لا الصبر ينفعه ولا الجزع

لا الصبر ينفعه ولا الجزع

قلب يكاد شجاه يطلع

قلب يكاد شجاه يطلع

Neither patience avails him, nor anguish.

Neither patience nor anguish avails it—

A heart whose grief is almost bursting forth.

a heart whose sorrow is almost bursting forth.

يا ليل هذا ساهر قلق

يا ليل هذا ساهر قلق

يرعى النجوم وقومه هجعوا

يرعى النجوم وقومه هجعوا

O night, here is a restless wakeful man,

O night, here is a sleepless, troubled soul,

Watching the stars while his people sleep.

watching the stars while his people sleep.

هل فيك ذو شجن يشاركني

هل فيك ذو شجن يشاركني

أشكو له ما بي فيستمع

أشكو له ما بي فيستمع

Is there within you one sorrowful soul to share my pain,

Is there within you someone sorrowful to share my grief,

To whom I may complain of what I bear, and who will listen?

to whom I may lament my plight, and who will listen?

سرت الهموم فقمت أدفعها

سرت الهموم فقمت أدفعها

وإذا هموم ليس تندفع

وإذا هموم ليس تندفع

The cares swept in, and I arose to drive them off,

Cares stole upon me, and I rose to repel them,

But behold—cares that cannot be driven away.

only to find cares that cannot be driven away.

من بات تدمع عنيه أسفاً

من بات تدمع عنيه أسفاً

فأنا فؤادي بات يدمع

فأنا فؤادي بات يدمع

He whose eyes spend the night weeping in sorrow—

Whoever spends the night with eyes weeping in sorrow—

As for me, my heart itself has spent the night in tears.

as for me, my heart spends the night weeping.

أشفقت من دهري على أملي

أشفقت من دهري على أملي

واليوم أنظر كيف ينقطع

واليوم أنظر كيف ينقطع

I feared what Time might do to my hope;

I feared what time would do to my hope,

Today I watch to see how it is severed.

and today I watch it come to an end.

ويلي عليه وهو يخدعني

ويلي عليه وهو يخدعني

أدري حقيقته وأنخدع

أدري حقيقته وأنخدع

Alas for it, even as it deceives me:

Alas for it, even as it deceives me!

I know its truth, yet still am deceived.

I know its truth, yet am deceived.

يا شرق لج بك العداة هوى

يا شرق لج بك العداة هوى

يا شرق أغراهم بك الطمع

يا شرق أغراهم بك الطمع

O East, your foes press upon you, driven by desire;

O East, desire has made your enemies relentless toward you;

O East, their greed has incited them against you.

O East, greed has set them upon you.

وبنوك قد طبعوا على خلق

وبنوك قد طبعوا على خلق

وعلى سواه الناس قد طبعوا

وعلى سواه الناس قد طبعوا

Your sons have been molded in one character,

Your sons were formed with one disposition,

While other people have been molded otherwise.

while other people were formed with another.

عاشوا يؤلف بينهم وطن

عاشوا يؤلف بينهم وطن

فتفرقوا فيه وهم شيع

فتفرقوا فيه وهم شيع

They lived with a homeland binding them together,

They lived united by a homeland,

Yet within it they split into factions.

then split within it into factions.

يتفرقون على مذاهبهم

يتفرقون على مذاهبهم

وعلى الأخاء الناس تجتمع

وعلى الأخاء الناس تجتمع

They divide according to their doctrines,

They divide along their creeds,

Whereas people unite in brotherhood.

while other people gather in brotherhood.

جهلوا فأخضعهم تعصبهم

جهلوا فأخضعهم تعصبهم

والله لو علموا لما خضعوا

والله لو علموا لما خضعوا

In ignorance, fanaticism brought them into submission;

They were ignorant, so their fanaticism subdued them;

By God, had they known, they would not have submitted.

by God, had they known, they would not have submitted.

أنذرتهم يوماً صوادعه

أنذرتهم يوماً صوادعه

لو مست الأفلاك تنصدع

لو مست الأفلاك تنصدع

One day I warned them of its thunderbolts,

I warned them of a day whose calamities

Which, were they to touch the spheres, would split them apart.

would shatter the celestial spheres if they touched them.

وأريتهم زمناً ألم بهم

وأريتهم زمناً ألم بهم

يبري السهام لهم وينتزع

يبري السهام لهم وينتزع

I showed them an age that had descended upon them,

I showed them an age that had descended upon them,

Whetting arrows against them, then drawing them forth.

sharpening arrows for them and drawing its bow.

هنأتهم بالأمس إذ نهضوا

هنأتهم بالأمس إذ نهضوا

واليوم أرثيهم وقد وقعوا

واليوم أرثيهم وقد وقعوا

Yesterday I congratulated them when they rose;

Yesterday I congratulated them when they rose;

Today I mourn them, now that they have fallen.

today I mourn them, now that they have fallen.

