سَأَلَتني وَقَد رَجَعتُ إِلَيها

سَأَلَتني وَقَد رَجَعتُ إِلَيها

وَعَلى مَفرِقي غُبارُ السِنينا

وَعَلى مَفرِقي غُبارُ السِنينا

She asked me, when I had returned to her,

She asked me, when I returned to her,

She asked me when I had returned to her,

with the dust of years upon the crown of my head:

And the dust of years was on my parting,

With the dust of the years upon my brow:

أَيُّ شَيءٍ وَجَدتَ في الأَرضِ بَعدي

أَيُّ شَيءٍ وَجَدتَ في الأَرضِ بَعدي

قُلتُ إِنّي وَجَدتُ ماءً وَطينا

قُلتُ إِنّي وَجَدتُ ماءً وَطينا

What did you find on earth after leaving me?

"What did you find on earth after me?"

"What have you found in the world since I was gone?"

I said: Indeed, I found water and clay,

I said, "I found only water and clay."

I said: "I found only water and clay,"

جَمَعَ الحُسنَ وَالدَمامَةَ وَالإِق

جَمَعَ الحُسنَ وَالدَمامَةَ وَالإِق

دامَ وَالخَوفَ وَالنُهى وَالجُنونا

دامَ وَالخَوفَ وَالنُهى وَالجُنونا

that brought together beauty and ugliness, and

It gathered beauty and shyness, steadfastness,

"Combining beauty, ugliness, and daring,"

courage and fear, reason and madness;

Fear and prohibition and madness,

"Along with fear, wisdom, and madness;"

وَالرَجاءَ الَّذي يَصيرُ بِهِ لفُد

وَالرَجاءَ الَّذي يَصيرُ بِهِ لفُد

فُدُ رَوضاً وَشَوكُهُ نِسرينا

فُدُ رَوضاً وَشَوكُهُ نِسرينا

and hope, through which the barren

And hope that makes thorns into meadows,

"And hope, which transforms the barren waste"

waste becomes a meadow and its thorns wild roses;

And despair that strips the branches of spring of leaves.

"Into a garden, and turns thorns to wild roses;"

وَالقُنوطَ الَّذي يُعَرّي مِنَ الأَو

وَالقُنوطَ الَّذي يُعَرّي مِنَ الأَو

راقِ في نَشوَةِ الرَبيعِ الغُصونا

راقِ في نَشوَةِ الرَبيعِ الغُصونا

and despair, which strips the

And I found love as it was before,

"And despair, which strips the leaves"

leaves from the boughs amid the rapture of spring.

Trusting at times, at times suspecting,

"From the boughs in the very ecstasy of spring;"

وَوَجَدتُ الهَوى كَما كانَ قِدماً

وَوَجَدتُ الهَوى كَما كانَ قِدماً

ثِقَةً تارَةً وَطَوراً ظُنونا

ثِقَةً تارَةً وَطَوراً ظُنونا

And I found love as it had been of old:

And youth drunk from the wine of illusion,

"And I found passion just as it was of old,"

at times trust, at other times doubts;

Deeming the impossible a certainty.

"Certainty at times, and at others, mere suspicion;"

وَشَباباً سَكرانَ مِن خَمرَةِ الوَهمِ

وَشَباباً سَكرانَ مِن خَمرَةِ الوَهمِ

يَخالُ المُحالَ أَمراً يَقينا

يَخالُ المُحالَ أَمراً يَقينا

and youth drunk on the wine of illusion,

So when views mature and diminish,

"And youth, drunk on the wine of illusion,"

taking the impossible for something certain.

And sober they become guesses,

"Mistaking the impossible for a distinct truth;"

فَإِذا شاخَتِ الرُأى وَتَلاشَت

فَإِذا شاخَتِ الرُأى وَتَلاشَت

وَصَحا باتَ جَزمُهُ تَخمينا

وَصَحا باتَ جَزمُهُ تَخمينا

Then, when its visions grew old and faded,

Faith remains a kind of

"But when visions grow old and fade away,"

and it sobered, its certainty became conjecture.

Apprehension, and beauty the cheek of deceit.

"And he sobers, his conviction turns to conjecture;"

لا يَزالُ الإيمانُ نَوعاً مِنَ

لا يَزالُ الإيمانُ نَوعاً مِنَ

الرَهبَةِ وَالحُسنُ لِلغُرورِ خَدينا

الرَهبَةِ وَالحُسنُ لِلغُرورِ خَدينا

Faith is still a kind of

The rich still strut on earth,

"Faith continues to be a form of"

fear, and beauty a companion to vanity.

Even if they are ignorant fools.

"Dread, and beauty a companion to vanity;"

لا يَزالُ الغَنِيُّ يَختالُ في الأَر

لا يَزالُ الغَنِيُّ يَختالُ في الأَر

ضِ وَإِن كانَ جاهِلاً مَأفونا

ضِ وَإِن كانَ جاهِلاً مَأفونا

The rich man still struts upon the

All whom I met, my soul, whether you reveal or hide,

"The rich man still struts upon the earth"

earth, even if he is ignorant and foolish.

Are like you in what you show or conceal.

"Even if he be ignorant and foolish;"

كُلُّ مَن قَد لَقيتُ مِثلُكِ يا نَف

كُلُّ مَن قَد لَقيتُ مِثلُكِ يا نَف

سي في ما تُبدينَ أَو تُخفينا

سي في ما تُبدينَ أَو تُخفينا

Everyone I have met is like you, O my

Look once at yourself steadily,

"All whom I met are like you, O my soul,"

soul, in what you reveal or conceal.

You see the first and the last.

"In what you reveal or what you conceal;"

فَاِنظُري مَرَّةً إِلَيكِ مَلِيّاً

فَاِنظُري مَرَّةً إِلَيكِ مَلِيّاً

تُبصِري الأَوَّلينَ وَالآخَرينا

تُبصِري الأَوَّلينَ وَالآخَرينا

So look once, long and carefully, at yourself:

"So look closely at yourself but once,"

you will see those who came before and those who come after.

"And you shall see the ancients and the generations to come."