كانواthey were هناhere, مرواthey passed through, بلrather ابتعدواthey went away,
كانوا هنا, مروا, بل ابتعدوا,
ماnot زلتI have ceased أسألI ask هلwhether هناhere أحدُanyone؟!
ما زلت أسأل هل هنا أحدُ؟!
They were here; they passed by—rather, they went far away.
They were here; they passed through—no, they went away.
I still ask: Is anyone here?!
I still ask: is anyone here?!
هلwhether ماnot يزالceases الوقتtime يثمرهمbears them as fruit؟!
هل ما يزال الوقت يثمرهم؟!
تلكthose الظلالthe shadows همُthey همُthey احتشدواthey gathered
تلك الظلال همُ همُ احتشدوا
Does time still bring them to fruition?!
Does time still bear them as fruit?!
Those shadows—it is they, they, gathered together.
Those shadows are they—they have gathered.
قدalready أنبأتنيinformed me الريحthe wind أنَّهمُthat they
قد أنبأتني الريح أنَّهمُ
تركواthey left الصدىthe echo عنديwith me وقدand already صعدواthey ascended
تركوا الصدى عندي وقد صعدوا
The wind has told me that they
The wind has told me that they
left the echo with me and ascended.
Left the echo with me and have ascended.
لاno نبعَspring رشَّفَgave sips to عابرينpassersby هناhere
لا نبعَ رشَّفَ عابرين هنا
كلاno indeed ويقطرand drips فيthrough المدىthe expanse كمدanguish
كلا ويقطر في المدى كمد
No spring gave passing travelers sips here—
No spring gave passersby sips here.
no indeed; it drips sorrow through the distance.
No indeed—and anguish drips through the expanse.
ظمآنthirsty أوقفنيhalted me الحنينlonging علىat
ظمآن أوقفني الحنين على
ذكرىa memory بهاin it الأشواقyearnings تبتردgrow cool
ذكرى بها الأشواق تبترد
Thirsting, I was halted by longing before
Thirsty, I was halted by longing at
a memory in which yearnings cool themselves.
A memory where yearnings cool themselves.
قفْstand حيثُwhere نقشُthe imprint خطًاfootsteps مبللةٍmoistened
قفْ حيثُ نقشُ خطًا مبللةٍ
بالأمسِwith yesterday يحرسُguards صمتَهاtheir silence الأبدُeternity
بالأمسِ يحرسُ صمتَها الأبدُ
Stop where the trace of rain-wet footsteps
Stand where footsteps lie imprinted, wet
from yesterday has its silence guarded by eternity.
With yesterday; eternity guards their silence.
خُرْسٌmute هناhere الأشباحُthe ghosts متعَبةٌweary
خُرْسٌ هنا الأشباحُ متعَبةٌ
وإلىand against ضبابٍa mist ينحنيbends استندواthey leaned
وإلى ضبابٍ ينحني استندوا
Mute here, the ghosts are weary;
Mute here are the weary ghosts,
they leaned upon a bending bank of mist.
And against a bending mist they leaned.
إلاexcept قطاةًa sandgrouse رعتُI startled غفلتهاits unwariness
إلا قطاةً رعتُ غفلتها
أرأيتَdid you see?؟ فرَّتit fled وهيwhile it ترتعدtrembles
أرأيتَ؟ فرَّت وهي ترتعد
Except for a sandgrouse whose unwariness I watched over—
Except a sandgrouse I startled in its unwariness.
Did you see? She fled, trembling.
Did you see? It fled, trembling.
أقطاةُO sandgrouse لستI am not أناI وإنّand indeed صِبًاyouthfulness
أقطاةُ لست أنا وإنّ صِبًا
أغواكِbeguiled you قدalready أسرىcarried away by night بهwith it الأمدtime
أغواكِ قد أسرى به الأمد
O sandgrouse, I am not one—though a youthful passion
O sandgrouse, it is not I; indeed, the youthfulness
that beguiled you has been borne away by time.
That beguiled you—time has borne it away by night.
لهوُplay الطفولةchildhood خمرُwine داليةa grapevine
لهوُ الطفولة خمرُ دالية
ماnot انفكhas ceased يثملنيit intoxicates me بهاwith it زبدfoam
ما انفك يثملني بها زبد
Childhood play is the wine of a grapevine;
Childhood's play is wine from a grapevine;
its froth has never ceased intoxicating me.
Its foam has never ceased to intoxicate me.
أهرقتُI poured away أكؤسهاits cups معتقةaged
أهرقتُ أكؤسها معتقة
لماwhen صحاawoke sober منfrom سكرةdrunkenness رشدgood sense
لما صحا من سكرة رشد
I poured out its well-aged cups
I poured away its cups of aged wine
when good sense awoke from intoxication.
