هل تذكرين وأنت من غزلانه

هل تذكرين وأنت من غزلانه

وادي الشتا والعمر في ريعانه

وادي الشتا والعمر في ريعانه

Do you remember—while you were among its gazelles—

Do you remember when you were one of the gazelles

Wadi al-Shita, when life was in its prime,

Of Wadi Ash-Shita, and life was in its prime,

والقلب مخضل الجوانب نشوة

والقلب مخضل الجوانب نشوة

رعناء قد أودت بثبت جنانه

رعناء قد أودت بثبت جنانه

And the heart was drenched on every side with rapture,

With a heart adorned on all sides with the intoxication of youth

Reckless rapture that had undone its heart's resolve?

A doe who had killed with her steadfastness her companion,

فهنا هوى وهوى هناك وثالث

فهنا هوى وهوى هناك وثالث

وقف عليك وأنت من أعيانه

وقف عليك وأنت من أعيانه

Here was a love, and there a love, and a third

So love grew here and love grew there while a third

Reserved for you, and you among its chosen ones.

Stood over you while you were one of its notables,

يا مي ما للقلب حال وجيبه

يا مي ما للقلب حال وجيبه

صمتاً كصمت الميت في أكفانه

صمتاً كصمت الميت في أكفانه

O Mayy, what ails the heart? Its beating has turned

O Mayya! What is with my heart whose state and pocket

To silence, like a dead man's silence in his shrouds.

Are silent like the silence of the dead in their shrouds,

وعلام أحلامي أسف خيالها

وعلام أحلامي أسف خيالها

وتبرمي يشتط في إمعانه

وتبرمي يشتط في إمعانه

And why has my dreams' fancy flown so low,

And why are my dreams saddened by their imagination’s departure

While my vexation goes to extremes in its persistence?

And my sullenness grows more severe in its intention,

وعلام آمالي يروعها الأسى

وعلام آمالي يروعها الأسى

واليأس يجذبها إلى أحضانه

واليأس يجذبها إلى أحضانه

And why does grief frighten my hopes,

And why are my hopes frightened by sorrow

And despair draw them into its embrace?

While despair pulls them into its embrace,

وعلام شيطاني إذا استلهمته

وعلام شيطاني إذا استلهمته

شعراً يزيد الوقر في آذانه

شعراً يزيد الوقر في آذانه

And why does my demon, when I seek his inspiration for

And why is my devil, when I seek inspiration from him

Verse, increase the deafness in his ears?

Poetry that increases dignity in its ears,

هاتي الجبين أعل من نعمائه

هاتي الجبين أعل من نعمائه

عذباً نهلت الصبا من حرمانه

عذباً نهلت الصبا من حرمانه

Offer your brow; let me drink again of its blessings,

Bring your forehead closer to the blessings of its dignity

A sweetness, deprived of which I drank away my youth.

Sweetly, youth sipped from its deprivation,

فلعل إلهامي القديم يعودني

فلعل إلهامي القديم يعودني

ويحفني في وحشتي بحنانه

ويحفني في وحشتي بحنانه

Perhaps my old inspiration will visit me again

Perhaps my ancient inspiration will return to me

And surround me in my loneliness with its tenderness.

And it will cover me in my loneliness with its affection,

يا مي ما ذنبي إذا فر الصبا

يا مي ما ذنبي إذا فر الصبا

ومضى ولم أجن الشباب لشأنه

ومضى ولم أجن الشباب لشأنه

O Mayy, what is my fault if youth has fled,

O Mayya! It is not my fault if youth escaped

And gone before I reaped youth as it deserved?

And left, and I did not reap the prime of its time,

وسواد شعرك حد من غلوائه

وسواد شعرك حد من غلوائه

ومشى المشيب إلي قبل أوانه

ومشى المشيب إلي قبل أوانه

And the blackness of your hair curbed its impetuosity,

The blackness of your hair set a limit on its excesses

And gray hair advanced toward me before its time.

And grayness walked to me before its time,

يا مي ما ذنبي إذا دهري عتا

يا مي ما ذنبي إذا دهري عتا

وسواد حظي لج في طغيانه

وسواد حظي لج في طغيانه

O Mayy, what is my fault if my times grew tyrannical,

O Mayya! It is not my fault if my fate rebelled

And my fortune's darkness persisted in its tyranny?

And the blackness of my fortune raged in its rebellion,

فالمرء يدرك ما يشاء من المنى

فالمرء يدرك ما يشاء من المنى

بالسعي والتأييد من إخوانه

بالسعي والتأييد من إخوانه

For a person attains whatever wishes he desires

For man attains what he wants of wishes

Through striving and the support of his brothers.

