بَكَيْتُ وَهَلْ عَادَ يُجْدِي الْبُكَاءْ

بَكَيْتُ وَهَلْ عَادَ يُجْدِي الْبُكَاءْ

نَسُونِي وَمَا نِلْتُ حَتَّى الْعَزَاءْ

نَسُونِي وَمَا نِلْتُ حَتَّى الْعَزَاءْ

I wept—but does weeping still do any good?

I wept, but does weeping avail?

They forgot me, and I received not even consolation.

They forgot me, I gained not even solace.

فَكُنْتُ كَبَدْرٍ يُنِيرُ الدُّجَى

فَكُنْتُ كَبَدْرٍ يُنِيرُ الدُّجَى

وَقَدْ نُسِيَ الْيَوْمَ بِالْكَهْرَبَاءْ

وَقَدْ نُسِيَ الْيَوْمَ بِالْكَهْرَبَاءْ

For I was like a full moon illuminating the darkness,

I was like the moon, lighting up the gloom,

And today it has been forgotten because of electricity.

Yet today eclipsed by electricity.

أَنَا جَنَّةٌ فِي الْوُجُودِ لِكَيْ

أَنَا جَنَّةٌ فِي الْوُجُودِ لِكَيْ

يَجُولَ الْوَرَى سَاعَةً فِي صَفَاءْ

يَجُولَ الْوَرَى سَاعَةً فِي صَفَاءْ

I am a paradise in the world, so that

I am a garden of being, so the world

Humankind may wander for an hour in serenity.

Might wander an hour in serenity.

وَقَدْ رَسَمُونِي عَلَى لَوْحَةٍ

وَقَدْ رَسَمُونِي عَلَى لَوْحَةٍ

فَزِدْتُ جَمَالاً وَزِدْتُ الْبَهَاءْ

فَزِدْتُ جَمَالاً وَزِدْتُ الْبَهَاءْ

And they have painted me on a canvas,

They painted me on a panel,

So I added beauty and increased the splendor.

So I gained in beauty and splendor.

هَلِ الرَّسْمُ يُغْنِي عَنِ الأَصْلِ أَوْ

هَلِ الرَّسْمُ يُغْنِي عَنِ الأَصْلِ أَوْ

لِرَسْمٍ مَعَ الأَصْلِ أَيُّ اسْتِوَاءْ؟

لِرَسْمٍ مَعَ الأَصْلِ أَيُّ اسْتِوَاءْ؟

Can the picture replace the original, or

Does the painting suffice without the original?

Can any picture stand equal to the original?

Or is there equality between copy and original?

أَنَا الأَصْلُ أَرْضِيَ بِي جَنَّةٌ

أَنَا الأَصْلُ أَرْضِيَ بِي جَنَّةٌ

وَغَيْرِي الْفُرُوعُ لَهَا بِي النَّمَاءْ

وَغَيْرِي الْفُرُوعُ لَهَا بِي النَّمَاءْ

I am the root; through me, my land is a paradise,

I am the original, I make a garden content.

And others are the branches, whose growth comes through me.

The branches are other than I, yet from me they acquire growth.

فَإِنْ مِتُّ مَاتَ الْفُرُوعُ وَإِنْ

فَإِنْ مِتُّ مَاتَ الْفُرُوعُ وَإِنْ

مَرِضْتُ فَهَلْ لِلْفُرُوعِ الشِّفَاءْ

مَرِضْتُ فَهَلْ لِلْفُرُوعِ الشِّفَاءْ

So if I die, the branches die; and if

If I die, the branches die. If I sicken,

I fall ill, can the branches recover?

Can the branches find healing?

وَهَلْ عَاشَ فَرْعٌ بِدُونِي وَمَا

وَهَلْ عَاشَ فَرْعٌ بِدُونِي وَمَا

أُلاقِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ إِلاَّ الْجَفَاءْ

أُلاقِي مِنَ الْقَوْمِ إِلاَّ الْجَفَاءْ

And has a branch lived without me? Yet I do not

Did a branch outlive me? I meet

Meet anything from people but coldness.

With my people only aloofness.

أَنَا الْبَحْرُ مَائِيَ مَاءُ الذَّهَبْ

أَنَا الْبَحْرُ مَائِيَ مَاءُ الذَّهَبْ

وَقَاعِي بِهِ الدُّرُّ لَيْسَ فَنَاءْ

وَقَاعِي بِهِ الدُّرُّ لَيْسَ فَنَاءْ

I am the sea; my water is liquid gold,

I am the sea, my water is liquid gold,

And my seabed holds pearls, not destruction.

My depth conceals pearls, no exhaustion.

فَمَنْ يَمْدُدِ الْيَدَ نَالَ الذَّهَبْ

فَمَنْ يَمْدُدِ الْيَدَ نَالَ الذَّهَبْ

وَمَنْ غَاصَ فَالدُّرُّ نِعْمَ الْجَزَاءْ

وَمَنْ غَاصَ فَالدُّرُّ نِعْمَ الْجَزَاءْ

So whoever extends a hand obtains gold,

So he who reaches out takes the gold,

And whoever dives—pearls are an excellent reward.

And he who dives finds pearls, a fine recompense.

أَنَا النَّهْرُ إِذْمَا رَآنِي الصَّدَى

أَنَا النَّهْرُ إِذْمَا رَآنِي الصَّدَى

سَيَنْهَلُ مِنِّيَ مَاءً رَوَاءْ

سَيَنْهَلُ مِنِّيَ مَاءً رَوَاءْ

I am the river; whenever thirst beholds me,

I am the river, when the echo espy me,

It will drink its fill of thirst-quenching water from me.

