فيin ذيthese الجفونeyelids صوارمkeen swords الأقدارfates
في ذي الجفون صوارم الأقدار
راعِىspare البريةَcreation ياO رعاكmay He protect you الباريthe Creator
راعِى البريةَ يا رعاك الباري
Within these eyelids lie the swords of fate.
In these eyelids lie the keen swords of fate.
Spare all creation—may the Creator watch over you.
Spare creation—may the Creator protect you!
وكفىand suffices الحياةُlife لناfor us شواغلdistractions فأفتنيso tell me
وكفى الحياةُ لنا شواغل فأفتني
ملأhost النجومthe stars وعالمand the world الأقمارthe moons
ملأ النجوم وعالم الأقمار
Life has cares enough to occupy us; go, then, enchant
And life has distractions enough for us; so tell me,
the host of stars and the realm of moons.
O host of stars and world of moons.
ماnot أنتyou فيin هذىthese الحِلَىadornments إنسيّةa human woman
ما أنت في هذى الحِلَى إنسيّة
إنnot أنتyou إلاexcept الشمسthe sun فيamong الأنوارthe lights
إن أنت إلا الشمس في الأنوار
Amid all this finery, you are no woman;
In these adornments, you are no human woman;
you are nothing but the sun among all lights,
you are nothing but the sun among the lights.
زهراءُradiant بالأفقon the horizon الذيwhich منfrom دونهbeneath it
زهراءُ بالأفق الذي من دونه
وثبleaps النهىreason وتطاولand the aspiring reach الأفكارthoughts
وثب النهى وتطاول الأفكار
radiant on a horizon still beyond
Radiant on the horizon beneath which lie
the leap of intellect and the upward straining of thought.
the leaps of reason and the aspiring reach of thoughts.
تتهتكlose all restraint الألبابminds خلفbehind حجابهاtheir veil
تتهتك الألباب خلف حجابها
مهماwhenever طلعِتyou rise فكيفthen how بالأبصارwith the eyes
مهما طلعِت فكيف بالأبصار
Minds are torn apart behind her veil,
Minds come undone behind their veil,
however she may rise before the eyes.
whenever you rise—what, then, of eyes?
ياO زينةadornment الإصباحmorning والإمساءand evening بلrather
يا زينة الإصباح والإمساء بل
ياO رونقsplendor الآصالlate afternoons والأسحارand predawn hours
يا رونق الآصال والأسحار
O adornment of morning and evening—nay,
O adornment of morning and evening—rather,
O radiance of late day and the hours before dawn!
O splendor of late afternoons and predawn hours!
ماذاwhat تحاولseeks منfrom تنائيناour distance from each other النوىseparation
ماذا تحاول من تنائينا النوى
أنتyou الدُّنىthe worlds وأناand I الخيالthe phantom الساريnight-wandering
أنت الدُّنى وأنا الخيال الساري
What can separation hope to gain by driving us apart?
What does separation seek from our distance from each other?
You are the whole world, and I the phantom roaming by night.
You are the worlds, and I the night-wandering phantom.
ألقىI meet الضحىmorning light ألقاكِI meet you ثُمthen منfrom الدجىdarkness
ألقى الضحى ألقاكِ ثُم من الدجى
سبلpaths إليكto you خفيةhidden الإغوارdepths
سبل إليك خفية الإغوار
I meet the morning light and meet you; then, out of darkness,
I meet the morning light, and meet you; then from the darkness
ways lead to you, their depths concealed.
come paths to you, their depths concealed.
ولقدand indeed أطارحكI exchange with you الغرامlove مؤيّداsustained
ولقد أطارحك الغرام مؤيّدا
بلُغىby the tongues الوجودexistence المائجsurging الزخارoverflowing
بلُغى الوجود المائج الزخار
Indeed I commune with you in love, upheld
And indeed I commune with you in love, sustained
by the languages of existence, surging and brimming.
by the tongues of existence, surging and overflowing.
وإذاand if أنستI find comfort بوحدتيin my solitude فلأنهاit is because it is
وإذا أنست بوحدتي فلأنها
سببيmy means إليكto you وسلّمىand my ladder ومنارىand my beacon
سببي إليك وسلّمى ومنارى
And if I find comfort in my solitude, it is because
And if I take comfort in my solitude, it is because it is
it is my link to you, my ladder, and my beacon.
my way to you, my ladder, and my beacon.
إيهah زمانيmy days فيin الهوىlove وزمانهاand her days
إيه زماني في الهوى وزمانها
تاللهby God قدindeed كنتyou were النميرpure, sweet water الجاريflowing
تالله قد كنت النمير الجاري
Ah, my time in love—and hers!
Ah, my days in love, and hers!
By God, you were fresh, flowing water,
By God, you were indeed the pure, flowing water,
متسلسلاflowing smoothly بينbetween الصبابةardent longing والصباand youth
متسلسلا بين الصبابة والصبا
مترقرقاrippling بمسارحin the pastures الأوطارdesires
مترقرقا بمسارح الأوطار
streaming between ardent longing and youth,
flowing gently between longing and youth,
rippling through the ranges of desire,
rippling in the pastures of desire.
سمحَgentle الأزمّةthe reins ماnot تريدyou desire تحوّلاchange
سمحَ الأزمّة ما تريد تحوّلا
ونريدand we desire عمركyour lifespan أطولthe longest الأعمارlifespans
ونريد عمرك أطول الأعمار
easy-reined, turning wherever you wished;
Gentle of rein, you wished for no change,
while we wished your life the longest of all lives.
and we wished your life the longest of lives.
حتىuntil إذاwhen سكنتfound repose إليكwith you لناfor us منىًhopes
حتى إذا سكنت إليك لنا منىً
كانتthey were بظلكin your shade فيin هنىّblissful جوارnearness
كانت بظلك في هنىّ جوار
Until, when hopes of ours came to rest in you,
Until, when our hopes had found repose with you,
they dwelt beneath your shade in blissful shelter.
dwelling in your shade in blissful nearness,
عمدset out الفراقparting لطىّto fold away أنسكyour companionship غاشماruthlessly
عمد الفراق لطىّ أنسك غاشما
إنindeed الفراقparting جهمgrim الأقدارfates
إن الفراق جهم الأقدار
Separation, tyrannous, set about folding away your companionship—
parting ruthlessly set out to fold away your companionship.
for separation is indeed fate’s grim visage.
Indeed, parting is the grim one among fates.
