الدّجىdarkness يهميpours down … وهذاand this الحزنsorrow يهميpours down
الدّجى يهمي ... وهذا الحزن يهمي
مطراas rain منfrom سهدهits sleeplessness ، يظمىthirsts ويظميand makes thirsty
مطرا من سهده ، يظمى ويظمي
Darkness pours down—and this sorrow pours down
The gloom swarms...and this sorrow swarms
as rain from its sleeplessness; it thirsts and makes others thirst.
Rain from its ink-well, it writhes and bleeds
يتعبgrows weary الليلthe night نزيفاbleeding … وعلىand against
يتعب الليل نزيفا ... وعلى
رغمهits will يدمىbleeds ، وينجرّand is dragged along ويدميand draws blood
رغمه يدمى ، وينجرّ ويدمي
Night grows weary from bleeding—and against
The night bleeds itself weary...and despite
its will, it bleeds, is dragged along, and draws blood.
Itself it bleeds, it drags itself along and bleeds
يرتديwears أشلاءهits torn remains ، يمشيwalks علىupon
يرتدي أشلاءه ، يمشي على
مقلتيهits two eyes حافياbarefoot ، يهذيraves ويوميand gestures
مقلتيه حافيا ، يهذي ويومي
It wears its torn remains, walks upon
Wearing its limbs, walking on
its two eyes, barefoot; it raves and gestures.
Its eye-sockets barefoot, it raves and tosses
يرتميflings itself فوقupon شظاياshards جلدهits skin …
يرتمي فوق شظايا جلده ...
يطبخcooks القبحugliness ، بشدقيهwith both sides of its mouth ويرميand casts away
يطبخ القبح ، بشدقيه ويرمي
It flings itself upon the shards of its skin;
It flings itself on the shards of its skin...
it cooks ugliness with both sides of its mouth, and casts it away.
It cooks ugliness, with its cheeks and throws
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أيهاO الليلnight … أناديI call إنّماyet
أيها الليل ... أنادي إنّما
هلdo...? أناديI call ؟ لاno … أظنّI think الصوتthe voice وهميmy illusion
هل أنادي ؟ لا ... أظنّ الصوت وهمي
O night—I call, yet
O night...I call out, but
am I calling? No—I think the voice is my illusion.
Do I call out? No...I think the voice is imaginary
إنّهindeed it is صوتيmy voice … ويبدوand seems غيرهother than it
إنّه صوتي ... ويبدو غيره
حينwhen أصغيI listen باحثاsearching عنfor وجهthe face حلميmy dream
حين أصغي باحثا عن وجه حلمي
It is my voice, yet seems another's
It’s my voice...and it seems other
when I listen, searching for the face of my dream.
When I listen searching for the face of my dream
منwho أناI ؟.. أسألI ask شخصاsomeone داخليinside me :
من أنا ؟.. أسأل شخصا داخلي :
هلam...? أناI أنتyou ؟ ومنand who أنتyou ؟ وماand what اسميmy name ؟
هل أنا أنت ؟ ومن أنت ؟ وما اسمي ؟
Who am I? I ask someone within me:
Who am I? ...I ask a person within me:
Am I you? And who are you? And what is my name?
Are you me? And who are you? And what is my name?
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أيّهاO الحارسwatchman تدريyou know منwho أناI ؟
أيّها الحارس تدري من أنا ؟
إشترواthey bought نوميmy sleep … طويلlong ليلthe night هميmy worry
إشتروا نومي ... طويل ليل همي
O watchman, do you know who I am?
O guard, do you know who I am?
They bought my sleep; long is the night of my worry.
They bought my sleep...long is my night of worry
ألأنيis it because I حارسa watchman ياO سيّديmy lord ؟..
ألأني حارس يا سيّدي ؟..
زوّجوهاthey married her off ثانياa second time ، المالmoney يعميblinds
زوّجوها ثانيا ، المال يعمي
Is it because I am a watchman, sir?
Because I am a guard, sir?
They married her off a second time; money blinds.
They married her again, money blinds
منwho أناI ؟.. الليلthe night يبنيbuilds للرؤىfor visions
من أنا ؟.. الليل يبني للرؤى
قامةa stature كالرّمحlike a spear ، منfrom جلديmy skin وعظميand my bones
قامة كالرّمح ، من جلدي وعظمي
Who am I? Night builds for visions
Who am I?...The night builds from my visions
a stature like a spear, from my skin and my bones.
