أخي إلياسً : ما أقسى اللَّيالي

أخي إلياسً : ما أقسى اللَّيالي

تُنيخُ بكَلْكَلٍ وتقولُ : مالي

تُنيخُ بكَلْكَلٍ وتقولُ : مالي

My brother Elias, how cruel the nights are!

My brother Elias, how cruel are the nights

They bear down with a heavy breast and say, "What is it to me?"

That sleep restlessly and say: what's wrong with me?

تَسَمَّعُ إذ تَصامَمُ للنَّجاوى

تَسَمَّعُ إذ تَصامَمُ للنَّجاوى

وتَهْمِسُ إذ تخارسُ للنِّمال

وتَهْمِسُ إذ تخارسُ للنِّمال

They eavesdrop while feigning deafness to whispered confidences,

They pretend to be attentive as they gossip,

And whisper while feigning muteness to the ants.

And whisper as they share secrets.

وتخدَعُنا بمُقْمِرةٍ لَعُوبٍ

وتخدَعُنا بمُقْمِرةٍ لَعُوبٍ

وتَرمينا بقوسٍ من " هِلال"

وتَرمينا بقوسٍ من " هِلال"

They deceive us with a playful moonlit night,

They deceive us with a capricious moon,

And shoot at us with a bow made of a crescent moon.

And assault us with a bow called "crescent."

وتُعطينا اللَّذاذةَ عن يمينٍ

وتُعطينا اللَّذاذةَ عن يمينٍ

وتطعنُنا دِراكاً بالشِّمال

وتطعنُنا دِراكاً بالشِّمال

They give us delight from the right,

They give us pleasure with the right hand

And stab us in quick succession with the left.

And stab us straight with the left.

وتَفرُشُنا أمانيَ من حريرٍ

وتَفرُشُنا أمانيَ من حريرٍ

وفي طيَّاتِها سُمُّ الصِّلال

وفي طيَّاتِها سُمُّ الصِّلال

They bed us on hopes of silk,

They lay out silk dreams for us

And in their folds lies the venom of asps.

Though poison hides in their folds.

وتُدنينا ، وتُبعِدُنا ، وتلهو

وتُدنينا ، وتُبعِدُنا ، وتلهو

بِنا لهوَ العواصف بالرِّمال

بِنا لهوَ العواصف بالرِّمال

They draw us near, drive us away, and play

They bring us close and push us away, playing

With us as storms play with the sands.

With us as storms do with sands.

ونَلْمِسُها ، وتَلْمِسُنا عِياناً

ونَلْمِسُها ، وتَلْمِسُنا عِياناً

وتمرُقُ مثلَ طَيفٍ من خيال

وتمرُقُ مثلَ طَيفٍ من خيال

We touch them, and they touch us, in plain sight,

We touch them and they touch us plainly,

And they dart away like a phantom of fancy.

Then vanish like a mirage.

أخي إلياسً : لا تَخَلِ المُبَقَّى

أخي إلياسً : لا تَخَلِ المُبَقَّى

يُوقَّى ما احتواكَ من الحِبال

يُوقَّى ما احتواكَ من الحِبال

My brother Elias, do not suppose the one left behind

My brother Elias, do not blame what's left -

Is spared the snares that ensnared you.

Untie what ropes have bound you.

كأنَّ الشَّمسَ لم تَطلُعْ علينا

كأنَّ الشَّمسَ لم تَطلُعْ علينا

ولم نَنعَم بوارفةِ الظِّلال

ولم نَنعَم بوارفةِ الظِّلال

As though the sun had never risen upon us,

As if the sun did not rise upon us

Nor had we enjoyed luxuriant shade,

And we did not enjoy the shade.

ولم نترَوَّ من كأسٍ حرامٍ

ولم نترَوَّ من كأسٍ حرامٍ

ولم نتمَلَّ من سِحْرٍ حَلال

ولم نتمَلَّ من سِحْرٍ حَلال

Nor drunk our fill from a forbidden cup,

As if we never sipped a forbidden cup

Nor savored lawful enchantment,

Or enjoyed the magic of the halal.

