أمسي يعذبني ويضنيني

أمسي يعذبني ويضنيني

شوقٌ طغى طغيان مجنون

شوقٌ طغى طغيان مجنون

My past torments me and wears me away—

I spend the evening tormented and worn down

a longing run rampant with a madman’s frenzy.

by longing that rages with a madman's frenzy.

أين الشفاء ولم يعد بيدي

أين الشفاء ولم يعد بيدي

إلا أضاليل تُداويني

إلا أضاليل تُداويني

Where is healing, when for it my body musters

Where is the cure, when nothing remains in my hand

nothing but delusions to tend me?

but delusions that heal me?

أبغي الهدوء ولا هدوء وفي

أبغي الهدوء ولا هدوء وفي

صدري عبابٌ غير مأمون

صدري عبابٌ غير مأمون

I seek repose, but there is no repose; within

I seek calm, but there is no calm, and in

my breast, a surging sea—treacherous.

my breast is a perilous surge.

يهتاج أن لَجَّ الحنين به

يهتاج أن لَجَّ الحنين به

ويئن فيه أنينَ مطعون

ويئن فيه أنينَ مطعون

It heaves when longing grows fierce within it,

It seethes, for yearning has grown fierce within it,

and within it moans the groaning of one stabbed.

and moans there with the moan of a stabbed man,

ويظل يضرب في أضالعه

ويظل يضرب في أضالعه

وكأنها قضبان مسجون

وكأنها قضبان مسجون

It keeps pounding against its ribs,

and keeps pounding against my ribs,

as though they were the bars of a prisoner.

as though they were a prisoner's bars.

ويحَ الحنين وما يجرعني

ويحَ الحنين وما يجرعني

من مُرِّه ويبيت يسقيني

من مُرِّه ويبيت يسقيني

Longing itself yearns—and how it makes me swallow

Alas for yearning and what it makes me swallow

its bitterness, and spends the night making me drink.

of its bitterness, pouring it for me all night!

ربيته طفلاً بذلت له

ربيته طفلاً بذلت له

ما شاء من خفضٍ ومن لينِ

ما شاء من خفضٍ ومن لينِ

I raised it as a child, lavishing upon it

I raised it as a child, lavishing on it

whatever ease and tenderness it desired.

all the ease and gentleness it desired.

فاليوم لمّا اشتدّ ساعده

فاليوم لمّا اشتدّ ساعده

وربا كنوار البساتينِ

وربا كنوار البساتينِ

But today, now that its arm has grown strong

So today, when its arm grew strong

and it has flourished like the gardens’ blossoms,

and it flourished like the gardens' blossoms,

لَم يرض غير شبيبتي ودمي

لَم يرض غير شبيبتي ودمي

زاداً يعيش به ويفنيني

زاداً يعيش به ويفنيني

it accepted nothing but my youth and blood,

it would accept nothing but my youth and my blood

provisions on which it lives while consuming me.

as food to live on, while destroying me.

كم ليلةٍ ليلاء لازمني

كم ليلةٍ ليلاء لازمني

لا يرتضي خلاً له دوني

لا يرتضي خلاً له دوني

How many a pitch-black night it clung to me,

How many a pitch-dark night it stayed with me,

allowing itself no intimate friend but me.

accepting no companion for itself but me.

ألفي له همساً يخاطبني

ألفي له همساً يخاطبني

وأرى له ظلاً يماشيني

وأرى له ظلاً يماشيني

I catch its whisper speaking to me,

I catch its whisper speaking to me,

and see its shadow walking at my side,

and see its shadow walking beside me,

متنفساً لهباً يهبُّ على

متنفساً لهباً يهبُّ على

وجهي كأنفاس البراكينِ

وجهي كأنفاس البراكينِ

exhaling a haze that blows across

breathing flame that blows upon

my face like the breath of volcanoes.

my face like the breaths of volcanoes.

ويضمنا الليل العظيم وما

ويضمنا الليل العظيم وما

كالليل مأوى للمساكينِ

كالليل مأوى للمساكينِ

And immense night enfolds us; there is no

And the vast night embraces us; there is no

refuge like night for the wretched.

shelter like the night for the wretched.