سَمعتِني أَقولُ شِعراً شَقِيّاً

سَمعتِني أَقولُ شِعراً شَقِيّاً

يَستَفِزُّ الآلامَ في سامِعيهِ

يَستَفِزُّ الآلامَ في سامِعيهِ

You heard me utter anguished verse,

You heard me recite melancholy verse

that stirs pain in its listeners.

That stirs up pain in those who hear it.

فَتَلاشَت وَتَمتَمَت في سُكونِ ال

فَتَلاشَت وَتَمتَمَت في سُكونِ ال

لَيلِ اللَهِ ما الَّذي يُشقيهِ

لَيلِ اللَهِ ما الَّذي يُشقيهِ

So she faded away and murmured in the stillness of the

It faded away and mumbled into the stillness of

night, "God! What is it that makes him suffer?"

The night. God, what makes it woeful?

ثُمَّ أَخفَت في ضفة العَينِ دَمعاً

ثُمَّ أَخفَت في ضفة العَينِ دَمعاً

شاءَ سِرَّ الوِقار أَن تُخفيه

شاءَ سِرَّ الوِقار أَن تُخفيه

Then she hid tears along the bank of her eye,

Then in the corner of my eye I hid a tear

which dignity's secret willed her to conceal.

Propriety willed that I conceal it.

قُلتُ في مُقلَتَيكِ خَمر العَذارى

قُلتُ في مُقلَتَيكِ خَمر العَذارى

فَهيَ أَكسيرُكِ الَّذي تَحجُبينَه

فَهيَ أَكسيرُكِ الَّذي تَحجُبينَه

I said, "In your eyes is the wine of maidens;

I said your eyelashes hold the wine of maidens

for it is your elixir, which you veil.

It is your elixir you veil from me.

ما خمور الكُؤوسِ مَهما تَلَظَّت

ما خمور الكُؤوسِ مَهما تَلَظَّت

كَخُمورِ القَلبِ الَّذي تَعصُرينَه

كَخُمورِ القَلبِ الَّذي تَعصُرينَه

No wines of cups, however fiercely they blaze,

Not the wine of cups, no matter how aged,

are like the wines of the heart you press.

Like the wine of a heart you squeeze.

تَسكُبين الشِعر الطَروبِ مِن العَي

تَسكُبين الشِعر الطَروبِ مِن العَي

نِ وَفي النَفسِ غَيرُ ما تَسكُبينَه

نِ وَفي النَفسِ غَيرُ ما تَسكُبينَه

You pour rapturous poetry from the

You pour poetry and joy from the eye

eye, yet in the soul is something other than what you pour.

While in the soul other than what you pour.

إِنَّ فيها آياتِ حُزنٍ أَليمٍ

إِنَّ فيها آياتِ حُزنٍ أَليمٍ

وَرُموزاً مِن اللَيالي حَزينَه

وَرُموزاً مِن اللَيالي حَزينَه

Indeed, within it are signs of painful sorrow

In it are signs of deep sorrow

and sorrowful symbols from the nights."

And symbols from woeful nights.

وَتَمادى السَمّارُ في خَمرَةِ الكَأ

وَتَمادى السَمّارُ في خَمرَةِ الكَأ

سِ وَكلٌّ مِنهُم سَها كَأَخيهِ

سِ وَكلٌّ مِنهُم سَها كَأَخيهِ

And the night revellers lingered over the wine of the

The revelers drank long from the wine jug

cup; each grew heedless, like his brother.

And each was as forgetful as his brother.

وَعَزيفُ الأَوتارِ يَمزجُ بِالخَم

وَعَزيفُ الأَوتارِ يَمزجُ بِالخَم

رِ عَصيراً أَرقَّ مِن شارِبيهِ

رِ عَصيراً أَرقَّ مِن شارِبيهِ

And the strains of the strings blend into the

The melody of strings blends with the wine

wine a juice more delicate than its drinkers.

A draft more gentle than its drinkers.

قُلتُ في مُهجَتي فَراغ رَهيب

قُلتُ في مُهجَتي فَراغ رَهيب

فَاِعصُري فيهِ فَلذَة شارِبيهِ

فَاِعصُري فيهِ فَلذَة شارِبيهِ

I said, "Within my heart is a dreadful void;

I said my mind has a terrible emptiness

so press into it a morsel of those who drink it."

So squeeze in it the joy of its drinkers.