أهديتهم ردي فما قبلوا

أهديتهم ردي فما قبلوا

أخلصتهم نصحي فما اتبعوا

أخلصتهم نصحي فما اتبعوا

I offered them my answer, but they would not accept it;

I offered them my reply, but they did not accept it;

I gave them counsel sincerely, but they would not follow.

I gave them my sincere counsel, but they did not follow it.

والشيء يرخص حين تبذله

والشيء يرخص حين تبذله

والشيء يغلو حين يمتنع

والشيء يغلو حين يمتنع

A thing grows cheap when freely offered,

A thing grows cheap when you give it freely,

And precious when withheld.

and grows dear when it is withheld.

ماذا على الأقدار لو نزعت

ماذا على الأقدار لو نزعت

عن حربها فعداتها نزعوا

عن حربها فعداتها نزعوا

What harm would it do the Fates if they desisted

What would it cost the fates if they desisted

From their war upon them, so their enemies might withdraw,

from their war, since their enemies have desisted,

واسترجعت عهد الصفاء لهم

واسترجعت عهد الصفاء لهم

وإذا غشاء فذاك يرتجع

وإذا غشاء فذاك يرتجع

And restored to them the covenant of concord?

and restored to them the time of serenity?

If it is only a veil, it can be drawn back.

And if there is a veil, it can be drawn back.

قد أجهدتهم وهي عارمة

قد أجهدتهم وهي عارمة

وأظنها يوماً سترتدع

وأظنها يوماً سترتدع

She has sorely exhausted them in her fury,

They have worn them out in their fury,

Yet I believe that one day she will relent.

and I think one day they will relent.

أبني بلادي قد مضت أمم

أبني بلادي قد مضت أمم

هذا طريقهم الذي اشترعوا

هذا طريقهم الذي اشترعوا

O children of my homeland, nations have passed away;

O sons of my homeland, nations have passed away;

This is the path that they laid down.

this is the path they laid down.

أنا حللنا في منازلهم

أنا حللنا في منازلهم

وقد انتجعنا حيثما انتجعوا

وقد انتجعنا حيثما انتجعوا

We have alighted in their dwellings,

Indeed, we have settled in their dwellings,

And sought pasture wherever they sought it.

and sought pasture wherever they sought it.

وإذا بطرنا مثلما بطروا

وإذا بطرنا مثلما بطروا

فلسوف نصرع مثلما صرعوا

فلسوف نصرع مثلما صرعوا

If we grow insolent as they grew insolent,

If we grow arrogant as they grew arrogant,

Surely we shall be struck down as they were struck down.

we shall surely be struck down as they were.

إن تصبروا فلطالما صبروا

إن تصبروا فلطالما صبروا

أو تجزعوا فلشد ما جزعوا

أو تجزعوا فلشد ما جزعوا

If you endure, how long they too endured;

If you endure, they too endured long;

Or if you anguish, how bitterly they too anguished.

or despair, how fiercely they too despaired!

لم تعدنا حال لهم عرضت

لم تعدنا حال لهم عرضت

فحياتهم وحياتنا شرع

فحياتهم وحياتنا شرع

No condition that befell them has passed us by:

No condition that befell them has passed us by;

Their life and ours obey the same law.

so their life and ours are alike.

أبداً نعيش على مغالبة

أبداً نعيش على مغالبة

الدهر يخفضنا ونرتفع

الدهر يخفضنا ونرتفع

Forever we live in struggle—

Always we live in a struggle:

Time lowers us, and we rise again.

time brings us low, and we rise.

ونراه يبتدع الخطوب لنا

ونراه يبتدع الخطوب لنا

حتى تفانت عنده البدع

حتى تفانت عنده البدع

We see it invent calamities for us

And we see it devising calamities for us,

Until invention itself is exhausted in its hands.

until its inventions are exhausted.

لم ننتفع بتجارب سلفت

لم ننتفع بتجارب سلفت

وإحال لسنا بعد ننتفع

وإحال لسنا بعد ننتفع

We have not profited from experiences past,

We have not profited from past experiences,

And surely, after this, we shall not profit.

and, I think, we still do not profit.

أشياخنا يمشي بهم كلف

أشياخنا يمشي بهم كلف

وشبابنا يجري بهم ولع

وشبابنا يجري بهم ولع

Our elders are driven onward by obsession,

Infatuation leads our elders at a walk,

And our young men race ahead through infatuation.

while passion drives our youth at a run.

يتحاربون على فؤادهم

يتحاربون على فؤادهم

والحرب تأخذ ضعف ما تدع

والحرب تأخذ ضعف ما تدع

They battle one another over their heart,

They wage war over their own heart,

Though war takes twice as much as it leaves.

and war takes twice as much as it leaves.

