أملّت ضجيج الحياة ففرّت

تريد الحياة بظلّ السكون

The clamor of life wearied her, so she fled

She grew weary of life's noise, so she fled,

Wanting life in the shade of tranquility

Seeking life in the shadow of silence,

تغاف القصور و جنّاتها

و تأوي إلى دوحة الزيزفون

Leaving behind the palaces and their gardens

Shunning the palaces and their gardens,

She took refuge in the palm grove of Ziziphons

To seek refuge in the linden tree's grove.

فتشرب ماء الغدير نقيّا

و تسكر من أرج الياسمين

Drinking the pure water of the pond

Drinking the brook's water, pure and clear,

Getting drunk on the fragrance of jasmine

And growing drunk on the jasmine's fragrance,

و تسمع لحن الطيور شجيّا

رقيقا على مائسات الغصون

Listening to the sad song of the birds

Listening to the birds' melancholic melody,

Softly on the branches of the trees

Tenderly played upon the swaying branches.

فتذكر عالم قدس نمت

به حرّة بين حور و عين

She remembered a sacred world where she slept

Then she remembers a holy world where she grew,

Free, between houri and spring

Free among the houris with beautiful eyes;

هيولي تفيض ضياء مبينا

طليقا تراه جميع العيون

Filled with the bright overflowing light

A primordial spirit overflowing with radiant light,

Which all eyes see unveiled

Free and visible to all eyes.

و تذكره عالما طاهرا

قضت في رباه ألوف السنين

She remembered it as a pure world

She remembers it as a pure world,

Where she spent thousands of years

In whose hills she spent thousands of years.

تحنّ إليه و ماذا يفيد

بعيد الأحبّة طول الحنين

Yearning for it-but what use is yearning

She yearns for it, yet what good is

When loved ones are far, however long

Endless yearning when loved ones are far away?

لقد ذكرته فما كفكفت

بيمنى يديها عقود الشؤون

She had remembered it but did not restrain

She remembered it, and did not hold back

The tears that misfortune drew

With her right hand the necklaces of tears.

بكت و هي في سجنها حرّة

و لا عجب من بكاء السجين

Weeping though free in her prison

She wept, though free within her prison,

No wonder at a captive's tears

And it is no wonder that a prisoner weeps.

حنوت عليها و قد بكّرت

لتتلو كتاب الحياة القديم

I consoled her, though she rose early

I leaned over her as she rose early

To recite the ancient book of life

To recite the ancient book of life,

فقلت لها : مزّقيه كتابا

يثير الشجون و يذكي الهموم

And said: Tear up that book

So I said to her: "Tear it up, a book

Which stirs regrets and kindles sorrows

That stirs up sorrows and kindles griefs;

فإنّ الشقيّ يزيد شقاء

إذا راح يذكر عهد النّعيم

For the wretched, their wretchedness grows

For the wretched one only grows more wretched

When remembering days of bliss

When he begins to recall the era of bliss.

مقيّدة أنت صاغ القيود

ليمناك كفّ القضاء الأثيم

You are bound by chains fate forged

You are chained; the fetters were forged

To debar you, by evil decree

For your right hand by the hand of wicked fate.

تريدين منّي نسيم عليلا

و هيهات عزّ علينا النسيم

You ask me for a gentle breeze

You seek from me a gentle breeze,

Alas bringing breezes is hard for me!

But alas, the breeze is kept from us.

تريدين منّي نسيم الجنان

نقيّا .. و هذا نسيم الجحيم

You ask me for the zephyr of gardens

You seek from me the breeze of paradise,

Pure...but this is the wind of hell

Pure... but this is the breeze of hell.

فلا تنشقيه ففيه سموم الهجير

و من ذا يطيق السموم

So do not inhale it, for within is the poison of exile

Do not breathe it in, for it holds the poison of the midday heat,

And who can bear poison?

And who can bear such poisons?

عذرتك فرّي من الأرض و ابغي

هناك المقام الرفيع الكريم

I pardoned you, so flee the land, and seek

I excuse you; flee from the earth and seek

The sublime and generous abode near the stars

That lofty, noble dwelling up there,

بقرب النجوم فإنّ الحياة

معطّرة الدنّ بين النجوم

For life there is fragrant as this vile world

Near the stars, for life

Among the stars

Possesses a fragrant wine-cask among the stars.

