هاتbring forth الدموعthe tears فأنتfor you are شاعرa poet
هات الدموع فأنت شاعر
ماno للدموعfor tears لديكwith you آخرend
ما للدموع لديك آخر
Bring forth tears, for you are a poet.
Bring the tears for you are a poet,
For you, tears have no end.
Tears have no end for you,
لمdid not تلهمinspire الأبراجthe towers قلsay
لم تلهم الأبراج قل
بكwithin you بعضsome إلهامinspiration of المقابرthe graves
بك بعض إلهام المقابر
The towers did not inspire you; say:
The constellations did not inspire you, say,
In you is some inspiration of the graves.
Some of the graves' inspiration intoxicated you,
ومنand among المقادرfate's decrees أنthat تعيشyou live
ومن المقادر أن تعيش
وأنتwhile you are نهبprey للمقادرto fate's decrees
وأنت نهب للمقادر
And fate decrees that you should live
And it is destined that you live,
while you are prey to its decrees.
While you are prey to destinies,
فانضحso sprinkle زمانكyour lifetime بالدموعwith tears
فانضح زمانك بالدموع
فأنتfor you are منfrom بلواهits affliction خادرnumb
فأنت من بلواه خادر
So sprinkle your lifetime with tears,
So adorn your time with tears,
for its affliction has left you numb.
For you who tried it became dejected,
يكفيكenough for you منfrom نارthe fire of الفجيعةbereavement
يكفيك من نار الفجيعة
أنةٌa moan تغنىmakes sing الحناجرthe throats
أنةٌ تغنى الحناجر
From the fire of bereavement, enough for you is
The fire of anguish singing to you,
a moan that makes throats sing.
Is enough from the chanting throats,
آهاتكِyour sighs الحرّىburning علىupon جمراتهاtheir embers
آهاتكِ الحرّى على جمراتها
تفنىperish القوافىthe rhymes
تفنى القوافى
Your burning sighs—upon their embers
Your hot sighs on their embers,
rhymes perish.
Destroy rhymes,
وأساكِand your sorrow وهوwhile it is مخلّدٌeverlasting ضمّتembraced
وأساكِ وهو مخلّدٌ ضمّت
هit أجنحةwings الشغافthe innermost heart
ه أجنحة الشغاف
And your sorrow, everlasting, has been embraced
And your misery which is immortalized,
by the wings of the innermost heart.
Folded the wings of the pleiades,
ونشيدكِand your song الأبديeternal زيّافٌswaying
ونشيدكِ الأبدي زيّافٌ
كمخبولlike one maddened by السوافيsand-bearing winds
كمخبول السوافي
And your eternal song sways
And your eternal chant is a madman,
like one maddened by sand-bearing winds.
Like the confused drinker,
ورؤاكِand your visions وهيand they are زوارقٌboats
ورؤاكِ وهي زوارقٌ
تهفوyearn لمأمونfor safe الضفافِshores
تهفو لمأمون الضفافِ
And your visions, which are boats,
And your vision is like ships,
yearn for safe shores.
Yearning for the safe shores,
دنياa world منof الآلامpain طفتyou roamed بهاthrough it
دنيا من الآلام طفت بها
وطهركand your purity فيin الطوافthe roaming
وطهرك في الطواف
A world of pain you roamed,
A world of sorrows floated in it,
and your purity lies in the roaming.
And your purity in circumambulation,
ياO شاعرpoet of الموتىthe dead وعمركand your life لمhas not
يا شاعر الموتى وعمرك لم
ينضّرهfreshen it الشبابyouth
ينضّره الشباب
O poet of the dead, your life has not
O poet of the dead and your life,
been refreshed by youth.
Has not been refreshed by youth,
ملءfilling الترابthe earth جماجمskulls فادفso bury (continued)
ملء التراب جماجم فادف
نcompletion of 'bury' حطامكyour broken remains فيin الترابthe earth
ن حطامك في التراب
The earth is filled with skulls; so bury
The earth fills the skulls of those who strayed,
your broken remains in the earth.
