غادة حطّم الفؤاد بكاها
ليت شعري ما بالها ما دهاها
Gada's tears shattered the heart
I wonder what ails her, what grieves her
قد حباها اللَه الجمال ولكن
لم يصنه يا ليته ما حباها
God granted her beauty but did not protect it
I wish He had not granted it to her
وقفت حول ذلك الشاطيء
الرملي ليلا تبثّه شكواها
She stood by that sandy shore at night
Voicing her complaints
واستحال الإعوال فيها أنينا
حين جفّت من فرطه مقلتاها
Her whimpers turned into moans
When her eyelids dried from excessive weeping
تلطم الصدر تارة وتشق
الجيب أخرى حتى إذا أعياها
At times she pounds her chest and at others
Rips her clothes until, exhausted,
سامرت أنجم السماء وناجت
بسكون الدجى الهلال أخاها
She converses with the stars in the sky
And confides in the crescent, her brother, in the stillness of night
ملأ اليأس قلبها يا لحزني
والآسى شفّ روحها وبراها
Despair fills her heart, oh my sorrow
And anguish quenched her soul and winked at it
وتنادي والناس لاهون عنها
يا إلهي هلا أجبت نداها
She calls but people pay her no heed
My God, why don’t You answer her call
لا قريب حنا عليها ولا
خل شفيق بحزنها واساها
No dear one feels sorry for her
No friend consoles her grief and relieves it
فتح الليل صدره لثريا
وبكى الموج رحمة لصباها
The night opened its chest to the Pleiades
And the wave wept in pity for her youth
أدهاها من الهوى ما دهاني
فقلاها حبيبها واجتواها
The passion that possessed me possessed her
So her lover abandoned her and was unfaithful
أم رماها كما رماني زماني
بعواديه ليته ما رماها
Or did he discard her as my era discarded me
With its calamities? I wish it had not discarded her
فحداني إلى الفتاة شعور
لاقت الروح منه ما أضناها
My feelings led me to the girl
My soul garnered what weakened it
فحثثت الخطى إليها بجنح
الليل والناس نوّم لأراها
I quickened my steps toward her on the wings
Of night while people slept so I could see her
فإذا بي أمام عذراء تحكي
الورس من فرط حزنها وجنتاها
And there I was before a maiden
Who told the myrtle about her overwhelming sorrow, her cheeks
فدعتني إلى الدنوّ إليها
بعد لأي واغرورقت عيناها
She invited me to come closer to her
After her eyes had reddened and brimmed with tears
حيث شاهدت هيكلا من عظام
حطّمته الأقدار ما أقساها
Where I saw a skeleton of bones
Shattered by destiny - how cruel it was!
نظرة قطّعت نياط فؤادي
إن تسلني يا صاح عن عقباها
A look that cut the ties of my heart
Please, friend, tell me about her footing
جرّعتها الأيّام صابا مريرا
وسقتني فكيف لا أرعاها
The bitter days made her drink saber
And quenched my thirst - how could I not feel sorry for her?
ونسى قلبي الحزين أساه
بعد ما شاطر الفتاة أساها
My grieving heart forgot its own grief
After sharing the girl’s grief
كفكفت دمعها وكفكفت دمعي
وسألت العذراء عما دهاها
I dried her tears and dried my own tears
And asked the maiden what grieved her
فشكت ظلم أمها وأبيها
قاتل اللَه أمها وأباها
So she complained about the injustice of her mother and father
May God destroy her mother and father
حمّلاها ويلاه عبئا ثقيلا
رزحت تحته فلم حمّلاها
They burdened her, woe to her, with a heavy load
She buckled under its weight so they buckled her
أرغماها على الزواج بشيخ
ذي ثراء من أجل ذا أرغماها
They forced her into marriage with an old
Man just because he was wealthy – so they forced her
حدّدا موعد الزفاف فجاءت
تندب الحظ حين خاب رجاها
They set the date for the wedding so she came
To mourn her luck when her hope was dashed
وجه ذاك الشيخ المجعد ألقى
الرعب في قلبها وأطفا سناها
The face of that wrinkled old man
Struck fear in her heart and extinguished her youth
أمن العدل أن تزفّ ثريّا
لعجوز فأين أين فتاها
Is it just for a wealthy man
To marry a young girl – where, oh where, is her youth?
