كَرِهْتُ القُصورَ وقُطَّانَها

كَرِهْتُ القُصورَ وقُطَّانَها

وما حولَها من صِراعٍ عنيف

وما حولَها من صِراعٍ عنيف

I hated the palaces and their inhabitants,

I hated palaces and their luxury,

I loathed the palaces and those who dwell within,

And the violent strife around them,

And the fierce strife surrounding them,

And the violent strife that rages all around,

وكَيْدَ الضَّعيفِ لِسَعْي القويِّ

وكَيْدَ الضَّعيفِ لِسَعْي القويِّ

وعَصْفَ القويَّ بجَهْدِ الضَّعيفْ

وعَصْفَ القويَّ بجَهْدِ الضَّعيفْ

And the weak one's scheming against the strong one's efforts,

And the plotting of the weak against the effort of the strong,

The plotting of the weak against the strong man's path,

And the strong one's crushing of the weak one's toil.

And the strong's crushing the weak's endeavor.

The strong man's storm that crushes the weak man's toil.

وجَاشَتْ بنفْسي دُمُوعُ الحَيَاةِ

وجَاشَتْ بنفْسي دُمُوعُ الحَيَاةِ

وعَجَّتْ بقلبي رِياحُ الصُّروف

وعَجَّتْ بقلبي رِياحُ الصُّروف

And life's tears surged in my soul,

The tears of life welled up in my soul,

The tears of life surged deep within my soul,

And the winds of vicissitude roared in my heart,

And the winds of vicissitudes stirred in my heart,

And winds of tribulation roared within my heart,

لقَلْبِ الفقيرِ الحطيم الكسيرِ

لقَلْبِ الفقيرِ الحطيم الكسيرِ

ودَمْعِ الأَيامَى السَّفيحِ الذَّريفْ

ودَمْعِ الأَيامَى السَّفيحِ الذَّريفْ

For the shattered, broken heart of the poor,

For the poor's shattered, broken heart,

For the poor man's heart, shattered and broken down,

And the widows' freely shed, streaming tears,

And the flood of orphans' tears over mothers

And for the widows' tears, poured out in heavy streams,

ونَوْحِ اليتامَى على أُمَّهاتٍ

ونَوْحِ اليتامَى على أُمَّهاتٍ

تَوَارَيْنَ خلفَ ظَلامِ الحُتوفُ

تَوَارَيْنَ خلفَ ظَلامِ الحُتوفُ

And the orphans' wailing for mothers

Who passed away behind the darkness of graves.

And the wailing of orphans mourning mothers lost,

Who vanished behind the darkness of death.

So I went where the songs of spring take refuge

Who vanished behind the darkness of the grave.

فسرْتُ إلى حيثُ تأوي أَغاني الرَّبيعِ

فسرْتُ إلى حيثُ تأوي أَغاني الرَّبيعِ

وتذوي أَماني الخَريفْ

وتذوي أَماني الخَريفْ

So I went where spring's songs take shelter,

And the dreams of autumn melt away,

So I walked to where the songs of spring seek shelter,

And autumn's hopes wither,

Where space is a dreaming, fanciful poet

And where the wistful hopes of autumn fade away,

وحيثُ الفَضَا شاعرٌ حالمٌ

وحيثُ الفَضَا شاعرٌ حالمٌ

يُناجي السُّهولَ بوَحْيٍ طَريفْ

يُناجي السُّهولَ بوَحْيٍ طَريفْ

And where the open expanse is a dreaming poet,

Who whispers to the plains in delicate inspiration,

Where the open void is like a dreaming poet,

Whispering to the plains with fresh inspiration,

And whom evening clouds have wrapped in shade,

Whispering to the plains a fresh and strange revelation,

وقد دَثَّرَتْهُ غيومُ المساءِ بظلٍّ

وقد دَثَّرَتْهُ غيومُ المساءِ بظلٍّ

حزينٍ ضَريحٍ شفيفْ

حزينٍ ضَريحٍ شفيفْ

While evening clouds had cloaked him in a shadow

Sad, desolate and gentle.

While evening clouds had wrapped it in a shadow,

Sorrowful, remote, translucent.

