يا لاابْتِسامَةِ قَلْبٍ

يا لاابْتِسامَةِ قَلْبٍ

مَطْلولَةٍ بدموعِهْ

مَطْلولَةٍ بدموعِهْ

Ah, the smile of a heart,

O smile of a heart

Oh, for the smile of a heart

bedewed with its tears!

Flooded with its tears

Drenched in its own tears,

غاضَتْ فلمْ تُبْقِ إلاَّ

غاضَتْ فلمْ تُبْقِ إلاَّ

الدُّمُوعَ بَيْنَ صُدُوعِهْ

الدُّمُوعَ بَيْنَ صُدُوعِهْ

It ebbed away, leaving only

It was upset, and nothing remained

That has receded, leaving nothing but

tears among its fissures.

Except tears between its ribs

Tears flowing amidst its cracks.

فَظَلَّ يَهْتُفُ من شَجْ

فَظَلَّ يَهْتُفُ من شَجْ

وِهِ وفَرْطِ ولُوعِهْ

وِهِ وفَرْطِ ولُوعِهْ

So it kept crying out from its grief

So it remained shouting from the pain

And so it kept crying out from its grief,

and the excess of its longing:

Of its fervent distress

And the excess of its burning passion:

ويِح الحَيَاة أَما تَنْ

ويِح الحَيَاة أَما تَنْ

قَضي لَدَيْها الرَّزايا

قَضي لَدَيْها الرَّزايا

"Alas for life! Will there never

Alas, is life not ending

"Woe to this life! Will calamities

be an end to its calamities?

For it the adversities

Never cease to end within it?

أَما يُكَفْكِفُ هذا الزَّ

أَما يُكَفْكِفُ هذا الزَّ

مانُ صَوْبَ البَلايا

مانُ صَوْبَ البَلايا

Will this age not stem

Does this time not restrain

Will this time never wipe away

the downpour of afflictions?

Towards the afflictions

The pouring rain of tribulations?

يا دهرُ رفقاً فإنَّ القُ

يا دهرُ رفقاً فإنَّ القُ

لوبَ أَمْسَتْ شَظَايا

لوبَ أَمْسَتْ شَظَايا

O time, be gentle, for hearts

O fate, have mercy, for hearts

Oh Fate, be gentle, for truly the hearts

have become shards!"

Have become fragments

Have become but scattered shards."

يا قلبُ نَهْنِهْ دموعَ

يا قلبُ نَهْنِهْ دموعَ

الأَسى ولوْعةَ رُوعِكْ

الأَسى ولوْعةَ رُوعِكْ

O heart, restrain the tears

O heart, calm the tears

Oh heart, restrain the tears of

of sorrow and your spirit's anguish.

Of sorrow and your fervor

Sorrow and the anguish of your fright.

إنَّ الدُّهُورَ البَواكي

إنَّ الدُّهُورَ البَواكي

غَنِيَّةٌ عَنْ دُمُوعِكْ

غَنِيَّةٌ عَنْ دُمُوعِكْ

Indeed, the weeping ages

Verily, the times filled with crying

For the weeping ages

have no need of your tears.

Are needless of your tears

Have no need of your tears.

حسْبُ الحَيَاةِ أَساها

حسْبُ الحَيَاةِ أَساها

فاطْوِ الأَسى في صُدُوعِكْ

فاطْوِ الأَسى في صُدُوعِكْ

Life's own sorrow is enough for it;

Life’s adversity is enough

Life has enough of its own sorrow,

so fold your sorrow within your fissures.

So restrain sorrow in your chest

So fold away the grief within your cracks.

واحْلُمْ بفجرِ اللَّيالي فَفَجْ

واحْلُمْ بفجرِ اللَّيالي فَفَجْ

رُهَا في هُجُوعِكْ

رُهَا في هُجُوعِكْ

And dream of the nights' dawn, for their dawn

And dream of the dawn of nights, so its

And dream of the nights' dawn, for its dawn

lies in your slumber.

Dawn is in your passions

Lies within your slumber.

