عَلَىupon شَفَتَيَّmy lips قَدْindeed وُئِدَwas buried alive الكَلاَمُspeech
عَلَى شَفَتَيَّ قَدْ وُئِدَ الكَلاَمُ
وَفِيand in رِئَتَيَّmy lungs قَدْindeed بُعِثَwas resurrected الضِّرَامُthe blaze.
وَفِي رِئَتَيَّ قَدْ بُعِثَ الضِّرَامُ.
Upon my lips, speech has been buried alive,
And in my lungs, the blaze has been resurrected.
وَفِيand in التَّصْرِيحِspeaking openly إِنْif أَفْضَيْتُI disclose قَتْلٌkilling
وَفِي التَّصْرِيحِ إِنْ أَفْضَيْتُ قَتْلٌ
وَفِيand in الكِتْمَانِconcealment إنْif أقْدِرْI can manage حِمَامُdeath.
وَفِي الكِتْمَانِ إنْ أقْدِرْ حِمَامُ.
And speaking openly, if I disclose, means being killed,
And in concealment, if I can manage it, lies death.
وَفِيand in التَّلْوِيحِallusion قَدْindeed أَكْدَيْتُI failed عَجْزًhelplessly
وَفِي التَّلْوِيحِ قَدْ أَكْدَيْتُ عَجْزً
افَلاَso neither نَثْرٌprose حَوَانِيَhas held me أوor نِظَامُverse.
افَلاَ نَثْرٌ حَوَانِيَ أو نِظَامُ.
And in allusion, I have failed, helpless,
So neither prose nor verse has held me.
وَبَيْنَand between يَدَيْكِyour hands ياO سُعْدَىSu'da حَيَاتِيmy life
وَبَيْنَ يَدَيْكِ يا سُعْدَى حَيَاتِي
ومَبْدَاand the beginning قِصَّتِيof my story فيهَاin it خِتَامُan ending.
ومَبْدَا قِصَّتِي فيهَا خِتَامُ.
And in your hands, O Su'da, lies my life,
And in it, my story's beginning is an ending.
وَفِيand in شَفَتَيْكِyour lips ياO سُعْدَىSu'da قضَاءٌa decree
وَفِي شَفَتَيْكِ يا سُعْدَى قضَاءٌ
تَنَزَّلَhas descended مَاnot يُرَدُّis repelled ولاand not يُرَامُis sought.
تَنَزَّلَ مَا يُرَدُّ ولا يُرَامُ.
And on your lips, O Su'da, lies a decree
That has descended, not to be repelled or sought.
قَضَائِيmy fate فِيكِin you أَنْthat أَحْيَاI live شَتِيتًاscattered
قَضَائِي فِيكِ أَنْ أَحْيَا شَتِيتًا
بِبَيْنِin separation البَيْنِof separation.. لَيْسَthere is no لِيَfor me التِئَامُmending.
بِبَيْنِ البَيْنِ.. لَيْسَ لِيَ التِئَامُ.
My fate in you is to live in fragments,
In separation upon separation, with no mending for me.
قَضَائِيmy fate فِيكِin you نَزْفٌbleeding سَرْمَدِيٌّeternal
قَضَائِي فِيكِ نَزْفٌ سَرْمَدِيٌّ
فَآخِرُهُso its end كَأَوَّلِهِlike its beginning احْتِدَامُfierce intensity.
فَآخِرُهُ كَأَوَّلِهِ احْتِدَامُ.
My fate in you is endless bleeding;
So its end is as fierce as its beginning.
قَضَائِيmy fate فِيكِin you لَيْلاَتٌnights ثُكَالَىbereaved
قَضَائِي فِيكِ لَيْلاَتٌ ثُكَالَى
عَمِيَّاتٌblind.. وَإِصْبَاحٌand a dawn جَهَامُa rainless cloud.
عَمِيَّاتٌ.. وَإِصْبَاحٌ جَهَامُ.
My fate in you is bereaved nights,
Blind, and a dawn of rainless clouds.
وَأَوْرَادٌand litanies تُتَمْتِمُmurmur نَائِحَاتٍwailing
وَأَوْرَادٌ تُتَمْتِمُ نَائِحَاتٍ
وَمَوْءُودَاتُand those buried alive عِشْقٍof love.. هَلْdo تَنَامُthey sleep ؟!
وَمَوْءُودَاتُ عِشْقٍ.. هَلْ تَنَامُ ؟!
And litanies that murmur, wailing,
And love's buried-alive ones—do they sleep?
أُقَضِّيI spend العُمْرَlife بَعْدَكِafter you نَوْحَthe lament رُوحٍof a soul
أُقَضِّي العُمْرَ بَعْدَكِ نَوْحَ رُوحٍ
وَيُؤْوِينِيand shelters me التَّشَرُّدُhomelessness والهُيَامُand love-madness .