And there, among branches stripped bare

Melancholy, sepulchral, and translucent,

وبينَ الغُصونِ التي جَرَّدَتْها

وبينَ الغُصونِ التي جَرَّدَتْها

ليالي الخَريفِ القويِّ العَسُوفْ

ليالي الخَريفِ القويِّ العَسُوفْ

And among the branches stripped bare by

By the harsh, violent nights of autumn,

And there, amidst the boughs that were stripped bare

The nights of mighty, merciless autumn,

I stood, with a dead pool all around me

By the nights of a fierce and tyrant Autumn,

وقَفْتُ وحوْلي غديرٌ مواتٌ

وقَفْتُ وحوْلي غديرٌ مواتٌ

تمادتْ به غَفَواتُ الكُهوفْ

تمادتْ به غَفَواتُ الكُهوفْ

I stood, a lifeless pool around me,

Into which the caves' oblivion extended.

I stood, surrounded by a lifeless pool,

Where the slumbers of caves lingered on.

In its banks those flowers perished,

Where the slumber of the caves dragged on and on.

قَضَتْ في حفافِيهِ تِلْكَ الزُّهُورُ

قَضَتْ في حفافِيهِ تِلْكَ الزُّهُورُ

فَكَفَّنها بالصَّقيعِ الخَريفْ

فَكَفَّنها بالصَّقيعِ الخَريفْ

Those flowers had perished along its two banks,

Shrouded by autumn's chill.

Upon its banks, those flowers met their end,

So autumn shrouded them in frost,

Save for one flower, fate condemned to life

And Autumn shrouded them in sheets of frost,

سوى زهرةٍ شَقِيَتْ بالحَيَاةِ

سوى زهرةٍ شَقِيَتْ بالحَيَاةِ

وملْبَثها بالمُقامِ المُخيفْ

وملْبَثها بالمُقامِ المُخيفْ

Except one flower, made wretched by life

And a frightening sojourn—

Save for one flower, wretched in its life,

And by her lingering in that terrifying place.

Thunderous storms terrify it,

And in its lingering in that fearful place,

يُرَوِّعُها فيه قَصْفُ الرُّعودِ

يُرَوِّعُها فيه قَصْفُ الرُّعودِ

ويُحْزِنُها فيه نَدْبُ الزَّفيفْ

ويُحْزِنُها فيه نَدْبُ الزَّفيفْ

There the crash of thunder terrifies her,

And the wailing of the wind grieves it,

Where crashing thunder strikes it with deep dread,

And the rustling wind's lament saddens her there.

Morning mist makes it anxious

And the moaning of the wind fills it with grief,

ويَنْتابُها في الصَّباحِ السَّديمُ وفي

ويَنْتابُها في الصَّباحِ السَّديمُ وفي

اللَّيلِ حُلمٌ مُريعٌ مُخيفْ

اللَّيلِ حُلمٌ مُريعٌ مُخيفْ

And mist assails her in the morning, and at

And at night frightening, chaotic dreams,

Beset by heavy mists throughout the morning,

Night, a dreadful, frightening dream.

Passing clouds alarm it,

And in the night by nightmares dark and dire,

وتُرْهِبُها غادياتُ الغمامِ

وتُرْهِبُها غادياتُ الغمامِ

وتُؤلِمُها كلُّ ريحٍ عَصُوفْ

وتُؤلِمُها كلُّ ريحٍ عَصُوفْ

And the clouds that come at dawn terrify her,

And every unkind wind pains it.

The early morning clouds cast terror in its heart,

And every raging wind pains her.

It longs for the flowers all around it,

And every storming gale inflicts a painful sting.

فَتَرْنو لمَا حولَها مِنْ زُهورٍ

فَتَرْنو لمَا حولَها مِنْ زُهورٍ

وما ثَمَّ إلاَّ السَّحيقُ الجَفِيفْ

وما ثَمَّ إلاَّ السَّحيقُ الجَفِيفْ

So she gazes at the flowers around her,

But there is only barren wasteland.

It gazes round at where the flowers once stood,

But nothing is there save dry, crumbled remains.

So it weeps a lonely stranger's weeping,

But sees naught there save crushed and withered dust,

فتبكي بكاءَ الغريب الوحيدِ

فتبكي بكاءَ الغريب الوحيدِ

بشجْوٍ كَظيمٍ ونَوْحٍ ضَعيفْ

بشجْوٍ كَظيمٍ ونَوْحٍ ضَعيفْ

So she weeps as a lonely stranger weeps,

With overwhelming sorrow and faint lament,

Weeping the tears of a stranger, all alone,

With stifled grief and feeble lamentation,

Weeping for its devastated heart,

With stifled anguish and a feeble moan,

تُباكي بهِ لُبَّها المستطارَ

تُباكي بهِ لُبَّها المستطارَ

وَتَرْثي بهِ مَا طَوَتْهُ الحُتُوفْ

وَتَرْثي بهِ مَا طَوَتْهُ الحُتُوفْ

Through it she weeps with her distraught heart,

And what the graves have hidden.

