ثَائِرٌraging حُزنِيmy sorrow ؛ وَand صَبريmy patience أَرقَـدَهْlulled it to sleep !
ثَائِرٌ حُزنِي ؛ وَ صَبري أَرقَـدَهْ !
لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge ؛ أَيُّwhat قَهـرٍoppression جَـدّدَهْrenewed it ؟
لَيتَ شِعري ؛ أَيُّ قَهـرٍ جَـدّدَهْ ؟
My sorrow rages, though my patience had lulled it to sleep!
Would that I knew—what oppression renewed it?
أَيُّwhat حَـرْقٍburning ضَـجَّcried out فيـهwithin it خافقـيmy beating heart
أَيُّ حَـرْقٍ ضَـجَّ فيـه خافقـي
فَاشتَكَتْso complained مِنهُof it مُنـايَmy hopes المُسهَـدَهْsleepless ؟
فَاشتَكَتْ مِنهُ مُنـايَ المُسهَـدَهْ ؟
What burning made my throbbing heart cry out,
so that my sleepless hopes complained of it?
يَصطَفِينِيchooses me ؛ ثُمَّthen يَمضِـيpasses on مُرعِـداًthundering
يَصطَفِينِي ؛ ثُمَّ يَمضِـي مُرعِـداً
يَجتَبِيselects قَلْبًاa heart هَوَىhas fallen , مَـاhow أَحقَـدَهْspiteful it is !
يَجتَبِي قَلْبًا هَوَى , مَـا أَحقَـدَهْ !
It singles me out, then passes on, thundering,
choosing a fallen heart—how spiteful it is!
كانَwas فِكْريmy mind سَاهِمـاًpensive فِـيin مَأمَـنٍa safe haven
كانَ فِكْري سَاهِمـاً فِـي مَأمَـنٍ
وَand انطَوَىlay hidden فِيـهِwithin it جنـونٌa madness أَجهَـدَهْexhausted it
وَ انطَوَى فِيـهِ جنـونٌ أَجهَـدَهْ
My mind was pensive in a safe haven,
and within it lurked a madness that exhausted it.
كانَwas عُمْـريmy life وَاقِفًـاstanding فِـيin هَـدأَةٍquietude
كانَ عُمْـري وَاقِفًـا فِـي هَـدأَةٍ
وَand استَبَدَّheld tyrannical sway البُـؤسُmisery لمّـاwhen أَسجَـدَهْmade it prostrate
وَ استَبَدَّ البُـؤسُ لمّـا أَسجَـدَهْ
My life stood still in quietude,
and misery held sway when it brought it to its knees.
كانَwas قَلبـيmy heart نَابِضـاًbeating فـيin نُضْـرةٍfreshness
كانَ قَلبـي نَابِضـاً فـي نُضْـرةٍ
فَاعتَـراهُso overtook it اليَـأسُdespair حتَّـىuntil أَفسَـدَهْruined it
فَاعتَـراهُ اليَـأسُ حتَّـى أَفسَـدَهْ
My heart was pulsing with vitality,
then despair overtook it until it ruined it.
كانَwas هَمِّـيmy worry خَامِـداًdormant فِـيin سَكْنَـةٍrepose
كانَ هَمِّـي خَامِـداً فِـي سَكْنَـةٍ
فَاكتَـوَىso was scorched مِنـهُby it شُّعُـورٌa feeling أَوقَـدَهْkindled it
فَاكتَـوَى مِنـهُ شُّعُـورٌ أَوقَـدَهْ
My worry lay dormant in repose,
then a feeling that had kindled it was scorched by it.
أَيُّهـاO you ذاthis الطَّيـفُthe phantom أَنَّـىwhence زُرتَنِـيyou visited me
أَيُّهـا ذا الطَّيـفُ أَنَّـى زُرتَنِـي
قَيَّـدَfettered الظُّلْـمُinjustice الهـوىlove مُـذْsince زَرَّدهclad it in chain mail
قَيَّـدَ الظُّلْـمُ الهـوى مُـذْ زَرَّده
O phantom, from where have you come to visit me?
Injustice fettered love ever since it clad it in chain mail.
