خلق الشاعر و البؤس معا

خلق الشاعر و البؤس معا

فهما خلاّن لم يفترقا

فهما خلاّن لم يفترقا

The poet and misery were created together,

The poet and misery were created together

The poet and misery were created together,

For they are close friends who have never parted.

For they are two companions who never parted

For they are two companions who never part.

ذهب العمر و لم تمسك بدي

ذهب العمر و لم تمسك بدي

بين أترابي صفيّا أو خليلا

بين أترابي صفيّا أو خليلا

Life has passed, and [my hand] has never clasped

Life passed by and you did not take me as a friend

Life has passed, and my hand never held

A cherished friend or intimate companion among my peers.

Among my peers, neither intimate nor companion

Among my peers, a sincere companion or a friend.

أنا في الكون شقيّ حائر

أنا في الكون شقيّ حائر

لا أرى نورا و لا أهدى سبيلا

لا أرى نورا و لا أهدى سبيلا

I am wretched and bewildered in the universe.

I am in the universe, miserable and lost

I am in this universe a wretched, bewildered soul,

I see no light, nor am I shown a way.

I see no light and find no path

I see no light, nor am I guided to a path.

أنا طير لم يغرّد فاسمعوا

أنا طير لم يغرّد فاسمعوا

بالدجى منه نواحا و عويلا

بالدجى منه نواحا و عويلا

I am a bird that never sang—so hear

I am a bird that did not sing, so listen

I am a bird that never sang, so listen

From it, in the darkness, lamentation and wailing.

To its lament in the darkness, its wailing and weeping

To its wailing and howling in the dark.

أنا إنسان غريب أمره

أنا إنسان غريب أمره

شرب السمّ و عاف السلسبيلا

شرب السمّ و عاف السلسبيلا

I am a man whose condition is strange:

I am a strange human, whose affair

I am a human whose affair is strange,

He drank poison and shunned Salsabil.

Is to drink poison and avoid the chain

Who drank poison and forsook the sweet waters of Salsabil.

أنا روح حرّة طائرة

أنا روح حرّة طائرة

رضيت بين الراري مقيلا

رضيت بين الراري مقيلا

I am a free spirit in flight,

I am a free, soaring soul

I am a free, soaring spirit,

Content with a noonday resting place among [the wilds].

Who settled unwillingly in the shelters

Content to make its resting place among the wilds.

تومق الدنيا فتبكي جزعا

تومق الدنيا فتبكي جزعا

و تناجي أهلها جيلا فجيلا

و تناجي أهلها جيلا فجيلا

It loves the world, and so weeps in anguish,

The world smiles then weeps bitterly

It loves the world, yet weeps in anguish,

And communes with its people, generation after generation.

And whispers to its generations, one after another

And whispers to its people, generation after generation.

شاركت في الحزن من ذاق الأسى

شاركت في الحزن من ذاق الأسى

و أبت حين نوى الإلف الرحيلا

و أبت حين نوى الإلف الرحيلا

It shared the grief of those who tasted sorrow,

I shared in the sorrow of those who tasted anguish

It shared in the sorrow of those who tasted grief,

And refused when the beloved resolved to depart.

And refused when companionship bid its farewell

And refused to let go when the intimate friend resolved to depart.

بورك الحبّ و ما أعدله

بورك الحبّ و ما أعدله

ملك الروح و لم ينس الهيولي

ملك الروح و لم ينس الهيولي

Blessed be love—and how just it is!

Blessed is love and how just it is

Blessed is love, and how just it is;

It possessed the soul and did not forget primal matter.

It ruled the soul and did not forget humanity

It possessed the spirit and did not forget the physical form.

قد سرى في الكون حتّى لم يدع

قد سرى في الكون حتّى لم يدع

في قلوب الناس قلبا مغلقا

في قلوب الناس قلبا مغلقا

It spread through the universe until it left no

It flowed in the universe until it left

It has flowed through the universe until it left not

Closed heart among the hearts of humankind.

No closed hearts in people's souls

A single closed heart among the hearts of men.

هو حزن هادئ في غبطة

هو حزن هادئ في غبطة

و هو لو ذقت نعيم في شقا

و هو لو ذقت نعيم في شقا

It is quiet sorrow amid joy,

It is a serene sorrow in bliss

It is a quiet sorrow within bliss,

And, if you tasted it, bliss amid misery.

