دنيايmy world ياO دنيايmy world
دنياي يا دنياي
بينbetween الطلاwine والنايand the reed flute
بين الطلا والناي
My world, O my world,
My world, oh my world
between wine and the reed flute,
Between lute and flute
هذيthese دموعtears أسايmy sorrow
هذي دموع أساي
تخذتهاI took them سلوايmy solace
تخذتها سلواي
these are the tears of my sorrow;
They are my consolation
I have made them my solace.
My world, how cruel
دنيايmy world ماhow أقسىcruel
دنياي ما أقسى
جرحكyour wound فيin قلبيmy heart
جرحك في قلبي
My world, how cruel
Is your wound in my heart
is your wound in my heart!
How thirsty is the sapling
ماhow أظمأthirsty الغرساthe sapling
ما أظمأ الغرسا
فيin واحةthe oasis الحبlove
في واحة الحب
How thirsty the sapling
In the oasis of love
in the oasis of love!
Bring me, oh world
هاتيكthat ياO دنياworld
هاتيك يا دنيا
أُنشودتيmy song وحديmine alone
أُنشودتي وحدي
That, O world, is
My solo chant
my song, mine alone.
Make it a dream
إخالهاI imagine it رؤياa vision
إخالها رؤيا
منfrom عالمthe realm الخلدeternity
من عالم الخلد
I take it for a vision
From the eternal world
from the realm of eternity.
Bring me poetry
هاتيbring ليَfor me الشعراpoetry
هاتي ليَ الشعرا
مهلهلloosely woven الأوزانthe meters
مهلهل الأوزان
Bring me poetry,
With rhythmic ecstasy
with loosely woven meters,
To weave a grave for me
ينسجweaves ليfor me قبراa grave
ينسج لي قبرا
فيin مهمَهِa trackless desert النسيانoblivion
في مهمَهِ النسيان
to weave me a grave
In the forgotten realm
in the wasteland of oblivion.
No harm in calling
ماwhat ضرّwould harm منthe one who نادىcalled
ما ضرّ من نادى
للموتto death أحلاميmy dreams
للموت أحلامي
What harm would it do the one who called
For my dreams of death
my dreams to death,
If only it would return
لوif أنهthat he عاداreturned
لو أنه عادا
فضمّand then gathered أياميmy days
فضمّ أيامي
if he returned
And gather up my days
and then gathered up my days?
The past in which sighed
ماضٍa past بهby it ناءتwere burdened
ماضٍ به ناءت
جوانحribs القيثارthe lyre
جوانح القيثار
A past beneath which sagged
The wings of the lyre
the ribs of the lyre
And as destinies willed
وليdeparted كماjust as شاءتwilled
ولي كما شاءت
سخريةmockery الأقدارfate
سخرية الأقدار
departed, just as
Mockery for me
fate's mockery willed.
The present is weary
وحاضرٌand a present سأمانweary
وحاضرٌ سأمان
عافspurned الشجىsorrow كاساa cup
عاف الشجى كاسا
And a weary present
Draining sorrow's cup
has spurned sorrow's cup;
No faith in it
ماwhatever فيهin it منof إيمانfaith
ما فيه من إيمان
لاnot ينفعbenefits الناساpeople
لا ينفع الناسا
whatever faith it holds
To benefit mankind
does people no good.
The unknown future
وقابلand a future مجهولunknown
وقابل مجهول
تطويهenfold it أكفانهits shrouds
تطويه أكفانه
And an unknown future—
Shrouded in its winding sheet
its shrouds enfold it;
Its foolish boat
زورقهits skiff المخبولcrazed
زورقه المخبول
لمhave not تدنdrawn near شطآنهits shores
لم تدن شطآنه
its crazed skiff—
Never nearing the shore
its shores have not drawn near.
This is the caravan
هذاthis هوit الركبthe caravan
هذا هو الركب
أضناهhas exhausted it حاديهits chanting driver
أضناه حاديه
This is the caravan;
Led by its guide
its chanting driver has exhausted it,
Its moist tear
ودمعهand its tears الرطبmoist
ودمعه الرطب
شكوىlament مآقيهthe corners of its eyes
شكوى مآقيه
and its moist tears
A complaint of ordeals
are the lament of its eyes' corners.
