يا راهب الدير تبنا عن محبتهم

يا راهب الدير تبنا عن محبتهم

وقد أنبنا فلا كاني ولا ماني

وقد أنبنا فلا كاني ولا ماني

O monk of the monastery, we have repented of loving them,

O monk of the monastery, we have repented of loving them,

and truly turned back—no more “ifs,” no more “buts.”

and turned back in repentance—no ifs and no buts,

ولا هوى رسه يبكي فتدمغه

ولا هوى رسه يبكي فتدمغه

بذكرياتك وادي السير ألحاني

بذكرياتك وادي السير ألحاني

Nor any passion whose first stirring makes me weep, only for it to be crushed

nor a love whose lingering trace weeps and is then crushed

by my songs, with memories of you, O Wadi al-Sir.

by my songs, with memories of you, Wadi al-Sir.

شبنا وران على الفودين متزن

شبنا وران على الفودين متزن

من المشيب بكى حظي وأبكاني

من المشيب بكى حظي وأبكاني

We have grown gray, and evenly over both temples has settled

We have grown gray; upon both temples has settled a measured share

a grayness at which my fortune wept and made me weep.

of white hair that mourned my lot and made me weep.

يا راهب الدير تبنا والحياة كما

يا راهب الدير تبنا والحياة كما

ترى تلوى لمثلي لي ثعبان

ترى تلوى لمثلي لي ثعبان

O monk of the monastery, we have repented; yet life, as

O monk of the monastery, we have repented; and life, as

you see, coils around one like me with a serpent’s twisting.

you see, coils for one like me with a serpent's coils.

قل للسوادن يفتحن الصوامع لي

قل للسوادن يفتحن الصوامع لي

فالريح صر وبرد الغور آذاني

فالريح صر وبرد الغور آذاني

Tell the custodians to open the monastic cells for me:

Tell the women custodians to open the hermit cells for me,

the wind is bitterly cold, and the chill of the Ghawr has hurt me.

for the wind is bitter cold, and the Ghor's cold has hurt me.

يا راهب الدير جلعاد صحيفته

يا راهب الدير جلعاد صحيفته

طويتها ولها قدمت قرباني

طويتها ولها قدمت قرباني

O monk of the monastery, Gilead’s scroll—

O monk of the monastery, Gilead's page

I folded it away, and unto it offered my sacrifice.

I have folded away, and for it offered my sacrifice.

فما عساك براع ما له غنم

فما عساك براع ما له غنم

تقول إن جاء جانبكم وزكاني

تقول إن جاء جانبكم وزكاني

What could you do, a shepherd with no flock,

What, then, of a shepherd with no sheep,

if someone came to your side and vindicated me?

would you say, if he came to your side and vouched for me?

يا راهب الدير طوبى للألى جأرت

يا راهب الدير طوبى للألى جأرت

أحزانهم وعدت ذؤبان أحزاني

أحزانهم وعدت ذؤبان أحزاني

O monk of the monastery, blessed are those whose sorrows cried aloud—

O monk of the monastery, blessed are those whose

their sorrows—while the wolves of my sorrows assailed me.

sorrows cried aloud, while the wolves of my sorrows charged.

افتح لي الباب وادمجني بزمرتكم

افتح لي الباب وادمجني بزمرتكم

فبرد جلعاد يابونا تحداني

فبرد جلعاد يابونا تحداني

Open the door for me and admit me into your company,

Open the door for me and include me in your company,

for Gilead’s cold, O our Father, has challenged me.

for Gilead's cold, Father, has challenged me.

لست المسيح ولكن مجدليتكم

لست المسيح ولكن مجدليتكم

كبنت يفتاح دعها اليوم ترعاني

كبنت يفتاح دعها اليوم ترعاني

I am not Christ; yet your Magdalene,

I am not the Messiah, but your Magdalene—

like Jephthah’s daughter, tends me today with her tears.

like Jephthah's daughter—let her care for me today.

ودع عذاراه وادي الغور إن أزفت

ودع عذاراه وادي الغور إن أزفت

منية كنت أخشاها وتخشاني

منية كنت أخشاها وتخشاني

Bid its maidens farewell, O Valley of the Ghawr, if there draws near

Bid farewell to the maidens of Wadi al-Ghor, should there draw near

a death I once feared—and which now fears me.

a death I once feared, and that feared me.

أما الهوى والجوى يا مي إن ذهبت

أما الهوى والجوى يا مي إن ذهبت

أيامه فدعي الأيام تنعاني

أيامه فدعي الأيام تنعاني

As for love and love’s anguish, O Mayy—if their days

As for love and heartache, May, if gone are

have passed, then let the days mourn me.

its days, then let the days mourn me.

وليبك وادي الشتا بعدي جآذره

وليبك وادي الشتا بعدي جآذره

وليبك حسبون بعدي ماء حسبان

وليبك حسبون بعدي ماء حسبان

Let Wadi al-Shita and its gazelles weep after me;

Let its young antelopes mourn Wadi al-Shita after me,

and let Heshbon weep after me—the waters of Hisban.

and let the water of Husban mourn Heshbon after me.

أما أنا فبحسبي ما أكابده

أما أنا فبحسبي ما أكابده

من لوعة أَججت يا ناس نيراني

من لوعة أَججت يا ناس نيراني

As for me, what I endure is enough:

As for me, enough for me is what I endure

an anguish by which, O people, my fires were kindled.

of anguish that has kindled, O people, my fires.

