إليكِ خُذيني سمائيْ الجمِيلة

إليكِ خُذيني سمائيْ الجمِيلة

ولا تتركيْني بأرضٍ ضنينَهْ

ولا تتركيْني بأرضٍ ضنينَهْ

Take me to you, my beautiful sky,

Take me, my beautiful heavens

and do not leave me on a miserly earth.

And do not leave me in a grieving land

مُلِئتِ نجومًا وشُهْبًا ونورًا

مُلِئتِ نجومًا وشُهْبًا ونورًا

وسحرًا وحُسْنًا وفنًا وزينَهْ

وسحرًا وحُسْنًا وفنًا وزينَهْ

You are filled with stars, meteors, and light,

Filled with stars and meteors and light

and enchantment, beauty, art, and adornment.

And magic and beauty and art and adornment

عشقتكِ منذُ عهودِ الطفولهْ

عشقتكِ منذُ عهودِ الطفولهْ

وبثّ حنيني إليكِ حنينَهْ

وبثّ حنيني إليكِ حنينَهْ

I have loved you since the days of childhood,

I have loved you since the days of childhood

and my longing poured out its yearning to you.

And my longing for you grew stronger

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا سجينًا

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا سجينًا

لعمرٍ أبىْ أنْ يفكَّ سجينَهْ

لعمرٍ أبىْ أنْ يفكَّ سجينَهْ

Here, what am I? I am nothing but a prisoner

Where am I here? I am nothing but a prisoner

of a lifetime that refused to free its prisoner.

To a life that refused to free its prisoner

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا انتظارًا

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا انتظارًا

لموتٍ يحلُّ إذا هلّ طينَهْ

لموتٍ يحلُّ إذا هلّ طينَهْ

Here, what am I? I am nothing but waiting

Where am I here? I am nothing but waiting

for death that, when it comes, dissolves his clay.

For a death that comes when his mud dries

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا سكونًا

هنا ما أنا؟ لستُ إلّا سكونًا

ولكنّهُ ليسَ يدرِيْ السكينَهْ

ولكنّهُ ليسَ يدرِيْ السكينَهْ

Here, what am I? I am nothing but stillness,

Where am I here? I am nothing but stillness

yet it knows no tranquility.

But it does not know calmness

تداوَلُني النّائباتُ ولستُ

تداوَلُني النّائباتُ ولستُ

بأيْدي النوائبِ إلّا رهينَهْ

بأيْدي النوائبِ إلّا رهينَهْ

Calamities pass me from hand to hand, and I am

The superiors hand me over and I am not

nothing but a hostage in calamity's hands.

In the hands of superiors except a hostage

فلا يفتديهِ سوى نائباتٍ

فلا يفتديهِ سوى نائباتٍ

أشدّ إذا ما استلّذتْ أنينَهْ

أشدّ إذا ما استلّذتْ أنينَهْ

So nothing ransoms him but calamities

None can ransom him but even harsher superiors

more severe, whenever they relish his groaning.

When they enjoy his moaning

إذا ما النفوسُ الكريمةُ أنّتْ

إذا ما النفوسُ الكريمةُ أنّتْ

غدتْ في مزادِ النّفوسِ ثمينَهْ

غدتْ في مزادِ النّفوسِ ثمينَهْ

When noble souls groan,

When the noble souls came out

they become precious at the auction of souls.

They became precious at the souls' auction

أغارُ من النّجمِ فيكِ يسيرُ

أغارُ من النّجمِ فيكِ يسيرُ

فلا إنسَ يرقبُهُ كيْ يُدينَهْ

فلا إنسَ يرقبُهُ كيْ يُدينَهْ

I envy the star that travels within you,

I am jealous of the stars in you walking

for no human watches it to condemn it.

So no human watches him to sue him

أَرىْ كوْكبًا أحمرَ اللّونِ بينَ

أَرىْ كوْكبًا أحمرَ اللّونِ بينَ

النّجومِ ولا نجمَ يُنكرُ لونَهْ

النّجومِ ولا نجمَ يُنكرُ لونَهْ

I see a planet, red in color, among

I see a red star among the stars

the stars, and no star rejects its color.