Bring me solace
هاتيbring ليfor me السلوىsolace
هاتي لي السلوى
تزهرmay bloom رباhills نفسيmy soul
تزهر ربا نفسي
Bring me solace,
To revive my soul
so the hills of my soul may bloom,
Or draw near the steps
أوor قرّبيbring nearer الخطواthe steps
أو قرّبي الخطوا
منto ظلمةthe darkness الرمسthe grave
من ظلمة الرمس
or draw my steps nearer
From the darkness of decay
to the darkness of the grave.
My world of sighs
دنيايmy world منof آهاتsighs
دنياي من آهات
نديهاtheir dew جمرembers
نديها جمر
My world is made of sighs
Their embers a blaze
whose dew is embers.
In my mind waves
فيin خاطريmy mind موجاتwaves
في خاطري موجات
ماnot ضمّهاhas contained them بحرa sea
ما ضمّها بحر
In my mind are waves
No sea has contained
that no sea has contained.
Wine and melodies
الخمرwine والأنغامand melodies
الخمر والأنغام
فيin حانةthe tavern الأيامthe days
في حانة الأيام
Wine and melodies,
In the tavern of days
in the tavern of days,
Inspired intoxication
مشبوبةaflame الإلهامinspiration
مشبوبة الإلهام
منfrom جاحمthe blazing fire الآلامpains
من جاحم الآلام
are aflame with inspiration
From the burning pains
from the blazing fire of pain.
The alert mind
والخاطرand the mind اللماحperceptive
والخاطر اللماح
فيin أفقthe horizon الأقداحthe goblets
في أفق الأقداح
And the perceptive mind,
On the horizons of goblets
in the horizon of goblets,
Yearns for a lamp
يهفوyearns إلىfor مصباحa lamp
يهفو إلى مصباح
منfrom عالمthe realm الأفراحjoys
من عالم الأفراح
yearns for a lamp
From the world of joys
from the realm of joys.
The drunk reveler
والشاربand the drinker المخمورintoxicated
والشارب المخمور
منby راحwine أقدارهhis fate
من راح أقداره
And the drinker, intoxicated
At the mercy of fate
by the wine of his fate—
His enchanted hymn
نشيدهhis song المسحورenchanted
نشيده المسحور
صادthirsty كقيثارهlike his lyre
صاد كقيثاره
his enchanted song
Like a lyre
is thirsty, like his lyre.
In the temple of sorrows
فيin هيكلthe temple الأحزانsorrows
في هيكل الأحزان
أنفقتI spent أياميmy days
أنفقت أيامي
In the temple of sorrows
I spent my days
I spent my days,
As if time itself
كأنماas though الأزمانthe ages
كأنما الأزمان
تشفىfind healing بأسقاميin my illnesses
تشفى بأسقامي
as though the ages
Was healed by my afflictions
find healing in my illnesses.
I roam among the perishable
أطوفI wander بالفانينamong mortals
أطوف بالفانين
كالاهةlike a sigh الحيرىbewildered
كالاهة الحيرى
I wander among mortals
Like the confused pilgrim
like a bewildered sigh,
I send her to bewail
أرسلهاsent it forth مسكينa wretch
أرسلها مسكين
يرثىmourns بهاwith it العمراlife
يرثى بها العمرا
sent forth by a wretch
The fading life
who mourns life with it.
Oh spreader of life
ياO ناشرunfolder العمرlife
يا ناشر العمر
فيin كفكyour palm الطيّfolding up
في كفك الطيّ
O unfolder of life,
In your potter's hand
its folding lies in your palm;
The fire in my chest
النارfire فيin صدريmy breast
النار في صدري
والميتُand the dead one الحيُliving
والميتُ الحيُ
fire is in my breast,
And I, the living dead
and the living dead.
Partial English translation: 67 of 68 Arabic lines translated.