يا مستثياً دمعةً صَمدتْ

يا مستثياً دمعةً صَمدتْ

لطوارئِ الدّنيا فلم تَثُرِ

لطوارئِ الدّنيا فلم تَثُرِ

O rouser of a tear that held firm

O tear that remained steadfast

Against the shocks of this world and did not stir.

In the face of life's adversities without stirring

إنَّ التي صَعُبَتْ رياضتُها

إنَّ التي صَعُبَتْ رياضتُها

أنزلتَها قسراً على قَدَر

أنزلتَها قسراً على قَدَر

Indeed, the tear whose taming proved so hard

She whose cultivation was difficult

You forced down, as fate ordained.

You brought down forcibly according to destiny

وأسَلْتَها وهي التي عَجَزَتْ

وأسَلْتَها وهي التي عَجَزَتْ

عن أن تُسيلَ فوادحَ الغِيَر

عن أن تُسيلَ فوادحَ الغِيَر

And made it flow—the tear that even

And made her flow though she was unable

The direst turns of fortune had failed to shed.

To make the great calamities of others flow

ردتْ نداءَ كوارثٍ عَظُمَتْ

ردتْ نداءَ كوارثٍ عَظُمَتْ

ودعا فلبَّتْ مَنطِقَ الوَتَر

ودعا فلبَّتْ مَنطِقَ الوَتَر

It spurned the call of mighty calamities,

She responded to the call of immense disasters

But when the string called, it answered its voice.

And complied with the logic of guitar strings

هل عند أنْمُلَةٍ تُحَرِّكُها

هل عند أنْمُلَةٍ تُحَرِّكُها

باللطفِ إنَّ الدمعَ بالأثر

باللطفِ إنَّ الدمعَ بالأثر

Does it lie in a fingertip you move

Does a fingertip that you move gently have

So gently? Indeed, tears follow in its wake.

Tears that leave a trace?

وهل الدموعُ ودفعُها وطرٌ

وهل الدموعُ ودفعُها وطرٌ

للناسِ تَدْري أنَّها وطري

للناسِ تَدْري أنَّها وطري

And are tears and their release a longing

And do tears and holding them back have a wing

For people? You know they are my longing.

For people? Do you know that they have a wing?

ما انفكّتِ البلوى تُضايِقُني

ما انفكّتِ البلوى تُضايِقُني

حتى شَرَيْتُ النفعَ بالضرر

حتى شَرَيْتُ النفعَ بالضرر

Affliction never ceased to press upon me

Crises did not cease to trouble me

Until I bought benefit at the price of harm.

Until I bought benefit with harm

وَوَجَدْتُني بالدمعِ مبتهجاً

وَوَجَدْتُني بالدمعِ مبتهجاً

مثلَ ابتهاجِ الزرع بالمطر

مثلَ ابتهاجِ الزرع بالمطر

And I found myself rejoicing in tears,

And I found myself delighted with tears

Like crops rejoicing in the rain.

Like the delight of crops with rain

غطّى العيونَ فلم تَجِدْ نَظَراً

غطّى العيونَ فلم تَجِدْ نَظَراً

دمعٌ أعزُّ عليّ من نَظَري

دمعٌ أعزُّ عليّ من نَظَري

It covered the eyes, leaving them unable to see—

It covered the eyes and could not see

Weeping dearer to me than my sight.

A tear is dearer to me than my sight

يا دمعةً غراءَ غاليةً

يا دمعةً غراءَ غاليةً

يَفْديكِ ما عندي من الغُرَر

يَفْديكِ ما عندي من الغُرَر

O radiant, precious tear,

O a precious, expensive tear

May all my prized treasures ransom you,

All my treasures ransom you

من قابلاتٍ حكمَ مُنْتَقِدِ

من قابلاتٍ حكمَ مُنْتَقِدِ

وشجارِ مفتَخرٍ ومحتَقَر

وشجارِ مفتَخرٍ ومحتَقَر

Those open to a critic's judgment

Of female critics' judgment

And the wrangling of the boastful and the despised.

And the argument of arrogant and despised trees

لغة العواطفِ جلَّ مَنْطِقُها

لغة العواطفِ جلَّ مَنْطِقُها

عن أن يُقاسَ بمنطقِ البشر

عن أن يُقاسَ بمنطقِ البشر

The language of feeling—its speech is too sublime

The language of emotions, most of its logic

To be measured against human speech.

