سَئِمَت نَفسي الحَياةَ مَعَ الناسِ

سَئِمَت نَفسي الحَياةَ مَعَ الناسِ

وَمَلَّت حَتّى مِنَ الأَحبابِ

وَمَلَّت حَتّى مِنَ الأَحبابِ

My soul grew weary of life among people,

My soul grew weary of life with people

My soul has grown weary of life among people,

and tired even of loved ones.

And was bored even of loved ones

And has tired even of the beloveds,

وَتَمَشَّت فيها المَلالَةُ حَتّى

وَتَمَشَّت فيها المَلالَةُ حَتّى

ضَجِرَت مِن طَعامِهِم وَالشَرابِ

ضَجِرَت مِن طَعامِهِم وَالشَرابِ

And weariness crept through her until

Boredom penetrated it to the extent

And ennui has crept through it until

she wearied of their food and drink,

That it was fed up with their food and drink

It grew sick of their food and their drink,

وَمِنَ الكَذِبِ لابِساً بُردَةَ الصِدقِ

وَمِنَ الكَذِبِ لابِساً بُردَةَ الصِدقِ

وَهَذا مُسَربَلاً بِالكِذابِ

وَهَذا مُسَربَلاً بِالكِذابِ

and of falsehood wearing truth's mantle,

Of lies wearing the robe of truth

And of the lie wearing the cloak of truth,

and of truth clothed in lies,

While this one was cloaked in lies

And of the truth shrouded in falsehood,

وَمِنَ القُبحِ في نِقابٍ جَميلٍ

وَمِنَ القُبحِ في نِقابٍ جَميلٍ

وَمِنَ الحُسنِ تَحتَ أَلفِ نِقابِ

وَمِنَ الحُسنِ تَحتَ أَلفِ نِقابِ

and of ugliness behind a beautiful veil,

Of ugliness in a beautiful veil

And of ugliness beneath a beautiful veil,

and of beauty beneath a thousand veils,

And beauty under a thousand veils

And of beauty hidden under a thousand veils,

وَمِنَ العابِدينَ كُلَّ إِلَهٍ

وَمِنَ العابِدينَ كُلَّ إِلَهٍ

وَمِنَ الكافِرينَ بِالأَربابِ

وَمِنَ الكافِرينَ بِالأَربابِ

and of those who worship every god,

Of worshippers, each worshipping a god

And of those who worship every passing god,

and of those who deny the gods,

And unbelievers in false gods

And of those who disbelieve in the divine,

وَمِنَ الواقِفينَ كَالأَنصابِ

وَمِنَ الواقِفينَ كَالأَنصابِ

وَمِنَ الساجِدينَ لِلأَنصابِ

وَمِنَ الساجِدينَ لِلأَنصابِ

and of those who stand like idols,

Of those standing still like idols

And of those standing still like idols,

and of those who prostrate themselves before idols,

And those bowing to idols

And of those prostrating before idols,

وَمِنَ الراكِبينَ خَيلَ المَعالي

وَمِنَ الراكِبينَ خَيلَ المَعالي

وَمِنَ الراكِبينَ خَيلَ التَصابي

وَمِنَ الراكِبينَ خَيلَ التَصابي

and of those riding the steeds of lofty ambition,

Of riders of the steeds of glory

And of those riding the steed of ambition,

and of those riding the steeds of feigned youth,

And riders racing on lively horses

And of those riding the steed of youthful folly,

وَالأُلى يَصمُتونَ صَمتَ الأَفاعِ

وَالأُلى يَصمُتونَ صَمتَ الأَفاعِ

وَالأُلى يَهزِجونَ هَزجَ الذُبابِ

وَالأُلى يَهزِجونَ هَزجَ الذُبابِ

and those who keep the silence of vipers,

Some were silent like still lambs

And those who keep silent with the silence of vipers,

and those who chant with the buzzing of flies.

While others buzzed like flies

And those who drone with the buzzing of flies.

صَغُرَت حِكمَةُ الشُيوخِ لَدَيها

صَغُرَت حِكمَةُ الشُيوخِ لَدَيها

وَاِستَخَفَّت بِكُلِّ ما لِلشَبابِ

وَاِستَخَفَّت بِكُلِّ ما لِلشَبابِ

The elders' wisdom seemed small to her,

In it wisdom of elders seemed trivial

The wisdom of elders has diminished in its eyes,

and she made light of all that belongs to the young.

