لاno مشفقٌsomeone compassionate حوليaround me ولاnor إشفاقُcompassion
لا مشفقٌ حولي ولا إشفاقُ
إلاexcept المُنىhopes والكوخُand the hut والإخفاقُand failure
إلا المُنى والكوخُ والإخفاقُ
No compassionate soul around me, nor any compassion—
No sympathizer around me, no compassion,
only hopes, the hut, and failure.
Except yearning, the hut, and frustration,
البردُthe cold والكوخُand the hut المسجُىshrouded والهوىand love
البردُ والكوخُ المسجُى والهوى
حوليaround me وقلبيand my heart والجراحُand the wounds رفاقُcompanions
حولي وقلبي والجراحُ رفاقُ
The cold, the shrouded hut, and love
The cold, the covered hut, and love,
surround me; my heart and wounds are companions.
Around me, my heart, and wounds are companions,
وهناand here الدُجىdarkness يسطوassaults علىupon كوخيmy hut كماjust as
وهنا الدُجى يسطو على كوخي كما
يسطوassaults علىupon المستضعفthe powerless العملاقُthe giant
يسطو على المستضعف العملاقُ
And here, darkness assaults my hut, just as
And here, darkness prevails over my hut, like
a giant assaults the powerless.
It prevails over the weak, the mighty,
فلمنْso to whom هناhere أصغيdo I listen؟ وكيفand how؟ وماand there is nothing هناhere
فلمنْ هنا أصغي؟ وكيف؟ وما هنا
إلاexcept أناI، والصمتُand silence، والإطراقُand bowing the head
إلا أنا، والصمتُ، والإطراقُ
So whom do I listen to here? How? There is nothing here
So for whom here do I listen? And how? As here
but me, silence, and a bowed head.
There is only me, silence, and loss of speech,
أغفيdozed off الوجودُexistence ونامand slept سُمارُlate-night conversationalists الدُجىthe darkness
أغفي الوجودُ ونام سُمارُ الدُجى
إلاexcept أناI والشعرُand poetry والأشواقُand longings
إلا أنا والشعرُ والأشواقُ
Existence dozed off, and the night's companions slept,
Existence sleeps and the summit of darkness,
except me, poetry, and longings.
Except me, poetry, and longing,
وحديI alone هناhere فيin الليلthe night ترتجفٌtremble المنىhopes
وحدي هنا في الليل ترتجفٌ المنى
حوليaround me ويرتعشand shivers الجوىheartache الخَفاقُthrobbing
حولي ويرتعش الجوى الخَفاقُ
Alone here in the night, hopes tremble
Alone here at night, yearning trembles around me,
around me, and throbbing heartache shivers.
And the fluttering heart shudders,
وهناand here وراءbehind الكوخٍِthe hut بستانٌa garden ذوتْhave withered
وهنا وراء الكوخٍِ بستانٌ ذوتْ
أغصانُهُits branches وتهاوتِand have fallen الأوراقthe leaves
أغصانُهُ وتهاوتِ الأوراق
And here, behind the hut, is a garden: withered
And behind the hut, a garden has withered,
are its branches, and its leaves have fallen.
Its branches collapsed and leaves fallen,
فكأنهso as if it were ُ نعشٌa bier يموجُsurges بصمتِهِin its silence
فكأنه ُ نعشٌ يموجُ بصمتِهِ
حُلمُthe dream القبورِof the graves ويعصفُand rages الإزهاقُthe extinguishing of life
حُلمُ القبورِ ويعصفُ الإزهاقُ
So it is like a bier: in its silence surges
As if it is a bier swaying silently
the dream of graves, and death rages.
The dream of graves, and expiration storms,
نسيَforgot الرَبيعُspring مكانَهits place وتشاغلتْand busied itself
نسيَ الرَبيعُ مكانَه وتشاغلتْ
عنُهaway from it الحياةُlife وأجفلَand fled in fright الإشراقُradiance
عنُه الحياةُ وأجفلَ الإشراقُ
Spring forgot its place, and life busied itself
Spring forgot its place and life busied
elsewhere, and radiance fled in fright.