Is beyond being measured by human logic

فتّشتُ عنكِ فلم أجِدْ أثراً

فتّشتُ عنكِ فلم أجِدْ أثراً

حتى ظننتُ العينَ من حجر

حتى ظننتُ العينَ من حجر

I searched for you but found no trace,

I searched for you but did not find a trace

Until I thought the eye was made of stone.

Until I thought the eye was of stone

ومَرَيْتُ جَفْني مَريَ ذي ثِقَةٍ

ومَرَيْتُ جَفْني مَريَ ذي ثِقَةٍ

ورجعتُ عنك رجوعَ مُنْدَحِر

ورجعتُ عنك رجوعَ مُنْدَحِر

And milked my eyelid as one full of confidence,

And I passed my eyelid like one confident

And withdrew from you like one defeated.

And retreated from you in defeat

وغدوتُ أحْسُدُ كلَّ مكتئبٍ

وغدوتُ أحْسُدُ كلَّ مكتئبٍ

ذي محجَرٍ بالدمع مُنْفَجِر

ذي محجَرٍ بالدمع مُنْفَجِر

And came to envy every sorrowful soul

And I became envious of every depressed one

Whose eye-socket burst with tears.

With a tear-shedding stony eye

كم أزمةٍ لو كنتِ حاضرةً

كم أزمةٍ لو كنتِ حاضرةً

فَرَّجْتِها بمسيلِك العَطِر

فَرَّجْتِها بمسيلِك العَطِر

How many a crisis, had you been present,

How many a crisis, had you been present

You would have eased with your fragrant flow!

Would have been relieved by your fragrant flow

لو كنتِ عندي ما ثَقلتُ على

لو كنتِ عندي ما ثَقلتُ على

كأس الشراب ومجلس السَّمر

كأس الشراب ومجلس السَّمر

Had you been with me, I would not have leaned so heavily on

Had you been with me, I would not have burdened

The wine-cup and the company of evening talk.

The cup of wine and the gathering of night talk

لغسلتُ جَفْناً راح من ظمأٍ

لغسلتُ جَفْناً راح من ظمأٍ

مُتَلَهباً مُتَطايِرَ الشَّرر

مُتَلَهباً مُتَطايِرَ الشَّرر

I would have washed an eyelid that thirst had left

I would have washed an eyelid that dried from thirst

Ablaze, scattering sparks.

Flying off sparks, inflamed

أنا بانتظارِكِ كلَّ آونةٍ

أنا بانتظارِكِ كلَّ آونةٍ

علماً بأن الحزنَ مُنْتَظِري

علماً بأن الحزنَ مُنْتَظِري

I await you at every moment,

I await you every moment

Knowing that sorrow awaits me.

Knowing that grief awaits me

طال احتباسُكِ يسن مُخْتَنَقي

طال احتباسُكِ يسن مُخْتَنَقي

ومحاجري والآن َ فانحدري

ومحاجري والآن َ فانحدري

Long have you been held between my choked throat

Your long withholding makes my strangled self worse

And my eye-sockets; now flow down.

And my cheekbones, and now, so flow down

كنتِ الأمينةَ في مخابِئها

كنتِ الأمينةَ في مخابِئها

وأراكِ بعدَ اليومِ في خطر

وأراكِ بعدَ اليومِ في خطر

You were secure in their hiding places,

You were the confidante in her hiding places

But from this day onward I see you in danger.

And now I see you in danger

واذا امتنعتِ عليّ فاقتنعي

واذا امتنعتِ عليّ فاقتنعي

أنَّ " الكمنجةَ " خيرُ مُعْتَصَر

أنَّ " الكمنجةَ " خيرُ مُعْتَصَر

And if you withhold yourself from me, be convinced

And if you withhold yourself from me, be content

That the violin is the best of presses.

That the handkerchief is a better extractor

سيلي فلا تُبقي على غُصَصٍ

سيلي فلا تُبقي على غُصَصٍ

رانتْ على قلبي ولا تذَري

رانتْ على قلبي ولا تذَري

Flow, and spare no choking griefs

Flow, do not leave any clots

That have settled on my heart; leave none.

That clung to my heart, and do not neglect

واستصحبِي جَزَعا يلائِمُني

واستصحبِي جَزَعا يلائِمُني

وخذي اصطباري إخْذَ مُقْتَدر

وخذي اصطباري إخْذَ مُقْتَدر

And bring along an anguish suited to me,

And take along a wailing that befits me

And seize my endurance as one with power.

