نحنُ نمشي وحولَنَا هاته الأَك

نحنُ نمشي وحولَنَا هاته الأَك

وانُ تمشي لكنْ لأَيَّةِ غايَهْ

وانُ تمشي لكنْ لأَيَّةِ غايَهْ

We walk, and around us these worlds

We walk with all these worries around us,

We walk, and surrounding us, these spheres

walk—but to what end?

And you walk, but to what end?

Move too, yet towards what destination?

نحنُ نشدو مع العَصافيرِ للشَّمْ

نحنُ نشدو مع العَصافيرِ للشَّمْ

سِ وهذا الرَّبيعُ ينفُخُ نَايَهْ

سِ وهذا الرَّبيعُ ينفُخُ نَايَهْ

We sing with the sparrows to the sun,

We sing with the birds at dawn,

We sing with the birds unto the sun,

and this spring blows its flute.

And this spring blows its flute.

While the Spring breathes life into its flute.

نحنُ نَتْلو روايَةَ الكونِ للمو

نحنُ نَتْلو روايَةَ الكونِ للمو

تِ ولكنْ ماذا خِتامُ الرِّوايهْ

تِ ولكنْ ماذا خِتامُ الرِّوايهْ

We recite the universe's story to death,

We recite the story of the universe to death,

We recite the cosmos’s tale unto death,

but what is the story's ending?

But what is the conclusion of the tale?

But what is the conclusion of the story?

هكذا قلتُ للرِّياحِ فقالتْ

هكذا قلتُ للرِّياحِ فقالتْ

سَلْ ضميرَ الوُجُودِ كيف البدايَهْ

سَلْ ضميرَ الوُجُودِ كيف البدايَهْ

Thus I spoke to the winds, and they said:

Thus I asked the winds, and they replied:

Thus I spoke to the winds, and they answered:

'Ask the conscience of existence how it began.'

"Ask the conscience of existence how it began."

"Ask the conscience of existence how it began."

وتغشَّى الضَّبابُ نفسي فصاحتْ

وتغشَّى الضَّبابُ نفسي فصاحتْ

في مَلالٍ مُرٍّ إلى أَيْنَ أَمشي

في مَلالٍ مُرٍّ إلى أَيْنَ أَمشي

And the fog shrouded my soul, and it cried out

And fog enveloped my soul, which cried out

Then the fog overwhelmed my soul, and it cried

in bitter weariness, 'Where am I walking?'

In bitter boredom, "Where shall I walk?"

In bitter weariness: "Where do I go?"

قلتُ سيري معَ الحَيَاةِ فقالتْ

قلتُ سيري معَ الحَيَاةِ فقالتْ

مَا جنينا تُرى من السَّيْرِ أَمسِ

مَا جنينا تُرى من السَّيْرِ أَمسِ

I said, 'Walk with life,' and it replied:

I said, "Walk with life," and it replied:

I replied: "Walk with life." But it answered:

'What, I wonder, did we reap from walking yesterday?'

"What have we gained from walking, yesterday?"

"What, pray tell, did we reap from yesterday's march?"

فَتَهافَتُّ كالهشيمِ على الأَر

فَتَهافَتُّ كالهشيمِ على الأَر

ضِ وناديتُ أَيْنَ يا قلبُ رفشي

ضِ وناديتُ أَيْنَ يا قلبُ رفشي

So I crumbled like dry brushwood upon the earth,

So I crumbled like debris on the earth, and called out, "Where, O heart that is my guide,

So I crumbled like chaff upon the earth,

and cried, 'Where, O heart, is my spade?'

Bring me, that I may trace my grave

And called out: "O heart, where is my spade?"

هاتِهِ علَّني أَخُطُّ ضريحي

هاتِهِ علَّني أَخُطُّ ضريحي

في سكونِ الدُّجى وأَدفُنُ نفسي

في سكونِ الدُّجى وأَدفُنُ نفسي

Bring it; perhaps I may mark out my grave

In the stillness of darkness, and bury myself,

Bring it, that I might carve out my tomb

in the stillness of night's darkness, and bury myself.

Bring me, for thick darkness is around me,

In the silence of night, and bury my self.

هاتِهِ فالظَّلامُ حولي كثيفٌ

هاتِهِ فالظَّلامُ حولي كثيفٌ

وضبابُ الأَسى مُنيخٌ عليَّا

وضبابُ الأَسى مُنيخٌ عليَّا

Bring it, for the darkness around me is dense,

And the mist of sorrow swoops down upon me,

Bring it, for the darkness around me is dense,

and the fog of sorrow has settled upon me.

And the cups of passion were drained by the wasteland, but they shattered in my hands,

And the fog of sorrow weighs heavy on me.

وكؤوسُ الغرامِ أَترعَهَا الفَجْ

وكؤوسُ الغرامِ أَترعَهَا الفَجْ

رُ ولكنْ تَحَطَّمَتْ في يدَيَّا

رُ ولكنْ تَحَطَّمَتْ في يدَيَّا

And dawn filled the cups of passion to the brim,

And mischievous youth has passed into the past, leaving lamentation on my lips.

