تظنّshe thinks مزارَa visit to البدرِthe full moon عنهاfor her absence يعزنيconsoles me
تظنّ مزارَ البدرِ عنها يعزني
إذاwhen غابَit sets لمnot يبعدgrow distant علىto عينthe eye مُبْصِرِof one who sees
إذا غابَ لم يبعد على عين مُبْصِرِ
She thinks a visit to the full moon will console me for her absence;
You think the moon's orbit is too far for me
when it sets, it is not far from a discerning eye.
If it disappears, to my discerning eye it is not far
وبينَand between رحيليmy departure والإِيابِand the return لحاجِهاfor her needs
وبينَ رحيلي والإِيابِ لحاجِها
منof الدهرtime ماwhat يُبْليwears out رَتيمَةَa reminder-thread خنصرِa little finger
من الدهر ما يُبْلي رَتيمَةَ خنصرِ
Between my departure and my return to meet her needs
Between my leaving and returning for my love
lies time enough to wear out a reminder-thread on a little finger.
There is nothing in time that makes a tattoo fade
ولاand no بُدّescape منfrom حمليmy imposing علىupon النفسthe soul خُطّةًa course
ولا بُدّ من حملي على النفس خُطّةً
تُعلّقُlinks ورديmy arrival فيin اغترابيmy being abroad بمصدريto my departure
تُعلّقُ وردي في اغترابي بمصدري
And I must impose upon my soul a course
I must devise a plan to discipline myself
that links my arrival, far from home, to my departure.
To focus my passion in my absence on my goal
وتطرَحنيand casts me بالعزْمwith resolve منwith غيرِno فترَةٍpause
وتطرَحني بالعزْم من غيرِ فترَةٍ
سفائنُships بيدٍdeserts فيinto سفائنships أبحُرِseas
سفائنُ بيدٍ في سفائن أبحُرِ
And with resolve and without a pause, I am cast
And throw myself with determination into storms
by ships of the deserts into ships of the seas.
Like ships at sea piloted by able hands
وماand not هيَit إلاexcept النفسُthe soul تفنيconsumes حياتَهَاits life
وما هيَ إلا النفسُ تفني حياتَهَا
مُصَرَّفةًbeing directed فيin كلّevery سعيٍendeavor مُقَدَّرِallotted
مُصَرَّفةً في كلّ سعيٍ مُقَدَّرِ
It is only the soul that consumes its life,
It is nothing but the soul wearing out its life
directed into every allotted endeavor.
Turning in every striving that is predetermined
أغَرّكِhas it deceived you? تلويحٌsun-darkening بجسميof my body وإنّنيand indeed I
أغَرّكِ تلويحٌ بجسمي وإنّني
لكالسيفindeed like a sword يعلوcovers متنهits blade غينa dark film جوهرِsteel
لكالسيف يعلو متنه غين جوهرِ
Has the sun-darkening of my body deceived you? Yet I
Does the waving of my body deceive you?
am like a sword whose steel blade is overlaid with a dark film.
I am like a sword with a golden hilt
وماand not هيَit إلاexcept لفحةٌa scorching blast منof هواجرٍmidday heats
وما هيَ إلا لفحةٌ من هواجرٍ
تخلّصْتُI emerged منهاfrom it كالنّضارlike pure gold المسجَّرِfired
تخلّصْتُ منها كالنّضار المسجَّرِ
It is only a scorching blast of midday heat,
It is but a whiff of passing passion
from which I emerged like gold refined by fire.
I am rid of it like a loosened bracelet
وأنكرتِand you found strange إلمامَthe coming المشيبِgray hair بلمّتيupon my locks
وأنكرتِ إلمامَ المشيبِ بلمّتي
وأيّand what صباحٍdawn فيin دجىdarkness غيرِnot مسفرِshining
وأيّ صباحٍ في دجى غيرِ مسفرِ
And you found it strange that gray hair should touch my locks;
You denied the greying of my hair
yet what dawn amid darkness does not shine?
On what bright dawn in deep darkness?
وماand not كانwas ذاpossessing حذرٍcaution غرابُthe raven شبيبتيof my youth
وما كان ذا حذرٍ غرابُ شبيبتي
فلمْso why طارَflew عنaway from شخصيmy form لشخصbecause of a figure مُنفِّرِfrightening
فلمْ طارَ عن شخصي لشخص مُنفِّرِ
The raven of my youth was never wary;
My reckless youth would not take heed
so why did it fly from my form before a frightening figure?
