لأنbecause الطريقthe road اليكto you احتضارthe agony of dying
لأن الطريق اليك احتضار
فأنتfor you هوhe (emphatic) الموتdeath والانتصارand victory
فأنت هو الموت والانتصار
Because the road to you is an agony of dying,
Because the road to you is dying
For you are death and victory.
For you are death and victory
ولابدand it is necessary ليfor me منof خطابan address اخيرfinal
ولابد لي من خطاب اخير
ولوeven if انthat ماwhat ساقولI will say الدمارdevastation
ولو ان ما ساقول الدمار
And I must deliver one final address,
And I must have a final word
Even if what I shall say is devastation.
Even if what I say is ruinous
فياso, O ايهاyou (vocative) المستبدthe tyrant الموشيadorned
فيا ايها المستبد الموشي
بأوسمةwith medals العدلjustice اينwhere الفرارescape
بأوسمة العدل اين الفرار
O you tyrant, adorned
O you the tyrant adorned
With medals of justice—where can I flee?
With the medals of justice, where to flee?
تجرّدstrip yourself منof الزيفfalsehood حتىso that اراكI see you
تجرّد من الزيف حتى اراك
فقدfor indeed طالhas grown long بيfor me ياO حبيبيmy beloved انتظارwaiting
فقد طال بي يا حبيبي انتظار
Strip yourself of falsehood so that I may see you;
Strip yourself of pretense so I can see you
For my waiting has been long, my beloved.
For waiting for you, my love, has been long for me
رسمتكI painted you منfrom همanguish قلبa heart محبloving
رسمتك من هم قلب محب
صباحاa morning لهfor it فيin القلوبhearts انتشارa spreading
صباحا له في القلوب انتشار
I painted you out of a loving heart's anguish,
I pictured you from the concerns of a loving heart
As a morning spreading through hearts.
A morning for it to spread in hearts
وماand not كنتI was اعرفI know انكthat you ليلa night
وما كنت اعرف انك ليل
طويلlong وماand no لدجاهfor its darkness انحسارreceding
طويل وما لدجاه انحسار
And I did not know that you were a night,
And I did not know you were a night
Long, with darkness that never recedes.
Long, with no hint of fading
ولماand when سمعتI heard الحقيقهtruth تبكيweeping
ولما سمعت الحقيقه تبكي
اصابstruck جدارthe wall يقينيmy certainty انهيارcollapse
اصاب جدار يقيني انهيار
And when I heard truth weeping,
And when I heard the truth crying
The wall of my certainty collapsed.
A wall of my certainty collapsed
قرعتI knocked بقبضةwith the fist قلبيmy heart الوفيfaithful
قرعت بقبضة قلبي الوفي
علىon بابthe door صدركyour breast والهمand sorrow نارfire
على باب صدرك والهم نار
I knocked with the fist of my faithful heart
I knocked with the fist of my loyal heart
On the door of your breast, while sorrow was fire.
On the door of your chest, and worries are fire
فلمbut did not تفتحyou open البابthe door الاexcept لشكٍto doubt
فلم تفتح الباب الا لشكٍ
وكيفand how تعمرthrive بالشكwith doubt دارa home؟
وكيف تعمر بالشك دار؟
But you opened the door only to doubt,
But you opened the door only to doubt
And how can a home thrive on doubt?
And how can a house thrive on doubt?
فقلتُso I said:الرحيلdeparture وهيأتand prepared نفسيmyself
فقلتُ:الرحيل وهيأت نفسي
لانbecause السكوتsilence علىin the face of الضيمinjustice عارdisgrace
لان السكوت على الضيم عار
So I said, 'I will leave,' and readied myself,
So I said: departure, and prepared myself
Because silence in the face of injustice is a disgrace.
For silence over injustice is shame
وحينand when مددتI stretched out يديmy hand بارتجافwith trembling
وحين مددت يدي بارتجاف
ودارand unfolded بصمتin the silence الوداعfarewell الحوارthe dialogue
ودار بصمت الوداع الحوار
And when I stretched out my trembling hand,
And when I extended my hand trembling
And the dialogue unfolded in the silence of farewell,
And the farewell conversation silently spun
عرفتI knew بأنيthat I سأجنيI will do harm عليكto you
عرفت بأني سأجني عليك
فليسfor there is no لليلكfor your night بعديafter me نهارday
فليس لليلك بعدي نهار
I knew that I would do you harm,
I knew that I would harvest you
For after me, your night will have no day.
For after me your night has no day
وماand no فيin فؤاديmy heart مكانplace لثأرfor vengeance
وما في فؤادي مكان لثأر
الىto اينwhere؟ضجclamored السؤالthe question وناحتand wailed
الى اين؟ضج السؤال وناحت
And in my heart there is no place for vengeance.
Where to? The question clamored, and there wailed
And in my heart there is no room for revenge
طيورthe birds وفائيmy faithfulness وضاعand was lost القرارresolve
طيور وفائي وضاع القرار
الىto اينwhere؟تسألنيyou ask me ياO حبيبيmy beloved
الى اين؟تسألني يا حبيبي
The birds of my faithfulness, and resolve was lost.
Where to? The question blared and my loyalty birds cried
Where to? You ask me, my beloved,
And the decision was lost
امor انthat السؤالthe question الذليلabject اعتذارan apology
ام ان السؤال الذليل اعتذار
نعمyes سوقwill (apparent typo) ابقىI stay فعدso return مستبداa tyrant
نعم سوق ابقى فعد مستبدا
Or is the abject question an apology?
Where to? You ask me, my love
Yes, I will stay, so be a tyrant once more.
Or is the submissive question an apology?
فماfor not عادremains ليfor me فيin هواكlove of you اختيارa choice
فما عاد لي في هواك اختيار
سأصنعI will make منfrom ضحكاتيmy laughter قناعاa mask
سأصنع من ضحكاتي قناعا
For in loving you I no longer have a choice.
Yes, I will stay so promise to remain a tyrant
I will make a mask of my laughter,
For I have no more choice in loving you
وازعمand I claim انthat النفوسsouls كبارgreat
وازعم ان النفوس كبار
واعلمand I know انthat رحيليmy departure خلاصdeliverance
واعلم ان رحيلي خلاص
And claim that souls are great.
I will make masks out of my laughter
And I know that my departure is deliverance,
And claim souls are great
وانand that بقائيmy staying لديكwith you انكسارbrokenness
وان بقائي لديك انكسار
ولكننيbut I اخترتchose دربيmy path اليكto you
ولكنني اخترت دربي اليك
And that remaining with you means being broken.
And I know my departure is salvation
But I have chosen my path to you,
And my staying with you is devastation
ودربيand my path اليكto you حبيبيmy beloved انحدارdescent
ودربي اليك حبيبي انحدار
ومابيand I have no اشتياقlonging لأرجعto return حُراfree
ومابي اشتياق لأرجع حُرا
And my path to you, my beloved, is a descent.
But I chose my path to you
And I have no longing to be free again,
And my path to you, my love, is descent
لأنbecause التحررliberation منكfrom you انتحارsuicide
لأن التحرر منك انتحار
..................
..................
Because liberation from you is suicide.
And I have no yearning to return free
..................
For freedom from you is suicide
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1