أقول لِسربٍ مِن حَمامٍ عَرَضْن لي

أقول لِسربٍ مِن حَمامٍ عَرَضْن لي

يُغرِّدن في أعلى الغصونِ وينَدُبْنا

يُغرِّدن في أعلى الغصونِ وينَدُبْنا

I say to a flock of doves that appeared before me,

I say to a flock of doves that alighted near me,

Warbling atop the branches and lamenting,

Cooing atop the highest branches, calling out,

ويسكَّن في خضراءَ ناعمةِ الرُّبا

ويسكَّن في خضراءَ ناعمةِ الرُّبا

أَنيقةِ رَوْض النَّبْتِ آنِسةِ المَغنى

أَنيقةِ رَوْض النَّبْتِ آنِسةِ المَغنى

And dwelling in a green land of gentle hills,

And nestling in the soft, verdant garden,

With lovely grassy meadows and a welcoming abode:

Graceful, pleasing place of growing plants,

بَوارِحَ لا يخشَيْن بَيْناً ولا نوىً

بَوارِحَ لا يخشَيْن بَيْناً ولا نوىً

رواتِع لا يَعرِفن همّاً ولا حُزْنا

رواتِع لا يَعرِفن همّاً ولا حُزْنا

Flying from right to left, they fear neither parting nor distance,

With limbs that fear no scheming or malice,

Feeding freely, they know neither care nor sorrow.

Serene, knowing neither anxiety nor sorrow.

فقلتُ هنيئاً للحَمامِ أمانُه

فقلتُ هنيئاً للحَمامِ أمانُه

وإن كانتِ الأَيّامُ لم تُعطني أمنا

وإن كانتِ الأَيّامُ لم تُعطني أمنا

So I said: May the doves enjoy their safety,

I said: fortunate are the doves in their safety,

Though the days have given me no safety.

Though days have not given me any safety.

أسِرْبَ الحَمامِ لو لقِيتُنَّ بعضَ ما

أسِرْبَ الحَمامِ لو لقِيتُنَّ بعضَ ما

أُلاقي لأَصبحتُنّ أوّلَ من يَضْنَى

أُلاقي لأَصبحتُنّ أوّلَ من يَضْنَى

O flock of doves, if you had faced some of what

If the doves were to meet some of what I meet,

I endure, you would have been the first to waste away.

They would be the first to moan in distress.

ولو قد علمِتُنّ الّذي أنا عالمٌ

ولو قد علمِتُنّ الّذي أنا عالمٌ

لما ناح منكْم هاتِفٌ لا ولا غَنىَّ

لما ناح منكْم هاتِفٌ لا ولا غَنىَّ

And had you known what I know,

If they knew what I know,

No caller among you would have wailed—no, nor sung.

None among them would moan or sing.

ومَن جَرَّب الأيّامَ تجرِبتي لها

ومَن جَرَّب الأيّامَ تجرِبتي لها

دَرَى أنّها ليست تدومُ على مَعنَى

دَرَى أنّها ليست تدومُ على مَعنَى

And whoever has experienced the days as I have

Whoever has experienced time as I have,

Knows that they never remain in a single state.

Knows its ways do not last in one tenor.

فحسبُك يا دهرُ اصطلَيتَ بنارِ من

فحسبُك يا دهرُ اصطلَيتَ بنارِ من

لو أنّك سُمّ في تَراقِيهِ ما أَنَّا

لو أنّك سُمّ في تَراقِيهِ ما أَنَّا

Enough, O Time: you have felt the fire of one

Enough, O Fate! You have kindled in us a fire—

Who, were you poison at his collarbones, would not groan.

Had you been poison, your burning were mercy.

وأكثرُ ما أهُجوك يا زمني به

وأكثرُ ما أهُجوك يا زمني به

من الفِعل أَنِّي لم أُحسِّنْ بك الظِّنّا

من الفِعل أَنِّي لم أُحسِّنْ بك الظِّنّا

And my greatest taunt against you, O my time,

And most of all I blame you, my time, for

In deed, is that I have not thought well of you.

Never thinking well of you.

ذمَمْناك يا صَرْفَ الحوادثِ فانتصِرْ

ذمَمْناك يا صَرْفَ الحوادثِ فانتصِرْ

وسُؤْناك يا رَيبَ الزمانِ فخذ مِنّا

وسُؤْناك يا رَيبَ الزمانِ فخذ مِنّا

We have censured you, O turns of events—avenge yourself!

We blamed you, O fickle fate, so defend yourself!

And we have offended you, O Time's misfortunes—take revenge upon us!

And we maligned you, O course of time, so take from us!

فإنّا أُناس لا نَذِلّ لنَكْبةٍ

فإنّا أُناس لا نَذِلّ لنَكْبةٍ

وأخلاقنا لا تَعرِف الخوفَ والجُبنا

وأخلاقنا لا تَعرِف الخوفَ والجُبنا

For we are a people who do not bow before calamity,

For we are people who bow to no misfortune,

And our character knows neither fear nor cowardice.

Our nature knows neither fear nor cowardice.