قلتُI said للبحرto the sea إذwhen وقفتI stood مساءَat evening
قلتُ للبحر إذ وقفت مساءَ
كمhow long أطلتI prolonged الوقوفstanding والإصغاءَand listening
كم أطلت الوقوف والإصغاءَ
I said to the sea as I stood at evening:
I said to the sea when I stood in the evening
How long I have stood and listened!
How long you stood still listening
وجعلتand I made النسيمthe breeze زاداًsustenance لروحيfor my soul
وجعلت النسيم زاداً لروحي
وشربتand I drank الظلالَthe shadows والأضواءَand the lights
وشربت الظلالَ والأضواءَ
And I made the breeze sustenance for my soul,
And made the breeze nourishment for my soul
and drank the shadows and the lights.
And drank in the shadows and lights
لكأنَّindeed, as though الأضواءthe lights مختلفاتvaried
لكأنَّ الأضواء مختلفات
جَعَلَتmade منكَof you رَوضَةًa garden غنّاءَlush
جَعَلَت منكَ رَوضَةً غنّاءَ
It was as though the varied lights
As if the lights were of different hues
had made of you a lush garden.
That made you into a melodious garden
مَرَّpassed بيby me عطرهاits fragrance فأسكَرَand so intoxicated نفسيmy soul
مَرَّ بي عطرها فأسكَرَ نفسي
وَسرَىand coursed فيthrough جوانحيmy breast كيفhowever شاءَit wished
وَسرَى في جوانحي كيف شاءَ
Its fragrance passed by me and intoxicated my soul,
Its fragrance passed me and intoxicated my soul
and coursed through my breast as it pleased.
And flowed freely in my heart as it wished
نشوةa rapture لمdid not تطلlast long صحاsobered القلبthe heart منهاfrom it
نشوة لم تطل صحا القلب منها
مثلَlike ماwhat كانit was أوor أشدّmore intense عناءَsuffering
مثلَ ما كان أو أشدّ عناءَ
A rapture that did not last; the heart sobered from it,
An intoxication from which my heart found no reprieve
as it was before, or more tormented still.
Like it had been or even worse torment
إنماonly يفهمunderstands الشبيهone who is alike شبيهاًanother like oneself
إنما يفهم الشبيه شبيهاً
أيهاO البحرsea نحنwe لسناwe are not سواءَalike
أيها البحر نحن لسنا سواءَ
Only like understands like.
Only one similar can understand its like
O sea, we are not alike.
O sea, you and I are not the same
أنتyou باقٍenduring ونحنand we حربat war with اللياليthe nights
أنت باقٍ ونحن حرب الليالي
مَزَّقتناthey tore us apart وصيرتنَاand made us هباءَdust
مَزَّقتنا وصيرتنَا هباءَ
You endure, while we are at war with the nights;
You remain while we are worn by the nights
they tore us apart and turned us to dust.
That tore us apart and made us into dust
أنتyou عاتٍfierce ونحنand we كالزبدlike the foam الذاthe departing (word fragment)
أنت عاتٍ ونحن كالزبد الذا
هبِcompletes 'departing' يعلوrises حيناًfor a while ويمضيand passes away جفاءَcast off
هبِ يعلو حيناً ويمضي جفاءَ
You are fierce, while we are like the fleeting foam,
You are constant while we are like froth
rising awhile, then passing away, cast off.
That rises briefly then vanishes coldly
وعجيبٌand it is strange إليكtoward you يممتُI turned وَجهيmy face
وعجيبٌ إليك يممتُ وَجهي
إذwhen مللتُI grew weary of الحياةَlife والأحياءَand the living
إذ مللتُ الحياةَ والأحياءَ
And it is strange: toward you I turned my face,
Strangely I turned my face toward you
when I grew weary of life and the living.
When I grew weary of life and the living
أبتغيI seek عندكwith you التأسّيsolace وماyet not تَمyou possess (word fragment)
أبتغي عندك التأسّي وما تَم
لِكcompletes 'you possess' رَدَّاًa reply ولاnor تجيبyou answer نداءَa call
لِك رَدَّاً ولا تجيب نداءَ
I seek solace with you, yet you cannot
Seeking solace from you but you gave no solace
offer a reply, nor answer a call.
Nor answered my call
كلevery يومٍday تساؤلٌa question ليتif only شعريmy knowledge
كل يومٍ تساؤلٌ ليت شعري
منwho ينبّيinforms فيحسنand does well at الإِنباءَinforming
من ينبّي فيحسن الإِنباءَ
Each day, a question—if only I knew
Each day a question, I wonder
who could tell me, and tell me well.
Who will awaken me with good tidings?
ماwhat تقولsay الأمواجthe waves ماwhat آلَمpained الشمthe sun (word fragment)
ما تقول الأمواج ما آلَم الشم
سَcompletes 'the sun' فولّتso she turned away حزينةsorrowful صفراءَyellow
سَ فولّت حزينة صفراءَ
What do the waves say? What pained the sun,
What do the waves say, why did the suns
that she turned away, sorrowful and yellow?
Depart mournfully yellow?
تركتناshe left us وخلفتand left behind ليلَa night شكٍّdoubt
تركتنا وخلفت ليلَ شكٍّ
أبديٍّeternal والظلمةَand the darkness الخرساءَmute
أبديٍّ والظلمةَ الخرساءَ
She left us and left behind a night of doubt,
You left us in eternal dark doubt
eternal, and the mute darkness.
And speechless gloom
وكأنَّand as though القضاءfate يسخرscoffs منيat me
وكأنَّ القضاء يسخر مني
حينwhen أبكىmade me weep وماand not عرفتُI knew البكاءَweeping
حين أبكى وما عرفتُ البكاءَ
And it is as though fate mocks me,
As if destiny mocks me
when it has made me weep, though I had never known weeping.
When I weep though I never knew weeping
ويحalas for دَمعيmy tears وويحand alas for ذلةabasement نفسيmy soul
ويح دَمعي وويح ذلة نفسي
لَمdid not تدعleave ليfor me أحداثهits vicissitudes كبرياءَpride
لَم تدع لي أحداثه كبرياءَ
Alas for my tears, and alas for my soul's abasement!
Woe to my tears and woe to my abject soul
Its vicissitudes have left me no pride.
Your happenings left it no dignity
Sol 6.1