ماwhat بالُis the matter with الحُبِّlove مَشانِقُهُits gallows
ما بالُ الحُبِّ مَشانِقُهُ
تَغتالُmurder الصَّبَّthe lovesick one وتُحْرِقُهُand burn him؟
تَغتالُ الصَّبَّ وتُحْرِقُهُ؟
Why do love’s gallows
What is it with love's nooses
Murder the lovesick one and burn him?
That ambush the morning and burn it?
والشَّوقُand longing الشَّوقُlonging مَطارِقُهُits hammers
والشَّوقُ الشَّوقُ مَطارِقُهُ
تَقْتُلُkill صَبريmy patience وتُمَزِّقُهُand tear it apart
تَقْتُلُ صَبري وتُمَزِّقُهُ
And longing—longing—its hammers
And longing, longing and its hammers
Kill my patience and tear it apart.
Kill my patience and tear it apart
والمَوْجُand the waves المَوْجُthe waves يُدَفِّقُهُsend it surging
والمَوْجُ المَوْجُ يُدَفِّقُهُ
واللَّيلُand night يَمُدُّstretches out ويُغْرِقُهُand drowns it
واللَّيلُ يَمُدُّ ويُغْرِقُهُ
And the waves—the waves—send it surging,
The waves, the waves pour it out
And night stretches out and drowns it.
And the night extends and drowns it
كادnearly التَّيَّارُthe current يُطَوِّقُهُencircles it
كاد التَّيَّارُ يُطَوِّقُهُ
لولاwere it not for الشّاطئُthe shore يعشقُهloves it
لولا الشّاطئُ يعشقُه
The current nearly encircled it—
The currents almost besieged it
But for the shore that loves it.
If not for the shore that loves it
ماwhat بالُis the matter with الحُبِّlove مَشانِقُهُits gallows
ما بالُ الحُبِّ مَشانِقُهُ
تغتالُmurder القلبَthe heart وتُحْرِقُهُand burn it
تغتالُ القلبَ وتُحْرِقُهُ
Why do love’s gallows
What is it with love's nooses
Murder the heart and burn it?
That ambush the heart and burn it?
ليلٌa night يَجْثوkneels بِوَساوِسِهِwith its whisperings
ليلٌ يَجْثو بِوَساوِسِهِ
وسماءٌand a sky تَزخَرُteems بِالشُّهُبِwith shooting stars
وسماءٌ تَزخَرُ بِالشُّهُبِ
A night kneels with its whisperings,
A night that crouches with its obsessions
And a sky teems with shooting stars.
And a sky swirling with meteors
والنّيلُand the Nile تَمَوَّجَrippled أَضواءًlights
والنّيلُ تَمَوَّجَ أَضواءً
يَزهوexults بِالعِشقِin passion وبالطَّرَبِand in rapture
يَزهو بِالعِشقِ وبالطَّرَبِ
And the Nile rippled with lights,
The Nile surged with lights
It exults in passion and rapture.
Flourishing with passion and rapture
جَمَعَgathered الأَحبابَthe lovers وطَوَّقَهُمْand encircled them
جَمَعَ الأَحبابَ وطَوَّقَهُمْ
بِعُقُودِwith necklaces الفِضَّةِof silver والذَّهَبِand gold
بِعُقُودِ الفِضَّةِ والذَّهَبِ
It gathered the lovers and encircled them
It gathered the loved ones and garlanded them
With necklaces of silver and gold.
With necklaces of silver and gold
وبَناتُand the daughters البَدْرِof the full moon تُخَضِّبُهُمْtinge them
وبَناتُ البَدْرِ تُخَضِّبُهُمْ
أمواهُwaters النِّيلِof the Nile مِنَof العَجَبَwonder
أمواهُ النِّيلِ مِنَ العَجَبَ
And the full moon’s daughters tinge them;
And the daughters of the full moon adorn them
The waters of the Nile are a marvel.
The waters of the Nile amazed by them
ماwhat بالُis the matter with الحُبِّlove مشانِقُهُits gallows
ما بالُ الحُبِّ مشانِقُهُ
تغتالُmurder القَلبَthe heart وتُحْرِقُهُand burn it
تغتالُ القَلبَ وتُحْرِقُهُ
Why do love’s gallows
What is it with love's nooses
Murder the heart and burn it?
That ambush the heart and burn it?
ماwhat بالُis the matter with الطَّيْفِthe apparition يَطُوفُcircles بِيaround me
ما بالُ الطَّيْفِ يَطُوفُ بِي
منfrom مُنْعَطَفٍa bend ولِمُنْعَطَفِand to a bend
من مُنْعَطَفٍ ولِمُنْعَطَفِ
Why does the apparition circle around me
Why does this phantom roam around me
From one bend to another?
From bend to bend
واللَّيلُand night اللَّيلُnight كَواكِبُهُits stars
واللَّيلُ اللَّيلُ كَواكِبُهُ
هَيْماmad with love تَرْكُضُrace فيin السُّقُفِthe ceilings
هَيْما تَرْكُضُ في السُّقُفِ
And night—night—its stars
While the night, the night and its planets
Race, love-maddened, across the ceilings.
Wander aimlessly on the ceiling?
ساعاتُthe hours العُمْرِof life تُناشِدُهاimplore them
ساعاتُ العُمْرِ تُناشِدُها
وأُناشِدُهاand I implore them باللهby God قِفِيstop
وأُناشِدُها بالله قِفِي
The hours of life implore them,
The hours of life call out to them
And I implore them: “For God’s sake, stop!”
And I call out, I implore, stop!
Sol 6.1