لِمَwhy أقبلْتِyou came فيin الظلامِthe darkness إليَّto me؟
لِمَ أقبلْتِ في الظلامِ إليَّ؟
ولماذاand why طرقتِyou knocked بابيَmy door ليلَاat night؟
ولماذا طرقتِ بابيَ ليلَا؟
Why have you come to me through the darkness?
Why have you come to me in the dark?
And why did you knock at my door by night?
And why have you knocked at my door at night?
لاتَit is not حينthe time المزارvisiting أيتهاO الأشباحُthe ghosts،
لاتَ حين المزار أيتها الأشباحُ،
فامضيso go away، فماfor ... not عرفتكِI knew you قبلَاbefore!
فامضي، فما عرفتكِ قبلَا!
This is no hour for visiting, O ghosts—
This is no time for visiting, O ghosts,
Go, then; I have never known you before!
So go away, for I have never known you before!
اتركينيleave me فيin وحشتيmy desolation، ودعينيand let me be
اتركيني في وحشتي، ودعيني
فيin مكانيmy place بوحدتيin my solitude مستقلَّاon my own
في مكاني بوحدتي مستقلَّا
Leave me in my desolation; let me be,
Leave me in my desolation, and let me be
alone in my place, self-contained.
In my place, alone and apart.
لستُI am not منthe one whom تقصدينَyou seek فيin ذلكthat الواديthe valley،
لستُ من تقصدينَ في ذلك الوادي،
فعذرًاso pardon me إنif لمdid not أقُلI say لكِto you: أهلَاwelcome!
فعذرًا إن لم أقُل لكِ: أهلَا!
I am not the one you seek in that valley;
I am not the one you seek in that valley,
forgive me if I do not say, “Welcome!”
So pardon me if I have not bid you welcome!
لاdo not تُطيليprolong الوقوفَstanding تحتَbeneath سياجيmy fence
لا تُطيلي الوقوفَ تحتَ سياجي
لنْwill not تَرَيْyou see فيهِin it للثَّواءِfor staying محلَّاa place
لنْ تَرَيْ فيهِ للثَّواءِ محلَّا
Do not linger beneath my fence;
Do not stand long beneath my fence;
you will find no place to dwell within it.
You will see no place within it to stay.
ضلَّwent astray مسراكyour night journey فيin الظلامthe darkness فعوديso return
ضلَّ مسراك في الظلام فعودي
واحذريand beware فيهِin it ثانيًاa second time أنlest يضلَّاit strays!
واحذري فيهِ ثانيًا أن يضلَّا!
Your night journey has strayed in the wastes—turn back,
Your night journey has strayed in the dark, so return,
and take care lest it stray there again!
And beware lest it stray there a second time!
ذاكthat مأوايَmy refuge فيin تخومborders الفيافيthe desert wastes
ذاك مأوايَ في تخوم الفيافي
طللٌa ruin واجمٌbrooding عليكِupon you أطلَّاlooked out
طللٌ واجمٌ عليكِ أطلَّا
That is my refuge on the desert’s farthest bounds,
That is my refuge on the fringes of the deserts,
a brooding ruin looming over you.
A brooding ruin that looks out upon you.
قدindeed تخلَّيتُI have withdrawn عنfrom زمانيَmy time فيهِin it
قد تخلَّيتُ عن زمانيَ فيهِ
وهوَand it بيthrough me عنfrom زمانِهits time قدindeed تخلَّىhas withdrawn!
وهوَ بي عن زمانِه قد تخلَّى!
There I have withdrawn from my own time,
Within it I have forsaken my own time,
and it, with me, has forsaken its time.
And through me it has forsaken its own time!
