أنا، والقَصيدةُ، والحَبيبةُ، والقَلَمْ

أنا، والقَصيدةُ، والحَبيبةُ، والقَلَمْ

وصُداعُ يومٍ بالسّياسةِ والتَّحاوُرِ والأَلَمْ

وصُداعُ يومٍ بالسّياسةِ والتَّحاوُرِ والأَلَمْ

I, and the poem, and the beloved, and the pen,

Me, and the poem, and the beloved, and the pen

And the headache of a day filled with politics, dialogue, and pain,

And a headache from a day of politics, debates and pain

وهُمُومُ عُمْرٍ مُزِّقَتْ أوقاتُه

وهُمُومُ عُمْرٍ مُزِّقَتْ أوقاتُه

بينَ التَّفاؤُلِ، والمخاوفِ، والنَّدَمْ

بينَ التَّفاؤُلِ، والمخاوفِ، والنَّدَمْ

And the worries of a lifetime whose hours were torn apart

And the worries of a lifetime whose times are torn

Between optimism, fears, and regret.

Between optimism, fears, and regret

والهاتفُ المَلْعُونُ حيثُ أكونُ

والهاتفُ المَلْعُونُ حيثُ أكونُ

يَتْبَعُني، ويَعْزِفُ كُلَّ ثانيةٍ رَقَمْ

يَتْبَعُني، ويَعْزِفُ كُلَّ ثانيةٍ رَقَمْ

And the accursed telephone, wherever I am,

And the cursed phone wherever I am

Follows me, and plays a number every second.

Follows me, and plays every second a number

هذا يَرِنُّ، وذي رسائِلُها تُعاتِبُ،

هذا يَرِنُّ، وذي رسائِلُها تُعاتِبُ،

أو تُهَدِّدُ بالقَطِيعةِ والنَّدَمْ

أو تُهَدِّدُ بالقَطِيعةِ والنَّدَمْ

This one rings, and this woman's messages reproach me,

This one rings, and hers, her messages reproach,

Or threaten me with estrangement and regret.

Or threaten with estrangement and regret

وأنا، وأُذنايَ اللَّتانِ

وأنا، وأُذنايَ اللَّتانِ

تُهَدِّداني بِالتَّجَمُّدِ والصَّمَمْ

تُهَدِّداني بِالتَّجَمُّدِ والصَّمَمْ

And I, and my two ears, which

And me, and my ears

Threaten me with freezing and deafness.

Which threaten me with numbness and deafness

والقادمونَ معَ الصَّباحِ أَعُدُّهُمْ

والقادمونَ معَ الصَّباحِ أَعُدُّهُمْ

خمسينَ مُحتارِينَ في خَمسينَ هَمّ

خمسينَ مُحتارِينَ في خَمسينَ هَمّ

And those arriving with the morning—I count them:

And those coming with the morning, I count them

Fifty, bewildered amid fifty worries.

Fifty confused in fifty worries

والجَدولُ الزَّمَنِيُّ في ساعاتِهِ

والجَدولُ الزَّمَنِيُّ في ساعاتِهِ

كم نَدْوَةٍ سأَرودُ، كم وَعْدٍ، وكمْ

كم نَدْوَةٍ سأَرودُ، كم وَعْدٍ، وكمْ

And the timetable, hour by hour—

And the timeline in its hours

How many seminars will I attend, how many promises, and how many...

How much dew will I dispense, how many promises, and how much

وجَميعُ أوراقي وكلُّ دفاتري

وجَميعُ أوراقي وكلُّ دفاتري

غَضْبى، تُعاتِبُني كَخِلٍّ مُتَّهَمْ

غَضْبى، تُعاتِبُني كَخِلٍّ مُتَّهَمْ

And all my papers and all my notebooks

And all my papers and all my notebooks

Are angry, reproaching me like a dear friend under suspicion.