وَيُؤْوِينِي التَّشَرُّدُ والهُيَامُ .
I spend my life after you in a soul's lament,
And homelessness and love-madness shelter me.
تَبَارِيحِيmy agonies تَسَابِيحِيmy hymns of praise وَسُكْرِيand my intoxication
تَبَارِيحِي تَسَابِيحِي وَسُكْرِي
وَحُرْقَةُand the burning مُهْجَتِيof my heart فِيكِfor you الْمُدَامُthe wine.
وَحُرْقَةُ مُهْجَتِي فِيكِ الْمُدَامُ.
My agonies are my hymns and my intoxication,
And my heart's burning for you is the wine.
أَيَاO سُعْدَىSu'da.. وَوَجْهُكِand your face لِيfor me نُجُومِيmy stars
أَيَا سُعْدَى.. وَوَجْهُكِ لِي نُجُومِي
فَإِنْso if أَفَلَتْthey set فَأَكْوَانِيthen my universes القَتَامُdusty gloom.
فَإِنْ أَفَلَتْ فَأَكْوَانِي القَتَامُ.
O Su'da, your face is my stars,
So if they set, my universes are dusty gloom.
أيَاO سُعْدَىSu'da.. ومَاand not نَامَتْhave slept جُرُوحِيmy wounds
أيَا سُعْدَى.. ومَا نَامَتْ جُرُوحِي
وإِنْand even if صُفَّتْare laid in rows عَلَىupon قَبْريmy grave الرِّجَامُthe stones.
وإِنْ صُفَّتْ عَلَى قَبْري الرِّجَامُ.
O Su'da, my wounds have not slept,
Even if stones are stacked upon my grave.
أَيَاO سُعْدَىSu'da.. وَطَيْفُكِand your phantom لِيfor me نَدِيمٌa drinking companion
أَيَا سُعْدَى.. وَطَيْفُكِ لِي نَدِيمٌ
يُسَاقِينِيshares drink with me.. فَيَرْوِينِيthen quenches me الأُوَامُburning thirst.
يُسَاقِينِي.. فَيَرْوِينِي الأُوَامُ.
O Su'da, your phantom is my drinking companion,
It shares drink with me—then burning thirst quenches me.
أَيَاO سُعْدَىSu'da.. وَقَوْلُكِand your saying: يَاO حَبِيبِيmy beloved
أَيَا سُعْدَى.. وَقَوْلُكِ: يَا حَبِيبِي
يُمَزِّقُنِيtears me apart صَدَاهُits echo.. والغَرَامُand passion .
يُمَزِّقُنِي صَدَاهُ.. والغَرَامُ .
O Su'da, your saying, 'O my beloved!'—
Its echo tears me apart, and so does passion.
ويَسْرِيand courses فِيthrough أَسَارِيرِيmy features سَعِيرًاas a blaze
ويَسْرِي فِي أَسَارِيرِي سَعِيرًا
لَهُit has فِيin القَلْبِthe heart عَصْفٌa storm وَاهْتِدَامُand crashing tumult .
لَهُ فِي القَلْبِ عَصْفٌ وَاهْتِدَامُ .
And it courses through my features as a blaze,
In the heart, it has a storm and crashing tumult.
يُذَبِّحُنِيslaughters me التَّذَكُّرُremembrance كُلَّevery نَبْضٍheartbeat
يُذَبِّحُنِي التَّذَكُّرُ كُلَّ نَبْضٍ
وَيَطْعَنُنِيand stabs me بِأَوْرِدَتِيin my veins المَلاَمُreproach.
وَيَطْعَنُنِي بِأَوْرِدَتِي المَلاَمُ.
Remembrance slaughters me at every heartbeat,
And reproach stabs me in my veins.
وَتَجْلِدُنِيand lash me الدَّقَائِقُthe minutes وَالثَّوَانِيand the seconds
وَتَجْلِدُنِي الدَّقَائِقُ وَالثَّوَانِي
فَتَحْطِمُنِيthen shatter me.. وَيَحْطِمُنِيand shatters me الحُطَامُthe wreckage.
فَتَحْطِمُنِي.. وَيَحْطِمُنِي الحُطَامُ.
And the minutes and seconds lash me,
Then shatter me—and the wreckage shatters me.
وَتُقْرِئُنِيand make me read هُنَيْهَاتِيmy fleeting moments أَسَاهَاtheir sorrow
وَتُقْرِئُنِي هُنَيْهَاتِي أَسَاهَا
وَبَعْضُand a fraction of هُنَيْهَةٍa moment فِيin التِّيهِbewilderment عَامُa year.