Your wreckage in the dust,
ولدىand beside المقابرthe graves ياO حزينsorrowful one
ولدى المقابر يا حزين
صوابsanity منof one who فقدhas lost الصوابsanity
صواب من فقد الصواب
And beside the graves, O sorrowful one,
And in the graves, o sad one,
lies the sanity of one who has lost his reason.
Is the correctness of those who lost correctness,
فإذاso if سمعتyou hear سؤالهاtheir question
فإذا سمعت سؤالها
وعجزتand you cannot عنto ردّreturn الجوابthe answer
وعجزت عن ردّ الجواب
So if you hear their question
So if you hear her question,
and cannot give an answer,
And are unable to answer,
لاdo not تجزعنّbe afraid فللمناfor deaths have (continued)
لا تجزعنّ فللمنا
ياcompletion of 'deaths' السودthe dark ones أسرارsecrets عجابwondrous
يا السود أسرار عجاب
do not be afraid, for deaths,
Do not worry, for the graveyards,
dark as they are, hold wondrous secrets.
O blacks, have secrets of wonder,
الشكdoubt دمرdestroyed أصغريكyour heart and tongue فهاso bring (continued)
الشك دمر أصغريك فها
تcompletion of 'bring' منfrom وحيthe inspiration of اليقينcertainty
ت من وحي اليقين
Doubt destroyed your heart and tongue; so bring
Doubt destroyed your youngest, so come
something inspired by certainty.
From the inspiration of certainty,
هذيthis الحياةlife طلاسمenigmas عزproved difficult (continued)
هذي الحياة طلاسم عز
تcompletion of 'proved difficult' علىfor المتعالمينpretenders to learning
ت على المتعالمين
This life is enigmas that have proved too hard
This life is spells that prevailed,
for those who pretend to know.
Over those who know,
ياO ثقلthe weight of ماwhat حملتهyou have borne
يا ثقل ما حملته
منهاof it علىthrough مرthe passing of السنينthe years
منها على مر السنين
O the weight of what you have borne
O heavy what you have carried,
of it through the passing years!
Over the years,
لولاwere it not for بقاياremnants of ظلمةdarkness فيin الرthe soul (beginning)
لولا بقايا ظلمة في الر
وحcompletion of 'soul' منfrom ماءwater وطينand clay
وح من ماء وطين
Were it not for remnants of darkness in the
If not for the remnants of darkness in the soul,
soul, from water and clay,
Of water and clay,
لبرئتyou would be freed منfrom قيدthe fetter of الحياةlife
لبرئت من قيد الحياة
وصرتand you would become ذكرىa memory for الذاكرينthose who remember
وصرت ذكرى الذاكرين
you would be freed from life's fetter
I would have been free from the shackles of life,
and become a memory for those who remember.
And become the memory of those who remember,
هاتbring الدموعthe tears نسجتهاyou wove them فيin
هات الدموع نسجتها في
مقلتيكَyour two eyes منfrom الهوانِhumiliation
مقلتيكَ من الهوانِ
Bring the tears you have woven in
Bring the tears you wove in your eyelids,
your two eyes from humiliation.
From humiliation,
بالأمسyesterday أوعدتyou threatened الثرىthe earth
بالأمس أوعدت الثرى
قلباًa heart تشيّعهescort it to burial المعانيmeanings
قلباً تشيّعه المعاني
Yesterday you threatened the earth
Yesterday you promised the earth,
with a heart escorted to burial by meanings.
A heart escorted by meanings,
أوحىit inspired إليكto you علىamid ظلامthe darkness of
أوحى إليك على ظلام
اليأسdespair خفّاقbeating with الأمانيhopes
اليأس خفّاق الأماني
It inspired you amid the darkness
It was inspired to you in the darkness of despair,
of despair, beating with hopes.
Flapping of hopes,
بالأمسyesterday واقلباهalas, my heart! غابتit vanished
بالأمس واقلباه غابت
خلفbehind أستارthe curtains of الزمانtime
خلف أستار الزمان
Yesterday—alas, my heart!—it vanished
Yesterday, and it disappeared,
behind the curtains of time.