And take my patience forcibly, O Able One

فلقد أضرَّ بَسحنتي جَلَدي

فلقد أضرَّ بَسحنتي جَلَدي

فملامحي تُربي على عمري

فملامحي تُربي على عمري

For my fortitude has marred my face;

For my skin has certainly harmed my composure

My features outstrip my years.

So my features are aging my age

كم في انكسار القلب من حِكَمٍ

كم في انكسار القلب من حِكَمٍ

لا عاش قَلْبٌ غَيرُ مُنْكَسِر

لا عاش قَلْبٌ غَيرُ مُنْكَسِر

How much wisdom lies in the breaking of the heart!

How much wisdom is in the heart's breaking

May no unbroken heart live!

No heart lives unless broken

هذي الطبائعُ لا يُطَهِّرُها

هذي الطبائعُ لا يُطَهِّرُها

مثلُ اصطلاءِ الهمِّ والكدر

مثلُ اصطلاءِ الهمِّ والكدر

Nothing purifies these natures

These natures are not purified

Like burning in grief and gloom.

Except by the touch of worry and gloom

وَلَرُبَّ نفسٍ بان رَوْنَقُها

وَلَرُبَّ نفسٍ بان رَوْنَقُها

جراءَ حُزْنٍ غير مُنْتَظَر

جراءَ حُزْنٍ غير مُنْتَظَر

And many a soul has revealed its radiance

And how often a soul's bloom showed

Because of an unforeseen sorrow.

Through unexpected sorrow

مُسَّ الكمنجةَ يَنْبَعِثْ نَفَسٌ

مُسَّ الكمنجةَ يَنْبَعِثْ نَفَسٌ

يمتدُّ في أنفاسِ مُحْتَضَر

يمتدُّ في أنفاسِ مُحْتَضَر

Touch the violin, and a breath will rise

Touch the handkerchief, and a breath exhales

And spread through the breaths of one dying.

Extending in the breaths of one dying

في طوعِ كفكَ بَعْثُ عاطفتي

في طوعِ كفكَ بَعْثُ عاطفتي

وخَلاصُها من رِبقةِ الضّجر

وخَلاصُها من رِبقةِ الضّجر

Within your palm's command lies my feeling's rebirth,

In the compliance of your hand, the arousal of my emotion

And its release from the yoke of weariness.

And its deliverance from the stagnation of boredom

وأزاحني عن عالَمٍ قَذِرٍ

وأزاحني عن عالَمٍ قَذِرٍ

نَحْسٌ لآخرَ زاهرٍ نَضِر

نَحْسٌ لآخرَ زاهرٍ نَضِر

And it shifted me away from a filthy world,

And you removed me from a filthy world

Ill-starred, to another, blooming and fresh.

To a brilliant, fresh, best next one

بالسمعِ يَفْدي المرءُ ناظِرَهُ

بالسمعِ يَفْدي المرءُ ناظِرَهُ

وأنا فديتُ السَّمْعَ بالبصر

وأنا فديتُ السَّمْعَ بالبصر

One ransoms one's sight with one's hearing;

By hearing, man ransoms his seer

But I have ransomed hearing with sight.

And I ransomed hearing with sight

يا قلبُ – والنسيانُ مَضْيَعَةٌ

يا قلبُ – والنسيانُ مَضْيَعَةٌ

هذا أوانُ الذِّكْر فادَّكِر

هذا أوانُ الذِّكْر فادَّكِر

O heart—and forgetfulness is a waste—

O heart - and forgetfulness is loss

This is the time for remembrance, so remember.

This is the time of remembrance, so remember

هذي تواقيعٌ مُحَلِّقَةٌ

هذي تواقيعٌ مُحَلِّقَةٌ

بك في سماءِ تَخَيُّلٍ فَطِر

بك في سماءِ تَخَيُّلٍ فَطِر

These are musical strains soaring

These are clues hovering

With you in the sky of unspoiled imagination.

In you in the sky of ideal imagination

واستعرضِ الأيامَ حافةً

واستعرضِ الأيامَ حافةً

مكتظَّةً بِتَبايُنِ الصُّوَر

مكتظَّةً بِتَبايُنِ الصُّوَر

And survey the days gathered around you,

And review the days, edge full

Thronged with contrasting images.