وإن غفوت فإن الحي

وإن غفوت فإن الحي

اة ليست تروعك

اة ليست تروعك

And if you doze, then life

And if you sleep, then life

And if you drift to sleep, then life

will not frighten you.

Is not to frighten you

Shall no longer terrify you.

وسَوْفَ يمضي شتاءُ الأَسى

وسَوْفَ يمضي شتاءُ الأَسى

ويَأْتي رَبيعُكْ

ويَأْتي رَبيعُكْ

And sorrow's winter will pass,

And the winter of sorrow will pass

And the winter of sorrow shall pass,

and your spring will come.

And your spring will come

And your spring shall come.

بَيْنَ القُبورِ فتاةٌ

بَيْنَ القُبورِ فتاةٌ

جارَ الزَّمانُ عليها

جارَ الزَّمانُ عليها

Among the graves is a girl

Between the graves a girl

Among the graves stands a girl,

whom time has wronged;

Whose time was unjust to her

Upon whom time has dealt a cruel blow.

فافْتَكَّ منها بعُنْفٍ

فافْتَكَّ منها بعُنْفٍ

كَفُّ الرَّدى أَبَويْها

كَفُّ الرَّدى أَبَويْها

then violently wrested from her

So it stripped her violently

For violently snatched away from her—

were her parents, by death's hand.

Like the hands of demise took her parents

By the hand of death—were her parents.

تقولُ واللَّيل سَاجٍ

تقولُ واللَّيل سَاجٍ

والقبرُ مُصغٍ إليها

والقبرُ مُصغٍ إليها

She speaks, while the night is still

She says while the night falls

She speaks, while the night is still,

and the grave listens to her:

And the grave listens to her

And the grave listens intently to her:

يا ليتني متُّ مِنْ قَبْ

يا ليتني متُّ مِنْ قَبْ

لِ أَنْ تَسوءَ حَيَاتي

لِ أَنْ تَسوءَ حَيَاتي

"Would that I had died before

Oh, if only I had died

"Oh, would that I had died before

my life grew bitter,

Before my life was ruined

My life turned so wretched,

ويَنْضُبَ الدَّمع من لو

ويَنْضُبَ الدَّمع من لو

عَتي ومِنْ حَسَراتي

عَتي ومِنْ حَسَراتي

and tears ran dry from my

And tears dried from my agony

And before the tears dried up from my

anguish and my regrets.

And my regrets

Anguish and from my heartbreaks.

مَنْ لي بِحُفْرَةِ قَبْرٍ

مَنْ لي بِحُفْرَةِ قَبْرٍ

تضمُّني وشَكَاتِي

تضمُّني وشَكَاتِي

Who will grant me a hollowed grave

Who will give me a grave

Who will grant me a grave's pit

to embrace me and my lament?"

That takes me and my complaints

To embrace me and my complaints?"

في الحيِّ صبٌّ يُعاني

في الحيِّ صبٌّ يُعاني

في الصَّدْرِ داءً دَفينا

في الصَّدْرِ داءً دَفينا

In the neighborhood, a lovesick man suffered

In life one suffers

In the neighborhood is a lover suffering

a sickness buried in his chest,

A deep, hidden illness in the chest

A buried sickness within his chest.

وفي الفُؤادِ جوًى كا

وفي الفُؤادِ جوًى كا

مناً وَحِسًّا مَكينا

مناً وَحِسًّا مَكينا

and, in his heart, a hidden anguish

And in the heart a burning

And in his heart, a burning passion

and a deep-rooted feeling,

And settled agony

Hidden, and a deep-seated feeling.

حتَّى دهتْه اللَّيالي

حتَّى دهتْه اللَّيالي

وجرَّعتْهُ مَنُونَهْ

وجرَّعتْهُ مَنُونَهْ

until the nights assailed him

Until the nights exhausted him

Until the nights overwhelmed him,

and made him drink his death.

And his fate made him drink

And forced him to drink his death.