And if you taste delight in misery

And it is, if you taste it, a paradise within misery.

إيه يا موج سلاما هكذا

إيه يا موج سلاما هكذا

يرسل الصبّ مع الموج سلامه

يرسل الصبّ مع الموج سلامه

Speak on, O waves—greetings! Thus

O wave, greetings, this is how

Ah, O wave, a greeting! For thus

The lovesick one sends his greeting with the waves.

The morning sends its greetings with the wave

Does the enamored one send his greeting with the wave.

أنا مظلوم فمن هذا الذي

أنا مظلوم فمن هذا الذي

يرفع الغمّة عنّي و الظلامه ؟

يرفع الغمّة عنّي و الظلامه ؟

I am wronged—who, then, is the one who

I am wronged, so who is this

I am oppressed, so who is the one

Will lift the anguish and injustice from me?

That will lift the veil and darkness from me?

To lift the gloom and the injustice from me?

مرّ بي الدهر فأدمى مقلتي

مرّ بي الدهر فأدمى مقلتي

بعد أن اثبت في قلبي سهامه

بعد أن اثبت في قلبي سهامه

Time passed over me and bloodied my eye,

Time passed me by and blinded my eyes

Time passed me by and made my eyes bleed,

After lodging its arrows in my heart.

After embedding its arrows in my heart

After it had lodged its arrows in my heart.

لم يغيّرني سقاما و هوى

لم يغيّرني سقاما و هوى

إن يكن غيّرني وجها و قامه

إن يكن غيّرني وجها و قامه

It has not changed me in sickness or in love,

Neither sickness nor passion changed me

It did not change me in sickness and in love,

Even if it has changed my face and stature.

If it changed me, it was my face and body

Even if it changed my face and my stature.

هات حدّثني عن العهد الذي

هات حدّثني عن العهد الذي

كان في ثغر لياليّ ابتسامه

كان في ثغر لياليّ ابتسامه

Come, tell me of the time that

Bring me news of the era when

Come, tell me of the era when

Was a smile on the lips of my nights.

Its nights' lips had a smile

There was a smile on the lips of my nights.

لا أرى من بعد عشرين مضت

لا أرى من بعد عشرين مضت

عجبا إن عاود القلب غرامه

عجبا إن عاود القلب غرامه

I see nothing, after twenty years have passed,

I see no wonder, after twenty years gone by

I do not find it strange, after twenty years have passed,

Strange if the heart returns to its passion.

If the heart returns to its passion

If the heart were to return to its infatuation.

ذكر الشام سقاها صيّب

ذكر الشام سقاها صيّب

طاهر المزن وحيّتها غمامه

طاهر المزن وحيّتها غمامه

It recalled al-Sham—may a downpour water her,

The memory of Damascus quenched it

The memory of Ash-Sham—may a pouring rain water it,

Its rain clouds pure—and may a cloud greet her.

With pure wine, and its clouds saluted it

From pure clouds, and may a cloud greet it.

لا تلمه حين يصفيها الهوى

لا تلمه حين يصفيها الهوى

إنّما الشام بوجه الدّهر شامه

إنّما الشام بوجه الدّهر شامه

Do not blame it when it devotes its love to her;

Do not blame it when passion describes it

Do not blame him when he offers it pure passion,

Indeed, al-Sham is a beauty mark on time's face.

Damascus is the cheek of time

For Ash-Sham is but a beauty mark on the face of Time.

كيف لم أقض حنينا ز أسى

كيف لم أقض حنينا ز أسى

يوم فارقت برغمي جلّقا

يوم فارقت برغمي جلّقا

How did I not die of longing [and] sorrow

How could I not fulfill the yearning of sorrow

How did I not perish from longing and sorrow

The day I left Jilliq against my will?

When against my will I parted from Juluq

The day I parted from Jilliq against my will?

للّقا : قالت : و من أعلمها

للّقا : قالت : و من أعلمها

أنّني أحيا إلى يوم اللّقا

أنّني أحيا إلى يوم اللّقا

“Till we meet,” she said—and who told her

Juluq said: And who informed her

"Until we meet," she said. And who told her

That I would live until the day of reunion?

That I live until the day we meet again

That I would live until the day of meeting?