Lamenting there its fluttering, frightened soul,

And mourns through it what death has swept away.

It complains of the day's pallor,

And mourning that which death has folded close,

وتشكو أَساها بَيَاضَ النَّهارِ

وتشكو أَساها بَيَاضَ النَّهارِ

وتندُبُ حَظَّ الحَيَاةِ السَّخيفْ

وتندُبُ حَظَّ الحَيَاةِ السَّخيفْ

And laments her sorrow all through the daylight,

And laments the life of meaningless caprice,

Pouring its sorrow into the light of day,

And bewails life's paltry lot.

But in existence it has found

Cursing the cruel absurdity of life.

ولكنْ لقد فَقَدَتْ في الوُجُودِ

ولكنْ لقد فَقَدَتْ في الوُجُودِ

رفيقاً مُصيخاً وقلباً رَؤُوفْ

رفيقاً مُصيخاً وقلباً رَؤُوفْ

Yet in this world she has indeed lost

No comforting friend, no tender heart,

Yet in this vast existence it has lost

An attentive companion and a compassionate heart.

Only pitiless rocks,

A listening friend and a compassionate heart,

فما ثَمَّ إلاَّ الصُّخُورُ القَواسي

فما ثَمَّ إلاَّ الصُّخُورُ القَواسي

وإلاَّ الصَّدى المُسْتَطارُ الهَتُوفْ

وإلاَّ الصَّدى المُسْتَطارُ الهَتُوفْ

For nothing is there but hardhearted rocks

And frightened, scattered echoes.

For nothing is there but the hardened rocks,

And the far-flung, clamorous echo.

It gave itself up with a burning soul—

And the wild echo shouting in the void.

فَجَادتْ بروحٍ شجيٍّ لقد

فَجَادتْ بروحٍ شجيٍّ لقد

عذَّبتهُ اللَّيالي صُنُوفْ

عذَّبتهُ اللَّيالي صُنُوفْ

So she gave up a sorrowful soul; indeed,

The nights had tortured it in so many ways.

It yielded up a spirit steeped in grief,

The nights had tormented it in many ways.

It died, leaving a desolate region,

Tormented by the nights in myriad ways,

ومَاتتْ وقد غادَرَتْها بقاعٍ منَ

ومَاتتْ وقد غادَرَتْها بقاعٍ منَ

الأَرضِ ضنْكٍ حَيَاةُ الصُّروفْ

الأَرضِ ضنْكٍ حَيَاةُ الصُّروفْ

And she died, forsaken on a tract of

Where the vicissitudes of life were harsh.

And died, departing from a patch of earth

Earth, narrow and bleak, by the life of vicissitudes.

It lay by the silent pool,

Where life is but a narrow, bitter trial.

فبانَتْ حَيالَ الغديرِ الأَصمِّ

فبانَتْ حَيالَ الغديرِ الأَصمِّ

وقدْ أَخرسَ الموتُ ذاك الحَفيفْ

وقدْ أَخرسَ الموتُ ذاك الحَفيفْ

So she lay revealed before the deaf pool,

Made mute by death, that murmur stilled.

It lay exposed beside the silent stream,

Death having silenced that rustling.

Evening clouds had stained it red,

For death had silenced all that rustling sound,

وقد خَضَّبَتْها غيومُ المساءِ

وقد خَضَّبَتْها غيومُ المساءِ

كغانيةٍ ضرَّجَتْها السُّيوفْ

كغانيةٍ ضرَّجَتْها السُّيوفْ

And the evening clouds had stained her,

Like a slain singing girl bloodstained by swords.

The clouds of evening dyed it crimson red,

Like a beauty bloodied by swords.

Ask it, if you wish, how the perfume withered,

Like a fair maiden butchered by the sword.

فسلْها تُرى كيفَ غاضَ الأَريجُ

فسلْها تُرى كيفَ غاضَ الأَريجُ

وكيفَ ذَوَى سِحْرُ ذاك الرَّفيفْ

وكيفَ ذَوَى سِحْرُ ذاك الرَّفيفْ

So ask her—how, one wonders, did the fragrance ebb away?

