مَضَت أَشهُرٌ نُذِرَت لِلمَطَر

مَضَت أَشهُرٌ نُذِرَت لِلمَطَر

وأظلم فيها المسا وَالسَحَر

وأظلم فيها المسا وَالسَحَر

Months consecrated to rain had passed,

Months passed, promised rainclouds,

And evening and the predawn hour grew dark within them.

And dusk grew darker in them.

وَأَقبَلَ نُوّارُ عُرسُ الطَبيعَةِ

وَأَقبَلَ نُوّارُ عُرسُ الطَبيعَةِ

يَضحَكُ في وَرَقاتٍ الشَجَر

يَضحَكُ في وَرَقاتٍ الشَجَر

And May came, nature's wedding,

The bridegroom of nature's wedding came,

Laughing among the leaves of trees,

Laughing in the trees' leaves.

يُدَغدِغُ بِالطَلِّ عُشبَ الحُقولِ

يُدَغدِغُ بِالطَلِّ عُشبَ الحُقولِ

وَيطبع أَلوانه في الزَهَر

وَيطبع أَلوانه في الزَهَر

Tickling the fields' grass with dew,

Tickling the meadows' grass with dew,

And imprinting its colors on the blossoms,

And printing his colors on the flowers.

وَيَبني عَلى الهَضَباتِ مَتاحِفَ

وَيَبني عَلى الهَضَباتِ مَتاحِفَ

تَسخَرُ من هَذَيانِ البَشَر

تَسخَرُ من هَذَيانِ البَشَر

And building museums upon the hills

Building galleries on the hills

That scoff at human ravings,

Mocking people's raving.

كَأَنَّ عَباقِرَةَ الجِنِّ فيها

كَأَنَّ عَباقِرَةَ الجِنِّ فيها

سَكَنَّ وَعَلَّقنَ تِلكَ الصُوَر

سَكَنَّ وَعَلَّقنَ تِلكَ الصُوَر

As though within them the geniuses of the jinn

It's as if the genius jinn in them

Had dwelt and hung those pictures.

Lived, and hung those images.

فَخَفَّ الشَبابُ نَدِيَّ الحَياةِ

فَخَفَّ الشَبابُ نَدِيَّ الحَياةِ

يَستَقبِلُ الحُلُمَ المُنتَظَر

يَستَقبِلُ الحُلُمَ المُنتَظَر

Then youth, dewy with life, hastened

So youth, the call of life, softened,

To welcome the awaited dream;

Meeting the long-awaited dream.

عَلى ثَغرِهِ بَسَماتُ الرَبيعِ

عَلى ثَغرِهِ بَسَماتُ الرَبيعِ

وَفي قَلبِهِ بَسَماتٌ أُخَر

وَفي قَلبِهِ بَسَماتٌ أُخَر

On its lips, the smiles of spring,

On his lips Spring's smiles,

And in its heart, other smiles.

And in his heart other smiles.

وَفي يَومِ عيدٍ نقيِّ السَماءِ

وَفي يَومِ عيدٍ نقيِّ السَماءِ

كَأَنَّ السَما صَفحَةٌ من سُوَر

كَأَنَّ السَما صَفحَةٌ من سُوَر

And on a festival day with a clear sky,

And on a festival day of pure sky,

As though the sky were a page of Qur'anic chapters,

As if the sky a page of fences.

أُطلَّ شَفيقٌ عَلى الهَضَباتِ

أُطلَّ شَفيقٌ عَلى الهَضَباتِ

فَراءَ الشَبابَ عَلَيها اِنتَشَر

فَراءَ الشَبابَ عَلَيها اِنتَشَر

Shafiq looked out over the hills,

An evening looked over the hills,

And saw the young spread out across them,

And youths over them spread.

