لَوعَةٌ في الضُلوعِ مِثلَ جَهَنَّمِ

لَوعَةٌ في الضُلوعِ مِثلَ جَهَنَّمِ

تَرَكَت هَذِهِ الضُلوعَ رَمادا

تَرَكَت هَذِهِ الضُلوعَ رَمادا

An anguish in the ribs, like Hell,

An agony in my ribs like hell

An anguish within the ribs akin to Hellfire,

has turned these ribs to ashes.

Left these ribs ashes

That has left these ribs as mere ashes.

بِتُّ مَرمى لِلدَهرِ بي يَتَعَلَّم

بِتُّ مَرمى لِلدَهرِ بي يَتَعَلَّم

كَيفَ يُصمي القُلوب وَالئكبادا

كَيفَ يُصمي القُلوب وَالئكبادا

I have become Time's target; through me it learns

I have become a target for fate to learn

I have become a target for Fate, upon which it practices

how to mortally wound hearts and livers.

How it deafens hearts and livers

How to strike down hearts and vitals.

كَيفَ يَنجو فُؤادُهُ أَو يَسلَم

كَيفَ يَنجو فُؤادُهُ أَو يَسلَم

مَن تَمادى بِهِ الأَسى فَتَمادى

مَن تَمادى بِهِ الأَسى فَتَمادى

How can his heart escape or remain unharmed—

How can my heart survive or be safe

How can his heart survive or remain safe,

one whom sorrow drove onward, and who went ever further?

When sorrow persisted with me so I persisted

He whom sorrow has overwhelmed, and overwhelmed again?

أَنا لَولا الشُعورُ لَم أَتَأَلَّم

أَنا لَولا الشُعورُ لَم أَتَأَلَّم

لَيتَ الفُؤادَ كانَ جَمادا

لَيتَ الفُؤادَ كانَ جَمادا

Were it not for feeling, I would not suffer;

If not for feeling I would not have suffered

I, were it not for feeling, would feel no pain;

would that the heart were inanimate matter.

If only my heart was inanimate

Would that my heart were but stone.

كَيفَ لا أَبكي وَفي العَينِ دُموع

كَيفَ لا أَبكي وَفي العَينِ دُموع

كَيفَ لا ئشكو وَفي القَلبِ صُدوع

كَيفَ لا ئشكو وَفي القَلبِ صُدوع

How can I not weep, with tears in my eye?

How can I not weep and tears are in the eye

How can I not weep when tears fill my eyes?

How can I not complain, with fissures in my heart?

How can I not complain and there are wounds in the heart

How can I not complain when cracks fissure my heart?

قَلَّ في الناسِ مَن صَبَر

قَلَّ في الناسِ مَن صَبَر

مُخـــــــــــــــــــــــــــتارا

مُخـــــــــــــــــــــــــــتارا

Few among people endure

Those who have patience in people are few

Few are those among men who endure,

by choice.

The choice is to shed tears

Of their own free will.

لَحظَةٌ ثُمَّ صارَ ضِحكي وَجيبا

لَحظَةٌ ثُمَّ صارَ ضِحكي وَجيبا

وَنَشيجا وَالنَومُ صارَ سُهادا

وَنَشيجا وَالنَومُ صارَ سُهادا

A moment—then my laughter turned to throbbing,

Or blood spilled

A moment passed, and my laughter turned to trembling,

and sobbing, and sleep turned to sleeplessness.

Or a raging

And sobbing, and my sleep turned to wakefulness.

رَبِّ لَمّا خَلَقتَ هَذي الخُطوبا

رَبِّ لَمّا خَلَقتَ هَذي الخُطوبا

لِمَ لَم تَخلُقِ الحَشا فولادا

لِمَ لَم تَخلُقِ الحَشا فولادا

Lord, when You created these calamities,

fire

O Lord, when You created these calamities,

why did You not make the inward parts of steel?

A moment then my laughter became wailing

Why did You not create my innards of steel?

كُلَّما قُلتُ قَد وَجَدتُ حَبيبا

كُلَّما قُلتُ قَد وَجَدتُ حَبيبا

طَلَعَ المَوتُ بَينَنا يَتَهادى

طَلَعَ المَوتُ بَينَنا يَتَهادى

Whenever I said, 'I have found a loved one,'

And my sleep became tranquility

Whenever I said, "I have found a beloved,"

death rose between us, sauntering.

O Lord, when you created these calamities

Death rose up between us, strutting proudly.