لنwill not تَريْyou see منfrom خلالِهِits openings غيرَother than خفَّاقِflickering
لن تَريْ من خلالِهِ غيرَ خفَّاقِ
شعاعٍa ray يكادُalmost فيin الليلthe night يَبْلَىfades away
شعاعٍ يكادُ في الليل يَبْلَى
Through it you will see nothing but a fluttering
Through it you will see nothing but a flickering
ray, nearly worn away by night,
Ray that nearly fades away in the night,
وخيالٍand a shadow مستغرقٍimmersed فيin ذهولٍbewilderment
وخيالٍ مستغرقٍ في ذهولٍ
باتspent the night يرعىtends ذُبالهits wick المضمحلَّاdwindling!
بات يرعى ذُباله المضمحلَّا!
and a phantom sunk deep in stupor,
And a shadow lost in bewilderment,
keeping watch all night over its dwindling wick.
That has spent the night tending its dwindling wick!
ابرحيleave بهوَهits hall الكئيبَgloomy فماfor ... not فيهِin it
ابرحي بهوَه الكئيبَ فما فيهِ
لعينيكِto your eyes بهجةٌdelight تتجلَّىreveals itself
لعينيكِ بهجةٌ تتجلَّى
Leave its melancholy hall; there is nothing in it
Leave its gloomy hall, for in it there is no
whose beauty might unfold before your eyes.
Delight that reveals itself to your eyes.
قدindeed نَزلتِyou alighted العشيَّat dusk فيهin it علىupon قفرٍa wasteland
قد نَزلتِ العشيَّ فيه على قفرٍ
جفَتهُhas forsaken it الحياةُlife ماءًwater وظلَّاand shade!
جفَتهُ الحياةُ ماءً وظلَّا!
At evening you have alighted there upon a wasteland,
At dusk you alighted there upon a wasteland,
shunned by life—bereft of water and shade.
Life has forsaken it—water and shade alike!
كانwas هذاthis المكانُthe place روضًاa garden نضيرًاverdant
كان هذا المكانُ روضًا نضيرًا
جَرَّtrailed فيهin it الربيعُspring بالأمسyesterday ذيلَاa hem
جَرَّ فيه الربيعُ بالأمس ذيلَا
This place was once a radiant garden;
This place was once a verdant garden,
only yesterday, spring swept its train across it.
Spring trailed its hem there yesterday.
كانwas فيهin it زهرٌflowers، فعادso they became هشيمًاdry debris
كان فيه زهرٌ، فعاد هشيمًا
كانwas فيهin it، طيرٌbirds ولكنand yet تولَّىthey departed!
كان فيه، طيرٌ ولكن تولَّى!
There were flowers here; now they are dry stalks.
There were flowers there; they turned to dry debris,
There were birds here, but they departed!
There were birds there, but they have departed!
فاسلميso stay safe منfrom شقائهits misery ودعيهِand leave it
فاسلمي من شقائه ودعيهِ
وحدَهby itself يصحبُkeeps company with السكونَthe stillness المملَّاtedious
وحدَه يصحبُ السكونَ المملَّا
Save yourself from its misery, and leave it
So keep safe from its misery, and leave it
alone with wearisome silence for company.
Alone to keep company with tedious stillness.
واطرقيand knock غيرَother than بابِهits door، إنَّindeed رَوحيmy soul
واطرقي غيرَ بابِه، إنَّ رَوحي
أحكمتْhas secured دونَهbefore it رِتاجًاa gate وقُفلَاand a lock!
أحكمتْ دونَه رِتاجًا وقُفلَا!
Knock upon another door, for my spirit
And knock at another door, for my soul
has sealed this one with bolt and lock!
Has firmly barred it with a gate and a lock!
أوُقوفًاstanding? إلىuntil الصباحthe morning ببابيat my door؟!
أوُقوفًا إلى الصباح ببابي؟!
شدَّhow great ماwhat جِئْتِهِyou have done it غباءًfoolishness وجهلَاand ignorance!
شدَّ ما جِئْتِهِ غباءً وجهلَا!
Will you stand at my door until morning?!
Will you stand at my door until morning?!
How utterly foolish and blind your coming!
How foolish and ignorant is what you have done!
