أَتِلْكَare those? عُيُونٌeyes أَمْor نُجُومٌstars مِنَfrom السَّمَاthe sky
أَتِلْكَ عُيُونٌ أَمْ نُجُومٌ مِنَ السَّمَا
إِذَاwhen نَظَرَتْthey gaze فَالْخَطْبُthen the peril أَنْthat تَتَكَلَّمَاthey speak
إِذَا نَظَرَتْ فَالْخَطْبُ أَنْ تَتَكَلَّمَا
Are those eyes, or stars from the sky?
Are those eyes or stars from the sky
When they gaze, the peril is that they speak.
When they look, it's imperative they speak
فَيَرْجُفُso trembles قَلْبِيmy heart مِنْfrom سَمَاعِhearing حَنِينِهَاtheir yearning
فَيَرْجُفُ قَلْبِي مِنْ سَمَاعِ حَنِينِهَا
وَرَجْعُand the reverberation الصَّدَىthe echo هَالَterrified الْحَنَايَاthe ribs مَعَalong with الدِّمَاthe blood
وَرَجْعُ الصَّدَى هَالَ الْحَنَايَا مَعَ الدِّمَا
Then my heart trembles at the sound of their yearning.
My heart trembles from hearing their cooing
And the returning echo struck terror through my ribs and blood.
And the echo's return startles the sighs along with the blood
فَنَظْرَتَهَاfor their glance الأُولَىthe first فُؤَادِيَmy heart مَاnot دَرَىknew
فَنَظْرَتَهَا الأُولَى فُؤَادِيَ مَا دَرَى
أَضَاءَlit up ظَلامِيmy darkness أَمْor نَهَارِيَmy daylight أَظْلَمَاgrew dark؟!
أَضَاءَ ظَلامِي أَمْ نَهَارِيَ أَظْلَمَا؟!
For at their first glance, my heart could not tell:
Her first glance, my heart did not realize
Had my darkness brightened, or had my daylight darkened?!
If it lit up my darkness or darkened my day?!
كَأَنِّيas though I بِبَحْرٍin a sea لاno سَوَاحِلَshores قَدْmay تُرَىbe seen
كَأَنِّي بِبَحْرٍ لا سَوَاحِلَ قَدْ تُرَى
أُسَافِرُI journey فِيهِon it كَيْفَhow أَرْسُوI anchor فَأَسْلَمَاso I may be safe
أُسَافِرُ فِيهِ كَيْفَ أَرْسُو فَأَسْلَمَا
As though I were at sea, with no shores to be seen,
It's as if I'm in a sea with no shores to be seen
I journey on it—how can I anchor and be safe?
I sail in it, how do I anchor to be safe?
بِأَعْمَاقِهَاin their depths الأَسْرَارُthe secrets كَالدُّرِّlike pearls يَخْتَفِيlies hidden
بِأَعْمَاقِهَا الأَسْرَارُ كَالدُّرِّ يَخْتَفِي
وَأَمْوَاجُهُand its waves تَدْعُوcall لِتُقْدِمْventure forth! فَتَغْنَمَاand so you gain
وَأَمْوَاجُهُ تَدْعُو لِتُقْدِمْ فَتَغْنَمَا
In their depths, secrets lie hidden like pearls,
In their depths, secrets hide like pearls
And its waves call: 'Venture forth and win!'
And its waves call to proceed and gain
وَلَوْand if غُصْتُI dived فِيinto الأَعْمَاقِthe depths وَالْقَلْبُand the heart وَاجِفٌtrembling
وَلَوْ غُصْتُ فِي الأَعْمَاقِ وَالْقَلْبُ وَاجِفٌ
أَأَغْنَمُwould I gain? دُرًّاpearls أَمْor هَلاكِيَmy doom أُحْكِمَاI seal؟
أَأَغْنَمُ دُرًّا أَمْ هَلاكِيَ أُحْكِمَا؟
And were I to dive into the depths, my heart trembling,
Even if I dove into the depths with a timid heart
Would I gain pearls, or seal my own doom?
Would I gain a pearl or my demise be sealed?
إِذَاwhen أُغْمِضَتْthey are closed كَالشَّمْسِlike the sun حِينَat the time of غُرُوبِهَاits setting
إِذَا أُغْمِضَتْ كَالشَّمْسِ حِينَ غُرُوبِهَا
تُوَدِّعُهَاbids them farewell الدُّنْيَاthe world مَعَwith الشَّوْقِlonging قَدْhas نَمَاgrown
تُوَدِّعُهَا الدُّنْيَا مَعَ الشَّوْقِ قَدْ نَمَا
When they are closed, like the sun at its setting,
When she closes them like the sun at its setting
The world bids them farewell, while longing has grown.
