مرّت سنينٌ سودٌ ثلاثٌ

مرّت سنينٌ سودٌ ثلاثٌ

وكلُّ يومٍ منهنَّ عامُ

وكلُّ يومٍ منهنَّ عامُ

Three black years have passed,

Three black years have passed,

and each day of them is a year.

And each of their days was a year.

وأنت من " واعل " حَلال

وأنت من " واعل " حَلال

ومن عميدٍ صبٍّ حرامُ

ومن عميدٍ صبٍّ حرامُ

And you are lawful to Waʿil,

You were lawful to me from Wa'il,

and forbidden to a lovesick, yearning man.

And from Umayyad a forbidden drink.

يَقْظَتُهُ أنت في نهار

يَقْظَتُهُ أنت في نهار

وأنت في ليلهِ المنامُ

وأنت في ليلهِ المنامُ

You are his wakefulness by day,

You woke me up during the day,

and in his night you are the dream.

And you were in my night dream.

عُجْتُ بمغنى الهوى عليه

عُجْتُ بمغنى الهوى عليه

منّي وإن صَوَّحَ السّلام

منّي وإن صَوَّحَ السّلام

I turned aside to love’s abode; upon it

I was perplexed by the melody of passion for him,

be peace from me, though it has withered.

Even if he bid farewell.

قفر فلا ظبيةٌ لعوبٌ

قفر فلا ظبيةٌ لعوبٌ

فيه، ولا يَصْدَحُ البُغام

فيه، ولا يَصْدَحُ البُغام

Desolate: no playful gazelle

An empty wasteland where there is no playful gazelle

is there, nor does a gazelle’s cry ring out.

Nor a singing sandgrouse in it.

وساحُهُ موحشٌ حزينٌ

وساحُهُ موحشٌ حزينٌ

يَلقُط حَبّا به الحمام

يَلقُط حَبّا به الحمام

And its courtyard is lonely and sad;

And its plain is gloomy and sad,

doves pick grain there.

Where a dove picks up a seed.

كأنَّ حيطانَهُ حصيدٌ

كأنَّ حيطانَهُ حصيدٌ

شبَّ بعيدانه ضِرام

شبَّ بعيدانه ضِرام

As though its walls were harvested stubble,

As if its walls are an arid land,

a blaze kindled among its stalks.

Whose remoteness is covered with reddish sand.

واصَّعَّدَتْ آهةٌ، وغطّى

واصَّعَّدَتْ آهةٌ، وغطّى

عينيَّ من رهبةٍ قتام

عينيَّ من رهبةٍ قتام

And a sigh rose, and

And a sigh has ascended, and fear's darkness,

a haze of dread veiled my eyes.

Has covered my eyes.

ودِدْتُ لو كانَ لي مقامٌ

ودِدْتُ لو كانَ لي مقامٌ

أو أن لحدي فيه يُقام

أو أن لحدي فيه يُقام

I wished I had a place to stay,

I wished I had a place to stay

or that my grave might be made there.

Or that I had a grave in it to rest.

يا لَلَّيالي .. في أمس ضوّى

يا لَلَّيالي .. في أمس ضوّى

وحشةَ ليلي هذا الحُطام

وحشةَ ليلي هذا الحُطام

Oh, those nights! Yesterday, it lit up

O nights! Yesterday, loneliness of my night

my night’s loneliness—this wreckage.

Has demolished this ruins.

يا حلوةَ المجْتَلى سلامُ

يا حلوةَ المجْتَلى سلامُ

كيفَ التوى العهدُ والذمام

كيفَ التوى العهدُ والذمام

O lovely one to behold, peace!

O beauty of Majtaly, greetings,

How did the pledge and bond of honor go awry?

How has our covenant and pact changed?

كيف انطوت صفحةٌ وأخرى

كيف انطوت صفحةٌ وأخرى

فواحةٌ مِسْكُها خِتام

فواحةٌ مِسْكُها خِتام

How was one page folded away, while another

How has one page been folded, and another

is fragrant, with its musk as the seal?

With a musky scent has been sealed?

