بكِ بالشوقِ بالضنى يا جاره

بكِ بالشوقِ بالضنى يا جاره

اسعِفيني بالكأسِ والسيجارَه

اسعِفيني بالكأسِ والسيجارَه

By you, by longing, by wasting anguish, O neighbor,

Cry with yearning, with sorrow, O neighbor,

Come to my aid with the cup and the cigarette.

Help me with a glass and a cigarette,

يا ابنةَ الجارِ أرمَضَ الصحوُ قلبي

يا ابنةَ الجارِ أرمَضَ الصحوُ قلبي

وشجا خاطري وشَقَّ المرارَه

وشجا خاطري وشَقَّ المرارَه

O neighbor's daughter, sobriety has scorched my heart,

O daughter of the neighbor, dawn has inflamed my heart,

And grieved my mind and torn my gallbladder.

And troubled my thoughts, and bitterness stung,

اخرِجيني من الظلامِ إلى النور

اخرِجيني من الظلامِ إلى النور

وفرضٌ أن يُسعِفُ الجارُ جارَه

وفرضٌ أن يُسعِفُ الجارُ جارَه

Bring me out of darkness into light,

Bring me out from darkness into light,

And a neighbor is duty-bound to help his neighbor.

It is a duty that a neighbor aids a neighbor,

يا عروسَ الأحلامِ باللَهِ هاتي

يا عروسَ الأحلامِ باللَهِ هاتي

وخُذي ولنَفُضُّ هذي البكارَه

وخُذي ولنَفُضُّ هذي البكارَه

O bride of dreams, by God, give,

O bride of dreams, for God's sake, bring me

And take; let us break this maidenhead.

Take this and let's undo this virginity,

أشعِلي تلكَ تارةً واترعي من

أشعِلي تلكَ تارةً واترعي من

خمرةِ الرافدين هاتيكَ تارَه

خمرةِ الرافدين هاتيكَ تارَه

Light that one at times; at others, fill

Light that fire sometimes and drink from

That other one with the wine of the Two Rivers.

The wine of the Tigris, bring it sometimes,

ودعيني ما بينَ سيجارتي والكاس

ودعيني ما بينَ سيجارتي والكاس

أبكي الصبا وآخذُ ثارَه

أبكي الصبا وآخذُ ثارَه

And leave me between my cigarette and the cup

And let me between my cigarette and glass

To weep for youth and avenge it.

Cry for youth and take revenge on it,

خفّفي العتبَ أوصدي البابَ قومي

خفّفي العتبَ أوصدي البابَ قومي

واطمئنّي فالشيخُ غادرَ دارَه

واطمئنّي فالشيخُ غادرَ دارَه

Lessen your reproach; shut the door; rise,

Ease the blame or close the door, stand

And be at ease, for the sheikh has left his house.

And be reassured, for the sheikh left his abode,

لستُ أخشى عليكِ من أمّكِ السوء

لستُ أخشى عليكِ من أمّكِ السوء

فكم رحّبَت بهذي الزيارَه

فكم رحّبَت بهذي الزيارَه

I fear no harm to you from your mother,

I don't fear for you from your wicked mother

For how often she has welcomed this visit!

For how much she welcomed this visit!

يا ابنةَ الشيخِ يا مُنى النفسِ يا

يا ابنةَ الشيخِ يا مُنى النفسِ يا

ريحانَةَ الحيّ أوقدَ الشوقُ نارَه

ريحانَةَ الحيّ أوقدَ الشوقُ نارَه

O sheikh's daughter, O my soul's desire, O

O daughter of the sheikh, O wish of the soul, O

Sweet basil of the neighborhood, longing has kindled its fire.

Basil of the living, passion lit its fire,

إنقَعي غُلّتي فبَينَ ضُلوعي

إنقَعي غُلّتي فبَينَ ضُلوعي

خافِقٌ شفَّهُ الصدى لا حِجارَه

خافِقٌ شفَّهُ الصدى لا حِجارَه

Quench my thirst, for between my ribs

Quench my anguish, for between my ribs

Is a beating heart wasted by thirst, not stones.

