أَأَيَّتُهَاO you النارُthe fire هذاthis المساءُevening
أَأَيَّتُهَا النارُ هذا المساءُ
قساgrew harsh بُرْدُهُits chill فانْهَضِيso rise واستفيقيand awaken
قسا بُرْدُهُ فانْهَضِي واستفيقي
O fire, this evening
O fire this evening
its chill has grown cruel; rise and awaken.
How bitterly cold is it, rise and awaken
أياO نارُfire كفَّايmy two palms أثلجُicier منهُthan it
أيا نارُ كفَّاي أثلجُ منهُ
فهلَّاthen why not بعثتِyou sent forth بدفءِwith the warmth of الحريقِthe blaze!
فهلَّا بعثتِ بدفءِ الحريقِ!
O fire, my two palms are icier than it;
O fire, my hands froze by it
then why not send forth the warmth of the blaze!
Why didn’t you give warmth with the blaze!
أماis there not فيكِin you بَعْدُstill حياةٌlife تُشَبُّis kindled؟
أما فيكِ بَعْدُ حياةٌ تُشَبُّ؟
أماis there not فيكِin you منany جَذوةٍember تُلْهَبُis set aflame؟
أما فيكِ من جَذوةٍ تُلْهَبُ؟
Is there no life still in you to be kindled?
Is there still life in you that flares up?
Is there no ember in you to be set aflame?
Is there still an ember that ignites?
أمقرورةٌare you chilled؟ أمor غفاdozed وانطوىand folded inward
أمقرورةٌ؟ أم غفا وانطوى
علىupon نفسهitself اللَّهَبُthe flame المُتْعَبُweary؟
على نفسه اللَّهَبُ المُتْعَبُ؟
Are you chilled? Or has it dozed and folded
Are you subdued? Or did the flame
in upon itself—the weary flame?
Fold upon itself out of fatigue?
أأجلسُshall I sit، ياO نارُfire، وحديby myself هُنَاhere
أأجلسُ، يا نارُ، وحدي هُنَا
أراعيكِI watch you وَهْنًاlate at night وأستطلِعُand I peer؟
أراعيكِ وَهْنًا وأستطلِعُ؟
Shall I sit, O fire, alone here,
Shall I sit, O fire, alone here
watching you late at night and peering?
Tending to your weakness and wait?
خُذِيtake ملءenough to fill شدقيكِboth sides of your mouth هَذِيthese الرسَائِلَthe letters
خُذِي ملء شدقيكِ هَذِي الرسَائِلَ
إنif كانthere is فيهنَّin them ماanything that يُشبِعُsates!
إن كان فيهنَّ ما يُشبِعُ!
Take these letters, enough to fill your mouth,
Take in your jaws these letters
if there is anything in them to sate you!
If there is anything in them that satisfies!
خُذِيهاtake them! كُلِيهاeat them! ولاand do not تُمهليgrant respite
خُذِيها! كُلِيها! ولا تُمهلي
فمنهاfor from them الوقودُthe fuel ومنكِand from you الأجيجْthe roaring blaze
فمنها الوقودُ ومنكِ الأجيجْ
Take them! Eat them! And grant no respite,
Take them! Eat them! And don’t delay
for from them comes the fuel, and from you the roaring blaze.
For from them is the fuel and from you the roar
وياand O منwho لهاto her كلماتٌwords حَوَتْcontained
ويا من لها كلماتٌ حَوَتْ
منof الحبِّlove كلَّevery جميلbeautiful thing بهيجْjoyous!
من الحبِّ كلَّ جميل بهيجْ!
And O you whose words contained
And O you who has words that
every beautiful, joyous thing in love!
Contained all beautiful love!
أتُبقينَwill you spare حقًّاtruly علىupon ماwhat بهاin them؟
أتُبقينَ حقًّا على ما بها؟
متىwhen أنتِyou أبْقَيْتِyou spared شيئًاanything؟ مَتَىwhen!
متى أنتِ أبْقَيْتِ شيئًا؟ مَتَى!
Will you truly spare what is in them?
Will you really keep to what is in them?
When have you spared anything? When!
When did you ever keep anything? When!
وَمَاذَاand what أُرَجِّيI hope for بهذَاwith this الدُّعَاءِthe plea
وَمَاذَا أُرَجِّي بهذَا الدُّعَاءِ
وكيفand how تُلَبِّينَyou answer! واO حسرتاmy sorrow!
وكيف تُلَبِّينَ! وا حسرتا!
And what do I hope for with this plea,
And what do I expect from this prayer
and how can you answer? Alas for me!
And how you respond! Oh what a pity!
