سيسعفنيwill come to my aid الصدىthe echo المخذولُbetrayed عهدهْits pledge
سيسعفني الصدى المخذولُ عهدهْ
وتلهمنيand inspire me الـخفاياthe secrets المُستبـــدهْtyrannical !
وتلهمني الـخفايا المُستبـــدهْ !
The echo whose pledge is betrayed will come to my aid.
The forlorn echo will help me,
And the tyrannical secrets inspire me!
And the hidden secrets will inspire me!
أحايينٌmoments منof القلقanxiety المُدوِّيresounding
أحايينٌ من القلق المُدوِّي
وعاصفةٌand a storm تعانقنيembraces me بِــــشدَّهْwith force
وعاصفةٌ تعانقني بِــــشدَّهْ
Moments of resounding anxiety,
Restless from anxiety,
And a storm embraces me fiercely.
And a storm embraces me intensely.
هناhere مدنُthe cities التناقضof contradiction تحتوينيcontain me
هنا مدنُ التناقض تحتويني
وريفُand the countryside الفنِّof art يسبقهاprecedes them بمــدَّهْby a span of time
وريفُ الفنِّ يسبقها بمــدَّهْ
Here, the cities of contradiction contain me,
And the countryside of art precedes it with its expansion.
And art's countryside precedes them by a span of time.
The heights pull me towards the current,
إلىtoward التيّارِthe current تجذبنيdraw me الأساميthe names
إلى التيّارِ تجذبني الأسامي
وقلبيand my heart صامدٌsteadfast فيin الحربِthe war وحدهْon its own
وقلبي صامدٌ في الحربِ وحدهْ
The names draw me toward the current,
And my heart is steadfast in war alone.
And my heart stands firm in the war, alone.
We have endured zealous times:
عصاميونself-made people زاوَلَنَاgrappled with us زمانٌan age :
عصاميون زاوَلَنَا زمانٌ :
لأجلfor the sake of الصمتsilence نُصرتهُits support مُعدَّهْprepared
لأجل الصمت نُصرتهُ مُعدَّهْ
We are self-made; an age has grappled with us:
In order to be silent its aid is prepared.
For silence's sake, its support stands ready.
Armies of silk have attacked us,
تُهاجمناattack us جيوشٌarmies منof حريرٍsilk
تُهاجمنا جيوشٌ من حريرٍ
وظاهرهاand their outward appearance تُغلِّفهُcloaks it المودَّهْaffection
وظاهرها تُغلِّفهُ المودَّهْ
Armies of silk attack us,
And their exterior covers it with affection.
And affection cloaks their outward appearance.
The logic of our patience ignites a flame,
ومنطقُand the logic حِلْمِناof our forbearance يُذكيkindles لهيبًاa blaze
ومنطقُ حِلْمِنا يُذكي لهيبًا
دوافعهُits motives تُحاكمناput us on trial بـــــردَّهْfor apostasy
دوافعهُ تُحاكمنا بـــــردَّهْ
And the logic of our forbearance kindles a blaze,
Its motives judge us with rejection.
Its motives put us on trial for apostasy.
Despite the hatred I sculpted its meanings,
فرغمso despite الحقدِthe hatred أنحتهاI carve them المعانيthe meanings
فرغم الحقدِ أنحتها المعاني
أُهندمُI dress up للـعمىfor blindness المحمومِfeverish قدَّهْits figure !
أُهندمُ للـعمى المحمومِ قدَّهْ !
So despite the hatred, I carve them—the meanings,
I demolish the blind frenzy’s persistence!
I dress up the figure of feverish blindness!
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.