Behind the curtains of time,
واليومand today وافناهalas for art! وحيكyour inspiration
واليوم وافناه وحيك
منfrom فجيعةthe tragedy of أسمهانAsmahan
من فجيعة أسمهان
And today—alas for art!—your inspiration
And today it found us, and your inspiration,
comes from the tragedy of Asmahan.
From the agony named oblivion,
فنٌّart منfrom الألمpain الممضagonizing طغprevailed (continued)
فنٌّ من الألم الممض طغ
ىcompletion of 'prevailed' علىover الأملhope المضstinging (unclear form)
ى على الأمل المض
Art born of agonizing pain has prevailed
Art from painful pain prevailed,
over stinging hope.
Over hope erased,
ومناخةand a lament (apparently intended) فيwithin القلبthe heart تفزعstartles
ومناخة في القلب تفزع
صمتهاits silence فيin كلevery أرضland
صمتها في كل أرض
And a lament within the heart startles
And cooing in the heart that frightens,
its silence in every land.
Its silence in every land,
والدهرand time للروحtoward the soul المعذبtormented
والدهر للروح المعذب
نابغيٌّNabigha-like ليسdoes not يغضىlook away
نابغيٌّ ليس يغضى
And time, toward the tormented soul,
And time for the tortured soul,
is Nabigha-like: it never looks away.
A genius that does not diminish,
عاشتshe lived كماas شاءwilled الطموambition (beginning)
عاشت كما شاء الطمو
حcompletion of 'ambition' لهاfor her فمنthen from وثبleaping لخفضto lowering
ح لها فمن وثب لخفض
She lived as ambition
She lived as the ambitions wished for her, so who jumped to bring her down,
willed for her—then from a leap to a fall.
And she fell as the planets fall,
وهوتand she fell كماas تهوىfall الكواكبthe stars
وهوت كما تهوى الكواكب
بعدafter إشراقradiance وومضand flashes
بعد إشراق وومض
And she fell as the stars fall,
After shining and twinkling,
after radiance and flashes.
O flower whose breeze blew gently in the wide meadow,
ياO زهرةflower رفّتfluttered رفيفthe fluttering of النthe breeze (beginning)
يا زهرة رفّت رفيف الن
سمcompletion of 'breeze' فيin الروضthe garden المريعluxuriant
سم في الروض المريع
O flower that fluttered with the flutter of the
This is your youth in spring,
breeze in the luxuriant garden,
So did you smile at spring?
هذاthis is شبابكyour youth فيin الربيعspring
هذا شبابك في الربيع
فهلso did بسمتyou smile إلىat الربيعspring
فهل بسمت إلى الربيع
here is your youth in spring;
The joys of life estranged you,
so did you smile at spring?
And painful misery embraced you,
جافتكshunned you أفراحthe joys of الحيةlife (apparently intended)
جافتك أفراح الحية
وضمّكand embraced you الألمpain الوجيعgrievous
وضمّك الألم الوجيع
Life's joys shunned you,
The horizons of existence were of no use,
and grievous pain embraced you.
Narrow with vast hope,
ماwhat نفعuse are آفاقthe horizons of الوجودexistence
ما نفع آفاق الوجود
تضيقnarrow بالأملaround hope الوسيعboundless
تضيق بالأمل الوسيع
What use are the horizons of existence,
It is the same in the law of destiny,
narrowing around boundless hope?
The old man and the suckling infant,
سيانequal فيunder شرعthe law of القضاءfate
سيان في شرع القضاء
الشيخthe old man والطفلand the child الرضيعnursing
الشيخ والطفل الرضيع
Equal under the law of fate are
This is your youth in the eyes,
the old man and the nursing child.
That watch and in the ether,
هذاthis is شبابكyour youth فيin العيونthe eyes
هذا شبابك في العيون
الناظراتgazing وفيand in الأثيرthe ether
الناظرات وفي الأثير
Here is your youth in the eyes
It melted into a melody that moans,
that gaze, and in the ether.