صِرتُ في هَذِهِ الحَياةِ غَريبا

صِرتُ في هَذِهِ الحَياةِ غَريبا

لَيتَ سُهدي الطَويلَ كانَ رُقادا

لَيتَ سُهدي الطَويلَ كانَ رُقادا

I have become a stranger in this life;

Why did you not create patience as innate

I have become a stranger in this life;

would that my long wakefulness were sleep.

Whenever I say I found a lover

Would that my long sleeplessness were eternal slumber.

فَتَجَلَّد أَيُّها القَلبُ الجَزوع

فَتَجَلَّد أَيُّها القَلبُ الجَزوع

أَو تَدَفَّق كُلَّما شاءَ الوَلوع

أَو تَدَفَّق كُلَّما شاءَ الوَلوع

So be steadfast, O distraught heart,

Death comes between us swaggering

So endure, O anxious heart,

or pour forth whenever yearning wills,

I have become a stranger in this life

Or pour forth whenever passion demands—

عَندَماً أَو دَماً هُدِر

عَندَماً أَو دَماً هُدِر

أَو نـــــــــــــــــــــــــــارا

أَو نـــــــــــــــــــــــــــارا

as crimson dye, or blood shed unavenged,

If only my long slumber was eternal rest

As dragon's blood, or blood spilled in waste,

or fire.

So be resolute O sorrowful heart

Or as fire.

مَن كانَ بَينَ الكَرى وَبَينِيَ صُلُحُ

مَن كانَ بَينَ الكَرى وَبَينِيَ صُلُحُ

فَأَرادَ القَضاءَ أَن نَتعادى

فَأَرادَ القَضاءَ أَن نَتعادى

There was peace between slumber and me;

Or flow whenever anguish wished

Once, there was a truce between slumber and me,

then fate willed that we become enemies.

Whether it is tears

But Fate decreed that we should become foes.

لَم أَكَد أَخلَعُ السَواد وَأَصحو

لَم أَكَد أَخلَعُ السَواد وَأَصحو

مِن ذُهولي حَتّى لَبِستُ السَوادا

مِن ذُهولي حَتّى لَبِستُ السَوادا

Scarcely had I taken off my mourning black and awakened

Or blood shed

Scarcely had I cast off my mourning black and awakened

from my stupor when I put on black again.

Or fire kindled

From my stupor, before I donned the black again.

في فُؤادي لَو يَعلَمُ الناسُ جُرحٌ

في فُؤادي لَو يَعلَمُ الناسُ جُرحٌ

لا يُلاشى حَتّى يُلاشى الفُؤادا

لا يُلاشى حَتّى يُلاشى الفُؤادا

There is a wound in my heart, if people only knew,

O grave on the banks of the valley

In my heart—if only people knew—is a wound

that will not vanish until it annihilates the heart.

Clouds have rained for you from cities

That will not fade until the heart itself fades away.

يا خَليلي هَيهاتَ يَنفَعُ نُصحُ

يا خَليلي هَيهاتَ يَنفَعُ نُصحُ

بَعدَما ضَيَّعَ الحَزينُ الرَشادا

بَعدَما ضَيَّعَ الحَزينُ الرَشادا

O my friend, no counsel can avail

In you I deposited since six my heart

O my friend, advice is of no avail

after the sorrowing man has lost sound judgment.

And despite myself I prolonged being away from you

After the sorrowful one has lost his way.

أَنتَ لا تَستَطيعُ إِحياءَ الصَريع

أَنتَ لا تَستَطيعُ إِحياءَ الصَريع

وَأَنا حَملَ الأَسى لا أَستَطيع

وَأَنا حَملَ الأَسى لا أَستَطيع

You cannot restore the slain to life,

Yet if time brought me back

You cannot revive the fallen dead,

and I cannot bear the burden of sorrow.

It did not bring me back in spirit to visit

And I cannot bear the weight of this sorrow.

ذا الَّذي صَيَّرَ الكَدَر

ذا الَّذي صَيَّرَ الكَدَر

إِكـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــدارا

إِكـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــدارا

This is what turned sorrow

Flowers grew around you

This is what has turned distress

into bitter anguish.

And nights grew thorns around me

Into deeper murky gloom.

يا ضَريحاً عَلى ضِفافِ الوادي

يا ضَريحاً عَلى ضِفافِ الوادي

جادَ مِن أَجلِكَ الغَمامُ البِلادا

جادَ مِن أَجلِكَ الغَمامُ البِلادا

O tomb upon the valley's banks,

The withering of the branch in spring

O tomb upon the banks of the valley,

may the clouds water the land for your sake.