A throbbing heart whose echo no stones deter,

واخرُجي بي من عالمِ الإفكِ والبُه

واخرُجي بي من عالمِ الإفكِ والبُه

تانِ والبَغيِ والخَنا والدَعارَه

تانِ والبَغيِ والخَنا والدَعارَه

And lead me out of the world of falsehood and

Put your mouth, my lady, on my mouth

Slander, oppression, obscenity, and debauchery,

And bring it ardently with fervor,

لسَماءِ الروى وشتّى الأماني

لسَماءِ الروى وشتّى الأماني

فبَناتُ القَريضِ رهنُ الإشارَه

فبَناتُ القَريضِ رهنُ الإشارَه

To the heaven of quenched thirst and manifold wishes,

Give it to me on our cheeks, for dusk has

For the daughters of verse await but a gesture.

Lowered its curtains,

حيثُ يحلو الهوى ويَسكُب فجرُ

حيثُ يحلو الهوى ويَسكُب فجرُ

الحبِّ في كلِّ خافقٍ أنوارَه

الحبِّ في كلِّ خافقٍ أنوارَه

Where passion is sweet, and the dawn

And melt all that rages in my chest

Of love pours its lights into every beating heart.

Of feelings whose rights were usurped, their effects,

عانِقيني وأطفئي غُلَّةَ الروح

عانِقيني وأطفئي غُلَّةَ الروح

فجِسمي براهُ ما ف القَرارَه

فجِسمي براهُ ما ف القَرارَه

Embrace me and quench the soul's thirst,

O neighbor's daughter, O wish of the soul, don't

For what lies deep within has wasted my body.

Worry if the slanderer stirred up his dust,

وضعي ثغرَكِ الشنيبَ على

وضعي ثغرَكِ الشنيبَ على

ثغري وهاتي صهباءَهُ بحرارَه

ثغري وهاتي صهباءَهُ بحرارَه

And place your sweet, white-toothed mouth upon

My heart melted, O mistress of beauty, take it

My mouth, and offer its tawny wine with ardor.

And examine its secrets,

اسقنيها على وجيبِ فؤادَينا فقد

اسقنيها على وجيبِ فؤادَينا فقد

أسدَلَ الدجى أَستارَه

أسدَلَ الدجى أَستارَه

Give it to me to drink to the pounding of our two hearts, for

My lady, by God, forgive me if I started

Night has lowered its curtains.

To complain to you of the chaos of governance,

واصهَري كلّ ما يجيشُ بصَدري

واصهَري كلّ ما يجيشُ بصَدري

من شعورٍ هضمُ الحقوق أثارَه

من شعورٍ هضمُ الحقوق أثارَه

And melt all that seethes in my breast

Ask the Living One, may I not lose you, about a slave

Of feeling stirred by the denial of rights.

Whose freedoms were stifled when they persecuted the free,

يا ابنةَ الجارِ يا مُنى النفسِ لا تَ

يا ابنةَ الجارِ يا مُنى النفسِ لا تَ

أسَي إذا ما الواشي أثارَ غُبارَه

أسَي إذا ما الواشي أثارَ غُبارَه

O neighbor's daughter, O my soul's desire, do not

Ask Him about the poor man whom God has

Grieve if the slanderer raises his dust.

And how he complained night after night of his loss,

ذابَ قلبي أو كادَ يا ربَّةَ الحُ

ذابَ قلبي أو كادَ يا ربَّةَ الحُ

سنِ خُذيهِ واستَطلِعي أسرارَه

سنِ خُذيهِ واستَطلِعي أسرارَه

My heart has melted, or almost, O mistress of

The vipers in his horizon spew poison

Beauty: take it and explore its secrets.

