أَحنَنتَ لِلأَوطانِ مُنجَذِباً لَنا

أَحنَنتَ لِلأَوطانِ مُنجَذِباً لَنا

أَم أَنتَ لاهٍ حَيثُما تَجد المُنى

أَم أَنتَ لاهٍ حَيثُما تَجد المُنى

Have you yearned for the homelands, drawn toward us,

Have you yearned for the homelands, drawn toward us,

Or are you heedless wherever wishes may be found?

or are you heedless wherever you find your desires fulfilled?

هَل تَذكُرنَّ الشَرق يا بَدرَ الحِما

هَل تَذكُرنَّ الشَرق يا بَدرَ الحِما

أَم أَنتَ راضٍ بِالمَغارِبِ مَوطِنا

أَم أَنتَ راضٍ بِالمَغارِبِ مَوطِنا

Do you still remember the East, O moon of the homeland,

Do you remember the East, O full moon of our homeland,

Or are you content to take the West as your home?

or are you content with the western lands as a home?

اَرغَبتَ أَرض الانكليز لِأَنَّها

اَرغَبتَ أَرض الانكليز لِأَنَّها

أَرض المَلائكِ في مَرابِعِها الهَنا

أَرض المَلائكِ في مَرابِعِها الهَنا

Have you desired the land of the English because it is

Have you favored the land of the English because it is

A land of angels, with bliss in its meadows?

a land of angels, with bliss in its meadows?

أَم أَنتَ بِالآدابِ مُشتَغِلٌ بِها

أَم أَنتَ بِالآدابِ مُشتَغِلٌ بِها

تَلقى مِن العَصرِ الجَديد الأَحسَنا

تَلقى مِن العَصرِ الجَديد الأَحسَنا

Or are you occupied there with letters,

Or are you occupied there with literature,

Encountering the finest the modern age can offer?

finding the finest that the modern age offers?

هَل تَسمَعنَّ صَدىً لبَيرُنَ في رُبى

هَل تَسمَعنَّ صَدىً لبَيرُنَ في رُبى

تِلكَ البِلادِ بَعيد تِلكَ الأَلحنا

تِلكَ البِلادِ بَعيد تِلكَ الأَلحنا

Do you hear an echo of Byron among the hills

Do you hear an echo of Byron in the hills

Of that land—a far-off echo of those melodies?

of that land, repeating those melodies?

هَل لَم يَزَل فَوقَ المُحيطِ ضَجيجُهُ

هَل لَم يَزَل فَوقَ المُحيطِ ضَجيجُهُ

كَالرَعدِ يَدوي في الفَضاء مُطَنطِنا

كَالرَعدِ يَدوي في الفَضاء مُطَنطِنا

Does his clamor still rise above the ocean,

Does his clamor still rise above the ocean,

Roaring like thunder through the heavens, resounding?

like thunder, resounding through the air with a ringing roar?

نادى بِأَصواتِ الغَرام وَلَم يَقُل

نادى بِأَصواتِ الغَرام وَلَم يَقُل

الحُبّ ما مَنَعَ الكَلامَ الأَلسُنا

الحُبّ ما مَنَعَ الكَلامَ الأَلسُنا

He called out in the voices of passion, yet did not say:

He cried out in the voices of passion, and did not say,

Has love kept tongues from speech?

'Love is what has withheld speech from tongues.'

أَم أَنتَ تَبحَث في المرابع كَي تَرى

أَم أَنتَ تَبحَث في المرابع كَي تَرى

لِخَيالِ مِلتُنَ في المَعالم مَسكَنا

لِخَيالِ مِلتُنَ في المَعالم مَسكَنا

Or do you search the meadows, hoping to see

Or are you searching the meadows to find

A dwelling for Milton's shade among their landmarks?

a home for Milton's imagination among the landmarks?

هَل يَذكُرون عُيونَهُ العَميا الَّتي

هَل يَذكُرون عُيونَهُ العَميا الَّتي

قَد طالَما أَهدَت بِلادَهُمُ السَنى

قَد طالَما أَهدَت بِلادَهُمُ السَنى

Do they remember his sightless eyes, which

Do they remember his blind eyes, which

So often bestowed radiance upon their land?

so often bestowed radiance on their land?

تَرَكوهُ في النِسيانِ يَخبط نادِباً

تَرَكوهُ في النِسيانِ يَخبط نادِباً

فَردوسَهُ المَفقودَ مِن بَعدِ الجَنى

فَردوسَهُ المَفقودَ مِن بَعدِ الجَنى

They left him in oblivion, groping and lamenting

They left him stumbling in oblivion, lamenting

His Paradise Lost after the fruit was plucked.

his lost Paradise after the harvest.

