عبثًــاin vain تَحْــلُمينَyou dream شــاعرتيmy poetess مــاno
عبثًــا تَحْــلُمينَ شــاعرتي مــا
مــنany (emphatic) صبـاحٍmorning لليـلِfor the night of هـذاthis الوجـودexistence
مــن صبـاحٍ لليـلِ هـذا الوجـود
In vain you dream, my poetess; there is no
In vain, my poetess, you dream
morning for the night of this existence.
There is no dawn for this night of existence
عبثًــاin vain تسـألينyou ask لـنwill not يُكْشـفbe revealed السـرُّthe secret
عبثًــا تسـألين لـن يُكْشـف السـرُّ
ولـــنand will not تَنْعمــيyou enjoy بفــكِّthrough loosening القيــودِthe chains
ولـــن تَنْعمــي بفــكِّ القيــودِ
In vain you ask; the secret will not be revealed,
In vain you ask, the secret shall not be revealed
nor will you enjoy release from the chains.
And you will not enjoy freedom from shackles
فـيin ظـلالthe shades of الصَّفْصافِthe willows قَضَّيتِyou spent ساعاhours (first part)
فـي ظـلال الصَّفْصافِ قَضَّيتِ ساعا
تِــكِyour (completing 'your hours') حَــيْرىbewildered تُمضُّــكtorment you الأسـرارُthe mysteries
تِــكِ حَــيْرى تُمضُّــك الأسـرارُ
In the willows' shade you spent your hours,
In the shadows of the willow you spent an hour
bewildered, tormented by mysteries.
Perplexed, secrets bewilder you
تســألينyou ask الظـلالَthe shadows والظـلُّand the shadow لاnot يـعـknows (first part)
تســألين الظـلالَ والظـلُّ لا يـعـ
ـلَـــمُcompletion of 'knows' شــيئًاa thing وتعلــمُand know الأقــدارُthe fates
ـلَـــمُ شــيئًا وتعلــمُ الأقــدارُ
You question the shadows, but the shadow does not
You ask the shadows, but the shade knows nothing
know a thing, while the fates know.
While destiny knows all
أبــدًاalways تنظــرينyou gaze للأُفــقtoward the horizon المـجـunknown (first part)
أبــدًا تنظــرين للأُفــق المـجـ
ـهـولcompletion of 'unknown' حـيرىbewildered فهـلso, has...? تجلّىrevealed itself الخفيُّthe hidden؟
ـهـول حـيرى فهـل تجلّى الخفيُّ؟
Forever you gaze toward the unknown horizon,
Forever you gaze at the unknown horizon
bewildered—has the hidden revealed itself?
Perplexed, has the unseen been revealed?
أبـــدًاalways تســألينyou ask والقَــدَرُand fate الســاmocking (first part)
أبـــدًا تســألين والقَــدَرُ الســا
خــرُcompletion of 'mocking' صمــتٌsilence مُسْــتغلِقٌimpenetrable أبـديُّeternal
خــرُ صمــتٌ مُسْــتغلِقٌ أبـديُّ
Forever you ask, and mocking fate
Forever you ask, and destiny
is an impenetrable, eternal silence.
Remains an impenetrable eternal silence
فيــمَwhy لاnot تيأسـينَyou despair؟ مـاnot أدركَgrasped الأسـthe mysteries (first part)
فيــمَ لا تيأسـينَ؟ مـا أدركَ الأسـ
ـــرارَcompletion of 'the mysteries' قلـبٌa heart مـنfrom قبلُbefore كيso that تدركيهاyou grasp them
ـــرارَ قلـبٌ مـن قبلُ كي تدركيها
Why do you not despair? The mysteries have never been fathomed
Why do you not despair? No heart before
by any heart before, that you should fathom them.
Has uncovered the secrets for you to discover
أســفًاalas يـاO فتـاةُgirl لـنwill not تفهمـيyou understand الأيـthe days (first part)
أســفًا يـا فتـاةُ لـن تفهمـي الأيـ
ـــامَcompletion of 'the days' فلتقنعــيso be content بــأنwith the fact that تجهليهــاyou do not know them
ـــامَ فلتقنعــي بــأن تجهليهــا
Alas, girl, you will not understand the days;
Alas, o girl, you will not understand the days
so be content not to know them.
So be content in your ignorance of them
اُتــركيleave الــزورقthe boat الكليـلweary تسـيِّرْsteer
اُتــركي الــزورق الكليـل تسـيِّرْ
هُit أكــفُّhands الأقــدارِof the fates كــيفhowever تشـاءُthey wish
هُ أكــفُّ الأقــدارِ كــيف تشـاءُ
Leave the weary boat to be steered
Leave the frail boat, fate steers it
by the hands of the fates however they wish.
However it wishes
مـاwhat الـذيthat which نلـتِyou gained مـنfrom مصارعةwrestling with الموthe waves (first part)
مـا الـذي نلـتِ مـن مصارعة المو
جِcompletion of 'the waves'؟ وهـلand has...? نـامَslept عـنunmindful of منـاكِyour wishes الشقاءُmisery؟
جِ؟ وهـل نـامَ عـن منـاكِ الشقاءُ؟
What have you gained from wrestling with the waves?
What have you gained from wrestling with the wave?
And has misery slept, unmindful of your wishes?
Has anguish slept from your worries?
آهِah يـاO مـنone whose ضاعتْwas wasted حياتكyour life فيin الأحـdreams (first part)
آهِ يـا مـن ضاعتْ حياتك في الأحـ
ـــلامِcompletion of 'dreams' مـاذاwhat جَـنَيْتِyou reaped غـيرother than الملالِennui؟
ـــلامِ مـاذا جَـنَيْتِ غـير الملالِ؟
Ah, you whose life was wasted in dreams,
Ah, o she who lost her life in dreams
what have you reaped but ennui?
