (النقوشَthe inscriptions)
وأدعو فأشعرُ أنَّ (النقوشَ)
جموعٌthrongs تشاركُنيjoin me فيin الدعاءْprayer
جموعٌ تشاركُني في الدعاءْ
and supplicate, feeling that the inscriptions
And supplicate, feeling that the engravings
are throngs joining me in prayer.
Are crowds sharing my supplication
** **
** **
** **
Leave the naked earth in my hands
And do not clothe it in the shirt of elegy
دعواleave الأرضَthe earth عريانةًnaked فيin يديَّmy two hands
دعوا الأرضَ عريانةً في يديَّ
ولاand do not تُلبِسوهاyou clothe her قميصَa shirt الرثاءْlamentation
ولا تُلبِسوها قميصَ الرثاءْ
Leave the earth naked in my hands,
For you is what the horizon narrated of aligned stars
and do not clothe her in a shirt of lamentation.
Inscribed in the book of space
لَكُمْyours ماwhat رَواَهُhas recounted it المدَىthe expanse منof نجومٍstars
لَكُمْ ما رَواَهُ المدَى من نجومٍ
مُسَطَّرَةٍinscribed فيin كتابthe book الفضاءْspace
مُسَطَّرَةٍ في كتاب الفضاءْ
Yours are the stars the expanse has recounted,
And I have my stars: love of this soil
inscribed in the book of space.
The beauty of infatuations, the magic of women
وليand mine أنجميmy stars : حُبُّlove هذاthis الترابِsoil ..
ولي أنجمي : حُبُّ هذا الترابِ ..
جمالُthe beauty الغواياتِtemptations .. سحرُthe enchantment النساءْwomen
جمالُ الغواياتِ .. سحرُ النساءْ
And I have my stars: love of this soil,
For me is the misery of humankind
the beauty of temptations, the enchantment of women.
From their misery to their misery - for loyalty is an ordeal!
لِيَmine is الآدميَّةُhumanity منfrom بؤسِهاits misery
لِيَ الآدميَّةُ من بؤسِها
إلىto بؤسِهاits misery .. فالولاءُfor loyalty ابْتِلاَءْan ordeal !
إلى بؤسِها .. فالولاءُ ابْتِلاَءْ !
Humanity is mine, from its misery
And a piece of clay called the country
to its misery—for loyalty is an ordeal!
In which I planted a bouquet of friends!
وكسرةُand a morsel طينٍclay تُسَمَّىis called البلادَthe homeland
وكسرةُ طينٍ تُسَمَّى البلادَ
زرعتُI planted بهاin it باقةَa bouquet الأصدقاءْfriends !
زرعتُ بها باقةَ الأصدقاءْ !
And a morsel of clay called the homeland,
Leave the earth to me - I am a handful
in which I planted a bouquet of friends!
Of sand carrying the spirit of loyalty
** **
** **
** **
So I still, when life scowls,
Try to tame this howling
دعواleave الأرضَthe earth ليto me .. إنَّنيindeed I حفنةٌa handful
دعوا الأرضَ لي .. إنَّني حفنةٌ
منof الرَّملِsand تحملbears روحَthe spirit الولاءْloyalty
من الرَّملِ تحمل روحَ الولاءْ
Leave the earth to me; I am a handful
I disowned a tune that does not nationalize -
of sand bearing the spirit of loyalty.
In people, my veins and blood
فماfor not زلتُI have ceased حينwhen تموءُmeows الحياةُlife
فما زلتُ حين تموءُ الحياةُ
أحاولُI try ترويضَtaming هذاthis المُواءْmeowing
أحاولُ ترويضَ هذا المُواءْ
For when life meows, I still
My tribe is the bird, if it distributes
try to tame this meowing.
Its trills in the wilds, all is equal
تَبَرَّأتُI disavowed منfrom نغمةٍa melody لاdoes not تُؤَمِّمُnationalizes −
تَبَرَّأتُ من نغمةٍ لا تُؤَمِّمُ −
فيamong الناسِthe people أوردتيmy veins والدماءْand the blood
في الناسِ أوردتي والدماءْ
I have renounced any melody that does not nationalize
And my nationality belongs to the anthem
my veins and blood among the people.
And my ethnicity belongs to singing
قبيلتيَmy tribe الطيرُthe birds إنْif وَزَّعَتْthey scatter
قبيلتيَ الطيرُ إنْ وَزَّعَتْ
زغاريدَهاtheir ululations فالبراياthen all creatures سَوَاءْequal
زغاريدَها فالبرايا سَوَاءْ
My tribe is the birds; if they scatter
Why do you want me to bow
their ululations, then all creatures are equal.
My head to the plate of affiliation?!
وقوميَّتيand my nationality تنتميbelongs للنشيدِto the anthem
وقوميَّتي تنتمي للنشيدِ
وand(إثنيَّتيmy ethnicity) تنتميbelongs للغناءْto song
و(إثنيَّتي) تنتمي للغناءْ
And my nationality belongs to the anthem,
And I'm not one who can bear heads
and my ethnicity belongs to song.
When they take on the form of bowing
لماذاwhy تريدونyou want أَنْto تنحنواyou bow
لماذا تريدون أَنْ تنحنوا
برأسيwith my head علىover طَبَقِthe platter (الانتماءْbelonging) ؟!
برأسي على طَبَقِ (الانتماءْ) ؟!
