يقولُ البحْرُ للبحّارِ: خُذنيْ

يقولُ البحْرُ للبحّارِ: خُذنيْ

سَئمتُ العيْشَ في مَدٍّ وجَزْرِ

سَئمتُ العيْشَ في مَدٍّ وجَزْرِ

The sea says to the sailor: Take me—

The sea says to the sailor: Take me.

I have wearied of life in ebb and flow.

I am weary of life in flood and ebb.

حَملتُ النَّاسَ لمْ أعبَأْ بآتٍ

حَملتُ النَّاسَ لمْ أعبَأْ بآتٍ

ولا غادٍ ولا أسْلمتُ أمريْ

ولا غادٍ ولا أسْلمتُ أمريْ

I carried humankind, caring neither for one arriving

I carried people, heedless of anyone arriving,

nor for one departing; nor did I yield up my command.

nor of anyone departing, nor did I surrender my affairs.

إلى الجودِيِّ سُقْتُ الفُلْكَ أمْرًا

إلى الجودِيِّ سُقْتُ الفُلْكَ أمْرًا

بموجٍ كالجبالِ وكنْتُ أَجْريْ

بموجٍ كالجبالِ وكنْتُ أَجْريْ

Toward al-Judi I drove the Ark by command,

To al-Judi I drove the ark, by command,

through mountain-like waves, while I swept onward.

with waves like mountains, and I was flowing.

فأقلَعت السَّماءُ، وذلَّلتْنيْ

فأقلَعت السَّماءُ، وذلَّلتْنيْ

شُقوقُ الأرضِ ما استوْفيتُ أجْريْ

شُقوقُ الأرضِ ما استوْفيتُ أجْريْ

Then the sky held back, and I was humbled

Then the sky ceased raining, and I was subdued

by the earth’s fissures; I never received my full due.

by the earth's fissures; I never received my full wage.

و«موسى» الطفلُ في سَلٍّ سَريرٍ

و«موسى» الطفلُ في سَلٍّ سَريرٍ

لأمٍّ ألقَت السَّلوَى بذعْرِ

لأمٍّ ألقَت السَّلوَى بذعْرِ

And Moses, the child, in a little basket—

And Moses, the child, in a basket-cradle

for a mother who cast away her solace in terror.

of a mother who cast her solace away in terror—

رَددْتُ صَغيرَها ما ابْتَلَّ صَدْرًا

رَددْتُ صَغيرَها ما ابْتَلَّ صَدْرًا

ولمّا اشتدَّ عُودًا شَقَّ صَدريْ!

ولمّا اشتدَّ عُودًا شَقَّ صَدريْ!

I returned her little one without a breast getting wet;

I returned her little one, his chest still dry,

but when his frame grew strong, he split my breast!

and when his frame grew strong, he split my breast!

وَسِعْتُ الماءَ... ما قالتْ غُيومٌ

وَسِعْتُ الماءَ... ما قالتْ غُيومٌ

وما هَمَستْ بهِ عينٌ لنهرِ

وما هَمَستْ بهِ عينٌ لنهرِ

I encompassed the water—whatever clouds had uttered,

I held the water—all that clouds had spoken,

whatever a spring whispered to a river,

and what a spring had whispered to a river,

وما استرقَ الغَديرُ من النَّدامى

وما استرقَ الغَديرُ من النَّدامى

وما ذَرَفتْ عيونٌ يومَ هَجْرِ

وما ذَرَفتْ عيونٌ يومَ هَجْرِ

whatever the brook overheard from boon companions,

and what the pool had stolen from drinking companions,

and whatever eyes shed on a day of parting.

and what eyes had shed on a day of parting.

هُمُ العُشّاقُ مُذْ كانوا حَمَامًا

هُمُ العُشّاقُ مُذْ كانوا حَمَامًا

وهذا الماءُ مسكوبٌ لطيريْ

وهذا الماءُ مسكوبٌ لطيريْ

They are the lovers, ever since they were doves,

They are the lovers, ever since they were doves,

and this water is poured out for my birds.

and this water is poured out for my birds.

تمادَوْا في الجهاتِ وَهُمْ حَيارَى

تمادَوْا في الجهاتِ وَهُمْ حَيارَى

وراحوا بعدَ هَدْيٍ نحوَ بَرِّ!

وراحوا بعدَ هَدْيٍ نحوَ بَرِّ!

They wandered on through every direction, bewildered,

They went ever farther in all directions, bewildered,

then, once guided, headed toward land!

and, once guided, headed toward land!

