قِفْstop قليلاًa little while أَيُّهاO السَّارِيthe night traveler القَمَرْthe moon
قِفْ قليلاً أَيُّها السَّارِي القَمَرْ
واصْطَبرْand be patient
واصْطَبرْ
Pause a little, O moon traveling by night,
Stop for a moment, O wandering moon
Pause awhile, O traveling Moon,
And be patient,
And be patient,
And be patient,
يَاO سَمِيريmy nighttime companion فيin أُوَيْقاتِbrief moments الكَدَرْgloom
يَا سَمِيري في أُوَيْقاتِ الكَدَرْ
والضَّجَرْand tedium
والضَّجَرْ
O my nighttime companion in brief moments of gloom
O my companion in times of distress
O my companion in the moments of gloom,
And tedium.
And boredom,
And weariness,
واسقِنيand give me a drink مِنْfrom جَدْوَلِthe stream النُّورِlight البَديعْwondrous
واسقِني مِنْ جَدْوَلِ النُّورِ البَديعْ
قَدَحَاa cup
قَدَحَا
And pour me, from the stream of wondrous light,
And give me a drink from the spring of beautiful light
And pour me from the stream of wondrous light,
A cup,
A draught,
A brimming cup,
عَلَّنيperhaps I may أَفْهَمَunderstand هَيْنُومَmurmuring الرَّبيعْspring
عَلَّني أَفْهَمَ هَيْنُومَ الرَّبيعْ
إِنْif صَحَاit awakens
إِنْ صَحَا
Perhaps I may understand spring's murmuring,
That I may understand the euphoria of spring
That I might understand the murmur of Spring,
If it awakens.
If it returns,
If it awakes,
كَمْhow many فُؤادٍa heart إذْwhen تَوَلَّتْهُovertook it الشُّجُونْsorrows
كَمْ فُؤادٍ إذْ تَوَلَّتْهُ الشُّجُونْ
والهمومْand cares
والهمومْ
How many a heart, when sorrows overtook it
How many a heart has anguish
How many a heart, when seized by grief,
And cares,
And worries twisted,
And heavy cares,
بُثَّconfided to أَسْلاكَكَyour threads والدَّمْعُand tears هَتُونْstreaming
بُثَّ أَسْلاكَكَ والدَّمْعُ هَتُونْ
مَاwhat يرومْit seeks
مَا يرومْ
Confided to your threads, while tears streamed,
Then poured out your tears while grieving
Sends forth its threads while tears pour down,
What it longed for!
With no hope of healing,
For what it seeks,
إِنْif تَكُنْyou are تَضْحَكُlaughing سُخْراًmockingly بالبَشَرْat humankind
إِنْ تَكُنْ تَضْحَكُ سُخْراً بالبَشَرْ
يَاO قَمَرْmoon
يَا قَمَرْ
If you laugh in mockery at humankind,
If you laugh mockingly at mortals,
If you are laughing in scorn at mankind,
O moon,
O moon,
O silver Moon,
فَلَكَمْfor how often أَحْزَنَكَsaddened you الدَّهْرُtime الخَطِرْperilous
فَلَكَمْ أَحْزَنَكَ الدَّهْرُ الخَطِرْ
بالنُّكُرْwith calamities
بالنُّكُرْ
For how often perilous Time has saddened you
Then how often has time wounded you
How often has perilous Time saddened you,
With calamities!
With disregard,
With unknown woes,
أَيُّهاO القامُوسُocean ياO صَوْتَvoice الحَيَاةْlife
أَيُّها القامُوسُ يا صَوْتَ الحَيَاةْ
وصَدَاهَاand its echo
وصَدَاهَا
O ocean, O voice of life,
O dictionary, O voice of life,
O vast Ocean, O voice of Life,
And its echo,
And its echo,
And its echo,
وأَغانيهاand its songs العِذابَsweet الشَّادِياتْsinging
وأَغانيها العِذابَ الشَّادِياتْ
وَنَدَاهَاand its dew
وَنَدَاهَا
And its sweet, singing songs,
And its songs of enduring torment
And its sweet songs, chanting melodiously,
And its dew,
And its call,
And its bounty,
مَاwhat لأَمْواجِكَwith your waves يُطْغِيهَاmakes them unruly الغُرورْpride
مَا لأَمْواجِكَ يُطْغِيهَا الغُرورْ
فَتَثُورso they rage
فَتَثُور
What ails your waves, that pride drives them wild,
Why do your waves surge with arrogance
Why are your waves overwhelmed by pride,
So they rage,
Then crash
So they revolt,
ثُمَّthen تَأْويthey seek refuge نحوَtoward هاتيكَthose الصُّخُورْrocks
ثُمَّ تَأْوي نحوَ هاتيكَ الصُّخُورْ
كَالكَسيرْlike one broken
كَالكَسيرْ
Then seek refuge by those rocks,
Against those rocks
Then seek shelter against those rocks,
Like one broken?
Like the frail?
Like the broken,
أَتُراهاdo you think they تَذْكُرَremember الأَمْسَyesterday الجَمِيلْbeautiful
أَتُراها تَذْكُرَ الأَمْسَ الجَمِيلْ
وَسَلامَهْand its peace
وَسَلامَهْ
Do you think they remember the lovely yesterday
Do you remember that beautiful yesterday,
Do they appear to recall the beautiful yesterday,
And its peace,
And its peace?
And its peace,
فَتُحَيِّيso they salute ذَلِكَthat المَجْدَglory النَّبِيلْnoble
فَتُحَيِّي ذَلِكَ المَجْدَ النَّبِيلْ
بِابتِسَامَهْwith a smile
بِابتِسَامَهْ
So they salute that noble glory
Do you greet that noble glory
So they salute that noble glory,
With a smile,
With a smile?
With a smile,
وَتُغَنِّيand they sing ثمَّthen لاnot تَلْبَثُthey linger أَنْthat
وَتُغَنِّي ثمَّ لا تَلْبَثُ أَنْ
تَحْتَوِيهاengulfs them
تَحْتَوِيها
And sing—then, before long,
And sing, but soon
And they sing, yet soon enough,
They are engulfed
Swallow it down,
They are engulfed,
لَوْعَةُanguish اليَوْمِtoday فَتَبْكِيso they weep وَتَئِنُّand they moan
لَوْعَةُ اليَوْمِ فَتَبْكِي وَتَئِنُّ
لِشَقَاهَاbecause of their misery
لِشَقَاهَا
By today's anguish, so they weep and moan
The anguish of today makes you weep and moan
By the anguish of the day, so they weep and moan,
Over their misery?
For your misery.
For their misery