طل أيها الصرح الرفيع العماد — Khalil Gibran

طُلْ أَيُّها الصَّرْحُ الرَّفِيعُ الْعِمَادِ

وَابْلُغْ إِلى السَّبْعِ الطِّبَاقِ الشِّدَادْ

Rise high, O edifice of lofty pillars,

and reach the seven mighty, tiered heavens.

فِي وَجْهِكَ الْبَاسِمِ عَنْ زخْرُفٍ

بًشْرَى بِآمَالٍ كِبَارٍ تُشادْ

In your face, smiling to reveal its ornament,

are glad tidings of great hopes taking shape.

أَشِعَّة الشَّمسِ عَلَيْهِ جَرَتْ

وَأَثْبَتَتْهَا فِيهِ بِيض الأَيَادْ

The sun's rays have streamed over it,

and white hands have fixed them within it.

فَلَيْسَ فِي مَوْقِعِ لَحْظٍ بِهِ

إِلاَّ حَيَاةٌ فُجِّرَتْ مِنْ جَمَادْ

For wherever a glance falls upon it,

there is only life made to burst from lifeless matter.

بَنَاكَ في مِصْرَ لإِسْعَادِهَا

أَحْصَفُ مَنْ أَدْرَكَ مَعْنَى الْجِهَادْ

He built you in Egypt to bring her prosperity—

the most discerning of those who grasped the meaning of striving.

مسْتَوْثِقٌ مِنْ نَفْسِهِ طَامِحٌ

إِلى مُرَادٍ هوَ أَسْمَى مرَاد

Sure of himself, aspiring

to a goal that is the loftiest of goals;

مطَّرِدُ السَّعيِ وَهَلْ مِنْ مَدىً

يَجوزُهُ السَّاعِي بِغَيْرِ اطِّرَادْ

unceasing in effort—and is there any distance

a striver can cross without persistence?

شِيمَتُه السّلْمُ وَلَكِنَّهُ

حَرْبٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مسِيءٍ وَعَادْ

Peace is his nature, yet he is

war against every wrongdoer and aggressor.

جَرَى فَمَا قَصَّرَ عَنْ غَايَةٍ

وَدونَ مَا يَرْجوه خَرْطُ الْقَتادْ

He pressed onward, falling short of no goal,

though reaching his hopes meant stripping thorns from qatad.

بِالعِلْمِ وَالخِبْرَةِ ضم الْقُوَى

فِي الْقطْرِ فَانْضَمَّتْ وَكَانَتْ بَدَادْ

With knowledge and experience he united the forces

of the country; they came together, though once scattered.

مَا بَنْك مِصْرٍ غَيْر مسْتَقْبَلٍ

يُعَدُّ أَوْ مَاضٍ مَجِيدٍ يعَادْ

Bank Misr is nothing but a future

being prepared, or a glorious past restored.

لَه زُهَى الشمْسِ وَمِنْ حَوْلِهِ

نِظَامُ تِلْكَ الشَّرِكَاتِ الْعِدَادْ

It has the sun's splendor, and around it

is the ordered array of those numerous companies.

يَصْدونَ عَنْهُ وَيتَابِعْنَهُ

فِي سَيْرِهِ وَالْخَيْرُ مَا زِدْنَ زَادْ

They go forth from it and follow it

on its course; the more they grow, the more prosperity grows.

ثَغْرُ السُّوَيْس الْيَوْمَ يَفْتَرُّ عَنْ

حَظٍّ عَدَتْهُ أَمْسِ عَنْهُ عَوَادْ

Today the port of Suez smiles upon

a fortune that yesterday's adversities kept from it.

عِصَابَةُ الخَيْرِ أَجَدَّتْ بِهِ

مَوْرِدَ كَسْبٍ مَا لَه مِنْ نَفَادْ

The band of benefactors has renewed there

a source of earnings that can never run dry.

فَالبَحْرُ بِالارْزَاقِ عَالِي الرُّبَى

وَالبُرُّ بِالأَوْسَاقِ جَارِي المِهَادْ

The sea, laden with sustenance, rises in hills,

and the land's expanses stream with cargoes.

وَالفُلْكُ فِي شَتَّى مَجَالاَتِهَا

رَوَائِحٌ تُلْقِي شِبَاكاً عوَادْ

And the vessels, in their varied courses,

go forth casting nets, and return.

تُطْعِمُ أَشْهَى الصَّيدِ مبَاعَه

وَتُطْعِمُ البَائِعَ أَزْكى الشِّهادْ

They feed the choicest catch to its buyer,

and feed the seller the purest honey.

وَتُلْقِمُ المَصْنَعَ فِي قُرْبِهَا

نُفَايَةَ الطَّيبِ مِمَّا يُصَادْ

And they feed the nearby factory

the leavings of the wholesome catch.

فَيَمْنَحُ الأصْدَافَ مِنْ قِيمَةٍ

مَا لِيْسَ لِلدُّرِّ الْكِبَارِ الْجِيَادْ

Thus it grants the shells a value

that large, fine pearls do not possess.

