ثملتُ بشدوِكَ يا بُلبُلُ

ثملتُ بشدوِكَ يا بُلبُلُ

وَكَيف بشدوكَ لا أَثملُ

وَكَيف بشدوكَ لا أَثملُ

I have grown drunk on your song, O nightingale,

I was burdened by your singing, O bulbul,

And how could I not grow drunk on your song?

And how could I not be burdened by your singing?

أَعدتَ إِلى القَلبِ ذكرى الجَمالِ

أَعدتَ إِلى القَلبِ ذكرى الجَمالِ

فَأَنتَ بِتِذكارِهِ أَجمَلُ

فَأَنتَ بِتِذكارِهِ أَجمَلُ

You restored to my heart the memory of beauty,

You brought back to my heart memories of beauty,

So you are lovelier for recalling it.

So you are most beautiful in recollection.

نَقَلتَ إِلى مَسمَعي صَوتَ حُبّي

نَقَلتَ إِلى مَسمَعي صَوتَ حُبّي

نَعمتَ وَنِعمَ الَّذي تنقلُ

نَعمتَ وَنِعمَ الَّذي تنقلُ

You brought my love's voice to my ear;

You conveyed to my hearing the voice of my love -

May you be blessed, and splendid is what you convey!

What bounty you bring, excellent conveyor!

كَأَنَّكَ أُرسَلتَ تَلعبُ دَوراً

كَأَنَّكَ أُرسَلتَ تَلعبُ دَوراً

جَميلاً بِقَلبيَ يا مُرسَلُ

جَميلاً بِقَلبيَ يا مُرسَلُ

As though you were sent to play a role,

It's as if you were sent to play

A beautiful one within my heart, O messenger.

A beautiful role in my heart, O messenger!

تَنقَّل تَنَقَّل عَلى الغُصنِ وَاِرفَل

تَنقَّل تَنَقَّل عَلى الغُصنِ وَاِرفَل

فَشدوُكَ في مُهجَتي يرفَلُ

فَشدوُكَ في مُهجَتي يرفَلُ

Flit, flit along the branch, and strut,

Flit, flit about on the branch, warbling,

For your song struts within my soul.

So your singing in my soul murmurs.

فَعَمّا قَريبٍ ستارُ حَياتي

فَعَمّا قَريبٍ ستارُ حَياتي

عَلى كُلِّ ما مَرَّ بي يُسدَلُ

عَلى كُلِّ ما مَرَّ بي يُسدَلُ

For soon the curtain of my life

For soon the curtain of my life

Will be lowered over all that I have lived through.

Will fall upon all that passed me by.

وَلكِن غَداً حينَ أُمسي رفاتاً

وَلكِن غَداً حينَ أُمسي رفاتاً

وَيَحجبُني قَبرِيَ المُقفَلُ

وَيَحجبُني قَبرِيَ المُقفَلُ

But tomorrow, when I become mortal remains,

But tomorrow when I become dust,

And my sealed grave hides me,

And my sealed grave hides me,

تَعالَ فَتَلفي فُؤاديَ حَيّاً

تَعالَ فَتَلفي فُؤاديَ حَيّاً

كَزَهرَة توتنخَ لا يَذبلُ

كَزَهرَة توتنخَ لا يَذبلُ

Come, and you will find my heart alive;

Come wrap my living heart like a flower

Like Tutankh's flower, it does not wither.

That folds without withering.

تَعالَ وَأَنشِد قَليلاً فَإِنّي

تَعالَ وَأَنشِد قَليلاً فَإِنّي

عَلى رُغمِ ما حلَّ بي أَجزَلُ

عَلى رُغمِ ما حلَّ بي أَجزَلُ

Come and sing a little, for I,

Come, sing a little, though despite

Despite what has befallen me, rejoice.

What befell me, I am most generous.

فَصَوتُكَ شِعرٌ يَجولُ بِفِكريَ

فَصَوتُكَ شِعرٌ يَجولُ بِفِكريَ

موحى مِنَ اللَهِ أَو مُنزَلُ

موحى مِنَ اللَهِ أَو مُنزَلُ

For your voice is poetry roaming through my mind,

For your voice is a roaming poetry in my mind,

Inspired by God, or sent down.

Revelation from God or something revealed.

تَعالَ تَجِد فَوقَ قَبرِيَ صَخراً

تَعالَ تَجِد فَوقَ قَبرِيَ صَخراً

كَهَمّي الثَقيلِ الَّذي أَحملُ

كَهَمّي الثَقيلِ الَّذي أَحملُ

Come; you will find a rock above my grave,

Come, you'll find above my grave a boulder -

Like the heavy sorrow that I bear,

My heavy sorrow that I carry.

وَصَفصافَةً تَنحَني تارَةً

وَصَفصافَةً تَنحَني تارَةً

وَطوراً تُلاعِبُها الشمألُ

وَطوراً تُلاعِبُها الشمألُ

And a willow that bends at times,

And a willow bending at times,

And at others the north wind plays with it.

Played with by the breeze.

وَبِالقُربِ من ذلِكَ القَبرِ وادٍ

وَبِالقُربِ من ذلِكَ القَبرِ وادٍ

رَهيبٌ تخلَّلَهُ جَدولُ

رَهيبٌ تخلَّلَهُ جَدولُ

And close to that grave lies a valley,

Near that grave a formidable valley

Fearsome, with a stream running through it.

Pierced by a streambed,

تمرُّ عَلَيهِ السُنونو عجالى

تمرُّ عَلَيهِ السُنونو عجالى

وَمن مرَّ كَالطَيرِ يُستَعجلُ

وَمن مرَّ كَالطَيرِ يُستَعجلُ

The swallows pass over it in haste,

The years pass over it hurriedly

And whoever passes like the birds is hurried along.

Like birds that hurried cannot be slowed.

فَهذي الطُيورُ كَأَفراح قَلبي

فَهذي الطُيورُ كَأَفراح قَلبي

تَطيرُ سِراعاً وَلا تَمهلُ

تَطيرُ سِراعاً وَلا تَمهلُ

For these birds are like the joys of my heart:

These birds are like joys of my heart

They fly swiftly and do not linger.

Flying rapidly, never lingering.

وَيخلفها الأَلَمُ المُستَزيدُ

وَيخلفها الأَلَمُ المُستَزيدُ

فَيَفعَلُ في الصَدرِ ما يفعَلُ

فَيَفعَلُ في الصَدرِ ما يفعَلُ

And pain, ever seeking more, replaces them,

But sorrow remains, increasing,

And does within my breast what it does.

Doing in the chest what it does.

تَعالَ غَداً حينَ أَمسي وَحيداً

تَعالَ غَداً حينَ أَمسي وَحيداً

وَزَرنيَ زَورَةَ مَن يَسأَلُ

وَزَرنيَ زَورَةَ مَن يَسأَلُ

Come tomorrow, when I am alone,

Come tomorrow when I become lonely

And visit me as one who asks after me.

And visit me, questioning visitor.

وَأَسمَع فُؤاديَ لَحناً شجيّاً

وَأَسمَع فُؤاديَ لَحناً شجيّاً

فَيَحيا بِهِ حبُّهُ الأَوَّلُ

فَيَحيا بِهِ حبُّهُ الأَوَّلُ

And let my heart hear a plaintive melody,

Let my heart hear a poignant melody

So its first love may live again through it.

To revive in it the first love!