عَبَرَتْshe passed بيby me فيin صباحٍa morning باكرِearly
عَبَرَتْ بي في صباحٍ باكرِ
فتنةَenchantment العينthe eye وشُغْلَand preoccupation الخاطرِthe mind
فتنةَ العين وشُغْلَ الخاطرِ
She passed by me one early morning,
She passed me in the early morning,
a spell to the eye, an occupation for the mind.
An enchantment to the eye, a preoccupation of the mind.
شعرُهاher hair الأشقرُblond فيهin it وردةٌa rose
شعرُها الأشقرُ فيه وردةٌ
لونُهاits hue منfrom شهواتdesires الشاعرِthe poet
لونُها من شهوات الشاعرِ
In her blond hair was a rose,
In her blond hair was a rose,
its color born of a poet’s desires.
Its hue drawn from the poet's desires.
ورشيقاتُand graceful الخُطَىthe steps فيin وقعهاtheir footfall
ورشيقاتُ الخُطَى في وقعها
مُنْبِئاتيmy heralds بشبابٍof youth ساحرِenchanting
مُنْبِئاتي بشبابٍ ساحرِ
And her graceful steps, in their cadence,
And her graceful steps, in their footfall,
told me of an enchanting youth.
Told me of enchanting youth.
وبعينيهاand in her eyes رُؤًىvisions حائرةٌbewildered
وبعينيها رُؤًى حائرةٌ
بينamong أسرارِsecrets مساءٍan evening غابرِbygone
بين أسرارِ مساءٍ غابرِ
In her eyes were bewildered visions,
And in her eyes were bewildered visions,
amid the mysteries of an evening gone by.
Amid the secrets of a bygone evening.
صَوَّرَتْthey depicted منfrom حاضرthe present العيشlife، ومنand from
صَوَّرَتْ من حاضر العيش، ومن
أمسِهاher yesterday، قِصَّةَa story حُبٍّof love عاثرِill-fated
أمسِها، قِصَّةَ حُبٍّ عاثرِ
From the life of the present, and from
They pictured, from life's present and from
her yesterday, she fashioned a tale of thwarted love.
Her yesterday, a tale of ill-fated love.
قلتُI said، والفجرُand the dawn سَنَاradiance ياقوتةٍa ruby
قلتُ، والفجرُ سَنَا ياقوتةٍ
لألأتْsparkled خَلْفَbehind السحابthe clouds الماطرِrain-bearing:
لألأتْ خَلْفَ السحاب الماطرِ:
I said, while dawn was the glow of a ruby
I said, while dawn was a ruby's radiance
glittering behind the rain-laden clouds:
Sparkling behind the rain-bearing clouds:
هذهthis الساعةَthe hour تسعىmakes her way امرأةٌa woman
هذه الساعةَ تسعى امرأةٌ
حينwhen لمhas not يخفقْfluttered جناحُthe wing الطائرِthe bird!
حين لم يخفقْ جناحُ الطائرِ!
At this hour, a woman is hurrying
At this hour a woman makes her way,
before ever a bird’s wing has stirred!
When no bird's wing has yet fluttered!
مَنْwho تُراهاdo you suppose she is؟ وإلىand to أينwhere؟ ومِنْand from
مَنْ تُراها؟ وإلى أين؟ ومِنْ
أيِّwhich خدرٍa secluded chamber طلعتْshe emerged أوor سامرِan evening gathering؟
أيِّ خدرٍ طلعتْ أو سامرِ؟
Who can she be? Where is she bound? And from
Who can she be? And where is she going? And from
what sheltered chamber—or night gathering—did she emerge?
What secluded chamber or evening gathering has she emerged?
تقطعshe traverses الإفريزَthe pavement منfrom ناحيتيmy side
تقطع الإفريزَ من ناحيتي
كأسيرٍlike a captive هاربٍfleeing منfrom آسرِa captor
كأسيرٍ هاربٍ من آسرِ
She crosses the ledge on my side
She traverses the pavement on my side,
like a captive fleeing her captor.
Like a captive fleeing a captor.
تَتَّقِيshe avoids الأعينَthe eyes أنthat تبصرهاthey see her
تَتَّقِي الأعينَ أن تبصرها
وهيand she لاnot تأْلوstints on التفاتَthe looking about الحائرِthe bewildered one
وهي لا تأْلو التفاتَ الحائرِ
She guards against eyes that might see her,
She shuns eyes, lest they see her,
yet never ceases her bewildered glancing.
And never ceases looking about like one bewildered.
لاnot تباليshe minds بَلَلَwetness الثوبِthe garment، ولاand not
لا تبالي بَلَلَ الثوبِ، ولا
لفحةَthe blast البردِthe cold الشفيفِbiting الثائرِraging
لفحةَ البردِ الشفيفِ الثائرِ
She heeds neither her drenched dress nor
She heeds neither her garment's wetness, nor
the bite of the keen, raging cold.
The blast of the biting, raging cold,
أوor تباليshe minds قدماهاher two feet خاضتاhave waded
أو تبالي قدماها خاضتا
مسربَthe channel الماءِthe water الدفوقgushing الهامرِpouring
مسربَ الماءِ الدفوق الهامرِ
Or does she care? Her feet have waded into
Nor does she care that her feet have waded
a channel of rushing, pouring water.
Through the channel of gushing, pouring water.
أنتِyou، ياO ساريةَnight traveler الفجرthe dawn، اسمعيlisten
أنتِ، يا ساريةَ الفجر، اسمعي
دعوةَthe invitation الروحthe soul البريءِinnocent الطاهرِpure
دعوةَ الروح البريءِ الطاهرِ
You, traveler at dawn, listen
You, O wanderer at dawn, listen
to the call of an innocent, pure spirit.
