1. واهاً لَهُ مِن ناء

    أَلحانُهُ زَفزاف

    Ah, what a flute!

    Its melodies are a whistling wind,

  2. في صَمتِ وادي الفَناء

    تُعانِقُ الأَسداف

    In the silence of the valley of oblivion,

    Embracing the veils of darkness.

  3. يَضِجُّ في الأَمواج

    مُصطَخِبِ الصَوتِ

    It roars amid the waves,

    With a clamorous voice,

  4. يَزهى عَلى الإِدلاج

    مِن شَفَقِ المَوتِ

    Shining over the night journey,

    From the twilight of death.

  5. مَفيضُهُ مِن دُموع

    يَسكِبُها اللَحنُ

    Its outpouring is of tears,

    Which the melody pours out;

  6. وَصَمتُها مَقطوع

    يَنهَبُهُ الحُزنُ

    And their silence is broken,

    Plundered by grief.

  7. دَوّى عَلى الأَصداء

    يُمعِنُ في الظَلما

    It resounded over the echoes,

    Pressing deeper into darkness,

  8. يُسامِرُ الجَوزاء

    وَيَنفُخُ الحُلما

    Keeping Al-Jawza company at night,

    And breathing out the dream.

  9. عَجيجُهُ صَيّاح

    كَالبوقِ في الآذان

    Its clamor is shrieking,

    Like a trumpet in the ears,

  10. يُهاجِمُ الأَرواح

    مِن غَيرِ ما اِستِئذان

    Assailing souls

    Without asking leave.

  11. فَالكَونُ في رَجفِ

    كَالكَوكَبِ الخَفّاق

    So the universe trembles,

    Like the quivering star;

  12. خاضا مِنَ الخَوفِ

    في مَسبَحِ الآفاق

    Both plunged in fear

    Into the pool of the horizons.

  13. وَتارَةً يَخفَت

    في غَسقِ اللَيلِ

    And at times it grows faint

    In the darkness of night,

  14. كَالروحِ لَو تَصمُت

    في صَخبِ الوَيلِ

    Like the soul, were it to fall silent

    Amid the clamor of woe.

  15. فَتَحسِبُ المَوجا

    يَلعَبُ بِالأَرضِ

    Then you imagine the waves

    Toying with the earth,

  16. يَرُجُّها رَجّا

    وَبَعدَها يَمضي

    Shaking it violently,

    And afterward moving on;

  17. يَعلو عَلى النَجمِ

    وَيَلمِسُ السَقفا

    Rising above the star

    And touching the ceiling,

  18. كَأَنَّ في حُلمِ

    طَيفا بِهِ رَفا

    As though, in a dream,

    A phantom had fluttered within it.

  19. فَطافَتِ الذِكرى

    بِقَلبِهِ النائي

    Then memory wandered

    Through its far-off heart,

  20. كَالظِلِّ لَو أَسرى

    بِصَفحَةِ الماءِ

    Like a shadow, were it to travel by night

    Across the water's surface,

  21. في دُجنَةِ الآباد

    تَرعِشُ كَالأَشباح

    In the gloom of endless ages,

    Trembling like ghosts,

  22. كَالجَمرِ تَحتَ الرَماد

    مِن فَوقِهِ النَدُّ فاح

    Like embers beneath the ashes,

    From above it, incense spread its scent.

  23. فَلاحَ في اللَيلِ

    بُستانُهُ الساجي

    Then there appeared in the night

    Its tranquil garden,

  24. مُعَطَّرَ الذَيلِ

    في أُفُقٍ داجِ

    With its hem perfumed,

    On a dark horizon.

  25. وَتَحتَ ظَلٍّ وَرَيف

    مَقعَدُ مَن يَهوى

    And beneath luxuriant shade,

    The seat of the one it loves;

  26. يَخطِفُ فيهِ رَفيف

    مِنَ السَنا أَضوى

    A shimmer flashes there,

    Brighter than radiance.

  27. وَتِلكَ لا بَل هذي

    مَلاعِبٌ لا تَحصى

    And those—no, rather these—

    Are playgrounds beyond counting;

  28. لَيسَ لَها مِن نَفاذ

    قَطُّ وَلا تُستَقصى

    There is no end to them,

    Ever, nor can they be explored in full.

  29. كَم مَرَّ فيها رَبيع

    وَمَرَّ فيها خَريف

    How many springs have passed there,

    And autumns have passed there;

  30. وَكَم مَشى في خُشوع

    يُناغِمُ الشادوف

    And how often it walked in reverence,

    Harmonizing with the shaduf,

  31. يَلهو عَلى النَبتِ

    وَيَقطِفُ الزَهرا

    Playing upon the greenery,

    And plucking the flowers,

  32. يَخِفُّ في صَمتِ

    يَستَرِقُ الطَيرا

    Moving lightly in silence,

    Stealthily stealing the birds.