كم ليلةٍ حمراءَ خِلْتُ ظلامَها
يَدَ ماردٍ سَلَّتْ خضيبَ حُسامِ
How many a sanguine night I spent, shrouded in its darkness,
The hand of a rebel unsheathing the sword of his whims.
وكأنَّ كلَّ سحابةٍ في أُفقها
شَبَحُ الخطيئةِ فوق عِرْضٍ دامِي
As if each cloud in its horizon,
Were the specter of sin looming over a bloody honor.
وكأنَّ أنجمها نوافذُ حانةٍ
شَرِبَ الدُّخانُ بها بريقَ الجامِ
As if its stars were the windows of a tavern,
Where smoke drank the gleam of the cup.
وكَأَنَّ أنوارَ المدينةِ تَحْتَهَا
سُرُجُ الغوايةِ في طريق حَرامِ
As if the city lights beneath it,
Were the lamps of temptation on the path of sin.
همدَ الهواءُ بها فجهدُ حَراكِهِ
هَبَوَاتُ نارٍ في نفيثِ قَتَامِ
The air grew still within it, so its whispers
Were but fiery gusts in a blast of gloom.
وكأنما اختنقَ الفضاءُ فكلُّ ما
فيه صريعٌ أو وشيكُ حِمامِ
As if space itself were suffocating, and all that was in it
Was a victim, or nearing slaughter.
ألفيتُني جسدًا تُسارقُ رُوحَهُ
قُبَلٌ عواصفُ ضُرِّجَتْ بأثامِ
I found myself, a body whose soul was being stolen
By lustful storms, defiled with sins.
أجتاحُها وأضجُّ من لذعاتها
فكأنَّها بدمي نقيعُ سُمامِ
I braved them and shook with pain from their stings,
As if they were the deadly draught of poisons in my blood.
وعلى يَدَيْ مسمورةٍ مخمورةٍ
ألتذُّ كالمقرورِ حرَّ ضرامِ
And in the hands of an inebriated and drugged woman,
I delighted, like one made drunk on bitter nectar.
متضائلَ الأفكار مهدورَ القُوَى
متزايلَ الأهواءِ والأحلامِ
My thoughts waning, my strength squandered,
My passions and dreams fading away.
هي من تُرَى؟ هيَ هنَّ، هنَّ جواذبي
بأنيقِ ثوبٍ، أو رشيق قوامِ
Who is she? She is they, they my temptresses,
In elegant dress, or shapely figure.
الشارداتُ العائداتُ مع الضُّحَى
الطارداتُ وراءَ كلِّ ظلامِ
The wanderers, returning at dawn,
Dispelling each darkness behind them.
هن اللواتي إنْ صحوتُ فإِنَّنِي
منهنَّ طالبُ مَهْرَبٍ وسلامِ
They whom if I awakened, I would seek from them
Refuge and peace.
أخمدتُ فوق شفاههنَّ شبيبتي
وذبحتُ بين عيونهنَّ غرامي!
I extinguished my youth upon their lips,
And slaughtered my love between their eyes!