يا حلوةَ المُجتلى، سلام

يا حلوةَ المُجتلى، سلام

قريرة العين إذ تنام

قريرة العين إذ تنام

O lovely one to behold, peace—

O beauty of Majtaly, greetings,

your eyes at rest as they sleep.

The delight of the eye when you sleep.

تدرين أم لا ؟ .. إني حُطامُ

تدرين أم لا ؟ .. إني حُطامُ

غلّفه اللّحمُ والعِظام

غلّفه اللّحمُ والعِظام

Do you know, or not? I am wreckage,

Do you know or not? I am in ruins,

wrapped in flesh and bones.

Covered with flesh and bones.

يا حلوة المجتلى، فداءٌ

يا حلوة المجتلى، فداءٌ

لوجهكِ الأوجُهُ الوِسام

لوجهكِ الأوجُهُ الوِسام

O lovely one to behold, a ransom

O beauty of Majtaly, devotion,

for your face are the handsome faces.

To your face, the most beautiful of faces.

عُرْيُكِ عُرْيُ الرِمّالِ بِكراً

عُرْيُكِ عُرْيُ الرِمّالِ بِكراً

لم يتهدّجْ بها النّعام

لم يتهدّجْ بها النّعام

Your nakedness is the nakedness of virgin sands,

Your naked body is like the virgin sands

on which no ostrich has tottered.

Not roamed by ostriches.

وحين تُكْسَيْنَ فالروابي

وحين تُكْسَيْنَ فالروابي

خضرٌ تمشّى بها الغمام

خضرٌ تمشّى بها الغمام

And when you are clothed, the hills

And when you dress up, the hillsides

are green, with clouds wandering over them.

Are green, roamed by clouds.

حطمت قيثارة وأخرى

حطمت قيثارة وأخرى

مما اشتكى الوجدُ والهُيامُ

مما اشتكى الوجدُ والهُيامُ

I shattered one lyre after another,

You have broken one lyre and another,

from all that yearning and passion lamented.

Which passion and love have complained of.

أعلَمُ أنْ لا تُصْغينَ سمعاً

أعلَمُ أنْ لا تُصْغينَ سمعاً

أُريد أن يسمعَ الأنام

أُريد أن يسمعَ الأنام

I know you lend no ear;

I know you don't listen,

I want humankind to hear.

I just want people to hear.

فيم على صخرة عتابٌ

فيم على صخرة عتابٌ

وممّ عن صدّها ملام

وممّ عن صدّها ملام

Why reproach a rock?

Why complain to the rock of reproach?

And why blame it for its rebuff?

And who can blame it for being hard?

هل غيرُ أن تَتْعَبَ القوافي

هل غيرُ أن تَتْعَبَ القوافي

وغيرُ أن يَرْخُصَ الكلام

وغيرُ أن يَرْخُصَ الكلام

Is there anything but the rhymes growing weary

What else but the rhymes get tired,

and words growing cheap?

And the words become cheap?

يا لكِ " سبعين " لا توفي

يا لكِ " سبعين " لا توفي

نذراً ! ولا يخمد الضرام

نذراً ! ولا يخمد الضرام

O seventy years, you fulfill no

O you, may your seventy sacrifices not fulfil

vow, nor does the blaze die down.

A vow! Nor the firewood extinguish!

لا يعدُ ذامٌ قبيحُ صُنْع

لا يعدُ ذامٌ قبيحُ صُنْع

من حُلْوِ وجهٍ عداه ذام

من حُلْوِ وجهٍ عداه ذام

Let blame not spare a vile deed

An ugly blame should not be made

from a lovely face that blame has spared.

Of a sweet face that adorns it.

أديمةٌ أنتِ عند " روما "

أديمةٌ أنتِ عند " روما "

سح، وعندي برق جَهام؛

سح، وعندي برق جَهام؛

Are you steady rain for Roma,

You are forever Rome's bride,

a downpour, but for me lightning from a rainless cloud?

While to me you are striking lightning.

عرسُك لا كان من مَشوم

عرسُك لا كان من مَشوم

يَرْفَضُّ عن مأتمٍ يقام

يَرْفَضُّ عن مأتمٍ يقام

Your wedding—may it never have been!—how ill-omened,

Your wedding was ill-omened,

breaking up to reveal a funeral being held.

