بلبلي مات حبيسا باكيا

بلبلي مات حبيسا باكيا

لوعة الشعر على ذاك الحبيس

لوعة الشعر على ذاك الحبيس

My nightingale died, captive and weeping.

My nightingale died a weeping captive,

Poetry's anguish for that captive!

The agony of poetry mourns that captive.

فقد الصبح أناشيد الهوى

فقد الصبح أناشيد الهوى

بعده و أنفرط العقد النفيس

بعده و أنفرط العقد النفيس

Dawn has lost the songs of love

The morning has lost the anthems of love,

now he is gone, and the precious necklace has come unstrung.

After him, the precious necklace has scattered.

عطّلوا المجلس يا سمّاره

عطّلوا المجلس يا سمّاره

و أريقوا يا نداماي الكؤوس

و أريقوا يا نداماي الكؤوس

Disband the gathering, O its evening companions,

Dismantle the gathering, O nighttime companions,

and pour away the cups, O my drinking companions.

And pour out the cups, my drinking mates!

قد قضى اليوم جليسي و مضى

قد قضى اليوم جليسي و مضى

لا تطيب الخمر من غير جليس

لا تطيب الخمر من غير جليس

Today my companion has died and departed;

Today my companion has passed and gone,

wine is not sweet without a companion.

And wine brings no joy without a companion.

ما لأغصان الرّبى من بعده

ما لأغصان الرّبى من بعده

تتهادى عاريات و تميس

تتهادى عاريات و تميس

What ails the branches on the hills after him,

Why do the branches of the hills, after him,

swaying naked and bending gracefully?

Sway and strut while utterly bare?

و عروس الزهر هل يضحكها

و عروس الزهر هل يضحكها

مشرق الشمس و قد مات العريس

مشرق الشمس و قد مات العريس

And the bride of blossoms—can she be made to smile

And the bride of the flowers, will she be made to laugh

by sunrise, now the bridegroom has died?

By the sunrise, when the groom has died?

ويل أمّ الظلم ثكلى دائما

ويل أمّ الظلم ثكلى دائما

فنيت طسم و لم تبق جديس

فنيت طسم و لم تبق جديس

Woe to tyranny's mother, forever bereaved!

Woe to the mother of injustice, forever bereaved;

Tasm has perished, and Jadis has not survived.

Tasam perished, and Jadis did not remain.

إنّما الدّنيا لمن كافحها

إنّما الدّنيا لمن كافحها

و مشى مستلئما وسط الخميس

و مشى مستلئما وسط الخميس

The world belongs only to whoever struggles against it

The world belongs only to the one who wrestles with it,

and walks armored amid the army.

And walks fully armed in the midst of the army.

بلبلي مات و لم تنج به

بلبلي مات و لم تنج به

وصفه ((الرازي)) و لا طبّ ((الرئيس))

وصفه ((الرازي)) و لا طبّ ((الرئيس))

My nightingale has died; he was not saved by

My nightingale died, and he was not saved by

al-Razi's prescription, nor by al-Ra'is's medicine.

The prescription of Al-Razi, nor the medicine of The President.

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

Shroud him in the blossoms of the hills,

Shroud him with the blossoms of the hills,

and wash him in strong, aged wine.

And wash him with the finest aged wine.

و اصرفوا عنّي لميسا مالذي

و اصرفوا عنّي لميسا مالذي

أبقت الأحزان منّي للميس

أبقت الأحزان منّي للميس

And send Lamis away from me—what

And turn Lamis away from me, for what

have sorrows left of me for Lamis?

Have sorrows left of me for Lamis?

عاش ما عاش طليقا بالربى

عاش ما عاش طليقا بالربى

و الربى حسن و لون و عبير

و الربى حسن و لون و عبير

He lived, as long as he lived, free among the hills,

He lived out his days roaming free in the hills,

and the hills were beauty, color, and fragrance.

And the hills are beauty, color, and fragrance.

يتغنّى بأناشيد الهوى

يتغنّى بأناشيد الهوى

ناعما بالعمر و العمر قصير

ناعما بالعمر و العمر قصير

He sang the songs of love,

Singing the anthems of love,

delighting in life, though life is short.

Enjoying a life of bliss, though life is short.

يرسل الأشعار في الأيك كما

يرسل الأشعار في الأيك كما

أرسل الشعر حبيب و جرير

أرسل الشعر حبيب و جرير

He sent forth his verses in the thicket, just as

Sending forth poems in the thicket, just as

Habib and Jarir sent forth their poetry.

Habib and Jarir sent forth poetry.

فغدا اليوم أسيرا بعدما

فغدا اليوم أسيرا بعدما

كان حرا بين روض و غدير

كان حرا بين روض و غدير

Then today he became a captive, after

Then today he became a captive, after

he had been free between a garden and a pool.

He had been free among the gardens and the stream.

إرحموه و اعطفوا ما شئتم

إرحموه و اعطفوا ما شئتم

فأحقّ الناس بالعطف الأسير

فأحقّ الناس بالعطف الأسير

Have mercy on him, and show as much kindness as you wish,

Have mercy on him and show all the sympathy you wish,

for of all people, the captive most deserves compassion.

For the most deserving of sympathy is the captive.

هو يبكي و أنا أبكي أسى

هو يبكي و أنا أبكي أسى

و كلانا ذو شجون و شعور

و كلانا ذو شجون و شعور

He weeps, and I weep in sorrow,

He weeps, and I weep in sorrow,

and we both have sorrows and feelings.

And both of us possess grief and feelings.

من لباب البرّ قد أطعمته

من لباب البرّ قد أطعمته

و لقد أرشفته الماء النمير

و لقد أرشفته الماء النمير

I fed him the choicest kernels of wheat,

I fed him from the finest kernels of wheat,

and indeed gave him pure, wholesome water to sip.