Through striving and support from his brethren,

وأنا الذي جحد الأحبة فضله

وأنا الذي جحد الأحبة فضله

وأعان أصدقهم على خذلانه

وأعان أصدقهم على خذلانه

Yet I am he whose loved ones denied his worth,

And I am the one who denied the merit of loved ones

And their truest helped in his abandonment.

And helped my friends with their betrayal,

هاتي الجبين فما تزال سعادتي

هاتي الجبين فما تزال سعادتي

إن يدن من شفتي طوع بنانه

إن يدن من شفتي طوع بنانه

Offer your brow, for my happiness still lies—

Bring your forehead closer, for my happiness continues

If it draws near my lips—at its fingertips.

If it comes near my lips controlled by its teeth,

وتوسدي صدري وحسبي نعمة

وتوسدي صدري وحسبي نعمة

هذا الذي توحين من خفقانه

هذا الذي توحين من خفقانه

And pillow your head upon my chest; enough blessing for me

And rest your breast on my chest, and it will suffice me as a blessing,

Is this heartbeat that you inspire.

This feeling you inspire from its throbbing,

مالي ودنياهم فحبك عالم

مالي ودنياهم فحبك عالم

أسمى ولن يصل الأذى لكيانه

أسمى ولن يصل الأذى لكيانه

What have I to do with their world? Your love is a realm

I have nothing to do with their world, for your love is a universe,

More exalted, whose being no harm will reach.

The highest secret, and harm will not reach its essence,

يا مي جلعاد الأشم كعهده

يا مي جلعاد الأشم كعهده

ما زال يريض جاثماً بمكانه

ما زال يريض جاثماً بمكانه

O Mayy, lofty Gilead, as ever,

O Mayya! Mount Gilad is still as it was

Still rests, crouching in its place.

Remaining appeased, crouching in its place,

والغور ما انفكت غدائر نبته

والغور ما انفكت غدائر نبته

وزهوره تحنو على غدرانه

وزهوره تحنو على غدرانه

And the Ghor's leafy tresses still,

The caves of Wadi Sir have not ceased its vegetation

Together with its flowers, bend tenderly over its pools.

And its flowers bend over its branches,

وسماء إربد ما يزال سحابها

وسماء إربد ما يزال سحابها

يسقي سهول الحصن من هتانه

يسقي سهول الحصن من هتانه

And Irbid's sky—its clouds still

The sky of Irbid, its clouds still

Water al-Husn's plains with their steady rain.

Water the plains of the fortress in its fury,

يا مي ما برحت حمائم سدرنا

يا مي ما برحت حمائم سدرنا

تشدو مصفقة على أغصانه

تشدو مصفقة على أغصانه

O Mayy, the doves of our lote-tree have never ceased

O Mayya! My homeland’s doves have not stopped

Singing and beating their wings upon its branches.

Cheeping and clapping on its branches,

فتعهدي قلبي بحبك واسمعي

فتعهدي قلبي بحبك واسمعي

ما شئت من شدوي ومن ألحانه

ما شئت من شدوي ومن ألحانه

So tend my heart with your love, and hear

So tend to my heart with your love and listen

As much as you wish of my singing and its melodies.

To whatever you wish of my singing and its melodies,

كوخ الندامى قد تقلص ظله

كوخ الندامى قد تقلص ظله

وعراصه أقوين من ندمانه

وعراصه أقوين من ندمانه

The drinking companions' hut—its shade has dwindled,

The hut of regrets, its shadow has shrunk

And its courtyards lie deserted by its drinking companions.

And its porch is firmer than its columns,

ومضت برب الكوخ نحو حجالها

ومضت برب الكوخ نحو حجالها

خرقاء في يدها زمام عنانه

خرقاء في يدها زمام عنانه

And toward her curtained chambers she led the hut's master,

The time of its master has passed to its final days

A foolish woman, his bridle's rein in her hand.

Tattered, holding the reins of its rein,

فتنته لعنة خدرها عن رهطه

فتنته لعنة خدرها عن رهطه

واستبدلته مخاوفاً بأمانه

واستبدلته مخاوفاً بأمانه

The curse of her boudoir lured him away from his fellows,

Its seduction is an accursed slumber that distracted it from its folk

And gave him fears in exchange for his security.

