يا غابَ بولونَ وَلي

يا غابَ بولونَ وَلي

ذِمَمٌ عَلَيكَ وَلي عُهود

ذِمَمٌ عَلَيكَ وَلي عُهود

O forest of Boulogne, I have

O forest of Bologna, my friend

claims upon you, and covenants.

I have pacts with you, unfulfilled pledges

زَمَنٌ تَقَضّى لِلهَوى

زَمَنٌ تَقَضّى لِلهَوى

وَلَنا بِظِلِّكَ هَل يَعود

وَلَنا بِظِلِّكَ هَل يَعود

A time that passed for love

An era has passed for passion's sake

and for us beneath your shade—will it return?

In your shade, can it return?

حُلُمٌ أُريدُ رُجوعَهُ

حُلُمٌ أُريدُ رُجوعَهُ

وَرُجوعُ أَحلامي بَعيد

وَرُجوعُ أَحلامي بَعيد

A dream whose return I desire,

A dream I want to come back

yet the return of my dreams is far away.

But the return of my dreams is far

وَهَبِ الزَمانَ أَعادَها

وَهَبِ الزَمانَ أَعادَها

هَل لِلشَبيبَةِ مَن يُعيد

هَل لِلشَبيبَةِ مَن يُعيد

And suppose time restored them:

If time could bring it back

is there anyone who can restore youth?

Can youth return what is past?

يا غابَ بولونَ وَبي

يا غابَ بولونَ وَبي

وَجدٌ مَعَ الذِكرى يَزيد

وَجدٌ مَعَ الذِكرى يَزيد

O forest of Boulogne, within me

O Bologna's forest, my home

is longing that grows with remembrance.

Sorrow grows with memories

خَفَقَت لِرُؤيَتِكَ الضُلو

خَفَقَت لِرُؤيَتِكَ الضُلو

عُ وَزُلزِلَ القَلبُ العَميد

عُ وَزُلزِلَ القَلبُ العَميد

My ribs fluttered at the sight of you,

At the sight of you, my heart fluttered

and my love-stricken heart was shaken.

And the sturdy heart trembled

وَأَراكَ أَقسى ما عَهِد

وَأَراكَ أَقسى ما عَهِد

تُ فَما تَميلُ وَلا تَميد

تُ فَما تَميلُ وَلا تَميد

And I find you the most unfeeling I have known;

I see you are harsher than I knew

so you neither bend nor sway.

You neither sway nor bend

كَم يا جَمادُ قَساوَةً

كَم يا جَمادُ قَساوَةً

كَم هَكَذا أَبَداً جُحود

كَم هَكَذا أَبَداً جُحود

How hard-hearted, O lifeless thing!

How stony, O inanimate one

How ungrateful—forever thus!

How eternally thankless

هَلّا ذَكَرتَ زَمانَ كُنّا

هَلّا ذَكَرتَ زَمانَ كُنّا

وَالزَمانُ كَما نُريد

وَالزَمانُ كَما نُريد

Why not recall the time when we were together,

If only you recalled the days we had

and time was as we wished?

And time was as we wanted

نَطوي إِلَيكَ دُجى اللَيا

نَطوي إِلَيكَ دُجى اللَيا

لي وَالدُجى عَنّا يَذود

لي وَالدُجى عَنّا يَذود

We crossed the nights' darkness to reach you,

We'd come to you at night's gloom

while darkness shielded us.

And the gloom would ward off others

فَنَقولُ عِندَكَ ما نَقو

فَنَقولُ عِندَكَ ما نَقو

لُ وَلَيسَ غَيرُكَ مَن يُعيد

لُ وَلَيسَ غَيرُكَ مَن يُعيد

Then, beside you, we said what we said,

To say what we'd say

and none but you could repeat it.

With none but you to bring it back

نُطقي هَوىً وَصَبابَةٌ

نُطقي هَوىً وَصَبابَةٌ

وَحَديثُها وَتَرٌ وَعود

وَحَديثُها وَتَرٌ وَعود

My speech was love and ardent longing,

My words are passion and youth

and hers, a string and a lute.