It will drink from me water soothing and fresh.

وَلَوْلا الشَّهَامَةُ مَا جُدْتُ بَلْ

وَلَوْلا الشَّهَامَةُ مَا جُدْتُ بَلْ

تَمَنَّعْتُ إِلاَّ مِنَ الأَوْفِيَاءْ

تَمَنَّعْتُ إِلاَّ مِنَ الأَوْفِيَاءْ

And were it not for noble-heartedness, I would not give; rather,

But for my pride I would not have yielded,

I would withhold myself from all but the faithful.

I would have refused all save the faithful.

وَلَيْسَ الْكَرِيمُ يُجَازِي بِمَا

وَلَيْسَ الْكَرِيمُ يُجَازِي بِمَا

يُلاقِي مِنَ الْحُمْقِ وَالْجُهَلاءْ

يُلاقِي مِنَ الْحُمْقِ وَالْجُهَلاءْ

And the generous do not answer in kind

The generous man does not repay

The folly and fools they encounter.

The folly and ignorance he meets with,

وَضَمَّدَ جُرْحِي رِجَالٌ لَهُمْ

وَضَمَّدَ جُرْحِي رِجَالٌ لَهُمْ

حَنِينٌ وَشَوْقٌ لِيَوْمِ اللِّقَاءْ

حَنِينٌ وَشَوْقٌ لِيَوْمِ اللِّقَاءْ

And men have bandaged my wound; they have

And men whose longing and love

Yearning and longing for the day of reunion.

Are for the day of reunion have healed my wounds.

فَهُمْ فَقَدُونِي سِنَينَ وَمَا

فَهُمْ فَقَدُونِي سِنَينَ وَمَا

كَفَقْدِي لَدِيهِمُ أَيُّ عَنَاءْ

كَفَقْدِي لَدِيهِمُ أَيُّ عَنَاءْ

For they have missed me for years, and no

For years they miss me. How does my

Hardship, to them, compares to losing me.

Absence burden them? It is no trouble.

إِذَا مَا رَأَى وَاحِدٌ وَرْقَةً

إِذَا مَا رَأَى وَاحِدٌ وَرْقَةً

كَأَنَّ الْمَرِيضَ يَنَالُ الشِّفَاءْ

كَأَنَّ الْمَرِيضَ يَنَالُ الشِّفَاءْ

Whenever one of them sees a page,

If one sees a single leaf

It is as though a sick person were finding a cure,

He is like the sick man who finds healing,

كَأَنَّ الْفَتَى جُوعُهُ كَالرَّدَى

كَأَنَّ الْفَتَى جُوعُهُ كَالرَّدَى

رَأَى الضَّانَ يُشْوَى لَدَى الصَّحَرَاءْ

رَأَى الضَّانَ يُشْوَى لَدَى الصَّحَرَاءْ

As though a youth, whose hunger is like death,

Like the starving man whose stomach burns,

Had seen sheep being roasted in the desert.

Who sees meat roasting in the desert.

إِذَا خَيَّرُوهُمْ بِمَالِ الْوَرَى

إِذَا خَيَّرُوهُمْ بِمَالِ الْوَرَى

نَصِيبًا مَعِي كُنْتُهُ لا مِرَاءْ

نَصِيبًا مَعِي كُنْتُهُ لا مِرَاءْ

If they were given the choice of humankind's wealth

If offered the world's riches

As their share, or me, I would be that share—no doubt.

As a share with me, I would be their choice,

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لأُنَالَ ثَمَنْ

وَلَوْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لأُنَالَ ثَمَنْ

سِوَى بَعْضِ عُمْرٍ رَضُوا بِالْوَفَاءْ

سِوَى بَعْضِ عُمْرٍ رَضُوا بِالْوَفَاءْ

And even if the only price for obtaining me

And if there was nothing to gain

Were part of a lifetime, they would agree to pay it.

But some of their lifetime, they were content with loyalty.

أَنَا مِثْلُهُمْ غُرْبَةً فِي الْوَرَى

أَنَا مِثْلُهُمْ غُرْبَةً فِي الْوَرَى

وَيَوْمًا يَكُونُ لِقَا الْغُرَبَاءْ

وَيَوْمًا يَكُونُ لِقَا الْغُرَبَاءْ

Like them, I am a stranger among humankind,

I am like them, a stranger in the world,

And one day the strangers will meet.

And one day there will be the meeting of strangers.

فَنَنْسَى الْجِرَاحَ وَهَذَا الأَسَى

فَنَنْسَى الْجِرَاحَ وَهَذَا الأَسَى

وَنَحْيَا مَعًا دَائِمًا قُرَنَاءْ

وَنَحْيَا مَعًا دَائِمًا قُرَنَاءْ

Then we will forget the wounds and this sorrow,

Then we'll forget the wounds and this sorrow,

And live together, forever companions.

And live together always as comrades.

وَلِلنُّورِ نَنْشُرُ نَمْحُو الدُّجَى

وَلِلنُّورِ نَنْشُرُ نَمْحُو الدُّجَى

وَأَبْقَى وَيَبْقَى لِيَ الْفُضَلاءْ

وَأَبْقَى وَيَبْقَى لِيَ الْفُضَلاءْ

And we will spread light, erasing the darkness,

To spread light we'll wipe out the gloom,

And I will endure, and the virtuous will remain with me.

And I will remain, and so will the virtuous.