نَصَلَت مِن غُبارِها سُفُنُ المَو

نَصَلَت مِن غُبارِها سُفُنُ المَو

تِ وَسارَت بِمَن تُقِلُّ خِفافا

تِ وَسارَت بِمَن تُقِلُّ خِفافا

The ships of death emerged from their dust,

The ships of death emerged from their dust,

and sailed lightly with those they carried.

And sailed with those they gently bore.

لَفَّها المَوتُ في غَياهِبِهِ السو

لَفَّها المَوتُ في غَياهِبِهِ السو

دِ وَأَسرى يَطوي بِها الأَسدافا

دِ وَأَسرى يَطوي بِها الأَسدافا

Death wrapped them in its black depths,

Death enfolded them in its dark abysses,

and journeyed by night, folding away the darkness with them.

And destinies folded them in shrouds.

وَبِها رايَةٌ تُشيرُ إِلى الشَ

وَبِها رايَةٌ تُشيرُ إِلى الشَ

طِّ وَروحٌ يَهدي لَهُ زَفزافا

طِّ وَروحٌ يَهدي لَهُ زَفزافا

And aboard them, a banner points toward the shore,

With them a banner gesturing toward the shore,

and a spirit guides a blustering wind toward it.

And a spirit it intrepidly guides.

كُلَّما طافَها الفَناءُ بِصَوتٍ

كُلَّما طافَها الفَناءُ بِصَوتٍ

رَفَعَت قَلعَها لَهُ إِرهافا

رَفَعَت قَلعَها لَهُ إِرهافا

Whenever annihilation circled them with a voice,

Whenever death circled, with a roaring sound,

they raised their sail toward it, listening keenly.

It raised its citadel loftily, undaunted.

خاضَتِ المَوتَ مُسرِعاتٍ مَعَ الوَق

خاضَتِ المَوتَ مُسرِعاتٍ مَعَ الوَق

تِ تَراني الحَياةَ في طَخياءِ

تِ تَراني الحَياةَ في طَخياءِ

They plunged into death, hastening with time;

They braved death hurrying with time,

life sees me in dense darkness.

You see life in their muddy wake-

تَطِسُ المَوجَ خِفَّةً ثُمَّ تَعلو

تَطِسُ المَوجَ خِفَّةً ثُمَّ تَعلو

في سَماءٍ مِن البِلى دَكناءِ

في سَماءٍ مِن البِلى دَكناءِ

They strike the waves lightly, then rise

Crushing the waves lightly then rising

into a dusky sky of decay.

In a darkly gloomy firmament.

وَشَعَّ المَوتُ جانِبَيها اِصفِراراً

وَشَعَّ المَوتُ جانِبَيها اِصفِراراً

فَأَفادَت مِنهُ ضِياءَ المَساءِ

فَأَفادَت مِنهُ ضِياءَ المَساءِ

And death shone yellow along their two sides,

And death spread its yellowness on both sides,

so they gained from it the light of evening.

So it drew radiance from the evening.

في شُفوفٍ إِبرَيسَمٍ سابِحاتٍ

في شُفوفٍ إِبرَيسَمٍ سابِحاتٍ

بِشِراعٍ مُرَقرَقٍ مِن ضِياءِ

بِشِراعٍ مُرَقرَقٍ مِن ضِياءِ

Floating in sheer veils of silk,

In ivory skiffs sailing

with a shimmering sail of light,

With a fluttering sail of radiance.

طائِراتٍ عَلى جَناحِ حُبارى

طائِراتٍ عَلى جَناحِ حُبارى

سابِحاتٍ عَلى بُطونِ سُمانى

سابِحاتٍ عَلى بُطونِ سُمانى

flying upon a bustard's wing,

Birds on the wing of ardour

floating upon the bellies of quails.

Swimming on the bellies of plasma-

شَتَّتَ الوَقتُ جَمعَهُنَّ فَراحَت

شَتَّتَ الوَقتُ جَمعَهُنَّ فَراحَت

عابِراتٍ عَلى الرَدى أُحدانا

عابِراتٍ عَلى الرَدى أُحدانا

Time scattered their company, and they went

Time scattered their gathering and they went

crossing over death, one by one.

Travelers over weakening life.