كأنَّ الرمْلَ مِفتاحٌ لعُسْرٍ

كأنَّ الرمْلَ مِفتاحٌ لعُسْرٍ

وموجُ اليَمِّ أقفالٌ لِيُسْرِ

وموجُ اليَمِّ أقفالٌ لِيُسْرِ

As though sand were a key to hardship,

As though sand were a key to hardship,

and the sea’s waves were locks upon ease.

and the sea's waves were locks on ease.

فلا تأبهْ بمن عَبروا وساروا

فلا تأبهْ بمن عَبروا وساروا

على دُسُرٍ بألواحٍ وخِدْرِ

على دُسُرٍ بألواحٍ وخِدْرِ

So pay no heed to those who crossed and journeyed

So pay no heed to those who crossed and traveled

on fastenings, with planks and a curtained chamber.

upon nails, with planks and a curtained chamber.

أقمْتُ العُمْرَ في حِلٍّ ثَقيلٍ

أقمْتُ العُمْرَ في حِلٍّ ثَقيلٍ

وكمْ عَبَروا خِفافًا تحتَ جِسريْ!

وكمْ عَبَروا خِفافًا تحتَ جِسريْ!

I spent a lifetime bearing a heavy load,

I lived my life in burdensome repose,

while so many crossed lightly beneath my bridge!

and how many crossed lightly beneath my bridge!

أنا البَحرُ المسافرُ في مَكاني

أنا البَحرُ المسافرُ في مَكاني

وصحنُ الأرضِ مِتراسٌ لِقبْريْ

وصحنُ الأرضِ مِتراسٌ لِقبْريْ

I am the sea, the traveler fixed in place;

I am the sea, traveling in my place,

the earth’s mass is a rampart for my grave.

and the earth's bowl is a barricade for my grave.

وَهبْتُ العَذْبَ مِنْ مائي شَرابًا

وَهبْتُ العَذْبَ مِنْ مائي شَرابًا

وألبسْتُ العَذارى حُلْوَ دُرّيْ

وألبسْتُ العَذارى حُلْوَ دُرّيْ

I gave the fresh water of my waters as drink,

I gave fresh water from my waters to drink,

and dressed maidens in the beauty of my pearls.

and clothed the maidens in the sweetness of my pearls.

يُنازِعُني المهاجِرُ قُوتَ جَوْفي

يُنازِعُني المهاجِرُ قُوتَ جَوْفي

بمجدافٍ وطعْنٍ فوقَ ظَهريْ

بمجدافٍ وطعْنٍ فوقَ ظَهريْ

The migrant wrestles me for the sustenance in my belly,

The migrant contends with me for the food in my belly,

with an oar—and stabbing upon my back.

with an oar and stabbing upon my back.

وإنْ أطبقْتُ فكَّ الماءِ غِلًّا

وإنْ أطبقْتُ فكَّ الماءِ غِلًّا

تَشبَّثَ كالقلادةِ فَوقَ نَحْرِ

تَشبَّثَ كالقلادةِ فَوقَ نَحْرِ

And if my palm closes over the water, it boils;

And if I clamp the water's jaw shut in rancor,

he clings like a necklace at a throat.

he clings like a necklace upon a throat.

حَفظْتُ السِرَّ في قاعٍ بَعيدٍ

حَفظْتُ السِرَّ في قاعٍ بَعيدٍ

فهلْ حَفِظَتْ حُفاةُ البرِّ سِرّيْ؟

فهلْ حَفِظَتْ حُفاةُ البرِّ سِرّيْ؟

I kept the secret in a far-off depth;

I kept the secret on a far-off seabed,

but have the barefoot people of land kept my secret?

so have the barefoot people of the land kept my secret?

فَقُلْ للعابرينَ: ألا فمرُّوا

فَقُلْ للعابرينَ: ألا فمرُّوا

مَطايا نحنُ، والأقدارُ عُذْريْ

مَطايا نحنُ، والأقدارُ عُذْريْ

So tell the passersby: Come, pass on.

So tell those crossing: take heed—then pass on;

We are mounts, and the fates are my excuse.

we are mounts, and the fates are my excuse.

تغادرُني النَّوارسُ مثلَ إنْسٍ

تغادرُني النَّوارسُ مثلَ إنْسٍ

تَعلَّلني، وولّى دونَ ذِكْريْ

تَعلَّلني، وولّى دونَ ذِكْريْ

The gulls leave me, as human beings do:

The gulls leave me like humans

they divert me, then turn away without remembering me.

who took solace in me, then turned away without remembering me.