أجائعةٌare you hungry أنتِyou؟ ياoh للشراهَةِat such voracity
أجائعةٌ أنتِ؟ يا للشراهَةِ
ماnot عِفْتِyou spurned غيرexcept بلًىdecay أوor رَمَادْash
ما عِفْتِ غير بلًى أو رَمَادْ
Are you hungry? Oh, such voracity!
Are you hungry? Oh the gluttony
You have spurned nothing but decay or ash.
You spared nothing but embers or ashes
تشهَّيتِyou craved كلَّevery طعامٍfood، وماand not
تشهَّيتِ كلَّ طعامٍ، وما
تذَوَّقْتِyou tasted شيئًاanything كَطَعْمِlike the taste of المِدَادْink؟
تذَوَّقْتِ شيئًا كَطَعْمِ المِدَادْ؟
You have craved every food, yet never
You craved all food, yet never
tasted anything to match the taste of ink?
Tasted anything like the taste of ink?
وَمَنْand who ليfor me بِزَادِكِwith your food؟ لَمْnot يَبْقَremains مَاanything that
وَمَنْ لي بِزَادِكِ؟ لَمْ يَبْقَ مَا
يَلُوكُchews لِسَانُكِyour tongue أوor يَعْلُكُchews repeatedly
يَلُوكُ لِسَانُكِ أو يَعْلُكُ
And who will get me food for you? Nothing remains
And who has provisions for you? Nothing is left
for your tongue to chew or munch.
For your tongue to lick or bite
أَأَيَّتُهَاO you النارُthe fire، وَيْكِwoe to you اصبِرِيbe patient
أَأَيَّتُهَا النارُ، وَيْكِ اصبِرِي
أَجِئْكِI shall come to you بكلwith all الذيthat which أملِكُI possess
أَجِئْكِ بكل الذي أملِكُ
O fire, woe to you—be patient;
O fire, please be patient
I shall come to you with all I possess,
I will bring you all I possess
بقربانيَwith my offering القُدْسِيِّsacred الأخيرِthe last
بقربانيَ القُدْسِيِّ الأخيرِ
أزاهيرَflowers كُنَّwere رِقَاقًاtender لِطَافَاdelicate
أزاهيرَ كُنَّ رِقَاقًا لِطَافَا
with my last sacred offering:
With my last sacred offering
flowers that once were tender and delicate,
Flowers that were delicate sheets
أزاهيرَflowers تُزْهَىis adorned بهاwith them باقَةٌa bouquet
أزاهيرَ تُزْهَى بها باقَةٌ
ذَوَتْwithered نضرةًfreshness وأصابَتْand encountered جِفَافَاdryness
ذَوَتْ نضرةً وأصابَتْ جِفَافَا
flowers that adorned a bouquet
Flowers that adorn a bouquet
whose freshness faded and which grew dry.
That had freshness but are now all dried up
أَلَاah كَمْhow greatly تَأَلَّقْنَthey shone فوقabove الغصونِthe branches
أَلَا كَمْ تَأَلَّقْنَ فوق الغصونِ
زواهرَradiant فيin روعةٍsplendor واتِّقَادْand fiery glow
زواهرَ في روعةٍ واتِّقَادْ
Ah, how brightly they shone above the boughs,
Oh how they glistened on the branches
radiant in splendor and fiery glow!
Flowers of splendor and ignition
بكفيَّwith my two palms هاتَيْنِthese two جمَّعْتُهُنَّI gathered them
بكفيَّ هاتَيْنِ جمَّعْتُهُنَّ
منfrom كلِّevery روضٍgarden ومنand from كلِّevery وادْvalley
من كلِّ روضٍ ومن كلِّ وادْ
With these two palms of mine I gathered them
With these two hands I gathered them
from every garden and every valley.
From every garden and every valley
فواso, oh رحمتاmy pity أيُّwhat a عمرٍlife قصيرٍshort
فوا رحمتا أيُّ عمرٍ قصيرٍ
لهنَّfor them، وأيُّand what a شبابٍyouth ذَوَىwithered
لهنَّ، وأيُّ شبابٍ ذَوَى
Ah, the pity! What a brief life
Oh what brief life they had
was theirs, and what youth has withered,
And what youth has vanished
وأيُّand what a حياةٍlife كحُلْمٍlike a dream سَرَىpassed by night
وأيُّ حياةٍ كحُلْمٍ سَرَى
سُرَىthe passage of البرقlightning لَأْلَأَflashed ثُمَّthen انْطَوَىvanished!
سُرَى البرق لَأْلَأَ ثُمَّ انْطَوَى!
and what a life, like a dream that passed
And what life like a dream that passed
as lightning passes—flashed, then vanished!
Flashed like lightning then folded away!