Its passion heard by birds,
ذوبتهyou melted it نغماinto melody يرنحmakes sway
ذوبته نغما يرنح
شجوهits sorrow سمعthe hearing of الطيورthe birds
شجوه سمع الطيور
You melted it into melody that sways
And the mute image immortalized,
the birds' hearing with its sorrow.
In lines that do not flow from joy,
والصورةand the picture الخرساءsilent ملan epic (beginning)
والصورة الخرساء مل
حمةٌcompletion of 'epic' مخلدةimmortal السطورin its lines
حمةٌ مخلدة السطور
And the silent picture is an
You veiled your passions with a smile,
epic with immortal lines.
Not inspired by happiness,
حجبتyou veiled شجونكyour sorrows بابتساwith a smile (continued)
حجبت شجونك بابتسا
مٍcompletion of 'smile' ليسnot منfrom وحيthe inspiration of السرورjoy
مٍ ليس من وحي السرور
You veiled your sorrows with a
Like a barren oasis in its depths,
smile not inspired by joy,
The secret of the stranger,
كالواحةlike the oasis السجواءtranquil فيin
كالواحة السجواء في
أَحشائهاits depths سرthe secret of الهجيرmidday heat
أَحشائها سر الهجير
like a tranquil oasis with
O you who bloomed for art,
the secret of midday heat in its depths.
Whose echo enchanted the grieved,
ياO مزهراlute للفنof art كاwas (beginning)
يا مزهرا للفن كا
نَcompletion of 'was' صَداهُits echo مشبوبaflame النواحwith wailing
نَ صَداهُ مشبوب النواح
O lute of art, whose
You made the love-stricken happy,
echo was aflame with wailing,
And moved the broken winged,
أطربتyou enraptured محزونone saddened by الهوىlove
أطربت محزون الهوى
وأثرتand you stirred محطومbroken الجناحthe wing
وأثرت محطوم الجناح
you enraptured the one saddened by love
The whispers of your heart spoke,
and stirred the one with a broken wing.
Of what wounds were in your heart,
همساتthe whispers of قلبكyour heart حدثتspoke
همسات قلبك حدثت
عماof what بقلبكis in your heart منof جراحwounds
عما بقلبك من جراح
Your heart's whispers spoke
And the scent of your soul immortalized,
of the wounds within your heart.
Circling, worshipped by the breeze,
وعبيرand the fragrance of روحكyour soul خالدeternal
وعبير روحك خالد
التطوافroaming معبودadored النفاحfragrant wafting
التطواف معبود النفاح
And your soul's fragrance is eternal
What harm if destiny had mercy,
in its roaming, adored for its fragrant breath.
And slept from waging war,
ماwhat ضرharm would it do لوif رحمshowed mercy القضاءfate
ما ضر لو رحم القضاء
فنامand so slept عنinstead of حربwarring on الملاحthe beautiful ones
فنام عن حرب الملاح
What harm if fate had shown mercy
The world did not benefit you,
and slept instead of warring on the beautiful?
With what it gave you of the value of possessions,
لمdid not تغنكspare you the need الدنياthe world بماwith what أعgave (beginning)
لم تغنك الدنيا بما أع
طتكcompletion of 'gave you' منof شرفthe splendor of المتاعpossessions
طتك من شرف المتاع
The world did not, with what it gave
Away from the throbbing sincere affection,
you of splendid possessions, spare you the need
Like the diffused light,
عنfor خافقa beating heart صافيpure in الودادaffection
عن خافق صافي الوداد
كريقlike the gleam of النورlight المشاعfreely shared
كريق النور المشاع
for a heart pure in affection,
And life, if not for the blessing of loved ones,
like the gleam of freely shared light.
