أُحَيّيكَ " طه " لا أُطيلُ بكَ السَّجْعا

أُحَيّيكَ " طه " لا أُطيلُ بكَ السَّجْعا

كفَى السَّجع فخراً محضُ إسمك إذ تدعي

كفَى السَّجع فخراً محضُ إسمك إذ تدعي

I greet you, Taha; I shall not prolong my rhymes about you.

I greet you, Taha, I shall not prolong rhymed prose with you,

Your name alone, when you are called, is glory enough for rhyme.

Rhymed prose is pride enough, your noble name proclaims when called.

أُحَيّيكَ فَذّاً في دِمشقَ وقبلَها

أُحَيّيكَ فَذّاً في دِمشقَ وقبلَها

ببغدادَ قد حيَّيتُ أفذاذَكم جَمْعا

ببغدادَ قد حيَّيتُ أفذاذَكم جَمْعا

I greet you, peerless, in Damascus; before this,

I greet you, pride of Damascus and before it

In Baghdad I had greeted your peerless men together.

Baghdad, where I greeted your finest men together.

شكرناكَ : أنَّا في ضيافة نابغٍ

شكرناكَ : أنَّا في ضيافة نابغٍ

نُمتّعُ منه العينَ والقلبَ والسمعا

نُمتّعُ منه العينَ والقلبَ والسمعا

We thanked you, for we are guests of a genius,

We thank you: we are guests of an eminent host

Through whom we delight the eye, the heart, and the ear.

Who entertains us, pleasing eye, heart and ear.

ذرفتُ – على أنْ لا يرانا بطرفه

ذرفتُ – على أنْ لا يرانا بطرفه

وإنْ حسنَّا بالقلب – من أسفٍ دمعا

وإنْ حسنَّا بالقلب – من أسفٍ دمعا

I shed—because he could not see us with his eyes,

I shed - though unseen by his glance

Though he sensed us with his heart—tears of sorrow.

And though our hearts were gladdened - tears of sadness,

وكنَّا على آدابك الغُرِّ قبلَها

وكنَّا على آدابك الغُرِّ قبلَها

ضُيوفاً فما أبقيتَ في كرمٍ وُسْعا

ضُيوفاً فما أبقيتَ في كرمٍ وُسْعا

And before that, at your radiant writings, we had been

For we had known, before this, your gentle ways,

Guests; you held nothing back in generosity.

Guests, and you did not fail us in your bounteous generosity.

نهضتَ بنا جيلاً وأبقيتَ بعدَنا

نهضتَ بنا جيلاً وأبقيتَ بعدَنا

لأبنائنا ما يَحمدَون به المسعى

لأبنائنا ما يَحمدَون به المسعى

You raised us, a generation, and left beyond our time

You led us, a generation, and left after you

For our children, that for which they will praise your striving.

For our sons what they will praise in their endeavor.

أبا الفكرِ تستوحي من العقل فذّه

أبا الفكرِ تستوحي من العقل فذّه

وذا الأدبِ الغضِّ استثيرتَ به الطَّبعا

وذا الأدبِ الغضِّ استثيرتَ به الطَّبعا

O father of thought, you draw from reason its singular genius,

O father of thought, you drew inspiration from reason in its glory

And master of fresh literature, through which your native gift was roused.

And father of gentle literature, you stirred inborn talent.

ويا سِحرَ موسى – إنَّ في كلّ بقعةٍ

ويا سِحرَ موسى – إنَّ في كلّ بقعةٍ

لما تجتلي من آيةٍ حيَّةً تسعى

لما تجتلي من آيةٍ حيَّةً تسعى

And O magic of Moses! In every place,

O Moses' magic - in every spot appears

A serpent moves for each wondrous sign you unveil.

Some living miracle you now aspire to.

لكَ اللهُ محمولاً على كلّ خاطرٍ

لكَ اللهُ محمولاً على كلّ خاطرٍ

ومِن كلّ قلبٍ رُحْتَ تحتلُّهُ ترعى

ومِن كلّ قلبٍ رُحْتَ تحتلُّهُ ترعى

God be with you, borne in every mind,

May God be with you, borne in every thought

And cherished by every heart you have come to inhabit.

And from each heart you have delighted and tended.

أُنَبّيكَ أنَّ " الرافدينِ " تطلَّعتْ

أُنَبّيكَ أنَّ " الرافدينِ " تطلَّعتْ

ضِفافُهما واستَنْهضَ الشَّجرُ الزرعا

ضِفافُهما واستَنْهضَ الشَّجرُ الزرعا

I tell you: beside the Two Rivers, looking out expectantly

I give you news: the banks of the Two Rivers

Are their banks; and the trees have roused the crops.

Looked expectantly, and the trees were roused to grow.

نمى خبرٌ أنْ سوف تسَعى إليهما

نمى خبرٌ أنْ سوف تسَعى إليهما

فكادَ إليك النخلُ من طربٍ يسعى

فكادَ إليك النخلُ من طربٍ يسعى

Word spread that you would journey to them both,

Rumor grew that you would travel to them,

So the palms almost hastened toward you in rapture.

And the palms almost danced toward you in joy.

وقد نذَرَ الصَّفصافُ وارفَ ظلَّه

وقد نذَرَ الصَّفصافُ وارفَ ظلَّه

عليك وأوصى – أنْ يساقيَكَ – النبعا

عليك وأوصى – أنْ يساقيَكَ – النبعا

And the willow pledged its ample shade

The willow vowed and spread its shade down

Over you, and bade the spring give you drink.

