روحي المقيمُ لديكِ؟ أم شبَحي؟
لعبتْ برأسِي نشوةُ الفرحِ!
Is it my soul residing in you? Or my ghost?
The ecstasy of joy has played with my mind!
يا حانةَ الأرواح، ما صنعتْ
بالرُّوحِ فيكِ صبابةُ القدحِ
O tavern of spirits, what has
The drink's rapture done to the soul in you?
ما للسماءِ أديمُها لهَبٌ؟
الفجرُ؟ إنَّ الفجرَ لم يَلُحِ!
Why is the sky aflame with its expanse?
It's dawn! Dawn has not yet appeared!
ولِمَ البحيرةُ مثلما سُجِرَتْ
أو فُجِّرَتْ من عرقِ منذَبحِ!
And why is the lake boiling
As if it erupted from the sweat of a slaughter?
نارٌ تطيرُ، وموكبٌ صَخِبٌ
من كل ساهي اللحظِ منسرحِ
A flying fire, and a noisy parade
From every blithe moment unleashed
لولا ابتسامةُ جارتي، وفمٌ
يدنو إليَّ بصدرِ منشَرحِ
Were it not for my neighbor's smile, and a mouth
That comes close to me with an open chest
لحسبتُها «روما» تمورُ لظًى
في قهقهاتِ الساخرِ الوقحِ
I would have thought it “Rome” swirling in flames
In the mockery of the vulgar and impudent
زهوٌ تملَّكني، فأذهلني
ومن الذهولِ طرائفُ المُلَحِ
An arrogance possessed me, which stupefied me
And from stupor, the witticisms of jokes
أأنا الغريبُ هنا وملءُ يدي
أعطافُ هذا الأغيَدِ المرِحِ؟
Am I the stranger here with my hands full
Of the folds of this playful attire?
خفَقتْ على وجهي غدائرُها
فجذبتها بذراعِ مجترحِ
Her tresses fluttered on my face
So I pulled her with an amputated arm
لم أدر، وهيَ تُديرُ لي قدحي،
من أين مُغتبَقي ومُصطبحي
I did not know, as she handed me my drink,
Where I was inebriated and awake
وشدا المغنِّي، فاحتشدتُ لها
كم للغناءِ لديَّ من مِنحِ
And the singer trilled, so I gathered around her
How much song I have as a gift!
عَرَضَتْ بفاكهةٍ محرَّمةٍ
وعرضتُ، لم أنطِقْ ولم أبَحِ
She offered forbidden fruit
And I offered – I did not speak nor explain
يا رَبِّ، صُنْعُكَ كلُّهُ فِتَنٌ
أين الفرارُ، وكيف مُطَّرحي!
O Lord, all Your creation is seduction
Where to flee, and how am I laid down!
هذى الروائعُ، أنت خالقُها
ما بين منُجرِدٍ ومتَّشحِ
These masterpieces, You are their Creator
Between unveiled and veiled
«تاييسُ» لم تعبَثْ براهبها
لكنَّهُ أشفى على البُرَحِ
“Thais” did not toy with her monk
But he was infatuated to the point of illness
ما بين أسرارٍ مُغلَّقةٍ
وطروقِ بابٍ غيرِ منفتحِ
Between locked secrets
And knocking on a door not yet opened
عرض الجمالُ له فأكبرَه
ورآكَ فيهِ فَجُنَّ من فَرحِ
Beauty presented itself to him so he aggrandized it
And saw You in it, so he went mad from joy
أتَرى معاقبتي على قدَرٍ
لولاك لم يُكتَبْ ولم يُتَحِ؟!
Do You think my punishment matches
Were it not for You it would not be prescribed nor implemented?!
إنِّي عبدتُك في جَنَى شفةٍ
ويدٍ، ووجهٍ مُشرقٍ الوضَحِ
I worshipped You in the paradise of a lip
And a hand, and a bright shining face
ولو استطعتُ، جعلتُ مِسبحتي
ثَمرَ النهودِ، وجلَّ في السُّبَحِ
And if I could, I would make my prayer beads
Fruit of breasts, most excellent in praising!