To an innocent, pure soul's invitation.
مرَّpassed بيby me مثلُكِthose like you لمdid not يُشْعِرْننيmake me feel
مرَّ بي مثلُكِ لم يُشْعِرْنني
غيرَother than إشفاقِcompassion الحَفِيِّthe caring one الناصرِthe protector
غيرَ إشفاقِ الحَفِيِّ الناصرِ
One like you passed me; she awakened in me
Others like you have passed me, stirring nothing in me
nothing but the compassion of a devoted protector.
But a caring protector's compassion.
وأناand I الشاعرُthe poet، قلبيmy heart رحمةٌcompassion
وأنا الشاعرُ، قلبي رحمةٌ
لفريساتِfor the victims القضاءِfate الجائرِunjust
لفريساتِ القضاءِ الجائرِ
I am a poet; my heart is mercy
And I am the poet; my heart is compassion
for the prey of tyrannical fate.
For the victims of unjust fate.
إنْif نأتْis far away دارُكyour home، ياO أختُsister، فماthen not
إنْ نأتْ دارُك، يا أختُ، فما
بَعُدَتْis distant دارُthe home الغريبِthe stranger العابرِpassing
بَعُدَتْ دارُ الغريبِ العابرِ
Though your home be distant, sister,
If your home is far away, sister, then
the passing stranger’s home is not far away.
The passing stranger's home is not far.
شاطرينيshare with me ذلكthat المأْوىshelter، فماfor not
شاطريني ذلك المأْوى، فما
أتقاضاكI demand from you وفاءَrepayment الشاكرِthe grateful one
أتقاضاك وفاءَ الشاكرِ
Share that shelter with me; I
Share that shelter with me; I do not
ask of you no grateful recompense.
Demand from you a grateful person's repayment.
غرفةٌa room، آلهةُthe gods الفنِّof art بهاin it
غرفةٌ، آلهةُ الفنِّ بها
تتَلقَّاكِwelcome you لقاءَwith the welcome الظافرِof a victor
تتَلقَّاكِ لقاءَ الظافرِ
A room—the gods of art within it
A room where the gods of art
will welcome you as a victor is welcomed,
Greet you as a victor is greeted,
وتُغنِّيكِand sing to you نشيدًاa song مِثْلَهُits like
وتُغنِّيكِ نشيدًا مِثْلَهُ
ماnever تَغَنَّتْthey sang لحبيبٍto a beloved زائرِvisiting
ما تَغَنَّتْ لحبيبٍ زائرِ
and sing you a song whose like
And sing you a song whose like
was never sung to a visiting beloved.
They have never sung to a visiting beloved.
هاتِgive كفَّيكِyour two hands ولاand do not تضطربيtremble!
هاتِ كفَّيكِ ولا تضطربي!
لاdo not تخالَيْimagine ريبةًgrounds for suspicion فيin ناظريmy gaze!
لا تخالَيْ ريبةً في ناظري!
Give me your hands, and do not tremble!
Give me your hands, and do not tremble!
Imagine no dubious intent in my gaze!
Suspect no ill intent in my gaze!
سوفwill يئويكِshelter you جدارٌa wall ساخرٌscoffing
سوف يئويكِ جدارٌ ساخرٌ
منat أباطيلِfalsehoods الزمانtime الساخرِmocking
من أباطيلِ الزمان الساخرِ
A wall shall shelter you, mocking
A wall will shelter you, scoffing
the falsehoods of mocking Time.
At the falsehoods of mocking time.
سوفwill يحويكِhold you فِراشٌa bed صامتsilent
سوف يحويكِ فِراشٌ صامت
لكِfor you فيهin it همساتُwhispers الذَّاكرِthe one who remembers
لكِ فيه همساتُ الذَّاكرِ
A silent bed shall hold you;
A silent bed will hold you;
there, for you, are the whispers of one who remembers.
There, for you, are the whispers of one who remembers.
سوفwill يطويكenfold you سكونٌstillness لمhas not يَشُبْtainted
سوف يطويك سكونٌ لم يَشُبْ
صَفْوَهُits purity لغْوُidle talk مُحبٍّa lover غادِرِtreacherous
صَفْوَهُ لغْوُ مُحبٍّ غادِرِ
A stillness shall enfold you, whose purity
A stillness will enfold you, untainted
no faithless lover’s chatter has sullied.
In its purity by a treacherous lover's idle talk.
وأناديكِand I call to you، وأستدنيand I draw toward me يدًاa hand
وأناديكِ، وأستدني يدًا
لمستْtouched روحيmy soul، وهزَّتْand stirred خاطرِيmy mind
لمستْ روحي، وهزَّتْ خاطرِي
I shall call to you and draw near a hand
And I call to you, and draw a hand toward me
that touched my soul and stirred my thoughts.
That touched my soul and stirred my mind.
وأحيِّيكِand I greet you، وأستْحيِيand I feel shy before فمًاa mouth
وأحيِّيكِ، وأستْحيِي فمًا
حَقُّهُits due قُبْلَةُa kiss رَبٍّa Lord غافِرِforgiving!!
حَقُّهُ قُبْلَةُ رَبٍّ غافِرِ!!
I shall salute you—and stand abashed before a mouth
And I greet you, and feel shy before a mouth
whose due is the kiss of a forgiving Lord!
Whose due is a kiss from a forgiving Lord!
Sol 6.1