إن من قد جبلك

إن من قد جبلك

بعد حين قتلك

بعد حين قتلك

Indeed, the one who fashioned you

Indeed, the one who fashioned you

killed you after a time.

killed you after a while.

ومن استمهلته

ومن استمهلته

ضارعا قد اعجلك

ضارعا قد اعجلك

And the one whom you begged for respite

And the one you begged for respite,

hastened you on, though you pleaded.

imploring, hastened your end.

ومن استنصرته

ومن استنصرته

واثقا قد خذلك

واثقا قد خذلك

And the one whose aid you sought

And the one whose help you sought,

failed you, despite your trust.

trusting, let you down.

ليت من قد بث فيك

ليت من قد بث فيك

حياة كفلك

حياة كفلك

Would that the one who breathed

If only the one who instilled in you

life into you had sustained you.

life had cared for you.

ليت من القاك في

ليت من القاك في

حمأة قد نشلك

حمأة قد نشلك

Would that the one who cast you into

If only the one who cast you into

a mire had pulled you free.

mire had pulled you out.

انه استرجع ما

انه استرجع ما

كان قبلاً خولك

كان قبلاً خولك

He has reclaimed what

He has taken back what

he once bestowed upon you.

he had granted you before.

انه في جدث

انه في جدث

ضيق قد جعلك

ضيق قد جعلك

He has placed you in a grave,

He has, in a grave,

narrow and confining.

a narrow one, placed you.

منزل يملؤه

منزل يملؤه

عوض النور حلك

عوض النور حلك

A dwelling filled

A dwelling filled

with utter darkness instead of light.

with darkness instead of light.

ولماذا لك جا

ولماذا لك جا

زى على ما حملك

زى على ما حملك

And why did he re—

And why did he requite you

—quite you for what he made you bear?

for what he made you bear?

ولماذا بعد ما

ولماذا بعد ما

لك احيا قتلك

لك احيا قتلك

And why, after

And why, after

giving you life, did he kill you?

giving you life, did he kill you?

سر ان اسطعت الى الاهل

سر ان اسطعت الى الاهل

واركب جملك

واركب جملك

Go, if you can, to your family,

Go, if you can, to your family,

and mount your camel.

and mount your camel.

قل كما كنت تقو

قل كما كنت تقو

ل وارسل مثلك

ل وارسل مثلك

Speak as you used to spe—

Speak as you used to

—ak, and send forth another like you.

speak, and utter your proverb,

مثلما سن له

مثلما سن له

كل ذي رجل سلك

كل ذي رجل سلك

Just as it was ordained for him,

as one was coined for himself

every creature with feet has trodden this path.

by every traveler on foot.

كم بك الدهر تمخض

كم بك الدهر تمخض

حتى نجلك

حتى نجلك

How long Time labored with you

How long Time labored with you

until it brought you forth!

before it begot you!

سخت في حمأته

سخت في حمأته

وتعدّت ارجلك

وتعدّت ارجلك

You sank into its mire,

You sank into its mire,

and your feet transgressed all bounds.

and it rose beyond your feet.

كان يستطيع ولكنه

كان يستطيع ولكنه

ما نشلك

ما نشلك

He could have saved you, yet

It could have, but

he did not pull you free.

it did not pull you out.

وكأن الارض قد

وكأن الارض قد

حمدت معتزلك

حمدت معتزلك

It is as though the earth

And it is as though the earth

welcomed your withdrawal.

welcomed your withdrawal.

انها قد انكرت

انها قد انكرت

في مطاها ثقلك

في مطاها ثقلك

It had resented

It has resented

the weight of you upon its back.

your weight upon its back.

غير عظم نخر

غير عظم نخر

كله لم يبق لك

كله لم يبق لك

Nothing but a decayed bone—

Nothing but bone, decayed

nothing of you remains.

through and through, remains to you.

انت في دنياك ما

انت في دنياك ما

كنت تشكو ملك

كنت تشكو ملك

In your earthly life, you never

You, in your earthly life, never

complained of an angel.

complained of [boredom].

أي امر قاهر

أي امر قاهر

عن هواها شغلك

عن هواها شغلك

What overpowering command

What overpowering command

distracted you from loving it?

turned you from loving it,

وعلى سلوانها

وعلى سلوانها

بعد حب حملك

بعد حب حملك

And what impelled you to forget it

and toward forgetting it,

after love had borne you away?

after love, compelled you?

كنت من لذاتها

كنت من لذاتها

مثل نجم في فلك

مثل نجم في فلك

Amid its pleasures, you were

Amid its pleasures you were

like a star in its firmament.

like a star in an orbit.

انت ما مهدت في

انت ما مهدت في

الارض قبلا سبلك

الارض قبلا سبلك

You had not prepared

You had not paved upon

your paths upon the earth beforehand.

the earth your paths beforehand.

انت ما استوفيت

انت ما استوفيت

بعد عليها جذلك

بعد عليها جذلك

Nor had you yet exhausted

You had not had your fill

your delight upon it.

yet, of joy upon it.