What have you reaped except boredom?
لـمhas not يَـزَلْceased سـرُّهاits secret دفينـاburied فيـاso, oh ضيـwaste (first part)
لـم يَـزَلْ سـرُّها دفينـا فيـا ضيـ
ـعـةَcompletion of 'waste' عُمْـرٍa lifetime قضَّيتِـهِyou spent it فـيin السـؤالِquestioning
ـعـةَ عُمْـرٍ قضَّيتِـهِ فـي السـؤالِ
Its secret is still buried—oh, the waste
Its secret remains buried
of a lifetime you spent in questioning!
O futile life you spent asking
هُــوَit سـرُّthe secret of الحيـاةlife دقَّwas too subtle عـلىfor الأفـunderstanding (first part)
هُــوَ سـرُّ الحيـاة دقَّ عـلى الأفـ
ـهـامِcompletion of 'understanding' حـتىuntil ضـاقتgrew vexed بـهby it الحكماءُthe sages
ـهـامِ حـتى ضـاقت بـه الحكماءُ
It is the secret of life, too subtle for understanding,
It is the secret of life, it has confounded minds
until even the sages grew vexed by it.
Until even the wise were frustrated by it
فايأسـيso despair يـاO فتـاةُgirl مـاnot فُهمـتْwere understood مـنfrom
فايأسـي يـا فتـاةُ مـا فُهمـتْ مـن
قبــلُbefore أســرارُهاits mysteries ففيـمso why الرجـاءُhope؟
قبــلُ أســرارُها ففيـم الرجـاءُ؟
So despair, girl; never before
So despair, o girl, for before you
have its mysteries been understood—so why hope?
Its secrets were never understood, so why hope?
جـاءcame مـنfrom قبـلِbefore أنthat تجيئيyou come إلىinto الدُّنْـthe world (first part)
جـاء مـن قبـلِ أن تجيئي إلى الدُّنْـ
ـيــاcompletion of 'the world' ملاييـنُmillions ثـمthen زالـواthey vanished وبـادواand they perished
ـيــا ملاييـنُ ثـم زالـوا وبـادوا
Before you came into the world,
Millions came before you then faded and perished
millions came, then vanished and perished.
I wonder what they gained from their nights?
ليـتَif only شـعريmy knowledge مـاذاwhat جَـنَوْاthey reaped منfrom لياليـnights
ليـتَ شـعري مـاذا جَـنَوْا من لياليـ
ـهـمْtheir؟ وأيـنَand where الأفـراحُthe joys والأعيـادُand the feast days؟
ـهـمْ؟ وأيـنَ الأفـراحُ والأعيـادُ؟
I wonder what they reaped from their nights;
Where is the joy and celebrations?
and where are the joys and the feast days?
Of them there only remains sad graves
ليسthere is not منهـــمof them إلاَّexcept قبــورٌgraves حزينــاsorrowful (first part)
ليس منهـــم إلاَّ قبــورٌ حزينــا
تٌcompletion of 'sorrowful' أقيمــتwere raised عـلىupon ضفـافthe banks of الحيـاةِlife
تٌ أقيمــت عـلى ضفـاف الحيـاةِ
Nothing remains of them but sorrowful graves,
Erected on the banks of life
raised upon the banks of life.
They departed from life’s sanctuary and took refuge
رحـلواthey departed عـنfrom حِـمَىthe sanctuary of الوجـودِexistence ولاذواand sought refuge
رحـلوا عـن حِـمَى الوجـودِ ولاذوا
فــيin ســكونٍstillness بعــالمin the world of الأمــواتِthe dead
فــي ســكونٍ بعــالم الأمــواتِ
They left the sanctuary of existence and sought refuge
In the stillness of the world of the dead
in stillness, in the world of the dead.
How often has the gloomy night revolved
كـمhow often أطـافَswept الليـلُthe night الكئيبgloomy علىover الجوthe sky
كـم أطـافَ الليـلُ الكئيب على الجو
وكـــمand how often أذعنــتyielded لــهto it الأكــوانُthe worlds
وكـــم أذعنــت لــه الأكــوانُ
How often gloomy night has swept over the sky,
And the universe surrendered to it
and how often the worlds have yielded to it!
The night witnessed that just as
شــهدbore witness الليــلُthe night أنّــهthat it مثلمــاjust as كـاwas (first part)
شــهد الليــلُ أنّــه مثلمــا كـا
نَcompletion of 'was' فــأينَso where الــذينَthose who بـالأمسyesterday كـانوthey were؟
نَ فــأينَ الــذينَ بـالأمس كـانو؟
The night bears witness that it is as it was—
It was, so where are those who were yesterday?
so where are those who existed yesterday?
How, o fate, do you extinguish between your palms
كـيفhow يـاO دهـرُTime تنطفـيgo out بيـنbetween كفَّيـtwo palms
كـيف يـا دهـرُ تنطفـي بيـن كفَّيـ
ـــكَyour الأمـانيhopes وتخـمدand die out الأحـلامُdreams؟
ـــكَ الأمـاني وتخـمد الأحـلامُ؟
How, O Time, are hopes extinguished between your palms,
Wishes and dreams?
and dreams quenched?
How do hearts melt though they are light
كـيفhow تَـذْويwither القلـوبُthe hearts وهـيwhile they are ضياءٌradiance
كـيف تَـذْوي القلـوبُ وهـي ضياءٌ
ويعيشُand lives الظـــلامُthe darkness وهْــوwhile it is ظــلامُdarkness
ويعيشُ الظـــلامُ وهْــو ظــلامُ
How do hearts wither, though they are radiance,
And darkness lives though it is darkness?
while darkness lives, though it is darkness?
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1