أكلّمُها ولا تدري كأني

أكلّمُها ولا تدري كأني

أكلّمُ في سُكون ِالّليل ِنَفسِي

أكلّمُ في سُكون ِالّليل ِنَفسِي

I speak to her, and she does not know—as though

I speak to her, and she does not know, as though I

in the stillness of night I were speaking to myself.

speak to myself in the stillness of the night.

ولولا نارُها في القلبِ تَسْري

ولولا نارُها في القلبِ تَسْري

لما بالغْتُ, والأيّامُ تُنْسِى

لما بالغْتُ, والأيّامُ تُنْسِى

Were it not for her fire coursing through my heart,

And were it not for her fire coursing through my heart,

I would not have gone so far—for days make one forget.

I would not have gone to such lengths—and the days make one forget.

لقد نهبَتْ من الأحشاءِ رُوحي

لقد نهبَتْ من الأحشاءِ رُوحي

وأبدَلَتِ السعادةَ بالتأسَّي

وأبدَلَتِ السعادةَ بالتأسَّي

She has plundered my soul from my very depths

She has indeed stolen my soul from my entrails

and exchanged happiness for solace.

and replaced happiness with consolation.

فمولدُ حُبّنَا للنّفْس ِيَبْدو

فمولدُ حُبّنَا للنّفْس ِيَبْدو

كمولدِ بسمةٍ في يوم ِنَحْسٍ

كمولدِ بسمةٍ في يوم ِنَحْسٍ

For the birth of our love appears to the soul

So the birth of our love appears to the soul

like the birth of a smile on an ill-omened day.

like the birth of a smile on a day of ill fortune.

أقَاتِلَتي وما أذنَبْتُ رِفْقاً

أقَاتِلَتي وما أذنَبْتُ رِفْقاً

لقد غابتْ من الأكوان ِشَمْسِي

لقد غابتْ من الأكوان ِشَمْسِي

O my slayer—though I have committed no wrong—be gentle!

O my slayer, though I have done no wrong, be gentle!

Indeed, my sun has vanished from the cosmos.

My sun has indeed vanished from the worlds,

وأُحْرِقَ في ربيع ِالعُمْرِ رَوْضِي

وأُحْرِقَ في ربيع ِالعُمْرِ رَوْضِي

فأَمْحَلَتِ الرُّبى وكسرتُ فَأْسِي

فأَمْحَلَتِ الرُّبى وكسرتُ فَأْسِي

My garden was burned in the springtime of life;

and my garden was burned in the spring of life.

the hills grew barren, and I broke my axe.

So the hills grew barren, and I broke my axe.

فَلَسْتُ مُخَيّراً في عيش ِيَوْمي

فَلَسْتُ مُخَيّراً في عيش ِيَوْمي

ولستُ مُسَيراً في قَتْل ِأَمْسِي

ولستُ مُسَيراً في قَتْل ِأَمْسِي

Thus I am not free to choose how I live today,

So I have no choice in living my day,

nor am I driven to kill my yesterday.

nor am I compelled to kill my yesterday,

لأقتحمَ الحوادثَ وهي صَرعَى

لأقتحمَ الحوادثَ وهي صَرعَى

فتذبحُنِي على وعي ٍوحِسِّ

فتذبحُنِي على وعي ٍوحِسِّ

Yet I shall surely charge into calamities as they lie slain,

so that I may plunge into events while they lie slain,

and they slaughter me while I remain fully aware and sentient.

and they slaughter me while I am conscious and sentient.