And replaced their safety with fears,

وأساء محسن للقرين وعرسه

وأساء محسن للقرين وعرسه

ولنا عشية صاغ عقد قرانه

ولنا عشية صاغ عقد قرانه

And Muhsin did ill by the husband and his bride,

And he who improved the condition of the spouse spoiled her wedding

And by us, that evening when he drew up his marriage contract.

And we have an evening where he tied the knot of marriage,

فوددت لو أني استطعت حمية

فوددت لو أني استطعت حمية

للكوخ قبل العقد سل لسانه

للكوخ قبل العقد سل لسانه

So I wished I could, in protective zeal

So I wish I had been able to protect

For the hut, pull out his tongue before the contract.

The hut before the contract, tying its tongue,

وارحمتا للكوخ كيف تبرمت

وارحمتا للكوخ كيف تبرمت

ضجراً صوى اللذات في عنوانه

ضجراً صوى اللذات في عنوانه

Oh, pity for the hut! How vexed they grew—

And pity the hut, how it frowned

The landmarks of pleasure on its face, weary with boredom!

Vexed, the sounds of joy in its title,

تدعو السقاة كؤوسها فيجيبها

تدعو السقاة كؤوسها فيجيبها

رجع الصدى يرتد عن جدرانه

رجع الصدى يرتد عن جدرانه

Their cups call the cupbearers, and answering them

It calls the cups in its hands, so echo responds

Comes the echo, rebounding from its walls.

Reverberating off its walls,

والزق يسأل عن سباة حريمه

والزق يسأل عن سباة حريمه

والدف يسأل عن مصير قيانه

والدف يسأل عن مصير قيانه

And the wineskin asks about the captors of its women,

The tambourine asks about the revelers of its harem

And the tambourine asks about the fate of its slave-singers.

And the duff asks about the fate of its performers,

وارحمتا للكوخ إن حضيضه

وارحمتا للكوخ إن حضيضه

قد ضم إشفاقاً ذرى بنيانه

قد ضم إشفاقاً ذرى بنيانه

Oh, pity for the hut! Its depths

And pity the hut, its nadir

Have embraced in pity the heights of its structure.

Has collected the remnants of its structure compassionately,

والعود ألوى كاليتيم برأسه

والعود ألوى كاليتيم برأسه

وبكى لها فبكت غضاضة شأنه

وبكى لها فبكت غضاضة شأنه

And the oud bent its head like an orphan,

The lute bent like an orphan with its head

And wept for them; they wept for its humbled plight.

And cried for it, so it cried over the loss of its prestige,

هذا الكمان فأين عازفه الذي

هذا الكمان فأين عازفه الذي

يبكي حطام الكوخ شجو كمانه

يبكي حطام الكوخ شجو كمانه

Here is the violin—where is its player, whose

This is the violin, so where is its performer

Violin's lament mourns the hut's wreckage?

Who cries over the hut’s ruins with the sorrow of his violin,

وارحمتا للكوخ كيف تجهمت

وارحمتا للكوخ كيف تجهمت

من بعد إشراق وجوه زمانه

من بعد إشراق وجوه زمانه

Oh, pity for the hut! How grim have grown

And pity the hut, how gloom overcame it

The faces of its days, after their radiance!

After the radiance of the faces of its time,

حتى أنا وأنا الوفي لعهده

حتى أنا وأنا الوفي لعهده

أَصبحت لا أرتاد نجعة حانه

أَصبحت لا أرتاد نجعة حانه

Even I—and I am faithful to its covenant—

To the point that even I, faithful to its covenant,

Now no longer seek the pasture of its tavern.

Have ceased to frequent the tavern I once loved,

فكأنني عبود في إِسلامه

فكأنني عبود في إِسلامه

أو حمزة العربي في إِيمانه

أو حمزة العربي في إِيمانه

It is as though I were Abbud in his Islam,

So it is as if I were a slave to its devotion

Or Hamza al-Arabi in his faith.

Or Hamza al-Arabee in his faith,

وأخاف إن طالت جذور تقشفي

وأخاف إن طالت جذور تقشفي

أن يدعيني القصر من شيخانه

أن يدعيني القصر من شيخانه

And I fear, if my asceticism's roots grow long,

And I fear if the roots of my austerity grow

That the palace will claim me among its sheikhs.

The palace will call me for my senility,

عجباً حبائي من طلال عمامة

عجباً حبائي من طلال عمامة

قوراء مثل البدر في إبانه

قوراء مثل البدر في إبانه

How strange! My gift from Talal: a turban

Wondrous are my loves from the remnants of a turban

Broad, like the full moon in its season.