سَـاقَdrove أَحلامِـيmy dreams إِلـىtoward أكدارِهـاtheir sorrows
سَـاقَ أَحلامِـي إِلـى أكدارِهـا
يَاoh لَقَلـبٍfor a heart نَبضُـهُits pulse قَـدْindeed أَرعَـدَهْmade it tremble !
يَا لَقَلـبٍ نَبضُـهُ قَـدْ أَرعَـدَهْ !
It drove my dreams toward their sorrows.
Alas for a heart whose own pulse has made it tremble!
وَand انبَرَىarose فِـيin خَاطِـريmy mind يَقتَاتُـهُfeeds on it
وَ انبَرَى فِـي خَاطِـري يَقتَاتُـهُ
وَيلُwoe to سَعـدِيmy happiness أَيُّwhat خَـوفٍfear بَـدَّدَهْscattered it ؟
وَيلُ سَعـدِي أَيُّ خَـوفٍ بَـدَّدَهْ ؟
And it rose within my mind, feeding on it;
woe to my happiness—what fear has scattered it?
قَدْindeed مَضَىpassed لَيلِـيmy night بَهِيمـاًpitch-dark عَاصِفًـاstormy
قَدْ مَضَى لَيلِـي بَهِيمـاً عَاصِفًـا
وَand احتَوانِيenfolded me الدَّمـعُtears لَمَّـاwhen هَدهَـدَهْlulled it
وَ احتَوانِي الدَّمـعُ لَمَّـا هَدهَـدَهْ
My night has passed, pitch-dark and stormy,
and tears enfolded me as they lulled it to sleep.
فَاشتَكَتْso complained عَينايَmy two eyes مِنْof مِلْحِsalt النَّـوَىseparation
فَاشتَكَتْ عَينايَ مِنْ مِلْحِ النَّـوَى
وَand اشتَكَىcomplained رِمْشُthe eyelash الأمَانِـيhopes إِثْمِـدَهْits antimony kohl
وَ اشتَكَى رِمْشُ الأمَانِـي إِثْمِـدَهْ
So my eyes complained of separation’s salt,
and the eyelash of hopes complained of its kohl.
ضَاقَgrew tight صَدريmy breast مِنfrom جُرُوحٍwounds قدalready شكتcomplained
ضَاقَ صَدري مِن جُرُوحٍ قد شكت
لَيسَdoes not يُجدِيbenefit الجُرحَthe wound مَنْthe one who قَدْalready ضَمَّـدَهْbandaged it
لَيسَ يُجدِي الجُرحَ مَنْ قَدْ ضَمَّـدَهْ
My breast grew tight from wounds that had complained;
the one who has bandaged the wound does it no good.
خَادِعٌdeceptive زَيـفٌa sham لصَبـرِيfor my patience مُـذْsince بَـدَاappeared
خَادِعٌ زَيـفٌ لصَبـرِي مُـذْ بَـدَا
فِيـهِwithin it عَجـزٌhelplessness بِالحِجـاthrough reason قَـدْindeed أَكَّـدَهْconfirmed it
فِيـهِ عَجـزٌ بِالحِجـا قَـدْ أَكَّـدَهْ
A sham has deceived my patience since there appeared
within it a helplessness confirmed through reason.
يَـاoh لَشِعـرٍfor poetry حَرفُـهُits letter أَضنَـىwore out بِـهِthrough it
يَـا لَشِعـرٍ حَرفُـهُ أَضنَـى بِـهِ
مَارِقٌa renegade فَـوقَatop العَنَـاsuffering قَـدْindeed وَسَّـدَهْpillowed it
مَارِقٌ فَـوقَ العَنَـا قَـدْ وَسَّـدَهْ
Oh, for poetry whose letter has worn him out—
a renegade who has pillowed it atop suffering.
قَدْindeed خَبَـاdimmed مِصباحُـهُits lamp فِـيin عُتْمَـةٍdarkness
قَدْ خَبَـا مِصباحُـهُ فِـي عُتْمَـةٍ
مِثلَlike نَجمٍa star فِيin الدُّجَىthe gloom قَدْindeed أَخْمَدَهْextinguished it
مِثلَ نَجمٍ فِي الدُّجَى قَدْ أَخْمَدَهْ
Its lamp has dimmed in darkness,
like a star he has quenched in the gloom.
Sol 6.1