أَيَهذاO you السُكونُstillness ياO حاكِمَruler of المَوdeath (first part)
أَيَهذا السُكونُ يا حاكِمَ المَو
تِ(completes ‘death’) وَصَنوand twin of الآزالِeternities past وَالآبِداتِand eternities to come
تِ وَصَنو الآزالِ وَالآبِداتِ
O stillness, O ruler of death,
O this stillness, O ruler of death
and twin of eternities past and eternities to come.
And crafter of eternity and perpetuity,
كُنتَyou were قَبلَbefore الحَياةِlife تَحكُمُyou rule فيover المَوdeath (first part)
كُنتَ قَبلَ الحَياةِ تَحكُمُ في المَو
تِ(completes ‘death’) وَهاand behold أَنتَyou حاكِمٌa ruler فيin المَماتِdeath
تِ وَها أَنتَ حاكِمٌ في المَماتِ
Before life, you ruled over death;
You ruled over death before life,
and behold, you rule in death.
And here you are, ruling over death.
أَيُّهاO العَدمُnothingness أَينَwhere أَسرىjourneyed by night حَبيبيmy beloved
أَيُّها العَدمُ أَينَ أَسرى حَبيبي
أَيُّهاO العَدمُnothingness أَينَwhere أَسرَتjourneyed by night حَياتيmy life
أَيُّها العَدمُ أَينَ أَسرَت حَياتي
O nothingness, where did my beloved journey by night?
O nothingness, where has my beloved gone?
O nothingness, where did my life journey by night?
O nothingness, where have you hidden my life?
أَينَwhere مَثوىresting place of الضِياءِlight أَينَwhere أَراهُI see it
أَينَ مَثوى الضِياءِ أَينَ أَراهُ
أَينَwhere مَثوىresting place of الغِناءِsong وَالأَصواتِand sounds
أَينَ مَثوى الغِناءِ وَالأَصواتِ
Where is light’s resting place? Where can I see it?
Where is the abode of light that I see?
Where is the resting place of song and sounds?
Where is the abode of song and voices?
أَيُّهاO العَدمُnothingness أَينَwhere تَنعَسُyou doze فيin الصَمsilence (first part)
أَيُّها العَدمُ أَينَ تَنعَسُ في الصَم
تِ(completes ‘silence’) وَتَلقىand you find لَدَيهِwith it راحَةَrest جَفنِكyour eyelid
تِ وَتَلقى لَدَيهِ راحَةَ جَفنِك
O nothingness, where do you doze in silence
O nothingness, where do you slumber in silence
and find there rest for your eyelid?
And find rest for your eyelids?
قِفstop وَدَعنيand let me أَبثُثpour out إِلَيكَto you شُكاتيmy complaint
قِف وَدَعني أَبثُث إِلَيكَ شُكاتي
وَالتِياعيand my anguish مُهَمهِماًmurmuring فيin أُذنِكyour ear
وَالتِياعي مُهَمهِماً في أُذنِك
Stop, and let me pour out my complaint to you,
Stop, and let me confide my sorrows to you,
and my anguish, murmuring in your ear.
Murmuring dazedly into your ear.
لَمdid not أَجِدI find فيin الحَياةِlife ليfor me أُذُناًan ear تَسhears (first part)
لَم أَجِد في الحَياةِ لي أُذُناً تَس
مَعُ(completes ‘hears’) شَكوايmy complaint أَوor فُؤاداًa heart حَنوناtender
مَعُ شَكواي أَو فُؤاداً حَنونا
In life I found no ear to hear
I found in life no ear to hear my complaints
my complaint, nor a tender heart.
Or a tender heart,
وَلِذاand so قَدindeed أَتَيتُI have come أَشكوكَI complain to you ماwhat بيwith me
وَلِذا قَد أَتَيتُ أَشكوكَ ما بي
فَلَقَدfor perhaps تَرحَمُyou pity الكَئيبَthe despondent one الحَزيناthe sorrowful
فَلَقَد تَرحَمُ الكَئيبَ الحَزينا
And so I have come to tell you what ails me,
And so I have come to complain to you of my condition,
for you may pity the despondent, sorrowful one.
For you take pity on the sad and woeful.
كانَthere was ليfor me فيin الحَياةِlife قَلبٌa heart طَروبٌjoyous
كانَ لي في الحَياةِ قَلبٌ طَروبٌ
يَتَغَنّىit sings كَالطائِرِlike the bird الصَدّاحِclear-voiced
يَتَغَنّى كَالطائِرِ الصَدّاحِ
In life I had a joyous heart
I had in life an exultant heart
that sang like a clear-voiced bird.
That would sing like a jubilant bird.
أَحرَقَburned الحُزنُgrief مِنهُfrom it ريشَfeathers of جَناحَيtwo wings
أَحرَقَ الحُزنُ مِنهُ ريشَ جَناحَي
هِits وَأَهوىand hurled down بِهِwith it كَسيرُbroken الجَناحِthe wing
هِ وَأَهوى بِهِ كَسيرُ الجَناحِ
Grief burned the feathers of its two wings
Sorrow has scorched its wing feathers,
and hurled it down, broken-winged.
And it plummeted like a wounded bird.
فَتَحَمَّلَso take on مِنهُfrom it أَساهُits sorrow وَفَرّقand scatter
فَتَحَمَّلَ مِنهُ أَساهُ وَفَرّق
هُit عَلىacross ذلِكَthat الفَضاءِexpanse شُعاعاin rays
هُ عَلى ذلِكَ الفَضاءِ شُعاعا
So take its sorrow from it, and scatter
It endured its pain and scattered beams
it in rays across that expanse,
Across that sky before the heart faded
قَبلَbefore أَنthat يَقضِيَperishes الفُؤادُthe heart وَيَمضيand departs
قَبلَ أَن يَقضِيَ الفُؤادُ وَيَمضي
حامِلاًcarrying مَعهُwith it فيin الفَناءِannihilation التِياعاanguish
حامِلاً مَعهُ في الفَناءِ التِياعا
before the heart perishes and departs,
And passed away, carrying with it into extinction
carrying anguish with it into annihilation.
Distraction and chaos.