Dark like the full moon in its time,

ونوال نايف سبحة حباتها

ونوال نايف سبحة حباتها

غاصت إلى الآذان في سبحانه

غاصت إلى الآذان في سبحانه

And Nayef's bounty: a rosary whose beads

And Noel, the beads of its rosary

Plunged up to their ears in his 'Glory be to Him.'

Submerged to the ears in its glorification,

وعطاء سيدنا مقال ممتع

وعطاء سيدنا مقال ممتع

في الزهد يسكرني بسحر بيانه

في الزهد يسكرني بسحر بيانه

And our lord's gift: a delightful discourse

And the words of our master Atta

On asceticism, intoxicating me with the magic of its eloquence.

In asceticism that intoxicate me with the magic of his rhetoric,

وقصيدة عصماء من أبياتها

وقصيدة عصماء من أبياتها

عاينت سر الحق في غفرانه

عاينت سر الحق في غفرانه

And an impeccable poem, from whose verses

And the poem of Asma’, whose verses

I beheld the mystery of the True One in His forgiveness,

I saw the secret of truth in its forgiveness,

ورأيت أن اللّه أوسع رحمة

ورأيت أن اللّه أوسع رحمة

مما يظن البعض من عبدانه

مما يظن البعض من عبدانه

And saw that God's mercy is vaster

And I saw that God is more merciful

Than some of His servants imagine.

Than what some of His servants suspect,

وشهدت كيف العفو يسبل ستره

وشهدت كيف العفو يسبل ستره

حتى على فرعون في عصيانه

حتى على فرعون في عصيانه

And witnessed how pardon lowers its veil,

And I witnessed how forgiveness spreads its veil

Even over Pharaoh in his rebellion.

Even over Pharaoh in his disobedience,

لا تعجلو يا قوم إن تصوفي

لا تعجلو يا قوم إن تصوفي

ما زال مفتقراً إلى برهانه

ما زال مفتقراً إلى برهانه

Do not be hasty, O people: my Sufism

Do not rush, O people, if my Sufism

Still stands in need of proof.

Still needs evidence for its argument,

يا مي قد عاد الربيع وعاودت

يا مي قد عاد الربيع وعاودت

نفسي وساوس قصفه ودنانه

نفسي وساوس قصفه ودنانه

O Mayy, spring has returned, and once more haunt

O Mayya! Spring has returned and my soul has returned

My soul the temptations of its revelry and wine-jars,

To the devils of autumn and its shields,

ورؤى خمار كنت معه أظنني

ورؤى خمار كنت معه أظنني

كسرى أنو شروان في إيوانه

كسرى أنو شروان في إيوانه

And visions of wine-haze, in which I used to think myself

And visions of wine that I thought made me

Khosrow Anushirwan in his palace hall.

Chosroes Anushirwan in his hall,

حولي دهاقيني تحف بسدتي

حولي دهاقيني تحف بسدتي

شأن المتوج في ذوي سلطانه

شأن المتوج في ذوي سلطانه

Around me, my landed nobles clustered at my throne,

Around me are my boon companions who adorn my feast

As a crowned ruler among the people of his dominion.

Like the crowned king among those of authority,

حتى إذا روحي ترنح عطفها

حتى إذا روحي ترنح عطفها

من لحظك المخمور في أجفانه

من لحظك المخمور في أجفانه

Until, when my soul's frame swayed

Until when my soul staggers from the intoxication

From your gaze, drunken within its eyelids,

Of your drunken glance in its eyelids,

واكتظ رأسي من جمالك نشوة

واكتظ رأسي من جمالك نشوة

ضن الشراب بها على سكرانه

ضن الشراب بها على سكرانه

And my head brimmed with rapture from your beauty

And my head fills with your beauty’s intoxication

That wine had withheld from its drunkard,

That the wine begrudged it to its drunkard,

حطمت كأسي واعتصمت بتوبة

حطمت كأسي واعتصمت بتوبة

قد ألهبت صفعاً قفا شيطانه

قد ألهبت صفعاً قفا شيطانه

I shattered my cup and held fast to repentance

I broke my cup and sought refuge in repentance

That set its demon's nape ablaze with slaps.

That set my nape aflame striking the devil,

وأنبت عن شرب العقار وبذله

وأنبت عن شرب العقار وبذله

وتنزهت شفتاي عن أدرانه

وتنزهت شفتاي عن أدرانه

And I repented of drinking wine and offering it,

And I turned away from drinking wine and giving it

And my lips kept clear of its stains.