فشيَّعَ الميْتَ جمعٌ

فشيَّعَ الميْتَ جمعٌ

مِنْ حيِّهِ يَنْدُبُونَهْ

مِنْ حيِّهِ يَنْدُبُونَهْ

Then the dead man was escorted by a crowd

So a group of his living ones

So a crowd escorted the deceased

from his neighborhood, lamenting him,

Bade farewell to him crying

From his neighborhood, mourning him.

حتَّى إِذا مَا أَرادوا

حتَّى إِذا مَا أَرادوا

رصْفَ الصَّفائِحِ دونَهْ

رصْفَ الصَّفائِحِ دونَهْ

until, when they wished

Until when they wanted

Until, when they wished

to lay the stone slabs between them and him,

To place the coffin near him

To lay the stone slabs over him,

ناحَتْ عليهِ فتاةٌ

ناحَتْ عليهِ فتاةٌ

ويلي لمَنْ تتركونَهْ

ويلي لمَنْ تتركونَهْ

a girl wailed over him:

A girl cried over him

A girl wailed over him:

"Woe is me! To whom are you leaving him?"

Woe to whomever you leave him to

"Woe is me! To whom do you leave him?"

كانَ الصبيُّ يَصيدُ

كانَ الصبيُّ يَصيدُ

الفَراشَ بَيْنَ الزُّهُورِ

الفَراشَ بَيْنَ الزُّهُورِ

The boy was catching

The young boy hunted

The young boy was hunting

butterflies among the flowers;

Butterflies between the flowers

Butterflies among the flowers.

فَدَاسَ زهراً نَدِيًّا

فَدَاسَ زهراً نَدِيًّا

أَلقى به في الغَديرْ

أَلقى به في الغَديرْ

then he trod on dewy flowers

So he stepped on a soft flower

He stepped on a dewy blossom,

that cast him into the pool.

And tossed it in the stream

Which cast him into the pond.

فَأَخْرَجُوهُ ولكنْ

فَأَخْرَجُوهُ ولكنْ

بعدَ القضاءِ الأَخيرِ

بعدَ القضاءِ الأَخيرِ

They pulled him out, but

But they took him out after

They pulled him out, but

after fate's final decree.

The final judgement

After the final decree had passed.

فخرَّت الأُمُّ حولَ الصَّبِ

فخرَّت الأُمُّ حولَ الصَّبِ

يِّ تصرخُ ويلي

يِّ تصرخُ ويلي

Then the mother fell beside the boy,

So the mother fell over the boy

The mother collapsed around the boy,

screaming, "Woe is me!"

Screaming, woe is me!

Screaming, "Woe is me!"

فقلتُ والقلبُ دَامٍ والنَّ

فقلتُ والقلبُ دَامٍ والنَّ

اسُ يبكونَ حولي

اسُ يبكونَ حولي

So I said, my heart bleeding and the people

I said while my heart bled

I said, while my heart bled and people

weeping around me:

And people cried around me

Wept all around me:

مَا أَسخَفَ العيشَ تَقْ

مَا أَسخَفَ العيشَ تَقْ

ضِي عليهِ زلَّةُ نَعْلِ

ضِي عليهِ زلَّةُ نَعْلِ

"How paltry life is! It is ended

How foolish is life

"How absurd is life, that it is

by a sandal's slip."

Ended by a mere stumble

Ended by the slip of a sandal."

شيخٌ شَآهُ دَهْرُ الأَس

شيخٌ شَآهُ دَهْرُ الأَس

ى وَحيدٌ شَتِيتُ

ى وَحيدٌ شَتِيتُ

An old man, overtaken by an age of sorrow,

An old man whom the days of sorrow made lonely

An old man, scarred by the age of sorrow,

alone and cast adrift,

Wandering between the ruins

Lonely and scattered.

بَيْنَ الخرائبِ يُمسي

بَيْنَ الخرائبِ يُمسي

على الطَّوى ويَبِيتُ

على الطَّوى ويَبِيتُ

spent the evening among the ruins,

Spending the night at the hills and staying

Among the ruins he spends his evening

in hunger, and passed the night.

So his life spilled

In hunger, and there he sleeps.