ماذا لهم لله درهمو

ماذا لهم لله درهمو

الناس قد عفوا وهم جشعوا

الناس قد عفوا وهم جشعوا

What ails them—may God bless their mettle!

What ails them? God bless them!

Others have renounced their greed, while they grow ravenous.

Others have shown restraint, while they have grown greedy.

إن القصور بهن مقتعد

إن القصور بهن مقتعد

مثل القبور بهن مضطجع

مثل القبور بهن مضطجع

If palaces hold men seated within them,

Indeed, palaces with someone seated within them

So graves hold men lying down.

are like graves with someone lying within them.

أبني المسيح وأحمد انتبهوا

أبني المسيح وأحمد انتبهوا

ودعوا رجالاً منكم هجعوا

ودعوا رجالاً منكم هجعوا

O children of Christ and Ahmad, awaken,

O sons of Christ and Ahmad, awaken,

And leave those men among you who have slept.

and leave the men among you who have slept.

جاؤا الورى والأمر ملتئم

جاؤا الورى والأمر ملتئم

ثم انثنوا والأمر منصدع

ثم انثنوا والأمر منصدع

They came to humankind while its order was whole,

They came among humankind when affairs were united,

Then turned away when that order had split apart.

then turned away, leaving affairs fractured.

لم يرض أحمد والمسيح بما

لم يرض أحمد والمسيح بما

صنعوا فلا ترضوا بما صنعوا

صنعوا فلا ترضوا بما صنعوا

Neither Ahmad nor Christ approved of what

Neither Ahmad nor Christ approved of what

They did; therefore do not approve of what they did.

they did; do not approve of what they did.

أرواحكم من بعضها قطع

أرواحكم من بعضها قطع

وجسومكم من بعضها بضع

وجسومكم من بعضها بضع

Your souls are pieces of one another,

Your souls are pieces of one another,

And your bodies are flesh of one another.

and your bodies are portions of one another.

لا تحسبن خلافكم ورعا

لا تحسبن خلافكم ورعا

إن ائتلافكم هو الورع

إن ائتلافكم هو الورع

Do not suppose your discord to be piety;

Do not suppose your discord is piety;

Your concord itself is piety.

your unity itself is piety.

الملك تعليه مدارسه

الملك تعليه مدارسه

تلك المساجد فيه والبيع

تلك المساجد فيه والبيع

The realm is exalted by its schools—

The realm is uplifted by its schools;

Those are its mosques and its churches.

those are its mosques and churches.

ويحب تموز لعاشره

ويحب تموز لعاشره

لا تذكر الآحاد والجمع

لا تذكر الآحاد والجمع

And let Tammuz cherish its tenth day;

And July is loved for its tenth day;

Mention neither Sundays nor Fridays.

do not mention Sundays and Fridays.

لمن الطلول كأن عرصتها

لمن الطلول كأن عرصتها

للموت منحرث ومزدرع

للموت منحرث ومزدرع

Whose are these ruins, whose open court appears

Whose are these ruins, whose open ground seems

A plowed field and seedbed for death?

a ploughed field and seedbed for death?

آياتها ورسومها درست

آياتها ورسومها درست

وخلابها مشتى ومرتبع

وخلابها مشتى ومرتبع

Their signs and traces have been effaced;

Their signs and traces have faded,

Their emptiness is wintering-ground and spring pasture.

and their open spaces are winter camps and spring pastures.

سكانها عن محلها نزعوا

سكانها عن محلها نزعوا

ولطالما في خصبها رتعوا

ولطالما في خصبها رتعوا

Their inhabitants were torn from their abode,

Their inhabitants have left their dwelling place,

Where once they grazed so long in plenty.

though long they roamed at ease in their abundance.

أسلافهم في غابها أمنوا

أسلافهم في غابها أمنوا

وبنوهم في سوحها فزعوا

وبنوهم في سوحها فزعوا

Their forebears dwelt secure within its thickets,

Their forebears found safety in their forest,

While their children took fright in its open squares.

but their sons have known fear in their open grounds.

شمخ الزمان بهم وقد شمخوا

شمخ الزمان بهم وقد شمخوا

واليوم يخشع إذ هم خشعوا

واليوم يخشع إذ هم خشعوا

Time towered proudly with them when they were proud;

Time rose proudly with them when they were proud,

Today it bows low, because they have bowed.

and today it bows low, as they have bowed.

قد زال عنها الصفو أجمعه

قد زال عنها الصفو أجمعه

وانتاب فيها الأزلم الجذع

وانتاب فيها الأزلم الجذع

All serenity has vanished from it,

All serenity has departed from those ruins,

And the pitiless, hornless scourge has visited it.

and ruthless, ever-young Time has come upon them.