Over you, and ordered the spring to water you.

هلمَّ لشُطئانِ الفراتينِ واستمِع

هلمَّ لشُطئانِ الفراتينِ واستمِع

أهازيجهَا تستطرفِ المعجِزَ البَدعا

أهازيجهَا تستطرفِ المعجِزَ البَدعا

Come to the shores of the twin Euphrates, and hear

Come to the shores of the two Euphrates and listen

Their chants; you will savor the miraculous, the unprecedented.

To their songs, stirring the miraculous innovations.

وطارِحْ به سجعَ الحَمام فانَّه

وطارِحْ به سجعَ الحَمام فانَّه

لُهاثٌ على الجْرحى نُواحٌ على الصَّرعْى

لُهاثٌ على الجْرحى نُواحٌ على الصَّرعْى

And answer there the doves' cooing, for it is

Leave the rhymed prose of the doves, for it is

Panting over the wounded, lamentation over the fallen.

Panting over the wounded, crying over the fallen.

ووأسِ عليه الرازحينَ من الهوى

ووأسِ عليه الرازحينَ من الهوى

وطّببْ هناكَ النازعاتِ بهِ نزعا

وطّببْ هناكَ النازعاتِ بهِ نزعا

And console beside it those bowed down by love,

And mourn those pining for love,

And heal there the souls writhing in death throes from it.

And heal the victims of its wrenching there.

هناك تلمَّسْ " ضائعَ الحبّ " وافتقِد

هناك تلمَّسْ " ضائعَ الحبّ " وافتقِد

ضحاياه وارأبْ للقُلوب به صَدعا

ضحاياه وارأبْ للقُلوب به صَدعا

There seek out "lost love," and look for

There, seek out "the lost love" and inquire

Its victims, and mend the rift it has made in their hearts.

After its casualties, and mend the broken hearts.

وجدِّدْ لنا عهدَ المْعريِّ : إنَّه

وجدِّدْ لنا عهدَ المْعريِّ : إنَّه

قضى ، وهوى بغدادَ يلذعُه لذعا

قضى ، وهوى بغدادَ يلذعُه لذعا

And renew for us the days of al-Ma'arri, for he

Renew for us the days of Al-Ma'arri: they

Died while love of Baghdad seared him deeply.

Are past, while Baghdad burns and blisters him.

وكَّنا إذا ضاقتْ بلادٌ برائدٍ

وكَّنا إذا ضاقتْ بلادٌ برائدٍ

أتانا فلا المُرتادَ ذمَّ ولا المراعى

أتانا فلا المُرتادَ ذمَّ ولا المراعى

And we were such that, when a land grew too narrow for a scout,

Whenever a land lacked guides,

He came to us, faulting neither the destination nor the pastures.

You came to us; neither the misguided blamed, nor the obedient.

إلى الآنَ في بغدادَ نستافُ مِسكةً

إلى الآنَ في بغدادَ نستافُ مِسكةً

لناقتهِ مما أثارت بها نقعا

لناقتهِ مما أثارت بها نقعا

To this day in Baghdad we breathe a hint of musk

Until today in Baghdad we scent musk

From his she-camel, from the dust she stirred up there.

From his she-camel, what she raised in her pacing.

ونمزجُ من ماء الفراتينِ جَرعة

ونمزجُ من ماء الفراتينِ جَرعة

بذكراهُ مما عبَّ من صفوه جرْعا

بذكراهُ مما عبَّ من صفوه جرْعا

And we mix a draught of the twin Euphrates' waters

And we mix from the water of the Two Rivers a draught

With his memory, from the limpid water he drank in gulps.

With the memory of him, pure in its draft.

ونهوى السفينَ الحائراتِ كأنْها

ونهوى السفينَ الحائراتِ كأنْها

سفينتُه إذ تشتكي الأينَ والضَّلْعا

سفينتُه إذ تشتكي الأينَ والضَّلْعا

And we love the bewildered boats, as though they were

And we direct the lost ships, as though they were

His boat, complaining of weariness and lameness.

His ship, complaining of exile and separation.

أجلْ ، قد خطفناها مخافةَ فُرقةٍ

أجلْ ، قد خطفناها مخافةَ فُرقةٍ

وخشيةَ إزماعٍ نضيقُ به ذرعا

وخشيةَ إزماعٍ نضيقُ به ذرعا

Yes, we did seize her for fear of parting,

Yes! We snatched it away, fearing parting

And dread of a resolve to leave that we cannot endure.

And dreading pining, which narrows our breadth.

هلمَّ به ذرعاً إلى بغدادَ لا تخشَ خاطفاً

هلمَّ به ذرعاً إلى بغدادَ لا تخشَ خاطفاً

فانَّا نسجنا من " فريدٍ " لك الدرعا

فانَّا نسجنا من " فريدٍ " لك الدرعا

Come with him, striding to Baghdad; fear no abductor,

Come quickly to Baghdad, do not fear a snatcher,

For we have woven you armor out of Farid.

For we have woven you a coat of mail from Farid.

سنحجزهُ نرتادُ ذكراك عنده

سنحجزهُ نرتادُ ذكراك عنده

وينفَخنا من طيب أنفاسك الردعا

وينفَخنا من طيب أنفاسك الردعا

We shall keep him, seeking your memory in his company,

We will detain it, we will visit your memory through it,

And he will breathe upon us the scented trace of your breath.

And be blown by the fragrance of your chaste breath.