أهتزّI quiver قربكbeside you كالزمانlike time قصيدةa poem
أهتزّ قربك كالزمان قصيدة
ياO ليتif only قلبكyour heart كانwas يدركunderstands ماwhat بياwithin me
يا ليت قلبك كان يدرك ما بيا
Beside you I quiver like time—a poem.
My poem trembles near you like time
Oh, if only your heart could understand what is within me!
If only your heart could grasp what's in me
وتنضدينand you arrange قصيدتيmy poem كمشاعريlike my feelings
وتنضدين قصيدتي كمشاعري
فيin حينa time تنتفضquiver الحروفthe letters أغانياsongs
في حين تنتفض الحروف أغانيا
And you arrange my poem as you do my feelings,
And you recite my poem like my feelings
While the letters quiver into songs.
As the letters come alive singing
تجريglide أناملكyour fingertips الرشيقةslender فوقهاover it
تجري أناملك الرشيقة فوقها
جريflow النسائمthe breezes منعشاتrefreshing بالياmy mind
جري النسائم منعشات باليا
Your slender fingertips glide over it,
Your graceful fingers flow over it
Like breezes flowing, refreshing my mind.
Like the refreshing breezes flow gently
ياO نبعwellspring إلهاميmy inspiration المنوّرradiant دائماalways
يا نبع إلهامي المنوّر دائما
ماذاwhat سكبتyou poured بهاinto it غنىrichness ومعانياand meanings
ماذا سكبت بها غنى ومعانيا
O ever-radiant wellspring of my inspiration,
O my ever-illuminated well of inspiration
What richness and meanings you have poured into it,
What richness and meaning have you poured into it
فيin كلevery لفظword فوقbeyond ماwhat حملتهI put into it
في كل لفظ فوق ما حملته
ووهبتهand I bestowed on it فصفاso it grew pure وجاوزand it surpassed روحياmy soul
ووهبته فصفا وجاوز روحيا
Into every word, beyond what I had put into it
In every word beyond what it carries
And bestowed upon it—so it grew pure and surpassed my soul!
You've granted it clarity, transcending my spirit
أتلوI recite سطوريmy lines بعدماafter دبجتهاadorned them
أتلو سطوري بعدما دبجتها
نبضاتbeats قلبيmy heart المرقصاتmaking dance خيالياmy imagination
نبضات قلبي المرقصات خياليا
I recite my lines after they were adorned by
I recite my verses after you've forged them
My heartbeats, which set my imagination dancing:
With the rhythmic pulses of my imagination
الباسماتsmiling وكنّand they were قبلbefore بواكياweeping
الباسمات وكنّ قبل بواكيا
والآسياتand healing وكنand they were قبلbefore دوامياbleeding
والآسيات وكن قبل دواميا
Smiling, though once they were weeping,
Be the smiling ones and be the healer before the tearful ones
And healing, though once they were bleeding,
And the fragrant ones from Paradise that I see
والعاطراتand fragrant منfrom الجنانthe gardens وماand not أرىI see
والعاطرات من الجنان وما أرى
إلاكexcept you ينفحهاbestows on them العبيرthe perfume الغالياprecious
إلاك ينفحها العبير الغاليا
And fragrant from the gardens—and I see none
None but you perfumes them with precious scent
But you bestowing precious perfume upon them.
And the poetic ones - yesterday you were solid rock
والشاعراتand sentient وكنand they were أمسyesterday جوامداinanimate
والشاعرات وكن أمس جوامدا
والمعجزاتand miraculous المخلداتimmortalizing الفانياthe perishable
والمعجزات المخلدات الفانيا
And sentient, though yesterday they were inanimate,
And the miracles immortalized and perished
And miraculous, immortalizing the perishable,
And the storytellers of affection's nectar
والراوياتand quenching منfrom الرحيقthe nectar عواطفاemotions
والراويات من الرحيق عواطفا
نشوىintoxicated وأحلاماand dreams تجددrenew ماضياa past
نشوى وأحلاما تجدد ماضيا
And quenching with nectar emotions
Revived wishes and dreams of the past
Intoxicated, and dreams that renew the past.
This is my poem which I denied before
هذيthis قصيدتيmy poem التيwhich أنكرتهاI disowned it
هذي قصيدتي التي أنكرتها
منfrom قبلbefore عادتreturned ليto me أحبّdearest رجائياmy hope
من قبل عادت لي أحبّ رجائيا
This is my poem, which I disowned
Returned to me, my fondest hope
Before; it has returned to me as my dearest hope.
Partial English translation: 21 of 22 Arabic lines translated.