كمmany a ليلةٍnight حمراءَcrimson خِلْتُI imagined ظلامَهاits darkness
كم ليلةٍ حمراءَ خِلْتُ ظلامَها
يَدَthe hand of ماردٍa demon سَلَّتْunsheathed خضيبَbloodstained حُسامِa sharp sword
يَدَ ماردٍ سَلَّتْ خضيبَ حُسامِ
Many a crimson night, I fancied its darkness
How many a sanguine night I spent, shrouded in its darkness,
A demon's hand that had drawn a bloodstained sword.
The hand of a rebel unsheathing the sword of his whims.
وكأنَّand as though كلَّevery سحابةٍcloud فيin أُفقهاits horizon
وكأنَّ كلَّ سحابةٍ في أُفقها
شَبَحُthe specter of الخطيئةِsin فوقabove عِرْضٍhonor دامِيbleeding
شَبَحُ الخطيئةِ فوق عِرْضٍ دامِي
And as though every cloud on its horizon
As if each cloud in its horizon,
Were the specter of sin above bleeding honor.
Were the specter of sin looming over a bloody honor.
وكأنَّand as though أنجمهاits stars نوافذُthe windows of حانةٍa tavern
وكأنَّ أنجمها نوافذُ حانةٍ
شَرِبَdrank الدُّخانُthe smoke بهاin it بريقَthe gleam of الجامِthe goblet
شَرِبَ الدُّخانُ بها بريقَ الجامِ
And as though its stars were a tavern's windows,
As if its stars were the windows of a tavern,
Where smoke drank up the goblet's gleam.
Where smoke drank the gleam of the cup.
وكَأَنَّand as though أنوارَthe lights of المدينةِthe city تَحْتَهَاbeneath them
وكَأَنَّ أنوارَ المدينةِ تَحْتَهَا
سُرُجُthe lamps of الغوايةِseduction فيon طريقa path حَرامِforbidden
سُرُجُ الغوايةِ في طريق حَرامِ
And as though the city's lights beneath them
As if the city lights beneath it,
Were lamps of seduction along a forbidden path.
Were the lamps of temptation on the path of sin.
همدَgrew still الهواءُthe air بهاwithin it فجهدُso the effort of حَراكِهِits stirring
همدَ الهواءُ بها فجهدُ حَراكِهِ
هَبَوَاتُpuffs نارٍfire فيin نفيثِan exhalation of قَتَامِdark dust
هَبَوَاتُ نارٍ في نفيثِ قَتَامِ
The air grew still within it, so its struggle to stir
The air grew still within it, so its whispers
Was puffs of fire in an exhalation of dark dust.
Were but fiery gusts in a blast of gloom.
وكأنماand as though اختنقَhad suffocated الفضاءُthe expanse فكلُّso all ماthat
وكأنما اختنقَ الفضاءُ فكلُّ ما
فيهin it صريعٌslain أوor وشيكُclose to حِمامِdeath
فيه صريعٌ أو وشيكُ حِمامِ
And as though the expanse had suffocated, so all
As if space itself were suffocating, and all that was in it
Within it lay slain or near death.
Was a victim, or nearing slaughter.
ألفيتُنيI found myself جسدًاa body تُسارقُstealthily steals رُوحَهُits soul
ألفيتُني جسدًا تُسارقُ رُوحَهُ
قُبَلٌkisses عواصفُtempestuous ضُرِّجَتْwere stained crimson بأثامِwith sins
قُبَلٌ عواصفُ ضُرِّجَتْ بأثامِ
I found myself a body whose soul was being stealthily stolen by
I found myself, a body whose soul was being stolen
Tempestuous kisses, stained crimson with sins.
By lustful storms, defiled with sins.
أجتاحُهاI ravage them وأضجُّand I cry out منfrom لذعاتهاtheir stings
أجتاحُها وأضجُّ من لذعاتها
فكأنَّهاso as though they were بدميin my blood نقيعُan infusion of سُمامِvenom
فكأنَّها بدمي نقيعُ سُمامِ
I ravage them and cry out at their stings,
I braved them and shook with pain from their stings,
So they seem an infusion of venom in my blood.
As if they were the deadly draught of poisons in my blood.
وعلىand at يَدَيْthe two hands of مسمورةٍa dusky woman مخمورةٍdrunken
وعلى يَدَيْ مسمورةٍ مخمورةٍ
ألتذُّI savor كالمقرورِlike one chilled حرَّthe heat of ضرامِblazing fire
ألتذُّ كالمقرورِ حرَّ ضرامِ
And at the hands of a dusky, drunken woman
And in the hands of an inebriated and drugged woman,
I savor, like one chilled, the heat of blazing fire,
I delighted, like one made drunk on bitter nectar.
متضائلَdwindling الأفكارthoughts مهدورَsquandered القُوَىstrength
متضائلَ الأفكار مهدورَ القُوَى
متزايلَdisintegrating الأهواءِdesires والأحلامِand dreams
متزايلَ الأهواءِ والأحلامِ
My thoughts dwindling, my strength squandered,
My thoughts waning, my strength squandered,
My desires and dreams falling apart.
My passions and dreams fading away.
هيshe منwho تُرَىI wonder؟ هيَshe هنَّthey، هنَّthey جواذبيthose who draw me
هي من تُرَى؟ هيَ هنَّ، هنَّ جواذبي
بأنيقِwith an elegant ثوبٍgown، أوor رشيقgraceful قوامِfigure
بأنيقِ ثوبٍ، أو رشيق قوامِ
Who is she, I wonder? She is them—they draw me
Who is she? She is they, they my temptresses,
With an elegant gown or a graceful figure:
In elegant dress, or shapely figure.
الشارداتُthe wandering ones العائداتُthe returning ones معwith الضُّحَىmidmorning
الشارداتُ العائداتُ مع الضُّحَى
الطارداتُthe pursuing ones وراءَafter كلِّevery ظلامِdarkness
الطارداتُ وراءَ كلِّ ظلامِ
The wanderers, returning at midmorning,
The wanderers, returning at dawn,
Those who chase after every darkness.
Dispelling each darkness behind them.
هنthey اللواتيthe ones who إنْif صحوتُI awaken فإِنَّنِيthen indeed I
هن اللواتي إنْ صحوتُ فإِنَّنِي
منهنَّfrom them طالبُa seeker of مَهْرَبٍan escape وسلامِand peace
منهنَّ طالبُ مَهْرَبٍ وسلامِ
They are the ones—if I awaken, then I
They whom if I awakened, I would seek from them
Seek escape from them, and peace.
Refuge and peace.
أخمدتُI extinguished فوقupon شفاههنَّtheir lips شبيبتيmy youth
أخمدتُ فوق شفاههنَّ شبيبتي
وذبحتُand I slaughtered بينbetween عيونهنَّtheir eyes غراميmy love!
وذبحتُ بين عيونهنَّ غرامي!
I extinguished my youth upon their lips,
I extinguished my youth upon their lips,
And slaughtered my love between their eyes!
And slaughtered my love between their eyes!
Sol 6.1