تحرقyou burn الذاتthe self فيin هوىlove of الكلماتِwords
تحرق الذات في هوى الكلماتِ
ربmany a عشقlove فداهredeemed it حرقburning الذاتِthe self
رب عشق فداه حرق الذاتِ
You burn yourself in love of words.
The self burns in the passion of words
Many a love has been redeemed by the burning of the self.
Lord of a love for which self was sacrificed
حالماdreaming صغْتَyou fashioned فيin الحياةlife قصيداa poem
حالما صغْتَ في الحياة قصيدا
يحملbearing البشرىglad tidings بالخلاصof deliverance الآتيcoming
يحمل البشرى بالخلاص الآتي
Dreaming, you fashioned a poem in life,
Whenever you recited a poem in life
Bearing glad tidings of the deliverance to come.
Bearing glad tidings of coming salvation
وand أتيتَyou came to الدنياthe world تناديcalling to ذويهاits people:
و أتيتَ الدنيا تنادي ذويها:
"عانقواembrace (plural) الصحوwakefulness فهْوfor it is سرthe secret of الحياةlife"
"عانقوا الصحو فهْو سر الحياة"
And you came to the world, calling to its people:
And you came to the world calling its people:
"Embrace wakefulness, for it is the secret of life."
"Embrace wakefulness for it is the secret of life"
تتمنىyou wish أنthat ينهضrise الكونthe universe منfrom كبـstumble (first fragment)
تتمنى أن ينهض الكون من كبـ
ـوتهits stumble (completion) كيماso that يستويstand upright فيin ثباتِfirmness
ـوته كيما يستوي في ثباتِ
You wish the universe would rise from its stumble,
You wish that the universe would rise from its
So that it may stand upright and firm.
Lethargy so it may stand still
فترىand so you see الحبlove فيهwithin it يمشيwalking طليقاunfettered
فترى الحب فيه يمشي طليقا
ماسحاwiping away دمعtears الحزنsorrow وand الآهاتِsighs
ماسحا دمع الحزن و الآهاتِ
And so you see love walking freely within it,
Thus you see love walking freely in it
Wiping away the tears of sorrow and sighs.
Wiping the tears of sorrow and sighs
وand ترىyou see الأمنsecurity قدalready غداhas become مستتباfirmly established
و ترى الأمن قد غدا مستتبا
وand فمthe mouth of الدنياthe world ضاءlit up بالبسماتِwith smiles
و فم الدنيا ضاء بالبسماتِ
And you see that security has become firmly established,
And you see security settled
And the world's mouth has lit up with smiles.
And the mouth of the world lit up with smiles
منكfrom you ينسابflows الشعرpoetry فيin نشوةٍrapture طلْـbright (first fragment)
منك ينساب الشعر في نشوةٍ طلْـ
ـقَbright (completion) المحَيّاthe countenance،معطَّرَperfumed النفحاتِthe wafts
ـقَ المحَيّا،معطَّرَ النفحاتِ
From you poetry flows in rapture, bright
From you poetry flows in ravishing eloquence
Of countenance, with perfumed wafts.
The cheeks rosy, the breaths aromatic
لاnot تنيyou cease تصبوyou yearn للغدfor tomorrow المشتهىlonged-for، تصْـyou yearn (first fragment)
لا تني تصبو للغد المشتهى، تصْـ
ـبوyearn (completion) لإدراكto attain أجملthe loveliest الغاياتgoals
ـبو لإدراك أجمل الغايات
You never cease to yearn for the longed-for tomorrow, yearning
Don't tire striving for the desired tomorrow, strive
To attain the loveliest goals.
For the realization of the most beautiful goals
أيهاO الشاعرpoet الوديعgentle سلاماpeace
أيها الشاعر الوديع سلاما
كيفhow تغدوyou become فيناamong us أخاa brother to مأساةِtragedy
كيف تغدو فينا أخا مأساةِ
O gentle poet, peace to you!
O gentle poet greetings
How do you become, among us, a brother to tragedy?
How do you become among us a brother of tragedy?
فعشيّاfor at dusk تبيتُyou spend the night راعيَa shepherd of سهدsleeplessness
فعشيّا تبيتُ راعيَ سهد
وand تعانيyou suffer الهمومَworries حينat the time of الغداةِdawn
و تعاني الهمومَ حين الغداةِ
For at dusk you spend the night shepherding sleeplessness,
At night you spend wakeful as a watchman
And suffer from worries at dawn.
And suffer worries at dawn
إننيindeed I هاbehold هناhere أراكI see you غريباa stranger
إنني ها هنا أراك غريبا
ضائعاlost، كمhow many فيamong القومthe people منof ضائعاتlost things!
ضائعا، كم في القوم من ضائعات!
Indeed, right here I see you as a stranger,
Lost, how many among the people are lost!
Lost—how many things are lost among the people!
They ignored your sublime worth but
جهلواthey did not recognize قدركyour worth الرفيعlofty وand لكنyet
جهلوا قدرك الرفيع و لكن
أنتyou منthe one who يعتليascends الذرىthe summits الشامخاتtowering
أنت من يعتلي الذرى الشامخات
They did not recognize your lofty worth, and yet
You are the one who ascends the towering heights
You are the one who ascends the towering summits.
How many sublime men failed among their people
كمmany a جليلٍgreat man فيamong قومهhis people خابَwas disappointed حظاin fortune
كم جليلٍ في قومه خابَ حظا
وand هْوَhe فيهمamong them أحقmost deserving بالمكرماتof honors
و هْوَ فيهم أحق بالمكرمات
Many a great man among his people has met ill fortune,
While most deserving of honors among them
And yet among them he is most deserving of honors.
Alas if time were just to the free
آهِah لوif أنصفwere fair الزمانtime لحرٍّto a free man
آهِ لو أنصف الزمان لحرٍّ
كنتَyou would be أولىmost deserving بأرفعof the highest الدرجاتِranks
كنتَ أولى بأرفع الدرجاتِ
Ah, if time were fair to a free man,
You would be most worthy of the highest ranks
You would be most deserving of the highest ranks.
O brother of tender inspiration you are safe
ياO أخاbrother of الإلهامinspiration الرقيقِtender لتسلمْmay you be safe
يا أخا الإلهام الرقيقِ لتسلمْ
إنكindeed you الضوءthe light فيin دجىthe gloom of الحالكاتِpitch-black nights
إنك الضوء في دجى الحالكاتِ
O brother of tender inspiration, may you be safe!
You are the light in the darkness of calamities
Indeed, you are the light in the gloom of pitch-black nights.
Partial English translation: 29 of 30 Arabic lines translated.