قلتُ للبحرِ إذ وقفتُ مساء

قلتُ للبحرِ إذ وقفتُ مساء

كم أطلتُ الوقوفَ والإصغاءَ

كم أطلتُ الوقوفَ والإصغاءَ

I said to the sea, as I stood there at evening:

I said to the sea as I stood at evening:

How long I have lingered, standing and listening!

How long I lingered, standing and listening!

وجعلتُ النسيمَ زاداً لروحي

وجعلتُ النسيمَ زاداً لروحي

وشربتُ الظلالَ والأضواءَ

وشربتُ الظلالَ والأضواءَ

I made the breeze sustenance for my soul,

And made the breeze sustenance for my soul,

and drank in the shadows and the lights.

And drank the shadows and the lights.

وكأنَّ الأضواءَ مختلفاتٍ

وكأنَّ الأضواءَ مختلفاتٍ

جعلت منكَ روضةً غنَّاءَ

جعلت منكَ روضةً غنَّاءَ

It was as though the many-hued lights

As though the varied lights

had made you a lush garden.

Had made of you a lush garden.

مرَّ بي عطرُهَا فأسكرَ نفسي

مرَّ بي عطرُهَا فأسكرَ نفسي

وسرى في جوانحي كيفَ شاءَ

وسرى في جوانحي كيفَ شاءَ

Its fragrance passed over me and intoxicated my soul,

Its fragrance passed by me and intoxicated my soul,

coursing through my depths wherever it wished.

And coursed through my breast as it pleased.

فاطَّرحتُ الهمومَ والأعباءَ

فاطَّرحتُ الهمومَ والأعباءَ

ونسيتُ العذابَ والبرحاءَ

ونسيتُ العذابَ والبرحاءَ

So I cast off all cares and burdens,

So I cast off cares and burdens,

and forgot torment and searing pain.

And forgot torment and anguish.

وكأني أرى بعين خيالي

وكأني أرى بعين خيالي

ساهرَ المقلتين يغضي حياءَ

ساهرَ المقلتين يغضي حياءَ

It seemed to my mind’s eye that I saw

And as though I see through my imagination's eye

a wakeful figure lowering his two eyes in modesty,

One with wakeful eyes, lowering his gaze in shyness.

وكأن الوجودَ لم يحوِ إلا

وكأن الوجودَ لم يحوِ إلا

حُسنَه والطبيعةَ الحسناءَ

حُسنَه والطبيعةَ الحسناءَ

as though existence held nothing but

And as though existence held nothing but

his beauty and beautiful nature.

His beauty and beautiful nature.

نشوة لم تطل صحا القلبُ منها

نشوة لم تطل صحا القلبُ منها

مثلَ ما كانَ أو أشدّ عناءَ

مثلَ ما كانَ أو أشدّ عناءَ

A rapture that did not last—the heart sobered from it

An ecstasy that did not last; the heart sobered from it,

just as it had been, or in still harsher anguish.

As it had been, or in still greater anguish.

إنما يفهم الشبيهُ شبيهاً

إنما يفهم الشبيهُ شبيهاً

أيها البحر نحنُ لسنَا سواءَ

أيها البحر نحنُ لسنَا سواءَ

Only a kindred spirit understands its like.

Only like understands like.

O sea, we are not equals:

O sea, we are not alike.

أنتَ باقٍ ونحن حَرب الليالي

أنتَ باقٍ ونحن حَرب الليالي

مزقتنا وصيرتنا هَباءَ

مزقتنا وصيرتنا هَباءَ

you endure, while we are at war with the nights

You endure, while we are the nights' prey;

that rend us and grind us to dust.

They have torn us apart and turned us to dust.

أنت عاتٍ ونحنُ كالزَّبَدِ الذا

أنت عاتٍ ونحنُ كالزَّبَدِ الذا

هبِ يعلو حينا ويمضي جفاءَ

هبِ يعلو حينا ويمضي جفاءَ

You rage, while we are like foam, depart—

You are fierce, while we are like vanishing foam,

—ing: it rises awhile, then passes away as refuse.

Rising awhile and passing away as discarded scum.

وعجيبٌ إليكَ يمَّمتُ وجهي

وعجيبٌ إليكَ يمَّمتُ وجهي

إذ مللتُ الحياةَ والأحياءَ

إذ مللتُ الحياةَ والأحياءَ

Strange that I should have turned my face toward you

And strange it is that I turned my face toward you,

when I had grown weary of life and all living things.

When I wearied of life and the living.

أبتغي عندك التأسي وما تملكُ

أبتغي عندك التأسي وما تملكُ

ردَّا ولا تجيبُ نداءَ

ردَّا ولا تجيبُ نداءَ

I seek solace from you, though you possess

I seek consolation with you, yet you have no

no reply, nor do you answer any call.

Reply, nor do you answer a call.

كل يوم تساؤلٌ ليت شعري

كل يوم تساؤلٌ ليت شعري

مَن ينبِّي فيحسنُ الأنباءَ

مَن ينبِّي فيحسنُ الأنباءَ

Each day you question—if only I knew—

Every day, questions—would that I knew

who could inform me and tell the tidings truly?

Who can tell, and tell the tidings well!