Refusing a mourning ceremony.

لا بوركتْ بيعةٌ حَوَته

لا بوركتْ بيعةٌ حَوَته

ولا زكا " قَسُّها " الإمام

ولا زكا " قَسُّها " الإمام

May the church that housed it not be blessed,

Neither your pledge was blessed,

nor may its presiding priest prosper.

Nor did the judge approve it.

وليتَ " عُشّا " أفرختِ فيه

وليتَ " عُشّا " أفرختِ فيه

قوّضه البغضُ والخصام

قوّضه البغضُ والخصام

And would that a nest where you hatched young

I wish the nest you have hatched

were demolished by hatred and strife;

Would be demolished by hatred and conflict.

و " غرفة " تُسرجان شبّت

و " غرفة " تُسرجان شبّت

ناراً لها أنتما طعام

ناراً لها أنتما طعام

and a room you two light would flare

And the bridal chamber you have adorned

into a fire with you both for its food.

You both were its firewood.

فإنّ ظلماً دمٌ بريءٌ

فإنّ ظلماً دمٌ بريءٌ

وإنّ عدلاً منه انتقام !

وإنّ عدلاً منه انتقام !

For injustice is innocent blood,

For injustice is innocent blood,

and justice is vengeance upon it!

And justice is taking revenge!

أعجِبْ بشَرْعِ الغرامِ شرعاً

أعجِبْ بشَرْعِ الغرامِ شرعاً

يُدانُ فيه من لا يُضام

يُدانُ فيه من لا يُضام

How astonishing is love’s law—a law

Be fascinated by the law of passion,

that condemns whoever has not been wronged.

Where one who does not care is condemned.

وليس منه من لم يُغَرِّر

وليس منه من لم يُغَرِّر

به، ولم يُخْفَرِ الذِّمام

به، ولم يُخْفَرِ الذِّمام

And none belongs to it whom it has not deceived,

And none is exempt if he is not

and whose bond of honor has not been violated.

Infatuated by it, and debased by blame.

أَعْجِبْ به حائراً عسوفاً

أَعْجِبْ به حائراً عسوفاً

وهو بهذا، وذا ، إمام

وهو بهذا، وذا ، إمام

How astonishing it is, bewildered and tyrannical,

Be fascinated by it, confused and captive,

yet in this and that, it is a leader.

For by this, that one is the imam.

الناسُ من حولِهِ سُجُودٌ

الناسُ من حولِهِ سُجُودٌ

فهمْ قعودٌ له، قيام

فهمْ قعودٌ له، قيام

People around it lie prostrate;

People around him bow down,

though seated, they stand in its service.

Sitting for him, standing for him.

قلت وقد راعني مُصابٌ

قلت وقد راعني مُصابٌ

إنّا لنار الهوى طعام

إنّا لنار الهوى طعام

I said, alarmed by a calamity,

I said as misery has alarmed me,

‘We are food for love’s fire.

We are indeed firewood for the fire of passion.

علامَ يُلْوى بالحبّ بغضٌ

علامَ يُلْوى بالحبّ بغضٌ

وفيم ضَيْمٌ، ومُستضام

وفيم ضَيْمٌ، ومُستضام

Why is hatred entwined with love,

Why is hatred twisted with love?

and why injustice and one who suffers it?’

And why is there narrowness and injustice?

قالوا: نظامٌ يسوم كونا

قالوا: نظامٌ يسوم كونا

قلت وهل كائن سوام

قلت وهل كائن سوام

They said, ‘A system herds a universe.’

They said: A system that fates the universe.

I said, ‘Is any creature of the herd

I said: And is there a ruling injustice?

أفظع من أخرقٍ مسودٍ

أفظع من أخرقٍ مسودٍ

سيّدُه الأخرقُ، النظام

سيّدُه الأخرقُ، النظام

more dreadful than a fool in subjection,

Uglier than a ragged black man

whose foolish master is the system?’

Whose master is the ragged, the system.