مالهwhat ails him? ايقظawakened الشجونthe sorrows فقاستso grew harsh
ماله ايقظ الشجون فقاست
وحشةloneliness الليلthe night واستثارand stirred الخيالاthe imagination
وحشة الليل واستثار الخيالا
What ails him? He awakened sorrows, and harsher grew
Why has he awakened sorrows, so the night's solitude became severe,
the loneliness of night, and he stirred the imagination.
And imagination was stirred?
مالهwhat ails him? فىin مواكبprocessions الليلthe night يمشىhe walks
ماله فى مواكب الليل يمشى
ويناجىand communes with اشباحهhis/its phantoms والظلالاand the shadows
ويناجى اشباحه والظلالا
What ails him, walking in the processions of night,
Why does he walk in processions of the night,
and communing with its phantoms and shadows?
Conversing with its ghosts and shadows?
هينgentle تستخفهcarries him away بسمةa smile الطفلthe child
هين تستخفه بسمة الطفل
قويstrong يصارعwrestles with الاجيالاthe generations
قوي يصارع الاجيالا
Gentle, a child's smile carries him away;
Beware the smile of the child belittles him,
strong, he wrestles with generations.
A strong one wrestling generations.
حاسرbare الرأسthe head عندbefore كلevery جمالbeauty
حاسر الرأس عند كل جمال
مستشفdiscerning منfrom كلevery شئthing جمالاbeauty
مستشف من كل شئ جمالا
Bareheaded before every beauty,
Baring his head before every beauty,
discerning beauty in everything.
Seeking to extract beauty from everything.
ماجنa libertine حطمshattered القيودthe chains وصوفىand a Sufi
ماجن حطم القيود وصوفى
قضىspent العمرhis life نشوةrapture وابتهالاand supplication
قضى العمر نشوة وابتهالا
A libertine who shattered the chains, and a Sufi
A Sufi who broke the shackles and attained
who spent his life in rapture and supplication.
A lifetime of rapture and supplication.
خلقتwas created طينةthe clay الأسىof sorrow وغشتهاand enveloped it
خلقت طينة الأسى وغشتها
نارfire وجدof yearning فاصبحتso it became صلصالاdry, resonant clay
نار وجد فاصبحت صلصالا
The clay of sorrow was created and enveloped
Made from the clay of sadness and coated with
by the fire of yearning, and so became resonant clay.
Fire and fervor thus becoming refined steel.
ثمthen صاحcried out القضاءFate كونىbe! فكانتand it became
ثم صاح القضاء كونى فكانت
طينةthe clay البؤسof misery شاعراًa poet مثالاa sculptor
طينة البؤس شاعراً مثالا
Then Fate cried, 'Be!'—and it became—
Then destiny proclaimed: "Be!" And so it became
that clay of misery—a poet-sculptor.
The clay of misery an exemplar poet.
يتغنىsings معwith الرياحthe winds اذاغنتwhen they sing
يتغنى مع الرياح اذاغنت
فيشجىand so saddens خميلهhis grove والتلالاand the hills
فيشجى خميله والتلالا
He sings with the winds when they sing,
Who sings with the winds when they sing,
and so saddens his grove and the hills.
Thus inspiring his companion and the hills.
صاغfashioned منfrom كلevery ربوةhill منبراًa pulpit يسكبpours
صاغ من كل ربوة منبراً يسكب
فىinto سمعهhis hearing الشجونthe sorrows الطوالاlong-drawn
فى سمعه الشجون الطوالا
He fashioned from every hill a pulpit that pours
He made every hilltop a pulpit from which
long-drawn sorrows into his hearing.
He pours upon his hearing long sorrows.
هوhe طفلa child شادbuilt الرمالthe sand قصوراpalaces
هو طفل شاد الرمال قصورا
هىthey are آمالهhis hopes ودكand he leveled الرمالاthe sand
هى آماله ودك الرمالا
He is a child who built palaces of sand;
He is a child who built from sand, palaces,
they are his hopes—and he leveled the sand.
Which are his hopes, though he razed the sands.
كالعودlike aloeswood ينفحwafts العطرthe fragrance للناسto people
كالعود ينفح العطر للناس
ويفنىand wastes away تحرقاًburning واشتعالاand blazing
ويفنى تحرقاً واشتعالا
Like aloeswood, he wafts fragrance to people,
Like a fragrant branch perfuming people,
and wastes away, burning and blazing.
Though it withers from burning and inflammation.
Sol 6.1