ماnot زلتyou have ceased تبتسمينyou smile .. أنتyou
ما زلت تبتسمين .. أنت
الآنnow مثليlike me .. فيin الاسارِcaptivity
الآن مثلي .. في الاسارِ
You are still smiling... you
You're still smiling.. You
are now, like me, in captivity.
Now like me.. Imprisoned
أنّىwherever رنوتِyou gazed .. صصدمتِyou struck
أنّى رنوتِ .. صصدمتِ
بعدafter الشبرa handspan طرفكِyour gaze بالجدارِagainst the wall
بعد الشبر طرفكِ بالجدارِ
Wherever you looked, you dashed
How you rang out.. You collided
your gaze against the wall, a handspan away.
After the span your eyelid with the wall
أصغيlisten إلىto شعريmy poetry ، يقصit recounts
أصغي إلى شعري ، يقص
عليكِto you كيفhow تركتI left داريmy home !
عليكِ كيف تركت داري !
Listen to my poetry; it tells
Listen to my poetry, it tells
you how I left my home!
You how I left my house!
كيفhow استُثِيرwas roused هزارُكِyour nightingale
كيف استُثِير هزارُكِ
الممراحُever-playful .. فيin وكنnest الهزارthe nightingale !
الممراحُ .. في وكن الهزار !
How your nightingale was roused,
How your jest was aroused
ever playful, in the nightingale’s nest!
Playful.. In the abode of jest!
كيفhow ارتمواthey flung themselves عشرينtwenty .. فوقupon
كيف ارتموا عشرين .. فوق
البابthe door .. حتىuntil ارتاعtook fright جاريmy neighbor !
الباب .. حتى ارتاع جاري !
How they flung themselves, twenty strong, against
How twenty.. Jumped
the door, until my neighbor took fright!
On the door.. Until my neighbor was startled!
وأحيطand was encircled "مأوايَmy refuge" الصغيرthe little
وأحيط "مأوايَ" الصغير
بمنby those who تبقّىremained .. كالسوارlike a bracelet
بمن تبقّى .. كالسوار
And my little “refuge” was encircled
And they surrounded my small
by those who remained, like a bracelet.
Abode.. Like a bracelet
وتناثرواand they scattered فيin البيتthe house ..
وتناثروا في البيت ..
يلتهمونهthey devour it مثلَlike الشرارsparks
يلتهمونه مثلَ الشرار
And they scattered through the house,
And they scattered in the house
devouring it like sparks.
Devouring it like embers
يذْرونthey scatter مكتبتيmy library ، بديوانيwith my collected poems ،
يذْرون مكتبتي ، بديواني ،
بأوراقيwith my papers الصغارِthe small !
بأوراقي الصغارِ !
They scatter my library, along with my collected poems,
They scattered my library, my poetry collection,
and my little sheets of paper!
My small papers!
ويفتشونand they search .. وينكتونand they crack jokes ..
ويفتشون .. وينكتون ..
ويرمقونيand they eye me بازورارِwith aversion !
ويرمقوني بازورارِ !
And they search, and crack jokes,
And they searched.. And winked..
and they eye me askance!
And eyed me mockingly!
أيّwhat "القلاعthe fortresses" الطائراتflying
أيّ "القلاع" الطائرات
تحصّنتhave entrenched themselves .. خلفbehind الستارِthe curtain !
تحصّنت .. خلف الستارِ !
What flying “fortresses”
Which "fortified planes"
have entrenched themselves behind the curtain?!
Did you take shelter.. Behind the curtain!
أيّwhat (المعدّاتthe equipment) الثقالheavy ..
أيّ (المعدّات) الثقال ..
تُراهmight it be, I wonder فيin عشnest الكناريthe canary !
تُراه في عش الكناري !
What heavy “equipment”
Which "equipment" heavy
is there, I wonder, in the canary’s nest?!
Can be seen.. In the nest of the firebird!
وأدارand turned "معنٌMaʿn"* وجهَa face
وأدار "معنٌ"* وجهَ
غضبانٍan angry one لعزتهfor his pride .. مُثَارِroused
غضبانٍ لعزته .. مُثَارِ
And Maʿn turned his face,
And "Dignity"* turned his face
angry, roused to defend his pride.
Angrily.. Agitated
لِمَwhy لاnot يشاطرهshare with him (الضيوفthe guests)
لِمَ لا يشاطره (الضيوف)
.. مراحهhis merriment شأنas is the way of الكبارِgrown-ups ؟!
.. مراحه شأن الكبارِ ؟!
Why do the “guests” not share with him
Why don't the "guests"
his merriment, as grown-ups do?!
Share his humor.. Like adults?!
يرنوhe gazes إليناtoward us .. لاneither وقَارَهمُtheir solemnity
يرنو إلينا .. لا وقَارَهمُ
أحبَّhe liked .. ولاnor وقاريmy solemnity
أحبَّ .. ولا وقاري
He gazes at us: neither their solemnity
He gazes at us.. Not their dignity
did he like, nor mine.
Did he love..Nor my dignity
ووقفتُand I stood أنظرI watch .. لمdid not يشأwish
ووقفتُ أنظر .. لم يشأ
شعريmy poetry ليفتَحَto open خطa line نارِfire !
شعري ليفتَحَ خط نارِ !
And I stood watching; unwilling was
And I stood watching.. My poetry refused
my poetry to open a line of fire!
To open a line of fire!
وأبتand refused قوافيّmy rhymes الشواردwandering
وأبت قوافيّ الشوارد
أنto تهمّcontemplate .. لأيfor any ثارِvengeance !
أن تهمّ .. لأي ثارِ !
And my wandering rhymes refused
And the rhymes of the nightingales declined
to contemplate any vengeance!
To care.. For any revenge!
لوif شئتُI wished .. لانفجرwould have erupted القريضُthe verse
لو شئتُ .. لانفجر القريضُ
مدمدماًthundering .. أيّwhat an انفجارِexplosion
مدمدماً .. أيّ انفجارِ
Had I wished, the verse would have erupted,
If I wanted.. The rhyming would have exploded
thundering—what an explosion!
Roaring.. Any explosion!
حاشاfar be it .. فسقفيfor my roof لنwill not يُظلshelter
حاشا .. فسقفي لن يُظل
سوىexcept المروءةchivalry .. والنِجارِand lineage
سوى المروءة .. والنِجارِ
Far be it! For my roof shall shelter nothing
Far from it.. My ceiling will only shade
but chivalry and noble lineage.
Chivalry.. And the carpenter
فيin بيتهhis home يعنوyields الكريمthe noble man
في بيته يعنو الكريم
لكلto every رزءٍcalamity ، أوor خسارِloss
لكل رزءٍ ، أو خسارِ
In his home, the noble man yields
In his house the generous cares
to every calamity or loss.
For every fray, or loss
Sol 6.1