And the hissing has muted its mockery,

يا فتاتي باللَهِ عفواً إذا ما رحتُ

يا فتاتي باللَهِ عفواً إذا ما رحتُ

أشكو إليكِ فوضى الإدارَه

أشكو إليكِ فوضى الإدارَه

O my girl, by God, pardon me if I begin

How many angels became devils by morning

To complain to you of the chaos of administration.

Accursed, since their thoughts were poisoned!

سائلي الحيَّ لا عدِمتُكِ عن عَبدا

سائلي الحيَّ لا عدِمتُكِ عن عَبدا

نهِ حينَ ضايقوا احرارَه

نهِ حينَ ضايقوا احرارَه

Ask the neighborhood—may I never lose you—about its

Where are his moons? My soul yearns

Slaves, when they harassed its free men.

Time has hidden them and erased his moons,

سائليهِ عن الفقير لهُ اللَهُ

سائليهِ عن الفقير لهُ اللَهُ

وكم باتَ يشتكي تُجّارَه

وكم باتَ يشتكي تُجّارَه

Ask it about the poor man—God help him—

Where are his cups? My fervid heart

And how often he has spent the night complaining of its merchants.

How they laughed in their revelries!

الأفاعي في أفقهِ تنفثُ السُمَّ

الأفاعي في أفقهِ تنفثُ السُمَّ

وقد أخرسَ الفحيحُ هزارَه

وقد أخرسَ الفحيحُ هزارَه

The vipers on its horizon spit venom,

Where are his singers, his boon companions

And their hissing has silenced its nightingale.

And maids - how they danced their dances!

كم ملاكٍ أمسى فأصبح شيطاناً

كم ملاكٍ أمسى فأصبح شيطاناً

رجيماً مُذ سمَّمَت أفكارَه

رجيماً مُذ سمَّمَت أفكارَه

How many an angel met dusk and became a devil by dawn,

Ask Him and tell the poet who complained

Accursed, since they poisoned his thoughts.

About it and record his protest,

أينَ منهُ أقمارهُ لهفَ نفسي

أينَ منهُ أقمارهُ لهفَ نفسي

غَيَّبَ الدهرُ ويحَهُ أقمارَه

غَيَّبَ الدهرُ ويحَهُ أقمارَه

Where are its moons? Alas for my soul!

And send up his complaints to God here

Time has hidden its moons—woe to it!

And publicize them - do not conceal his news,

أينَ منهُ الكؤوسُ واحرَّ قلبي

أينَ منهُ الكؤوسُ واحرَّ قلبي

الحُمَيّا كم ضاحكَت أسحارَه

الحُمَيّا كم ضاحكَت أسحارَه

Where are its cups? Oh, my burning heart!

My lady, may God have mercy on you, the abode has been determined,

Wine—how often it laughed with its predawn hours!

The prisoner of sorrow, so free his shackles,

أينَ منهُ سمّارُهُ والندامى

أينَ منهُ سمّارُهُ والندامى

والدراري كم راقَصَت أسمارَه

والدراري كم راقَصَت أسمارَه

Where are its nighttime companions and fellow drinkers,

How can I sing when circumstances broke my lute

And the bright stars—how often they danced with its nighttime conversations!

And calamity cut its strings?

سائِليهِ وحدّثي الشاعر المن

سائِليهِ وحدّثي الشاعر المن

كودَ عنهُ وَسَجّلي استِنكارَه

كودَ عنهُ وَسَجّلي استِنكارَه

Ask it, and tell the ill-fated poet

The winds of deprivation blew over the land of my youth

About it, and record his protest.

And bid farewell to its flowers,

وارفَعي شكواهُ إلى اللَهِ وهناً

وارفَعي شكواهُ إلى اللَهِ وهناً

وأذيعي لا تكتُمي أخبارَه

وأذيعي لا تكتُمي أخبارَه

And raise his complaint to God late at night,

And autumn of life silenced the songbirds

And spread his news; do not conceal it.

