قدindeed رقبتI watched الأشرارthe wicked حيناfor a while فلمbut did not أعـfind (first part)
قد رقبت الأشرار حينا فلم أعـ
ـثرfind (remainder) لديهمamong them علىupon سناكyour radiance الحبيبbeloved
ـثر لديهم على سناك الحبيب
I have watched the wicked for a while, but did not
I have watched the wicked for a while, but could not find
find among them your beloved radiance.
The beloved's charm with them at all
فهمfor they are البائسونthe wretched تطحنهمgrind them down أيـhands (first part)
فهم البائسون تطحنهم أيـ
ـديhands (remainder) اللياليthe nights بماbecause of what جنواthey committed منof ذنوبsins
ـدي الليالي بما جنوا من ذنوب
For they are the wretched, ground down by the
They are the wretched ones, the nights grind them
hands of the nights for the sins they have committed.
With their accumulated sins
ورأيتand I saw الطغاةthe tyrants يحيونthey live محزوsorrowful (first part)
ورأيت الطغاة يحيون محزو
نينsorrowful (remainder) بينamong الأوهامthe illusions والأشباحand the phantoms
نين بين الأوهام والأشباح
And I saw the tyrants living
And I saw the tyrants living anguished
in sorrow, amid illusions and phantoms.
Between illusions and specters
ليسnot يشفيهمheals them منof الحزنsorrow واليأand despair (first part)
ليس يشفيهم من الحزن واليأ
سdespair (remainder) دواءremedy فالداءfor the malady فيin الأرواحthe souls
س دواء فالداء في الأرواح
They are not healed of sorrow and
No remedy relieves their sadness and despair
despair by any remedy, for the malady lies in their souls.
The disease is in their souls
فإذاand if أخمدواthey silence هتافاتcries مظلوan oppressed person (first part)
فإذا أخمدوا هتافات مظلو
مan oppressed person (remainder) فماyet not يخمدونthey silence صوتthe voice الضميرconscience
م فما يخمدون صوت الضمير
And if they silence the cries of someone
And when they silence the shouts of the oppressed
oppressed, they do not silence the voice of conscience.
They do not silence the voice of conscience
ذلكthat الراقبwatcher الإلهيّdivine فيwithin النفـthe soul (first part)
ذلك الراقب الإلهيّ في النفـ
ـسsoul (remainder) لسانtongue الهدىguidance وصوتand the voice الشعورfeeling
ـس لسان الهدى وصوت الشعور
That divine watcher within the
That divine watcher in the soul, the tongue of guidance and the voice of feeling
soul—the tongue of guidance and the voice of feeling—
Ever wakeful, watching the souls in the grip of nights and days
أبداalways ساهرwakeful يراقبwatches أقداfates (first part)
أبدا ساهر يراقب أقدا
رfates (remainder) اللياليthe nights وسطوةand the might الأيّامthe days
ر الليالي وسطوة الأيّام
is ever wakeful, watching the
Ever regarding life from the depths, mocking the years
fates of the nights and the might of the days.
So when hearts stray from good, the voice of that Almighty rises
أبداalways يرمقgazes at الحياةlife منfrom الأعـthe depths (first part)
أبدا يرمق الحياة من الأعـ
ـماقdepths (remainder) ,مستهزئاmocking منat الأعوامthe years
ـماق ,مستهزئا من الأعوام
Always it gazes at life from the
It is the noble blame of evil and the judge of tyrants and wicked ones
depths, mocking the years.
How can the wicked escape the torment of the soul and the ambush of conscience?
فإذاand when حادتstray القلوبthe hearts عنfrom الخيـgoodness (first part)
فإذا حادت القلوب عن الخيـ
ـرgoodness (remainder) علاrises صوتthe voice ذلكthat الجبّارmighty one
ـر علا صوت ذلك الجبّار
And when hearts stray from
No refuge from a ruler who possesses souls with what his hands contain of shackles
goodness, the voice of that mighty one rises.
How strange, where will I meet you my life?
فهوfor it is الناقمthe avenger النبيلnoble علىagainst الشرّevil
فهو الناقم النبيل على الشرّ
وقاضيand the judge الطغاةthe tyrants والأشرارand the wicked
وقاضي الطغاة والأشرار
For it is the noble avenger against evil
O banks of longed-for happiness
and the judge of tyrants and the wicked.
I came into this existence searching for you
كيفhow ينجوescape الأشرارthe wicked منfrom شقوةmisery الروthe soul (first part)
كيف ينجو الأشرار من شقوة الرو
حsoul (remainder) وصوتand the voice الضميرconscience بالمرصادlying in wait
ح وصوت الضمير بالمرصاد
How can the wicked escape the misery of the
Yet you remain the missing truth
soul, while the voice of conscience lies in wait?
The world did not know you, so no one knows
لاno ملاذrefuge منfrom حاكمٍa ruler يملكcontrols الروthe soul (first part)
لا ملاذ من حاكمٍ يملك الرو
حsoul (remainder) بماwith what فيin كّفيهhis two palms منof أصفادshackles
ح بما في كّفيه من أصفاد
There is no refuge from a ruler who controls the
What you are, reality or illusion
soul with the shackles in his palms.
They all ask about you, but you have not
عجباhow strange! أينwhere تلتقيكmeets you حياتيmy life؟
عجبا أين تلتقيك حياتي؟
ياO ضفافshores السعادةhappiness المنشودهlonged-for؟
يا ضفاف السعادة المنشوده؟
How strange! Where will my life meet you,
Told your eternal mystery
O shores of longed-for happiness?
And traveling through life searching for you
جبتI roamed هذاthis الوجودexistence أبحثsearching لكنyet
جبت هذا الوجود أبحث لكن
لمnot تزاليyou cease to be الحقيقةthe truth المفقودهlost
لم تزالي الحقيقة المفقوده
I roamed this existence, searching, yet
I ask passersby, is there one among them
you remain the lost truth.
Who has quenched his longing heart from you?
جهلتكdid not know you الدنياthe world فلاso no أحدone يعـknows (first part)
جهلتك الدنيا فلا أحد يعـ
ـلمknows (remainder) ماwhat أنتyou are واقعreality أمor خيالfantasy؟
ـلم ما أنت واقع أم خيال؟
The world has not known you, so no one
knows what you are: reality or fantasy?
كّلهمall of them يسألونask عنكabout you ولكنand yet
كّلهم يسألون عنك ولكن
لمhave not تحدّثspoken بسرّكof your secret الآزالthe eternities
لم تحدّث بسرّك الآزال
They all ask about you, but
the eternities have not spoken of your secret.
هاhere أناI ذيthis one (feminine) حملتI carried قلبيmy heart علىupon كفّـpalm
ها أنا ذي حملت قلبي على كفّـ
ـيmy (attached suffix) وسرتand I walked الحياةlife أبحثsearching عنكfor you
ـي وسرت الحياة أبحث عنك
Here I am: I have carried my heart on the palm
of my hand and walked through life, searching for you.
أسألI ask العابرينthe passersby هلwhether فيهمamong them منanyone who
أسأل العابرين هل فيهم من
قدhas (completed action) روىquenched قلبهhis heart المشوّقyearning منكfrom you
قد روى قلبه المشوّق منك
I ask the passersby whether among them is anyone
who has quenched his yearning heart with you.
Partial English translation: 28 of 36 Arabic lines translated.