أيهاO الشَّاعرُthe poet الكئيبُmelancholy مضىhas passed الليـthe night (start)
أيها الشَّاعرُ الكئيبُ مضى الليـ
ـلُnight (end) وماand not زلتَyou have ceased غارقًاimmersed فيin شجونِكْyour sorrows
ـلُ وما زلتَ غارقًا في شجونِكْ
O melancholy poet, the night has passed,
O melancholy poet, the night has passed
yet you remain immersed in your sorrows,
And still you remain immersed in your sorrows
مُسْلِمًاsurrendering رأسَكَyour head الحزينَsorrowful إلىto الفكـthought (start)
مُسْلِمًا رأسَكَ الحزينَ إلى الفكـ
ـرِthought (end)، وللسهدِand to sleeplessness ذابلاتِwithered جفونِكْyour eyelids
ـرِ، وللسهدِ ذابلاتِ جفونِكْ
Surrendering your sorrowful head to thought,
Surrendering your sad head to thoughts
and your withered eyelids to sleeplessness.
And your withered eyelids to wakefulness
ويَدٌand a hand تُمسكُholds اليراعَthe reed pen وأخرىand another
ويَدٌ تُمسكُ اليراعَ وأخرى
فيin ارتعاشٍtrembling تمرُّpasses فوقَover جبينِكْyour brow
في ارتعاشٍ تمرُّ فوقَ جبينِكْ
And one hand holds the reed pen, while the other
One hand holds the quill and the other
passes trembling over your brow;
Trembles over your forehead
وفمٌand a mouth ناضبٌparched بهin it حَرُّheat أنفاbreaths (start)
وفمٌ ناضبٌ به حَرُّ أنفا
سكَyour breaths (end) يطغىoverwhelms علىover ضعيفِfaint أنينِكْyour moaning
سكَ يطغى على ضعيفِ أنينِكْ
And a parched mouth, where the heat of your breath
Your parched mouth bears the heat of your breath
overwhelms your faint moaning.
Which overwhelms your faint moan
لستَyou are not تُصغيyou listen لقاصفto the crashing الرعدِthunder فيin الليـthe night (start)
لستَ تُصغي لقاصف الرعدِ في الليـ
ـلِnight (end)، ولاnor يزدهيكَit enthralls you فيin الإبراقlightning flashes
ـلِ، ولا يزدهيكَ في الإبراق
You do not heed the crashing thunder in the night,
You do not listen to the thunder at night
nor does it enthrall you in the lightning's flash.
Nor are you cheered by the lightning’s flash
قدindeed تمشَّىhas wandered خِلالَthrough غرفتِكَyour room الصمـsilence (start)
قد تمشَّى خِلالَ غرفتِكَ الصمـ
ـتُsilence (end) ودبَّand crept السكونُstillness فيinto الأعماقِthe depths
ـتُ ودبَّ السكونُ في الأعماقِ
Silence has wandered through your room,
Silence has crept through your silent room
and stillness has crept into the depths,
And stillness settled in the depths
غيرَexcept هذاthis السراجِthe lamp فيin ضوئِهits light الشَّاpale (start)
غيرَ هذا السراجِ في ضوئِه الشَّا
حبِpale (end)، يهفوflutters عليكَover you منout of إشفاقِcompassion
حبِ، يهفو عليكَ من إشفاقِ
Save this lamp, in its pale light,
Except for this lamp whose friendly light
fluttering over you out of compassion,
Watches over you with sympathy
وبقاياand remnants النيرانِthe flames، فيin الموقدthe hearth الذَّاwithered (start)
وبقايا النيرانِ، في الموقد الذَّا
بلwithered (end)، تبكيweeps for الحياةَlife فيin الأرماقِthe last breaths
بل، تبكي الحياةَ في الأرماقِ
And the remnants of the fire in the withered hearth,
And the dying embers in the hearth
weeping for life in its last gasps.