في ظُلْمَةِ اللَّيلِ فاضَتْ

في ظُلْمَةِ اللَّيلِ فاضَتْ

على الوُجُودِ حياتُهْ

على الوُجُودِ حياتُهْ

In the darkness of night, his life flowed

And his eyes gaze at the stars

In the darkness of the night, his life

out upon existence;

Filled with his tears

Overflowed upon existence.

وطرفُهُ يَرْمُقُ النَّجْمَ

وطرفُهُ يَرْمُقُ النَّجْمَ

مِلؤُهُ عَبَراتُهْ

مِلؤُهُ عَبَراتُهْ

and his eye gazed at the star,

And around him only ruins

While his gaze watched the star,

brimming with his tears.

That stir his silence

Filled with his tears.

وما حواليهِ إلاَّ الخَ

وما حواليهِ إلاَّ الخَ

رابُ يُشجي صُماتُهْ

رابُ يُشجي صُماتُهْ

And around him was nothing but

So neither his beloved cried for him

And around him was nothing but the ruins,

ruin, whose silence stirs sorrow.

Nor his darling wept for him

Whose silence provokes grief.

فما بكاهُ فَتَاهُ

فما بكاهُ فَتَاهُ

ولا بكتْهُ فتاتُهْ

ولا بكتْهُ فتاتُهْ

So his boy did not weep for him,

O flower trodden harshly

No young man wept for him,

nor did his girl.

And disgraced by passersby

Nor did any young woman weep.

يا زهرةً سامَها العَا

يا زهرةً سامَها العَا

برونَ خَسْفاً وهونَا

برونَ خَسْفاً وهونَا

O flower, whom passersby subjected

If you were a prickly thorn

Oh flower, whom the passersby subjected

to humiliation and disgrace,

No one would step on you

To humiliation and disgrace.

لو كنتِ شوكاً عَضوضاً

لو كنتِ شوكاً عَضوضاً

مَا داسَكِ العابِرونا

مَا داسَكِ العابِرونا

had you been a biting thorn,

For they do not know the revelation

Had you been a sharp, biting thorn,

the passersby would not have trampled you.

That you secretly hold

The passersby would not have trampled you.

لأنَّهم يجهلونَ الوَحْيَ

لأنَّهم يجهلونَ الوَحْيَ

الَّذي تُضْمِرينا

الَّذي تُضْمِرينا

For they are ignorant of the revelation

They mock the whisper of flowers

Because they are ignorant of the revelation

that you hold within.

Yet it is beautiful

That you harbor within.

هُمْ يَسْخَرونَ بهَمْسِ

هُمْ يَسْخَرونَ بهَمْسِ

الزُّهُورِ وهْوَ بَديعُ

الزُّهُورِ وهْوَ بَديعُ

They scoff at the whisper

And listen to the voice of thorns

They mock the whisper

of flowers, though it is wondrous,

Though it is horrible

Of the flowers, though it is exquisite.

ويُنْصِتونَ لصَوْتِ الأَشواكِ

ويُنْصِتونَ لصَوْتِ الأَشواكِ

وهْوَ مُريعُ

وهْوَ مُريعُ

and listen to the voice of thorns,

So do not care about people

Yet they listen to the voice of thorns,

though it is terrifying.

The truth in them is defeated

Though it is terrifying.

فلا تُبالي بقومِ

فلا تُبالي بقومِ

الحقُّ فيهمْ صَريعُ

الحقُّ فيهمْ صَريعُ

So pay no heed to a people

My Lord, how many a girl complains of life and cries

So do not care for a people

among whom truth lies fallen.

And a deprived one whom time has placed

Among whom truth lies slain.

ربَّاه كم مِنْ فتاةٍ

ربَّاه كم مِنْ فتاةٍ

تشكو الحَيَاة وتبكي

تشكو الحَيَاة وتبكي

O Lord, how many a girl

In the seat of misery

Oh Lord, how many a girl

complains of life and weeps,

And a desperate one whose sole hope died

Complains of life and weeps.