لَكنَّ ذا الفَردوسَ خُلِّدَ بَعدَهُ

لَكنَّ ذا الفَردوسَ خُلِّدَ بَعدَهُ

وَغَدا فَخارُهُم بِهِ مُتَمَكِنا

وَغَدا فَخارُهُم بِهِ مُتَمَكِنا

Yet that Paradise was immortalized after him,

But this Paradise was immortalized after him,

And through it their pride became secure.

and their pride in it became firmly rooted.

أَم تَطلبنَّ عُلومَ نيتُنَ أَنَّهُ

أَم تَطلبنَّ عُلومَ نيتُنَ أَنَّهُ

كُشِفَ الغِطاءَ كَما أَنارَ الأَعيُنا

كُشِفَ الغِطاءَ كَما أَنارَ الأَعيُنا

Or do you seek the sciences of Newton, through whom

Or do you seek Newton's sciences? For he

The veil was lifted and eyes were illuminated?

lifted the veil, just as he illumined the eyes.

أَم أَنتَ تَنظُر لِلمَعاصرِ ذي الذَكا

أَم أَنتَ تَنظُر لِلمَعاصرِ ذي الذَكا

ذاكَ المُهاجر حَيثَما وَجدَ الهَنا

ذاكَ المُهاجر حَيثَما وَجدَ الهَنا

Or do you look for the brilliant man of this age,

Or do you look to the gifted contemporary,

That émigré, wherever he found happiness?

that emigrant, wherever he found happiness?

أَعني بِهِ ويكتور هيكو أَنَّهُ

أَعني بِهِ ويكتور هيكو أَنَّهُ

في العَصر أَصبَحَ لِلبَلاغَةِ مَعدَنا

في العَصر أَصبَحَ لِلبَلاغَةِ مَعدَنا

I mean Victor Hugo, for he

I mean Victor Hugo; for he

Has become, in this age, a mine of eloquence.

in this age has become a mine of eloquence.

رامَ التَخَلُص مِن مُزاحَمَةِ المَلا

رامَ التَخَلُص مِن مُزاحَمَةِ المَلا

حُرّاً لِذا اِتَخَذَ الجَزيرَةَ مَأمَنا

حُرّاً لِذا اِتَخَذَ الجَزيرَةَ مَأمَنا

He sought escape from the jostling multitudes,

He sought to escape the jostling of the crowd,

And, free, made the island his refuge.

a free man; so he made the island a refuge.

وَرَأى أَيادي الدَهر لا تَبقى سِوى

وَرَأى أَيادي الدَهر لا تَبقى سِوى

فعل الجَميل فَقامَ فيها مُحسِنا

فعل الجَميل فَقامَ فيها مُحسِنا

He saw that the hands of time preserve nothing except

And he saw that, of time's gifts, nothing endures but

A noble deed; so there he arose, doing good.

good deeds, so he did good there.

هَذا الأَديب البارع الفَرد الَّذي

هَذا الأَديب البارع الفَرد الَّذي

خَضَعتَ لَهُ الشُعَراء تَهديهِ الثَنا

خَضَعتَ لَهُ الشُعَراء تَهديهِ الثَنا

This peerless, gifted man of letters, before whom

This peerless, accomplished man of letters, before whom

The poets bowed, presenting him their praise—

the poets bowed, offering him praise—

قَد أَشغَلَ الدُنيا لِسانُ يَراعِهِ

قَد أَشغَلَ الدُنيا لِسانُ يَراعِهِ

يَملي الفُوائِدَ وَالشَواردَ مُتقَنا

يَملي الفُوائِدَ وَالشَواردَ مُتقَنا

The tongue of his pen has kept the world absorbed,

his reed pen's tongue has captivated the world,

Dictating useful treasures and rare thoughts with mastery.

dictating useful insights and rare sayings with mastery.

إِن أَسمهُ الرنان في الدُنيا عَلى

إِن أَسمهُ الرنان في الدُنيا عَلى

رَغم الحَسود مِن الخُلودِ تَمَكَنا

رَغم الحَسود مِن الخُلودِ تَمَكَنا

Indeed, his resonant name has risen in the world

Indeed, his ringing name in this world, in

And, despite the envious, secured immortality.

spite of the envious, has taken firm hold of immortality.

هَل تَسمَعنَّ عَلى الجوارِ بِمقربٍ

هَل تَسمَعنَّ عَلى الجوارِ بِمقربٍ

مِنهُ أَغانيهِ فَيَطرِبُكَ الغِنا

مِنهُ أَغانيهِ فَيَطرِبُكَ الغِنا

Do you hear him close by, throughout the neighboring lands,

Do you hear, in the neighborhood, close

His songs flowing from him, their music delighting you?

to him, his songs, so that the singing delights you?