And I gave him the purest, sweetest water to drink.

و كسوت القفص الرحب الذرى

و كسوت القفص الرحب الذرى

بالقباطيّ الموشّى و الحرير

بالقباطيّ الموشّى و الحرير

And draped the cage, spacious at the top,

And I draped his spacious, high-peaked cage

with embroidered Egyptian linen and silk.

With embroidered Coptic cloths and silk.

غير أنّ الطير فاضت روحه

غير أنّ الطير فاضت روحه

بين حزن و شهيق و زفير

بين حزن و شهيق و زفير

Yet the bird's soul departed

Yet the bird's soul overflowed and departed

amid sorrow, gasps, and sighs.

Amidst grief, sobbing, and sighing.

بلبلي مات و لم تنجع به

بلبلي مات و لم تنجع به

وصفة الرازي و لا طبّ الرئيس

وصفة الرازي و لا طبّ الرئيس

My nightingale has died; neither availed him—

My nightingale died, and he was not helped by

al-Razi's prescription nor al-Ra'is's medicine.

The prescription of Al-Razi, nor the medicine of The President.

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

Shroud him in the blossoms of the hills,

Shroud him with the blossoms of the hills,

and wash him in strong, aged wine.

And wash him with the finest aged wine.

و اصرفوا عني لميسا ما الذي

و اصرفوا عني لميسا ما الذي

ابقت الأحزان مني للميس

ابقت الأحزان مني للميس

And send Lamis away from me—what

And turn Lamis away from me, for what

have sorrows left of me for Lamis?

Have sorrows left of me for Lamis?

أيّها الصيّاد لا تنصب له

أيّها الصيّاد لا تنصب له

شركا و اسمح بتقطيع الشرك

شركا و اسمح بتقطيع الشرك

O hunter, do not set for him

O hunter, do not set up for him

a snare; allow the snare to be cut apart.

A snare, and allow the snare to be cut.

أيّها الصيّاد ما أعجزه

أيّها الصيّاد ما أعجزه

أيّها الصيّاد بل ما أقدرك

أيّها الصيّاد بل ما أقدرك

O hunter, how helpless he is!

O hunter, how helpless he is!

O hunter—rather, how powerful you are!

O hunter, but how powerful you are!

دعه حرا و استمع تغريده

دعه حرا و استمع تغريده

هلّة الصبح و قل : ما أشعرك

هلّة الصبح و قل : ما أشعرك

Leave him free, and listen to his song

Leave him free, and listen to his song

at dawn's first light, and say, "What a poet you are!"

At the break of dawn, and say: "What a poet you are!"

دعه حرا فلقد صوّره

دعه حرا فلقد صوّره

خالق الكون الذي قد صوّرك

خالق الكون الذي قد صوّرك

Leave him free, for he was indeed fashioned

Leave him free, for he was fashioned by

by the Creator of the universe, who fashioned you.

The Creator of the universe, who fashioned you.

جارك الأدنى دعاه ظما

جارك الأدنى دعاه ظما

و هجير فتفيّا شجرك

و هجير فتفيّا شجرك

Your nearest neighbor was summoned by thirst

He is your closest neighbor, driven by thirst

and scorching heat, so he took shade beneath your trees.

And midday heat, so he sought the shade of your trees.

أنت سكران و لم تشرب طلا

أنت سكران و لم تشرب طلا

إنّما البغي الذي أسكرك

إنّما البغي الذي أسكرك

You are drunk, though you have drunk no wine;

You are drunk, yet you have not drunk any wine;

it is tyranny alone that has made you drunk.

It is only tyranny that has intoxicated you.

تعس الصيّاد من ذي قسوة

تعس الصيّاد من ذي قسوة

جرّب الدنيا طويلا و عرك

جرّب الدنيا طويلا و عرك

Wretched be the hunter, that cruel man,

Perish the hunter, what a cruel man he is,

who long experienced the world and wrestled with it.

Having tested the world for so long and wrestled with it.

مذ رأى البلبل في غفلته

مذ رأى البلبل في غفلته

صوّب السهم إليه و برك

صوّب السهم إليه و برك

When he saw the nightingale off guard,

The moment he saw the nightingale in his unawareness,

he aimed the arrow at him and knelt.

He aimed his arrow at him and knelt.

فارتمى الطير صريعا و هوى

فارتمى الطير صريعا و هوى

تاركا أفراخه فيما ترك

تاركا أفراخه فيما ترك

So the bird collapsed, stricken, and fell,

So the bird was struck down, slain, and fell,

leaving his chicks among what he left behind.

Leaving his chicks behind among what he left.

بلبلي مات و لم تنجع به

بلبلي مات و لم تنجع به

وصفة الرازي و لا طبّ الرئيس

وصفة الرازي و لا طبّ الرئيس

My nightingale has died; neither availed him—

My nightingale died, and he was not helped by

al-Razi's prescription nor al-Ra'is's medicine.

The prescription of Al-Razi, nor the medicine of The President.

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

كفّنوه بأزاهير الرّبى

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

و اغسلوه بالمدام الخندريس

Shroud him in the blossoms of the hills,

Shroud him with the blossoms of the hills,

and wash him in strong, aged wine.

And wash him with the finest aged wine.

و اصرفوا عنّي لميسا ما الذي

و اصرفوا عنّي لميسا ما الذي

ابقت الأحزان منّي للميس

ابقت الأحزان منّي للميس

And send Lamis away from me—what

And turn Lamis away from me, for what

have sorrows left of me for Lamis?

Have sorrows left of me for Lamis?