ليتديوانيwould that my poetry collection يكونmight be لهfor it
ليتديواني يكون له
منof بديعexquisite الزهرthe flowers تيجانcrowns
من بديع الزهر تيجان
Would that my book of poems had
My poems like a garden, full
Crowns of exquisite flowers,
Of beauty's fairest flowers:
فكأنso, as though الشعرthe poetry فيin جدثa grave
فكأن الشعر في جدث
فوقهabove it وردٌroses وريحانand sweet basil
فوقه وردٌ وريحان
As though the poetry lay in a grave,
Each verse a soulless corpse concealed
With roses and sweet basil above it.
In rhythm's scented bowers.
ياoh لهاfor it منof حفرةa pit عجبwondrous
يا لها من حفرة عجب
كلall ماthat which تطويهit enfolds it أشجانsorrows
كل ما تطويه أشجان
Oh, what a wondrous pit!
From lips that breathe volcanic fire
All that it enfolds is sorrow.
My bitter numbers pour,
كلevery بيتٍverse فيin قرارتهits depths
كل بيتٍ في قرارته
جثةٌa corpse خرساءmute مرنانresounding
جثةٌ خرساء مرنان
Every verse within its depths
Ashes and smoke my sole attire,
Is a mute yet resounding corpse,
Wrath's crater my dim floor.
خارجاًcoming forth منfrom قلunclear; likely قلب, ‘heart’ قائلهits speaker
خارجاً من قل قائله
مثلlike ماwhat يزفرexhales بركانa volcano
مثل ما يزفر بركان
Coming forth from its speaker’s [heart],
Like what a volcano exhales.
Partial English translation: 8 of 10 Arabic lines translated.