أَم أَنتَ تَسمعَهُ الغداةَ مُناجياً

أَم أَنتَ تَسمعَهُ الغداةَ مُناجياً

يَروي الغَرائبَ لِلرَشادِ مُبَينا

يَروي الغَرائبَ لِلرَشادِ مُبَينا

Or do you hear him at dawn, speaking intimately,

Or do you hear him at dawn, speaking intimately,

Recounting wonders and clearly showing the path of right?

recounting wonders, explaining them for guidance?

أَسلافَةَ اللُطفِ الَّتي قَد طالَما

أَسلافَةَ اللُطفِ الَّتي قَد طالَما

سكرت بِها الأَلبابُ تَظفرُ بِالمُنى

سكرت بِها الأَلبابُ تَظفرُ بِالمُنى

A vintage of grace which has so often

O pure wine of grace, with which so often

Made minds drunk, stumbling amid desires.

minds have been intoxicated, may you attain your wishes!

لَكَ يا سَليم شَمائِلٌ مَحمودَةٌ

لَكَ يا سَليم شَمائِلٌ مَحمودَةٌ

يَشفي بِرقَّتِها العَليلُ مِن الضَنى

يَشفي بِرقَّتِها العَليلُ مِن الضَنى

Ah, Salim! His qualities are worthy of praise;

Yours, O Salim, are praiseworthy qualities;

Their tenderness heals one sick with wasting pain.

through their tenderness, the ailing are healed of wasting illness.

قَد لحتَ غُصناً بِالقطانَةِ مُزهِراً

قَد لحتَ غُصناً بِالقطانَةِ مُزهِراً

وَطَلعتَ بَدراً بِالكَمال مُزَينا

وَطَلعتَ بَدراً بِالكَمال مُزَينا

You appeared at al-Qatana like a flowering bough,

You have appeared as a bough, flowering with discernment,

And rose like a full moon adorned with perfection.

and risen as a full moon, adorned with perfection.

هَل أَنتَ أَنتَ عَلى الوِدادِ عَلى الوَفا

هَل أَنتَ أَنتَ عَلى الوِدادِ عَلى الوَفا

بَعدَ البُعاد عَلى الوَلا فَأَنا أَنا

بَعدَ البُعاد عَلى الوَلا فَأَنا أَنا

Are you still yourself in affection, still faithful,

Are you still you—in affection, in faithfulness—

Still loyal after long absence? Then I am still myself.

after separation, in loyalty? For I am still I.

حفظ الزَمان مَحَبَةً بِقُلوبِنا

حفظ الزَمان مَحَبَةً بِقُلوبِنا

نَشَأَت وَعَتقها فَزَيَنَها لَنا

نَشَأَت وَعَتقها فَزَيَنَها لَنا

Time has preserved a love within our hearts;

Time preserved a love within our hearts

It grew, and time aged it, adorning it for us.

that had grown there, and aged it, making it beautiful for us,

كَالراح عتَّقها الزَمان فَأَصبَحَت

كَالراح عتَّقها الزَمان فَأَصبَحَت

شَهباء صافيَةً تَشعشع بِالأَنا

شَهباء صافيَةً تَشعشع بِالأَنا

Like wine that time has aged until it became

like wine that time has aged, so that it became

A limpid pale vintage, shimmering in the cup.

pale and clear, sparkling in the vessel.

وَبَنى الوَفا حصن المَوَدة في الحَشى

وَبَنى الوَفا حصن المَوَدة في الحَشى

أَتظنّ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يَهدِمُ ما بَنى

أَتظنّ أَنَّ الدَهرَ يَهدِمُ ما بَنى

Fidelity built love a fortress within the breast;

And faithfulness built affection's fortress within the heart;

Do you think that time can demolish what it built?

do you think time will destroy what it has built?

قُل لِلمُحيط بانَ حَول حَشاشَتي

قُل لِلمُحيط بانَ حَول حَشاشَتي

بَحرٌ مِن الشَوقِ المُحيطِ تَمَكَّنا

بَحرٌ مِن الشَوقِ المُحيطِ تَمَكَّنا

Tell the ocean: around my very heart

Tell the ocean: around my soul has appeared

A sea of all-encompassing longing has taken hold.

a sea of all-encompassing longing, firmly established.

وَاحيِ الرِفاقَ بِعودِ لُطفِكَ لِلحِما

وَاحيِ الرِفاقَ بِعودِ لُطفِكَ لِلحِما

إِن الفُراقَ أَذاقَ قَلبَهُمُ العَنا

إِن الفُراقَ أَذاقَ قَلبَهُمُ العَنا

Revive the companions by graciously returning to the homeland,

And revive your companions by bringing your grace back to our homeland;

For separation has made their hearts taste affliction.

for separation has made their hearts taste anguish.