نادى مُنادِي البيِنِ حيَّ على السُّرَى

نادى مُنادِي البيِنِ حيَّ على السُّرَى

فتَنَّبهوا يا غافلينَ مِنَ الكَرَى

فتَنَّبهوا يا غافلينَ مِنَ الكَرَى

The herald of parting called: “Hasten to the night journey!”

The herald of parting cried: 'Hasten to the night journey!'

Awaken, you heedless ones, from slumber.

So wake, O heedless ones, from slumber.

سَفَرٌ طويلٌ شاسعٌ فتَزَوَّدوا

سَفَرٌ طويلٌ شاسعٌ فتَزَوَّدوا

زاداً يُبلِّغُكمُ إلى وادي القُرى

زاداً يُبلِّغُكمُ إلى وادي القُرى

The journey is long and far—so take provisions,

A long, far-reaching journey—so take provisions,

provisions that will bring you to Wadi al-Qura.

provisions to bring you to Wadi al-Qura.

هذَا هُوَ الحَقُّ اليَقينُ فما لكم

هذَا هُوَ الحَقُّ اليَقينُ فما لكم

تَلهُونَ عنهُ كالحديثِ المُفتَرَى

تَلهُونَ عنهُ كالحديثِ المُفتَرَى

This indeed is the certain truth—what ails you,

This is the certain truth; why do you

that you turn from it as from a fabricated tale?

heedlessly turn from it as though it were a fabricated tale?

كم ترقُدونَ وعينُهُ سَهرَانةٌ

كم ترقُدونَ وعينُهُ سَهرَانةٌ

ولَكَمْ تَراكُم مُقلتاهُ ولا يُرَى

ولَكَمْ تَراكُم مُقلتاهُ ولا يُرَى

How long will you sleep while its eye stays wakeful?

How long will you sleep while its eye stays wakeful?

How often its two eyes see you, though it remains unseen!

And how often its two eyes see you, while it remains unseen!

يَخشَى الفَتَى من حيثُ يَدرِي نَكبةً

يَخشَى الفَتَى من حيثُ يَدرِي نَكبةً

وتُصيبُهُ من حيثُ لم يكُ قد دَرَى

وتُصيبُهُ من حيثُ لم يكُ قد دَرَى

A young man fears calamity from where he knows,

A young man fears calamity from a quarter he knows,

yet it strikes him from where he never knew.

yet it strikes him from a quarter he had not known.

يَبغِي الفِرارَ من المَنيِّةِ جاهداً

يَبغِي الفِرارَ من المَنيِّةِ جاهداً

وإلى المنيَّةِ كلَّ يومٍ قد جَرى

وإلى المنيَّةِ كلَّ يومٍ قد جَرى

He strives with all his might to flee from death,

He seeks escape from death, striving hard,

though every day he has already run toward death.

yet toward death he runs each day.

قُلْ للذي رامَ الفَخارَ بنفسِهِ

قُلْ للذي رامَ الفَخارَ بنفسِهِ

أنتَ الثَّرَى ومنَ الثَّرَى وإلى الثَّرَى

أنتَ الثَّرَى ومنَ الثَّرَى وإلى الثَّرَى

Say to him who sought glory for himself:

Tell the one who sought glory in himself:

You are dust, from dust, and unto dust.

You are dust, and from dust, and unto dust.

مَن يَفتخِرْ فبصالحِ العَمل الذي

مَن يَفتخِرْ فبصالحِ العَمل الذي

كُنَّا نَعُدُّ لهُ الرَّئيسَ الأكبَرا

كُنَّا نَعُدُّ لهُ الرَّئيسَ الأكبَرا

Who can boast of the eloquence of that luminary whom

Whoever boasts, let it be in righteous deeds, for which

we used to deem our greatest chief?

we reckoned the prelate the greatest.