If the trees of the lush garden saw it

For your sake, the clouds have watered the lands.

فيكَ أَودَعتُ مُنذُ سِتٍّ فُؤادي

فيكَ أَودَعتُ مُنذُ سِتٍّ فُؤادي

وَبِرَغمي أَطَلتُ عَنكَ البِعادا

وَبِرَغمي أَطَلتُ عَنكَ البِعادا

In you I laid my heart six [years] ago,

Water in the trees would freeze

In you, some six years past, I buried my heart,

and, against my will, have stayed long away from you.

The choice is shedding tears

And against my will, I have stayed long away from you.

غَيرَ أَنّي وَإِن عَدَتني العَوادي

غَيرَ أَنّي وَإِن عَدَتني العَوادي

ما عَدَتني بِالروحِ أَن أَرتادا

ما عَدَتني بِالروحِ أَن أَرتادا

But though misfortunes have kept me away,

How can eyes not avoid mine

Yet, even if misfortunes have hindered me,

they have not kept me from visiting in spirit.

While my eyelids are rough with wakefulness

They have not hindered my spirit from visiting.

أَنبَتَت حَولَكَ الزُهورُ الغَوادي

أَنبَتَت حَولَكَ الزُهورُ الغَوادي

وَاللَيالي أَنبَتنَ حَولي القَتادا

وَاللَيالي أَنبَتنَ حَولي القَتادا

The morning rains grew flowers around you,

And my tears with their crimson color

The morning rains have grown flowers around you,

and the nights grew thorn trees around me.

Are a spring that does not attract visitors

While the nights have grown thorns around me.

وَذُبولُ الغُصنِ في فَصلِ الرَبيع

وَذُبولُ الغُصنِ في فَصلِ الرَبيع

لَو رَآهُ شَجَرُ الرَوضِ المَريع

لَو رَآهُ شَجَرُ الرَوضِ المَريع

And a branch's withering in the spring—

And what is in my ribs of fires

The withering of the branch in the spring season—

if the trees of the lush garden saw it,

Became clothes, a seat, and pillows

Had the trees of the fertile garden seen it,

جَمَدَ الماءُ في الشَجَر

جَمَدَ الماءُ في الشَجَر

مُحـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــتارا

مُحـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــتارا

the sap within the trees would freeze

How can the weak endure calamities

The sap would have frozen within the wood

in bewilderment.

Disease has consumed his body or almost

In sheer bewilderment.

كَيفَ لا يَتَّقي الكَرى أَجفاني

كَيفَ لا يَتَّقي الكَرى أَجفاني

وَجُفوني قَدِ اِستَحَلنَ صِعادا

وَجُفوني قَدِ اِستَحَلنَ صِعادا

How should slumber not shun my eyelids,

So if drowsiness covers the eyelids

How could slumber not shun my eyelids,

when my eyelids have turned into spears?

Remember it is the heart, torn

When my lids have transformed into spear-points?

وَدُموعي بِلَونِها الأُرجُواني

وَدُموعي بِلَونِها الأُرجُواني

مَنهَلٌَ لَيسَ يُعجِبُ الوُرّادا

مَنهَلٌَ لَيسَ يُعجِبُ الوُرّادا

And my tears, in their purple hue,

Sorrow has compressed it, so it erupted

And my tears, with their crimson hue,

are a watering-place that pleases none who come to drink.

An outpouring

Are a watering hole that pleases no one who drinks.

وَالَّذي في الضُلوعِ مِن نيرانِ

وَالَّذي في الضُلوعِ مِن نيرانِ

صارَ ثَوبا وَمَقعَدا وَوِسادا

صارَ ثَوبا وَمَقعَدا وَوِسادا

And the fire within my ribs

A bird that was singing in the woods

And the fires that burn within my ribs

has become a garment, a seat, and a pillow.

Today carries shackles

Have become my garment, my seat, and my pillow.

كَيفَ يَقوى عَلى الشَدائِدِ عانِ

كَيفَ يَقوى عَلى الشَدائِدِ عانِ

أَكَلَ السُقمُ جِسمَهُ أَو كادا

أَكَلَ السُقمُ جِسمَهُ أَو كادا

How can a captive withstand hardships,

A branch that bent with the breeze

How can a captive endure such hardships,

when sickness has consumed his body, or nearly so?

The hand of fate made it creak

When sickness has consumed his body, or nearly so?

