الشمسُthe sun تُشرقُrises وهيwhile she ناعسةٌdrowsy
الشمسُ تُشرقُ وهي ناعسةٌ
قدindeed شفَّshone through منfrom أجفانهاher eyelids الفرَحُjoy
قد شفَّ من أجفانها الفرَحُ
The sun rises while still drowsy,
The sun rises, drowsy,
joy already shining through her eyelids.
Joy has shone through her eyelids.
سالتflowed علىover الأصقاعِthe lands مائلةًslanting
سالت على الأصقاعِ مائلةً
كادتshe nearly علىupon الآفاقِthe horizons تنطرحُsprawls
كادت على الآفاقِ تنطرحُ
She streamed slantwise over the lands,
She flowed slantwise over the lands,
almost casting herself across the horizons.
Nearly sprawling upon the horizons.
منهاfrom her يسيلُstreams الضوءُthe light مرتعشًاtrembling
منها يسيلُ الضوءُ مرتعشًا
كالطفلِlike a child يضحكُlaughs حينَwhen يُمتدَحُis praised
كالطفلِ يضحكُ حينَ يُمتدَحُ
From her, the light flows trembling,
From her, the light streams, trembling,
laughing like a child when praised.
Like a child laughing when praised.
ياO (لندنُLondon) استوحَتْكِdrew inspiration from you قافيتيmy rhyme
يا (لندنُ) استوحَتْكِ قافيتي
ألديكِhave you وحيٌinspiration ثَمَّthere مقترَحُoffered؟
ألديكِ وحيٌ ثَمَّ مقترَحُ؟
O London, my rhyme drew inspiration from you;
O London, my rhyme drew inspiration from you.
have you an inspiration there, a suggestion,
Have you inspiration there to offer?
فأجوزَso I may cross للمعنىtoward the meaning البعيدِdistant إلىto
فأجوزَ للمعنى البعيدِ إلى
سرٍّa secret برغمٍin defiance عنكِof you يُفتضَحُis exposed
سرٍّ برغمٍ عنكِ يُفتضَحُ
so that I might pass, with the far-off meaning, toward
So I may cross toward distant meaning, to
a secret disclosed despite you?
A secret laid bare against your will.
مالتshe leaned بفتنتِهاwith her allure فملتُand I leaned لهاtoward her
مالت بفتنتِها فملتُ لها
أرأيتَhave you seen كيفَhow يُصفِّقُclaps القدحُthe goblet؟
أرأيتَ كيفَ يُصفِّقُ القدحُ؟
She inclined in her enchantment, and I inclined toward her—
She leaned alluringly, and I leaned toward her.
have you seen how the goblet applauds?
Have you seen how the goblet claps?
صبَّحتُهاI greeted her in the morning والعينُwhile the eye ظامئةٌthirsty
صبَّحتُها والعينُ ظامئةٌ
فتكادُso it almost تَشْرَقُchokes وَهْيَwhile it تَصطبِحُtakes a morning draught
فتكادُ تَشْرَقُ وَهْيَ تَصطبِحُ
I bade her good morning, while the eye was thirsty,
I greeted her in the morning, my eye thirsty;
and it nearly chokes as it drinks its morning draught.
So it almost chokes as it takes its morning draught.
ياO قلبُheart حسبكَenough for you حينwhen رؤيتهاseeing her
يا قلبُ حسبكَ حين رؤيتها
أغراكَlured you منهاfrom her الحسنُbeauty والمَلَحُand charms
أغراكَ منها الحسنُ والمَلَحُ
O heart, enough! When you saw her,
O heart, enough! At the sight of her,
her beauty and charm beguiled you.
Her beauty and charms lured you.
أغراكَlured you منهاfrom her (النهرُthe river) مغتسلًاbathing
أغراكَ منها (النهرُ) مغتسلًا
بالطينِin mud حتىuntil مسّهtouched it كَلَحُgrimness
بالطينِ حتى مسّه كَلَحُ
From her, the river beguiled you as it bathed
Was it her river that lured you, bathing
in mud, until grimness touched it.
In mud until grimness touched it,
أَمْor ساعةُclock الthe(بجBig بنBen) شاهدةًbearing witness
أَمْ ساعةُ ال(بج بن) شاهدةً
أنthat الزمانَtime بin(لندنٍLondon) لمحُa fleeting glance
أن الزمانَ ب(لندنٍ) لمحُ
Or was it the clock of “Big Ben,” bearing witness
Or Big Ben's clock, bearing witness
that time in London is but a fleeting glance?