السَيِّدُ الحبرُ المُعظَّمُ شأنُهُ

السَيِّدُ الحبرُ المُعظَّمُ شأنُهُ

ومَكانُهُ المرفوعُ في أعلَى الذُّرَى

ومَكانُهُ المرفوعُ في أعلَى الذُّرَى

The lord, the learned prelate, exalted in stature,

The master, the learned prelate, whose standing was revered,

whose lofty station stood upon the highest peaks;

and whose station was raised upon the loftiest peaks;

العالِمُ العَلَمُ الإناءُ المُصطَفَى

العالِمُ العَلَمُ الإناءُ المُصطَفَى

والكاشفُ الخَطبَ الشَّديد إذا اعتَرَى

والكاشفُ الخَطبَ الشَّديد إذا اعتَرَى

the scholar, the luminary, the chosen vessel,

The scholar, the luminary, the chosen vessel,

the dispeller of grave distress whenever it arose;

and the dispeller of grievous calamity whenever it struck;

ذاك المُكلِّلُ تاجُ قَيصَرَ رأسَهُ

ذاك المُكلِّلُ تاجُ قَيصَرَ رأسَهُ

شَرَفاً وليسَ عليهِ دَولةُ قَيصَرا

شَرَفاً وليسَ عليهِ دَولةُ قَيصَرا

that crowned one—Caesar’s crown adorned his head

He whose head was crowned with Caesar's crown,

as an honor, though Caesar held no sway over him;

as an honor, though Caesar held no sway over him;

ذاك الذي بيمينهِ قامَتْ عصَا

ذاك الذي بيمينهِ قامَتْ عصَا

مُوسَى التِّي منها الجَمادُ تَفجَّرا

مُوسَى التِّي منها الجَمادُ تَفجَّرا

he in whose right hand stood the staff

He in whose right hand stood the staff

of Moses, from which the solid rock burst forth;

of Moses, by which lifeless rock gushed forth;

ذاكَ الذي شَقَّ القلوبَ فكادَ أنْ

ذاكَ الذي شَقَّ القلوبَ فكادَ أنْ

يُجري منَ الأجفانِ بحراً أحمَرا

يُجري منَ الأجفانِ بحراً أحمَرا

he who cleft our hearts, until a Red Sea

He who rent hearts and nearly

nearly flowed from our eyelids;

made a crimson sea flow from the eyelids;

ذاكَ الذي أبكى هياكلَ بِيعةٍ

ذاكَ الذي أبكى هياكلَ بِيعةٍ

قد كانَ يُضحِكُها وأبكى المِنبَرا

قد كانَ يُضحِكُها وأبكى المِنبَرا

he who made the sanctuaries of a church weep—

He who made the sanctuaries of a church weep,

though once he made them smile—and made the pulpit weep;

which he once made laugh, and made the pulpit weep;

ذو الهِمَّةِ العُليا التي أضحَى بها

ذو الهِمَّةِ العُليا التي أضحَى بها

فَرداً يَقودُ إلى النوائبِ عسكَرا

فَرداً يَقودُ إلى النوائبِ عسكَرا

possessor of that lofty resolve through which he became

A man of lofty resolve, through which he became

peerless, leading an army against calamities;

peerless, leading an army to meet calamities;

وخليفةُ الرُّسُلِ الذي هيهاتِ أن

وخليفةُ الرُّسُلِ الذي هيهاتِ أن

يُؤَتى لهُ بخليفةٍ بينَ الوَرَى

يُؤَتى لهُ بخليفةٍ بينَ الوَرَى

successor to the apostles—for it is unthinkable

And the apostles' successor—for whom it is unthinkable

that a successor to him be found among mankind;

that a successor be found among humankind;

المُهتدِي الهادي الأمينُ لشَعبِهِ

المُهتدِي الهادي الأمينُ لشَعبِهِ

كالماءِ يجرِي طاهراً ومُطَهِّرَا

كالماءِ يجرِي طاهراً ومُطَهِّرَا

the rightly guided guide, faithful to his people,

The rightly guided guide, faithful to his people,

like water flowing pure and purifying;

flowing like water, pure and purifying;

ذو الغَيرةِ العُظمَى التي اتَّقَدَتَ بهِ

ذو الغَيرةِ العُظمَى التي اتَّقَدَتَ بهِ

مثلَ اللَظَى بينَ الهَشِيمِ تَسعَّرا

مثلَ اللَظَى بينَ الهَشِيمِ تَسعَّرا

possessor of supreme zeal, which blazed within him

A man of mighty zeal that blazed within him,

like flame among dry brushwood, fiercely burning.

like fire flaring amid dry brush.

دَقَّت معَانيهِ ورَقَّ نسيمُها

دَقَّت معَانيهِ ورَقَّ نسيمُها

وسَمَت على أوهامِنا أنْ تُحصَرا

وسَمَت على أوهامِنا أنْ تُحصَرا

His thoughts grew subtle, and their breeze grew gentle,

His meanings were subtle, and their breeze was gentle;

too lofty for our minds to encompass.

and they rose beyond what our imaginations could encompass.