فَإِذا ما غَشِيَ الطَرفَ النَجيع

فَإِذا ما غَشِيَ الطَرفَ النَجيع

فَتَذَكَّر أَنَّهُ القَلبُ الصَديع

فَتَذَكَّر أَنَّهُ القَلبُ الصَديع

So if ever blood covers the eye,

Time attained what it wishes from me

So if blood clouds the sight,

remember that it is the shattered heart:

And refused that I attain what I desire

Remember that it is the shattered heart;

كَظَّهُ الحُزنُ فَاِنفَجَر

كَظَّهُ الحُزنُ فَاِنفَجَر

اِنفِجـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــارا

اِنفِجـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــارا

sorrow overwhelmed it, and it burst—

And it took what it wanted to take

Grief stifled it, until it burst

burst open.

And its turns became tyranny

Into fragments.

طائِرٌ كانَ في الرُبى يَتَغَنّى

طائِرٌ كانَ في الرُبى يَتَغَنّى

أَصبَحَ اليَومَ يَحمِلُ الأَصفادا

أَصبَحَ اليَومَ يَحمِلُ الأَصفادا

A bird that once sang among the hills

The sword broke and did not spare the shields

A bird that once sang upon the hills

today bears chains.

And the firm wall collapsed before it

Has come this day to bear heavy chains.

غُصنٌ كان وَالصِبا يَتَثَنّى

غُصنٌ كان وَالصِبا يَتَثَنّى

هَصَرَتهُ يَدُ الرَدى فَاِنآدا

هَصَرَتهُ يَدُ الرَدى فَاِنآدا

A bough that once swayed in youth—

And it showed me lessons

A branch it was, swaying with the breeze of youth;

Death's hand bent it down, and it drooped.

From misfortunes

The hand of Destruction bent it, and it bowed low.

نالَ مِنّي الزَمانُ ما يَتَمَنّى

نالَ مِنّي الزَمانُ ما يَتَمَنّى

وَأَبى أَن أَنالَ مِنهُ مُرادا

وَأَبى أَن أَنالَ مِنهُ مُرادا

Time took from me what it desired,

Why do these stars refuse dawn

Time has taken from me all that it desires,

and refused to let me gain from it what I desired.

Are the planets afraid of thunderstorms

Yet refused to grant me a single wish.

وَتَجَنّى ما شاءَ أَن يَتَجَنّى

وَتَجَنّى ما شاءَ أَن يَتَجَنّى

وَاِستَبَدَّت صُروفُهُ اِستِبدادا

وَاِستَبَدَّت صُروفُهُ اِستِبدادا

It wronged me however it wished to wrong me,

Did absence undo their composed necklace

It has committed what tyranny it pleased,

and its vicissitudes wielded utter tyranny.

Or is it because I see the white as black

And its calamities have reigned with utter despotism.

حَطَّمَ السَيف وَما أَبقى الدُروع

حَطَّمَ السَيف وَما أَبقى الدُروع

وَتَداعى دونَهُ السورُ المَنيع

وَتَداعى دونَهُ السورُ المَنيع

It shattered the sword and left no shields;

Or did they lose as I lost a brother

It shattered the sword and spared not the shields,

and before it the impregnable wall collapsed.

So they wore mourning clothes for him

And the impregnable wall crumbled before it,

وَأَراني مِنَ العِبَر

وَأَراني مِنَ العِبَر

أَطــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــوارا

أَطــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــوارا

And it showed me lessons

Why do my eyes not see the full moon

Showing me lessons of fate

in many forms.

When it was shining and guiding

In all their varied forms.

ما لِهَذي النُجومِ تَأبى الشُروقا

ما لِهَذي النُجومِ تَأبى الشُروقا

أَتَخافُ الكَواكِبُ الأَرصادا

أَتَخافُ الكَواكِبُ الأَرصادا

Why do these stars refuse to rise?

Traveling, strutting in this meadow

Why do these stars refuse to rise?

Do the stars fear the watchers?

Did news of the terrible event reach him

Do the planets fear those who watch them?

فَرطَ البَينُ عِقدَها المَنسوقا

فَرطَ البَينُ عِقدَها المَنسوقا

أَم لِما بي أَرى البَياضَ سَوادا

أَم لِما بي أَرى البَياضَ سَوادا

Has separation scattered their strung necklace,

Or did he see the death of the moon

Has separation scattered their ordered necklace,

or, because of what ails me, do I see white as black?