تَفْدِي صُرُوحُ المَالِ صَرْحاً زَهَتْ

فِي جِيدِهِ المزْدَانِ تِلْكَ القِلاَدْ

Wealth's palaces ransom an edifice where gleam

those necklaces upon its ornamented neck.

أُمْنِيَّة قَوْمِيَّة حُققتْ

أَحْوَجُ مَا كَانَتْ إِلَيْهَا الْبِلاَدْ

A national aspiration has been fulfilled

when the country needed it most.

سَدَّ بِهَا خَلَّةَ أَوْطَانِهِ

أَرْوَعُ ذُو رَأْيٍ حَلِيفِ السَّدَادْ

With it he met his native lands' need—

a splendid man of judgment, allied with sound counsel;

ذُو هِمَّة تُنْدِي صِلاَدَ الصَّفا

وَخَاطِرٍ يَقْدَحُ قَدْحَ الزِّنَادْ

a man of resolve that moistens the hardest rock,

and a mind that strikes sparks like flint;

وَفِطْنَةٍ سَاهِرَةٍ لِلْعُلَى

عَلَّمَتِ الشُّهبَ جَمِيلَ السُّهادْ

and an intelligence wakeful for the heights,

that taught the bright stars the beauty of sleeplessness.

مَغَانِمُ الْعَيْشِ لاِيْقَاظِهِ

وَيَغْنَمُ الأحَلاَمَ أَهْلُ الرقَادْ

Life's spoils belong to its wakeful ones,

and sleepers reap dreams.

طَلْعَتُ لَمْ يَحْمِ الْحِمَى آخِذٌ

مِثْلَكَ بِالنَّفعِ وَلِمْ يَفْدِ فَادْ

Talaat, no man of action has guarded the homeland

as you have through useful work, nor has any ransomer redeemed it.

أَرَيْتَنَا كَيْفَ تُنَالُ العلَى

وَدونَهنَّ الْعَقَبَاتُ الشِّدَادْ

You showed us how the heights are attained,

though formidable obstacles lie before them.

نُرِيدُ مِصْراً حُرَّةً فَخْمَةً

وَالشَّعبُ إِنْ يَعْزِمْ يَكُنْ مَا أَرَادْ

We want Egypt free and magnificent,

and if the people resolve, what they desire shall be.

فَلَمْ يُضِعْ فِي بَاطِلٍ حَقَّهُ

وَتَقْتُلِ الشَّهوَةُ فِيهِ الرَّشَادْ

Then it does not squander its right on falsehood,

nor does desire kill the sound judgment within it.

فَهَلْ جَدَدْنَا فِي أَمَانِيِّنا

وَنَحْنُ مِنْ أَسْوَاقِنَا فِي كَسَادْ

Have we, then, been earnest in our aspirations,

while our markets leave us in a slump?

لا تَتَأَتَّى ثَرْوَةٌ طَفْرَةً

إِنْ هِيَ إِلاَّ حِكْمَةٌ وَاقْتِصَادْ

Wealth cannot come in a single leap;

it is nothing but wisdom and thrift.

وَالمَالُ مَا زَالَ الْوَسِيطَ الَّذِي

يقَرِّبُ المبْتَغَيَاتِ البِعَادْ

And money has always been the intermediary that

brings distant goals within reach.

يَعْبُدُهُ النَّاسُ قَدِيماً وَفِي

ذَاكَ مِنَ الدِّينِ تسَاوَى الْعِبَادْ

People have worshipped it since ancient times, and in

that religion all worshippers are equal.

أَزْرَاهُ عَجْزاً دونَ إِدْرَاكِهِ

أَشْبَاهُ زُهَّادٍ أَضَلُّوا السَّوَادْ

It was disparaged, out of inability to attain it,

by sham ascetics who led the masses astray.

قَدْ تُصْلَحُ الدنْيَا بِإِعْدَادِهِ

لَهَا وَإِلاَّ اقْتَصَّ مِنْهَا الفَسَادْ

The world may be set right by making money ready

for it; otherwise corruption takes revenge upon it.

مَنْ لَمْ يَرَ الدنْيَا مَعَاشاً فهَلْ

يَصْدُقُ أَخْذاً بأُمورِ المَعَادْ

Whoever fails to see this world as a livelihood—can he

be sincere in embracing the concerns of the hereafter?

بُكَاؤُنَا الفَائِتُ مِنْ عِزِّنَا

إِلى انْتِزَافِ الدَّمْعِ مَاذَا أَفَادْ

Our weeping for our lost glory,

until our tears run dry—what has it achieved?

وَهَلْ تُرَاثُ المَجْدِ مُغْنٍ إِذَا

ظَلَّ عَلَى الزَّهْوِ بِهِ الاِعْتِمَادْ

And can a heritage of glory suffice, if

we still depend on boasting of it?