ما تقولُ الأمواجُ ما آلم الشم

ما تقولُ الأمواجُ ما آلم الشم

سَ فولَّت حزينةً صفراءَ

سَ فولَّت حزينةً صفراءَ

What do the waves say? What has grieved the su—

What do the waves say? What pained the sun,

—n, that she turns away sorrowful and pale,

So that she turned away, sorrowful and yellow?

تركتنا وخَلَّفَت ليلَ شكٍّ

تركتنا وخَلَّفَت ليلَ شكٍّ

أبَدِيٍّ والظلمةَ الخرساءَ

أبَدِيٍّ والظلمةَ الخرساءَ

leaving us, and leaving behind a night of doubt,

She left us, leaving behind a night of doubt,

eternal, and mute darkness?

Everlasting, and the mute darkness.

يا لهذا الجلالِ والأبدِ المجهولِ

يا لهذا الجلالِ والأبدِ المجهولِ

يزدادُ حيرةً وخفاءَ

يزدادُ حيرةً وخفاءَ

Ah, this majesty, this unknowable eternity—

Ah, this majesty and this unknown eternity,

it only deepens my bewilderment and mystery.

Ever more bewildering and obscure!

روعتني ضآلةُ الناسِ فيه

روعتني ضآلةُ الناسِ فيه

فبكيتُ الحياةَ والأحياءَ

فبكيتُ الحياةَ والأحياءَ

The smallness of humankind within it terrified me,

The smallness of humankind within it appalled me,

and I wept for life and every living thing.

So I wept for life and the living.

وبكيتُ الغرورَ والأملَ الوا

وبكيتُ الغرورَ والأملَ الوا

سعَ والسخطَ والرضا والرياءَ

سعَ والسخطَ والرضا والرياءَ

I wept for delusion, and for hope so va—

And I wept for delusion and boundless hope,

—st; for wrath, contentment, and hypocrisy.

And for resentment, contentment, and hypocrisy.

ما تُرجِّيه ريشةٌ في مهب الريحِ

ما تُرجِّيه ريشةٌ في مهب الريحِ

تَلقى الإعصارَ والأنواءَ

تَلقى الإعصارَ والأنواءَ

What hope can a feather in the wind’s path hold out to him

What hope has a feather in the wind's path,

when it encounters the hurricane and tempests?

Facing the whirlwind and the storms?

ما يرجيه ذلك القبسُ الخا

ما يرجيه ذلك القبسُ الخا

بي وشيكاً كأنه ما أضاءَ

بي وشيكاً كأنه ما أضاءَ

What can that fading ember promise him,

What hope has that fading spark,

soon to be as though it had never shone?

Soon extinguished, as though it had never shone?

والخَيالُ الذي تراءى وولَّى

والخَيالُ الذي تراءى وولَّى

غيرَ وانٍ كأنه ما تراءى

غيرَ وانٍ كأنه ما تراءى

And the vision that appeared, then vanished,

And the phantom that appeared and passed away,

without lingering—as though it had never appeared?

Without lingering, as though it had never appeared?

نحن ألعوبةُ القضاءِ ومن

نحن ألعوبةُ القضاءِ ومن

يملك أمراً ومن يردُّ القضاءَ

يملك أمراً ومن يردُّ القضاءَ

We are fate’s plaything—and who

We are fate's plaything—and who

commands anything? Who can repel fate?

Controls anything, and who can turn fate back?

ولعلَّ القضاء يسخر مني

ولعلَّ القضاء يسخر مني

حين أبكي وما عرفتُ البكاءَ

حين أبكي وما عرفتُ البكاءَ

Perhaps fate mocks me

And perhaps fate mocks me

when I weep, though I never knew how to weep.

When I weep, though I had never known weeping.

فليدعني القضاءُ أبكي لأشفى

فليدعني القضاءُ أبكي لأشفى

لم تَدَع ذلةُ الهوى كبرياءَ

لم تَدَع ذلةُ الهوى كبرياءَ

Then let fate leave me to weep, that I may heal;

So let fate leave me to weep, that I may heal;

love’s abasement has left no pride.

Love's humiliation has left no pride.

لاح خلفَ الدموعِ وجهُ حبيبٍ

لاح خلفَ الدموعِ وجهُ حبيبٍ

لا أرى غيرَه لقلبي عزاءَ

لا أرى غيرَه لقلبي عزاءَ

Behind my tears my beloved’s face gleamed;

Behind the tears appeared a beloved's face;

I see no solace for my heart but him.

I see none but him as solace for my heart.

قلتُ للقلبِ جاءَ ريك فانهل

قلتُ للقلبِ جاءَ ريك فانهل

كم ظمئنا فما وجدنَا الماءَ

كم ظمئنا فما وجدنَا الماءَ

I said to my heart, “Your thirst’s relief has come—drink your fill!

I told my heart: Your relief from thirst has come—drink deep!

How long we thirsted, yet found no water.

How often we thirsted, yet found no water!

لم تُثِبنَا الحياةُ إلا بهذا

لم تُثِبنَا الحياةُ إلا بهذا

حسبنا وجهُه الجميل جزاءَ

حسبنا وجهُه الجميل جزاءَ

Life has rewarded us with nothing but this:

Life has rewarded us with nothing but this;

his beautiful face suffices us as reward.”

His beautiful face is enough reward for us.