داوِsoothe ناريmy fire والتياعيand my anguish
داوِ ناري والتياعي
وتمهَّلand take your time فيin وداعيmy farewell
وتمهَّل في وداعي
Soothe my fire and my anguish,
My light and my sun
and linger in bidding me farewell.
And take your time saying goodbye
ياO حبيبbeloved of العمرlife هبgrant ليto me
يا حبيب العمر هب لي
بضعa few لحظاتٍmoments سراعswift
بضع لحظاتٍ سراع
O love of my life, grant me
Oh love of my life, grant me
a few fleeting moments.
A few fleeting moments
قفstand still تأملcontemplate مغربَthe sunset of العمlife (first part)
قف تأمل مغربَ العم
رcompletion of 'life' وإخفاقَand the failing of الشعاعthe light
ر وإخفاقَ الشعاع
Stand and contemplate life's sunset
Stop and ponder the sunset of life
and the failing of the light.
And the fading of its rays
وابكِand weep for جبَّارthe mighty one of اللياليthe nights
وابكِ جبَّار الليالي
هدّهlaid him low طولthe length of الصراعthe struggle
هدّه طول الصراع
And weep for the titan of the nights,
And cry for the tyrant of nights
laid low by the long struggle.
Calm him after long suffering
واalas for ضياعthe waste of الحزنsorrow والدمand tears (first part)
وا ضياع الحزن والدم
عcompletion of 'tears' علىover العمرlife المضاعwasted
ع على العمر المضاع
Alas for the waste of sorrow and tears
And the loss of sorrow and blood
over a life laid waste,
Spilled carelessly in life
وهتافand the cry of القلبthe heart بالشكin complaint (first part)
وهتاف القلب بالشك
وىcompletion of 'complaint' علىto غيرno انتفاعavail
وى على غير انتفاع
and the heart's cry of complaint
And the heart’s cries of doubt
to no avail!
With no use or gain
ماwhat يهمّconcerns الناسpeople منabout نجa star (first part)
ما يهمّ الناس من نج
مcompletion of 'star' علىon وشكthe verge of الزماعdeparture
م على وشك الزماع
What do people care for a star
What people seek of stars
on the verge of departure?
On the verge of setting
غابvanished منfrom بعدafter طلوعٍrising
غاب من بعد طلوعٍ
وخباand dimmed بعدafter التماعgleaming
وخبا بعد التماع
It vanished after rising,
It disappeared after rising
and dimmed after gleaming.
And faded after shining
طالhas lasted long بيfor me سُهديmy sleeplessness وإِعياand exhaustion (first part)
طال بي سُهدي وإِعيا
ئيmy exhaustion (completion) وقدand now حانthe time has come اضطجاعيmy lying down
ئي وقد حان اضطجاعي
Long have my sleeplessness and exhaustion lasted,
My worries and griefs prolonged
and now my time to lie down has come.
And my tears overflowed
وإذاand when الراحةrest حانتis at hand
وإذا الراحة حانت
بعدafter لأيٍhardship ونزاعand strife
بعد لأيٍ ونزاع
And when rest is at hand
And when rest comes
after hardship and strife,
After agony and conflict
فصدورthen the bosoms of الغيدgraceful women سيَّاalike (first part)
فصدور الغيد سيَّا
نcompletion of 'alike' وأنيابand the fangs of السباعbeasts of prey
ن وأنياب السباع
then the bosoms of graceful women are no different
The chests of friends will be consoled
from the fangs of beasts of prey.
And claws of enemies blunted
آهah لوif only تقضيwould decree اللياthe nights (first part)
آه لو تقضي الليا
ليcompletion of 'the nights' لشتيتfor one sundered باجتماعwith reunion
لي لشتيت باجتماع
Ah, if only the nights would decree
Oh, if only the nights would end
reunion for one sundered!
My scattering in union
كمhow often تمنيتُI wished وكمand how many منof
كم تمنيتُ وكم من
أملٍa hope مرّbitter الخداعdeception
أملٍ مرّ الخداع
How often I wished—and how many
How I wished and how many
a hope was bitter in its deceit—
Hopes betrayed me
وقفةa pause أقرأI read فيهاin it
وقفة أقرأ فيها
لكto you أشعارpoems of الوداعfarewell
لك أشعار الوداع
for a pause in which I might read
A pause where I can read
you poems of farewell;
To you poems of farewell
ساعةan hour أغفرI forgive فيهاin it
ساعة أغفر فيها
لكyou أجيالgenerations of امتناعrefusal
لك أجيال امتناع
an hour in which I might forgive
An hour where I can forgive
you generations of refusal.
Generations of refusal
ياO مناجاتيmy intimate communion وسرِّيand my secret
يا مناجاتي وسرِّي
وخياليand my imagination وابتداعيand my creation
وخيالي وابتداعي
O my intimate communion and my secret,
Oh my confidant, my secret
and my imagination and my creation,
My imagination and creativity
ومتاعاًand a delight لعيونيfor my eyes
ومتاعاً لعيوني
وشميميand my sense of smell وسماعيand my hearing
وشميمي وسماعي
and a delight for my eyes,
And a solace for my eyes
and for my senses of smell and hearing:
My breath and my hearing
تبعثbrings forth السلوىsolace وتنسىand makes one forget الthe
تبعث السلوى وتنسى ال
موتdeath مهتوكtorn away القناعthe mask
موت مهتوك القناع
it brings solace and makes me forget
You bring comfort and forget
death, its mask torn away—
Death, worn out and torn
دمعةa tear الحزنof sorrow التيthat تسyou shed (first part)
دمعة الحزن التي تس
كبهاit (completes 'you shed it') فوقupon ذراعيmy arm
كبها فوق ذراعي
the tear of sorrow that you shed
The teardrop of sorrow that flows
upon my arm.
Down my arm
Sol 6.1