ولم نتمَنَّ أنَّ الدَّهَر خُلْدٌ

ولم نتمَنَّ أنَّ الدَّهَر خُلْدٌ

وأنَّا لا نصيرُ إلى زَوال

وأنَّا لا نصيرُ إلى زَوال

Nor wished that time were eternal,

As if we never wished this life was eternal

And that we would never pass away;

And we'd never come to an end.

ولم نسخَرْ بما نُملي عليه

ولم نسخَرْ بما نُملي عليه

ولم يسخَرْ بناسِخةِ الأمالي !

ولم يسخَرْ بناسِخةِ الأمالي !

Nor had we mocked it with what we dictated to it,

As if we never mocked what we dictate

Nor had it mocked us by erasing our dictations!

Or what dictates our dreams!

أخي إلياسُ : لا وصريحِ وُدٍّ

أخي إلياسُ : لا وصريحِ وُدٍّ

وعاطفةٍ أرقَّ من الزُّلال

وعاطفةٍ أرقَّ من الزُّلال

My brother Elias—no! By sincere affection,

My brother Elias, nothing is more candid

And a feeling more tender than limpid water,

Than a friendship pure as dew,

وما شدَّ التَّصافي من عُرانا

وما شدَّ التَّصافي من عُرانا

وحَّلاها من الفِكَرِ الغوالي

وحَّلاها من الفِكَرِ الغوالي

And by the bonds our mutual affection strengthened

Nothing has brought our souls closer together

And adorned with precious thoughts,

Or adorned them with noble thoughts,

يَميناً لستُ للدُّنيا بقالي

يَميناً لستُ للدُّنيا بقالي

وإنْ كدُرتْ ، ولا عنها بسالي

وإنْ كدُرتْ ، ولا عنها بسالي

I swear I do not hate the world,

I am no longer upset with life

Though it grows murky, nor am I one to forget it.

Even when it is turbid. I am not miserable,

لأنَّكَ كنتَ تُوصيني بهذا

لأنَّكَ كنتَ تُوصيني بهذا

وتُوصيني به سِيَرُ الرِّجال

وتُوصيني به سِيَرُ الرِّجال

Because you used to counsel me thus,

Because you had advised me to be this way

And the lives of men counsel me so;

And so did the great men before us.

ويُوصينا به أنَّا نُواري

ويُوصينا به أنَّا نُواري

حبيباً ، ثمَّ نُعقِبُه بتالي

حبيباً ، ثمَّ نُعقِبُه بتالي

And we are counseled thus by the fact that we bury

They advised us to bid farewell to a dear one,

A loved one, then follow him with another,

Then replace him with another.

ونَرجِعُ مِنْ جديدٍ عن فِراقٍ

ونَرجِعُ مِنْ جديدٍ عن فِراقٍ

أليمٍ ، نستزيدُ مِن الوصال

أليمٍ ، نستزيدُ مِن الوصال

And return once more from a parting

To return after painful separation

Painful, seeking still more companionship.

And add to that joyful union.

وما أنا مَنْ يُحاولُ أن يُداجي

وما أنا مَنْ يُحاولُ أن يُداجي

أحِبَّتَهُ بكذِبٍ أو مُحال

أحِبَّتَهُ بكذِبٍ أو مُحال

And I am not one who tries to deceive

I am not one to try and appease

His loved ones with lies or absurdities.

His loved ones with lies or the impossible!

بلى إنّي لَتُعْتَصَرُ اعتِصاراُ

بلى إنّي لَتُعْتَصَرُ اعتِصاراُ

حشايَ ، وأنت محترِبٌ حِيالي

حشايَ ، وأنت محترِبٌ حِيالي

Yes, indeed, utterly wrung is

Rather, my essence is crushed

My inmost being, while you are embattled before me.

While you stand aloof from me.