مالي وَما لِلرَشَءِ الأَغيَدِ

مالي وَما لِلرَشَءِ الأَغيَدِ

خَلَت مِنَ الحُب وَمِنهُ يَدي

خَلَت مِنَ الحُب وَمِنهُ يَدي

What have I to do with the graceful young gazelle?

What is it to me, what is it to the graceful gazelle,

What have I to do with the graceful, soft-necked gazelle?

My hand is empty of love, and of him.

My hands are empty of love, and of it.

My hand is now empty of love, and empty of him.

نَأى فَما في قُربِهِ مَطمَعٌ

نَأى فَما في قُربِهِ مَطمَعٌ

لا تَصِلُ الكَفُّ إِلى الفَرقَدِ

لا تَصِلُ الكَفُّ إِلى الفَرقَدِ

He has gone far away; there is no hope of drawing near him.

It kept its distance, so I have no hopes of closeness,

He has drifted far; there is no hope of drawing near,

The hand cannot reach the star Farqad.

The palm cannot reach the Pleiades.

For the human hand cannot reach the highest star.

قَطَعتُ بِاليَأسِ حِوطَ المُنى

قَطَعتُ بِاليَأسِ حِوطَ المُنى

وَقُلتُ لِلسَلوانِ لا تَبعُدِ

وَقُلتُ لِلسَلوانِ لا تَبعُدِ

With despair I severed the cords of hope.

I cut, with despair, the ropes of wishes,

With despair, I have severed the cords of desire,

And I said to solace, 'Do not go far away.'

And said to yearning: “Do not wander!”

And I said to oblivion: 'Do not remain far away.'

وَصِرتُ لا يُطريني مُنشِدٌ

وَصِرتُ لا يُطريني مُنشِدٌ

وَلا أَنا أَصبو إِلى مُنشِدِ

وَلا أَنا أَصبو إِلى مُنشِدِ

And now no singer praises me.

So I became - no singer delights me,

I have become one whom no singer moves to delight,

Nor do I yearn for a singer.

Nor do I incline towards any singer.

Nor do I find myself yearning for any song.

أَسيرُ في الرَوضَةِ عِندَ الضُحى

أَسيرُ في الرَوضَةِ عِندَ الضُحى

حَيرانَ كَالمُدلِجِ في فَدفَدِ

حَيرانَ كَالمُدلِجِ في فَدفَدِ

I walk in the garden at midmorning,

I roam in the meadow at dawn,

I walk through the garden in the brightness of morning,

Bewildered, like a night traveler on a barren plain.

Perplexed, like one lost in the wilderness.

Bewildered, like a night-traveler lost in a barren waste.

أَمامِيَ الماء وَلا أَرتَوي

أَمامِيَ الماء وَلا أَرتَوي

وَحَولِيَ النور وَلا أَهتَدي

وَحَولِيَ النور وَلا أَهتَدي

Water is before me, yet I cannot quench my thirst.

Before me is water, and I am not sated,

Water flows before me, yet I remain unquenched,

And light surrounds me, yet I cannot find my way.

And around me is light, and I am not guided.

And light surrounds me, yet I cannot find my way.

يا لَيتَ شِعرتي أَينَ عَهدُ الصِبا

يا لَيتَ شِعرتي أَينَ عَهدُ الصِبا

وَأَينَ أَحلامُ الفَتى الأَمرَدِ

وَأَينَ أَحلامُ الفَتى الأَمرَدِ

Oh, would that I knew: where are the days of youth?

Oh, would that I knew where is the era of youth,

Oh, if I only knew where the days of youth have gone,

And where are the dreams of the beardless young man?

And where are the dreams of the eternal youth!

And where are the dreams of the innocence of boyhood?

وَلّى وَوَلَّت كَخَيالِ الكَرى

وَلّى وَوَلَّت كَخَيالِ الكَرى

يَلوحُ في الذُهن وَلَم يوجَدِ

يَلوحُ في الذُهن وَلَم يوجَدِ

It has gone, and they have gone, like a phantom of sleep,

It passed like a mirage that appears and disappears,

He has turned away, and they have passed like a phantom of slumber,

Appearing in the mind, yet never having existed.

Glimpsed in the mind, but not found.

That looms in the mind but holds no existence.

فَيا قُلوبَ الكاشِحينَ اِسكُني

فَيا قُلوبَ الكاشِحينَ اِسكُني

وَيا عُيونَ الحاسِدينَ اِرقُدي

وَيا عُيونَ الحاسِدينَ اِرقُدي

So, O hearts of the spiteful, be still.

So calm down, you riled hearts!

So, O hearts of those who secretly hate, be still,

And, O eyes of the envious, sleep.

And sleep, you envious eyes!

And O eyes of the envious, you may now sleep.

وَيا شِياهاً تَتَّقي صَولَتي

وَيا شِياهاً تَتَّقي صَولَتي

قَلَّمتُ أَظفارِيَ فَاِستَأسِدي

قَلَّمتُ أَظفارِيَ فَاِستَأسِدي

And, O sheep who guard against my onslaught,

And you who fear my power,

And O sheep that once cowered before my assault,

I have clipped my claws—so act like lions!

I have trimmed my claws, so be at ease!

I have clipped my own claws, so now you may play the lion.

يا سائِلي عَن أَمسِ كَيفَ اِنقَضى

يا سائِلي عَن أَمسِ كَيفَ اِنقَضى

دَعه وَسَلني يا أَخي عَن غَدِ

دَعه وَسَلني يا أَخي عَن غَدِ

O you who ask me how yesterday passed,

O you who ask about yesterday, how it passed,

O you who ask me about yesterday and how it ended,

Leave it, and ask me, my brother, about tomorrow.

Leave it be, and ask me, my brother, about tomorrow!

Let it be, and ask me instead, my brother, about tomorrow.

أَروَحُ لِلنَفس وَأَهنا لَها

أَروَحُ لِلنَفس وَأَهنا لَها

أَن تَحسُبَ الماضِيَ لَم يولَدِ

أَن تَحسُبَ الماضِيَ لَم يولَدِ

It is more restful for the soul, and more pleasant for it,

I comfort my soul, and gently tell it,

For it brings greater rest and peace to the soul

To suppose the past was never born.

To consider the past as if never born.

To deem that the past was never even born.