أنشقي أزهار شعري غضّة

أنشقي أزهار شعري غضّة

إنّني ألقيتها بين يديك

إنّني ألقيتها بين يديك

Breathe in the flowers of my verse, still fresh;

Bloom, flowers of my fresh poetry

Inhale the tender flowers of my poetry;

Indeed, I have laid them between your hands.

I have placed them before you

I have tossed them before your hands.

و اعذريني حين أبكي و اذرفي

و اعذريني حين أبكي و اذرفي

دمعة طاهرة من مقلتيك

دمعة طاهرة من مقلتيك

And forgive me when I weep, and shed

And forgive me as I weep and shed

And forgive me when I weep, and shed

A pure tear from your eyes.

A pure teardrop from your eyes

A pure tear from your eyes.

حرت في الحبّ إلى أن لاح لي

حرت في الحبّ إلى أن لاح لي

سرّه مجتجبا في ناظريك

سرّه مجتجبا في ناظريك

I was bewildered by love until there appeared to me

I wandered in love until its hidden secret appeared

I was bewildered by love until it appeared to me,

Its secret, [veiled] within your eyes.

Concealed in my eyes

With its secret hidden in your eyes.

قوّة قاهرة تجذبني

قوّة قاهرة تجذبني

حيثما يمّمت مضطرّا إليك

حيثما يمّمت مضطرّا إليك

An overpowering force draws me,

An irresistible force pulls me

A conquering force pulls me,

Wherever I turn, despite myself, toward you.

Wherever I head compelled toward you

Wherever I turn, compelled toward you.

هذه الموجة فرّت بعدما

هذه الموجة فرّت بعدما

قبّلت بالسرّ إحدى قدميك

قبّلت بالسرّ إحدى قدميك

This wave fled after

This wave fled after it

This wave has fled after

She kissed one of your feet in secret.

Kissed your foot secretly

It secretly kissed one of your feet.

لا تلوميها فما في قبلة

لا تلوميها فما في قبلة

طهرت إثم عليها أو عليك

طهرت إثم عليها أو عليك

Do not blame her, for in a kiss

Do not blame it, for in a kiss

Do not blame it, for in a kiss

That is pure, there is no sin for her or for you.

No sin tainted it or you

That is pure, there is no sin upon it or upon you.

و نسيم الصبح ما أسعده

و نسيم الصبح ما أسعده

حين ترويه حميّا شفتيك

حين ترويه حميّا شفتيك

And the morning breeze—how happy it is

And the morning breeze, how happy it is

And the morning breeze, how fortunate it is

When the intoxicating ardor of your lips quenches its thirst!

When you quench it thirstily with your lips

When it is quenched by the intoxicating wine of your lips.

ويح شنفيك قد اهتزّا هوى

ويح شنفيك قد اهتزّا هوى

حينما شمّا الشذى من وجنتيك

حينما شمّا الشذى من وجنتيك

Alas for your earrings—they trembled with love

Alas your braids shook with love

Ah, your earrings! They have trembled with passion

When they smelled the fragrance from your cheeks.

When they sensed the fragrance from your cheeks

When they smelled the fragrance of your cheeks.

كلّ ما في الكون يهواك فهل

كلّ ما في الكون يهواك فهل

حلية الزندين تهوى معصميك

حلية الزندين تهوى معصميك

Everything in the universe loves you—then does

All in the universe love you, so does

Everything in the universe loves you, so do

The jewelry on your forearms love your wrists?

The bracelet adore your wrist?

The ornaments on your forearms love your wrists?

إنّ في نهديك طيبا عبقا

إنّ في نهديك طيبا عبقا

أنشقي الشاعر هذا العبقا

أنشقي الشاعر هذا العبقا

Indeed, in your breasts is fragrant perfume;

In your breasts is a beautiful fragrance

Indeed, there is a fragrant perfume in your breasts;

Let the poet breathe in this fragrance.

Unclasp it, this fragrance

Let the poet inhale this fragrance.

و اذكري الشاعر و البؤس معا

و اذكري الشاعر و البؤس معا

فهما خلاّن لم يفترقا

فهما خلاّن لم يفترقا

And remember the poet and misery together,

And remember the poet and misery together

And remember the poet and misery together,

For they are close friends who have never parted.

For they are two companions who never parted

For they are two companions who never part.