تبغيyou seek حياةa life لاnot تحسyou feel صروفهاits vicissitudes
تبغي حياة لا تحس صروفها
وتذمand you deplore طولthe length of تصوبٍdescending وتصعدand ascending
وتذم طول تصوبٍ وتصعد
You seek a life whose vicissitudes you do not feel,
You desire a life whose turns you do not feel
And deplore the drawn-out descents and ascents.
And blame the aiming of a long bow and its tension
لهفيmy anguish عليكfor you وقدand indeed تخالجكstirs within you الأسىsorrow
لهفي عليك وقد تخالجك الأسى
وعليand for me منbecause of خلقthe nature of الهمومcares الأوغدmost vile
وعلي من خلق الهموم الأوغد
Alas for you, as sorrow stirs within you,
I grieve for you as sorrow engulfs you
And for me, at the vile nature of cares.
And for me who created the most wretched sorrows
إناindeed we كليناboth of us واجدٌgrief-stricken متجلدbearing up
إنا كلينا واجدٌ متجلد
يخطوsteps إلىtoward الغاياتthe goals خطوthe tread of مقيدone in fetters
يخطو إلى الغايات خطو مقيد
Indeed, we are both grief-stricken, yet steadfast,
We are both assiduous and persevering
Walking toward our goals with a fettered man's tread.
Stepping toward purposes in shackled strides
وكأنماand as though كتبwrote الزمانTime حياتناour lives
وكأنما كتب الزمان حياتنا
بدمٍin blood كحاشيةlike the fringe of الظلامdarkness الأربدdark gray
بدمٍ كحاشية الظلام الأربد
And it is as though Time had written our lives
As if time had written our lives
In blood like the fringe of dusky darkness.
With the coldest ink of darkness as its margin
وكأنand as though أسطرهاits lines لشدةfrom the intensity of هولthe horror of ماwhat
وكأن أسطرها لشدة هول ما
يوينunclear; possibly 'they recount' مرهوبdreaded الصلالvipers الشردroaming
يوين مرهوب الصلال الشرد
And as though its lines, from the sheer horror of what
And as if its lines, due to the enormity of the horror
They [recount?], were dreaded, roaming vipers.
Of what convulses the scattered bare hills
قدindeed كنتI used to أؤمنbelieve بالحياةin life وطيبهاand its sweetness
قد كنت أؤمن بالحياة وطيبها
فيin ظلthe shade of أيامthe days of الشبابyouth الأبردcoolest
في ظل أيام الشباب الأبرد
I once believed in life and its sweetness,
I used to believe in life and its goodness
In the shade of youth's cool days.
In the shade of the coldest days of youth
فاليومbut today أكفرI disbelieve بالنعيمin bliss كأننيas though I
فاليوم أكفر بالنعيم كأنني
أعمىa blind man يظلremains بماwith what بهby it قدperhaps يهتديfinds his way
أعمى يظل بما به قد يهتدي
But today I disbelieve in bliss, as though I were
But today I disbelieve in bliss as if I were
A blind man who remains blind with what might guide him.
A blind man relying on what might guide him
وأمدand I extend للدنياto the world يداًa hand مبتورةًsevered
وأمد للدنيا يداً مبتورةً
وأزلand I slip حيثwhere ثبتstood firm عثرa stumbler مصفدshackled
وأزل حيث ثبت عثر مصفد
And I stretch out to the world a severed hand,
And I extend to the world a severed hand
And slip where a stumbling man in fetters stood firm.
And slip where a bound stumbling blocked me
وأروحand I go أجنيI gather الشوكthorns غيرnot مقلمpruned
وأروح أجني الشوك غير مقلم
ولكمand how often قطفتI plucked جنىthe fruit of الغصونthe boughs الميدswaying
ولكم قطفت جنى الغصون الميد
And I go gathering thorns left unpruned,
And I wander gathering unpruned thorns
Yet how often I plucked the fruit of swaying boughs!
When I plucked the harvest of swaying branches
عادتhave become لياليناour nights خريفاًan autumn كلهاall of them
عادت ليالينا خريفاً كلها
لهفيmy anguish علىfor ورقthe leaves of المنىhopes المتبددscattered
لهفي على ورق المنى المتبدد
Our nights have all become autumn;
Our nights have all turned into autumn
Alas for the scattered leaves of hope!
My grief over scattered wishful leaves
ماwhat خيرgood عيشa life صوحتhave withered أفنانهits boughs
ما خير عيش صوحت أفنانه
وتساقطتand have fallen أوراقهنtheir leaves علىupon اليدthe hand
وتساقطت أوراقهن على اليد
What good is a life whose boughs have withered,
What good is a life whose climaxes have wilted
And whose leaves have fallen upon the hand?
And their leaves dropped into hands
لكأنindeed, as though منhe who شملencompassed الوجودexistence بعدلهwith his justice
لكأن من شمل الوجود بعدله
ماnot إنat all يباليناcares about us كأنas though لمnot نوجدwe existed
ما إن يبالينا كأن لم نوجد
Indeed, it is as though he who encompassed existence with his justice
As if He who encompassed the universe justly
Cares nothing for us, as though we had never been.
Does not care if we had existed or not
ماذاwhat يفيدavails تسخطيmy resentment وتبرميand my discontent
ماذا يفيد تسخطي وتبرمي
بالعيشwith life أمor ماذاwhat يفيدavails تجلديmy fortitude
بالعيش أم ماذا يفيد تجلدي
What use are my resentment and my discontent
What good will my discontent and annoyance do
With life—or what use is my fortitude?
With life, or what good will my perseverance do?
فارددso bring back علىto مكروههاits hardships النفسthe soul التيthat
فاردد على مكروهها النفس التي
ماتتhas died وأنفاسwhile breaths لهاbelonging to it لمhave not تخمدgone out
ماتت وأنفاس لها لم تخمد
So bring back to life's hardships the soul that
So turn back to the self that objected
Has died, though its breaths have not gone out.
Though its breaths have not ceased
واقرand entertain as guests الهمومcares إذاwhen حضرنthey come قوافياrhymes
واقر الهموم إذا حضرن قوافيا
تنسيكmake you forget ثقلthe weight of ظلالهنtheir shadows الركدmotionless
تنسيك ثقل ظلالهن الركد
And when cares come, treat them to rhymes
And admit worries if they come as ends of verses
That make you forget the weight of their motionless shadows,
That make you forget the burden of their stagnant shadows
كالطفلlike a child يصرخcries out فيin الظلامthe dark لعلهperhaps he
كالطفل يصرخ في الظلام لعله
ينسىforgets مخاوفهhis fears إذاif لمnot تطردare driven away
ينسى مخاوفه إذا لم تطرد
Like a child who cries out in the dark, hoping
Like a child screaming in the dark so that perhaps
To forget his fears if they are not driven away.
He may forget his fears if you do not drive them away
Sol 6.1