قبل ان تعرف آ

قبل ان تعرف آ

خرك اعرف اوّلك

خرك اعرف اوّلك

Before you know your en—

Before you know your

—d, know your beginning.

end, know your beginning.

اند الماضي

اند الماضي

ثم ابكين مستقبلك

ثم ابكين مستقبلك

Mourn what has passed;

Lament the past,

then weep indeed for what awaits you.

then weep for your future.

أي داء فيك قد

أي داء فيك قد

دب حتى اكلك

دب حتى اكلك

What sickness within you

What disease within you has

crept on until it devoured you?

crept until it devoured you?

أي طب في حفيرك

أي طب في حفيرك

يشفى شللك

يشفى شللك

What remedy in your grave

What medicine in your grave

can cure your paralysis?

can cure your paralysis?

كل سيف قاتل

كل سيف قاتل

حين تبدى مقتلك

حين تبدى مقتلك

Every sword is deadly

Every sword is deadly

when your vulnerable spot lies exposed.

when your fatal spot is exposed.

احص لي كل خطا

احص لي كل خطا

ياك واذمم عملك

ياك واذمم عملك

Count for me every one of your si—

Count for me all your

—ns, and condemn your deeds.

sins, and condemn your conduct.

واذا احصيتها

واذا احصيتها

لي فاستر خجلك

لي فاستر خجلك

And when you have counted them,

And when you have counted them

conceal your shame for my sake.

for me, then hide your shame.

انا لا احمد في

انا لا احمد في

جوف قبر منزلك

جوف قبر منزلك

I cannot commend your lodging

I do not praise, within

in the hollow of a grave.

a grave's depths, your dwelling.

كنت شيطانا ولكنك

كنت شيطانا ولكنك

اليوم ملك

اليوم ملك

You were a devil, but now

You were a devil, but

you are an angel.

today you are an angel.

لا تذمن المقا

لا تذمن المقا

دير واذمم خطلك

دير واذمم خطلك

Never blame the decrees of fa—

Do not blame fate's

—te; blame your own error.

decrees; blame your folly.

انت من فسك او

انت من فسك او

رثتها شر الهلك

رثتها شر الهلك

You yourself, from within, be—

You are the one who, to your [soul],

—queathed it the worst perdition.

bequeathed the worst destruction.

قبلما تنقد اعمالي

قبلما تنقد اعمالي

انقد عملك

انقد عملك

Before you criticize my deeds,

Before you criticize my deeds,

criticize your own.

criticize your own conduct.

اجحيم هي لي

اجحيم هي لي

ونعيم هو لك

ونعيم هو لك

Hell is mine,

Is hell to be mine,

and bliss is yours.

and bliss yours?

انا لا اسمع في

انا لا اسمع في

مثل هذا جدلك

مثل هذا جدلك

I will not listen

I will not listen, on

to such disputation from you.

such a matter, to your argument.

لا اذى بعد البوا

لا اذى بعد البوا

ر فخفف وجلك

ر فخفف وجلك

Beyond annihi—

There is no pain after

—lation I see nothing, so ease your fear.

extinction, so lessen your dread.

واذا صح العقا

واذا صح العقا

ب فان الويل لك

ب فان الويل لك

And if punish—

And if there truly is

—ment proves true, then woe to you.

punishment, then woe to you.

وعسى ان يغفر اللَه

وعسى ان يغفر اللَه

يوما زللك

يوما زللك

Perhaps God

And may God forgive,

will one day forgive your sins.

one day, your missteps.

يا نهاري كدت ان

يا نهاري كدت ان

تنقضى ما اعجلك

تنقضى ما اعجلك

O my day, you have nearly

O my day, you are almost

passed away—how swift you are!

over—how hasty you are!

انني اهوى ضحا

انني اهوى ضحا

ك واهوى طفلك

ك واهوى طفلك

Indeed, I love your fore—

I love your forenoon,

—noon, and I love your dusk.

and I love your twilight.

حبذا النور ولا

حبذا النور ولا

حبذا هذا الحلك

حبذا هذا الحلك

How lovely is the light—and how

How lovely the light, and how

unlovely is this darkness!

unlovely this darkness!

ايها اللون الذي

ايها اللون الذي

غرني ما انصلك

غرني ما انصلك

O color that beguiled me,

O color that

how faded you are!

deceived me, how you have faded!

ايها الليل الذي

ايها الليل الذي

جنني ما اطولك

جنني ما اطولك

O night that drove me mad,

O night that

how long you are!

enveloped me, how long you are!

ايها الصبح الذي

ايها الصبح الذي

سرّني ما اجملك

سرّني ما اجملك

O morning that delighted me,

O dawn that

how beautiful you are!

gladdened me, how beautiful you are!

ايها الطيف الذي

ايها الطيف الذي

زارني من ارسلك

زارني من ارسلك

O phantom that visited me—

O apparition that

who sent you?

visited me—who sent you?