And no star denies its color

تتبّعتُ نجمًا يطيلُ سجودَهْ

تتبّعتُ نجمًا يطيلُ سجودَهْ

فما عابَهُ النّجمُ أو عابَ دينَهْ

فما عابَهُ النّجمُ أو عابَ دينَهْ

I followed a star that prolongs its prostration,

I followed a star that lengthens its prostration

and no star faulted it or its faith;

The star did not deny it or deny its religion

ونجمًا أحبَّ الحياة فغنَّىْ

ونجمًا أحبَّ الحياة فغنَّىْ

وأطربَ حتّى يُواسيْ قرينَهْ

وأطربَ حتّى يُواسيْ قرينَهْ

and a star that loved life and sang,

And a star that loved life and sang

and brought delight to console its companion.

And was cheerful to comfort his companion

فما شانَ نجمٌ فِعالَ أخيهِ

فما شانَ نجمٌ فِعالَ أخيهِ

ولا قالَ فيها: فعالٌ مشينَهْ

ولا قالَ فيها: فعالٌ مشينَهْ

No star disparaged its brother's deeds,

So what is the matter of an active star to its brother

nor said of them, “Shameful deeds.”

And did not say: his actions are disgraceful

وكلُّ النّجومِ تَشيدُ بروجًا

وكلُّ النّجومِ تَشيدُ بروجًا

وما بينها من نجومٍ مدينَهْ

وما بينها من نجومٍ مدينَهْ

And all the stars build towers,

And all the stars build constellations

and none among them condemns.

And the cities between them

سألتُ عنِ النجْمِ قالتْ: جدودٌ

سألتُ عنِ النجْمِ قالتْ: جدودٌ

حنى لهُمُ الدهرُ طوعًا جبينَهْ

حنى لهُمُ الدهرُ طوعًا جبينَهْ

I asked about the stars. She said, “Ancestors

I asked about the star, she said: ancestors

to whom Time willingly bowed its brow.

Time willingly bowed its forehead to them

فلانَ لهُمْ منهُ ما لانَ حتّى

فلانَ لهُمْ منهُ ما لانَ حتّى

غدا في أياديهمُ كالعجينَهْ

غدا في أياديهمُ كالعجينَهْ

And what in it could soften softened for them, until

And did things for them to reach

it became like dough in their hands.

So it became in their hands like dough

تعالَوْا فصارُوا تُحيْتَ جُفونيْ

تعالَوْا فصارُوا تُحيْتَ جُفونيْ

وأهدَوا إليّ ضياءً وزينَهْ

وأهدَوا إليّ ضياءً وزينَهْ

They ascended and came to be just beneath my eyelids,

Come, so they revived my eyelids

and gave me radiance and adornment.

And they gifted me light and adornment

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ أصولَ الجمالِ

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ أصولَ الجمالِ

وطُرْقَ التبرُّجِ حتّى فنونَهْ

وطُرْقَ التبرُّجِ حتّى فنونَهْ

From them I learned the principles of beauty

I learned from them the origin of beauty

and the ways of self-adornment, even its arts.

And ways of coquetry to the point of its arts

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ سِرارَ الغرامِ

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ سِرارَ الغرامِ

فبثَّ إليّ المُحبُّ شجونَهْ

فبثَّ إليّ المُحبُّ شجونَهْ

From them I learned love's whispered secrets,

I learned from them secrets of passion

so the lover poured out his sorrows to me.

So the lover expressed his sorrows to me

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ جميلَ المقالِ

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ جميلَ المقالِ

وسحرَ البيانِ فبتُّ معينَهْ

وسحرَ البيانِ فبتُّ معينَهْ

From them I learned beautiful speech

I learned from them the beauty of speech

and the magic of eloquence, and became its wellspring.

And magic of rhetoric until I became its spring

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ طِباعَ السّباعِ

تعلّمْتُ منهمْ طِباعَ السّباعِ

فبتُّ لجُسْرِ السّباعِ "عرينَهْ"

فبتُّ لجُسْرِ السّباعِ "عرينَهْ"

From them I learned the natures of beasts of prey,

I learned from them the natures of predators

and became the den of the bold beasts of prey.

So I became the "lair" of predators

فأصلُ النجومِ جدودٌ تساموْا

فأصلُ النجومِ جدودٌ تساموْا

فصاروا لديّ كنوزًا حصينَهْ

فصاروا لديّ كنوزًا حصينَهْ

For the stars began as ancestors who rose on high,

So the origin of stars is ancestors who transcended

and became well-guarded treasures in my keeping.”

