سبرت حَياة الناس حَتّى كأَنَّني

سبرت حَياة الناس حَتّى كأَنَّني

وكل فَتى فوق الثَرى توامان

وكل فَتى فوق الثَرى توامان

I probed people's lives until it seemed that I

I probed people's lives until it was as if

and every young man upon the earth were twins.

Each young man above the earth was my twin

فادركت ان العيش سر مطلسهم

فادركت ان العيش سر مطلسهم

وَتفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

So I realized that life is an enigmatic secret,

So I realized that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

رايت الفَتى في المَهد يَبكي إِذا رأى

رايت الفَتى في المَهد يَبكي إِذا رأى

غلاما عَلى ساقيه يَزهو وَيطرب

غلاما عَلى ساقيه يَزهو وَيطرب

I saw the child in his cradle weep when he saw

I saw the baby crying in the cradle when he saw

a boy on his own two legs, proud and merry.

A boy on his legs exulting and delighting

وَعاينت هَذا يذرف الدمع عندما

وَعاينت هَذا يذرف الدمع عندما

يَرى غيره يَجري ببطء وَيَلعَب

يَرى غيره يَجري ببطء وَيَلعَب

And I witnessed this one shedding tears when

And I saw this one shedding tears when

he saw someone else running slowly and playing.

He sees another running slowly and playing

وَهَذا يسب الحظ سبا إِذا رأى

وَهَذا يسب الحظ سبا إِذا رأى

رجالا يَرى من دونهم يتعذب

رجالا يَرى من دونهم يتعذب

And this one bitterly cursed his lot when he saw

And this one curses fate bitterly when he sees

men, suffering as he saw himself beneath them.

A man suffering without them

ولما تاملت المَدامع كلها

ولما تاملت المَدامع كلها

وَحللت ما جادَت بِهِ من معان

وَحللت ما جادَت بِهِ من معان

And when I pondered all the weeping eyes

And when I contemplated all the tears

and analyzed the meanings they had bestowed,

And analyzed what they poured with meanings

علمت بان العيش سر مطلسم

علمت بان العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

I learned that life is an enigmatic secret,

I learned that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

ارى طفلة في حضن ام ولوعة

ارى طفلة في حضن ام ولوعة

بها وَهيَ في تَقبيلها تَتَنوع

بها وَهيَ في تَقبيلها تَتَنوع

I see a little girl in the arms of a mother deeply devoted

I see a girl in her mother's lap, craving

to her, varying the ways she kisses her.

Her, and she varies in kissing her

تُحاوِل أَن تجني ثمار نشاطها

تُحاوِل أَن تجني ثمار نشاطها

بكل قواها وَهيَ في الوقت تزرع

بكل قواها وَهيَ في الوقت تزرع

She tries to reap the fruits of her efforts

She tries to reap the fruits of her vitality

with all her strength, even while she is sowing.

With all her strength while planting at the time

وَتَرمي الى تَوديعها لعريسها

وَتَرمي الى تَوديعها لعريسها

إِذا لَم يَكن من بعد هو المودع

إِذا لَم يَكن من بعد هو المودع

And she hopes to send her off to her bridegroom,

And she hopes to bid farewell to her groom

if he is not later the one bid farewell.

If after that he is not the one bidding farewell

هناك تعلمت المحبة وَالرَجا

هناك تعلمت المحبة وَالرَجا

وَأَدركت أَني قَد عرفت زَماني

وَأَدركت أَني قَد عرفت زَماني

There I learned love and hope,

There I learned of love and hope

and realized that I had come to know my time.

And I realized that I had known my time

وَقلت بأن العيش سر مطلسم

وَقلت بأن العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

And I said that life is an enigmatic secret,

And I said that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

يطالبنا بالقوت فاقد قوته

يطالبنا بالقوت فاقد قوته

وَبالبرنس البالي فَريسة كانون

وَبالبرنس البالي فَريسة كانون

One lacking sustenance demands food from us,

It demands food from us, losing its food

and Kanun's prey demands a threadbare burnous.

And the shabby prince a prey of December

وَيجهد كل نفسه لحصوله

وَيجهد كل نفسه لحصوله

عَلى غاية كل بها خير مفتون

عَلى غاية كل بها خير مفتون

And each exhausts himself to obtain

And every soul strives

a goal, each captivated by the good it holds.

To get the purpose which all enchanted with good are obsessed

وَلولا التمني ما استطاعا تغلبا

وَلولا التمني ما استطاعا تغلبا

عَلى سطوة الايام في الموضع الدون

عَلى سطوة الايام في الموضع الدون

And without wishing, the two could not have prevailed

And were it not for wishing they would not have been able

over the tyranny of the days in their lowly station.

To overcome the tyranny of days in the lowly place

وَلما دنا الاثنان مني جعلت من

وَلما دنا الاثنان مني جعلت من

مَكانيهما بين الانام مَكاني

مَكانيهما بين الانام مَكاني

And when the two drew near to me, I made

And when the two approached me I made my

their stations among humankind my own.