A stature like a spear, from my skin and bone
لاnot تعيyou understand سكرانdrunkard ؟ تسعnine o'clock أعلنتannounced
لا تعي سكران ؟ تسع أعلنت
أوّلthe first الأخبارthe news ، ماwhat سموهthey called it رسمسيpossibly 'official' (text unclear)
أوّل الأخبار ، ما سموه رسمسي
Don't you understand, drunkard? Nine o'clock announced
Don’t you know, drunk? The first
the first news—what they called 'official' [uncertain reading].
Of the news announced what they called the 'curfew'
منwho أناI ؟.. صارbecame ابنthe son عميmy paternal uncle تاجراa merchant
من أنا ؟.. صار ابن عمي تاجرا
واشترىand bought شيخa sheikh ثريّwealthy ، بنتthe daughter عمّيmy paternal uncle
واشترى شيخ ثريّ ، بنت عمّي
Who am I? My cousin became a merchant,
Who am I?..My cousin became a merchant
and a wealthy sheikh bought my uncle's daughter.
And bought a wealthy Sheikh, my cousin's daughter
هلdo...? تنامyou sleep الصبحin the morning ؟ سيارتهاher car
هل تنام الصبح ؟ سيارتها
عبرتpassed قدّامbefore عينيmy eyes ، فوقover لحميmy flesh
عبرت قدّام عيني ، فوق لحمي
Do you sleep in the morning? Her car
Do you sleep in the morning? Her car
passed before my eyes, over my flesh.
Passed before my eyes, over my flesh
إصغlisten ليto me أرجوكI beg you ؟.. أغرىhe enticed أمّهاher mother
إصغ لي أرجوك ؟.. أغرى أمّها
شيّدتshe built قصرينtwo palaces ، منfrom أشلاءtorn remains هدميmy destruction
شيّدت قصرين ، من أشلاء هدمي
Listen to me, I beg you! He enticed her mother;
Listen to me please?..Her mother was tempted
she built two palaces from the torn remains of my ruin.
And built two palaces, from the rubble of my demolition
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منwho أناI ياO تكسtaxi ؟ أفلستI went bankrupt وماand not شبعواthey were sated
من أنا يا تكس ؟ أفلست وما شبعوا
منwho منfrom حماةguardians الأمنsecurity يحميprotects ؟
من من حماة الأمن يحمي ؟
Who am I, O taxi? I went bankrupt, yet they were not sated.
Who am I, officer? I went bankrupt and still they weren't sated
Who protects against the guardians of security?
Who, who of the security forces protects?
منfrom هناhere ، سرgo ، هاlook هناhere قفstop ، رخصّيmy licenses
من هنا ، سر ، ها هنا قف ، رخصّي
ماwhat الذيthat which حمّلتyou loaded ، فتّشsearch ، هاتhand over قسميmy share
ما الذي حمّلت ، فتّش ، هات قسمي
This way—go! Right here—stop! My licenses!
From here, walk, over here, stop, license...
What have you loaded? Search! Hand over my share.
What have you loaded, search, swear on my name
خمسةfive للقاتfor qat ، خمسونfifty لهمfor them …
خمسة للقات ، خمسون لهم ...
وانتهىand ran out دخليmy income ، وأنهىand finished off السلّtuberculosis أمّيmy mother
وانتهى دخلي ، وأنهى السلّ أمّي
Five for qat, fifty for them...
Five for tobacco, fifty for them...
And my income ran out, and tuberculosis finished off my mother.
And my income ended, and the yearning ended my mother
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عاجنdough-kneader الفرنthe oven … أتدريdo you know? ؟ سنةa year
عاجن الفرن ... أتدري ؟ سنة
وأناand I أعجنknead أحزانيmy sorrows وغميand my grief
وأنا أعجن أحزاني وغمي
O kneader at the oven—do you know? For a year
I knead the oven...do you know? A year
I have been kneading my sorrows and my grief.
And I knead my sorrows and worries
منwho أناI ؟ كانتused to ترىthink والدتيmy mother
من أنا ؟ كانت ترى والدتي
ذلّhumiliation بعضsome الناسpeople ، تحتbeneath البعضothers حتميinevitable
ذلّ بعض الناس ، تحت البعض حتمي
Who am I? My mother used to think
Who am I? My mother used to see
that some people's humiliation beneath others was inevitable.
