بدَّدْتِyou scattered ياO قيثارتيmy lyre أنغاميmy melodies
بدَّدْتِ يا قيثارتي أنغامي
ونسيتِand you forgot لحنَthe melody of صبابتيmy yearning وغراميand my passion
ونسيتِ لحنَ صبابتي وغرامي
You scattered my melodies, O my lyre,
My lyre, you have scattered my melodies
And forgot the tune of my yearning and passion.
And forgotten the tune of my youth and passion
مرَّتْpassed ليالٍnights كنتِyou were مؤنستيmy companion بهاduring them
مرَّتْ ليالٍ كنتِ مؤنستي بها
وعزاءَand the solace of نفسٍa soul جمَّةِladen with الآلامِpain
وعزاءَ نفسٍ جمَّةِ الآلامِ
Nights have passed in which you were my companion,
Nights have passed when you were my companion
And the solace of a soul laden with pain.
And the solace of a soul laden with sorrows
تروينَyou recount منof طربِthe rapture of الصِّباyouth وحنينهand its longing
تروينَ من طربِ الصِّبا وحنينه
وتُذهِّبينَand you gild حواشيَthe fringes of الأحلامِdreams
وتُذهِّبينَ حواشيَ الأحلامِ
You would tell of youth's rapture and its longing,
You would quench the ecstasy of youth and its yearning
And gild the fringes of dreams.
And dispel the edges of dreams
كالبلبلِlike the nightingale الشَّاكيplaintive رويتِyou recounted صبابتيmy yearning
كالبلبلِ الشَّاكي رويتِ صبابتي
لحنًاas a melody تمشَّىcoursed فيthrough دميmy blood وعظاميand my bones
لحنًا تمشَّى في دمي وعظامي
Like the plaintive nightingale, you voiced my yearning
Like a wailing nightingale you sang my youth
As a melody that coursed through my blood and bones.
A melody that walked in my blood and bones
أنشودةُthe song of الواديthe valley ولحنُand the melody of شبابهits youth
أنشودةُ الوادي ولحنُ شبابه
ذابتْmelted علىupon صدرِthe breast of الغديرِthe pool الطاميbrimming
ذابتْ على صدرِ الغديرِ الطامي
The valley's song and the melody of its youth
The valley's ode and the tune of its youth
Melted upon the breast of the brimming pool.
Melted on the breast of the swelling stream
شاقَenchanted الطبيعةَnature منfrom قديمِold ملاحنيmy melodies
شاقَ الطبيعةَ من قديمِ ملاحني
أصداؤُكyour echoes الحيرَىbewildered علىupon الآكامِthe hillocks
أصداؤُك الحيرَى على الآكامِ
From my old melodies, nature was enchanted
Nature vexed my melodies since the ancient times
By your bewildered echoes upon the hillocks.
Your perplexed echoes on the hills
وشجاand moved to sorrow البحيرةَthe lake واستخفَّand set swaying ضفافهاits shores
وشجا البحيرةَ واستخفَّ ضفافها
لحنٌa melody كفائرِlike the surging of موجهاits waves المتراميfar-spreading
لحنٌ كفائرِ موجها المترامي
And the lake was moved to sorrow, its shores set swaying,
And angered the lake and mocked its banks
By a melody like its seething, far-spreading waves.
A tune like its surging, billowing waves
ياO ربَّةَmistress of الألحانmelodies غنِّيsing وابعثيand call forth
يا ربَّةَ الألحان غنِّي وابعثي
منfrom كلِّevery ماضٍpast عاثرِill-fated in الأيامِdays
من كلِّ ماضٍ عاثرِ الأيامِ
O mistress of melodies, sing and call forth songs
O mistress of melodies, sing to me and send
From every past of ill-fated days.
From every faltering past day
هلis there منin نشيدكِyour song ماsomething that يجدِّدrenews ليfor me الصِّباyouth
هل من نشيدكِ ما يجدِّد لي الصِّبا
ويعيدُand restores لمحةa glimpse of ثغرهits mouth البسَّامِever-smiling
ويعيدُ لمحة ثغره البسَّامِ
Is there something in your song to renew my youth
Is there a song of yours that renews my youth for me
And restore a glimpse of its ever-smiling mouth,
And gives back the smile of its radiant mouth?
ويصورand portrays الأحلامَdreams فتنةَas the enchantment of شاعرٍa poet
ويصور الأحلامَ فتنةَ شاعرٍ
تُوحيinspires الخيالَimagination لريشةِto the brush of الرسَّامِthe painter
تُوحي الخيالَ لريشةِ الرسَّامِ
And portray dreams as a poet's enchantment,
That depicts the dreams, the charm of a poet
Inspiring imagination in the painter's brush?
That inspires the imagination of the painter
واديthe valley of الهوىlove ولَّتْhas departed بشاشةُthe gladness of دهرِهِits days
وادي الهوى ولَّتْ بشاشةُ دهرِهِ
وخَلَتْand became empty مغانيهِits haunts منof الآرامِgazelles
وخَلَتْ مغانيهِ من الآرامِ
The valley of love—the gladness of its days has gone,
The valley of love, the cheer of its days has declined
And its haunts are empty of gazelles.
Its songs are devoid of tranquility
طارتflew away صوادحُهُits songbirds وجفَّand dried up غديرهits pool
طارت صوادحُهُ وجفَّ غديره
وذوىand withered بشطَّيهِon its two banks النضيرُthe lush growth النَّاميflourishing
وذوى بشطَّيهِ النضيرُ النَّامي
Its songbirds have flown away, and its pool has dried,
Its warblers have flown and its stream run dry
And the lush, flourishing growth has withered on its two banks.
