قَضَيْتُ أَدوارَ الحَيَاةِ مُفَكِّراً

قَضَيْتُ أَدوارَ الحَيَاةِ مُفَكِّراً

في الكَائِناتِ مُعَذَّباً مَهْمُوما

في الكَائِناتِ مُعَذَّباً مَهْمُوما

I spent life's stages reflecting

I spent the cycles of my life in deep contemplation,

on all creation, tormented and careworn.

Of all creation, tormented and oppressed.

فَوَجَدْتُ أَعراسَ الوُجُود مآتِماً

فَوَجَدْتُ أَعراسَ الوُجُود مآتِماً

ووجدْتُ فِرْدَوْسَ الزَّمانِ جَحِيما

ووجدْتُ فِرْدَوْسَ الزَّمانِ جَحِيما

So I found existence's weddings were mourning rites,

I found the weddings of existence to be funerals,

and found time's paradise a hell.

And found the paradise of time a living hell.

تدوي مَخَارِمُهُ بضَجَّةِ صَرْصَرٍ

تدوي مَخَارِمُهُ بضَجَّةِ صَرْصَرٍ

مشبوبةٍ تَذَرُ الجِبالَ هَشِيما

مشبوبةٍ تَذَرُ الجِبالَ هَشِيما

Its mountain passes echo with the roar of a howling gale,

Its passes thunder with the clamor of a gale,

raging, leaving the mountains as dry stubble.

A raging storm that grinds the mountains into dust.

وحَضَرْتُ مائدَةَ الحَيَاةِ فلمْ أَجِدْ

وحَضَرْتُ مائدَةَ الحَيَاةِ فلمْ أَجِدْ

إلاَّ شراباً آجِناً مَسْمُوما

إلاَّ شراباً آجِناً مَسْمُوما

And I came to life's table, but found

I took my seat at life's great banquet, yet found nought,

nothing but a stagnant, poisoned drink.

Save for a potion, foul and laced with poison.

ونَفَضْتُ أَعماقَ الفَضَاءِ فلمْ أَجِدْ

ونَفَضْتُ أَعماقَ الفَضَاءِ فلمْ أَجِدْ

إلاَّ سُكوناً مُتعَباً مَحْمُوما

إلاَّ سُكوناً مُتعَباً مَحْمُوما

And I scoured the depths of space, but found

I shook the depths of empty space, yet only found,

nothing but a weary, fevered stillness.

A stillness weary, feverish, and vast.

تتبخَّرُ الأَعمارُ في جَنَباتِهِ

تتبخَّرُ الأَعمارُ في جَنَباتِهِ

وتَمُوتُ أَشواقُ النُّفوسِ وُجُوما

وتَمُوتُ أَشواقُ النُّفوسِ وُجُوما

Lifetimes evaporate within its reaches,

Where lifetimes dissipate like vapor in its void,

and souls' longings die in grief-stricken silence.

And longings of the soul die out in silent gloom.

ولَمَسْتُ أَوتارَ الدُّهُورِ فلمْ تُفِضْ

ولَمَسْتُ أَوتارَ الدُّهُورِ فلمْ تُفِضْ

إلاَّ أَنيناً دامياً مَكْلُوما

إلاَّ أَنيناً دامياً مَكْلُوما

And I touched the strings of the ages, but they yielded

I touched the strings of timeless eons, yet they poured,

nothing but a bleeding, wounded moan,

Nothing but groans, bloody and deep with wounds.

يَتْلو أَقاصيصَ التَّعاسَةِ والأَسى

يَتْلو أَقاصيصَ التَّعاسَةِ والأَسى

ويُصِيرُ أَفراحَ الحَيَاةِ هُمُوما

ويُصِيرُ أَفراحَ الحَيَاةِ هُمُوما

reciting tales of misery and sorrow,

Reciting tales of misery and sorrow's plight,

and turning life's joys into woes.

Turning the joys of life to heavy, anxious cares.