فمن الظلم أن تشاطره العي
ش وقد كان مصدرا لشقاها
It is unjust that she share her den
With someone who was the source of her agony
ومن الظلم أن تساق إلى من
صوته لا تطيقه أذناها
It is unjust that she be led to someone
Whose voice her ears cannot bear
ومن الغبن أن تلامس خدّاً
ذا غضون كخده خدّاها
It is unfair that she touch a cheek
That has wrinkles like his cheek
ومن الغبن أن يداعب في كفّ
نحيل ككفّه نهداها
It is unfair that a withered hand
Fondle her plump hand like his
ومن الغبن أن تقبل ثغرا
خاويا مثل ثغره شفتاها
It is unfair that she kiss a mouth
That is empty like his mouth
ومن الغبن أن ترفّ على فودي
عجوز كحامد خصلتاها
It is unfair that an old man flirt
With her bosom when his sideburns are graying
ومن الغبن أن يطوّق جيدا
معرقا مثل جيده ساعداها
It is unfair that he puts a necklace
Around her smooth neck that is like his forearm
هل رأيتم ورقاء هامت بنسر
وسمعتم بوكره نجواها
Have you seen a gazelle fall for an eagle
And heard its cooing?
أو رأيتم غزالة عشقت يا
قوم ذئبا وطوّقته يداها
Or seen a gazelle love, o people,
A wolf and place her hands around its neck?
هيّا الشيخ يا إلهي نعشا
من حنايا ضلوعه لصباها
Take the old man, o God, as a bier
From the ribs of his descendants for her youth
ثم راح العجوز ينسج أكفان
ثريا من لحية أرخاها
Then the old man will weave shrouds
From his beard for her wedding
ومن أحضانه أعدّ لها قب
راً وهذا ما اختاره أبواها
And from his bosom he will prepare
A grave for her - this is what her parents chose
ربّ رحماك بالفتاة ورفقا
فكفاها ما حمّلاها كفاها
Lord, have mercy on the girl and be gentle
She has borne enough - it is enough
أنهك الذلّ جسمها وهي في مق
تبل العمر لم تحقّق مناها
Humiliation wasted her body though she was
In the prime of youth and did not fulfill her wishes
خسرت خالدا رفيق صباها
وعلى نبذ خالد أكرهاها
She lost Khalid, her youth’s companion
And Khalid was who she loved with all her being
عاهدته على الزواج فلم تهو
سواه وما أحبّ سواها
He promised to marry her so none
Pleased her but him and she loved no one but him
هي لولاه لم يلذّ بها العيش وما
عاش خالد لولاها
Without him life had no joy and Khalid
Could not have lived without her
خالد ذلك الفتى الطيب القل
ب النبيل الشعور لا ينساها
Khalid - that kind noble-hearted lad
With sublime feelings who cannot forget her
كيف ينسى تلك الفتاة التي كم
أعربت عن إخلاصها ووفاها
How can he forget that girl who
Expressed her loyalty and fidelity so often?
كيف ينسى تلك الفتاة التي لم
ير في هذه الدنيا إلّاها
How can he forget that girl who saw
No one in this world but him?
كيف ينسى تلك التي ودّعته
ببكاها وأودعته حشاها
How can he forget that girl who bid him
Farewell, weeping, and placed him in the innermost depths of her heart?
كيف ينسى تلك التي يذرف الدم
ع إذا ما مرّت به ذكراها
How can he forget that girl at the mention
Of whose name his tears flowed?
كيف ينسى تلك التي كم وكم ضاهى
بإخلاصها العظيم وباهى
How can he forget that girl whose great
And sublime loyalty made him proud?
كيف ينسى تلك التي تترامى
بين أحضانه وتشكو هواها
How can he forget that girl who would melt
Into his embraces complaining of her love?
كيف ينسى تلك التي كم وكم بل
كم وروّى غليله من لماها
How can he forget that girl who - oh how many a time -
Quenched his burning thirst from her saliva?
هيَ بالأمس غادةٌ ذات دلّ
يملأ النفس غبطة مرآها
Only yesterday she was Gada, a heart-rending
Beauty that filled the soul with bliss when seen
هي بالأمس وردةٌ تنعش الأرواح
بل يسكر القلوب شذاها
Only yesterday she was a rose that revived spirits
Or, rather, intoxicated hearts with her fragrance
هي بالأمس دمية تبعث الإيمان
بالقلب جلّ من سوّاها
Only yesterday she was a doll that inspired faith
In the heart - glorified is He who created her
وهي اليوم هيكل من عظام
قاتل اللَه أمّها وآباها
Today she is a skeleton of bones
May God destroy her mother and her father!