أَلْبُؤْسُّ للاْعْنَاقِ غُلٌّ فَإِن

لَمْ يُلْتَمَسْ مِنْهُ فَكَاكٌ أَبَادْ

Poverty is a shackle on necks; and if

no release from it is sought, it annihilates.

وَحَيْثُ لاَ مَالَ فَلاَ قوَّةٌ

وَلاَ سِلاَحٌ مَانِعٌ أَوْعَتَادْ

And where there is no money, there is no strength,

nor a protective weapon or equipment,

وَلاَ اخْتِرَاعٌ مُسْتَطَاعٌ وَلاَ

مَعْرِفَةٌ تُجْدِي وَفَنٌّ يجَادْ

nor an invention attainable, nor

knowledge that helps, nor art perfected;

وَلاَ رِجَالٌ يُنْقِذُونَ الْحِمَى

بِحُسْنِ رَأْيٍ أَوْ بِفَضْلِ اجْتِهَادْ

nor men to save the homeland

through sound judgment or outstanding effort.

لَوْلاَ الأُولى نَشَّأتَهُمْ مِنهُمُ

لِمِصْرَ ظَلَّتْ نُجْعَةً تُسْتَرَادْ

But for those you nurtured from among them

for Egypt, she would have remained a pasture sought by others.

أَمَّا وَقَدْ نَبَّهتَ نُوَّامَهَا

لِلْغُنْمِ يُجْنَى أَوْ لِغُرْمٍ يُذَادْ

But now that you have awakened her sleepers

to gain to be reaped or loss to be repelled,

وَقَامَ مِنْ أَحْرَارِهَا فِتْيَةٌ

أَلْقَوْا إِلى قَائِدِهِمْ بِالْقِيَادْ

and youths among her free men have risen

and placed the reins in their leader's hands,

فَانْظُرْ إِلى الْجَاهِ الَّذِي أَحْرَزَتْ

بِهِمْ وَمَنْ سَوَّدَهُ الْجَاهُ سَادْ

look at the prestige she has won

through them; whom prestige elevates to leadership, leads.

أَلَمْ تَجِدْ فِي الشَّامِ مَا أَحْدَثَتْ

آثَارُ ذَاكَ المَثَلِ المُسْتَفَادْ

Have you not seen in the Levant what was wrought

by the effects of that instructive example?

فِي الْقُدْسِ فِي لُبْنَانَ فِي جُلَّقٍ

قَوْمٌ يُكِنُّونَ لِمِصْرَ الْوِدَادْ

In Jerusalem, in Lebanon, in Jilliq,

are people who cherish affection for Egypt.

تَنَافَسُوا حَوْلَكَ فِي بَثِّهِ

بِكُلِّ مَا يُحْسِنُ قَارٍ وَبَادْ

Around you they competed in expressing it

through all that townsman and nomad do best.

فَلاَ مَلِيكٌ نَالَ مِنْهُ الَّذِي

نِلْتَ وَلاَ غَازٍ كَمَا عُدْتَ عَادْ

For no king has won of it what

you won, nor has a conqueror returned as you returned.

ذَلِكَ فَوْزٌ بَاهِرٌ لاَ يَفِي

بِحَقِّه تَسْطِيرُهُ بِالمِدَادْ

That is a dazzling triumph that cannot be

given its due by recording it in ink.

إِذَا ذَكَرْنَاهُ أَشَدْنَا بِمَا

كَان لِحِلْفَيْكَ بِهِ مِنْ أَيَادْ

When we recall it, we celebrate the

helping hands your two allies lent it.

مِدْحَتُ نَاهِيكَ بِهِ مِنْ فَتى

يُذْكَرُ بِالمِدْحَةِ فِي كُلِّ نَادْ

Midhat—what a fine young man he is,

spoken of with praise in every gathering.

قَيْلٌ مِنَ الأَقْيَالِ لَكِنَّهُ

مُنْفَرِدٌ فِي المَجْدِ أَيُّ انْفِرَادْ

A chieftain among chieftains, yet he is

unequaled in glory—utterly unequaled.

أَمَّا ابْنُ سُلْطَانَ فَحَسْبُ العُلَى

مِنْهُ طَرِيفٌ زَادَ جَاهَ التِّلاَدْ

As for Ibn Sultan, enough for the heights is

his newly won glory, which has heightened the prestige of the old.

فَخْرُ شَبَابِ القُطْرِ إِنْ فَاخَرُوا

بِنَابِهٍ مِنْهُمْ سَرِيٍّ جَوَادْ

The pride of the country's youth, when they boast

of one of their own, distinguished, noble, generous.

ثَلاَثَةٌ فِي نَسَقٍ قَلَّمَا

بِمِثْلِهِ دَهْرٌ عَلَى مِصْرَ جَادْ

Three in one ordered row—seldom

has time bestowed their like upon Egypt.

كَأَنْجُمِ المِيزَانِ فِي رَمْزِهَا

إِلى تَلاَقٍ فِي العُلَى وَاتِّحادْ

Like the stars of the Balance, symbolizing

a meeting in the heights and unity.