فإذا طلَبناها فقد رُمْنا السُّهَى

فإذا طلَبناها فقد رُمْنا السُّهَى

وإذا ذَكرناها فَتقْنا العَنْبَرا

وإذا ذَكرناها فَتقْنا العَنْبَرا

Whenever we sought them, we reached for al-Suha;

So when we sought them, we were reaching for al-Suha;

whenever we spoke of them, we opened ambergris.

and when we mentioned them, we broke open ambergris.

رُكنٌ هَوَى بدِيارِ مِصرَ فأوشَكَتْ

رُكنٌ هَوَى بدِيارِ مِصرَ فأوشَكَتْ

منهُ رُبى لُبنانَ أن تَتَفطَّرا

منهُ رُبى لُبنانَ أن تَتَفطَّرا

A pillar fell in Egypt’s land, and nearly

A pillar fell in the lands of Egypt; it nearly caused

because of him did Lebanon’s hills burst apart.

the hills of Lebanon to split asunder.

ضَجَّت بهِ الإسكنْدَريَّةُ هَيبةً

ضَجَّت بهِ الإسكنْدَريَّةُ هَيبةً

فكأنَّ فوقَ سريرهِ الإسكَنْدَرا

فكأنَّ فوقَ سريرهِ الإسكَنْدَرا

Alexandria cried aloud over him in awe,

Alexandria cried out over him in awe,

as though Alexander lay upon her bier.

as though Alexander lay upon his bier.

يا أيُّها الطُورُ الذي عَبِثَتْ بهِ

يا أيُّها الطُورُ الذي عَبِثَتْ بهِ

أيدي المَنُونِ فمالَ محلولَ العُرَى

أيدي المَنُونِ فمالَ محلولَ العُرَى

O mighty mountain with which the hands of death have trifled,

O mountain, ravaged by

so that it toppled, its bonds undone!

the hands of death, you tilted, your bonds undone.

غَدَرَت بك الأيَّامُ مظلوماً كما

غَدَرَت بك الأيَّامُ مظلوماً كما

تُدعى فألَقَتْ في التُّرابِ الجوهرا

تُدعى فألَقَتْ في التُّرابِ الجوهرا

The days betrayed you while you were wronged, as

The days betrayed you—'wronged,' as

they are reputed to do, and cast you, a jewel, into the dust.

you are called—and cast the jewel into the dust.

يجري القَضاءُ بما أرادَ ولم يكن

يجري القَضاءُ بما أرادَ ولم يكن

مِمَّنْ يُراعِي ما نُريدُ إذا جرى

مِمَّنْ يُراعِي ما نُريدُ إذا جرى

Fate runs its course according to its will, and is not

Fate takes its course as it wills, and has never been

one to heed what we desire when it runs.

one to heed what we desire as it runs.

كأسٌ إذا فاتَ النديمَ مُقدَّماً

كأسٌ إذا فاتَ النديمَ مُقدَّماً

ذَكَرَ العُهودَ فلم يَفُتْهُ مُؤَخرّا

ذَكَرَ العُهودَ فلم يَفُتْهُ مُؤَخرّا

Such is the cup: though it pass the boon companion by at first,

A cup that, if it misses the drinking companion at first,

it remembers its covenants and will not miss him afterward.

remembers its pledges and does not miss him later.

هذا فِراقُ الدَّهرِ لا نُحصِي لهُ

هذا فِراقُ الدَّهرِ لا نُحصِي لهُ

عَدَدَ السِنينَ ولا نَعُدُّ الأشُهرا

عَدَدَ السِنينَ ولا نَعُدُّ الأشُهرا

This is parting for all eternity; we do not reckon for it

This is a parting for all time; we cannot reckon

the count of years, nor do we number the months.

the number of its years, nor count its months.

من أجلِهِ خُلِقَ الزَمانُ وأهلُهُ

من أجلِهِ خُلِقَ الزَمانُ وأهلُهُ

وكِلاهُما يَمضي عليهِ كما تَرَى

وكِلاهُما يَمضي عليهِ كما تَرَى

For such an end were time and all its people created;

For its sake, time and its inhabitants were created,

both pass onward to meet it, as you see.

and both run their course in accordance with it, as you see.