With the variation of images

أذْكُر مسامَرَةً ومجْتَمَعاً

أذْكُر مسامَرَةً ومجْتَمَعاً

مزدانتين بقُبلَةِ الحَذر

مزدانتين بقُبلَةِ الحَذر

Remember an evening's talk and a meeting,

I recall a whispered conversation and society

Both adorned with a cautious kiss,

Adorned with the kiss of caution

مطبوعتين بقلبِ مثريةٍ

مطبوعتين بقلبِ مثريةٍ

بالمغريات وقلبِ مُفْتَقِر

بالمغريات وقلبِ مُفْتَقِر

Both marked by the heart of a woman rich

Imprinted with a thrilling heart

In allure, and the heart of a man in want,

With enticements, and a needing heart

متفاهمين فما نبا وجل

متفاهمين فما نبا وجل

لوقوعِ ذنبٍ غير مغتَفَر

لوقوعِ ذنبٍ غير مغتَفَر

Understanding each other, with no fear arising

Understanding, so there was no wrong or sin

Of committing an unforgivable sin.

That would happen undeserving of forgiveness

أذْكُرْ تَوَسُّدَها ثنيَّتَها

أذْكُرْ تَوَسُّدَها ثنيَّتَها

وسنانةً محلولةَ الشعر

وسنانةً محلولةَ الشعر

Remember her resting her head on her folded limb,

I recall her pillowing her bent forearm

Drowsy, her hair unbound,

And wavy loosened-hair felicity

معسولةَ الأحلامِ ذاهبةً

معسولةَ الأحلامِ ذاهبةً

بِخَيالِها لمدارجِ الصِّغَر

بِخَيالِها لمدارجِ الصِّغَر

Her dreams honeyed, drifting

Sweet-dreamt, going

In imagination toward the paths of childhood.

With her imagination to childhood levels

أذْكر يداً مرّتْ على بَدَنٍ

أذْكر يداً مرّتْ على بَدَنٍ

هي منهُ حتى الآن في ذُعُر

هي منهُ حتى الآن في ذُعُر

Remember a hand that passed over a body;

I recall a hand that passed over a body

Even now, that hand is terrified of it.

Which from it is until now in panic

ولُيَيْلَةً بيضاءَ خالدةً

ولُيَيْلَةً بيضاءَ خالدةً

منها عرفت لذائذَ السفر

منها عرفت لذائذَ السفر

And a little white night, immortal,

And a white night, eternal

From which I learned the pleasures of journeying.

From which I knew the pleasures of travel

ثم اعطفِ الذكْرَى إلى جهةٍ

ثم اعطفِ الذكْرَى إلى جهةٍ

أُخرى تُرعْ بعوالِمٍ أُخَر

أُخرى تُرعْ بعوالِمٍ أُخَر

Then turn remembrance toward a direction

Then turn the memories to another direction

Other than this: other worlds will horrify you.

To pasture on other worlds

تُذْهلْ لمغتصَبٍ على مَضض

تُذْهلْ لمغتصَبٍ على مَضض

أمسى يقلَّبُ في يَدَيْ أشِر

أمسى يقلَّبُ في يَدَيْ أشِر

You will be stunned by one taken against their will,

To stun for a usurper who in discontent

Now turned about in the hands of a wanton man.

Became tossed between the hands of evil

بَدَنٌ بلا قلبٍ لدى أثِرٍ

بَدَنٌ بلا قلبٍ لدى أثِرٍ

عاتٍ على الشَّهَواتِ مُقْتَصِر

عاتٍ على الشَّهَواتِ مُقْتَصِر

A body without a heart, with a selfish man,

A body without a heart with a trace

A tyrant concerned with lust alone.

Addicted to desires, limited

ثمرٌ بلا ظلٍ لديك كما

ثمرٌ بلا ظلٍ لديك كما

في أسرِهِ ظلٌّ بلا ثمر

في أسرِهِ ظلٌّ بلا ثمر

Fruit without shade is yours, just as

A fruit without shade, you have

Held captive by him is shade without fruit.

As though captive a shade without fruit

كم مثلِ قلبِك ذاهبٌ هدَراً

كم مثلِ قلبِك ذاهبٌ هدَراً

لتحكُّماتِ الدين في البشر

لتحكُّماتِ الدين في البشر

How many hearts like yours go to waste

How many hearts like yours lost

Through religion's arbitrary rule over humankind!

To religions' control over mankind