My anger, reproaching me like a accused vinegar

فمتى ستَكْتُبُ ذا المَقالَ لناشرٍ؟

فمتى ستَكْتُبُ ذا المَقالَ لناشرٍ؟

ومتى سَتُكمِلُ ذي القصيدةَ والنَّغَمْ؟

ومتى سَتُكمِلُ ذي القصيدةَ والنَّغَمْ؟

So when will you write this article for a publisher?

So when will you write this article for the publisher?

And when will you finish this poem and the melody?

And when will you complete this poem and melody?

والزَّوجةُ الحَمقاءُ معظم وقتها

والزَّوجةُ الحَمقاءُ معظم وقتها

تبكي، وتَسْلَخُني عِتاباتٍ وذَمّْ

تبكي، وتَسْلَخُني عِتاباتٍ وذَمّْ

And the foolish wife, for most of her time,

And the foolish wife most of her time

Weeps, and flays me with reproaches and censure.

Cries, and flays me with reproaches and blame

وتَجُوسُ حولَ حِمى الرَّسائلِ

وتَجُوسُ حولَ حِمى الرَّسائلِ

واتّصالاتِ النّواعمِ والتَّتَبُّعِ في نَهَمْ

واتّصالاتِ النّواعمِ والتَّتَبُّعِ في نَهَمْ

And she prowls around the sanctum of messages

And prowls around the fence of messages

And calls from delicate women, tracking them ravenously.

And communications of coquettes and tracking in lust

ورسائلٌ عَتْبَى؛ لأنّكَ غِبتَ عن

ورسائلٌ عَتْبَى؛ لأنّكَ غِبتَ عن

سَفَرٍ لِمُؤتَمَرٍ، ولم تَحْضُرْ ولمْ

سَفَرٍ لِمُؤتَمَرٍ، ولم تَحْضُرْ ولمْ

And reproachful messages, because you missed

And reproachful messages; because you were absent from

A trip to a conference, and did not attend, and did not...

A conference trip, and didn't attend and didn't

والطّالباتُ حديثَ وُدِّكَ ساعةً

والطّالباتُ حديثَ وُدِّكَ ساعةً

مِائةٌ تُحَطِّمُهُنَّ أحزانُ السَّأَمْ

مِائةٌ تُحَطِّمُهُنَّ أحزانُ السَّأَمْ

And the women seeking an hour of your affectionate talk—

And the young female students, talk of your affection an hour

A hundred, shattered by boredom's sorrows.

Hundreds whom the sorrows of boredom shatter

والعاشقاتُ حَدِيثكَ العَذْبَ الّذي

والعاشقاتُ حَدِيثكَ العَذْبَ الّذي

عَوَّدْتَهُنَّ عليه في حُزنٍ وغَمّْ

عَوَّدْتَهُنَّ عليه في حُزنٍ وغَمّْ

And the women enamored of your sweet talk, which

And the lovers, your sweet talk which

You have accustomed them to, are in sorrow and grief.

You accustomed them to in sorrow and worry

أين الحياةُ لشاعرٍ ولعاشقٍ

أين الحياةُ لشاعرٍ ولعاشقٍ

يَصِلُ الصَّباحَ إلى الصّباحِ ولم يَنَمْ؟

يَصِلُ الصَّباحَ إلى الصّباحِ ولم يَنَمْ؟

Where is life for a poet and a lover

Where is the life for a poet and a lover

Who joins one morning to the next without sleeping?

Who reaches the morning to morning and hasn't slept?

فمتى سَتَجْنَحُ لِلصَّبابةِ والهَوى؟!

فمتى سَتَجْنَحُ لِلصَّبابةِ والهَوى؟!

ولأيِّ عينٍ تَنْتَشِي ولأيِّ فَمْ

ولأيِّ عينٍ تَنْتَشِي ولأيِّ فَمْ

So when will you turn to ardent longing and passion?!

So when will you incline to the youth and passion?!

And for which eye will you feel rapture, and for which mouth?

And for which eye will you be lively and for which mouth