ابعديmove away منfrom وراءbehind نافذتيmy window الآنnow
ابعدي من وراء نافذتي الآن
ورفقًاand gently إذاwhen انثنيتِyou turn away ومهلَاand slowly!
ورفقًا إذا انثنيتِ ومهلَا!
Move away from behind my window now,
Move away from behind my window now,
and when you turn away, gently—slowly!
And gently, when you turn away—slowly!
إنَّindeed مِنfrom تحتِهاbeneath it هَزارًاa nightingale صريعًاstruck down
إنَّ مِن تحتِها هَزارًا صريعًا
سامهُinflicted on it البردُthe cold فيin العشيةthe evening قتلَاdeath
سامهُ البردُ في العشية قتلَا
Beneath it lies a nightingale struck dead,
For beneath it lies a fallen nightingale,
to which the evening cold dealt death,
Which the cold put to death at dusk,
وأزاهيرَand blossoms حولهaround it ذابلاتٍwithered
وأزاهيرَ حوله ذابلاتٍ
مزَّقتهاtore them apart الرِّياحُthe winds فيin الليلِthe night شملَاgathering
مزَّقتها الرِّياحُ في الليلِ شملَا
with wilting flowers all around it,
And withered blossoms around it,
their gathering torn apart by the night winds.
Their gathering torn apart by the winds in the night.
كانwas ليfor me فيin حياتِهاtheir life خيرُthe finest سلوىsolace
كان لي في حياتِها خيرُ سلوى
فدعينيso let me بموتهاin their death أتسلَّىI find solace
فدعيني بموتها أتسلَّى
While they lived, they were my finest solace;
In their life I had my finest solace,
now let me console myself with their death.
So let me find solace in their death.
فهيfor they are بُقياa remnant صبابةٍyearning ودموعٍand tears
فهي بُقيا صبابةٍ ودموعٍ
جثياboth knelt عندهاbeside them شعاعًاas a ray وطَلَّاand as dew
جثيا عندها شعاعًا وطَلَّا
They are remnants of passion and of tears,
For they are the remnant of yearning and tears,
crouching beside them as radiance and dew.
Both knelt beside them as a ray and dew.
إنindeed عينيmy eye بهاto them أحقُّmore entitled منthan الموتِdeath
إن عيني بها أحقُّ من الموتِ
وقلبيand my heart بهاto them منthan القبرِthe grave أولىmore deserving
وقلبي بها من القبرِ أولى
My eyes have more right to them than death,
Indeed, my eye has more right to them than death,
and my heart more claim to them than the grave.
And my heart has more right to them than the grave.
جُنَّwent mad قلبيmy heart فاستضحَكَتْهُso made it laugh المناياdeaths
جُنَّ قلبي فاستضحَكَتْهُ المنايا
حيثُwhile أبكتنيَmade me weep الحقيقةُthe truth عقلَاin my reason
حيثُ أبكتنيَ الحقيقةُ عقلَا
My heart went mad, and the Fates made it laugh,
My heart went mad, so deaths made it laugh,
while truth made my reason weep.
While truth made my reason weep.
لاdo not تُطيليprolong الوقوفَstanding، أيتهاO الأشباحُthe ghosts،
لا تُطيلي الوقوفَ، أيتها الأشباحُ،
فامضيso go away فماfor ... not رأيتكِI saw you قبلَاbefore
فامضي فما رأيتكِ قبلَا
Do not prolong your stay, O ghosts—
Do not stand long, O ghosts,
go, for I have never seen you before.
So go away, for I have never seen you before.
أوَلمand did ... not? تسمعيyou hear؟ جهلتكِI do not know you منwho أنتِyou!
أوَلم تسمعي؟ جهلتكِ من أنتِ!
فعوديso return فماfor ... not كذبتكِI lied to you قولَاin speech!!
فعودي فما كذبتكِ قولَا!!
Have you not heard? I do not know you—who are you?
And have you not heard? I do not know you—who are you?
Then turn back: I have not lied to you in a word!!
So return, for I have spoken no lie to you!
