إذا الشّعْبُ يَوْمَاً أرَادَ الْحَيَـاةَ = َلا بُدَّ أنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ القَـدَر

وَلا بُـدَّ لِلَّيـْلِ أنْ يَنْجَلِــي = وَلا بُدَّ للقَيْدِ أَنْ يَـنْكَسِـر

When people choose a noble and worthy existence,

The Fates will listen and obey.

Gloom of night will lift and vanish,

Fetters will break open.

وَمَنْ لَمْ يُعَانِقْهُ شَوْقُ الْحَيَـاةِ = تَبَخَّـرَ في جَوِّهَـا وَانْدَثَـر

فَوَيْلٌ لِمَنْ لَمْ تَشُقْـهُ الْحَيَاةُ = مِنْ صَفْعَـةِ العَـدَم المُنْتَصِر

He who harbors no passion for life,

Evaporates into thin air and becomes forgotten.

Woe unto him who looses interest in life;

Victorious void will deal him a slap.

كَذلِكَ قَالَـتْ لِـيَ الكَائِنَاتُ = وَحَدّثَنـي رُوحُـهَا المُسْتَتِر

وَدَمدَمَتِ الرِّيحُ بَيْنَ الفِجَاجِ = وَفَوْقَ الجِبَال وَتَحْتَ الشَّجَر

Thus has the universe told me,

Thus has its hidden Spirit intimated.

The winds howled in the deep ravines;

Above mountain peaks, under the trees:

إذَا مَا طَمَحْـتُ إلِـى غَـايَةٍ = رَكِبْتُ الْمُنَى وَنَسِيتُ الحَذَر

وَلَمْ أَتَجَنَّبْ وُعُـورَ الشِّعَـابِ = وَلا كُبَّـةَ اللَّهَـبِ المُسْتَعِـر

When I aspire to lofty goals,

I mount high hopes and discard trepidation.

Neither avoiding rugged roads,

Nor evading the roaring flames.

وَمَنْ لا يُحِبّ صُعُودَ الجِبَـالِ = يَعِشْ أَبَدَ الدَّهْرِ بَيْنَ الحُفَـر

فَعَجَّتْ بِقَلْبِي دِمَاءُ الشَّبَـابِ = وَضَجَّتْ بِصَدْرِي رِيَاحٌ أُخَر

He who has an aversion to climbing mountains,

Will pass his days and nights in ditches and holes.

The blood of youth screamed in my heart,

Strange winds raged and raved in my chest.

وَأَطْرَقْتُ ، أُصْغِي لِقَصْفِ الرُّعُودِ = وَعَزْفِ الرِّيَاح وَوَقْعِ المَطَـر

وَقَالَتْ لِيَ الأَرْضُ - لَمَّا سَأَلْتُ : = أَيَـا أُمُّ هَلْ تَكْرَهِينَ البَشَر؟

Intently I listened to the thunder peel,

And harkened to the sounds of wind and rainfall.

I asked the Earth:

“Mother, do you hate people?”, She replied:

"أُبَارِكُ في النَّاسِ أَهْلَ الطُّمُوحِ = وَمَنْ يَسْتَلِـذُّ رُكُوبَ الخَطَـر

وأَلْعَنُ مَنْ لا يُمَاشِي الزَّمَـانَ = وَيَقْنَعُ بِالعَيْـشِ عَيْشِ الحَجَر

I bless ambitious and aspiring souls,

Holding dear the ones who brave danger.

But condemn those who live, stone-like, behind times;

Content with a dull, callous existence.

هُوَ الكَوْنُ حَيٌّ ، يُحِـبُّ الحَيَاةَ = وَيَحْتَقِرُ الْمَيْتَ مَهْمَا كَـبُر

فَلا الأُفْقُ يَحْضُنُ مَيْتَ الطُّيُورِ = وَلا النَّحْلُ يَلْثِمُ مَيْتَ الزَّهَــر

Behold! The universe is alive; it loves life,

It despises the dead, great as it may seem.

The skies hold no dead birds close to their bosom,

Nor do bees sip nectar from lifeless flowers.

