خَرْسَاءُmute لَاnot تُبْدِيshe utters خطابْspeech
خَرْسَاءُ لَا تُبْدِي خطابْ
صَمَّاءُdeaf لَاnot رَدَّتْshe returned جَوَابْa reply
صَمَّاءُ لَا رَدَّتْ جَوَابْ
Mute, she utters no words.
The mute woman utters no discourse,
Deaf, she has given no reply.
The deaf woman returned no response.
هِيَshe وَحْيُa revelation of فَنٍّart خَالِدٍimmortal
هِيَ وَحْيُ فَنٍّ خَالِدٍ
أَحْيَاbrought to life الْأُلُوهَةَdivinity فِيin الترابthe dust
أَحْيَا الْأُلُوهَةَ فِي التراب
She is the revelation of an immortal art
She is a revelation of immortal art,
That brought divinity to life in dust.
That gave life to divinity in the soil.
قدindeed أُنْزِلَتْwere sent down آياتهُits verses
قد أُنْزِلَتْ آياتهُ
عَمَدًاas columns هيthey are العَجَبُthe wonder العجابmost wondrous
عَمَدًا هي العَجَبُ العجاب
Its verses have indeed been sent down
Her verses were revealed so clearly,
As columns—the wonder of wonders.
Yet their marvel remains an awesome marvel.
لمnot يهدِنَاguided us قُرَّاؤُهَاher readers
لم يهدِنَا قُرَّاؤُهَا
فِيin فهمهاunderstanding her سُبُلَpaths of الصوابwhat is right
فِي فهمها سُبُلَ الصواب
Her readers have not guided us
Her reciters did not guide us,
To the right paths in understanding her.
To understand them in the right way.
فَهُنَاfor here كتابُthe book of الأوَّلِينَthe ancients
فَهُنَا كتابُ الأوَّلِينَ
وَبعلبكand Baalbek أُمُّthe mother of الكتابthe Book
وَبعلبك أُمُّ الكتاب
For here is the book of the ancients,
And Baalbek is the mother of books.
And Baalbek is the mother of the Book.
It is as if it were the limbs of a giant,
فكَأَنَّهَاso she seems أَشْلَاءُsevered limbs of جبارa giant
فكَأَنَّهَا أَشْلَاءُ جبار
صريعٍfallen وسطamid غابa forest
صريعٍ وسط غاب
So she seems the severed limbs of a giant
Strewn about in the forest.
Fallen in the midst of a forest.
Around it are columns standing,
منfrom حولهاaround her عَمَدٌcolumns قِيَامٌstanding
من حولها عَمَدٌ قِيَامٌ
للصلاةِfor prayer ولاand no ثوابreward
للصلاةِ ولا ثواب
Around her, columns stand
For prayer but without reward.
For prayer, yet with no reward.
Its walls wherein are gardens,
جدرانهاher walls فيهاwithin them الجنانُgardens
جدرانها فيها الجنانُ
تضمُّcontain مَاwhat احلولىhas grown sweet وطابand become pleasing
تضمُّ مَا احلولى وطاب
Her walls hold gardens,
Containing whatever is beautiful and pure.
Containing all that is sweet and pleasing.
Fruits are hung in it,
قدindeed عُلِّقَتْwere hung فيهاwithin them الثمارthe fruits
قد عُلِّقَتْ فيها الثمار
تُسيلmakes flow رؤيتهاthe sight of them الرضابsaliva
تُسيل رؤيتها الرضاب
Fruits have indeed been hung within them;
Their sight makes mouths water.
Their sight makes the mouth water.
As if its grapes were shining,
وكأنَّمَاand as though أعنابهاher grapes
وكأنَّمَا أعنابها
برَّاقَةgleaming، فيin شهرthe month of آبAugust
برَّاقَة، في شهر آب
And it is as though her grapes
In the month of August.
Were gleaming in the month of August.
So wonder at gardens over which
فاعجبso marvel لجنَّاتٍat gardens عليهاover them
فاعجب لجنَّاتٍ عليها
الأُسْدlions رابضةcrouching غضابangry
الأُسْد رابضة غضاب
So marvel at gardens over which
The lion crouches in wrath.
Angry lions crouch,
Baring fangs without
تبديbare نيوبًاfangs دونwithout ماany
تبدي نيوبًا دون ما
فتكٍbloodshed إذاwhen ماemphatic particle الخطبcalamity نابstrikes
فتكٍ إذا ما الخطب ناب
Baring fangs, yet without any
Ferocity when matters get serious.
