مُذ قيلَ هَذا بِيتٌ غوتَه زُرتُهُ

مُذ قيلَ هَذا بِيتٌ غوتَه زُرتُهُ

إِذ كانَ لِلشُعَراءِ كَعبَةَ قاصِد

إِذ كانَ لِلشُعَراءِ كَعبَةَ قاصِد

When it was said, “This is Goethe’s house,” I visited it—

On being told, 'This is Goethe's house,' I visited it,

For poets it was a Kaaba for the seeker.

For it was to poets a pilgrim's Kaaba.

هَذا أَميرُ الشِعرِ عِندَ قَبيلِهِ

هَذا أَميرُ الشِعرِ عِندَ قَبيلِهِ

مِنهُ لِجيدِ الدَهرِ عِقدُ فَرائِد

مِنهُ لِجيدِ الدَهرِ عِقدُ فَرائِد

This is the prince of poetry among his people;

He is the prince of poetry among his people;

From him, for the neck of Time, a necklace of peerless pearls.

From him comes a necklace of peerless jewels for Time's neck.

طَأَطَأتُ رَأسَ قَريحَتي في بابِهِ

طَأَطَأتُ رَأسَ قَريحَتي في بابِهِ

وَلَكُم رَأَت عَتَباتِهِ مِن ساجِد

وَلَكُم رَأَت عَتَباتِهِ مِن ساجِد

I bowed the head of my poetic gift at his door—

I bowed the head of my poetic inspiration at his door;

And how many a prostrate visitor have his thresholds seen!

And how many have his thresholds seen prostrate!

إِن لَم يَكُن مِن أُمَّتي وَعَشيرَتي

إِن لَم يَكُن مِن أُمَّتي وَعَشيرَتي

فَالناسُ في الآدابِ أُمَّةُ واحِد

فَالناسُ في الآدابِ أُمَّةُ واحِد

If he is not of my nation and my clan,

If he is not of my nation and my clan,

Then people, in literature, are one nation.

Then in literature, all people are one nation.

أَو فاتَنا نَسَبٌ يَؤلَفُ بَينَنا

أَو فاتَنا نَسَبٌ يَؤلَفُ بَينَنا

أَدَبٌ أَقَمناهُ مَقامَ الوالِد

أَدَبٌ أَقَمناهُ مَقامَ الوالِد

Or if a lineage that might unite us has eluded us,

Or if we lack a kinship that binds us together,

We have set literature in the place of a father.

We have set literature in a father's place.