And careless of all that’s for the youth

And it has come to scorn all the concerns of youth.

قالَتِ اِخرُج مِنَ المَدينَةِ لِلقَفرِ

قالَتِ اِخرُج مِنَ المَدينَةِ لِلقَفرِ

فَفيهِ النَجاةُ مِن أَوصابي

فَفيهِ النَجاةُ مِن أَوصابي

She said: Leave the city for the wilderness,

It said, “Leave the city for the wilderness

It said: "Leave the city for the wilderness,"

for there lies deliverance from my afflictions.

For in it lies salvation from my woes

"For therein lies salvation from my ailments,"

وَليَكُ اللَيلُ راهِبي وَشُموعي الـ

وَليَكُ اللَيلُ راهِبي وَشُموعي الـ

ـشُهبُ وَالأَرضُ كُلُّها مِحرابي

ـشُهبُ وَالأَرضُ كُلُّها مِحرابي

And let night be my monk, and my candles

Let the night be my monk and meteors my

"Let the night be my monk, and my candles"

the shooting stars, and all the earth my prayer niche.

Candles, and all the land my prayer niche

"The shooting stars, and the whole earth my sanctuary,"

وَكِتابي الفَضاءُ أَقرَأُ فيهِ

وَكِتابي الفَضاءُ أَقرَأُ فيهِ

سُوَراً ما قَرَأتُها في كِتابِ

سُوَراً ما قَرَأتُها في كِتابِ

And the open sky my book, in which I read

My book the sky in which I read

"And the cosmos my book, wherein I read"

chapters I have never read in any book.

Chapters I never read in any book

"Verses I have never read in any tome,"

وَصَلاتي الَّذي تَقولُ السَواقي

وَصَلاتي الَّذي تَقولُ السَواقي

وَغِنائي صَوتُ الصَبا في الغابِ

وَغِنائي صَوتُ الصَبا في الغابِ

And my prayer, what the watercourses say,

My prayers what the streams murmur

"And my prayer is what the brooks murmur,"

and my song, the east wind's voice in the forest.

And my hymns the breeze’s voice in the forest

"And my hymn is the voice of the zephyr in the woods,"

وَكُؤوسي الأَوراقُ أَلقَت عَلَيها

وَكُؤوسي الأَوراقُ أَلقَت عَلَيها

الشَمسُ ذَوبَ النُضارِ عِندَ الغِيابِ

الشَمسُ ذَوبَ النُضارِ عِندَ الغِيابِ

And my cups, the leaves, upon which

My cups are leaves on which the sun

"And my goblets are the leaves upon which"

the sun has cast molten gold at sunset.

Poured molten radiance at sunset

"The sun has poured molten gold at twilight,"

وَرَحيقي ما سالَ مِن مُقلَةِ الفَجرِ

وَرَحيقي ما سالَ مِن مُقلَةِ الفَجرِ

عَلى العُشبِ كَاللُجَينِ المُذابِ

عَلى العُشبِ كَاللُجَينِ المُذابِ

And my nectar, what flowed from dawn's eye

And my wine what dripped from the eyelid of dawn

"And my wine is what flows from the eye of dawn"

onto the grass like molten silver.

On the grass like melted gum

"Upon the grass like molten silver,"

وَلتُكَحِّل يَدُ المَساءِ جُفوني

وَلتُكَحِّل يَدُ المَساءِ جُفوني

وَلتُعانِق أَحلامُهُ أَهدابي

وَلتُعانِق أَحلامُهُ أَهدابي

And let evening's hand line my eyelids with kohl,

Let the hand of evening kohl my eyes

"Let the hand of evening darken my eyelids with kohl,"

and let its dreams embrace my lashes.

And its dreams embrace my eyelids

"And let its dreams embrace my lashes,"

وَليُقَبِّل فَمُ الصَباحِ جَبيني

وَليُقَبِّل فَمُ الصَباحِ جَبيني

وَليُعَطِّر أَريجُهُ جِلبابي

وَليُعَطِّر أَريجُهُ جِلبابي

And let morning's mouth kiss my brow,

Let the mouth of morning kiss my forehead

"Let the mouth of morning kiss my brow,"

and let its fragrance perfume my robe.