Their talk, melody and vows

نَسري وَنَسرَحُ في فَضا

نَسري وَنَسرَحُ في فَضا

ئِكَ وَالرِياحُ بِهِ هُجود

ئِكَ وَالرِياحُ بِهِ هُجود

We journeyed by night and roamed through your expanse,

We'd stroll and roam your lands

while the winds there lay asleep.

With the winds there, bowing

وَالطَيرُ أَقعَدَها الكَرى

وَالطَيرُ أَقعَدَها الكَرى

وَالناسُ نامَت وَالوُجود

وَالناسُ نامَت وَالوُجود

And slumber had stilled the birds,

Grief made the birds land

and the people slept, and all existence.

People slept, and existence too

فَنَبيتُ في الإيناسِ يَغ

فَنَبيتُ في الإيناسِ يَغ

بُطُنا بِهِ النَجمُ الوَحيد

بُطُنا بِهِ النَجمُ الوَحيد

So we spent the night in companionship,

We'd spend the night sociably

for which the solitary star envied us.

Lit by the one star above

في كُلِّ رُكنٍ وَقفَةٌ

في كُلِّ رُكنٍ وَقفَةٌ

وَبِكُلِّ زاوِيَةٍ قُعود

وَبِكُلِّ زاوِيَةٍ قُعود

In every corner we paused,

At every corner, a stop

and in every nook we sat.

At each angle, a seat

نَسقي وَنُسقى وَالهَوى

نَسقي وَنُسقى وَالهَوى

ما بَينَ أَعيُنِنا وَليد

ما بَينَ أَعيُنِنا وَليد

We gave drink and were given drink, while love

We'd drink, and passion

was a newborn between our eyes.

Newborn between our eyes

فَمِنَ القُلوبِ تَمائِمٌ

فَمِنَ القُلوبِ تَمائِمٌ

وَمِنَ الجُنوبِ لَهُ مُهود

وَمِنَ الجُنوبِ لَهُ مُهود

So from our hearts came amulets,

Amulets from hearts

and from our sides, cradles for him.

Cushions for it from cheeks

وَالغُصنُ يَسجُدُ في الفَضا

وَالغُصنُ يَسجُدُ في الفَضا

ءِ وَحَبَّذا مِنهُ السُجود

ءِ وَحَبَّذا مِنهُ السُجود

And the branch prostrated itself in the open air,

The branch bows in open space

and how lovely its prostration!

Blessed is such prostration!

وَالنَجمُ يَلحَظُنا بِعَي

وَالنَجمُ يَلحَظُنا بِعَي

نٍ ما تَحولُ وَلا تَحيد

نٍ ما تَحولُ وَلا تَحيد

And the star watched us with an eye

The star watches us with an eye

that neither turned away nor strayed,

Unwavering and intent

حَتّى إِذا دَعَتِ النَوى

حَتّى إِذا دَعَتِ النَوى

فَتَبَدَّدَ الشَملُ النَضيد

فَتَبَدَّدَ الشَملُ النَضيد

until separation called,

Until the tryst called us away

and our close-knit union was scattered.

And the sturdy union dispersed

بِتنا وَمِمّا بَينَنا

بِتنا وَمِمّا بَينَنا

بَحرٌ وَدونَ البَحرِ بيد

بَحرٌ وَدونَ البَحرِ بيد

We passed our nights apart; among the things between us lay

We remained, and between us

a sea, and on this side of the sea, deserts.

A sea, and beyond it, a hand's span

لَيلي بِمِصرَ وَلَيلُها

لَيلي بِمِصرَ وَلَيلُها

بِالغَربِ وَهوَ بِها سَعيد

بِالغَربِ وَهوَ بِها سَعيد

My night is in Egypt, and hers

My night is in Egypt, hers

in the West—and it is happy in her company.

In the West, where she's happy