وَلَـوْلا أُمُومَةُ قَلْبِي الرَّؤُوم = لَمَا ضَمَّتِ المَيْتَ تِلْكَ الحُفَـر

فَوَيْلٌ لِمَنْ لَمْ تَشُقْـهُ الحَيَـاةُ = مِنْ لَعْنَةِ العَـدَمِ المُنْتَصِـر

If not for my soft motherly heart,

Graves will loathe admitting corpses into their folds.

So, woe unto him who looses interest in life;

The curse of victorious void will be upon him.

وفي لَيْلَةٍ مِنْ لَيَالِي الخَرِيفِ = مُثَقَّلَـةٍ بِالأََسَـى وَالضَّجَـر

سَكِرْتُ بِهَا مِنْ ضِياءِ النُّجُومِ = وَغَنَّيْتُ لِلْحُزْنِ حَتَّى سَكِـر

Once on an autumn night,

Heavy with sorrow and boredom,

I was intoxicated with the stars’ glittering light,

And lulled sorrow into exhilaration.

سَأَلْتُ الدُّجَى: هَلْ تُعِيدُ الْحَيَاةُ = لِمَا أَذْبَلَتْـهُ رَبِيعَ العُمُـر؟

فَلَمْ تَتَكَلَّمْ شِفَـاهُ الظَّلامِ = وَلَمْ تَتَرَنَّـمْ عَذَارَى السَّحَر

I asked the night: “Will Life ever bring back to wilted blossoms

The bloom and freshness of life?”

Neither the lips of darkness muttered,

Nor the nymphs of dawn recited their lyrics.

وَقَالَ لِيَ الْغَـابُ في رِقَّـةٍ = مُحَبَّبـَةٍ مِثْلَ خَفْـقِ الْوَتَـر

يَجِيءُ الشِّتَاءُ ، شِتَاءُ الضَّبَابِ = شِتَاءُ الثُّلُوجِ ، شِتَاءُ الْمَطَـر

The forest whispered gently to me,

And spoke in melodious strains:

Winter comes befogged with clouds,

Bleak with rain, heavy with snow.

فينطفئ السِّحْرُ ، سِحْرُ الغُصُونِ = وَسِحْرُ الزُّهُورِ وَسِحْرُ الثَّمَر

وَسِحْرُ الْمَسَاءِ الشَّجِيِّ الوَدِيعِ = وَسِحْرُ الْمُرُوجِ الشَّهِيّ العَطِر

The charm of tender twigs snuffed out,

The beauty of flowers and fruit extinguished.

The grace of meek and doleful eventides gone,

The appeal of scented meadows no more.

وَتَهْوِي الْغُصُونُ وَأَوْرَاقُـهَا = وَأَزْهَـارُ عَهْدٍ حَبِيبٍ نَضِـر

وَتَلْهُو بِهَا الرِّيحُ في كُلِّ وَادٍ = وَيَدْفنُـهَا السَّيْـلُ أنَّى عَـبَر

Branches wither and fall with their leaves,

Blossoms of happy and love-filled life drop too.

The winds scatter them in vale and valley,

Rushing waters bury them on the way.

وَيَفْنَى الجَمِيعُ كَحُلْمٍ بَدِيـعٍ = تَأَلَّـقَ في مُهْجَـةٍ وَانْدَثَـر

وَتَبْقَى البُـذُورُ التي حُمِّلَـتْ = ذَخِيـرَةَ عُمْرٍ جَمِـيلٍ غَـبَر

All lost to sight as a beautiful dream,

Momentarily glowing, soon to disappear without a trace.

Seeds bearing the essence of a beautiful faded life,

Will yet survive.

وَذِكْرَى فُصُول ٍ ، وَرُؤْيَا حَيَاةٍ = وَأَشْبَاح دُنْيَا تَلاشَتْ زُمَـر

مُعَانِقَـةً وَهْيَ تَحْـتَ الضَّبَابِ = وَتَحْتَ الثُّلُوجِ وَتَحْـتَ الْمَدَر

So will the memory of seasons and life’s visions,

And earthly phantoms that vanished in droves.

All from beneath the clouds,

From beneath the soil and snow,

لَطِيفَ الحَيَـاةِ الذي لا يُمَـلُّ = وَقَلْبَ الرَّبِيعِ الشَّذِيِّ الخَضِر

وَحَالِمَـةً بِأَغَـانِـي الطُّيُـورِ = وَعِطْرِ الزُّهُورِ وَطَعْمِ الثَّمَـر

Will revive and embrace the sweet subtle essence of life,

Clasping the green, fragrant heart of Spring;

Dreaming of bird songs,

Of aromas and savory fruit.