وَأَبصَرَ غَلواءَ بَينَ الزُهورِ

وَأَبصَرَ غَلواءَ بَينَ الزُهورِ

كَحَوّاءَ بَينَ شَهيِّ الثَمَر

كَحَوّاءَ بَينَ شَهيِّ الثَمَر

And saw Ghalwa among the flowers,

And saw a gazelle among the flowers,

Like Eve amid luscious fruit,

Like Eve among delicious fruits.

تُسَرِّحُ في عَدنِها نَظَراتٍ

تُسَرِّحُ في عَدنِها نَظَراتٍ

عَرَفنَ أَزاهيرَ خَيرٍ وَشَر

عَرَفنَ أَزاهيرَ خَيرٍ وَشَر

Letting her glances roam through her Eden,

Letting her glances roam in her Eden,

Glances that had known blossoms of good and evil.

They knew good and evil blossoms.

وَقَد لَبِسَت ثَوبَها الزَنبَقِيَّ

وَقَد لَبِسَت ثَوبَها الزَنبَقِيَّ

عَلَيهِ نَسيجٌ بِلَونِ الخِضَر

عَلَيهِ نَسيجٌ بِلَونِ الخِضَر

And she had put on her lily-white dress;

She wore her lily dress,

Upon it was fabric in the hue of greenery.

On it a weave the color of green.

وَأَلقَت عَلى العُشبِ جِسماً هَزيلاً

وَأَلقَت عَلى العُشبِ جِسماً هَزيلاً

كَغُصنٍ من الياسمين اِنكَسَر

كَغُصنٍ من الياسمين اِنكَسَر

And she laid upon the grass a frail body,

And cast on the grass a slender body,

Like a jasmine branch that had broken.

Like a jasmine branch broken.

فَخَفَّ اِلَيها وَفيهِ عَذابٌ

فَخَفَّ اِلَيها وَفيهِ عَذابٌ

بَدا مِنه في مُقلَيته أَثَر

بَدا مِنه في مُقلَيته أَثَر

He hastened toward her, with torment within him

So he softly came to her, suffering

Whose trace showed in his eyes.

Showing on his frowning forehead.

وَقالَ لَقَد خَلَعَ الحَقلُ عَنهُ

وَقالَ لَقَد خَلَعَ الحَقلُ عَنهُ

رداءَ الشِتاء وَغطّى الحَجَر

رداءَ الشِتاء وَغطّى الحَجَر

And said, "The field has indeed cast off

And said, “The field has shed from it

Its winter cloak and covered the stones,

The winter's gown and covered the stone.

وَأَلقى عَلَيه الرَبيعُ وِشاحاً

وَأَلقى عَلَيه الرَبيعُ وِشاحاً

جَمالُ الطَبيعَةِ فيهِ انحَصَر

جَمالُ الطَبيعَةِ فيهِ انحَصَر

And spring has thrown over it a shawl

And Spring has thrown over it a cloak,

In which nature's beauty is contained.

In which nature's beauty is confined.

فَهلّا خَلَعتِ رداءَ اللَيالي

فَهلّا خَلَعتِ رداءَ اللَيالي

وَأَلبَستِ روحَكِ ثَوبَ البُكَر

وَأَلبَستِ روحَكِ ثَوبَ البُكَر

Why, then, not cast off the cloak of nights

So why not shed the gown of nights,

And clothe your soul in the garment of early mornings?

And clothe your soul in the dress of innocence?

وَهَلّا تَشَبَّهتِ بِالياسِمين

وَهَلّا تَشَبَّهتِ بِالياسِمين

فَما كادَ يُحجبُ حَتّى ظَهَر

فَما كادَ يُحجبُ حَتّى ظَهَر

And why not be like the jasmine,

And why not resemble jasmine—

For scarcely was it hidden before it appeared?

No sooner does it hide than it appears?

لَقَد غَسَلَت بَسَماتُ الزُهورِ

لَقَد غَسَلَت بَسَماتُ الزُهورِ

ذُنوبَ الشِتاء الكَفيفِ البَصَر

ذُنوبَ الشِتاء الكَفيفِ البَصَر

The flowers' smiles have indeed washed away

The flowers' smiles have washed

The sins of sightless winter,

The blindness of barren winter.