كم عاش في آجامها بطل

كم عاش في آجامها بطل

كالليث لا وان ولا ظلع

كالليث لا وان ولا ظلع

How many a hero lived within its jungles,

How many a hero lived in their thickets,

Like a lion neither feeble nor lame—

like a lion, neither weary nor lame!

ثبت تجرد من مدارعه

ثبت تجرد من مدارعه

يلفي الدجى درعاً فيدرع

يلفي الدجى درعاً فيدرع

Steadfast, stripped of his coats of mail,

Steadfast, he strips off his coats of mail,

Finding armor in the darkness and clothing himself in it;

finds darkness a coat of mail, and dons it.

يلقى الردى والبيض مصلتة

يلقى الردى والبيض مصلتة

وأسنة الخطي تشترع

وأسنة الخطي تشترع

Meeting death while white blades were unsheathed

He faces death while bright swords are drawn,

And Khattite spearpoints contended;

and the heads of Khatti spears are raised,

والخيل غضبي في أغتها

والخيل غضبي في أغتها

والنقع منطبق ومنقشع

والنقع منطبق ومنقشع

The horses raging amid its clamor,

the horses raging against their reins,

And the dust-cloud closing, then clearing away.

and dust closing in and clearing away.

تمشي اللواحظ منه في ملك

تمشي اللواحظ منه في ملك

يسمو الجلال له فيتضع

يسمو الجلال له فيتضع

His glances ranged throughout a realm

His glances move through a realm;

Called Majesty, which humbled itself before him.

majesty rises before him, then bows low.

حتام هذا الجهل مطرد

حتام هذا الجهل مطرد

والى م ذا الجهل متبع

والى م ذا الجهل متبع

How long will this ignorance persist,

How long will this ignorance persist,

And how long will such ignorance be followed?

and until when will this ignorance be followed?

تمضي الجدود بنا فيدركها

تمضي الجدود بنا فيدركها

من خلفها عجز فترتجع

من خلفها عجز فترتجع

Good fortune carries us onward, only to be overtaken

Fortune carries us onward, but is overtaken

By helplessness behind it and made to turn back.

from behind by weakness, and turns back.

وكأن ريب الدهر في يده

وكأن ريب الدهر في يده

سيف على الأعناق يلتمع

سيف على الأعناق يلتمع

It is as though the vicissitudes of Time held in their hand

It is as though time's adversity held in its hand

A sword that flashes over every neck.

a sword flashing above necks.

ما يرتجي الأحرار من زمن

ما يرتجي الأحرار من زمن

يزداد تيهاً كلما ضرعوا

يزداد تيهاً كلما ضرعوا

What can free men hope for from an age

What can free men hope for from an age

That grows more arrogant whenever they abase themselves?

that grows more haughty whenever they abase themselves?

أوفى على المضمار مرتقباً

أوفى على المضمار مرتقباً

يتسابقون به ويقترع

يتسابقون به ويقترع

It stands above the racecourse, watching,

It stands above the racecourse, watching

While they race through it and cast their lots.

as they race upon it, and it draws lots.

إن بلغوا غاياتهم هنئوا

إن بلغوا غاياتهم هنئوا

أو قصروا من دونها فجعوا

أو قصروا من دونها فجعوا

Those who reach their goals are congratulated;

If they reach their goals, they are congratulated;

Those who fall short of them are stricken with grief.

or if they fall short, they are stricken with grief.

هل تحت هذا الأفق من أمم

هل تحت هذا الأفق من أمم

جرعت كؤوسهم التي جرعوا

جرعت كؤوسهم التي جرعوا

Are there beneath this sky any peoples

Are there any nations beneath this horizon

Made to drink the cups that they have drunk?

that have drained the cups they have drained?

أحشاؤهم حرى فما ابتردوا

أحشاؤهم حرى فما ابتردوا

وكبودهم ظمأى فما انتقعوا

وكبودهم ظمأى فما انتقعوا

Their entrails burn, yet they have found no coolness;

Their innards burn, yet they have found no coolness,

Their livers thirst, yet they have not been refreshed.

and their livers thirst, yet they have not drunk their fill.

إ نا لأقوام لنا همم

إ نا لأقوام لنا همم

للمجد تدفعنا فنندفع

للمجد تدفعنا فنندفع

We are indeed a people possessed of aspirations

Indeed, we are a people possessed of aspirations

That drive us toward glory, and so we surge ahead.

that drive us toward glory, and we surge forward.

العمر أهون أن يضيق بنا

العمر أهون أن يضيق بنا

والموت للأحرار متسع

والموت للأحرار متسع

Life is too paltry a thing to confine us;

Life is too paltry to hem us in,

Death has room enough for the free.

and death is an open expanse for the free.