And my lips became pure of its vessels,

يا مي قد صرت جنادب حقلنا

يا مي قد صرت جنادب حقلنا

وفراشه يختال في طيرانه

وفراشه يختال في طيرانه

O Mayy, the grasshoppers of our field have chirped,

O Mayya! I have become a locust in our field

And its butterflies strut in flight.

And its butterfly strutting in its flight,

للّه أجنحة الضعيف فإنها

للّه أجنحة الضعيف فإنها

تسمو به ويقيم دون عنانه

تسمو به ويقيم دون عنانه

Blessed be the weak one's wings, for they

To God belong the wings of the weak, for they

Lift him, while he remains beneath his sky.

Elevate him, and he stays below its range,

فادني شفاهك من فمي وتوسدي

فادني شفاهك من فمي وتوسدي

صدري يكف الدهر عن عدوانه

صدري يكف الدهر عن عدوانه

So bring your lips close to my mouth, and pillow your head

So bring your lips closer to my mouth, and cradle

Upon my chest; time will cease its aggression.

My chest, and time will cease its harm,

يا ويح حملان الخيال فإنهم

يا ويح حملان الخيال فإنهم

قربان واديهم إلى سرحانه

قربان واديهم إلى سرحانه

Alas for the lambs of imagination, for they

Woe to the lambs of imagination, for they

Are their valley's offering to its wolf.

Are sacrifices offered to their valley,

هاتي جبينك فالتلاع تبسمت

هاتي جبينك فالتلاع تبسمت

للمكفهر الفظ في لمعانه

للمكفهر الفظ في لمعانه

Offer your brow, for the hills have smiled

Bring your forehead closer, for the dawn has smiled

At the glowering, harsh one in his flashing.

At the grim faced one in its glitter,

وشعاب وادي السير سال لجينها

وشعاب وادي السير سال لجينها

للبرق لما افتر عن أسنانه

للبرق لما افتر عن أسنانه

And the ravines of Wadi al-Sir—their silver flowed

And the ravines of Wadi Sir, their smooth surface flowed

For the lightning, when it smiled and bared its teeth.

For lightning when it exposed its teeth,

هاتي جبينك فالحياة جوادها

هاتي جبينك فالحياة جوادها

شرس وليس فتاك من فرسانه

شرس وليس فتاك من فرسانه

Offer your brow, for life's steed

Bring your forehead closer, for life’s steed

Is unruly, and your young man is not one of its horsemen.

Is fierce, and none of its horsemen are more deadly,

من لم يكن ذئباً فإن زمانه

من لم يكن ذئباً فإن زمانه

يغري به العشرات من ذؤبانه

يغري به العشرات من ذؤبانه

Whoever is not a wolf—his time

He who was not a wolf, his time

Sets dozens of its wolves upon him.

Tempts him with tens of wolves,

يا ويح أجنحة الخيال فإنها

يا ويح أجنحة الخيال فإنها

تغتال طائرها بريش سنانه

تغتال طائرها بريش سنانه

Alas for the wings of imagination, for they

Woe to the wings of imagination, for they

Slay their bird with the feathers of its spearhead.

Kill their bird with the feathers of its hatred,

وادي الشتا هذا وتلك ملاعبي

وادي الشتا هذا وتلك ملاعبي

أيام كنت وكنت من جيرانه

أيام كنت وكنت من جيرانه

This is Wadi al-Shita, and those are my playgrounds

This Wadi Ash-Shita, and those were my playgrounds

In the days when I, and you, were among its neighbors.

When I was, and I was one of its neighbors,

فادني شفاهك من فمي إن لم يكن

فادني شفاهك من فمي إن لم يكن

يا مي قلبك قد من صوانه

يا مي قلبك قد من صوانه

So bring your lips close to my mouth, unless

So bring your lips closer to my mouth, if your heart, O Mayya, has not

O Mayy, your heart was hewn from its flint.

Become protected from its storm,

وتوسدي صدري وحسبك نعمة

وتوسدي صدري وحسبك نعمة

هذا الذي توحين من خفقانه

هذا الذي توحين من خفقانه

And pillow your head upon my chest; enough blessing for you

And rest your breast on my chest, and it will suffice you as a blessing,

Is this heartbeat that you inspire.

This feeling you inspire from its throbbing,

مالي ودنياهم فحبك عالم

مالي ودنياهم فحبك عالم

سر الهوى وقف على سكانه

سر الهوى وقف على سكانه

What have I to do with their world? Your love is a realm

I have nothing to do with their world, for your love is a universe,

Where love's secret is reserved for its inhabitants.

The secret of passion has settled on its inhabitants.