That time in London is a fleeting glance?
عينايmy two eyes تتقدانblaze فيin حرجٍdistress
عيناي تتقدان في حرجٍ
منwho ليfor me بتقوىwith piety ليسnot تنجرحُis wounded
من لي بتقوى ليس تنجرحُ
My eyes blaze in embarrassment—
My eyes blaze in distress;
who can grant me a piety that does not get wounded
Who can grant me piety that is not wounded
منby كلِّevery فاتنةٍenchanting woman تمرُّpasses هناhere
من كلِّ فاتنةٍ تمرُّ هنا
وهناكand there يرفلُstruts حولهاaround her المرحُmerriment
وهناك يرفلُ حولها المرحُ
by every captivating woman who passes here,
By every enchanting woman passing here
while merriment struts around her here and there?
And there, while merriment struts around her?
وأغضُّand I lower طرفيmy gaze كيفhow ذاكthat وفيand in
وأغضُّ طرفي كيف ذاك وفي
مخيالهits imagination يغريentices بهwith it شبحُa phantom ؟!
مخياله يغري به شبحُ ؟!
And I lower my gaze—but how can that be, when
And I lower my gaze—how can that be, when in
in its imagination a phantom tempts it with her?!
Its imagination a phantom tempts it?!
ياO (لندنُLondon) استغفرتُI sought forgiveness واعيتيmy conscious mind
يا (لندنُ) استغفرتُ واعيتي
منfor غفلةٍheedlessness فيin إثرِهاits wake ترحُsorrow
من غفلةٍ في إثرِها ترحُ
O London, I begged my conscience's forgiveness
O London, I sought forgiveness from my conscious mind
for a heedlessness followed by sorrow.
For heedlessness with sorrow in its wake.
حسناءa beauty فيin شيخوخةٍold age لبستshe donned
حسناء في شيخوخةٍ لبست
ثوبَthe robe الصباof youth فيin لونِهِits color وَضَحُbrightness
ثوبَ الصبا في لونِهِ وَضَحُ
A beauty in old age, she has donned
A beauty in old age, she has donned
the garment of youth, radiant in its color.
Youth's robe, with brightness in its hue.
ربحَتْshe gained بنينَsons لأجلهاfor her sake فقأواgouged out
ربحَتْ بنينَ لأجلها فقأوا
عينَthe eye الصعابِof hardships وهمand they بهاthrough her ربحواprofited
عينَ الصعابِ وهم بها ربحوا
She gained sons who, for her sake, gouged out
She gained sons who, for her sake, gouged out
the eye of hardships—and through her they prospered.
Adversity's eye, and through her they prospered.
ساقواthey brought لهاto her الدنياthe world وماand never قصرتfell short
ساقوا لها الدنيا وما قصرت
باعٌreach لهاfor her الأفلاكُthe celestial spheres تنفتحُopen
باعٌ لها الأفلاكُ تنفتحُ
They brought her the world; her reach did not fall short—
They brought the world to her; never too short
the celestial spheres open for her.
Was her reach; the heavens open to her.
حطواthey laid علىupon كتفِthe shoulder الزمانof time يدًاa hand
حطوا على كتفِ الزمان يدًا
أترىdo you think يُقِرُّit acknowledges بغيرanything other than ماwhat سمحواthey allowed؟
أترى يُقِرُّ بغير ما سمحوا؟
They laid a hand upon Time's shoulder;
They laid a hand upon time's shoulder;
do you suppose it accepts anything but what they allowed?
Do you think it acknowledges anything but what they allowed?
ياO (لندنُLondon) الأيامُthe days عائدةٌreturning؟
يا (لندنُ) الأيامُ عائدةٌ؟
أمor مسّtouched دملَthe boil مجدِكِof your glory القرَحُulceration؟
أم مسّ دملَ مجدِكِ القرَحُ؟
O London, are the days returning?
O London, will the days return?
Or has ulceration touched the boil of your glory?
Or has ulceration touched the boil of your glory?
لندنLondon ١٠١٢٢٠٢١مCE
لندن ١٠١٢٢٠٢١م
London, 10122021 CE
London, 10/12/2021 CE
