كاد الخريف يموت مثل مماتي

كاد الخريف يموت مثل مماتي

بتساقط الأوراق والآهات

بتساقط الأوراق والآهات

Autumn almost died a death like mine,

Autumn nearly died like my death

With the falling of leaves and sighs.

With the falling of leaves and sighs

إني أخوه بمهجتي وبلوعتي

إني أخوه بمهجتي وبلوعتي

زفراته تشتق من زفراتي

زفراته تشتق من زفراتي

I am his brother in my soul and my anguish;

I am its brother in my despair and agony

His sighs are drawn from my own.

Its gasps derived from my gasps

إن أرثه فبنظمه وبنثره

إن أرثه فبنظمه وبنثره

أو أبكه فلقد بكيت حياتي

أو أبكه فلقد بكيت حياتي

If I lament him, it is through his verse and his prose;

If I inherit it with its prose and poetry

Or if I weep for him, I have already wept for my life.

Or lament it, for I have wept my life away

لم يدره من أولعوا ببهارج

لم يدره من أولعوا ببهارج

للصيف يمرح كالمليك العاتي

للصيف يمرح كالمليك العاتي

He was unknown to those enthralled by the gaudy splendors

It did not know those who were infatuated with the splendor

Of summer, frolicking like a tyrant king.

Of summer cavorting like a heedless king

إن عد نسل الصيف لم يعلق به

إن عد نسل الصيف لم يعلق به

عيب الإباحي الحقير الذات

عيب الإباحي الحقير الذات

If counted as summer's offspring, he was untainted

If the progeny of summer were not tied to it

By the fault of the libertine, base of character.

The flaw of the despicable, shameless ego

عرف التنسك منذ يوم ولادة

عرف التنسك منذ يوم ولادة

فكأنه صور لوحي صلاتي

فكأنه صور لوحي صلاتي

He knew asceticism from the day of his birth;

It has known asceticism since the day it was born

As though he were images of my prayer's inspiration.

As though it pictured revelations of my prayers

واستقبل الإعصار غير مروع

واستقبل الإعصار غير مروع

وهو الصريع الشيخ بين جناة

وهو الصريع الشيخ بين جناة

And he faced the hurricane unafraid,

And welcomed the storm fearlessly

Though he lay stricken, an old man among wrongdoers.

While it, the stricken elder, was amidst the slain

تخذ الكفاح إلى النهاية مبدأ

تخذ الكفاح إلى النهاية مبدأ

وأبى خنوع الموت عند ممات

وأبى خنوع الموت عند ممات

He made struggle to the end his principle,

It took struggle as its founding principle

And refused submission to death at the moment of dying.

And refused the humility of death at its demise

إن كنت أشبهه فتلك حميتي

إن كنت أشبهه فتلك حميتي

رغم السقام وصفرة الأموات

رغم السقام وصفرة الأموات

If I resemble him, such is my proud spirit,

If I resemble it, such is my zeal

Despite sickness and the yellow pallor of the dead.

Despite the illness and yellowness of the deceased

علل على علل أنوء برزئها

علل على علل أنوء برزئها

وأظل أسخر بالشتاء الآتي

وأظل أسخر بالشتاء الآتي

Ailments upon ailments—I stagger beneath their burden,

Malady upon malady I stoop under its burden

And keep scoffing at the coming winter.

And remain mocking the coming winter

إن كان في دمع الخريف مدامعي

إن كان في دمع الخريف مدامعي

أو كان في أناته أناتي

أو كان في أناته أناتي

If my tears are in autumn's tears,

If in autumn’s tears are my tears

Or my groans are in his groans,

Or its moans are my moans

فوراءها أنف لكل دنية

فوراءها أنف لكل دنية

ولئن هطلن وصحن مجنونات

ولئن هطلن وصحن مجنونات

Then behind them lies proud disdain for all that is base,

Beyond them is the will of each lowlife

Even if they pour down and cry out in frenzy.

And if they poured and resonated dementedly

ولئن نأت عنه الحرارة ما نأى

ولئن نأت عنه الحرارة ما نأى

دفء تحجب في نهى الذرات

دفء تحجب في نهى الذرات

And though heat has withdrawn from him, there still remains

And if warmth turned away from it as turned away

A warmth veiled within the minds of atoms.

Warmth that hides in the prohibition of atoms

والموت من صور الحياة ولغزه

والموت من صور الحياة ولغزه

لغز الوجود وآية الآيات

لغز الوجود وآية الآيات

And death is one of life's forms, and its mystery

And death is of the images of life and its mystery

Is the mystery of existence and the wonder of wonders.

The mystery of existence and the verse of verses

إن تنأ يا خلي فلست براحل

إن تنأ يا خلي فلست براحل

ما دمت تحيا في نهاي وذاتي

ما دمت تحيا في نهاي وذاتي

If you grow distant, my friend, you are not gone,

If you move away, O my imagination, I am not one who leaves

As long as you live in my mind and my being.

As long as you live in my essence and self

هشت لي الأغصان وهي جريمة

هشت لي الأغصان وهي جريمة

وتطلعت لخطاي في الغابات

وتطلعت لخطاي في الغابات

The branches welcomed me, though stripped bare,

The branches gestured to me, and that is a crime

And looked expectantly for my footsteps in the forests.

And they looked to my sins in the forests

فكأنما أنا من يمد جذورها

فكأنما أنا من يمد جذورها

بشعوره فتعز دون حماة

بشعوره فتعز دون حماة

As though I were the one nourishing their roots

It is as though I am the one extending their roots

With my feeling, so they grow strong without protectors.

With my feelings, so they become strong without protectors

جرداء كالفن المجرد فهمها

جرداء كالفن المجرد فهمها

قد دق في كنه وجل سمات

قد دق في كنه وجل سمات

They are bare as abstract art; understanding them

Barren as pure art is their understanding

Is elusive in essence and in most of their features,

It has delved into the essence and transcended traits

إلا على ند يبادلها الهوى

إلا على ند يبادلها الهوى

فلغاتها موصولة بلغاتي

فلغاتها موصولة بلغاتي

Except to a peer who returns their love;

Except with an equal who reciprocates their passion

For their languages are linked to mine.

So their languages are connected to my languages

سكتت أهازيج الجنادب واكتفت

سكتت أهازيج الجنادب واكتفت

بخطايَ فوق العشب مستمعات

بخطايَ فوق العشب مستمعات

The grasshoppers' songs fell silent, and they were content

The croaking of frogs fell silent and sufficed

To listen to my footsteps upon the grass.

With my sins above the grass listening

والنحل تأوي للقفير هنيئة

والنحل تأوي للقفير هنيئة

حتى كأن الشهد في نظراتي

حتى كأن الشهد في نظراتي

And the bees retire to the hive, content,

And the bees take shelter in the hive happily

Till it is as though the honey were in my glances.

As though the nectar is in my gaze

للّه كم خلق التجاوب صحبة

للّه كم خلق التجاوب صحبة

حتى مع الأشجار والحشرات

حتى مع الأشجار والحشرات

By God, how much companionship mutual sympathy has created,

My God, how much rapport has creation made

Even with trees and insects!

Even with the trees and insects