مسافرٌ فوق جمر الحرف يحترق

مسافرٌ فوق جمر الحرف يحترق

مسافرٌ زاده الألحان والحُرَق

مسافرٌ زاده الألحان والحُرَق

A traveler burning upon the embers of the written word.

A traveler above the embers of words burning

A traveler whose provisions are melodies and burning anguish.

A traveler whose provisions are melodies and passions

مسافرٌ ما شكى نزفاً ولا رهقاً

مسافرٌ ما شكى نزفاً ولا رهقاً

وكيف يشكو الذي أعصابه رهق؟

وكيف يشكو الذي أعصابه رهق؟

A traveler who never complained of bleeding or exhaustion.

A traveler who never complained of bleeding or fatigue

And how can one complain whose very nerves are exhaustion?

How could one who's nerves are fatigued complain?

ولو شكى الحزن ما أصفى مودته

ولو شكى الحزن ما أصفى مودته

ولو شكى قبله العشاق ما عشقوا

ولو شكى قبله العشاق ما عشقوا

And had he complained of sorrow, he would not have given his love sincerely.

If sorrow complained, it would not purify affection

And had lovers before him complained, they would never have loved.

If it complained before, lovers would not love

يا من رحلتَ إلى أين الرحيل ضُحى

يا من رحلتَ إلى أين الرحيل ضُحى

خيول شعرك أدمى صدرها السبق

خيول شعرك أدمى صدرها السبق

O you who departed, where are you bound at midmorning?

O you who traveled, where did you go at dawn?

The race has bloodied the breasts of your poetry's horses.

Your poetry horses, their chests raced ahead

لأي دارٍ تذود الناجيات ومن

لأي دارٍ تذود الناجيات ومن

سيقصد الركبُ والأمواج تصطفق؟

سيقصد الركبُ والأمواج تصطفق؟

To what home do you drive the swift she-camels, and whom

To which abode do the rescued females return and who

will the caravan seek as the waves crash together?

Will the caravan and waves crashing target?

هوِّن عليك فإن الدرب مَهْلَكة

هوِّن عليك فإن الدرب مَهْلَكة

والليل خلفك والقنّاص منطلق

والليل خلفك والقنّاص منطلق

Be gentle with yourself, for the road is a deathtrap,

Be gentle, the path is perilous

and night is behind you, and the hunter is on the move.

And night behind you and the hunter on the loose

ومن همستَ له بالسرِّ باح به

ومن همستَ له بالسرِّ باح به

وباع عينيك من تهواه " مرتزق "

وباع عينيك من تهواه " مرتزق "

And the one to whom you whispered the secret divulged it,

And whoever you whispered the secret to betrayed you

and the one you love sold your eyes—a mercenary.

And sold your eyes for the one he adored, "a mercenary"

كلاً .. سأطعمُ هذي البيدَ قافية

كلاً .. سأطعمُ هذي البيدَ قافية

رُزقتها ولكل الناس ما رُزقوا

رُزقتها ولكل الناس ما رُزقوا

No! I shall feed these deserts a rhyme

No.. I will feed this bait a rhyme

that I was granted; and everyone has what they were granted.

I was provided it and people are given what they are given

ما زلت أحرقُ المعاني ، أعلقها

ما زلت أحرقُ المعاني ، أعلقها

نجماً لمن تاه من ظلَّت به الطُرق

نجماً لمن تاه من ظلَّت به الطُرق

I still burn meanings; I hang them

I still burn meanings, suspend them

as a star for the lost, for those whom the roads have led astray.

As stars for those who got lost in winding roads

ما زلت أحرقها حباً ، ولي أملٌ

ما زلت أحرقها حباً ، ولي أملٌ

فيهم سأحرق حتى ينفذ الرمق

فيهم سأحرق حتى ينفذ الرمق

I still burn them out of love, and I have hope

I still burn them in love, and I have hope

in them; I shall burn until my last breath is spent.

In them I will burn until the last breath

ففي حروفي صباحٌ لا نظير له

ففي حروفي صباحٌ لا نظير له

وفي صباحِ حروفي يغرق الغسق

وفي صباحِ حروفي يغرق الغسق

For in my letters is a morning without equal,

For in my letters there's an unmatched morning

and in the morning of my letters, dusk drowns.

And in the morning of my letters darkness drowns

لحفتهم بجروحي ما تركتهم

لحفتهم بجروحي ما تركتهم

لجرحِهم كلنا في الهم نتفق

لجرحِهم كلنا في الهم نتفق

I wrapped them in my wounds; I did not leave them

I have not left them with my wounds, I wrapped them

to their wound; we are all united in sorrow.

We are all alike in pain from their wounds

أوقدت من نار قلبي فيهمُ قبساً

أوقدت من نار قلبي فيهمُ قبساً

وها أنا بدُخان الحب أختنق

وها أنا بدُخان الحب أختنق

I kindled a flame within them from my heart's fire,

I ignited from my heart's fire in them an ember

and here I am, choking on the smoke of love.

And here I am, with the smoke of love suffocating

صدقتهم بمواويلي وكذَّبني

صدقتهم بمواويلي وكذَّبني

قومي وأقسم أن القوم ما صدقوا

قومي وأقسم أن القوم ما صدقوا

I was truthful with them in my songs, yet I was called a liar

I spoke truthfully to them in my lyrics and they called me a liar

by my people—and I swear the people did not tell the truth.

My people, I swear the people did not believe

إني وثقت فكان القتل في ثقتي

إني وثقت فكان القتل في ثقتي

فكان أني بغير الله لا أثق

فكان أني بغير الله لا أثق

Indeed, I trusted, and murder lay in my trust,

I trusted and so I was killed for my trust

and so I came to trust none but God.

So it was that I do not trust except in God