وَعادَ العَفافُ الى الهَضَباتِ

وَعادَ العَفافُ الى الهَضَباتِ

فَفي كُلِّ غَرسٍ فُؤادٌ غَفَر

فَفي كُلِّ غَرسٍ فُؤادٌ غَفَر

And chastity has returned to the hills,

And chastity returned to the hills,

For in every plant is a heart that has forgiven."

In every plant a heart forgave.

فَقالَت أُحاوِلُ أَن أَتَناسى

فَقالَت أُحاوِلُ أَن أَتَناسى

زَماناً مَضى وَخَيالاً عَبَر

زَماناً مَضى وَخَيالاً عَبَر

She said, "I am trying to forget

So she said, “I'll try to forget

A time gone by and a vision that passed."

A past time, an imagination that passed.”

فَقالَ وَماذا يُمَثِّلُ هذا الخَيالُ

فَقالَ وَماذا يُمَثِّلُ هذا الخَيالُ

فَقالَت غَراماً عَثَر

فَقالَت غَراماً عَثَر

He said, "And what does this vision represent?"

So he said, “What does this imagination represent?”

She said, "A love that stumbled."

She said, “A passion stumbled.”

فَقالَ وَقد جَحَظَت مُقلَتاهُ

فَقالَ وَقد جَحَظَت مُقلَتاهُ

وَهذا فَقالَت حَبيباً غَدَر

وَهذا فَقالَت حَبيباً غَدَر

He said, his eyes bulging,

So he said, his eyes bulging,

"And this?" She said, "A beloved who betrayed.

“And this? She said, “A lover betrayed.”

وَهذا الحَبيبُ غَفَرتُ لَهُ

وَهذا الحَبيبُ غَفَرتُ لَهُ

وَيَعفو إِلهُك عَمّا بَدَر

وَيَعفو إِلهُك عَمّا بَدَر

And this beloved—I have forgiven him,

“I forgave this lover,

And your God pardons what was done.

And your God forgives what happened.

غَفَرتُ كَما غَفَرت في الرَبيعِ

غَفَرتُ كَما غَفَرت في الرَبيعِ

زُهورُ الرُبى لِشتاءٍ كَفَر

زُهورُ الرُبى لِشتاءٍ كَفَر

I forgave, just as in spring

I forgave as the meadows' flowers forgave

The hills' flowers forgave a faithless winter.

A blaspheming winter.”

وَلكِنَّ بي نَدَماً كَاللَّهيبِ

وَلكِنَّ بي نَدَماً كَاللَّهيبِ

يُريني الحَياةَ خِلافَ الشَرَر

يُريني الحَياةَ خِلافَ الشَرَر

And yet within me is remorse like flame

“But in me is regret like flames

That shows me life as the opposite of sparks."

Showing me life unlike sparks.

وَكان النَسيمُ يَهزُّ الغُصونَ

وَكان النَسيمُ يَهزُّ الغُصونَ

فَتنشرُ في الجَوِّ عِطرَ الزُهور

فَتنشرُ في الجَوِّ عِطرَ الزُهور

And the breeze was shaking the branches,

The breeze shook the branches,

So they spread the flowers' scent through the air.

Spreading the flowers' scents in the air.

وَلَمّا أَفقنَ اِعتَرَفنَ بِها

وَلَمّا أَفقنَ اِعتَرَفنَ بِها

وَقد هَزَّهُنَّ الضَميرُ الطَهور

وَقد هَزَّهُنَّ الضَميرُ الطَهور

And when they awoke, they acknowledged her,

When they awoke they confessed to her,

Their pure conscience having stirred them.

And a pure conscience shook them.