وَمَا هُـوَ إِلاَّ كَخَفْـقِ الجَنَاحِ = حَتَّـى نَمَا شَوْقُـهَا وَانْتَصَـر

فصدّعت الأرض من فوقـها = وأبصرت الكون عذب الصور

Suddenly , in the soft beat of wings,

Passion for life triumphantly returned!

The earth above the seeds cracked open,

And glorious images unexpectedly emerged.

وجـاءَ الربيـعُ بأنغامـه = وأحلامـهِ وصِبـاهُ العطِـر

وقبلّـها قبـلاً في الشفـاه = تعيد الشباب الذي قد غبـر

Spring made a return with delightful songs;

Celebrating its dreams, its balmy youthfulness.

Lo, it pressed many kisses upon their lips,

Bringing back to life a youth, long gone.

وقالَ لَهَا : قد مُنحـتِ الحياةَ = وخُلّدتِ في نسلكِ الْمُدّخـر

وباركـكِ النـورُ فاستقبـلي = شبابَ الحياةِ وخصبَ العُمر

It addressed the seeds, murmuring: I have given you life,

And shall live in your posterity forevermore.

You have been blessed by the light, so receive

The youth of life, the maturity of age.

ومن تعبـدُ النـورَ أحلامـهُ = يباركهُ النـورُ أنّـى ظَهر

إليك الفضاء ، إليك الضيـاء = إليك الثرى الحالِمِ الْمُزْدَهِر

He whose dreams adore the Light,

The Light, in turn, will bless him when it shines.

Lo, the entire space is yours, and yours is the Light,

The dreaming, flower-glittering soil is also yours.

إليك الجمال الذي لا يبيـد = إليك الوجود الرحيب النضر

فميدي كما شئتِ فوق الحقول = بِحلو الثمار وغـض الزهـر

Receive the deathless beauty,

Receive the vast shimmering universe.

Sway as you please in the meadows,

Laden with your sweet fruits and tender flowers.

وناجي النسيم وناجي الغيـوم = وناجي النجوم وناجي القمـر

وناجـي الحيـاة وأشواقـها = وفتنـة هذا الوجـود الأغـر

Whisper your gentle love to the breeze and clouds,

Hum soulful tunes to the stars and moon.

Talk to life with the language of your heart,

And commune with the captivating beauty of a unique existence.

وشف الدجى عن جمال عميقٍ = يشب الخيـال ويذكي الفكر

ومُدَّ عَلَى الْكَوْنِ سِحْرٌ غَرِيبٌ = يُصَـرِّفُهُ سَـاحِـرٌ مُقْـتَدِر

Darkness, too, revealed a hidden charm,

Stirring the imagination, inspiring thoughts.

A strange mystic harmony engulfed the universe,

Skillfully manipulating it as an ingenious magician.

وَضَاءَتْ شُمُوعُ النُّجُومِ الوِضَاء = وَضَاعَ البَخُورُ ، بَخُورُ الزَّهَر

وَرَفْرَفَ رُوحٌ غَرِيبُ الجَمَالِ = بِأَجْنِحَـةٍ مِنْ ضِيَاءِ الْقَمَـر

Candles of glittering stars were lit all,

The sweet perfume of flowers wafted about.

A spirit of strange beauty fluttered by,

With wings made of moonbeams bright.

وَرَنَّ نَشِيدُ الْحَيَاةِ الْمُقَـدَّسِ = في هَيْكَـلٍ حَالِمٍ قَدْ سُـحِر

وَأَعْلَنَ في الْكَوْنِ أَنَّ الطُّمُوحَ = لَهِيبُ الْحَيَـاةِ وَرُوحُ الظَّفَـر

إِذَا طَمَحَتْ لِلْحَيَاةِ النُّفُوسُ = َلا بُدَّ أَنْ يَسْتَجِيبَ الْقَـدَرْ

The sacred song of life rang out,

Within a dreaming, charmed temple;

Announcing this truth to the whole universe:

Aspiration is the fuel and flame of life,

The spirit and stamina of victory!

Yea, when souls aspire

For a worthy and noble existence,

The Fates will accordingly respond.