ومُعْدَمٍ بوَّأَتْهُ الدُّهُورُ

ومُعْدَمٍ بوَّأَتْهُ الدُّهُورُ

مَقْعَدَ ضَنْكِ

مَقْعَدَ ضَنْكِ

and a destitute man whom the ages have placed

In his heart

And a destitute man, whom the ages settled

in a seat of hardship,

And a lost one in the desert

In a seat of hardship.

ويائِسٍ ماتَ في

ويائِسٍ ماتَ في

لُبِّهِ المَرامُ الوَحيدُ

لُبِّهِ المَرامُ الوَحيدُ

and a despairing man, in whose

While he is unique

And a desperate soul, within whose

heart his sole aspiration has died,

Until winds of storms blew him

Core the only desire has died.

وتائهٍ ضاعَ بَيْنَ القِفارِ

وتائهٍ ضاعَ بَيْنَ القِفارِ

وهْوَ فَريدُ

وهْوَ فَريدُ

and a wanderer lost among the wastes,

While he wandered

And a wanderer lost within the wastelands,

all alone,

My Lord, your mercy, for time

While he is all alone.

حتَّى طَوَتْهُ منَ

حتَّى طَوَتْهُ منَ

العاصِفاتِ رِيحٌ شَرُودُ

العاصِفاتِ رِيحٌ شَرُودُ

until he was swept away by

Is severe adversity

Until he was folded away by

a wayward wind from among the storms!

O bird of poetry, roam

A stray wind from the storms.

ربَّاه رُحماكَ إنَّ الزَّمانَ

ربَّاه رُحماكَ إنَّ الزَّمانَ

فَضٌّ شَديدُ

فَضٌّ شَديدُ

O Lord, Your mercy! Time is

Upon the gloomy life

Oh Lord, Your mercy! For time

harsh and severe.

And wipe with your feathers the tears

Is harsh and severe.

يا طائرَ الشِّعْرِ رَوِّحْ

يا طائرَ الشِّعْرِ رَوِّحْ

على الحَيَاةِ الكئيبَهْ

على الحَيَاةِ الكئيبَهْ

O bird of poetry, bring solace

Of hearts, for they are estranged

Oh bird of poetry, bring solace

to sorrowful life,

And distract it from its sorrow

To this melancholy life.

وامْسَحْ بريشِكَ دمْعَ

وامْسَحْ بريشِكَ دمْعَ

القُلُوبِ فهيَ غَريبَهْ

القُلُوبِ فهيَ غَريبَهْ

and with your feathers wipe away the tears

For adversity has exhausted it

And wipe with your wing the tears of

of hearts, for they are estranged.

And you are a beautiful spirit

The hearts, for they are estranged.

وعَزِّها عَنْ أَساها

وعَزِّها عَنْ أَساها

فقدْ دَهَتْها المُصيبَهْ

فقدْ دَهَتْها المُصيبَهْ

And console them for their sorrow,

Among the barren plateaus

And console them for their sorrow,

for calamity has struck them.

So blow in it from the flames

For calamity has overwhelmed them.

وأَنتَ رُوحٌ جميلٌ

وأَنتَ رُوحٌ جميلٌ

بَيْنَ الهِضابِ الجديبهْ

بَيْنَ الهِضابِ الجديبهْ

And you are a beautiful spirit

Of the sky a youthful spirit

For you are a beautiful spirit

among the barren hills.

And bring with your magic to

Amidst the barren hills.

فانفخْ بها من لهيبِ

فانفخْ بها من لهيبِ

السَّماءِ رُوحاً خَضيبهْ

السَّماءِ رُوحاً خَضيبهْ

So breathe into them, from the flame

Its heart the embers of youth

So breathe into them from the flame of

of heaven, a spirit suffused with color,

The heavens, a verdant spirit.

وابعَثْ بسحركَ في

وابعَثْ بسحركَ في

قلبِها ضُرامُ الشَّبيبهْ

قلبِها ضُرامُ الشَّبيبهْ

and with your magic awaken in

And resurrect with your magic within

their heart the blaze of youth.

Her heart the fire of youth.