Its soft whispering breeze diminished
واعتاضand exchanged منin place of هَمْسthe whisper of النسيمthe breeze بعاصفfor a gale
واعتاض من هَمْس النسيم بعاصف
داوٍroaring يشقُّcleaving جوانبَthe flanks of الأظلامِdarkness
داوٍ يشقُّ جوانبَ الأظلامِ
And it exchanged the breeze's whisper for a gale
Intercepted by a raging storm
Roaring as it cleaves the flanks of darkness.
That cleaves through the sides of darkness
وهوand it is الصَّدىthe echo الحاكيthat repeats لضائعthe lost sound of صرختيmy cry
وهو الصَّدى الحاكي لضائع صرختي
وصداكِand your echo بينbetween الغورِthe lowlands والآكامِand the hillocks
وصداكِ بين الغورِ والآكامِ
And it is the echo repeating my lost cry
It is the echo recounting my lost scream
And your echo between the lowlands and the hillocks.
And your reverberation between the gorge and hills
قدonce كُنَّthey were أُلَّافيmy companions ونزهةَand the delight of خاطريmy mind
قد كُنَّ أُلَّافي ونزهةَ خاطري
وسماءَand the sky of وحيِthe revelation of الشعرِpoetry والإلهامِand inspiration
وسماءَ وحيِ الشعرِ والإلهامِ
Once they were my companions and my mind's delight,
You were my compositions and joy of my soul
And a sky of poetic revelation and inspiration.
The sky of poetry's inspiration and rapture
ماwhy ليfor me بهنَّwith them سكتنَthey fell silent عنabout آلاميmy pains؟
ما لي بهنَّ سكتنَ عن آلامي؟
أنسينَhave they forgotten عهدَthe pledge of مودتيmy affection وذماميand my covenant؟
أنسينَ عهدَ مودتي وذمامي؟
Why do I find them silent about my pain?
Why did you fall silent about my sorrows?
Have they forgotten the pledge of my affection and my covenant?
Forget the era of my affection and bonds?
ياO ربَّةmistress of الألحانmelodies هلis there منany رجعةٍreturn
يا ربَّة الألحان هل من رجعةٍ
لقديمto the old لحنِكِyour melody أوor قديمthe old هياميmy passion؟
لقديم لحنِكِ أو قديم هيامي؟
O mistress of melodies, is there a return
O mistress of melodies, is there any return
To your old melody or my old passion?
To your former tune or my former infatuation?
فارويso recite أغانيَّmy songs القُدامىthe old، وانفثيand breathe forth
فاروي أغانيَّ القُدامى، وانفثي
فيinto الليلthe night منsome of نفثاتthe breaths of قلبيmy heart الدَّاميbleeding
في الليل من نفثات قلبي الدَّامي
So recite my old songs, and breathe
Then narrate to me the songs of the ancients
Into the night some breaths of my bleeding heart.
And breathe into the night the breaths of my bleeding heart
علَّperhaps الذيthe one whom غنَّيتُI sang of عرشَthe throne of جمالهhis beauty
علَّ الذي غنَّيتُ عرشَ جماله
وطفقتُand I began أرقُبI watch أفقهhis horizon المتساميsoaring
وطفقتُ أرقُب أفقه المتسامي
May the one whose throne of beauty I sang of,
Perhaps the one whose throne of beauty I sang
And whose lofty horizon I kept watching,
And began to watch his towering horizon
تُشجيهmoves him to sorrow ألحانيmy melodies فيسعدنيthen gladdens me بهthrough him
تُشجيه ألحاني فيسعدني به
طيفٌa phantom يضنُّis grudging عليَّtoward me بالإلمامِwith a visit
طيفٌ يضنُّ عليَّ بالإلمامِ
Be moved by my melodies, and may I find joy in him through
Your melodies will stir him to happiness through me
A phantom that begrudges me its visits.
A phantom that is miserly to provide me company
ماwhy ليfor me أراكِI see you جمدتyou have frozen بينbetween أنامليmy fingertips
ما لي أراكِ جمدت بين أناملي
وعصيتِand you defied أنَّاتيmy moans ودمعيand my tears الهاميstreaming
وعصيتِ أنَّاتي ودمعي الهامي
Why do I see you frozen between my fingertips,
Why do I see you frozen between my fingers
And defying my moans and my streaming tears,
And disobey my sighs and ardorous tears?
خرساءَmute لاnot تتلوreciting النشيدَthe song ولاand not تعيunderstanding
خرساءَ لا تتلو النشيدَ ولا تعي
سرَّthe secret of الغناءِsinging ولاand not تعيدُrepeating كلاميmy words
سرَّ الغناءِ ولا تعيدُ كلامي
Mute, neither chanting the song nor grasping
Mute, neither reciting the ode nor comprehending
The secret of singing, nor repeating my words?
The secret of singing, nor repeating my words
يغريincites الكآبةَmelancholy بيagainst me ويكسفُand darkens خاطريmy mind
يغري الكآبةَ بي ويكسفُ خاطري
أنِّيthat I أراكِsee you حبيسةَa captive of الأنغامِmelodies
أنِّي أراكِ حبيسةَ الأنغامِ
It sets melancholy upon me and darkens my mind
Sorrow entices me and embarrasses my soul
To see you a prisoner of melodies.
That I see you imprisoned from melodies