شاعِرُ القَلبِ ضاقَ عَنهُ البَيانُ

شاعِرُ القَلبِ ضاقَ عَنهُ البَيانُ

وَالقَوافي وَاللَفظُ وَالأَوزانُ

وَالقَوافي وَاللَفظُ وَالأَوزانُ

The poet of the heart—expression falls short of him,

The poet of the heart, eloquence falls short of him,

As do rhymes, diction, and meters.

Rhyme and diction and meter.

صامِتٌ يُرسِلُ التَنَهُّدَ شِعراً

صامِتٌ يُرسِلُ التَنَهُّدَ شِعراً

كُلَّما هَزَّ قَلبَه خَفَقانُ

كُلَّما هَزَّ قَلبَه خَفَقانُ

Silent, he sends forth sighs as poetry,

Silent, he sends sighs as poetry

Whenever a heartbeat shakes his heart.

Whenever his throbbing heart flutters.

تَقرَأُ الوَحيَ في عُذوبَةِ عَينَي

تَقرَأُ الوَحيَ في عُذوبَةِ عَينَي

هِ فَآياتُ عَينِهِ قُرآنُ

هِ فَآياتُ عَينِهِ قُرآنُ

You read revelation in the sweetness of his eyes;

You read revelation in the sweetness of his eyes,

For the verses of his eye are a Qur'an.

For the verses of his eyes are a Quran.

نَفسُهُ جَذوَةٌ من اللَهِ لَم تَد

نَفسُهُ جَذوَةٌ من اللَهِ لَم تَد

نَس فَتَمحو نَقاءَها الأَضغانُ

نَس فَتَمحو نَقاءَها الأَضغانُ

His soul is an ember from God, never defiled,

His soul is an ember from God that adversities

Nor its purity effaced by rancor.

Did not manage to erase its purity.

فَهو في مَوكِبِ الحَياةِ حَكيمٌ

فَهو في مَوكِبِ الحَياةِ حَكيمٌ

وَهوَ في مَركِبِ الدُجى رُبّانُ

وَهوَ في مَركِبِ الدُجى رُبّانُ

In the procession of life he is a sage,

So in the procession of life he is wise

And on the ship of darkness he is a captain.

And in the ship of darkness he is the captain.

يَجد التائِهونَ فيهِ عَزاءً

يَجد التائِهونَ فيهِ عَزاءً

وَأَماناً إِذا تَلاشى الأمانُ

وَأَماناً إِذا تَلاشى الأمانُ

The lost find solace in him,

The lost ones find in him consolation,

And safety when safety fades away.

And safety when safety is gone.

لَقَّنَتهُ الأَيّامُ مَوعِظَة النا

لَقَّنَتهُ الأَيّامُ مَوعِظَة النا

رِ فَثارَت في صَدرِهِ النيرانُ

رِ فَثارَت في صَدرِهِ النيرانُ

The days taught him the lesson of fire,

Days taught him the preaching of fire, so flames rose in his chest.

So flames raged within his breast.

Yet Heaven said to him: "Be silent and see how volcanoes fall silent!"

غَيرَ أَنَّ السَماءَ قالَت لَهُ اِصمت

غَيرَ أَنَّ السَماءَ قالَت لَهُ اِصمت

إِنظُروا كَيفَ يَصمِتُ البُركانُ

إِنظُروا كَيفَ يَصمِتُ البُركانُ

But heaven said to him, 'Be silent.'

Afflictions built the palace of his inspiration

Look how the volcano keeps silent!

And tears painted it.

شَيَّدت قَصرَ وَحيِهِ الأَشجانُ

شَيَّدت قَصرَ وَحيِهِ الأَشجانُ

وَطلاه مِنَ الدموعِ دهانُ

وَطلاه مِنَ الدموعِ دهانُ

Sorrows built the palace of his inspiration,

An ascetic in life, in his coarse robes,

And paint made from tears coated it.

His body emaciated by grief, famished.

زاهِد في الحَياةِ في بردتيه

زاهِد في الحَياةِ في بردتيه

جسد شفّه الضَنى جوعانُ

جسد شفّه الضَنى جوعانُ

An ascetic in life; within his two cloaks,

The seat of his reign is tribulations and worries,

A hungry body, worn thin by illness.

And the ruby of his crown is sorrows.

ملك عَرشِه المَصائِب وَاله

ملك عَرشِه المَصائِب وَاله

مُّ وَياقوت تاجِه الأَحزانُ

مُّ وَياقوت تاجِه الأَحزانُ

A king whose throne is calamities and worry,

The icicles of pain are in his hands,

And the rubies of his crown are sorrows.

And sighs of a suffering king, his icicles.

صولجانُ الآلامِ في قَبضَتَيهِ

صولجانُ الآلامِ في قَبضَتَيهِ

وَيحَ ملكٍ آلامهُ الصولجانُ

وَيحَ ملكٍ آلامهُ الصولجانُ

The scepter of pain is in his fists;

In his soul Jareer has laments

Alas for a king whose pains are his scepter!

And in his heart Qais has fondness.

لجريرٍ في روحِهِ شَهقاتٌ

لجريرٍ في روحِهِ شَهقاتٌ

وَلِقَيسٍ في قَلبِهِ تَحنانُ

وَلِقَيسٍ في قَلبِهِ تَحنانُ

In his soul are Jarir's sobs,

And remnants of Al-Ma'arri walked

And in his heart is Qays's tender longing.

In his blood which time did not erase.

وَبَقايا من المعرّي تَمَشَّت

وَبَقايا من المعرّي تَمَشَّت

في دماه لَم تَمحُها الأَزمانُ

في دماه لَم تَمحُها الأَزمانُ

And remnants of al-Ma'arri have made their way

Through his blood; the ages have not erased them.