يا جيرة اليان هذا البان بأنكم

يا جيرة اليان هذا البان بأنكم

يا ليته لم يكن يا جيرة البان

يا ليته لم يكن يا جيرة البان

O neighbors of al-Yan, this bān tree declares that you have gone—

O neighbors of al-Yan, this ban-tree is yours [reading uncertain];

would that it had never been, O neighbors of the bān!

would that it had never been, O neighbors of the ban-tree!

تلومني أنني يا ابني أعاقرها

تلومني أنني يا ابني أعاقرها

يا وصف هبني جلال الدين دواني

يا وصف هبني جلال الدين دواني

You blame me, my son, for keeping company with her.

You blame me, my son, for constantly drinking it.

O Wasfi, suppose I were Jalal al-Din Davani;

O Wasf, suppose me Jalal al-Din Dawani,

أو إنني ابن رشد في مباذله

أو إنني ابن رشد في مباذله

أو إنني عمر الخيام يا جاني

أو إنني عمر الخيام يا جاني

or suppose I were Ibn Rushd in his everyday clothes,

or that I am Ibn Rushd in his everyday clothes,

or Omar Khayyam, O you who condemn me;

or that I am Omar Khayyam, O wrongdoer,

أو ابن سينا وقد كانت مجالسه

أو ابن سينا وقد كانت مجالسه

للأنس يحدو بها الحادي بركبان

للأنس يحدو بها الحادي بركبان

or Avicenna, whose gatherings

or Ibn Sina, whose gatherings were

were for conviviality, where the camel-driver urged the caravan onward in song.

for conviviality, where the camel-driver urged riders on with song.

تريدني ويك شيخاً كله ورع

تريدني ويك شيخاً كله ورع

ذا مركب خشن يأباه شيطاني

ذا مركب خشن يأباه شيطاني

You want me—woe to you!—to be a sheikh made wholly of piety,

You want me, fie on you, a sheikh all piety,

of rough disposition, whom my devil rejects.

with a rough mount that my devil refuses.

وخلتني أمس يا ذكرى مخيلة

وخلتني أمس يا ذكرى مخيلة

بها تطوف تباريحي وأشجاني

بها تطوف تباريحي وأشجاني

Yesterday, O Memory, you fancied me an apparition

And yesterday, O memory, I fancied myself a rain cloud

through which my torments and my sorrows circled.

through which my torments and my sorrows roamed.

قد رف وهناً وناموا بعدما سهروا

قد رف وهناً وناموا بعدما سهروا

صحبي بريق شجاه الفذ أشجاني

صحبي بريق شجاه الفذ أشجاني

It had fluttered faintly; then, after keeping vigil, they slept—

A gleam flickered faintly; they fell asleep after keeping vigil—

my companions—and the gleam of his peerless sorrow saddened me.

my companions—and its singular melancholy saddened me.

فاستيقظت عبرتي من بعد هجعتها

فاستيقظت عبرتي من بعد هجعتها

وعادني ذكرها من بعد نسيان

وعادني ذكرها من بعد نسيان

Then my tear awoke from its slumber,

Then my tear awoke from its slumber,

and her memory revisited me after long oblivion.

and her memory revisited me after forgetfulness.

فإذ بي المصطفى ماش على يده

فإذ بي المصطفى ماش على يده

سار كطيف الكرى في عين وسنان

سار كطيف الكرى في عين وسنان

And suddenly there I was—al-Mustafa—walking upon his hand;

And there I was—Mustafa, walking on his hand—

he moved like sleep’s phantom through a drowsy eye.

passing like sleep's phantom in a drowsy man's eye.

وليس لي أرجل أَمشي بها فأنا

وليس لي أرجل أَمشي بها فأنا

أحيا لأصغي إلى أصداء ألحاني

أحيا لأصغي إلى أصداء ألحاني

I have no legs with which to walk, for I

And I have no legs to walk with, so I

live only to listen to the echoes of my songs.

live to listen to the echoes of my songs.

أما أنا وأَمانينا وما تركت

أما أنا وأَمانينا وما تركت

لي الليالي أحزان بأحزان

لي الليالي أحزان بأحزان

As for me, our hopes, and what the nights have left

As for me, our hopes, and what has been left

me: sorrows upon sorrows.

to me by the nights: sorrows upon sorrows.

قالوا بوادي الشتا لاحت مكحلة

قالوا بوادي الشتا لاحت مكحلة

فما عليك ارعوى من خدها القاني

فما عليك ارعوى من خدها القاني

They said, “In Wadi al-Shita a kohl-eyed beauty appeared.”

They said, 'In Wadi al-Shita a kohl-eyed woman appeared;

What is she to you? Turn away from her crimson cheek.

so what is it to you? Turn away from her crimson cheek.'

اعذرنني يا أخياتي فما برحت

اعذرنني يا أخياتي فما برحت

لها بقايا هوى في سؤر تحناني

لها بقايا هوى في سؤر تحناني

Forgive me, my dear sisters: there still remain

Forgive me, my little sisters, for there still remain

for her traces of love in the secret depths of my yearning.

traces of love for her in the dregs of my tenderness.