بعدafter حينٍa while ستوارينيthey will bury me كمas (first fragment)
بعد حينٍ ستواريني كم
اas (final fragment) وارَتburied سوايothers than me الحفراتُthe pits; graves
ا وارَت سواي الحفراتُ
After a while, I shall be buried, just
After a while, graves will cover me
as the graves have buried others.
As they covered my equals
بعدafter حينa while تحرَمُis deprived الthe
بعد حين تحرَمُ ال
دنياworld أناشيديmy songs وتفنىand perish الأغنياتthe songs
دنيا أناشيدي وتفنى الأغنيات
After a while, denied to the
After a while, life will forbid my anthems and songs fade away
world will be my songs, and the songs will perish.
After a while, I won't know if a loved one is near or far
بعدafter حينa while لستُI am not أدI know (first fragment)
بعد حين لستُ أد
رىknow (final fragment) أقريبٌis it near? أمor بعيدfar
رى أقريبٌ أم بعيد
After a while—I do not
My worldly dreams will end and existence will make me weep
know whether near or far—
The clouds of death will shroud my sky after a while
تنتهيend أحلامdreams دنworld (first fragment)
تنتهي أحلام دن
يايَmy world (final fragment) ويبكينيand weeps for me الوجودexistence
يايَ ويبكيني الوجود
the dreams will end—those of
How did the stars of hope disappear from my life’s horizons?
my world—and existence will weep for me.
What eroded my ideals and unraveled my thoughts?
وتُغشىand is shrouded سحبَclouds الthe
وتُغشى سحبَ ال
موتdeath سمائيmy sky بعدafter حينa while
موت سمائي بعد حين
And shrouded by clouds of
The heart asked but grief left its question unanswered
death will be my sky, after a while.
It saw its white dreams were made of mirage
كيفَhow غابَتvanished أنstars (first fragment)
كيفَ غابَت أن
جمُstars (final fragment) الآمالhopes منfrom آفاقِhorizons عمريmy life
جمُ الآمال من آفاقِ عمري
How have they vanished, the
And wished the end would come after a while
stars of hope, from the horizons of my life?
The earth roared at me in the mornings and evenings
ماwhat الذيthat which غالَdestroyed ابsmiles (first fragment)
ما الذي غالَ اب
تساماتيmy smiles (final fragment) وأبلىand wore out نسجfabric فكريmy thought
تساماتي وأبلى نسج فكري
What has destroyed my
And the tuneful melody turned into weeping in my ears
smiles and worn out the fabric of my thought?
I took sorrow as my drink and the nights of regret
سألasked القلبthe heart فلمbut did not يسcheer (first fragment)
سأل القلب فلم يس
عدهcheer it (final fragment) فيin البلوىaffliction جوابan answer
عده في البلوى جواب
The heart asked, but no
And though I transcended, I sang no love from clay
answer cheered it in affliction.
Oh teach me to cast my love into my sky after a while
فرأىso it saw أحلامهits dreams البيthe white (first fragment)
فرأى أحلامه البي
ضاءwhite (final fragment) منfrom نسجweaving السرابthe mirage
ضاء من نسج السراب
So it saw its dreams—the
In the bliss of the cup, forgetting those who lost their way
white ones—as woven of mirage,
And in deprivation, weeping is useless to him who weeps
وتمنّىand it wished لوif only أصابتstruck
وتمنّى لو أصابت
هُit (object suffix) المناياdeath (plural) بعدafter حينa while
هُ المنايا بعد حين
and wished it might be struck
While my cup makes me blind, forgetting my mornings
by death after a while.
Showing me how my evenings became my joys
ضجّتclamored الأرضthe earth وعافتنيand spurned me
ضجّت الأرض وعافتني
غدوّاًin the morning ورواحاand in the evening
غدوّاً ورواحا
The earth clamored and spurned me
And my soul desired itself to go after a while
morning and evening.
واستحالand turned into النغمُthe melody الحنّtender (first fragment)
واستحال النغمُ الحنّ
انtender (final fragment) فيin سمعيmy hearing نواحاwailing
ان في سمعي نواحا
And the tender melody turned
to wailing in my ears.
فتخذتُso I took الهمّsorrow كأسيmy cup
فتخذتُ الهمّ كأسي
ولياليّand my nights الندامىthe drinking companions
ولياليّ الندامى
So I took sorrow as my cup,
and my nights as drinking companions.
وتساميتُand I rose above فلمso did not أنشدI seek
وتساميتُ فلم أنشد
منfrom الطينthe clay غراماlove
من الطين غراما
And I rose above, seeking no
love from clay.
علّنيperhaps I ألقىI find غراميmy love فيin
علّني ألقى غرامي في
سمائيmy sky بعدafter حينa while
سمائي بعد حين
Perhaps I shall find my love in
my sky after a while.
فيin نعيمbliss الكأسthe cup نسيانٌforgetfulness
في نعيم الكأس نسيانٌ
لِمَنfor one who ضاعتwere lost مناهhis hopes
لِمَن ضاعت مناه
In the cup's bliss lies forgetfulness
for one whose hopes are lost.
ومنand among الحرمانdeprivation أنto يبكيhe weeps
ومن الحرمان أن يبكي
فيin يجدىavails بكاهhis weeping
في يجدى بكاه
And it is deprivation to weep
[Wording unclear: 'in ... his weeping avails.']
وأناand I كأسيَmy cup تعمينيblinds me
وأنا كأسيَ تعميني
فأنسىso I forget صبحىmy morning
فأنسى صبحى
And as for me, my cup blinds me,
so I forget my morning,
وترينيand it shows me كيفhow أمسيتُI reached evening
وتريني كيف أمسيتُ
وحُزنيand my grief فرحيmy joy
وحُزني فرحي
and shows me how I have reached evening,
and my grief is my joy.
ومنىand the wishes of نفسيmy soul أنthat تذهبshould depart
ومنى نفسي أن تذهب
نفسيmy soul بعدafter حينa while
نفسي بعد حين
And my soul's wish is that
my soul depart after a while.
Partial English translation: 21 of 40 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1