وَكان المَساءُ عَلى الهَضَباتِ

وَكان المَساءُ عَلى الهَضَباتِ

يَنفِثُ أَشباحَهُ في فُتور

يَنفِثُ أَشباحَهُ في فُتور

And evening, over the hills,

And evening on the hills

Was breathing forth its specters languidly,

Breathed its ghosts in languor.

وَشَمسُ المَغيب تُعيرُ الظِلالَ

وَشَمسُ المَغيب تُعيرُ الظِلالَ

أَلوانَها في مَطاوي الصُخور

أَلوانَها في مَطاوي الصُخور

And the setting sun was lending the shadows

The setting sun mocked the shadows,

Its colors in the folds of the rocks.

Lending its colors to the rocks' hollows.”

فَقالَ شَفيقٌ وَفي قَلبه

فَقالَ شَفيقٌ وَفي قَلبه

رَجاءٌ يَموتُ وَحبٌّ يَثور

رَجاءٌ يَموتُ وَحبٌّ يَثور

Then Shafiq said, while in his heart

So Evening said, and in his heart

A hope was dying and a love was surging,

Hope dying, love blazing.

عَشِقتكِ يا غَلوَ عِشقاً نَما

عَشِقتكِ يا غَلوَ عِشقاً نَما

شَقيَّ الرؤى في شَواطىءِ صُور

شَقيَّ الرؤى في شَواطىءِ صُور

"I loved you, O Ghalwa, with a love that grew

“I loved you madly, Gazelle,

Unhappy in its visions on the shores of Tyre.

My misfortune on Tyre's shores grew.

وَكنتِ من الداءِ في نَشوَةٍ

وَكنتِ من الداءِ في نَشوَةٍ

تُريكِ الحَياةَ ظَلاماً وَنور

تُريكِ الحَياةَ ظَلاماً وَنور

And you were in a rapture born of illness,

And you were in sickness carried away,

Which showed you life as darkness and light.

Showing you life as dark and light.

جَهِلتِ الهَوى فَنَكَرتِ الرَبيعَ

جَهِلتِ الهَوى فَنَكَرتِ الرَبيعَ

وَقد تَنكُرينَ نُمُوَّ البُذور

وَقد تَنكُرينَ نُمُوَّ البُذور

You did not know love, so you denied spring,

You misunderstood love, so you denied Spring,

And you may deny the growth of seeds.

You'll deny seeds' growth.”

وَمَن لَم يُقَدَّر له أَن يَشمَّ

وَمَن لَم يُقَدَّر له أَن يَشمَّ

يَنكر حَتّى أَريجَ العُطور

يَنكر حَتّى أَريجَ العُطور

And one not destined to smell

“And whoever isn't fated to smell

Denies even the fragrance of perfumes."

Will deny even fragrances.”

فَقالَت صَدَقتَ وَلكِنَّني

فَقالَت صَدَقتَ وَلكِنَّني

أُحِسُّ بِقَلبي جَفافَ الجُذور

أُحِسُّ بِقَلبي جَفافَ الجُذور

She said, "You are right, but I

So she said, “You're right, but I

Feel the dryness of roots in my heart.

Feel my heart dry as roots.”

فَأَنتَ تَرى في الرَبيع الجَمالَ

فَأَنتَ تَرى في الرَبيع الجَمالَ

وَأُبصِرُ اَزهارَهُ كَالبُثور

وَأُبصِرُ اَزهارَهُ كَالبُثور

For you see beauty in spring,

“You see beauty in Spring,

While I see its flowers as pustules;

And I see its flowers as sores.

وَتُبصِرُ في الزَهرِ لَونَ الحَياةِ

وَتُبصِرُ في الزَهرِ لَونَ الحَياةِ

وَأُبصِرُ في الزَهرِ لَونَ القُبور

وَأُبصِرُ في الزَهرِ لَونَ القُبور

And you see in blossoms the color of life,

You see life's color in a flower,

While I see in blossoms the color of graves."

I see the color of graves in a flower.”