So he vanished

Or does my grief make me see the white as black?

أَم فَقِدنَ كَما فَقَدتُ شَقيقا

أَم فَقِدنَ كَما فَقَدتُ شَقيقا

فَلَبِسنَ الدُجى عَلَيهِ حِدادا

فَلَبِسنَ الدُجى عَلَيهِ حِدادا

Or have they lost a brother, as I have,

Fate drew its bow and shot me

Or have they lost a brother, as I have,

and so donned darkness in mourning for him?

My brain did not deviate it nor did the arrow miss

And donned the darkness in mourning for him?

ما لِعَيني لا تُبصِرُ العَيّوقا

ما لِعَيني لا تُبصِرُ العَيّوقا

وَلَقَد كانَ ساطِعاً وَقّادا

وَلَقَد كانَ ساطِعاً وَقّادا

What ails my eye, that it cannot see al-‘Ayyuq?

That is how the turns of time

Why does my eye not see the star of Capella,

And indeed it had been radiant and blazing,

Silenced a nightingale whose song was chanting

Which once was bright and ablaze,

سافِراً يَختالُ في هَذا الرَقيع

سافِراً يَختالُ في هَذا الرَقيع

هَل أَتاهُ نَبَءُ الخَطبِ الفَظيع

هَل أَتاهُ نَبَءُ الخَطبِ الفَظيع

unveiled, strutting across this sky.

So today he is in the hand of the jailer

Unveiled and proud in this firmament?

Has news of the terrible calamity reached it?

Desiring every hour to be hunted

Has the news of this terrible calamity reached it?

أَم رَأى مَصرَعَ القَمَر

أَم رَأى مَصرَعَ القَمَر

فَتَـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــوارى

فَتَـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــوارى

Or did it see the moon's downfall,

Consider me shrouded in burial sheets

Or did it witness the death of the moon

and so hide itself?

If you refuse to consider the words gone

And vanish from sight?

سَدَّدَ الدَهرُ قَوسَه وَرَماني

سَدَّدَ الدَهرُ قَوسَه وَرَماني

لَم تَحُد مُهجَتي وَلا السَهمُ حادا

لَم تَحُد مُهجَتي وَلا السَهمُ حادا

Time aimed its bow and shot at me;

There is in neither this nor that meadow

Fate aimed its bow and shot at me;

my heart did not swerve, nor did the arrow.

What would console the soul about that corpse

My soul did not flinch, nor did the arrow stray.

هَكَذا أَسكَتَت صُروفُ الزَمانِ

هَكَذا أَسكَتَت صُروفُ الزَمانِ

بُلبُلاً كانَ نَوحُهُ إِنشادا

بُلبُلاً كانَ نَوحُهُ إِنشادا

Thus the vicissitudes of time silenced

Whose grave the rain made flow

Thus have the turns of Time silenced

a nightingale whose lament was song.

A nightingale whose very wailing was song.

فَهوَ اليَومَ في يَدِ السَجّانِ

فَهوَ اليَومَ في يَدِ السَجّانِ

يَشتَهي كُلَّ ساعَةٍ أَن يُصادا

يَشتَهي كُلَّ ساعَةٍ أَن يُصادا

Today it is in the jailer's hand,

Today he lies in the hand of the jailer,

longing every hour to be hunted down.

Longing every hour to be taken.

فَاِحسِبوني أُدرِجتُ في الأَكفانِ

فَاِحسِبوني أُدرِجتُ في الأَكفانِ

إِن أَنَفتُم أَن تَحسِبوا القَولَ بادا

إِن أَنَفتُم أَن تَحسِبوا القَولَ بادا

So reckon me wrapped in burial shrouds,

So consider me already wrapped in shrouds,

if you disdain to think that speech has perished.

If you disdain to think my words have perished.

لَيسَ في هَذي وَلا تِلكَ الرُبوع

لَيسَ في هَذي وَلا تِلكَ الرُبوع

ما يُسَلّي النَفسَ عَن ذاكَ الضَجيع

ما يُسَلّي النَفسَ عَن ذاكَ الضَجيع

Neither in these nor in those lands

There is nothing in these lands, nor in those,

is there anything to console the soul for that sleeper.

To console the soul for that companion of the grave.

قَبرَهُ جادَكَ المَطَر

قَبرَهُ جادَكَ المَطَر

مِـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــدرارا

مِـــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــدرارا

His grave—may the rain water you

O grave, may the rain water you

in torrents.

In abundant showers.