يَنفُحُ النَدُّ فيهِ رَيّا خُزامى

يَنفُحُ النَدُّ فيهِ رَيّا خُزامى

مومِضٍ حاطَهُ الشَذى إِدجانا

مومِضٍ حاطَهُ الشَذى إِدجانا

Within it, incense wafts the fragrance of lavender,

The breeze breathes in it a scented spikenard

glimmering, shrouded in darkness by fragrance.

Pulsating, ringed by fragrance.

يَنهَبُ الشاطِئانِ عِبقَ شَذاها

يَنهَبُ الشاطِئانِ عِبقَ شَذاها

فَيُؤاتي زَهرَيهِما نَعسانا

فَيُؤاتي زَهرَيهِما نَعسانا

The two shores plunder the rich scent of their fragrance,

The two shores plunder its redolence

so it favors their two blossoms, drowsily.

To bestow on their blossoms drowsiness.

وَأَرى فُلكِيَ الكَسيرَ عَلَيهِ

وَأَرى فُلكِيَ الكَسيرَ عَلَيهِ

يَتَهادى مِن بَينِها مَبهوتا

يَتَهادى مِن بَينِها مَبهوتا

And I see my broken vessel upon it,

And I see my broken ship tossed among them

gliding from among them, bewildered.

Reeling about confusedly.

فَاجَأَتهُ الوَيلاتُ مِن كُلَّ صَوبٍ

فَاجَأَتهُ الوَيلاتُ مِن كُلَّ صَوبٍ

خَلَّفَتهُ مِن عَصفِها مَبغوتا

خَلَّفَتهُ مِن عَصفِها مَبغوتا

Calamities took it unawares from every quarter,

Misfortunes then beset it from every direction

and left it stunned by their buffeting.

Leaving it battered by the storm.

في ذُنابى الأَفلاكُ يَهفو إِلى الشَ

في ذُنابى الأَفلاكُ يَهفو إِلى الشَ

طِّ فَيُلوي بِهِ الرَدى مَكبوتا

طِّ فَيُلوي بِهِ الرَدى مَكبوتا

At the rear of the vessels, it yearns toward the shore,

In the tails of the spheres it hankers for the shore

but death twists it aside, leaving it thwarted.

Then the current bends it, suppressed.

فَإِذا عادَهُ مِنَ الشَطِّ طَيفٌ

فَإِذا عادَهُ مِنَ الشَطِّ طَيفٌ

شَذَّ مِن قَلعِهِ يُساري الحوتا

شَذَّ مِن قَلعِهِ يُساري الحوتا

And when a phantom from the shore visits it,

When a specter returns it from the shore,

it strays from its sail, journeying by night with the whale.

Gleaming from its citadel, chasing the whale,

وَلَكَم مَرَّتِ اللَيالي أَمامي

وَلَكَم مَرَّتِ اللَيالي أَمامي

مُسرِعاتٍ يَلُحنَ مِثلَ الظِلالِ

مُسرِعاتٍ يَلُحنَ مِثلَ الظِلالِ

And how often the nights have passed before me,

And how many nights passed before me

hurrying, appearing like shadows.

Speeding, chanting like shadows-

وَكَأَنَّ الساعاتِ فيهِنَّ وَاليَو

وَكَأَنَّ الساعاتِ فيهِنَّ وَاليَو

مَ وَكُلَّ الأَوقاتِ نورُ الزَوالِ

مَ وَكُلَّ الأَوقاتِ نورُ الزَوالِ

And as though the hours within them, and the day,

As if the hours in them, days and all times

and all time, were the light of waning.

Were the light of sunset.

فيكَ ماتَت هذي السُنونُ أَيا لَي

فيكَ ماتَت هذي السُنونُ أَيا لَي

لَ وَباقي الأَحقابِ في اِضمِحلالِ

لَ وَباقي الأَحقابِ في اِضمِحلالِ

In you these years have died, O night,

In you these years died. Oh night

and the remaining ages are dwindling.

While the rest of time languishes.

تَنشُرُ الوَقتَ في الحَياةِ لِتَطوي

تَنشُرُ الوَقتَ في الحَياةِ لِتَطوي

هِ جَديدا وَالبَعضُ في أَسمالِ

هِ جَديدا وَالبَعضُ في أَسمالِ

You unfold time in life, only to fold

You unfold time in life only to fold

it fresh, while part lies in tatters.

It up again, some in tatters.