و لا ترحمي الجسم فهو تراب

يعود لمعدنه بعد حين

Do not grieve for the body, mere dust

And do not pity the body, for it is dust,

Returning to its source in time

Returning to its source after a time.

غدا هو بين الربى زهرة

كستها الطبيعة لون الشروق

Tomorrow it becomes among the wild thyme

Tomorrow it shall be a flower among the hills,

A flower nature clothed in dawn’s hue

Clad by nature in the hues of sunrise.

يقبّلها الصبح في ثغرها

و يلثم في شفتيها العقيق

Kissed in its mouth by morning

The morning will kiss her on the mouth,

Ruby lip-print on its cheek

And touch the carnelian upon her lips.

و تسري الصّبا من بعيد إليها

و قد هوّن الحبّ حزن الطريق

The breeze blows gently to it from afar

The east wind will travel to her from afar,

Love easing the road’s sorrow

With love easing the sorrows of the path,

إلى أن تمرّ عليها فتاة

فتنزعها نزع برّ رفيق

Until there passes by a girl

Until a young girl passes by her,

Who plucks it with a gesture kind

And plucks her with the gentle pull of a righteous one,

و تنزلها منزلا هانئا

على النّور لا يشتكى فيه ضيق

Places it in a happy spot

And places her in a blissful abode,

Where no confinement breeds despair

Upon the radiance, where no confinement is lamented,

فحينا تقبّل نهدا و حينا

تقبّل خدّا يلون الشقيق

Now kissing one breast, now

So at times she kisses a breast, and at times

Kissing a cheek pink as the anemone

She kisses a cheek the color of an anemone,

و تبعثها بعد ذاك رسولا

يؤدّي رسالة صبّ مشوق

Later sending it as messenger

And sends her after that as a messenger,

To carry a stirring letter of desire

To deliver the message of a passionate lover;

فنعم الرسالة بين العشيقة

ذات الدلال و بيت العشيق

Good messenger between lover

What a wonderful message between the beloved girl,

Of languor and lover's dwelling

Full of coquetry, and the lover's home.

فيا روح من بين تلك النجوم

أطلي عليها و لا تنكريني

O soul, among those stars

O soul, from among those stars,

Look upon it, do not deny me

Look down upon her and do not fail to recognize me.

أطلّي عليها و قد أشرقت

على صدر خود عروس و ساما

Look upon it, radiant

Look down upon her as she shines

On the breast of a bride in her litter

As an adornment upon the breast of a fair maiden bride,

أطلّي عليها و قد ألقيت

بقايا شذا ثمّ عادت رغاما

Look upon it, scattering

Look down upon her when she has cast off

The remnants of perfume, then balm

The remains of her fragrance, then returned to dust.

أطلّي عليها رفيقا قديما

و قولي سلاما تردّ السلاما

Look upon it, old companion

Look down upon her as an old companion,

Say peace, and peace will respond

And say 'peace', that she may return the greeting.

ألا و اذكري عهدنا و اذكري

زمانك في الأرض عاما فعاما

Remember our days, remember

Oh, remember our covenant, and remember

Your time on earth, year upon year

Your time on earth, year after year.

أأنكرت شكلا جديدا لجسم

غدا لك قيل الفناء مقاما

Will you reject the body's new form

Have you failed to recognize a new form for a body

Though it was your abode before decay?

That became your dwelling before passing away?

و أنكرت ألوانها جمّة

و عطرا نديّا كعطر لخزامى

Reject its brilliant hues

And did you fail to recognize its abundant colors,

Its scent as sweet as lavender?

And a dewy fragrance like the scent of lavender?

فلا تعجبي إنّ هذا الذبول

بأوراقها كان فيّ سقاما

Do not wonder-this withering

Do not wonder, for this wilting

In its leaves was also my disease

In its leaves was an illness within me,

و ذا الاحمرار دموعي

و هذا الشذا كان فيّ غراما

This redness-my tears

And this redness is my tears,

This perfume-my passion

And this fragrance was passion within me;

و أفناني الدهر إلا شقاء

تأبى عليه و إلاّ هياما

Fate destroyed me but for the wretchedness

Time has consumed me, leaving naught but a misery

That rejects it, and but for raving love

That stubbornly resists, and an endless love.

تلاشيت في هذه الكائنات

و لم يتلاش إليك حنيني

I have vanished into these creatures

I have faded away into these beings,

Yet longing for you has not faded within me

Yet my yearning for you has never faded.