When their yearning cried out to me,

يا فَتاتي رُحماكِ قد يَمَّمَ الدارَ

يا فَتاتي رُحماكِ قد يَمَّمَ الدارَ

أسيرُ الأسى فحلّي إسارَه

أسيرُ الأسى فحلّي إسارَه

O my girl, have mercy: toward the house has come

The strings' echo is but the reverberation

A captive of sorrow; so loosen his bonds.

Of my heart's tolling and the guitar's wailing,

كيفَ أشدو والوضعُ حطّمَ عودي

كيفَ أشدو والوضعُ حطّمَ عودي

والأراجيفُ قطَّعَت أوتارَه

والأراجيفُ قطَّعَت أوتارَه

How can I sing when the status quo has shattered my oud,

And my poem is the remainder of a heart that anguish

And malicious rumors have severed its strings?

Has squeezed, so it is its extract,

ورياحُ الحِرمانِ هبَّت على رَو

ورياحُ الحِرمانِ هبَّت على رَو

ضِ شبابي وصوّحَت أزهارَه

ضِ شبابي وصوّحَت أزهارَه

And the winds of deprivation blew upon the garden

My lady, may God have mercy on you, the abode has been determined,

Of my youth and withered its flowers.

The prisoner of sorrow, so free his shackles,

وخريفُ الحياةِ أخرَسَ لمّا

وخريفُ الحياةِ أخرَسَ لمّا

صرَخَت بي شجونُه أطيارَه

صرَخَت بي شجونُه أطيارَه

And life's autumn silenced—when

How his soul pined for you though it was

Its sorrows cried out within me—its birds.

His passion that brought it, not himself, the rebel!

ما رَنينُ الأوتارِ إلّا صدى

ما رَنينُ الأوتارِ إلّا صدى

إرنانِ قلبي وأنَّةِ القيثارَه

إرنانِ قلبي وأنَّةِ القيثارَه

The ringing of the strings is only an echo

His dark night is long, and the bitter vigil

Of my heart's wailing and the lyre's moan.

Has turned his day into night,

وقصيدي بقيّةٌ من فُؤادٍ

وقصيدي بقيّةٌ من فُؤادٍ

عَصَرَتهُ الآلامُ فهوَ عُصارَه

عَصَرَتهُ الآلامُ فهوَ عُصارَه

And my verse is a remnant of a heart

So leave him until dawn, vanquished,

Squeezed by pains; thus it is an extract.

And when he awakes, cure his hangover,

يا فتاتي رحماكِ قد يمَّمَ الدارَ

يا فتاتي رحماكِ قد يمَّمَ الدارَ

أسيرُ الأسى فحلّي إسارَه

أسيرُ الأسى فحلّي إسارَه

O my girl, have mercy: toward the house has come

We never gained, O fate, but it's enough

A captive of sorrow; so loosen his bonds.

For us if I pitied that loss,

كم هَفَت روحهُ إليكِ وقد

كم هَفَت روحهُ إليكِ وقد

جاءَ بها لا بنفسهِ الأمّارَه

جاءَ بها لا بنفسهِ الأمّارَه

How often his soul has fluttered toward you; and he has

Come with it, not with his imperious self.

ليلُهُ حالِكُ السوادِ طويلٌ

ليلُهُ حالِكُ السوادِ طويلٌ

والشجا المرُّ قد أحال نهارَه

والشجا المرُّ قد أحال نهارَه

His night is pitch-black and long,

And bitter sorrow has transformed his day.

فاترِكيهِ حتى الصبح صريعاً

فاترِكيهِ حتى الصبح صريعاً

وإذا ما أفاقَ داوي خمارَه

وإذا ما أفاقَ داوي خمارَه

So leave him laid low until dawn,

And when he comes to, treat his hangover.

ما رَبحنا يا وضعُ قطُّ ولكن

ما رَبحنا يا وضعُ قطُّ ولكن

حسبُنا لو أشفَقتُ تلكَ الخَساره

حسبُنا لو أشفَقتُ تلكَ الخَساره

We have never gained, O status quo, but

It would suffice us had I feared that loss.