When reason awoke from drunkenness.
ياO أمسyesterday منfrom (رزنامةa calendar) صمتتfell silent
يا أمس من (رزنامة) صمتت
إلاexcept صدىan echo فيin الحلمthe dream يتَّقِدblazes
إلا صدى في الحلم يتَّقِد
O yesterday, from a calendar that fell silent
O yesterday, from a calendar fallen silent
except for an echo kindling in the dream,
Save for an echo blazing in the dream,
إلاexcept بقاياremnants منof ذمارa cherished trust هوىlove
إلا بقايا من ذمار هوى
كالعِلْقlike a precious treasure غالىpaid extravagantly فيهfor it مقتصدa frugal man
كالعِلْق غالى فيه مقتصد
except for remnants of a passion’s sacred charge,
Save for remnants of love's cherished trust,
like a precious treasure on which the sparing man lavished all.
Like a treasure for which a frugal man paid dearly.
طفْcircle بيwith me علىaround أكنافenvirons وادعةtranquil،
طفْ بي على أكناف وادعة،
كهلاmiddle-aged أعودُI return إليكto you ياO بلدُhomeland
كهلا أعودُ إليك يا بلدُ
Take me around tranquil precincts;
Take me round the tranquil environs;
an old man, I return to you, O town.
A middle-aged man, I return to you, O homeland.
للذكرياتfor the memories الواثباتleaping forth ضحىat midmorning
للذكريات الواثبات ضحى
أنىwherever التفتI turn فثمthen there ليfor me رصدan ambush
أنى التفت فثم لي رصد
For the memories that leap forth at daybreak—
The memories that leap up at midmorning—
wherever I turn, there is a watcher for me.
Wherever I turn, they lie in wait for me.
وعلىand over الثغاءthe bleating تعيدreplays ذاكرةٌmemory
وعلى الثغاء تعيد ذاكرةٌ
أصداءَthe echoes ضحكتناour laughter فتحتشدso they throng
أصداءَ ضحكتنا فتحتشد
And over the bleating, a memory restores
And over the bleating, memory replays
the echoes of our laughter, and they gather.
The echoes of our laughter, and they throng.
ونشدand we pull taut خيطthe thread الفجرdawn منfrom سَحَرٍa predawn hour
ونشد خيط الفجر من سَحَرٍ
ماnot زالhas ceased فيهin it الضوءthe light ينعقدknots itself
ما زال فيه الضوء ينعقد
We would seek a thread of dawn from a predawn hour
And we pull taut dawn's thread from a predawn hour
in which the light is still being woven.
In which the light is still knotting itself.
كناwe used to نزرِّرُbutton up بالنجومwith stars منًىwishes
كنا نزرِّرُ بالنجوم منًى
ليحلَّهاso it may unfasten them ملءَfilling الصباحthe morning غدtomorrow
ليحلَّها ملءَ الصباح غد
We used to button wishes with the stars
We used to button up wishes with stars,
for tomorrow to undo them across the whole morning.
For tomorrow to unfasten them, filling the morning.
الليلnight وحشٌa beast غيرَexcept أنthat يداa hand
الليل وحشٌ غيرَ أن يدا
بالأمنwith safety تفدىmay it be ransomed بيwith me ليَfor me السندthe support
بالأمن تفدى بي ليَ السند
Night is a beast, except that a hand,
Night is a beast, yet a hand
ransoming me with safety, is my support.
Brings safety—may I be its ransom—and is my support.
وكأنَّand as though قنديلًاa lamp يطشُّsprays سنًىradiance
وكأنَّ قنديلًا يطشُّ سنًى
إنif حدَّثتْنيshe spoke to me فالدجىthen the darkness بددin shreds
إن حدَّثتْني فالدجى بدد
It is as though a lantern were sprinkling radiance;
And as though a lamp were spraying radiance,
if she spoke to me, the darkness scattered.
If she spoke to me, the darkness was in shreds.
فغفوتُso I dozed حتىuntil خلتنيI imagined myself هدبًاan eyelash
فغفوتُ حتى خلتني هدبًا
فيin مقلتيهاher two eyes فالذيfor the one who ... ولدa child
في مقلتيها فالذي ... ولد
So I dozed until I imagined myself an eyelash
So I dozed until I imagined myself an eyelash
in her two eyes; and then what ... was born.
In her eyes; for the one who ... is a child.
أغفوI doze ولمand has not تبرحshe ceased تهدهدُنيshe rocks me
أغفو ولم تبرح تهدهدُني
فالكلfor everyone إلاexcept ... للكرىto slumber خلدواthey surrendered
فالكل إلا ... للكرى خلدوا
I sleep, while she has never ceased rocking me;
I doze, and she has not ceased to rock me;
all except ... have entered everlasting sleep.