The chalices of passion were filled by the dawn,

but they shattered in my hands.

Bring me, O heart, for we are strangers,

Yet they shattered to pieces within my hands.

والشَّبابُ الغرير ولَّى إلى الما

والشَّبابُ الغرير ولَّى إلى الما

ضي وخلَّى النَّحيبَ في شَفَتَيَّا

ضي وخلَّى النَّحيبَ في شَفَتَيَّا

And guileless youth departed into the past,

Fashioning life into woeful art.

And innocent youth has fled to the past,

and left sobbing upon my lips.

Long have we danced with life,

Leaving nothing but wailing upon my lips.

هاتِهِ يا فؤادُ إنَّا غَريبا

هاتِهِ يا فؤادُ إنَّا غَريبا

نِ نَصُوعُ الحَيَاةَ فنًّا شَجِيَّا

نِ نَصُوعُ الحَيَاةَ فنًّا شَجِيَّا

Bring it, O heart; we are two strangers,

And for years we sang with youth,

Bring it, O heart, for we are two strangers,

fashioning life into plaintive art.

And barefoot we raced with the nights

Who fashion from life a melancholic art.

قَدْ رقصْنا معَ الحَيَاةِ طويلاً

قَدْ رقصْنا معَ الحَيَاةِ طويلاً

وشدوْنا مع الشَّبابِ سنينا

وشدوْنا مع الشَّبابِ سنينا

Indeed, we danced long with life,

In the valleys of life, until we bled.

We have danced along with life for so long,

and sang with youth for years,

We ate dust until we were sick of it,

And sung alongside youth for many years.

وعدَوْنا مع اللَّيالي حُفاةً

وعدَوْنا مع اللَّيالي حُفاةً

في شِعابِ الحَيَاةِ حتَّى دَمينا

في شِعابِ الحَيَاةِ حتَّى دَمينا

and ran barefoot with the nights

And drank tears until we were sated.

We ran barefoot with the passing nights,

in life's ravines, until we bled.

We scattered dreams and love and pain and despair and grief

Through the gorges of life until we bled.

وأكلْنا التُّرابَ حتَّى مَلِلْنا

وأكلْنا التُّرابَ حتَّى مَلِلْنا

وشَربْنا الدُّموعَ حتَّى رَوِينا

وشَربْنا الدُّموعَ حتَّى رَوِينا

And we ate dust until we grew weary,

Wherever we went.

We ate of the dust until we grew weary,

and drank tears until we had our fill.

Then what is this? I have become in the world

And drank of our tears until we were full.

ونَثَرْنا الأَحْلامَ والحبَّ والآلا

ونَثَرْنا الأَحْلامَ والحبَّ والآلا

مَ واليأسَ والأَسى حيثُ شِينا

مَ واليأسَ والأَسى حيثُ شِينا

And we scattered dreams, love, and pains,

Far from its joys and songs,

We scattered our dreams, our love, and our pain,

and despair and sorrow wherever we wished.

In the darkness of extinction I bury my days,

Our despair and our grief wherever we chose.

ثمَّ ماذا هذا أنا صرتُ في الدُّن

ثمَّ ماذا هذا أنا صرتُ في الدُّن

يا بعيداً عن لهوِها وغِنَاها

يا بعيداً عن لهوِها وغِنَاها

Then what? Here I am, now in the world,

And cannot even weep.

Then what? Here I am, become in this world,

far from its merriment and its singing.

And life's flowers drift silently,

Far removed from its pleasures and songs.

في ظلامِ الفَنَاءِ أَدفُنُ أَيَّا

في ظلامِ الفَنَاءِ أَدفُنُ أَيَّا

مي ولا أستطيعُ حتَّى بكاها

مي ولا أستطيعُ حتَّى بكاها

In the darkness of annihilation, I bury my days,

Mournfully, vexingly, down upon my feet.

In the darkness of void, I bury my days,

and cannot even weep for them.

The magic of life has vanished, O weeping heart,

And I cannot so much as weep for them.

وزهورُ الحياة تهوي بِصَمْتٍ

وزهورُ الحياة تهوي بِصَمْتٍ

محزنٍ مُضْجِرٍ على قدميَّا

محزنٍ مُضْجِرٍ على قدميَّا

And life's flowers fall in silence—

Come, let us try death, come!

The flowers of life are falling in silence,

saddening and wearisome—upon my feet.

A sad, weary silence upon my feet.

جَفَّ سِحْرُ الحَيَاةِ يا قلبيَ البا

جَفَّ سِحْرُ الحَيَاةِ يا قلبيَ البا

كي فهيَّا نُجَرِّبُ الموتَ هيَّا

كي فهيَّا نُجَرِّبُ الموتَ هيَّا

Life's magic has dried up, O my weeping heart;

The magic of life has run dry, O my weeping heart,

so come, let us try death—come!

So come, let us try death—come along.