ساحِرَO enchanter المَوتِof death طالَhas lasted long صَمتُكَyour silence هَيّاcome!
ساحِرَ المَوتِ طالَ صَمتُكَ هَيّا
رَجّعِrepeat اللَحنَthe melody أَيهذاO you الشاديsinger
رَجّعِ اللَحنَ أَيهذا الشادي
O enchanter of death, your silence has lasted long—come!
O charmer of death, your silence lasted long
Repeat the melody, O singer.
Give back the melody, O happy one
قُمrise أَياO عازِفَmusician of المَنونِdeath وَغَنِّand sing
قُم أَيا عازِفَ المَنونِ وَغَنِّ
وَاِبعَثِand send forth النَغمَthe music فَوقَabove صَمتِthe silence of الواديthe valley
وَاِبعَثِ النَغمَ فَوقَ صَمتِ الوادي
Rise, O musician of death, and sing,
Rise, O player of the tunes of death, and sing
And send forth the music above the valley's silence.
And revive the melody above the valley's silence
أُترُكِlet الدوحَthe great trees وَاليَنابيعَand the springs تَحياlive
أُترُكِ الدوحَ وَاليَنابيعَ تَحيا
لِتُعيدَso they may repeat الحَزينَthe sorrowful strain مِنof آهاتِكyour sighs
لِتُعيدَ الحَزينَ مِن آهاتِك
Let the great trees and the springs live,
Shall I leave the plains and springs alive
To echo the sorrowful strain of your sighs.
To restore the sorrowful with your sighs
فَلَكَمfor how often فاحَwafted نَشرُهاtheir fragrance وَهِيَwhile they تَسريflow
فَلَكَم فاحَ نَشرُها وَهِيَ تَسري
لِتُحييto revive الصَباحَthe morning فيin نَغماتِكyour notes
لِتُحيي الصَباحَ في نَغماتِك
For how often their fragrance has wafted as they flow,
For how long did its blossoming flow as it walked
To bring the morning to life in your notes.
To revive the morning in your tunes
لَهفيalas for me ماnot أَراكَI see you تَبعَثُsend forth لَحناًa melody
لَهفي ما أَراكَ تَبعَثُ لَحناً
فَاِخبِرِthen tell الشِعرَpoetry ماwhat دَهىbefell قيثارَكyour lyre
فَاِخبِرِ الشِعرَ ما دَهى قيثارَك
Alas for me, I do not see you sending forth a melody.
My craving - I see you breathing life into a tune
Then tell poetry what has befallen your lyre.
Tell poetry what ails your lyre
سوءَةًshame لِليَدِupon the hand الَّتيwhich عَطَلتَهاyou left it idle
سوءَةً لِليَدِ الَّتي عَطَلتَها
وَعِفتَand you spurned فيin غِنائِهاits singing أَوتارَكyour strings
وَعِفتَ في غِنائِها أَوتارَك
Shame upon the hand you have left idle,
Evil to the hand that disabled it
And, in its singing, you have spurned your strings.
And muted its strings in singing
هاكَbehold مَوجُthe wave الفَناءِof annihilation يَقذُفهُhurls it اليَأdespair (first part)
هاكَ مَوجُ الفَناءِ يَقذُفهُ اليَأ
سُcompletion of 'despair' عَلىupon شاطِىءِthe shore of السُكونِsilence الرَهيبِdreadful
سُ عَلى شاطِىءِ السُكونِ الرَهيبِ
Behold the wave of annihilation, hurled by de-
On the shore of terrifying stillness
spair upon the shore of dreadful silence.
It responds to echoes while suffering
يَستَجيبُanswers الأَصداءَthe echoes وَهيَwhile they تُعانيsuffer
يَستَجيبُ الأَصداءَ وَهيَ تُعاني
ماwhat يُعانيit suffers فَماyet no لَهاfor them مِنany مُجيبِone to answer
ما يُعاني فَما لَها مِن مُجيبِ
It answers the echoes as they suffer
What it suffers, for it has no responder
What it suffers; yet they have no one to answer.
And I see your pale soul complaining
وَأَرىand I see روحَكَyour spirit الشَحوبَpallid دَفوفاًfluttering
وَأَرى روحَكَ الشَحوبَ دَفوفاً
تَشتَكيcomplains لِلسُكونِto the silence مِنabout أَلحانِكyour melodies
تَشتَكي لِلسُكونِ مِن أَلحانِك
And I see your pallid spirit fluttering,
To stillness about your tunes
Complaining to the silence about your melodies.
Sing it a tune from the sky of your art
غَنِّهاsing to it مِنfrom سَماءِthe heaven of فَنِّكَyour art لَحناًa melody
غَنِّها مِن سَماءِ فَنِّكَ لَحناً
فَلَقَدfor perhaps تَستَفيقُawakens مِنfrom أَحزانِكyour sorrows
فَلَقَد تَستَفيقُ مِن أَحزانِك
Sing to it a melody from the heaven of your art,
It will truly awaken from your sorrows
For it may well awaken from your sorrows.
Your blessed singing was a dawn
كانَwas إِنشادُكَyour singing المُبارَكُblessed فَجراًa dawn
كانَ إِنشادُكَ المُبارَكُ فَجراً
مُستَهَلّاًnewly breaking وَضيءَradiant نورِthe light of الحَياةَlife
مُستَهَلّاً وَضيءَ نورِ الحَياةَ
Your blessed singing was a dawn,
Newly started, lit by the light of life
Newly breaking, radiant with the light of life.
I wish I knew where are the tunes
لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge فَأَينَthen where أَذويI wither وَأَينَتand where (unclear ending)
لَيتَ شِعري فَأَينَ أَذوي وَأَينَت
قَدalready أَقرتَperhaps 'you settled' (unclear form) أَلحانَthe melodies of ذيthese الأُغنِياتِsongs
قَد أَقرتَ أَلحانَ ذي الأُغنِياتِ
Would that I knew: where do I wither, and where [unclear]
You confirmed, O owner of songs
Have you settled the melodies of these songs? [Verb form unclear.]
My craving - I see you breathing life into a tune
لَهفيalas for me ماnot أَراكَI see you تَبعَثَsend forth لَحناًa melody
لَهفي ما أَراكَ تَبعَثَ لَحناً
فَاِخبِرِthen tell الشِعرَpoetry ماwhat دَهىbefell قيثارَكyour lyre
فَاِخبِرِ الشِعرَ ما دَهى قيثارَك
Alas for me, I do not see you sending forth a melody.
Tell poetry what ails your lyre
Then tell poetry what has befallen your lyre.
Evil to the hand that disabled it
سوءَةًshame لِليَدِupon the hand الَّتيwhich عَطَلتَهاyou left it idle
سوءَةً لِليَدِ الَّتي عَطَلتَها
وَعَفَتand faded away فيin غِنائِهاits singing أَوتارَكyour strings
وَعَفَت في غِنائِها أَوتارَك
Shame upon the hand you have left idle,
And muted its strings in singing
And, in its singing, your strings have faded away.
Partial English translation: 27 of 28 Arabic lines translated.