It did not fly from my person in disgust
وأبقتْand left صروفُvicissitudes الدهرِtime منّيof me بقيّةًa remnant
وأبقتْ صروفُ الدهرِ منّي بقيّةً
مذكرةًstalwart مثلَlike الحسامthe cutting sword المذكرِsteel-hardened
مذكرةً مثلَ الحسام المذكرِ
And time's vicissitudes have left a remnant of me,
The turns of fate left me a remnant
stalwart, like a sword of hardened steel.
A memento like an inscribed sword
وماand not ضَعضَعتنيweakened me للحوادثِbefore misfortunes نَكْبَةٌa calamity
وما ضَعضَعتني للحوادثِ نَكْبَةٌ
ولاnor لانsoftened فيin أيديthe hands الحوادثmisfortunes عُنصريmy mettle
ولا لان في أيدي الحوادث عُنصري
No calamity has weakened me before misfortunes,
No calamity shook me
nor has my mettle softened in misfortune's hands.
Nor did the hands of fate influence my destiny
وحمراءَand a red wine لمnot تسمحْwould part بهاwith it نفسُthe soul بائعٍof a seller
وحمراءَ لم تسمحْ بها نفسُ بائعٍ
لسومٍfor a bid ولمand not تظفرْgained بهاit يدُthe hand مُشتريof a buyer
لسومٍ ولم تظفرْ بها يدُ مُشتري
And a red wine no seller's soul would surrender
A red wine no seller would approve
for a bid, nor did a buyer's hand secure it.
Nor any buyer obtain
أقامتْit remained معthrough الأحقابِthe ages حتىuntil كأنّهاas though it
أقامتْ مع الأحقابِ حتى كأنّها
خبيئةُhidden treasure كسرىKisra أوor دفينةُburied hoard قيصرِCaesar
خبيئةُ كسرى أو دفينةُ قيصرِ
It lingered through the ages, until it seemed
It lasted through the eras as if
Kisra's hidden treasure or Caesar's buried hoard.
The treasure of Chosroes or Qaisar's hoard
فلمso not يبقَremained منهاof it غيرُexcept جزءٍa portion كأنّهُas though it
فلم يبقَ منها غيرُ جزءٍ كأنّهُ
تَوَهُّمُa dim imagining معنىًa meaning دقّwas too subtle عنfor ذهنthe mind مُفكرِof a thinker
تَوَهُّمُ معنىً دقّ عن ذهن مُفكرِ
So nothing remained of it but a portion, as though it were
Nothing remains but a trace
a dim conception of a meaning too subtle for a thinker's mind.
Like a vague idea that escapes a thinker's mind
إذاwhen قَهقَهَlaughed aloud الإبريقُthe ewer للكأسto the cup خِلتَهُyou imagined it
إذا قَهقَهَ الإبريقُ للكأس خِلتَهُ
يرجِّعُechoes صوتاًa cry منfrom عُقابٍan eagle مُصَرْصرِscreeching
يرجِّعُ صوتاً من عُقابٍ مُصَرْصرِ
When the ewer laughs aloud to the cup, you would think it
When a jug clinks as the cup is emptied
echoing the cry of a screeching eagle.
It returns a sound like tinkling bells
وطافَand went round بهاwith it غَمرُfilling الوشاحِthe sash كأنّماas though
وطافَ بها غَمرُ الوشاحِ كأنّما
يقلّبُturns فيin أجفانهhis eyelids طَرْفَthe gaze جؤذرِof a wild-ox calf
يقلّبُ في أجفانه طَرْفَ جؤذرِ
One whose form filled his sash went round with it, as though
The flush of wine spreads over it
he were turning a wild-ox calf's gaze beneath his eyelids.
Turning the apple of the cupbearer's eye
قصرتُI shortened بكلٍّwith each كلَّevery يومٍday لهوتُهُI spent it in pleasure
قصرتُ بكلٍّ كلَّ يومٍ لهوتُهُ
ومهماand whenever يطبْis pleasant يومٌa day منof العيشlife يقصُرِgrows short
ومهما يطبْ يومٌ من العيش يقصُرِ
With each of them I shortened every day I spent in pleasure;
However long the days I shorten each
and whenever a day of life is sweet, it grows short.
No matter how sweet life is, it is too short