شُرِّدْتُ عن وَطَني الجميل أَنا الشَّقِ

شُرِّدْتُ عن وَطَني الجميل أَنا الشَّقِ

يُّ فَعِشْتُ مَشْطورَ الفؤادِ يتيما

يُّ فَعِشْتُ مَشْطورَ الفؤادِ يتيما

I was driven from my beautiful homeland—I, the wretched one—

I was cast out from my fair home—I, the wretched one—

so I lived an orphan, my heart split in two,

And lived an orphan, with a heart cleft in two.

في غُربةٍ رُوحيَّةٍ مَلْعُونةٍ

في غُربةٍ رُوحيَّةٍ مَلْعُونةٍ

أَشواقُها تَقْضي عِطاشاً هِيما

أَشواقُها تَقْضي عِطاشاً هِيما

in an accursed exile of the spirit,

Within a cursed exile of the spirit's realm,

whose longings perish, parched and thirst-maddened.

Where longings perish, wandering and athirst.

يا غُربَةَ الرُّوحِ المُفَكِّر إنَّهُ

يا غُربَةَ الرُّوحِ المُفَكِّر إنَّهُ

في النَّاسِ يحيا سَائماً مَسْؤُوما

في النَّاسِ يحيا سَائماً مَسْؤُوما

O exile of the thinking spirit! Indeed, it

O alienation of the thinking soul! For it

lives among people, weary and wearisome.

Lives among men in weariness and loathing.

شُرِّدْتُ للدُّنيا وكُلٌّ تائهٌ

شُرِّدْتُ للدُّنيا وكُلٌّ تائهٌ

فيها يُرَوِّعُ راحلاً ومقيما

فيها يُرَوِّعُ راحلاً ومقيما

I was driven into the world, and everyone is lost

I was cast out into the world where all are lost,

within it, terrifying traveler and dweller alike.

Where terror strikes the traveler and those who stay.

يدعو الحَيَاةَ فلا يُجيبُ سِوَى الرَّدى

يدعو الحَيَاةَ فلا يُجيبُ سِوَى الرَّدى

ليدُسُّهُ تَحْتَ التُّرابِ رَميما

ليدُسُّهُ تَحْتَ التُّرابِ رَميما

He calls to life, but only death replies,

He calls to Life, but only Death replies to him,

to bury him beneath the dust as crumbling remains.

To thrust him deep beneath the dust, decayed and old.

وتِظِلُّ سَائِرةً كأنَّ فقيدها

وتِظِلُّ سَائِرةً كأنَّ فقيدها

مَا كانَ يوماً صاحباً وحميما

مَا كانَ يوماً صاحباً وحميما

And life goes on, as though the one it lost

And life marches onward, as if he who is lost,

had never been a companion and a dear friend.

Had never been a comrade or an intimate friend.

يا أَيُّها السَّاري لقد طالَ السُّرى

يا أَيُّها السَّاري لقد طالَ السُّرى

حَتَّام تَرْقُبُ في الظَّلامِ نُجُوما

حَتَّام تَرْقُبُ في الظَّلامِ نُجُوما

O night traveler, the night journey has indeed grown long;

O traveler by night, your journey has grown long,

how long will you watch for stars in the darkness?

How long will you seek stars within the dark abyss?

أَتَخَالُ في الوادي البعيدِ المرتَجَى

أَتَخَالُ في الوادي البعيدِ المرتَجَى

هيهاتَ لنْ تَلْقَى هناكَ مَرُوما

هيهاتَ لنْ تَلْقَى هناكَ مَرُوما

Do you imagine the distant valley holds what you hope for?

Do you imagine hope lies in that distant vale?

Far from it! You will find nothing you seek there.

Alas! You will not find what you desire there.

سرْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ فَسَوْفَ تُلفِي مثلما

سرْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ فَسَوْفَ تُلفِي مثلما

خلَّفتَ مَمشُوقَ الغُصونِ حَطيما

خلَّفتَ مَمشُوقَ الغُصونِ حَطيما

Go as far as you can; you will find, just as

Walk on as you are able, for you shall only find,

you left it, the slender-boughed tree shattered.

Just what you left behind: the slender bough, now broken.