هَبَطَ الوحيُ عليه

من سماوات الخيالِ

Revelation descended upon him

From the heavens of imagination

في الظلام

وَأَضاءتْ جانبيه

In the darkness

And its sides were illuminated

ربّةُ السحرِ الحلالِ

في الكلام

By the goddess of lawful magic

In speech

خرَّ يبكي وله لمّا تجلّت صعقاتْ

قد وَعى سرّ الوجودِ

He fell crying when the ecstasies were revealed to him

He had perceived the secret of existence

وَمعاني العدمِ

في غشيتِهْ

And the meanings of nothingness

In his swoon

فروى بيتَ قصيدِ

من عيون الحكمِ

So he recited a verse of poem

From the springs of wisdom

في صحوتِهْ

نظمته زفراتٌ قطَّعته شهقات

In his awakening

Its verses were cut by sobs and sighs

هُتكتْ عن ناظريه

مسدلات الحجبِ

The curtains and veils

Were uncovered before his eyes

والستور

فجرى عن أَصغريه

And there flowed from his lips

What was not in books

غير ما في الكتبِ

من سطورِ

Of lines

Sublime images he represented with words

صورٌ علْويَّةٌ مثّلها بالكلمات

ظلّ يرنو للسماءِ

He remained aspiring to the sky

And the redness of the horizon

واحمرار الشفق

فيقول:

Saying:

This is the vigil of the martyrs

ذا نجيعُ الشهداء

شاهدٌ في الأُفقِ

A witness on the horizon

That does not fade

لا يزول

فعليهم أَعينُ السحب تريق العبرات

Upon them the eyes of the clouds shed tears

The breezes of the wind, grieved

نسماتُ الريح ثكلى

لا تني تنتحبُ

Do not cease wailing

In anguish

في أساها

ووميضُ البرقِ ليلاً

And the flash of lightning at night

Is an ember that flares up

جمرةٌ تلتهبُ

في حشاها

In its bosom

Or a heart between its sides of violent passions

أَو فؤاد بين جنبيها شديد النزوات

هَزَمَ الرعدُ فقالا:

Thunder triumphed and said:

This is the screaming of the wretched

ذا صراخ البائسينا

فاعطفوا

So show mercy

And night deepened and lengthened

ودَجى الليلُ وَطالا

وهْوَ عسفُ الظالمينا

It is the injustice of the oppressors

So have pity

فارأفوا

وَانكشفْ يا ليلُ: إِنَّ الرعدَ أمسى صرخات

And it was unveiled, O night: the thunder has become screams at nightfall

He turned his eyes to a meadow

صوَّبَ الطرف بروضٍ

باسمٍ زاهٍ وَسيمْ

With a radiant and handsome name

And wept

فبكى

قائلاً والجفنُ مغضٍ

Saying, and the eyelid was frowning

Destruction and ruin came upon us

هبنا صَبٌّ وَريمْ

هلكا

to perish

Its height and the heart from it is a branch with flowers

قدُّها وَالقلب منه غصنٌ ذو زهرات

عَلقتْ كفٌ بكفّْ

A palm held a palm

And cheek met cheek

والتقى خدٌّ وَخدّْ

في التراب

In the dust

Oh what an embrace

يا له قبلاً يرفّْ

وضلوعاً تتقدْ

And flaming ribs

In turmoil

باضطراب

وَنفوساً قد زكتْ في الزهر منها عبقات

And souls that have flourished, from which fragrances emanate

He took the flute and approached

أَخَذَ النايَ وأَدنى

فَمَهُ ثم نَفَخْ

Then put his mouth to it and

Blew into it his spirit

فيه روحَهْ

فأَذابَ النفسَ لحناً

Melting the soul into a melody

And slipping from the body

ومن الجسمِ انسلخْ

كي يريحَهْ

To comfort it

Thus the breaths of meaning depart as regrets

هكذا تذهبُ أَنفاسُ المعنّى حسراتْ