أرى الصبر أوشك أن ينفذا

أرى الصبر أوشك أن ينفذا

وأوشكت في القرب أن أبعدا

وأوشكت في القرب أن أبعدا

I see that patience is nearly spent,

I see that patience is about to run out,

I see that patience is about to run out

and though so near, I nearly drifted far away.

And even in nearness I am about to draw away.

And I'm about to get far away in the near future

وأوشك قلبي أن يستريح

وأوشك قلبي أن يستريح

وأوشك طرفي أن يرقدا

وأوشك طرفي أن يرقدا

My heart is on the verge of finding rest,

And my heart is about to find rest,

And my heart is about to find rest

and my eyes are on the verge of sleep.

And my eyes are about to slumber.

And my eyes are about to fall asleep

وكدت أعايش هذا الأنام

وكدت أعايش هذا الأنام

وقد عشت بينهم مفردا

وقد عشت بينهم مفردا

I almost came to live among these people,

And I almost shared life with these people,

I almost lived with these people

though I have lived among them all alone.

Though I have lived alone among them.

And I lived among them alone

يخيل لي أنني قد أضعت

يخيل لي أنني قد أضعت

شبابي وقلبي وعمري سدى

شبابي وقلبي وعمري سدى

It seems to me that I have squandered

It seems to me that I have squandered

It seems to me that I have wasted

my youth, my heart, and all my life in vain—

My youth, my heart, and my lifetime in vain,

My youth, my heart and my life in vain

وأن حياتي وأسبابها

وأن حياتي وأسبابها

خطبت بها عندكم فرقدا

خطبت بها عندكم فرقدا

and that with my life and all its means

And that, with my life and all its means,

And that my life and its reasons

I sought from you a Farkad star.

I wooed a Farqad star in your presence.

I proposed them to you in vain

تناءيتم زمنا طائلا

تناءيتم زمنا طائلا

وبنا كما كان رجع الصدى

وبنا كما كان رجع الصدى

You kept your distance for a long, long time,

You kept far away for a long time,

You lingered for a long time

while in us, as before, the echo rang again.

And within us, as before, the echo resounds.

And between us it was like an echo

فإن تلتق اليوم أشباحنا

فإن تلتق اليوم أشباحنا

فذاك لقاء غريب المدى

فذاك لقاء غريب المدى

If our phantoms should meet today,

So if our phantoms meet today,

So if our ghosts meet today

that would be a meeting strange in its reach:

Then that is a meeting whose reach is strange.

It's a strange reunion

تقربه اليوم دنيا الخيال

تقربه اليوم دنيا الخيال

ويبعده كل حاد حدا

ويبعده كل حاد حدا

the realm of fantasy now draws it near,

The world of imagination brings it near today,

It brings it closer today the world of imagination

while every driver urging onward bears it far away.

And every camel-driver who chants takes it farther away.

And every obstinate one takes it away

يذكرنا كل أمس مضى

يذكرنا كل أمس مضى

وكل غريب به شدا

وكل غريب به شدا

It recalls to us every yesterday now gone,

Every yesterday that has passed reminds us,

Every passed yesterday reminds us

and every stranger who sang of it.

And every stranger who sang of it.

And every stranger who has missed it

وما نحن إلا الزمان الذي

وما نحن إلا الزمان الذي

عدا في الأنام على من عدا

عدا في الأنام على من عدا

We are nothing but time itself, which

And we are nothing but time, which

We are nothing but time that has passed

assailed among mankind whomever it assailed.

Has assailed among mankind whomever it assailed.

Among people over those who have passed

نصوره صورة في الضمير

نصوره صورة في الضمير

ونبدي على ضعفنا ما بدا

ونبدي على ضعفنا ما بدا

We fashion its image within the heart,

We portray it as an image in the mind,

We depict it as an image in conscience

and despite our frailty, show whatever can be seen.

And, despite our weakness, show what appears.

And we show our weakness as it appeared

فيحسبنا الناس أقوى على

فيحسبنا الناس أقوى على

يد الدهر مما يكيد العدى

يد الدهر مما يكيد العدى

And so people think us better able to withstand

So people think us stronger against

So people think we are stronger

the hand of fate than all the plotting of our foes.

The hand of fate than whatever the foes devise.

Against the vicissitudes of time than the harm of enemies

ولكننا إن خلونا إلى

ولكننا إن خلونا إلى

خواطرنا نستجير الردى

خواطرنا نستجير الردى

But whenever we are left alone with

But if we are alone with

But if we are left to

our thoughts, we seek refuge in death.

Our thoughts, we seek refuge in death.

Our thoughts, we seek refuge from havoc

وإن لاح في بابكم عاذل

وإن لاح في بابكم عاذل

مررنا به ركعا سجدا

مررنا به ركعا سجدا

And should some reproacher appear at your door,

And if a reproacher appears at your door,

And if a rebuker appears at your door

we pass before him bowing and prostrate,

We pass by him, bowing and prostrating ourselves.

We pass by him bowing down

نحاذر من أن ترانا العيون

نحاذر من أن ترانا العيون

ونخشى على البؤس أن نحسدا

ونخشى على البؤس أن نحسدا

wary lest watching eyes should see us,

We take care lest eyes should see us,

We are wary of eyes seeing us

and fearful that even for our misery we might be envied.

And fear being envied for our misery.

And we fear poverty lest we be envied

فعد لي حبيبي كما قد عهدت

فعد لي حبيبي كما قد عهدت

على الدهر يا سيدي مسعدا

على الدهر يا سيدي مسعدا

So return to me, my love, as I have always known you:

So return to me, my beloved, as I once knew you,

So return to me, my beloved, as you used to

my lord, forever bringing me joy despite the years.

A helper against fate, O my lord.

In life, my master, happily

وخل النواح ودنيا الانين

وخل النواح ودنيا الانين

فقد أوشك العمر أن ينفذا

فقد أوشك العمر أن ينفذا

Leave lamentation and the world of moans,

And leave lamentation and the world of groans,

And leave the wailing and the world of moaning

for life itself is nearly spent.

For life is about to run out.

For life is about to run out

ومد حبيبي إلى من براه

ومد حبيبي إلى من براه

غرامك عطفا وأهد اليدا

غرامك عطفا وأهد اليدا

My love, extend to one whom

And extend, my beloved, to one worn down

And extend, my beloved, to those who loved you

your passion has worn away some tenderness, and offer your hand—

By your passion some tenderness, and offer your hand.

Affectionately, and extend your hand

أو اهزأ كما شئت بالذكريات

أو اهزأ كما شئت بالذكريات

وأذهب في الحب كبش الفدا

وأذهب في الحب كبش الفدا

or mock the memories as you please,

Or scoff, as you wish, at the memories,

Or make fun as you wish with memories

and I shall go forth in love, its sacrificial ram.

And I shall go, in love, as the sacrificial ram.

And in love be the sacrificial lamb