How the charm of that murmur faded,

Ask it: How did the fragrance fade away?

And how did the magic of that fluttering wither?

How the smile of life faded

How did the magic of that tremor die?

وكيف خَبَتْ بَسَمَاتُ الحَيَاةِ

وكيف خَبَتْ بَسَمَاتُ الحَيَاةِ

بأَجْفانِها وعَرَاها الكُسُوفْ

بأَجْفانِها وعَرَاها الكُسُوفْ

And how did life's smiles fade

From its eyelids, how clouds covered its glorious shape,

How was the smile of life extinguished there

Upon her eyelids, and an eclipse overtake her?

How fate twisted its slender form

Within its lids, eclipsed by sudden dark?

وكيفَ لَوَتْ جيدَهَا الحَادِثاتُ

وكيفَ لَوَتْ جيدَهَا الحَادِثاتُ

وأَلْوَتْ بذاك القوامِ اللَّطيفْ

وأَلْوَتْ بذاك القوامِ اللَّطيفْ

And how did misfortunes twist her neck

And distorted that graceful body.

How did calamities bend back its neck,

And sweep away that delicate form?

I remembered, by its tranquil grave,

And ravage that delicate, slender form?

ذَكَرْتُ بمضجَعِها المطمئنِّ

ذَكَرْتُ بمضجَعِها المطمئنِّ

ومرقَدِها في السَّفيرِ الجَفيفْ

ومرقَدِها في السَّفيرِ الجَفيفْ

I recalled, at her tranquil resting-place

My long-lost hopes,

I recalled, seeing its peaceful resting place,

And at her bed among the dry fallen leaves,

And their defeat in the fierce struggle.

Its bed among the dry and fallen leaves,

مصارعَ آماليَ الغابراتِ

مصارعَ آماليَ الغابراتِ

وخيْبَتَها في الصِّراعِ العَنيفْ

وخيْبَتَها في الصِّراعِ العَنيفْ

The deaths of my bygone hopes,

I turned my eyes to the flowers' sanctuary,

The graveyards where my bygone hopes lie dead,

And their failure in the violent struggle.

And raised them to the formidable sky,

And their defeat within the violent struggle.

فقلَّبتُ طَرْفي بمهْوى الزُّهُورِ

فقلَّبتُ طَرْفي بمهْوى الزُّهُورِ

وصعَّدته في الفضاءِ الأَسيفْ

وصعَّدته في الفضاءِ الأَسيفْ

So I swept my gaze over the place where the flowers had fallen,

And said, this is the universe, abode of beauty,

I cast my eyes around the flowers' grave,

And raised it into the sorrowful expanse.

But for every beauty there is an autumn.

Then raised them to the sorrow-laden skies,

وقلتُ هوَ الكونُ مَهْدُ الجمالِ

وقلتُ هوَ الكونُ مَهْدُ الجمالِ

ولكِنْ لكلِّ جمالٍ خَريفْ

ولكِنْ لكلِّ جمالٍ خَريفْ

And I said: It is the universe, beauty's cradle,

I fell silent, listening to the whisper of sorrow,

And said: "The cosmos is the cradle of beauty,

But every beauty has an autumn.

As a ponderous sadness enveloped my soul,

Yet unto every beauty comes an Autumn."

وأَطرقتُ أُصغي لهَمْسِ الأَسى

وأَطرقتُ أُصغي لهَمْسِ الأَسى

وقد غَشِيَ النفسَ هَمٌّ كَثيفْ

وقد غَشِيَ النفسَ هَمٌّ كَثيفْ

And I bowed my head, listening to sorrow's whisper,

And the splendor of daylight faded away,

I bowed my head to hear the whisper of grief,

While dense grief had shrouded my soul,

And the gloomy darkness of existence fell.

While heavy sorrow blanketed my soul,

وَغَاضَتْ ثُمالَةُ نورِ النَّهارِ

وَغَاضَتْ ثُمالَةُ نورِ النَّهارِ

وأَرْخى ظلامُ الوُجُودِ السُّجوفْ

وأَرْخى ظلامُ الوُجُودِ السُّجوفْ

And the last dregs of daylight ebbed away,

The final dregs of daylight drained away,

And the darkness of existence lowered its curtains.

And existence's darkness let down its heavy veils.