فَأَمالَت عَنّي عُيوناً سَكارى

فَأَمالَت عَنّي عُيوناً سَكارى

وَأَمالَت إِلَيَّ قَلباً شَقِيّا

وَأَمالَت إِلَيَّ قَلباً شَقِيّا

So she turned drunken eyes away from me,

She turned from me eyes drunk

and turned an anguished heart toward me.

And turned to me a woeful heart.

وَأَذابَت مِن مُقلَتَيها رَحيقاً

وَأَذابَت مِن مُقلَتَيها رَحيقاً

جَرَعَتهُ الشُجونُ في مُقلَتَيّا

جَرَعَتهُ الشُجونُ في مُقلَتَيّا

And she melted from her eyes a nectar

And melted from her lashes an intoxicant

which sorrows gulped within my eyes.

Sorrows drank in both our eyes.

ثُمَّ قالَت خبرتَ حُبّ البَغايا

ثُمَّ قالَت خبرتَ حُبّ البَغايا

فَنظمتَ العَذابَ شِعراً بَغِيّا

فَنظمتَ العَذابَ شِعراً بَغِيّا

Then she said, "You have known the love of harlots,

Then she said, you've known the love of harlots

so you wove torment into wanton verse."

So you compose torment in debauched verse.

فَتَبَيَّنتُ كلّ ما أَضمَرتَه

فَتَبَيَّنتُ كلّ ما أَضمَرتَه

حينَ مالَت عَنّي وَمالَت إِلَيّا

حينَ مالَت عَنّي وَمالَت إِلَيّا

So I discerned all she had concealed

I saw all you harbored

when she turned away from me and turned toward me.

When she turned from me and turned to me.

وَتَراءى في رَفرَف اللَيلِ مولو

وَتَراءى في رَفرَف اللَيلِ مولو

دٌ عَلَيهِ غَلالَة من أَبيهِ

دٌ عَلَيهِ غَلالَة من أَبيهِ

And in night's fluttering canopy appeared a

A newborn appeared in the flutter of night

newborn wearing a gauzy robe from his father.

Upon him a blanket from his father.

فَأَطَلَّت مِن كوّة الكوخِ وَاللَ

فَأَطَلَّت مِن كوّة الكوخِ وَاللَ

لُ يَزفُّ الضحى إِلى ساهِريهِ

لُ يَزفُّ الضحى إِلى ساهِريهِ

So she looked out from the cottage window, while the

He peered from the hut window as dawn

night was escorting morning as a bride to those keeping vigil through it.

Delivered morning to those awake.

قُلتُ في ما تُفَكَّرين فَقالَت

قُلتُ في ما تُفَكَّرين فَقالَت

في سُكونِ الدُجى وَفي ما يَليهِ

في سُكونِ الدُجى وَفي ما يَليهِ

I asked, "What are you thinking of?" She said,

I said, what are you thinking? She said,

"Of the stillness of deep night, and of what follows it."

Of the stillness of night and what comes after.

وَاِشرَأَبَّت مِن الكَوى الأَعناقُ

وَاِشرَأَبَّت مِن الكَوى الأَعناقُ

وَأَذابَت بَريقَها الأَحداقُ

وَأَذابَت بَريقَها الأَحداقُ

And necks craned out of the windows,

The gazelles arched their necks from the desert thicket

and the eyes melted their glitter away.

And their glances melted with dew.

وَاِستَفاقَت مِن نَومِهِنَّ العَذارى

وَاِستَفاقَت مِن نَومِهِنَّ العَذارى

حائِراتٍ وَالعاشِقونَ اِستَفاقوا

حائِراتٍ وَالعاشِقونَ اِستَفاقوا

And the maidens awoke from their sleep,

The maidens awoke from their slumber

bewildered, and the lovers awoke.

Perplexed, and the lovers awoke.

الخليّون أَومَأوا بِيَدَيهِم

الخليّون أَومَأوا بِيَدَيهِم

وَبِطرف اللَواحِظ العشّاقُ

وَبِطرف اللَواحِظ العشّاقُ

Those free of love gestured with their hands,

The revelers waved their hands

and the lovers with sidelong glances.

And with a wink of the eye, the lovers.

وَاِستَفاقَ الجَميعُ مِن نَشوَةِ الخَم

وَاِستَفاقَ الجَميعُ مِن نَشوَةِ الخَم

رَةِ حَتّى الآمالِ وَالأَشواقِ

رَةِ حَتّى الآمالِ وَالأَشواقِ

And all awoke from the intoxication of

All awoke from the intoxication of wine

wine—even hopes and longings.