Mourn life in the ashes
أنتَyou أذبلتَyou have withered بالأسىwith sorrow قلبكyour heart الغضَّtender
أنتَ أذبلتَ بالأسى قلبك الغضَّ
وحطَّمتَand you shattered منof رقيقِdelicate كيانكْyour being
وحطَّمتَ من رقيقِ كيانكْ
You have withered your tender heart with sorrow
You have withered your heart with grief
and shattered part of your delicate being.
And shattered your delicate being
آهAh ياO شاعريmy poet، لقدindeed نصلَhas faded الليـthe night (start)
آه يا شاعري، لقد نصلَ الليـ
ـلُnight (end) وماand not زلتَyou have ceased سادرًاheedless فيin مكانِكْyour place
ـلُ وما زلتَ سادرًا في مكانِكْ
Ah, my poet, the night has faded,
Alas, my poet, the night has worn on
yet you remain heedless in your place.
And still you remain in your place
ليسnot يحنوshows tenderness الدُّجىthe darkness عليكtoward you ولاnor يأgrieves (start)
ليس يحنو الدُّجى عليك ولا يأ
سىgrieves (end) لتِلكfor those الدموعِtears فيin أجفانِكْyour eyelids
سى لتِلك الدموعِ في أجفانِكْ
The darkness shows you no tenderness, nor does it
Neither the darkness pities you
grieve for those tears in your eyelids.
Nor grieves for those tears in your eyes
ماwhat وراءَbeyond السُّهادِsleeplessness فيin ليلكyour night الدَّاdark (start)
ما وراءَ السُّهادِ في ليلك الدَّا
جيdark (end)، وهلَّاand why not فرغتَyou have finished منwith أحزانِكْyour sorrows؟
جي، وهلَّا فرغتَ من أحزانِكْ؟
What lies beyond sleeplessness in your dark night,
What lies beyond this wakefulness in your mournful night
and why have you not finished with your sorrows?
Why not release your sorrows?
فَقُمso rise الآنَnow منfrom مكانِكَyour place واغنمْand seize
فَقُم الآنَ من مكانِكَ واغنمْ
فيin الكرىslumber غَطَّةa spell of sleep الخليِّthe carefree one الطَّروبِmerry
في الكرى غَطَّة الخليِّ الطَّروبِ
So rise now from your place, and seize
Arise now from your place and enjoy
in slumber the sleep of the carefree, merry one.
The sweetness of the vine’s juice
والتمسْand seek فيin الفراشbed دِفئًاwarmth يُنَسِّيـmakes forget
والتمسْ في الفراش دِفئًا يُنَسِّيـ
ـكَyou نهارَthe day الأسىsorrow وليلَand the night الخطوبِcalamities
ـكَ نهارَ الأسى وليلَ الخطوبِ
And seek in bed a warmth that makes
And seek in your bed warmth that makes you forget
you forget the day of sorrow and the night of calamities.
The day of sorrow and the night of tribulation
لستَyou are not تُجْزَىyou are repaid منfrom الحياةِlife بماfor what حُمـburdened (start)
لستَ تُجْزَى من الحياةِ بما حُمـ
ـلتَyou were burdened (end) فيهاin it منof الضَّنىwasting sickness والشحوبِand pallor
ـلتَ فيها من الضَّنى والشحوبِ
Life does not repay you for the burden
You will not be rewarded by life
of wasting sickness and pallor you were made to bear within it.
For the grief and pallor you have borne
إنهاindeed, it is للمجونِfor wantonness، والختلِand deceit، والزَّيـand falsehood (start)
إنها للمجونِ، والختلِ، والزَّيـ
ـفِfalsehood (end)، وليستْand it is not للشَّاعرfor the poet الموهوبِgifted!
ـفِ، وليستْ للشَّاعر الموهوبِ!
It is for wantonness, deceit, and falsehood,
For it is for the dissolute, the frivolous and the foolish
not for the gifted poet!
Not for the gifted poet!