لمnot أنسَI forget ليلاًa night بالنجومِwith stars ترصّعاwas studded
لم أنسَ ليلاً بالنجومِ ترصّعا
والطيبُand fragrance فيهِin it معَwith النسيمِthe breeze تضوَّعاwafted
والطيبُ فيهِ معَ النسيمِ تضوَّعا
I have not forgotten a night studded with stars,
I have not forgotten nights studded with stars,
And fragrance wafted through it with the breeze.
As perfume mingled with the breeze proliferated.
وغَدتand became دموعُtears العاشقينof lovers لهfor it نَدىًdew
وغَدت دموعُ العاشقين له نَدىً
مُتنثِّراًscattered فيin زَهرِهِits blossoms متجمّعاgathered
مُتنثِّراً في زَهرِهِ متجمّعا
And lovers' tears became its dew,
The tears of lovers became its dew,
Scattered among its blossoms and gathered there.
Scattered on its flowers, accumulated.
فسرَيتُso I traveled by night أنتشُقُI inhale الأريجَthe fragrance وأشتهيand I long for
فسرَيتُ أنتشُقُ الأريجَ وأشتهي
ماwhat مرّpassed منof عمرِthe years of الصبوّةِyouthful passion مُسرعاswiftly
ما مرّ من عمرِ الصبوّةِ مُسرعا
So I went forth by night, inhaling the fragrance and longing for
So I went about inhaling the fragrance and craving
What had swiftly passed of my years of youthful passion.
What had passed of the days of my youth, hastened.
وأقولand I say إنَّindeed سعادتيmy happiness ولذاذتيand my pleasure
وأقول إنَّ سعادتي ولذاذتي
كالشمسِlike the sun أيامَon the days of الشتاءwinter تمنّعاin elusiveness
كالشمسِ أيامَ الشتاء تمنّعا
And I say: my happiness and my pleasure
And I say that my bliss and pleasures
Are as elusive as the sun on winter days.
Are like the sun in winter days, refusing.
هذاthis الصبىyouth يمضيpasses ويتبَعُهُand follows it الهوىpassion
هذا الصبى يمضي ويتبَعُهُ الهوى
ماhow كانَwas أطيَبَsweet مدةa span of time لنwill not تَرجعاreturn
ما كانَ أطيَبَ مدة لن تَرجعا
This youth passes, and passion follows it.
This boy goes on, and desire follows him.
How sweet was that time, never to return!
How good were days that will not return!
كمhow many مرةtimes خفقانbeating قلبيmy heart راعنيfrightened me
كم مرة خفقان قلبي راعني
فظَننتُهُso I thought it حيناat times يشقُّwould split الأضلُعاthe ribs
فظَننتُهُ حينا يشقُّ الأضلُعا
How often the beating of my heart frightened me,
How often has my heart’s flutter startled me,
So at times I thought it would split my ribs.
And I thought it was splitting my ribs at times.
وضَممتُهand I clasped it بيديَّwith my two hands ضمّةَa clasp خائفٍone afraid
وضَممتُه بيديَّ ضمّةَ خائفٍ
منout of خِشيتيmy fear فيin الوَجدِlove's ardor أنthat يتصدّعاit might shatter
من خِشيتي في الوَجدِ أن يتصدّعا
And I clasped it with both hands, as one afraid,
I held it in my hands, a fearful clutch,
For fear that, in love's ardor, it might shatter.
For fear that it would crack from the ecstasy.
حتىuntil إذاwhen شارَفتُI approached دارthe house of حبيبتيmy beloved
حتى إذا شارَفتُ دار حبيبتي
فَذَكرتُthen I recalled ليof mine فيهاin it لياليَnights أربعاfour
فَذَكرتُ لي فيها لياليَ أربعا
Until, when I neared my beloved's house,
Until when I neared the abode of my beloved,
And recalled four nights I had spent there,
And it reminded me of four nights therein.
صارتbecame حياتيmy life لذةa delight ماnot شابَهاmarred it
صارت حياتي لذة ما شابَها
ألمٌpain كأنيas though I لمnot أكُنI was متوجّعاsuffering
ألمٌ كأني لم أكُن متوجّعا
My life became a delight untouched
My life became a bliss the like of which
By pain, as though I had never suffered.
No pain had marred, as if I'd never agonized.
القلبُthe heart فيin زَمَنthe time of الصِبىyouth متقلّبٌfickle
القلبُ في زَمَن الصِبى متقلّبٌ
إذfor لاnot يكونُit is مروّضاًtamed ومُطوَّعاand made obedient
إذ لا يكونُ مروّضاً ومُطوَّعا
The heart in the days of youth is fickle,
The heart in the days of youth is fickle,
For it is neither tamed nor made obedient.
For it cannot be tamed or trained.
أبداalways أُنقّلهُI move it about كماas شاءَwills الهوىpassion
أبدا أُنقّلهُ كما شاءَ الهوى
وكأنهand as though it لحنٌa melody يطيبُsounds sweet مرجّعاwhen repeated
وكأنه لحنٌ يطيبُ مرجّعا
Forever I move it about as passion wills,
I forever made it yield to desire’s whim,
And it is like a melody, sweet when repeated.
As if it were a melody, sweet its return.
ولقدand indeed جَمعتُI have gathered الكونَthe universe تحتَbeneath شغافهِits membrane
ولقد جَمعتُ الكونَ تحتَ شغافهِ
ماhow كانَwas أضيعَهُlost it was وأوسَعَهُand vast it was معاat once
ما كانَ أضيعَهُ وأوسَعَهُ معا
And indeed, I have gathered the universe beneath its membrane:
And I had gathered the universe beneath its eyelid,
How lost it was, and how vast, both at once!
Never did I squander or outspan it.
Sol 6.1