Why do you want to bow
I am ignorant in inventing submissiveness
my head over the platter of belonging?!
An expert in the engineering of pride
وماand not أناI مِمَّنْamong those who يطيقcan bear الرؤوسَheads
وما أنا مِمَّنْ يطيق الرؤوسَ
إذاwhen اتَّخَذَتْthey assume هيئةَthe posture الانحناءْbowing
إذا اتَّخَذَتْ هيئةَ الانحناءْ
And I am not one who can bear heads
So I have my shoes to ride
when they assume the posture of bowing.
And how many beings ride shoes!
أناI جاهلٌignorant فيin ابتكارdevising الخنوعِservility ..
أنا جاهلٌ في ابتكار الخنوعِ ..
خبيرٌan expert بهندسةin engineering الكبرياءْpride
خبيرٌ بهندسة الكبرياءْ
I know nothing of devising servility,
I did not dangle from a cloud
an expert in engineering pride.
To earth in the form of saints
فلِيْso it is mine منfrom حذائيَmy shoe أنْto أمتطيهِI ride it ..
فلِيْ من حذائيَ أنْ أمتطيهِ ..
وكمand how many كائنٍa creature يمتطيهِrides it الحذاءْthe shoe !!
وكم كائنٍ يمتطيهِ الحذاءْ !!
So my shoe is mine to ride,
And I did not seek in the crookedness of life
yet how many creatures are ridden by a shoe!
A path straighter than straightness!
** **
** **
** **
I suffered, so I realized that poetry -
Is the most beautiful creations of suffering
أناI ماnot تَدَلَّيتُI dangled منfrom غيمةٍa cloud
أنا ما تَدَلَّيتُ من غيمةٍ
علىonto الأرضِthe earth فيin هيأةthe guise الأولياءْsaints
على الأرضِ في هيأة الأولياءْ
I did not dangle from a cloud
So the dawn did not rise unless I set out
onto the earth in the guise of saints.
To roam the splendor of light with poetry
ولمnor did ألتمسْI seek فيin اعوجاجthe crookedness الحياةِlife
ولم ألتمسْ في اعوجاج الحياةِ
طريقاًa path أدقَّmore precise منthan الاستواءْstraightness !
طريقاً أدقَّ من الاستواءْ !
Nor did I seek, in life's crookedness,
And the night did not descend unless I withdrew
a path more precise than straightness!
To furnish the beauty of evening with poetry
شُقِيتُI suffered فأدركتُso I realized أنَّthat القصيدةَthe poem −
شُقِيتُ فأدركتُ أنَّ القصيدةَ −
أجملُthe loveliest مبتكراتِinventions الشقاءْsuffering
أجملُ مبتكراتِ الشقاءْ
I suffered, and realized that the poem
If my trunk leaned on a wall
is the loveliest of suffering's inventions.
That reached a wall made of air
فماfor not ارتفعrose الصبحُdawn إلاَّexcept انطلقتُI set out
فما ارتفع الصبحُ إلاَّ انطلقتُ
أسرِّحI comb بالشِّعرِwith poetry هُدْبَthe lashes الضياءْlight
أسرِّح بالشِّعرِ هُدْبَ الضياءْ
For no sooner did dawn rise than I set out,
And dreams did not recede from my eyelids
combing the lashes of light with poetry.
Nor did my laughter return backwards!
وماand not انحدرdescended الليلُnight إلاَّexcept انطويتُI withdrew
وما انحدر الليلُ إلاَّ انطويتُ
أؤثِّثI furnish بالشِّعرِwith poetry بَهْوَthe hall المساءْevening
أؤثِّث بالشِّعرِ بَهْوَ المساءْ
And no sooner did night descend than I withdrew,
So this beautiful toil never ceased
furnishing the hall of evening with poetry.
To teach April the meaning of serenity
إذاif مالleaned جذعيmy trunk علىagainst حائطٍa wall
إذا مال جذعي على حائطٍ
تناهَىreached إلىto حائطٍa wall منof هواءْair
تناهَى إلى حائطٍ من هواءْ
If my trunk leaned against a wall,
I console emperors living in luxury
it reached a wall of air.
For depriving them of the beauty of toil!
وماand not انسحبَwithdrew الحُلْمُthe dream منfrom مقلتيَّmy two eyes
وما انسحبَ الحُلْمُ من مقلتيَّ
ولاnor رَجَعَتْreturned ضحكتيmy laughter للوراءْbackward !!
ولا رَجَعَتْ ضحكتي للوراءْ !!
And the dream never withdrew from my eyes,
nor did my laughter retreat!
فماfor not انفكَّceased هذاthis العناءُtoil الجميلُbeautiful
فما انفكَّ هذا العناءُ الجميلُ
يعلِّمteaches (نيسانَApril) معنىthe meaning الصفاءْserenity
يعلِّم (نيسانَ) معنى الصفاءْ
For this beautiful toil has never ceased
teaching April the meaning of serenity.
أعزِّيI console الأباطرةَthe emperors المترفينَthe pampered
أعزِّي الأباطرةَ المترفينَ
لحِرمانهِمْfor their deprivation منof جميلbeautiful العناءْtoil !!
لحِرمانهِمْ من جميل العناءْ !!
I offer condolences to the pampered emperors
for being deprived of beautiful toil!
Partial English translation: 53 of 59 Arabic lines translated.