طريدة بؤس ملَّ من بؤسها الصبر

طريدة بؤس ملَّ من بؤسها الصبر

وطالت على الغبراءِ ايامها الغبرُ

وطالت على الغبراءِ ايامها الغبرُ

Misery's quarry—patience itself wearied of her misery.

A doe worn down by her misery

And her bleak days dragged on upon the dusty earth.

And her days on the dusty plain grew long.

وكانت كما شاءت وشاءَ جمالها

وكانت كما شاءت وشاءَ جمالها

كما اشتهت العليا كما وصف الشِعرُ

كما اشتهت العليا كما وصف الشِعرُ

And she was as she wished, and as her beauty wished,

She was as she wished, and wished her beauty,

As lofty ideals desired, as poetry described.

As the sublime yearned, as poetry described.

تلألأُ في صدر المكارم درَّةُ

تلألأُ في صدر المكارم درَّةُ

يحيط بها من عقد انسابها درُّ

يحيط بها من عقد انسابها درُّ

A pearl sparkles on the breast of noble virtues,

In the heart of glories a pearl shone bright,

Encircled by pearls from the necklace of her ancestry.

Girded in a necklace of noble lineage.

تقاسمتِ الحسن الالهيَّ وانثنى

تقاسمتِ الحسن الالهيَّ وانثنى

يقاسمها فالامر بينهما امرُ

يقاسمها فالامر بينهما امرُ

She shared in divine beauty, and it turned

She shared divine beauty – it bowed

To share with her—a wondrous affair between them.

And the matter between them was one.

فللشمس منها طلعة الحسن مشرقاً

فللشمس منها طلعة الحسن مشرقاً

وفيها من الشمس التوقد والجمرُ

وفيها من الشمس التوقد والجمرُ

So from her the sun has beauty's radiant countenance,

From her the sun took the dawn of beauty shining,

And in her, from the sun, are blazing fire and embers.

And from the sun its kindling and embers.

وللزهر منها نغمة الحسن عاطراً

وللزهر منها نغمة الحسن عاطراً

وفيها ذبول مثلما ذبل الزهرُ

وفيها ذبول مثلما ذبل الزهرُ

And from her the flowers have beauty's fragrant melody,

From her the flowers took the tune of beauty fragrant,

And in her is withering, just as the flowers withered.

And from them their withering, as flowers withered.

وللظبي منها مقلتاها وجيدها

وللظبي منها مقلتاها وجيدها

وفيها من الظبي التلفُّت والذعرُ

وفيها من الظبي التلفُّت والذعرُ

And from her the gazelle has her eyes and her neck,

From her the gazelle took her eyes and neck soft,

And from the gazelle she has its restless glances and terror.

And from the gazelle its startled, skittish ways.

وما الحرب الاَّ ديمة دموية

وما الحرب الاَّ ديمة دموية

اذا دنست روح الورى فهيَ الطهرُ

اذا دنست روح الورى فهيَ الطهرُ

And war is nothing but a steady rain of blood:

War is but a bloody, filthy gown

If humankind's soul is sullied, war is its cleansing.

When it defiles the soul of existence, it becomes pure.

وما الحرب الاَّ غضبة الله لامست

وما الحرب الاَّ غضبة الله لامست

مخازيَ هذا الدهر فانفجر الدهرُ

مخازيَ هذا الدهر فانفجر الدهرُ

And war is nothing but an outburst of God's wrath that touched

War is but the wrath of God unleashed

The disgraces of this age, so the age burst apart.

On the vices of this age, and so it erupted.

ففي كل نفس غصة ما تسيغها

ففي كل نفس غصة ما تسيغها

وفي كل قلب كسرة ما لها جبرُ

وفي كل قلب كسرة ما لها جبرُ

So in every soul is a choking lump it cannot swallow,

In each soul a sorrow that cannot be borne,

And in every heart a fracture beyond mending.

In each heart a wound that cannot be mended.

وما لوت الأسياف في الأرض عروةً

وما لوت الأسياف في الأرض عروةً

من البغض إلاَّ والرؤُوس لها زرُّ

من البغض إلاَّ والرؤُوس لها زرُّ

And never did swords twist on earth a loop

The clashing of swords over the land

Of hatred without heads serving as its button.

Is but a knot of hatred – and for it heads have diadems.

وكم قيل إنسانية ومحبة

وكم قيل إنسانية ومحبة

وعلم وتمدين وأشباهها الكثرُ

وعلم وتمدين وأشباهها الكثرُ

And how often were humanity and love proclaimed,

Much has been said of humanity, love,

And science and civilization, and the many things like them!

Civilization, enlightenment – and more of that ilk.