Even hopes and passions awoke.

قُلتُ في ما تفكِّرين فَقالَت

قُلتُ في ما تفكِّرين فَقالَت

في يَراعٍ سحرُ الهَوى مِن ذَويه

في يَراعٍ سحرُ الهَوى مِن ذَويه

I asked, "What are you thinking of?" She said,

I said, what are you thinking? She said,

"Of a reed pen whose kin include love's enchantment;

Of an oasis - passion's sorcery on its people.

في يَراعٍ عَلَّمتَه الحُبَّ حَتّى

في يَراعٍ عَلَّمتَه الحُبَّ حَتّى

صِرتُ أَهواهُ صِرتُ مِن عاشِقيهِ

صِرتُ أَهواهُ صِرتُ مِن عاشِقيهِ

of a reed pen you taught love, until

In an oasis you taught me love until

I came to love it, came to be one of its lovers."

I adored you, became one of your lovers.

فَذَكَرتُ الماضي وَقُلتُ لِقَلبي

فَذَكَرتُ الماضي وَقُلتُ لِقَلبي

إِنَّها يا شَقِيُّ تَهواك فيهِ

إِنَّها يا شَقِيُّ تَهواك فيهِ

Then I recalled the past and said to my heart,

So I remembered the past and said to my heart

"Indeed, O wretched one, she loves you in it."

She still loves you there.

أَيُّها الفَجرُ يا حَبيب الشَقِيّي

أَيُّها الفَجرُ يا حَبيب الشَقِيّي

نِ وَيا مشعل الهَوى وَالشَبابِ

نِ وَيا مشعل الهَوى وَالشَبابِ

O dawn, beloved of the

Oh dawn, beloved of the woeful

wretched, O torch of love and youth!

And torch of love and youth.

أَيُّها الشاطىءُ المسرّ إِلى المو

أَيُّها الشاطىءُ المسرّ إِلى المو

جِ حَديثَ العُشّاقِ وَالأَحبابِ

جِ حَديثَ العُشّاقِ وَالأَحبابِ

O shore, whispering to the

Oh shore, blissful with

waves the talk of lovers and beloveds!

The tales of lovers and friends.

أَيُّها الكوخ وَالعُيون السكارى

أَيُّها الكوخ وَالعُيون السكارى

بِخُمورٍ لَم تَمتَزِج بِعَذابِ

بِخُمورٍ لَم تَمتَزِج بِعَذابِ

O cottage, and eyes drunk

Oh hut and drunken eyes

on wines unmixed with torment,

With wines unmingled with torment.

لا تجسّي قَلبي فَلَم يَبقَ فيهِ

لا تجسّي قَلبي فَلَم يَبقَ فيهِ

مِن بِناء الماضي سِوى أَخشابِ

مِن بِناء الماضي سِوى أَخشابِ

do not probe my heart, for nothing remains in it

Do not stir my heart, nothing remains in it

of the past's edifice but timbers.

Of the past's structure but rubble.

وَاِنصَرَفنا وَقَبل أَن أَتَوارى

وَاِنصَرَفنا وَقَبل أَن أَتَوارى

عَن جَمال الشاطي وَعن ساكِنيهِ

عَن جَمال الشاطي وَعن ساكِنيهِ

And we departed; before I vanished

We left before I disappeared

from the beauty of the shore and from its dwellers,

From the shore's beauty and its dwellers.

قُلتُ لِلمَرأةِ الَّتي آلَمَتني

قُلتُ لِلمَرأةِ الَّتي آلَمَتني

حينَ قالَت اللَهُ ما يُشقيهِ

حينَ قالَت اللَهُ ما يُشقيهِ

I said to the woman who had hurt me

I said to the woman who pained me

when she said, "God! What makes him suffer?"

When she said "God, what makes it woeful?"

لِيَ قَلب أَفرَغته فَاِترُكيهِ

لِيَ قَلب أَفرَغته فَاِترُكيهِ

في الهَوى فارِغاً وَلا تَملَأيه

في الهَوى فارِغاً وَلا تَملَأيه

"I have a heart you emptied; so leave it

"I have a heart you emptied, so leave it

empty in love, and do not fill it."

Empty in love, do not refill it."