For all except ... had surrendered to slumber.
ياO قريتيmy village ياO فجرَdawn أمنيتيmy wish
يا قريتي يا فجرَ أمنيتي
ياO كحلَkohl عينيmy eye مسنيtouched me الرمدeye inflammation
يا كحلَ عيني مسني الرمد
O my village, O dawn of my desire,
O my village, O dawn of my wish,
O kohl of my eye—the inflammation has touched me.
O kohl of my eye, sore eyes have afflicted me.
ياO نخلةًa palm tree فيon الجرفthe riverbank حالمةًdreaming
يا نخلةً في الجرف حالمةً
أنthat يستريحmight rest بظلهاin its shade رأَدa tender youth
أن يستريح بظلها رأَد
O palm tree upon the riverbank, dreaming
O palm tree, dreaming on the riverbank
that a tender youth might rest in her shade.
That a tender youth might rest in its shade.
سعفاتهاits fronds كجفونlike the eyelids ثاكلةa bereaved mother
سعفاتها كجفون ثاكلة
أخنىwrought ruin عليهاupon her الحزنgrief والسهدand sleeplessness
أخنى عليها الحزن والسهد
Her palm fronds are like the eyelids of a bereaved woman;
Its fronds are like the eyelids of a bereaved mother,
grief and sleeplessness have ravaged her.
Ravaged by sorrow and sleeplessness.
هاbehold إننيindeed I قدalready جئتI have come يعثرmakes stumble بيme
ها إنني قد جئت يعثر بي
ضعفيmy weakness وتسندُنيand steadies me إليكِtoward you يدa hand
ضعفي وتسندُني إليكِ يد
Here I am: I have come, my weakness stumbling with me,
Here I am; I have come, stumbling because of
while a hand supports me toward you.
My weakness, while a hand steadies me toward you.
منfrom قبلbefore خمسينfifty افتقدتُI lost رؤًىvisions
من قبل خمسين افتقدتُ رؤًى
وانحلَّand unraveled فيin ترتيبهاtheir ordering العددthe count
وانحلَّ في ترتيبها العدد
Fifty [years] ago, I lost visions,
Fifty years ago, I lost visions,
and the number came undone in their ordering.
And the count unraveled in their ordering.
وانحلَّand unraveled حبلٌa cord خلتُI thought عقدتهits knot
وانحلَّ حبلٌ خلتُ عقدته
حفظتْhad kept لموعودfor one given a promise بماin what تعدit promises
حفظتْ لموعود بما تعد
And a rope came undone whose knot, I thought,
And a cord came undone whose knot I thought
had kept for the one promised what it promises.
Had honored its promise to the one it was made to.
أمسكتُI grasped أهدابthe fringes الدخانsmoke وقدhaving already
أمسكتُ أهداب الدخان وقد
أبصرتُI saw أشباحًاghosts بهwith it اتحدواthey became one
أبصرتُ أشباحًا به اتحدوا
I grasped the lashes of the smoke, and already
I grasped the fringes of smoke, having
I had seen ghosts united within it.
Seen ghosts become one with it.
ورجعتُand I returned أشحذُI sharpen سيفَthe sword ذاكرتيmy memory
ورجعتُ أشحذُ سيفَ ذاكرتي
لأقدَّto cleave نسيانًاforgetfulness وبيand within me حَرَدُanger
لأقدَّ نسيانًا وبي حَرَدُ
I returned to sharpen the sword of my memory
And I went back to sharpening my memory's sword,
to cleave oblivion, anger burning within me.
To cleave forgetfulness, anger within me.
ياO أمسyesterday ياO حلماa dream نصبتI laid لهfor it
يا أمس يا حلما نصبت له
فخًّاa snare لأدركَهto catch it فيبتعدُyet it recedes
فخًّا لأدركَه فيبتعدُ
O yesterday, O dream for which I set
O yesterday, O dream for which I laid
a snare so I might catch it—yet it recedes.
A snare, to catch it—yet it recedes.
ماذاwhat بقيْremains منof غصنthe branch داليتيmy grapevine
ماذا بقيْ من غصن داليتي
ليعودso it may return عصفورٌa sparrow لهاto it غردwarbling ؟
ليعود عصفورٌ لها غرد ؟
What remains of my vine’s branch
What remains of my grapevine's branch
for a bird that sang upon it to return?
For a warbling sparrow to return to it?
ليميطto remove عنfrom أترابهits peers غبشًاhaze
ليميط عن أترابه غبشًا
فهمfor they هناكthere هناكthere قدalready رقدواthey have lain asleep ؟
فهم هناك هناك قد رقدوا ؟
That it might clear a haze from its peers—
To lift the haze from its peers,
for they are there, there, and have lain down?
For there, there they have lain asleep?
