تفرّد ذلك الطلل

تفرّد ذلك الطلل

وطاف بركنهِ الوجل

وطاف بركنهِ الوجل

That ruin stood alone,

That ruin stood alone,

and dread circled its corner.

And dread circled its corner.

يغشّي اليأس صفحتهُ

يغشّي اليأس صفحتهُ

ويبرق تحته الأملُ

ويبرق تحته الأملُ

Despair veils its face,

Despair veils its face,

while hope flashes beneath it.

And hope flashes beneath it.

وتهمس حوله الذكرى

وتهمس حوله الذكرى

فتلمع بينها الشعلُ

فتلمع بينها الشعلُ

Memories whisper around it,

And memory whispers around it,

and flames flare among them.

Then flames gleam within it.

جفاه أهله مللاً

جفاه أهله مللاً

فخيم فوقه الملل

فخيم فوقه الملل

Its people forsook it, weary,

Its dwellers forsook it out of boredom,

so weariness pitched its tent above it.

So boredom settled over it.

عزيز عهدهم فيهِ

عزيز عهدهم فيهِ

عزيز أنت يا طللُ

عزيز أنت يا طللُ

Dear is the time they shared within it;

Dear are the days they spent within it;

and dear are you, O ruin.

Dear are you, O ruin.

بناه خير بنّاءٍ

بناه خير بنّاءٍ

بناه الحب مبتدعاً

بناه الحب مبتدعاً

The finest builder built it;

The finest builder built it;

love built it, creating anew,

Love built it with originality,

وبث على جوانبهِ

وبث على جوانبهِ

مفاتن تفتن الورعا

مفاتن تفتن الورعا

and scattered along its sides

And spread along its sides

charms that tempt the devout.

Charms that tempt the devout.

وأطلق حوله سحراً

وأطلق حوله سحراً

يبث الشوق والولعا

يبث الشوق والولعا

It loosed an enchantment around it,

And released enchantment around it,

breathing out longing and ardor,

That spreads longing and ardor.

وأنشد باسمهِ شعراً

وأنشد باسمهِ شعراً

من الآمال منتزعا

من الآمال منتزعا

and recited poetry in its name,

And recited verse in its name,

wrested from hopes.

Drawn from hopes.

وظلل أهله الأملُ

وظلل أهله الأملُ

فماذا جدّ يا طلل ؟

فماذا جدّ يا طلل ؟

Hope cast its shade over its people—

And hope cast its shade over its dwellers;

so what has come to pass, O ruin?

So what has happened, O ruin?

خريف باكر حلا

خريف باكر حلا

خريف الحب والعمر

خريف الحب والعمر

An early autumn alighted:

An early autumn came,

the autumn of love and life.

The autumn of love and life.

فحطم كل شامخة

فحطم كل شامخة

على الأحداث والدهر

على الأحداث والدهر

It shattered every lofty thing

So it shattered all that stood tall

that towered above vicissitude and time;

Above calamities and time;

وعطل كل فاتنة

وعطل كل فاتنة

من الإغراء والسحر

من الإغراء والسحر

it disarmed every temptress

And stripped every charmer

of allure and enchantment;

Of allure and enchantment;

وأبطل كل ساحرة

وأبطل كل ساحرة

وأسكت نغمة الشعر

وأسكت نغمة الشعر

it rendered every sorceress powerless

And rendered every enchantress powerless,

and silenced poetry’s melody.

And silenced the melody of poetry.

فعاد بناؤه طللا

فعاد بناؤه طللا

فويحك أيها الطلل !

فويحك أيها الطلل !

Thus its edifice became a ruin again—

So its edifice became a ruin.

alas for you, O ruin!

Alas for you, O ruin!

دلفت إليه ملهوفاً

دلفت إليه ملهوفاً

تحث حنيني الذكرى

تحث حنيني الذكرى

I made my way to it, distraught,

I drew near to it, distraught,

memory urging on my yearning.

As memory spurred my longing.

فأطرق لا يحدثني

فأطرق لا يحدثني

وأرسل زفرة حرى

وأرسل زفرة حرى

It bowed its head and would not speak to me,

Then it bowed its head, not speaking to me,

then released a scorching sigh.

And let out a burning sigh.

وجدت لوقدها لذعاً

وجدت لوقدها لذعاً

كأني ألمس الجمرا

كأني ألمس الجمرا

I felt the sting of its blaze,

I felt a sting from its heat,

as though I touched live coals.

As though I were touching embers.

وتاهت نفسي الولهى

وتاهت نفسي الولهى

وأسرت روحي السكرى

وأسرت روحي السكرى

My love-distraught soul lost its way,

And my lovesick soul wandered lost,

and my drunken spirit was taken captive.

And my intoxicated spirit journeyed by night.

وقلت وقد نزا ألمي

وقلت وقد نزا ألمي

" فداك الكون يا طلل " !

" فداك الكون يا طلل " !

And I said, as my pain surged:

And I said, as my pain leapt up:

“May the universe be your ransom, O ruin!”

"May the universe be your ransom, O ruin!"