أَسمَعينيlet me hear لحنَthe melody of الرَدىdeath أَسمِعينيlet me hear
أَسمَعيني لحنَ الرَدى أَسمِعيني
فَحَياتيfor my life عَلىon شفارِthe knife-edges of المنونِdeath
فَحَياتي عَلى شفارِ المنونِ
Let me hear death's melody, let me hear it.
Listen to me, the echo of farewell bid me,
For my life is on the knife-edges of death.
For my life is on the verge of fading.
وَاِذرُفيand shed دَمعَةًa tear عَليَّover me فَبعدfor after الthe
وَاِذرُفي دَمعَةً عَليَّ فَبعد ال
موتِdeath لاnot أَستَحلُّI deem permissible أَنthat تَبكينيyou weep for me
موتِ لا أَستَحلُّ أَن تَبكيني
And shed a tear over me, for after
Shed a tear for me, for after death,
death I do not deem it right that you weep for me.
I shall not deserve your crying for me.
ياO سُلَيمىSulayma وَقدand already أَثارَhas awakened نُحوليmy wasting
يا سُلَيمى وَقد أَثارَ نُحولي
كامِناتِthe lurking forces of الرَدىdeath عَلىat العِشرينِtwenty
كامِناتِ الرَدى عَلى العِشرينِ
O Sulayma, now that my wasting has awakened
O Sulaima, as my sorrows stirred up,
death's lurking forces at twenty,
The slumbering sorrows of my twenties.
ماwhat تَقولينyou say عِندَماwhen تَنظُرينyou see
ما تَقولين عِندَما تَنظُرين
القَومَthe people جاءَواthey came إِلَيَّto me كَيin order to يَحمِلونيthey carry me
القَومَ جاءَوا إِلَيَّ كَي يَحمِلوني
what will you say when you see
What will you say when you look and see,
the people who have come to me to carry me away,
The people came to carry me away,
وَأَناand I جثَّةٌa corpse بِدونwithout حراكmovement
وَأَنا جثَّةٌ بِدون حراك
وَخيالand the specter of الحِمامdeath فَوقَabove جَبينيmy brow
وَخيال الحِمام فَوقَ جَبيني
while I am a corpse without movement,
While I'm a corpse without movement,
and death's specter is above my brow?
With the specter of doves above my forehead.
ياO سُلَيمىSulayma أَناI أَموتُI die ضحوكاًlaughing
يا سُلَيمى أَنا أَموتُ ضحوكاً
لَيسَis not هذاthis الوجودُexistence عَبرَbeyond مجونِfrivolity
لَيسَ هذا الوجودُ عَبرَ مجونِ
O Sulayma, I shall die laughing;
O Sulaima, I die laughing,
this existence is nothing beyond frivolity.
For this existence is not eternal.
إِنَّindeed مَنwhoever عاشَlived فيهِin it عمراًa lifetime قَصيراًshort
إِنَّ مَن عاشَ فيهِ عمراً قَصيراً
كَالَّذيlike one who عاشَlived فيهِin it بَعضُa few قُرونِcenturies
كَالَّذي عاشَ فيهِ بَعضُ قُرونِ
Indeed, one who has lived in it a short lifetime
He who lived a short life in it,
is like one who has lived in it for a few centuries.
Is like one who lived some centuries.
ياO سُلَيمىSulayma وَكمand how often أُناديI call سُلَيمىSulayma
يا سُلَيمى وَكم أُنادي سُلَيمى
فَاِسمُهاfor her name بِلسمٌa balm لِقَلبيfor my heart الحَزينِsorrowful
فَاِسمُها بِلسمٌ لِقَلبي الحَزينِ
O Sulayma—and how often I call out, 'Sulayma!'
O Sulaima, how much I call Sulaima,
For her name is a balm to my sorrowful heart.
Her name is balm for my sorrowful heart.
لَكِfor you عِنديwith me وَصيَّةٌa last request فَاِحفَظيهاso remember it
لَكِ عِندي وَصيَّةٌ فَاِحفَظيها
هيَit بَعدafter المَماتِdeath أَنthat تَنسينيyou forget me
هيَ بَعد المَماتِ أَن تَنسيني
I have a last request for you, so remember it:
I have a behest for you, so keep it,
it is that, after death, you forget me.
After death, it is to forget me.
وَإِذاand if هزَّكِshook you التذكّرُremembrance بِالرُغagainst one's will (word begins)
وَإِذا هزَّكِ التذكّرُ بِالرُغ
مِcompletion of “against one's will” وَشاءَand willed الودادُaffection أَنthat تذكرينيyou remember me
مِ وَشاءَ الودادُ أَن تذكريني
And if remembrance shakes you against
And if remembrance shakes you,
your will, and affection wills that you remember me,
And affection wants you to remember me.
فَخُذيso take فيin الظلامِthe darkness قيثارَthe lyre of وَحييmy inspiration
فَخُذي في الظلامِ قيثارَ وَحيي
وَاِقصِديand make for القَبرَthe grave فيin ظِلالِthe shadows of السُكونِstillness
وَاِقصِدي القَبرَ في ظِلالِ السُكونِ
then take, in the darkness, the lyre of my inspiration,
Take a lyre in the darkness,
and make for the grave in the shadows of stillness.
And head to the grave in the shadows of tranquility.
وَاِنقُريand pluck نَقرَةًa single pluck عَلَيهِon it يُسَمِّعit will make hear
وَاِنقُري نَقرَةً عَلَيهِ يُسَمِّع
كِyou أَنيناًa moan كَزفرتيlike my sigh وَأَنينيand my moaning
كِ أَنيناً كَزفرتي وَأَنيني
And pluck a note upon it; it will make
Knock a knock on it, to let you hear,
you hear a moan like my sigh and my moaning.
A moan like my sigh and my groan.
ذاكَthat قيثارthe lyre of صَبوَتيmy youthful passion وَشَبابيand my youth
ذاكَ قيثار صَبوَتي وَشَبابي
وَآحنينيah, my longing إِلَيهِfor it إيyes وآحَنينيah, my longing
وَآحنيني إِلَيهِ إي وآحَنيني
That is the lyre of my youthful passion and my youth.
That is the lyre of my youth and prime,
Ah, my longing for it—yes, ah, my longing!
And my longing for it, oh my yearning.
ياO سُلَيمىSulayma أُغنيَّةُthe song of المَوتِdeath هذيthis
يا سُلَيمى أُغنيَّةُ المَوتِ هذي
وَمراراًand repeatedly أَنشَدَتهاI sang it فيin جُنونيmy madness
وَمراراً أَنشَدَتها في جُنوني
O Sulayma, this is the song of death,
O Sulaima, this is the song of death,
and many times I have sung it in my madness.
Which I've recited repeatedly in my madness.
فَاِسمَعينيso listen to me أُعيدُهاI repeat it عَنbefore قَريبٍlong
فَاِسمَعيني أُعيدُها عَن قَريبٍ
فَقَريباًfor soon يُحينُwill come يَومُthe Day of الدينِJudgment
فَقَريباً يُحينُ يَومُ الدينِ
So listen to me repeat it before long,
Listen to me repeat it soon,
for soon the Day of Judgment will come.
For the day of judgment will soon arrive.
Sol 6.1