قلبي يحدّثني

بانه تعبُ

My heart tells me

that it is tired

اذا مضت نوب

حاقت به نوب

When one hardship passes

Another follows

كالبئر ان بترت

سبباً تلا سبب

Like a well whose rope is cut

Misfortune follows misfortune

كالطير من ألم

في ذبحه يثب

Like a bird in pain

As it is slaughtered, it twitches

كالبحران فتحت

عيناه يصطخب

Like two seas that opened

Their eyes, raging

كالدهر قد طمست

آثاره الحقب

Like time that has erased

Its epochs

حديثه عبر

وامره عجب

Its talk expresses

And its matter is strange

يا ليتني آل

وليته حبب

If only I ended

And if only it became dust

اذن لما جمعت

شتاتنا السحب

Then when the clouds gathered

Our scattered parts

اذن لبارحني

وقلبي النصب

Then I would say farewell

And my purpose would cease

قلبي يحدثني

بانه تعبُ

My heart tells me

that it is tired

يهتز جانبه

فينحني العصب

Its side shakes

And its nerves bend

يجتاح خافقه

الموت والشجب

Death and sorrow flood

Its throbbing

يا ويحه قلباً

سكونه صخب

Woe to a heart

Whose stillness is commotion

ويأسه امل

وحزنه طرب

Whose despair is hope

Whose sadness is joy

وحبه مقت

وصدقه كذب

Whose love is hatred

And whose truth is lies

وكل ما ضمت

احناؤه ريب

And all that

Its embrace harbored was doubt

حياته تعب

وموته تعب

Its life is tiredness

And its death is tiredness

قلبي يحدثني

بانه تعب

My heart tells me

لا يطبي قلبي

در ولا ذهب

that it is tired

It is not soothed by wealth or gold

ولا يحركه

نسب ولا نشب

Nor is it moved

By lineage or status

ولا يتيمه

لهو ولا لعب

It does not cheer it

Play or games

ولا يدلهه

خود ولا لعب

Do not make it dance

Beauty or flutes

ولا يرنحه

عود ولا قصب

Do not calm it

Wine or grapes

ولا يسكنه

خمر ولا عنب

The house is empty

And the air depressed

الدار مقفرة

والجو مكتئب

The sun ashamed

The moon lamenting

والشمس كاسفة

والبدر منتحب

Light is robbed

Of what it bestows

والنور يسلبه

ما ضوؤه يهب

Falling stars deny it

What they behold

والشهب تحرمه

مما ترى الشهب

It lives without purpose

Yet all is purpose

يحيا بلا أرب

وكله ارب

It seeks veils

So veils descend

ويبتغي حجباً

فتسدل الحجب

The body confines it

So it tosses and turns

الجسم قيده

فبات يضطرب

My heart tells me

that it is tired

قلبي يحدثني

بانه تعب

All of mankind

Are stakes before it

الخلق كلهم

امامه نصب

Wood propped

With kindling behind

خشب مسندة

وراءها حطب

This one has a head

That one has a tail

هذا له رأس

وذا له ذنب

Corpses that war

And woe have harmed

جيف اضر بهم

الويل والحرب

Corpses whose flesh

Was seized from them

جيف لحومهم

لبعضهم سلب

And if death

And disease miss them

وان غبهم

الموت والعطب

While the earth gapes

Wanting them to fill it

والارض فاغرة

فاها بها سغب

And the soul clamors

And the fire blazes

والروح صاخبة

والنار تلتهب

And the body draws near

And fate awaits

والجسم مقترب

والرمس مرتقب

So some are sparks

And some are flames

فبعضهم شرر

وبعضهم لهب

And some are stones

And some are wood

ومنهم حجر

ومنهم خشب

And in their heads

Is what you see as soil

وفي رموسهم

كما هنا ترب

My heart tells me

that it is tired

قلبي يحدثني

بانه تعب

But I have an example

And a purpose higher

لكن لي مثلا

اعلى ولي أرب

With this, I charm it

And it melts with desire

بذا أهدهدهُ

حيناً فينجذب

For it is a heart

Pleased and joyful

فاذ به قلب

مستأنس طرب

Oh heart, your sweet talk

Delights me

يا قلب يطربني

حديثك العذب

Our life ended

And our time ran out

حياتنا آل

وعمرنا حبب

All is futility

And all is strange

وكلنا عبث

وحالنا عجب

Oh heart, I have

A higher example

يا قلب لي مثل

أعلى ولي أرب

Virtue, generosity

Manners and grace

الطهر والكرم

والخلق والأدب

God is my example

And eternity my quest

اللَه لي مثل

والخلد لي طلب