طلع الفجر وافترقنا ولم أد
ر أتسطيع حملها قدماها
Dawn rose and we parted and I could not
Carry her feet
أرغمتني على التخلف عنها
إي وربّي وخلّفتني وراها
She forced me to stay behind her
Yes, by my Lord, and left me behind her
بأبي غادة تسير الهوينا
حول ذاك الشاطي تجرّ رداها
By my father, Gada walks here and there by
That shore, dragging her feet
وبأمّي عذراء حطّمت الأوصاب
في ميعة الشباب قواها
And by my mother, an innocent girl who smashed ribs
In the prime of youth with all its force
وبروحي هيفاء تهتزّ لا تيها
ولكن من فرط ما قد عراها
And by my soul, Haifa, she staggers, losing her way
Not because she is lost but because she has lost all her strength
تتخطّى الصخور حتى إذا ما
خار عزم الفتاة ألقت عصاها
She stumbles over boulders until, when the girl’s
Determination crumbled, she dropped her staff
وقفت حول ذلك الصخر كالتمثال
فاهتزّ هزّة من بكاها
She stood by that rock like a statue
Which swayed from her weeping
ظمئت روحها ولم تر كأسا
غير كاس الردى تبلّ صداها
Her soul was thirsty but found no cup
Other than the cup of misery to wet her throat
سكنت روحها إلى خاطر مرّ
بها رغم أنّه أدماها
Her soul settled on an idea that passed
Through her mind though it pained her
ثمّ صاحت لبّيك والبحر ساجٍ
ليت شعري من الذي ناداها
Then she cried out, “Here I am!” and the slumbering
Sea - I wonder who called her
أدعاها الردى فلبّت نداه
أم دعته يا ليته ما دعاها
Did misery call her so she responded?
Or did it call her - I wish it had not called her!
رفعت وجهها ونادت إلهي
قد دعتك العذراء فاقبل دعاها
She lifted her face and called, “My God!
The innocent girl is calling you so answer her call!
رأت العيش في جوارك أمنا
فاجعل الخلد يا إلهي قراها
She saw living in your presence as tranquility
So make eternity, O God, her dwelling!”
حست الكاس وهي صاب مرير
لا تلمها فكم محبّ حساها
She tasted the cup which was bitter saber
So do not blame her - how many who loved her tasted it!
إيه يا مذبح الهوى ها هي الرو
ح فخذها من بائس أهداها
Come, o altar of passion, here is the soul
So take it from a wretch who guided her to you
ووداعا يا سؤل قلبي وداعا
من فتاة لم ترو منك ظماها
Farewell, o question of my heart, farewell
From a girl whom you did not quench when thirsty
من فتاة فدتك بالروح فاحفظ
عهدها وانتظر فسوف تراها
From a girl who sacrificed her soul for you
So keep your promise to her and await her
أرسلت نظرة إلى البحر لم يعرف
سوى البحر ويحه مغزاها
She cast a glance at the sea which understood alone The meaning of her love’s madness
She followed it with a shriek which the horizon
أعقبتها بصرخة ردّد الأفق
وقد خيّم السكون صداها
Echoed when silence prevailed
She disheveled her hair so the morning
نكثَت شعرها فراح نسيم
الفجر يلهو به ويلثم فاها
Breeze toyed with it, kissed her mouth
And carried it to her youth’s companion
حملته إلى رفيق صباها
قبلاً لو سمعت موسيقاها
If only she had heard its melody before!
She covered her face with both hands
حجبت وجهها بكلتا يديها
لا عن الموت حينما وافاها
Not from death when it came upon her
But from the sun, her sister, when it rose
بل عن الشمس أختها إذ أطلّت
لو رأت وجهها هوت من سماها
For if the sun had seen her face it would have fallen from the sky
The sea and beach cried
فتح البحر والشوطيء باك
لثريّا أحضانه فاحتواها
For the wealthy girl and embraced her
O wealthy girl, they ended you - poor thing!
يا ثريا قضوا عليك فواها
يا ثريا على شبابك واها
O wealthy girl, alas for your youth!
Forgive, O Lord, the wealthy girl for this
أعف يا ربّ عن ثريّا فهذا
ما جنوه لا ما جنته يداها
Is not what her hands reaped but what was reaped for them
Her father and mother and husband killed her
قتلوها أب وأمّ وزوج
آه لو مات هؤلاء فداها
Ah, if only they had died in her stead!
Lord, have mercy on the lover if he returns
ربّ رحماك بالحبيب إذا ما
عاد والشوق شفّه للقاها
And longing heals him so he can see her
How many girls, O Lord, whom beauty
كم فتاة ربّ اسعدها
الحسن وهذي جمالها أشقاها
Blessed but for her beauty brought misery!