Place between people my place

وَأَيقنت أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

وَأَيقنت أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

And I became certain that life is an enigmatic secret,

And I was certain that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

يَعود الطَبيب الدار وَهيَ كَئيبة

يَعود الطَبيب الدار وَهيَ كَئيبة

إِلى علة الساعي لها بِحَياتها

إِلى علة الساعي لها بِحَياتها

The doctor visits the house while it is sorrowful,

The doctor returns home and she is gloomy

to tend the illness of the one who strives to sustain its life.

To the condition of the one seeking her life for her

وَيشخص وجه الام ينضب لونه

وَيشخص وجه الام ينضب لونه

وَحدث عَلى أَولادها وَبَناتها

وَحدث عَلى أَولادها وَبَناتها

And the mother's face grows rigid, its color draining away,

And the mother's face turns pale, its color drains

and calamity falls upon her sons and daughters.

And grieved for her sons and daughters

وَلَولا الاماني ما راينا تجلدا

وَلَولا الاماني ما راينا تجلدا

أَرانا رسوخا في العَقيدة ذاتها

أَرانا رسوخا في العَقيدة ذاتها

And without wishes, we would not have seen such fortitude,

And were it not for wishes we would not have seen endurance

showing us steadfastness in conviction itself.

That showed us firmness in the same creed

وَعلمني سر الحَياة شخوصهم

وَعلمني سر الحَياة شخوصهم

له وَهُوَ فيما قَد دَهاه يُعاني

له وَهُوَ فيما قَد دَهاه يُعاني

And their fixed gazes taught me life's secret,

And their deterioration taught me the secret of life

trained upon him as he suffered what had befallen him.

For it and he is suffering from what misled him

فحققت أَن العيش سر مطلسم

فحققت أَن العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

So I ascertained that life is an enigmatic secret,

So I realized that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

تَرى أمة بالشرق وَهيَ فَريسة

تَرى أمة بالشرق وَهيَ فَريسة

شَقيقاتها تدمي القلوب قيودها

شَقيقاتها تدمي القلوب قيودها

You see a nation in the East, prey

You see a nation in the East taken prey

to her sisters; her chains make hearts bleed.

By its sisters, shackling hearts in its shackles

فَتَمضي مع الآمال للغاية الَّتي

فَتَمضي مع الآمال للغاية الَّتي

تَراها إِلى عيش الوئام تَقودها

تَراها إِلى عيش الوئام تَقودها

So she proceeds with hopes toward the goal that

So it goes on with hopes to the goal it

she sees leading her to a life of harmony.

Sees leading it to live in harmony

وَتندب كل حظ أخرى وَتَرتَجي

وَتندب كل حظ أخرى وَتَرتَجي

اليها خلاصا يوم تقوى جهودها

اليها خلاصا يوم تقوى جهودها

And each laments another's lot, and hopes

And it laments every luck of another and hopes

for deliverance to reach her when her efforts grow strong.

For salvation from it the day its efforts strengthen

اليسَ الولا يملي علينا أن ارفعوا

اليسَ الولا يملي علينا أن ارفعوا

حجاب توانيكم بغير تواني

حجاب توانيكم بغير تواني

Does not loyalty dictate to us, 'Lift

Does not the first dictate to us to raise

the veil of your slackness without slackening'?

The veil of your hesitance without hesitance?

أَلَم يمل أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

أَلَم يمل أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

Has it not dictated that life is an enigmatic secret,

Did it not dictate that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes?

And its interpretation is that life is wishes

أَتَيت بقنديلي وَأَظهرت نوره

أَتَيت بقنديلي وَأَظهرت نوره

إِلى كل من يَشكو إِلى ظلاما

إِلى كل من يَشكو إِلى ظلاما

I came with my lamp and showed its light

I came with my lantern and showed its light

to everyone who complained of darkness.

To everyone complaining of darkness

فاغمض كل عينه وَتحولوا

فاغمض كل عينه وَتحولوا

وَقالوا علاما الانتباه عَلاما

وَقالوا علاما الانتباه عَلاما

Then each shut his eye, and they turned away,

But they all closed their eyes and turned

and said, 'Why awaken? Why?'

And said, why pay attention, why?

فأطفأت قَنديلي وَأَبقيت عندهم

فأطفأت قَنديلي وَأَبقيت عندهم

ثباتي إلى يوم أعيد الكَلاما

ثباتي إلى يوم أعيد الكَلاما

So I extinguished my lamp and kept among them

So I put out my lantern and stayed with them

my steadfastness, until a day when I would repeat the words.

Steadfast until the day I repeat the talk

وَلما رأيت الناس في لَيلهم وَقَد

وَلما رأيت الناس في لَيلهم وَقَد

خلوت بِنَفسي في الظَلام ثَواني

خلوت بِنَفسي في الظَلام ثَواني

And when I saw people in their night, and had

And when I saw people in their night and I

been alone with myself in the darkness for a few seconds,

Had been alone with myself for a while

تيقنت أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

تيقنت أَنَّ العيش سر مطلسم

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

وَتَفسيره ان الحَياة أَماني

I became certain that life is an enigmatic secret,

I was certain that living is their secret charm

and its explanation is that life consists of wishes.

And its interpretation is that life is wishes