بِالذَّنْبِto the sin فيin جَنْبِكُمْyour regard لَيْلاَيَmy Layla أَعْتَرِفُI confess
بِالذَّنْبِ في جَنْبِكُمْ لَيْلاَيَ أَعْتَرِفُ
ضَلَّstrayed الفُؤَادُthe heart وَغَشَّتْand shrouded صُبْحِيَmy dawn السُّدَفُthe darkness
ضَلَّ الفُؤَادُ وَغَشَّتْ صُبْحِيَ السُّدَفُ
I confess my sin against you, my Layla.
The heart has strayed, and darkness has shrouded my dawn.
مَاno لِلْغَويِّfor the wayward man نَجَاةٌdeliverance مِنْfrom غَوَايَتِهِhis waywardness
مَا لِلْغَويِّ نَجَاةٌ مِنْ غَوَايَتِهِ
إنْif قَامَhe rises يَسْعَىhe strives هَوَىhe falls أَوْor سَارَhe walks يَنْجَرِفُhe is swept away
إنْ قَامَ يَسْعَى هَوَى أَوْ سَارَ يَنْجَرِفُ
The wayward man has no deliverance from his waywardness.
If he rises to strive, he falls; if he walks, he is swept away.
أَوْor قَالَhe says يَبْغِيhe seeks الهُدَىguidance عَيَّتْfaltered فَوَاصِلُهُhis cadences
أَوْ قَالَ يَبْغِي الهُدَى عَيَّتْ فَوَاصِلُهُ
واسْتَعْجَمَتْand became unintelligible فِيin رُؤَاهُhis visions اللُّسْنُthe eloquent speakers والصُّحُفُand the written pages
واسْتَعْجَمَتْ فِي رُؤَاهُ اللُّسْنُ والصُّحُفُ
Or if he says he seeks guidance, his cadences falter,
And in his visions, eloquent speakers and written pages become unintelligible.
هَلْis there? لِلْقَتِيلِfor the slain قَرَارٌa resting place عِنْدَat صَرْعَتِهِhis downfall
هَلْ لِلْقَتِيلِ قَرَارٌ عِنْدَ صَرْعَتِهِ
غَيْرُother than القُلَيْبِthe well خَلِيعًاcast out كَوْنُهُhis universe جُرُفُprecipices ؟!
غَيْرُ القُلَيْبِ خَلِيعًا كَوْنُهُ جُرُفُ ؟!
Does the slain have a resting place when he is struck down
Other than the well—cast out, his world all precipices?!
أَوْor للطَّعِينِfor the stabbed man فِرَارٌescape مِنْfrom مَوَاجِعِهِhis agonies
أَوْ للطَّعِينِ فِرَارٌ مِنْ مَوَاجِعِهِ
غَيْرُother than المَدَىthe distance نَازِفًاbleeding والأُفْقُand the horizon يَرْتَجِفُtrembles ؟!.
غَيْرُ المَدَى نَازِفًا والأُفْقُ يَرْتَجِفُ ؟!.
Or has the stabbed man any escape from his agonies
Other than the distance, bleeding while the horizon trembles?!
هَذَاthis أَنَاI هَارِبٌfleeing مِنْfrom نَزْفِthe bleeding of أَوْرِدَتِيmy veins
هَذَا أَنَا هَارِبٌ مِنْ نَزْفِ أَوْرِدَتِي
فَالتِّيهُso bewilderment مُرْتَحَلٌa destination والرِّيحُand the wind مُلْتَحَفُa cloak !.
فَالتِّيهُ مُرْتَحَلٌ والرِّيحُ مُلْتَحَفُ !.
Here I am, fleeing the bleeding of my veins;
So bewilderment is my destination, and the wind my cloak!
هَذَاthis أَنَاI رَاحِلٌdeparting والقَلْبُand the heart تَمْضُغُهُchew it
هَذَا أَنَا رَاحِلٌ والقَلْبُ تَمْضُغُهُ
أَحْزَانُهُits sorrows نَدَمًاin remorse والسُّقْمُand sickness والتَّلَفُand ruin !.
أَحْزَانُهُ نَدَمًا والسُّقْمُ والتَّلَفُ !.
Here I am, departing, while my heart is chewed
By its sorrows in remorse, and by sickness and ruin!
هَذَاthis أنَاI بَاسِطٌstretching out كَفِّيmy palm لِمَتْرَبَتِيtoward my destitution
هَذَا أنَا بَاسِطٌ كَفِّي لِمَتْرَبَتِي
والكَوْنُand the universe حَوْلِيaround me غَذَاهُfed it الكُفْرُunbelief والصَّلَفُand arrogance
والكَوْنُ حَوْلِي غَذَاهُ الكُفْرُ والصَّلَفُ
Here I am, stretching out my palm toward my destitution,
And the universe around me has been fed by unbelief and arrogance.
