ذكِّرينيremind me فقدْfor indeed نسيتُI have forgotten، وياand oh
ذكِّريني فقدْ نسيتُ، ويا
رُبَّmany a ذكرىmemory تعيدُrestores ليto me طَرَبِيmy rapture
رُبَّ ذكرى تعيدُ لي طَرَبِي
Remind me, for I have forgotten—and oh,
Remind me, for I have forgotten, and O Lord, a reminder restores my delight,
many a memory restores my rapture.
And raise your beautiful face, let me see how this shyness has not melted away,
وارفعيand raise وَجهكِyour face الجميلَbeautiful أرىI may see
وارفعي وَجهكِ الجميلَ أرى
كيفَhow هذاthis الحياءُthe shyness لَمْhas not يَذُبِmelted away
كيفَ هذا الحياءُ لَمْ يَذُبِ
And raise your beautiful face, so I may see
And rest your little head on my chest, turbulent and restless,
how this shyness has not melted away.
That child, lull him to sleep, for he has not calmed from his rebellion and clamor,
واسنديand rest رأسَكِyour head الصغيرَlittle إلىagainst
واسندي رأسَكِ الصغيرَ إلى
ثائرٍa rebel فيwithin الضلوعthe ribs مضطربِrestless
ثائرٍ في الضلوع مضطربِ
And rest your little head against
And grant my eyes sleepiness on your golden lock of hair,
a rebel, restless within the ribs.
My deadly thirst, yet I did not guard myself against your spring of sweetness,
ذلكthat الطفلُthe child، هَدْهِدِيهِrock him gently فماfor ... not
ذلك الطفلُ، هَدْهِدِيهِ فما
ثابَrecovered منfrom ثورةٍfrenzy ومنand from صَخَبِclamor
ثابَ من ثورةٍ ومن صَخَبِ
That child—rock him gently, for he has not
Chatter, and make tears, and do not care if you incline towards lies,
recovered from frenzy and clamor.
In me is a tendency for reverie, and in me a yearning like an expatriate,
وامنحيand grant عينيَmy eye النُّعاسَdrowsiness علىupon
وامنحي عينيَ النُّعاسَ على
خَصَلاتٍlocks منof شعركِyour hair الذَّهبيgolden
خَصَلاتٍ من شعركِ الذَّهبي
And let my eye grow drowsy upon
How strange of you, if you forget, and neither my sorrow nor wonder benefit me,
locks of your golden hair.
I continued watching the sky, until winter arrived with its clouds,
ظَمئِيmy thirst قاتليmy killer، فماso ... not حَذَرِيmy caution
ظَمئِي قاتلي، فما حَذَرِي
مُورديleading me منكِfrom you مَوْرِدَa watering place العَطَبِruin
مُوردي منكِ مَوْرِدَ العَطَبِ
My thirst is killing me; it is not my caution
Our meeting was in its breezes, on a meadow, grassy and silken,
that leads me, through you, to the fount of ruin.
We watch the Nile under our boat, and the fluttering of the sail closely,
ثَرْثِرِيchatter، واصنعيand feign الدموعَtears ولاand do not
ثَرْثِرِي، واصنعي الدموعَ ولا
تَحْفِلِيworry إنْif هَمَمْتِyou are minded بالكَذِبِto lie
تَحْفِلِي إنْ هَمَمْتِ بالكَذِبِ
Chatter, and feign tears, and do not
And the shadows of palm trees in a sunset that spilled over the sands like flames,
worry if you are minded to lie.
Our cup is overflowing, and our night comes from the dwellings of the Arabs,
بيin me نزوعٌan inclination إلىtoward الخيالِimagination وبيand in me
بي نزوعٌ إلى الخيالِ وبي
للتَّمَنِّيfor wishing حنينُa longing مُغْتَرِبِof an exile
للتَّمَنِّي حنينُ مُغْتَرِبِ
I am drawn to imagination, and within me is
Woe to you! Do not look at my cup with the glances of a stranger, and come closer!
an exile’s longing for wishful dreaming.
Your dewy lips, in them is the spirit of that beloved,
واoh عَجبِيmy astonishment منكِat you، إنْif نسيتِyou have forgotten، وماand neither
وا عَجبِي منكِ، إنْ نسيتِ، وما
أسَفيmy sorrow نافعٌof use ولاnor عَجَبِيmy astonishment
أسَفي نافعٌ ولا عَجَبِي
Oh, how you astonish me if you have forgotten—and neither
The taster with his wine testified that this bouquet is from my grapes!
my sorrow nor my astonishment is of any use.
لمdid not أزَلْI cease أرقبُI watch السماءَthe sky إلىuntil
لم أزَلْ أرقبُ السماءَ إلى
أنْthat أطَلَّappeared الشِّتَاءُwinter بالسُّحُبِwith clouds
أنْ أطَلَّ الشِّتَاءُ بالسُّحُبِ
I kept watching the sky until
winter appeared with clouds.
موعِدُناour rendezvous كانَwas فيin أصائِلِهِits late afternoons
موعِدُنا كانَ في أصائِلِهِ
ضِفَّةًa riverbank سُندُسيَّةَsilken العُشُبِthe grass
ضِفَّةً سُندُسيَّةَ العُشُبِ
Our rendezvous, in its late afternoons, was
a riverbank of silken grass.
نرقبُwe watch النيلَthe Nile تحتbeneath زورَقِنَاour boat
نرقبُ النيلَ تحت زورَقِنَا
وخفوقَand the flutter الشِّراعِof the sail عنfrom كثَبِclose by
وخفوقَ الشِّراعِ عن كثَبِ
We watched the Nile beneath our boat,
and the flutter of the sail close at hand,
وظلالَand the shadows النخيلof the palms فيin شَفَقٍa twilight glow
وظلالَ النخيل في شَفَقٍ
سالَflowed فوقover الرمالِthe sands كاللَّهَبِlike flame
سالَ فوق الرمالِ كاللَّهَبِ
and the palms’ shadows in a twilight glow
that flowed over the sands like flame.
كأسُنَاour cup مترَعٌbrimming وليلتُناand our night
كأسُنَا مترَعٌ وليلتُنا
غادةٌa graceful maiden منfrom مضارِبِthe encampments العربِof the Arabs
غادةٌ من مضارِبِ العربِ
Our cup is brimming, and our night
is a graceful maiden from the Arabs’ encampments.
ويكِah, you! لاdo not تنظريlook إلىat قَدَحِيmy goblet
ويكِ! لا تنظري إلى قَدَحِي
نظراتِglances الغريبِof the stranger، واقتربيand come closer!
نظراتِ الغريبِ، واقتربي!
Ah, you! Do not look at my goblet
with a stranger’s gaze—and come closer!
شفتاكِyour two lips النديَّتانِthe two moist ones بهِwith it
شفتاكِ النديَّتانِ بهِ
فيهماin them both رُوحُthe spirit ذلكthat الحَبَبِbubbles
فيهما رُوحُ ذلك الحَبَبِ
Your lips, moist with it,
hold the spirit of those bubbles.
شَهِدَtestified المنْتَشِيthe intoxicated one بخمرهماby their wine
شَهِدَ المنْتَشِي بخمرهما
أنَّthat هذاthis الرحيقَnectar منfrom عِنَبِيmy grapes!
أنَّ هذا الرحيقَ من عِنَبِي!
He who was intoxicated by their wine testified
that this nectar comes from my grapes!
Partial English translation: 17 of 34 Arabic lines translated.