والآنَand now يَاO مَوْتُDeath إِلَيَّto me اقترِبْcome near
والآنَ يَا مَوْتُ إِلَيَّ اقترِبْ
يَاO مَرْحَبًاwelcome بالمَوْثِقِto the binder المُعْتِقِthe liberator
يَا مَرْحَبًا بالمَوْثِقِ المُعْتِقِ
And now, O Death, come near to me.
Now, O death, come to me,
Welcome to the binder, the liberator,
Welcome, O liberator,
مُعْتِقِfreeing نَفْسِيmy soul مِنْfrom قُيُودِthe chains of الأَسَىsorrow
مُعْتِقِ نَفْسِي مِنْ قُيُودِ الأَسَى
موْثِقِbinding جِسْمِيmy body فِيin المَدَىthe space الضَّيِّقِnarrow
موْثِقِ جِسْمِي فِي المَدَى الضَّيِّقِ
Who frees my soul from sorrow's chains,
Liberator of my soul from the shackles of sorrow,
Who binds my body within a narrow space.
Shackles of my body in this narrow existence.
هَاكَhere, take شَبَابًاyouth نَاضِرًاblooming، فَاحْتَسِبْso count it
هَاكَ شَبَابًا نَاضِرًا، فَاحْتَسِبْ
وَهَاكَand here, take قَلْبًاa heart نَابِضًاbeating فَاخْنُقِso strangle it
وَهَاكَ قَلْبًا نَابِضًا فَاخْنُقِ
Here is youth in its bloom—add it to your tally;
I have no more desires in this world,
And here is a beating heart—strangle it.
The world is but a fool’s paradise.
لَمْhas not يَبْقَremained لِيfor me فِيon الأَرْضِthe earth مِنْany بُغْيَةٍdesire
لَمْ يَبْقَ لِي فِي الأَرْضِ مِنْ بُغْيَةٍ
مَاnot الأَرْضُthe earth إِلَّاbut جَنَّةُthe paradise of الأَحْمَقِthe fool
مَا الأَرْضُ إِلَّا جَنَّةُ الأَحْمَقِ
No desire remains for me on earth;
People? They are nothing but treacherous,
Earth is nothing but a fool's paradise.
Devious, corrupt and disturbing.
النَّاسُpeople؟ مَاnot فِيهِمْamong them سِوَىother than غَادِرٍa traitor
النَّاسُ؟ مَا فِيهِمْ سِوَى غَادِرٍ
مُرَاوِغٍdevious، أَوْor مُفْسِدٍa corrupter مُقْلِقِcausing unease
مُرَاوِغٍ، أَوْ مُفْسِدٍ مُقْلِقِ
People? None among them but a traitor,
Money? Money to me is but
Devious, or a corrupter who causes unease.
The locust of the rogue and mercury.
المَاْلُmoney؟ لَيْسَis not المَالُmoney عِنْدِيto me سِوَىother than
المَاْلُ؟ لَيْسَ المَالُ عِنْدِي سِوَى
جَرَادَةِthe locust of العَيَّارِal-ʿAyyār وَالزِّئْبَقِand quicksilver
جَرَادَةِ العَيَّارِ وَالزِّئْبَقِ
Money? To me, money is nothing but
Poetry? A full, abundant sea
Al-ʿAyyār's locust and quicksilver.
That cannot quench the irrigation canal.
الشعرُpoetry؟ بَحْرٌa sea كَامِلٌcomplete وَافِرٌabundant
الشعرُ؟ بَحْرٌ كَامِلٌ وَافِرٌ
وَلَيْسَand does not يُرْوِيquench غُلَّةَthe thirst of المُسْتَقِيthe water-seeker
وَلَيْسَ يُرْوِي غُلَّةَ المُسْتَقِي
Poetry? A sea, complete and abundant,
The sword? The individual with a plane
Yet it does not quench the water-seeker's thirst.
Is stronger than a division and a regiment.
السَّيْفُthe sword؟ وَالفَرْدُand a lone man بطيارةٍin an airplane
السَّيْفُ؟ وَالفَرْدُ بطيارةٍ
أَقْوَىstronger مِنَthan الفرقَةِthe division وَالفَيْلَقِand the corps
أَقْوَى مِنَ الفرقَةِ وَالفَيْلَقِ
The sword? Yet a lone man in an airplane
Knowledge? The gainer from tools
Is stronger than a division and a corps.
Is better than the gainer from rags.
العلمُlearning؟ والكاسبُand the earner مِنْby مِعْوَلٍa pickaxe
العلمُ؟ والكاسبُ مِنْ مِعْوَلٍ
خَيْرٌbetter مِنَthan الكَاسِبِthe earner مِنْby مُهْرَقِa written page
خَيْرٌ مِنَ الكَاسِبِ مِنْ مُهْرَقِ
Learning? Yet one who earns by a pickaxe
Love? Stop, O death, and have mercy
Is better off than one who earns by a written page.
On my heart, leave it a moment to throb,
الحُبُّlove؟ قِفْstop يَاO مَوْتُDeath وَاشْفِقْand have pity عَلَىon
الحُبُّ؟ قِفْ يَا مَوْتُ وَاشْفِقْ عَلَى
قَلْبِيmy heart وَدَعْهُand let it لَحْظَةa moment يخفُقِbeat
قَلْبِي وَدَعْهُ لَحْظَة يخفُقِ
Love? Stop, O Death, and have pity on
Let my eyelids weep before parting,
My heart, and let it beat for a moment.
Weep for the flowers, for the hyacinth,
دَعْlet مُقْلَتِيmy eye تَبْكِيweep قُبَيْلَjust before النَّوَىparting
دَعْ مُقْلَتِي تَبْكِي قُبَيْلَ النَّوَى
تَبْكِيweep عَلَىfor الوَرْدِthe roses، عَلَىfor الزنبَقِthe lilies
تَبْكِي عَلَى الوَرْدِ، عَلَى الزنبَقِ
Let my eye weep just before parting,
Weep for a garden of love adorned
Weep for the roses, for the lilies,
With beauty and charm.
تَبْكِيweep عَلَىfor رَوْضِa garden of غرامٍlove ذوىhas withered
تَبْكِي عَلَى رَوْضِ غرامٍ ذوى
مَاwhat فِيهِwithin it مِنْof زَاهٍradiant وَمِنْand of رَيِّقِfresh
مَا فِيهِ مِنْ زَاهٍ وَمِنْ رَيِّقِ
Weep for a garden of love, where withered lies
I have one last wish before decay,
All that was radiant and fresh within it.
If only it would happen without anguish or separation.
لِيI have بُغْيَةٌa wish قَبْلَbefore الرَّدَىdeath لَيْتَهَاwould that it
لِي بُغْيَةٌ قَبْلَ الرَّدَى لَيْتَهَا
تَمَّتْwere fulfilled فَلَمْso would not آسَفْgrieve وَلَمْand would not أَفْرَقِfear
تَمَّتْ فَلَمْ آسَفْ وَلَمْ أَفْرَقِ
I have a wish before death—would that it
That I glimpse my beloved,
Were fulfilled, so I would neither grieve nor fear.
For after today we shall never meet again.
وَتِلْكَand that أَنْto أَلْمَحَglimpse مَحْبُوبَتِيmy beloved
وَتِلْكَ أَنْ أَلْمَحَ مَحْبُوبَتِي
فَنَحْنُfor we بَعْدَafter اليَوْمِtoday لَنْwill not نَلْتَقِيmeet
فَنَحْنُ بَعْدَ اليَوْمِ لَنْ نَلْتَقِي
And that is to glimpse my beloved,
For after today we shall never meet.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1