The world bids it farewell, longing has grown
وَلَكِنَّbut جَفْنَيْهَاtheir two eyelids كَمِثْلِjust like سَحَابَةٍa cloud
وَلَكِنَّ جَفْنَيْهَا كَمِثْلِ سَحَابَةٍ
فَتَنْهَلُso you drink deeply مِنْfrom دِفْءٍwarmth وَنُورٌand light تَبَسَّمَاsmiled
فَتَنْهَلُ مِنْ دِفْءٍ وَنُورٌ تَبَسَّمَا
But their two eyelids are like a cloud,
But her eyelids are like a small cloud
So you drink of warmth, and light smiles.
Trickling warmth and smiling light
وَحِينَand when تَعُودُthey return الْكَوْنَthe universe تَمْلأُthey fill بَهْجَةًjoy
وَحِينَ تَعُودُ الْكَوْنَ تَمْلأُ بَهْجَةً
وَيَزْهُوand shines splendidly ضِيَاهَاtheir radiance مِنْfrom فُؤَادِيmy heart إِلَىto السَّمَاthe sky
وَيَزْهُو ضِيَاهَا مِنْ فُؤَادِي إِلَى السَّمَا
And when they return, they fill the universe with joy,
When they return, filling the universe with bliss
And their radiance shines from my heart to the sky.
Its glow emanates from my heart up to the sky
فَيَاso, O وَيْلَتَىwoe to me! صِرْتُI have become الأَسِيرَthe captive لِنَظْرَةٍto a glance
فَيَا وَيْلَتَى صِرْتُ الأَسِيرَ لِنَظْرَةٍ
وَهَلْand can قَطْرَةٌa drop تَرْوِيquench الْفُؤَادَthe heart مِنَfrom الظَّمَاthirst
وَهَلْ قَطْرَةٌ تَرْوِي الْفُؤَادَ مِنَ الظَّمَا
So, woe is me! I have become the captive of a glance.
Oh woe is me, I've become prisoner to a glance
And can a drop quench the heart's thirst?
Can a drop quench the heart of its thirst?
وَلَكِنْbut سَأَرْضَىI shall be content بِالْبِلالِwith moisture فَدُونَهُfor without it
وَلَكِنْ سَأَرْضَى بِالْبِلالِ فَدُونَهُ
هَلاكٌruin وَصَبْرًاand patience! فَالْمُنَىfor the hopes أَنْthat تَكَرَّمَاthey be generous
هَلاكٌ وَصَبْرًا فَالْمُنَى أَنْ تَكَرَّمَا
Yet I shall be content with moisture, for without it
But I will be content with drizzles, beyond is
There is ruin—so patience, for the hope is that they be generous.
Demise, and with patience the end will be generous
وَيَاand O لَيْتَwould that شِعْرِيmy knowledge هَلْwhether إِذَاif ازْدَدْتُI take more مَاwhat أَرَىI see؟
وَيَا لَيْتَ شِعْرِي هَلْ إِذَا ازْدَدْتُ مَا أَرَى؟
أَرِيًّاquenching of thirst? أَمِor الصَّدَىthirst يَهُولُterrifies فَأَنْدَمَاso I regret it
أَرِيًّا أَمِ الصَّدَى يَهُولُ فَأَنْدَمَا
And would that I knew: if I take more, what shall I see?
And oh, how I wish I knew, if I see more
Relief from thirst—or thirst that terrifies me, leaving me regretful?
Will I be gratified or will the echo terrify and I regret?
وَأَعْلَمُand I know أَنِّيthat I كُلَّمَاwhenever ازْدَدْتُI take more نَظْرَةًa glance
وَأَعْلَمُ أَنِّي كُلَّمَا ازْدَدْتُ نَظْرَةً
يَزِيدُincreases الصَّدَىthirst وَالْقَلْبُand the heart لَنْwill not يَتَعَلَّمَاlearn
يَزِيدُ الصَّدَى وَالْقَلْبُ لَنْ يَتَعَلَّمَا
And I know that with every extra glance I take,
I know the more I glance, the louder the echo
Thirst increases, and the heart will never learn.
And my heart will never learn
Sol 6.1