And its breeze perfume my robe

"And let its fragrance perfume my robe,"

وَلأَكُن كَالغُرابِ رِزقِيَ في الحَقـ

وَلأَكُن كَالغُرابِ رِزقِيَ في الحَقـ

ـلِ وَفي السَفحِ مَجثَمي وَاِضطِرابي

ـلِ وَفي السَفحِ مَجثَمي وَاِضطِرابي

And let me be like the crow, my sustenance in the

Let me be like the crow taking sustenance

"Let me be like the crow, finding provision in the field,"

field, and on the hillside my roost and my restless movements.

In the wasteland, while in the valley is my turmoil and fluttering

"And on the mountain slopes my perch and my wandering,"

ساعَةٌ في الخَلاءِ خَيرٌ مِنَ الأَعـ

ساعَةٌ في الخَلاءِ خَيرٌ مِنَ الأَعـ

ـوامِ تُقضى في القَصرِ وَالأَحقابِ

ـوامِ تُقضى في القَصرِ وَالأَحقابِ

An hour in the wilderness is better than

An hour in solitude is better than years

"An hour of solitude is better than years"

years and ages spent in a palace.

Spent in palaces and encampments

"Spent in palaces and endless ages."

يا لَنَفسي فَإِنَّها فَتَنَتني

يا لَنَفسي فَإِنَّها فَتَنَتني

بِالحَديثِ المُنَمَّقِ الخَلّابِ

بِالحَديثِ المُنَمَّقِ الخَلّابِ

Ah, my soul! For she bewitched me

Oh my soul, it has seduced me

Oh, how my soul has beguiled me

with ornate, beguiling speech.

With its elegant and flirtatious talk

With such embellished, captivating speech,

فَإِذا بي أُقلى القُصورَ وَسُكنا

فَإِذا بي أُقلى القُصورَ وَسُكنا

ها وَأَهلَ القُصورِ ذاتِ القِبابِ

ها وَأَهلَ القُصورِ ذاتِ القِبابِ

And suddenly I came to loathe palaces and living

So here I am, avoiding palaces

Until I came to loathe palaces and their dwelling,

in them, and the people of the domed palaces.

And the people of palaces with domes

And the inhabitants of those domed castles,

فَهَجَرتُ العُمرانَ تَنفُضُ كَفّي

فَهَجَرتُ العُمرانَ تَنفُضُ كَفّي

عَن رِدائي غُبارَهُ وَإِهابي

عَن رِدائي غُبارَهُ وَإِهابي

So I abandoned civilization, my hand shaking

I shunned settlements, shaking my hands

So I forsook civilization, my hand shaking off

its dust from my cloak and my skin.

To rid my cloak of their dust and burdens

Its dust from my cloak and from my skin,

وَتَرَكتُ الحِمى وَسِرتُ وَإِيّا

وَتَرَكتُ الحِمى وَسِرتُ وَإِيّا

ها وَقَد ذَهَّبَ الأَصيلُ الرَوابي

ها وَقَد ذَهَّبَ الأَصيلُ الرَوابي

And I left the precincts and set out with

I left the protected grounds and wandered

I left the inhabited land and walked, my soul and I,

her, as late afternoon gilded the hillocks.

While the graceful steed went riderless

While the late sun gilded the hills,

نَهتَدي بِالضُحى فَإِن عَسعَسَ اللَي

نَهتَدي بِالضُحى فَإِن عَسعَسَ اللَي

لُ جَعَلنا الدَليلَ ضَوءَ الشِهابِ

لُ جَعَلنا الدَليلَ ضَوءَ الشِهابِ

We found our way by morning light; and if night fell,

Guided by the glow of dawn, for if the night

Guided by the daylight, and when the night fell,

we made a shooting star's light our guide.

Darkens, we take the shooting star as guide

We took the starlight as our guide.

وَقَضَينا في الغابِ وَقتاً جَميلاً

وَقَضَينا في الغابِ وَقتاً جَميلاً

في جِوارِ الغُدرانِ وَالأَعشابِ

في جِوارِ الغُدرانِ وَالأَعشابِ

And we spent a lovely time in the forest,

And spent a beautiful time in the forest

We spent a beautiful time in the forest,

beside the pools and grasses.