Bloodshed when calamity strikes.
Lion-like shapes erected
أَشباهlikenesses of أُسدٍlions نصَّبتْwere erected
أَشباه أُسدٍ نصَّبتْ
رَمْزًاas a symbol لأشباهِfor likenesses of الشبابyoung men
رَمْزًا لأشباهِ الشباب
Likenesses of lions, set up
As symbols of lionhearted youth.
As a symbol for likenesses of young men.
Who fell into oppression and hardship,
أقعتthey crouched علىunder ضيمٍoppression ونمناand we slept
أقعت على ضيمٍ ونمنا
مكرهينcompelled علىin the face of المصابaffliction
مكرهين على المصاب
They crouched under oppression, and we slept,
Forced into misfortune.
Compelled to bear affliction.
O Baalbek, though you are old,
ياO بعلبكBaalbek وإنand although هرمتِyou have grown old
يا بعلبك وإن هرمتِ
عليكupon you سيماءُthe mark of الشبابyouth
عليك سيماءُ الشباب
O Baalbek, though you have grown old,
The traits of youth are upon you.
You bear the mark of youth.
However weathered you are,
للهfor God (admiring exclamation) حسنكyour beauty هازئًاscoffing
لله حسنك هازئًا
مهماhowever much تقادمit grows old بالخضابat dye
مهما تقادم بالخضاب
God, how wondrous your beauty, scoffing—
Your beauty still dazzles.
However old it grows—at dye.
Through you modern art touches
بكin you يلمسُtouches الفنُّart الحديثmodern
بك يلمسُ الفنُّ الحديث
المعجزاتِmiracles بلاwithout حسابcounting
المعجزاتِ بلا حساب
In you, modern art touches
Miracles beyond counting.
Miracles without number.
Making the Eiffel Tower seem
وترينand you see «إيفلَEiffel» كالصبيِّlike a boy
وترين «إيفلَ» كالصبيِّ
وإنand even if تنطَّقhe girds himself بالسحابwith clouds
وإن تنطَّق بالسحاب
And you see Eiffel as a little boy,
Like a child prattling about clouds.
Even though he girds himself with clouds.
Most wondrous creation in the world
أَعَجيبةَO wonder of الدنياthe world التيwhich
أَعَجيبةَ الدنيا التي
لعبتْhave toyed بهاwith her أيديthe hands of الخرابruin
لعبتْ بها أيدي الخراب
O wonder of the world, with whom
Played with by destructive hands.
The hands of ruin have toyed!
All the nations of the world
إنَّindeed الشعوبthe peoples جميعَهَاall of them
إنَّ الشعوب جميعَهَا
مرَّتْhave passed أمامكbefore you بالحرابwith spears
مرَّتْ أمامك بالحراب
Indeed, all the peoples
Marched before you bearing arms.
Have passed before you with spears.
As if you were the sultan displaying
فكأنَّكِso you seem السلطانthe sultan يعرِضreviews
فكأنَّكِ السلطان يعرِض
جيشهhis army يومon the day of الضرابbattle
جيشه يوم الضراب
So you seem the sultan, reviewing
His army on parade day.
His army on the day of battle.
O daughter of Phoenicia and O
ياO بنتdaughter of فونيقيPhoenicia وياand O
يا بنت فونيقي ويا
أُخْتَsister of الخلودimmortality المستطابsweet
أُخْتَ الخلود المستطاب
O daughter of Phoenicia, and O
Sister of everlasting purity.
Sister of sweet immortality,
You resembled our world, so explain
أَشْبهتِyou resembled دنياناour world فسرْso the mystery (begins here)
أَشْبهتِ دنيانا فسرْ
رَcompletes 'mystery' كماof you both (suffix) كبحرٍlike a sea ذيwith عبابsurging waves
رَ كما كبحرٍ ذي عباب
You resemble our world; so the mystery
It as an ocean full of waves.
Of you both is like a sea with surging waves.
You were subdued, O daughter of epochs,
ذُلِّلتِyou were subdued ياO بنتَdaughter of الدهورthe ages
ذُلِّلتِ يا بنتَ الدهور
وكنتِand you were أمنعmore unassailable منthan عقابan eagle
وكنتِ أمنع من عقاب
You were subdued, O daughter of the ages,
Yet you were safer from punishment.
Though you were more unassailable than an eagle.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.