And the art of craft,
والعمرand life لولاwere it not for نعمةthe blessing of الthe
والعمر لولا نعمة ال
أحبابloved ones والفنand art الصناعcreative
أحباب والفن الصناع
And life, were it not for the blessing of
Is like a lost boat,
loved ones and creative art,
Whose path strayed and the light faded,
كالزورقlike a boat الهيمانbewildered ضلlost (continued)
كالزورق الهيمان ضل
لَcompletion of 'lost' طريقهits way وخباand faded الشعاعthe light
لَ طريقه وخبا الشعاع
is like a bewildered boat that has lost
And the waves were cruel to it,
its way, while the light has faded,
So its sails tore from it,
وقستand were harsh عليهwith it السافياsand-bearing winds (beginning)
وقست عليه السافيا
تُcompletion of 'sand-bearing winds' فمزّقتso they tore منهfrom it الشراعthe sail
تُ فمزّقت منه الشراع
and the sand-bearing winds have battered it,
You played your role in their story,
tearing its sail away.
However they wanted their beloved,
مثلتyou played دوركyour part فيin رواa story (beginning)
مثلت دورك في روا
يتهمcompletion of 'their story' كماas شاءواthey wished عشيقهa female lover
يتهم كما شاءوا عشيقه
You played your part in their
A fate acted twice differently,
story, as they wished: a lover.
On the path,
قدَرٌa fate تمثّلwas enacted مرتينtwice علىwith
قدَرٌ تمثّل مرتين على
اختلافa difference فيin الطريقهthe manner
اختلاف في الطريقه
A fate enacted twice, with
On the screen of beautiful art,
a difference in the manner:
And the screen of dreadful death,
فيon شاشةthe screen of الفنart الجميلbeautiful
في شاشة الفن الجميل
وشاشةand the screen of الموتdeath الصفيقهbrazen
وشاشة الموت الصفيقه
on the screen of beautiful art
I cry for you, were you inspired,
and on death's brazen screen.
That after days you would drown?
أبكيكِI weep for you هلdid ألهمتِyou receive inspiration أنthat (continued)
أبكيكِ هل ألهمتِ أن
نكcompletion of 'that you' بعدafter أيامdays غريقهdrowned
نك بعد أيام غريقه
I weep for you; did you have a premonition
So you shortened your role in fantasy,
that, days later, you would be drowned?
To complete it in reality,
فنقصتso you shortened دوركyour part فيin الخياimagination (beginning)
فنقصت دورك في الخيا
لِcompletion of 'imagination' لتكمليهto complete it فيin الحقيقهreality
لِ لتكمليه في الحقيقه
So you shortened your part in
Barrenness of the soul, o hopes,
imagination, to complete it in reality.
Not barrenness of the desert,
الجدبdrought جدبthe drought of الروحthe soul ياO
الجدب جدب الروح يا
آمالAmal لاnot جدبthe drought of الصحارىdeserts
آمال لا جدب الصحارى
Drought is drought of the soul, O
And art is the dawn of the immortal,
Amal, not drought of deserts.
With which they moisten the arid,
والفنand art فجرthe dawn of الخالدينthe immortals
والفن فجر الخالدين
يرطبونthey moisten بهwith it القفاراbarren lands
يرطبون به القفارا
And art is the dawn of the immortals,
They were deprived of worldly bliss,
with which they moisten barren lands.
So they ignited the mud,
حرمواthey were denied النعيمbliss الواقعيreal-world
حرموا النعيم الواقعي
فأججواso they kindled للطينfor clay ناراa fire
فأججوا للطين نارا
They were denied earthly bliss,
And purified, so they were harsh,
so they kindled a fire for clay.
To the world and knew no stability,
وتطهوراand they purified themselves (apparent typo) فشقواand so suffered علىover
وتطهورا فشقوا على
الدنياthe world وماand did not عرفواknow قراراrest
الدنيا وما عرفوا قرارا
And they purified themselves, then suffered over
They congratulated with your thorns of life,
the world, and knew no rest.
And fed fools the fruits,
هنئواthey took delight بأشكواكin thorns (apparent typo) الحياةof life
هنئوا بأشكواك الحياة
وأطعمواand they fed الحمقىthe fools الثماراthe fruits
وأطعموا الحمقى الثمارا
They took delight in life's thorns
and fed fools the fruits.
Partial English translation: 118 of 120 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1