أحقًّاis it true فرغتِyou have finished؟ إذنthen ماwhat سُعارُكِyour frenzy
أحقًّا فرغتِ؟ إذن ما سُعارُكِ
لمnot يَبْقَremains، ياO نارُfire، ماanything that يُنْهَشُis gnawed
لم يَبْقَ، يا نارُ، ما يُنْهَشُ
Are you truly done? Then why your frenzy?
Are you really out? Then your flames
Nothing remains, O fire, to be gnawed.
Have nothing left, O fire, to gnaw
أهذيis it this القُصاصَةُthe paper scrap؟ لاno! إِنَّنِيindeed I
أهذي القُصاصَةُ؟ لا! إِنَّنِي
أضمُّI clasp عليهاaround it يدًاa hand تُرْعَشُis made to tremble!
أضمُّ عليها يدًا تُرْعَشُ!
This scrap? No! Indeed, I
Is this a paper? No! For I
clasp it in a trembling hand!
Grasp it with a trembling hand!
أكانتwas it سوىother than قطعةٍa piece غُضِّنَتْwas creased
أكانت سوى قطعةٍ غُضِّنَتْ
منof الورَقِpaper اليَابِسِdry الأصفَرِyellow
من الورَقِ اليَابِسِ الأصفَرِ
Was it anything but a creased piece
Was it just a yellowed, brittle
of dry, yellow paper,
Piece of paper, unread
مهلهلةًtattered غيْرَnot مقروءَةٍlegible
مهلهلةً غيْرَ مقروءَةٍ
حَوَتْheld قِصَّةَthe story of الحُبِّlove فيin أسطُرِlines!
حَوَتْ قِصَّةَ الحُبِّ في أسطُرِ!
tattered and unreadable,
Containing the story of love in verses!
that held love's story in a few lines!
I held it dear under the pillow
ضنِنْتُI guarded jealously بهاover it ضَنَّthe jealous care of معتَزَّةٍa proud woman
ضنِنْتُ بها ضَنَّ معتَزَّةٍ
وتَحْتَand beneath الوسادَةِthe pillow أودعتُهَاI laid it away
وتَحْتَ الوسادَةِ أودعتُهَا
I guarded it with a proud woman's jealous care,
I would kiss it two hundred times
and laid it beneath the pillow.
Whenever my longing exposed it
أُقبِّلهاI kiss it مِئَتَيْtwo hundred مَرَّةٍtimes
أُقبِّلها مِئَتَيْ مَرَّةٍ
إذاwhenever جُنَّwent mad شوقيmy longing فأطلعتُهاso I brought it out
إذا جُنَّ شوقي فأطلعتُها
I would kiss it two hundred times
Oh the gluttony! What do I see?
whenever my longing went mad and I brought it out.
Your tongue is in fury and rage
فَيَاso, oh للشَّرَاهَةِat such voracity؟ ماذَاwhat أَرَىI see؟
فَيَا للشَّرَاهَةِ؟ ماذَا أَرَى؟
لِسانَكِyour tongue فيin ثورةٍfury واهتيَاجْand tumult
لِسانَكِ في ثورةٍ واهتيَاجْ
And oh, such voracity! What do I see?
Your embers from the fireplace
Your tongue, in fury and tumult,
Nearly jump over the fence at me!
يكادis about to إليَّtoward me منfrom المصْطَلَىthe hearth
يكاد إليَّ من المصْطَلَى
بجمركِwith your embers أنto يتخطَّىleap over السيَاجْthe barrier!
بجمركِ أن يتخطَّى السيَاجْ!
is about—from the hearth, toward me—
Go back! What does it intend?
to leap with your embers over the guard!
Is there, O fire, nothing left to feed?
خَسِئْتِaway with you فردِّيهِso draw it back! ماذاwhat يرومُdoes it seek؟
خَسِئْتِ فردِّيهِ! ماذا يرومُ؟
ألمis there not يَبْقَleft، ياO نارُfire، ماanything that يُطعمُis eaten؟
ألم يَبْقَ، يا نارُ، ما يُطعمُ؟
Away with you! Draw it back! What does it seek?
Is this a paper? Oh the blaze
Is nothing left, O fire, to feed on?
And oh the ashes! How painful!
أهذيis it this القُصاصَةُthe paper scrap؟ ياoh لَلْحريقat the blaze
أهذي القُصاصَةُ؟ يا لَلْحريق
وياand oh لَلْبلَىat the ruin! شَدَّhow intensely ماthat يُؤْلِمُit hurts!
ويا لَلْبلَى! شَدَّ ما يُؤْلِمُ!
This scrap? Oh, the blaze,
and oh, the ruin! How terribly it hurts!
Partial English translation: 58 of 60 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1