The humiliation of some people, under others as destined
غبتI strayed عنfrom قصديmy intent ! .. رفيقيmy companion غائبabsent
غبت عن قصدي ! .. رفيقي غائب
منfor ليالnights ، رأيهhis opinion فيin الحبسprison (جهميJahmi)
من ليال ، رأيه في الحبس (جهمي)
I've strayed from my point! My companion has been absent
I was absent intentionally! My friend has been
for nights; his opinion, in prison, is 'Jahmi.'
Absent for nights, his view of jail is hell
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ماwhat الذيthat which أفعلهI do it ؟، كلّeveryone لهhas
ما الذي أفعله ؟، كلّ له
شاغلa preoccupation ثانanother ، وفهمand an understanding غيرother than فهميmy understanding
شاغل ثان ، وفهم غير فهمي
What am I doing? Everyone has
What am I doing? Everyone has
another preoccupation, and an understanding unlike mine.
Another concern, and an understanding other than mine
داخليmy inside يسقطfalls فيinto خارجهits outside
داخلي يسقط في خارجه
غربتنيestranged me أكبرgreater منthan صوتيmy voice ، وحجميand my size
غربتني أكبر من صوتي ، وحجمي
My inside falls into its outside;
My inside falls into its outside
something greater than my voice and my size has estranged me.
It estranged me more than my voice, and my size
(نقمNuqum) يرنوgazes بعيداfar away ، سيّديmy lord
(نقم) يرنو بعيدا ، سيّدي
هلdo...? ترىyou see فيamong ضائعlost الأرقامthe numbers ، رقميmy number ؟
هل ترى في ضائع الأرقام ، رقمي ؟
Nuqum gazes far away, sir.
'Blame' rings far away, sir
Do you see my number among the lost numbers?
Do you see among the lost numbers, my number?
طحتflattened وجهيmy face ـ— لأنّيbecause I am جبلa mountain ـ—
طحت وجهي ـ لأنّي جبل ـ
خيلthe horses كسرىKhosrow ، عجنتهkneaded it خيلthe horses نظميmy verse
خيل كسرى ، عجنته خيل نظمي
My face was flattened—because I am a mountain—
My face has fallen - because I am a mountain -
by Khosrow's horses; the horses of my verse kneaded it.
Khosrow's horses, I kneaded them into the horses of my verse
أعشبتsprouted grass أرمدةashes الأزمانthe ages فيin
أعشبت أرمدة الأزمان في
مقلتيّmy two eyes ، جلمدتturned to stone شمسيmy sun ونجميand my star
مقلتيّ ، جلمدت شمسي ونجمي
The ashes of the ages have sprouted grass in
I planted the cataracts of time in
my two eyes; my sun and star have turned to stone.
My eyelids, I froze my sun and stars
تذهبgoes الريحthe wind ، وتأتيand comes وأرىand I see
تذهب الريح ، وتأتي وأرى
جبهتيmy forehead فيهاin it وهذاand this حدّthe limit علميmy knowledge
جبهتي فيها وهذا حدّ علمي
The wind goes and comes, and I see
The wind goes, and comes and I see
my forehead in it—and this is all I know.
My forehead in it and this is the limit of my knowledge
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منwho هناhere أسألهI ask him ، منwho ذاthis one هناhere ؟
من هنا أسأله ، من ذا هنا ؟
غيرexcept ثوبa garment ، فيهin it ماwhat أدعوهI call it جسميmy body
غير ثوب ، فيه ما أدعوه جسمي
Who is here for me to ask? Who is this here
From here I ask him, who is here?
but a garment holding what I call my body?
Change clothes, in it what I call my body
منwho أناI والليلةand the night الجرحىwounded علىagainst
من أنا والليلة الجرحى على
رغمهاits will تهميpours down ، كماjust as أهميI pour down برغميagainst my will ؟
رغمها تهمي ، كما أهمي برغمي ؟
Who am I, while the wounded night, against
Who am I and this wounded night over
its will, pours down as I pour down against my own?
Whose back it swarms, as I swarm against my will?
هلhas...? كفىsufficed ياO أرضearth غيثاrain ؟ لمnot تعدcontinues
هل كفى يا أرض غيثا ؟ لم تعد
تغسلwash away الأمطارthe rains ، أوجاعيmy pains وعقميand my barrenness
تغسل الأمطار ، أوجاعي وعقمي
Has there been enough rain, O earth? No longer
Is it enough O land of rain? No longer
do the rains wash away my pains and my barrenness.
Do the rains wash away, my pains and my barrenness
Sol 6.1