يا لَيْتَ شِعْري هلْ لِلَيْلِ الن

يا لَيْتَ شِعْري هلْ لِلَيْلِ الن

نَفْسِ مِنْ صُبحٍ قَريبْ

نَفْسِ مِنْ صُبحٍ قَريبْ

Ah, would that I knew: is there, for the night of the

Oh, would that I knew, will there be

Oh, would that I knew: Is there for the night of the

soul, a dawn close at hand,

For the soul's anguish a dawn soon nigh

Soul a morning drawing near?

فَتَقُرَّ عاصِفَةُ الظَّلامِ

فَتَقُرَّ عاصِفَةُ الظَّلامِ

ويَهْجَعَ الرَّعْدُ الغَضُوبْ

ويَهْجَعَ الرَّعْدُ الغَضُوبْ

so the tempest of darkness may grow still,

That the dark's storm may settle down

That the tempest of darkness might subside,

and the wrathful thunder slumber,

And thunder's wrath be pacified

And the wrathful thunder find rest?

ويُرَتِّلَ الإنْسانُ أُغْنِيَةً

ويُرَتِّلَ الإنْسانُ أُغْنِيَةً

مع الدُّنيا طُرُوبْ

مع الدُّنيا طُرُوبْ

and humankind chant a song,

And man may chant a song again

And man might chant a song,

with the world, enraptured?

With life in gentle harmony

In rapture with the world?

ما للرِّياحِ تَهُبُّ في

ما للرِّياحِ تَهُبُّ في

الدُّنيا ويدرِكُها اللُّغوبْ

الدُّنيا ويدرِكُها اللُّغوبْ

How is it that the winds blow in

Why do winds rage in the world

What ails the winds that blow through

the world, and weariness overtakes them,

Only to meet with misery?

The world, only to be overtaken by weariness?

إلاَّ رياحي فهيَ جامِحَةٌ

إلاَّ رياحي فهيَ جامِحَةٌ

تَمَرُّدُهَا عَصيبْ

تَمَرُّدُهَا عَصيبْ

except my winds, for they are untamed—

Except my winds, unruly gusts

Save for my own winds, for they are unbridled;

their rebellion is fierce?

Rebellion in their nature lies

Their rebellion is fierce and grave.

ما لي تُعَذِّبني الحياةُ

ما لي تُعَذِّبني الحياةُ

كأنَّني خلْقٌ غَريبْ

كأنَّني خلْقٌ غَريبْ

Why does life torment me

Why does life torment me so

Why does life torment me so,

as though I were a strange creature,

As if I'm a stranger in its eyes?

As if I were a stranger to creation?

وتَهُدُّ من قلبي الجميلِ

وتَهُدُّ من قلبي الجميلِ

فهلْ لقلبي مِنْ ذُنوبْ

فهلْ لقلبي مِنْ ذُنوبْ

and wear away at my beautiful heart—

And from my beautiful heart it takes

And why does it crumble my beautiful heart?

does my heart, then, bear any sins?

What sins has my heart to atone?

Is my heart guilty of any sin?

وإذا سَأَلْتُ لِمَ الوجودُ

وإذا سَأَلْتُ لِمَ الوجودُ

وكُلُّهُ همٌّ مُذيبْ

وكُلُّهُ همٌّ مُذيبْ

And when I asked, 'Why existence,

When I ask why life goes on

And if I ask: Why is existence,

when all of it is grief that melts one away?'

Naught but melting cares are known

When all of it is melting grief?

قالتْ نواميسُ السَّماءِ قَضَتْ

قالتْ نواميسُ السَّماءِ قَضَتْ

وما لكَ مِنْ هُرُوبْ

وما لكَ مِنْ هُرُوبْ

she said, 'The laws of heaven have decreed it,

The laws of heaven have decreed

The laws of the heavens reply: It is decreed,

and there is no escape for you.'

No escape for you, leave it be

And for you there is no escape.

آهٍ على قلبي وإنْ

آهٍ على قلبي وإنْ

شَقيتُ كَشَقْوَتِهِ قُلُوبْ

شَقيتُ كَشَقْوَتِهِ قُلُوبْ

Alas for my heart! And though

Alas, my heart, though you have split

Alas for my heart! Even if

I suffered as it did, hearts

Like the rending of hearts in agony

Other hearts have suffered its misery—

أَنقى مِنَ الموج الوضيءِ

أَنقى مِنَ الموج الوضيءِ

ومِنْ نَشيد العَندليبْ

ومِنْ نَشيد العَندليبْ

purer than the radiant waves

Purer than the limpid wave

Purer than the luminous wave,

and than the nightingale's song

And the warbler's melody

And the anthem of the nightingale.

لم تَقْتَرفْ إِثمَ الحياةِ

لم تَقْتَرفْ إِثمَ الحياةِ

وكان مأواها اللَّهيبْ

وكان مأواها اللَّهيبْ

did not commit the sin of life,

No life's sin has it e'er committed

It committed no sin against life,

yet their abode was the flame.

Yet in flames was its destiny

Yet its refuge was the blaze.

يا مُهْجَةَ الغابِ الجميلِ

يا مُهْجَةَ الغابِ الجميلِ

ألمْ يُصَدِّعْكِ النَّحيبْ

ألمْ يُصَدِّعْكِ النَّحيبْ

O soul of the beautiful forest,

O you grove of beauty fey

O spirit of the beautiful forest,

has sobbing not shattered you?

Has not anguish made you fray?

Did the weeping not shatter you?

يا وجْنَةَ الوردِ الأنيق

يا وجْنَةَ الوردِ الأنيق

ألمْ تشوِّهْكِ النُّدوبْ

ألمْ تشوِّهْكِ النُّدوبْ

O cheek of the elegant rose,

O garden of roses bright

O cheek of the elegant rose,

have the scars not disfigured you?

Scarred you not with blight?

Did the scars not deform you?