Itself from it and the dawn paled,
عُربانُBedouins (likely a typo for 'bare') يلتحفcloaks itself in السكينةstillness والدُجىand darkness
عُربانُ يلتحف السكينة والدُجى
وتئنُand groan تحتbeneath جذوعهِits trunks الأعراقُthe roots
وتئنُ تحت جذوعهِ الأعراقُ
Bare [likely intended], it cloaks itself in stillness and darkness,
An Arab wrapped in serenity and darkness,
and the roots groan beneath its trunks.
And beneath its trunks, veins moan,
والليلُand night يرتجلُimprovises الهمومَsorrows فتشتكيso complain
والليلُ يرتجلُ الهمومَ فتشتكي
فيهwithin it الجراحُthe wounds وتصرخand cry out الأعماقُthe depths
فيه الجراحُ وتصرخ الأعماقُ
And night improvises sorrows, so wounds complain
And the night improvises sorrows, so wounds complain
within it, and the depths cry out.
In it, and depths scream,
والذكرياتُand memories تكرَreturn فيهwithin it وتنثنيand turn back
والذكرياتُ تكرَ فيه وتنثني
ويتيهُand wanders lost فيهwithin it الحبًlove والعشاقُand the lovers
ويتيهُ فيه الحبً والعشاقُ
And memories return within it and turn back,
And memories repeat in it and bend,
and love and lovers wander lost within it.
And love and lovers get lost in it,
تتغازلُflirt with one another الأشواقُlongings فيهِwithin it وتلتقيand meet
تتغازلُ الأشواقُ فيهِ وتلتقي
ويضمُand enfolds أعطافَthe flanks الغرامof passion عناقُan embrace
ويضمُ أعطافَ الغرام عناقُ
Longings flirt with one another within it and meet,
Yearnings flirt in it and meet,
and an embrace enfolds the flanks of passion.
And the embrace of passion hugs,
والناسُand people تحتbeneath الليلِthe night: هذاthis one ليلُهhis night
والناسُ تحت الليلِ: هذا ليلُه
وصْلٌunion وهذاand this one لوعةٌanguish وفراقُand parting
وصْلٌ وهذا لوعةٌ وفراقُ
And people beneath the night: this one's night
And under the night people: one's night is
is union; that one's, anguish and parting.
Union, and another's is agony and separation,
والحبُand love مثلُlike العيشِlife: هذاthis one عيشُهُhis life
والحبُ مثلُ العيشِ: هذا عيشُهُ
ترفٌluxury وهذاand this one الجوعُhunger والإملاقُand destitution
ترفٌ وهذا الجوعُ والإملاقُ
And love is like life: this one's life
And love is like living: one's living is
is luxury; that one's, hunger and destitution.
Luxury, and another's is poverty and deprivation,
فيamong الناسِpeople منْone who أرزاقهُhis earnings الآلافthousands أوor
في الناسِ منْ أرزاقهُ الآلاف أو
أعلىhigher وقومٌand others ماnot لهمْthey have أوراقُbanknotes
أعلى وقومٌ ما لهمْ أوراقُ
Among people are those whose earnings are thousands, or
Among people, some have thousands of livelihoods or
more, and others who have no banknotes.
Higher, and some have no leaves,
هذاthis one أخيmy brother يرْوىhas his thirst quenched وأظماand I thirst ليسthere is not ليfor me
هذا أخي يرْوى وأظما ليس لي
فيin النَهرِthe river لاno حقُright ولاnor استحقاقُentitlement
في النَهرِ لا حقُ ولا استحقاقُ
This brother of mine drinks his fill while I thirst; I have
This brother of mine is satiated while I have
neither a right to the river nor any entitlement.
No right or entitlement to the river,