وَبَعْضُ هُنَيْهَةٍ فِي التِّيهِ عَامُ.
And my fleeting moments make me read their sorrow,
And a fraction of a moment in bewilderment is a year.
تُطَوِّقُنِيencircle me أَفَاعِيَهَاtheir serpents اللَّيَالِيthe nights
تُطَوِّقُنِي أَفَاعِيَهَا اللَّيَالِي
وَيُهْدِينِيand gives me أَسَاوِدَهُits black serpents الظَّلاَمُdarkness .
وَيُهْدِينِي أَسَاوِدَهُ الظَّلاَمُ .
The nights encircle me with their serpents,
And darkness gifts me its black serpents.
حَيَاةٌa life بَرُّthe benevolence بَهْجَتِهَاof its joy كَفُورٌungrateful
حَيَاةٌ بَرُّ بَهْجَتِهَا كَفُورٌ
وَحِلُّand the lawfulness حُبُورِهَاof its gladness فِيهَاwithin it حَرَامُforbidden.
وَحِلُّ حُبُورِهَا فِيهَا حَرَامُ.
A life whose kindly joy is ungrateful,
And in it, its lawful gladness is forbidden.
وَعَذْبُand the sweetness فُرَاتِهَاof its fresh water مِلْحٌsalt أُجَاجٌbitterly salty
وَعَذْبُ فُرَاتِهَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ
وَصِحَّةُand the health بُرْئِهَاof its healing فِيهَاwithin it سَقَامُsickness.
وَصِحَّةُ بُرْئِهَا فِيهَا سَقَامُ.
And its sweet, fresh water is bitter brine,
And in it, the health of its healing is sickness.
دُعَاؤُكِcalling to you يَاO سُعَيْدَىSu'ayda نَهْرُthe river وَجْدِيof my longing
دُعَاؤُكِ يَا سُعَيْدَى نَهْرُ وَجْدِي
يُرَقْرِقُهُmakes it ripple بِأَحْنَائِيwithin my inner folds ضِرَامُa blaze.
يُرَقْرِقُهُ بِأَحْنَائِي ضِرَامُ.
Calling to you, O Su'ayda, is the river of my longing,
A blaze makes it ripple through my inner folds.
أُرَتِّلُهُI chant it بِأَسْحَارِيin my predawn hours قَصِيدًاas poetry
أُرَتِّلُهُ بِأَسْحَارِي قَصِيدًا
لَهُit has فِيin الكَوْنِthe universe رَجْعٌan echo مُسْتَهَامُlove-maddened.
لَهُ فِي الكَوْنِ رَجْعٌ مُسْتَهَامُ.
I chant it as poetry in my predawn hours,
In the universe, it has a love-maddened echo.
فَوَاتِحُهُits openings بِسَمْعِto the hearing الصَّخْرِof rock وَحْيٌrevelation
فَوَاتِحُهُ بِسَمْعِ الصَّخْرِ وَحْيٌ
خَوَاتِمُهُits endings تَشَظٍّsplintering وَانْفِصَامُand rupture.
خَوَاتِمُهُ تَشَظٍّ وَانْفِصَامُ.
Its openings are revelation to the ear of rock,
Its endings are splintering and rupture.
وَبَيْنَهُمَاand between them both بَرَازِخُbarriers لَيْسَdo not تَبْغِيtransgress
وَبَيْنَهُمَا بَرَازِخُ لَيْسَ تَبْغِي
وَبَعْضُand some of الكَلْمِthe wounds يَنْكَؤُهُreopens it الكَلاَمُspeech !
وَبَعْضُ الكَلْمِ يَنْكَؤُهُ الكَلاَمُ !
And between them are barriers that do not transgress,
And speech reopens some wounds!
وَفِيand in التَّصْرِيحِspeaking openly يَاO سُعْدَايَmy Su'da قَتْلٌوَkilling, and
وَفِي التَّصْرِيحِ يَا سُعْدَايَ قَتْلٌوَ
فِيin الكِتْمَانِconcealment يَاO وَيْلِيmy woe حِمَامُdeath !
فِي الكِتْمَانِ يَا وَيْلِي حِمَامُ !
And speaking openly, O my Su'da, means being killed, and
In concealment—woe is me!—lies death!
وَفِيand in الحَالَيْنِboth cases مُحْتَفَرٌa dug pit لِقَبْرِيfor my grave
وَفِي الحَالَيْنِ مُحْتَفَرٌ لِقَبْرِي
هُنَالِكَthere جَنَّتِيmy paradise.. فِيهَاwithin it سَلاَمُpeace !.
هُنَالِكَ جَنَّتِي.. فِيهَا سَلاَمُ !.
And in both cases, a pit is dug for my grave;
There is my paradise; in it is peace!
Sol 6.1