So they became well-fortified treasures to me

إلى حيثُ صارَ الجدودُ خُذيني

إلى حيثُ صارَ الجدودُ خُذيني

فإنّي سئمتُ وثاقِي وطينَهْ

فإنّي سئمتُ وثاقِي وطينَهْ

Take me to where the ancestors have gone,

Take me to where the ancestors have gone

for I am weary of my bondage and its clay.

For I am tired of my shackles and mud

خذيني ونقّيْ فؤادي وداويْ

خذيني ونقّيْ فؤادي وداويْ

هِ من جُرحهِ والجفا والضّغينَهْ

هِ من جُرحهِ والجفا والضّغينَهْ

Take me, purify my heart, and heal

Take me and purify my heart and heal it

it of its wound, estrangement, and rancor.

From its wound and estrangement and resentment

خذيني ونقّي دمِي منْ بقايا

خذيني ونقّي دمِي منْ بقايا

سمومِ صلالِ الغروبِ اللّعينهْ

سمومِ صلالِ الغروبِ اللّعينهْ

Take me, cleanse my blood of the remnants

Take me and purify my blood from the remnants

of the venom of sunset's accursed vipers.

Of the poisons of the setting of that damned sun

وزُجّيْ أمَانيّ في قلبِ فرْحٍ

وزُجّيْ أمَانيّ في قلبِ فرْحٍ

إلى الآنَ لمْ يعرفِ القلبُ لونَهْ

إلى الآنَ لمْ يعرفِ القلبُ لونَهْ

And thrust my wishes into the heart of a joy

And cast my hopes into a joyful heart

whose color the heart has not yet known.

That til now the heart has not known its color

وألقيْ بروحِيْ وراءَ النّجومِ

وألقيْ بروحِيْ وراءَ النّجومِ

فبعدَ النّجومِ كنوزٌ دفينَهْ

فبعدَ النّجومِ كنوزٌ دفينَهْ

And cast my soul beyond the stars,

And cast my soul behind the stars

for beyond the stars lie buried treasures.

For beyond the stars lie buried treasures

علىْ دربِ جدِّي أنا الآنَ أمشِيْ

علىْ دربِ جدِّي أنا الآنَ أمشِيْ

كأنّي بهِ إذ يمدُّ يمينَهْ

كأنّي بهِ إذ يمدُّ يمينَهْ

Along my grandfather's path I now walk,

Now I walk on my grandfather's path

as though I were with him as he extends his right hand.

As if I can see him extending his right hand

أقيمُ علىْ الأرْضِ عدلًا ودينًا

أقيمُ علىْ الأرْضِ عدلًا ودينًا

وأُنشِي قلاعًا وأبنيْ مدينَهْ

وأُنشِي قلاعًا وأبنيْ مدينَهْ

I establish justice and faith upon the earth,

I establish justice and religion on earth

and raise fortresses and build a city,

And build castles and cities

وأمْحو ذنوبيْ بإرجاعِ أرضيْ

وأمْحو ذنوبيْ بإرجاعِ أرضيْ

وقدسي لأمِّ القُرى والمدينَهْ

وقدسي لأمِّ القُرى والمدينَهْ

and erase my sins by restoring my land

And erase my sins by restoring my land

and my Jerusalem to the Mother of Cities and Medina.

And sanctify it for the Mother of Cities

وأغزو عزازيلَ في مهدِهِ كيْ

وأغزو عزازيلَ في مهدِهِ كيْ

يسودَ الهُدى وأدكُّ حصونَهْ

يسودَ الهُدى وأدكُّ حصونَهْ

And I assail Azazil in his cradle, so that

And I will invade the little devils in their cradle

right guidance may prevail, and I raze his fortresses.

So that guidance prevails and I crush its forts

سأُمسي إذا ما تفوّقتُ نجمًا

سأُمسي إذا ما تفوّقتُ نجمًا

كجدٍّ أرادتْ "أنا" أنْ تكونَهْ

كجدٍّ أرادتْ "أنا" أنْ تكونَهْ

If I excel, I shall become a star

I will become a star like my grandfather

like an ancestor my “I” wished to become.

When "I" wanted to be it