وَالذَّابِحِيَّand my slaughterers هُمُthey غَنَّوْاthey sang عَلَىover جَدَثِيmy grave
وَالذَّابِحِيَّ هُمُ غَنَّوْا عَلَى جَدَثِي
أُهْزُوجَةًa chant عَازِفَاهَاits two musicians: الإثْمُsin والجَنَفُand injustice !
أُهْزُوجَةً عَازِفَاهَا: الإثْمُ والجَنَفُ !
And my slaughterers—they sang over my grave
A chant whose two musicians were sin and injustice!
وَاسْتَمْرَءُواand they relished مُضَغًاmorsels مِنْfrom مُبْتَلَىthe afflicted part of كَبِدِيmy liver
وَاسْتَمْرَءُوا مُضَغًا مِنْ مُبْتَلَى كَبِدِي
لَمْdid not يَرْوِهِمْquench their thirst مِنْfrom دَمِيmy blood رَشْفٌa sip وَلاَnor غُرَفُhandfuls !
لَمْ يَرْوِهِمْ مِنْ دَمِي رَشْفٌ وَلاَ غُرَفُ !
And they relished morsels from my afflicted liver;
Neither a sip nor handfuls of my blood quenched their thirst!
لاَdo not تَفْرَقِيbe afraid مِنْof أَسَايَmy grief الشَّيْخِaged سَيِّدَتِيmy lady
لاَ تَفْرَقِي مِنْ أَسَايَ الشَّيْخِ سَيِّدَتِي
فَالحُزْنُfor grief فِيَّwithin me بِرَغْمِdespite الخُلْفِdiscord مُؤْتَلِفُin harmony !
فَالحُزْنُ فِيَّ بِرَغْمِ الخُلْفِ مُؤْتَلِفُ !
Do not fear my aged grief, my lady;
For grief within me, despite discord, is in harmony!
وَالدَّجْنُand gloom فِيَّwithin me بِرَغْمِdespite اللَّيْلِthe night مُؤْتَلِقٌradiant
وَالدَّجْنُ فِيَّ بِرَغْمِ اللَّيْلِ مُؤْتَلِقٌ
والمَحْلُand drought فِيَّwithin me بِرَغْمِdespite الشُّحِّscarcity مُغْتَرَفُscooped up !
والمَحْلُ فِيَّ بِرَغْمِ الشُّحِّ مُغْتَرَفُ !
And gloom within me, despite the night, is radiant,
And drought within me, despite scarcity, is scooped up!
نَهْرَانِtwo rivers مِنْof ظَمَأٍthirst فِيin مُهْجَتِيmy heart انْبَجَسَاthey both gushed forth
نَهْرَانِ مِنْ ظَمَأٍ فِي مُهْجَتِي انْبَجَسَا
فَاخَضَوْضَرَاso they both grew green لَهَبًاas flame رَوَّاهُwatered it ذَاthis اللَّهَفُyearning !
فَاخَضَوْضَرَا لَهَبًا رَوَّاهُ ذَا اللَّهَفُ !
Two rivers of thirst burst forth within my heart,
So they grew green as flame, watered by this yearning!
هَذِيthese الدُّنَاworlds مِنْfrom أَسَايَmy grief الآنَnow طَالِعَةٌrising
هَذِي الدُّنَا مِنْ أَسَايَ الآنَ طَالِعَةٌ
فَالصُّبْحُso dawn مُنْتَحَلٌcounterfeit.. والفَرْحُand joy مُقْتَرَفُperpetrated !
فَالصُّبْحُ مُنْتَحَلٌ.. والفَرْحُ مُقْتَرَفُ !
These worlds now rise from my grief,
So dawn is counterfeit, and joy is perpetrated!
كَيْفَhow الخَلاَصُescape وَكُلُّand all السُّبْلِpaths مُوصَدَةٌbarred
كَيْفَ الخَلاَصُ وَكُلُّ السُّبْلِ مُوصَدَةٌ
وَبَعْضُand some of صَحْبِيmy companions دَمِيmy blood والشِّعْرُand poetry والدَّنَفُand wasting sickness ؟!.
وَبَعْضُ صَحْبِي دَمِي والشِّعْرُ والدَّنَفُ ؟!.
How can there be escape, when all paths are barred,
And among my companions are my blood, poetry, and wasting sickness?!