Near the wild roses and plants

Beside the pools and the grass,

تارَةً في مَلاءَةٍ مِن شُعاعٍ

تارَةً في مَلاءَةٍ مِن شُعاعٍ

تارَةً في مَلاءَةٍ مِن ضَبابِ

تارَةً في مَلاءَةٍ مِن ضَبابِ

Sometimes in a mantle of light,

At times in the glow of sunlight

Sometimes wrapped in a cloak of sunbeams,

sometimes in a mantle of mist;

At others in the glow of mist

Sometimes in a cloak of mist,

تارَةً كَالنَسيمِ نَمرَحُ في الوا

تارَةً كَالنَسيمِ نَمرَحُ في الوا

دي وَطَوراً كَالجَدوَلِ المُنسابِ

دي وَطَوراً كَالجَدوَلِ المُنسابِ

sometimes, like the breeze, we frolicked in the

Like a breeze I frolic in the valley

At times like the breeze we frolic in the valley,

valley, and at times like the flowing brook,

And like a flowing stream at times on the slopes

And at times like the flowing stream,

في سُفوحِ الهِضابِ وَالظِلُّ فيها

في سُفوحِ الهِضابِ وَالظِلُّ فيها

وَمَعَ النورِ وَهوَ فَوقَ الهِضابِ

وَمَعَ النورِ وَهوَ فَوقَ الهِضابِ

on the slopes of the hills, where there was shade,

In the shade on the hills, and the light above

On the slopes of the hills while the shade rests there,

and with the light above the hills.

The hills and over the slopes

And with the light when it crowns the heights.

إِنَّما نَفسي الَّتي مَلَتِ العُمـ

إِنَّما نَفسي الَّتي مَلَتِ العُمـ

ـرانَ مَلَّت في الغابِ صَمتَ الغابِ

ـرانَ مَلَّت في الغابِ صَمتَ الغابِ

Yet my soul, which had grown weary of

Only my soul that got bored of settlements

Yet my soul, which had wearied of civilization,

civilization, grew weary in the forest of the forest's silence.

Got bored in the forest of the silence of the forest

Soon wearied of the silence of the woods;

فَأَنا فيهِ مُستَقِلٌّ طَليقٌ

فَأَنا فيهِ مُستَقِلٌّ طَليقٌ

وَكَأَنّي أَدُبُّ في سِردابِ

وَكَأَنّي أَدُبُّ في سِردابِ

So there I am, independent and free,

So here I am independent, free

For though I am therein free and unbounded,

yet it is as though I creep through an underground passage.

As if roaming around in a basement

It feels as though I crawl within a crypt.

عَلَّمَتني الحَياةُ في القَفرِ أَنّي

عَلَّمَتني الحَياةُ في القَفرِ أَنّي

أَينَما كُنتُ ساكِناً في التُرابِ

أَينَما كُنتُ ساكِناً في التُرابِ

Life in the wilderness taught me that I,

Life in the wasteland taught me

Life in the wilderness has taught me this:

wherever I am, dwell in dust.

Wherever I reside, it is in the dust

That wherever I be, I am but a dweller in dust,

وَسَأَبقى ما دُمتُ في قَفَصِ الصَلـ

وَسَأَبقى ما دُمتُ في قَفَصِ الصَلـ

ـصالِ عَبدَ المُنى أَسيرَ الرَغابِ

ـصالِ عَبدَ المُنى أَسيرَ الرَغابِ

And I shall remain, as long as I am in the cage of

And I will remain as long as I am

And I shall remain, so long as I am in this cage of clay,

clay, a slave to wishes, a captive of desires.

In the cage of separation, a prisoner of desires

A slave to wishes, a prisoner of desires.

خِلتُ أَنِّي في القَفرِ أَصبَحتُ وَحدي

خِلتُ أَنِّي في القَفرِ أَصبَحتُ وَحدي

فَإِذا الناسُ كُلُّهُم في ثِيابي

فَإِذا الناسُ كُلُّهُم في ثِيابي

I thought I was now alone in the wilderness,

I imagined I was alone in the wasteland

I imagined that in the wild I had become alone,

but behold, all the people were inside my clothes.

But all the people were in my clothes

But lo, all of humanity is hidden within my robes.