نُبِّئتُ أَنَّكَ تَعشَقُ التَمثيلا

نُبِّئتُ أَنَّكَ تَعشَقُ التَمثيلا

عِشقاً يُمَثِّلُ في حَشاكَ فُصولا

عِشقاً يُمَثِّلُ في حَشاكَ فُصولا

I was told that you adore acting,

I'm told that you're infatuated with acting,

I have been told that you are enamored with acting,

With a love that stages acts within your breast.

An infatuation that plays many seasons in your emotions,

A passion staging its acts within your very core,

وَتَكادُ مِن فَرطِ الصَبابَةِ وَالجَوى

وَتَكادُ مِن فَرطِ الصَبابَةِ وَالجَوى

أَن تَهجِرَ المَشروبَ وَالمَأكولا

أَن تَهجِرَ المَشروبَ وَالمَأكولا

And from excessive longing and heartache, you nearly

And from excessive youth and passion,

And from the excess of infatuation and burning ardor, you nearly

Abandon drink and food.

You almost abandon food and drink,

Abandon both drink and food.

عَلَّلتَ نَفسَكَ بِالمُحالِ فَأَصبَحَت

عَلَّلتَ نَفسَكَ بِالمُحالِ فَأَصبَحَت

في غَمرَةٍ وَغَدَوتَ أَنتَ عَليلا

في غَمرَةٍ وَغَدَوتَ أَنتَ عَليلا

You consoled your soul with the impossible, and it became

You justified the impossible to yourself and so became

You beguiled your soul with the impossible, so it fell

Engulfed in confusion, while you yourself grew ill.

Immersed in gloom and turned into an invalid,

Into a stupor, and you became ailing.

وَالنَفسُ تَقنَعُ بِالقَليلِ فَحَبَّذا

وَالنَفسُ تَقنَعُ بِالقَليلِ فَحَبَّذا

لَو أَنتَ صَيَّرتَ القَليلَ السَولا

لَو أَنتَ صَيَّرتَ القَليلَ السَولا

And the soul is content with little—how fine it would be

And the soul is content with little, so it would be best

The soul is content with little, so how excellent it would be

If you made that little your desire.

If you made the little into plenty,

If you had made that little your goal.

تَأبى المَراسِحُ أَن تُنيلَكَ وُدَّها

تَأبى المَراسِحُ أَن تُنيلَكَ وُدَّها

إِنَّ المَراسِحَ لا تُحِبُّ ثَقيلا

إِنَّ المَراسِحَ لا تُحِبُّ ثَقيلا

The theaters refuse to grant you their affection;

Theaters refuse to give you their affection,

The theaters refuse to grant you their favor,

Indeed, theaters do not love a bore.

Indeed theaters do not like the burdensome.

For indeed, the theaters do not love the dull.