دَعleave عَنكَaway from you لُطفيmy kindness وand تقديريmy respect وand آدابيmy manners
دَع عَنكَ لُطفي و تقديري و آدابي
هُناhere صِراعُstruggle of القِوىthe powers وand النَّابُthe fang بالنَّابِagainst the fang
هُنا صِراعُ القِوى و النَّابُ بالنَّابِ
Set aside my kindness, my respect, and my manners.
Leave behind my kindness, my respect, and my manners
Here the powers clash, fang against fang.
Leave behind my reason, for I have no reason I can arbitrate
دعleave عَنكَaway from you عقليmy reason فلاfor no عَقلٌreason أُحَكِّمُهُI make it my arbiter
دع عَنكَ عقلي فلا عَقلٌ أُحَكِّمُهُ
الخوفُfear فَوقيabove me وحَوليand around me زَحفُadvance of إرهابِterror
الخوفُ فَوقي وحَولي زَحفُ إرهابِ
Set aside my reason: I have no reason to judge by.
Fear is above me and around me crawls terrorism
Fear is above me, and terror advances around me.
O master of terror, the whip of silence lashes me
ياO سيدَmaster of الرُعبِterror سَوطُwhip of الصمتِsilence يجلدُنيit lashes me
يا سيدَ الرُعبِ سَوطُ الصمتِ يجلدُني
فكيفَso how أغفوI doze علىto ألحانِmelodies of زِريابِZiryab
فكيفَ أغفو على ألحانِ زِريابِ
O master of terror, the whip of silence lashes me;
So how can I sleep to the melodies of wailing?
so how can I doze to Ziryab's melodies?
How much I wished that roses would grow from my hands
لَكَمْhow often تمنيتُI wished أنَّthat الوردَthe roses نَبتُgrowth of يَديmy hand
لَكَمْ تمنيتُ أنَّ الوردَ نَبتُ يَدي
فأُنشِبَso were driven in الشَّوكُthe thorns فيinto صدريmy chest وand أهدابيmy eyelashes
فأُنشِبَ الشَّوكُ في صدري و أهدابي
How often I wished the roses were grown by my hand,
But thorns were implanted in my chest and eyelids
so thorns were driven into my chest and my eyelashes.
The whirlwind of evil erased every rhyme
دوَّامةُvortex of الشَرِّevil أمْحَتerased كُلَّevery قافيةٍrhyme
دوَّامةُ الشَرِّ أمْحَت كُلَّ قافيةٍ
مِنَof الغَرامِpassionate love وand أمْحَتerased لَونَcolor of أعشابيmy grasses
مِنَ الغَرامِ و أمْحَت لَونَ أعشابي
The vortex of evil erased every rhyme
Of love and erased the color of my grass
of love, and erased the color of my grasses.
O master of terror, do you know what
ياO سيدَmaster of الرُعبِterror هَلْquestion marker تدريyou know بماof what صَنَعَتit has done
يا سيدَ الرُعبِ هَلْ تدري بما صَنَعَت
دوَّامةُvortex of الشَرِّevil فيin قلبيmy heart وand أحبابيmy loved ones ؟
دوَّامةُ الشَرِّ في قلبي و أحبابي ؟
O master of terror, do you know what has been done
The whirlwind of evil did in my heart and my loved ones?
by the vortex of evil to my heart and my loved ones?
It drove me into the wilderness alone
لَقَدindeed نَفَتنيit exiled me إلىto الأدغالِthe jungles مُنفَرِدalone
لَقَد نَفَتني إلى الأدغالِ مُنفَرِد
بلاwithout صديقٍa friend بلاwithout قُوتٍfood وand أثوابِclothes !
بلا صديقٍ بلا قُوتٍ و أثوابِ !
It has indeed exiled me to the jungles, alone,
With no friend, no food, and no clothes
without a friend, without food, and without clothes!
So the thorns became a shadow I take shade under
فأصبحَso became الشَّوكُthe thorns ظِلاًshade أستَظِلُI shelter بهِbeneath it
فأصبحَ الشَّوكُ ظِلاً أستَظِلُ بهِ
وand الخوفُfear وand الصمتُsilence وand التشريدُdisplacement أصحابيmy companions
و الخوفُ و الصمتُ و التشريدُ أصحابي
So thorns became the shade beneath which I shelter,
And fear, silence, and homelessness became my companions
and fear, silence, and displacement are my companions.
O master of ignorance, do you still ask me
ياO سيدَmaster of الجَهلِignorance هَلْquestion marker لاnot زِلتَyou have ceased تسألُنيyou ask me
يا سيدَ الجَهلِ هَلْ لا زِلتَ تسألُني
عَنabout رِقَّةِdelicacy of الشِّعرِpoetry عَنabout شَهديmy honey وand أكوابيmy cups
عَن رِقَّةِ الشِّعرِ عَن شَهدي و أكوابي
O master of ignorance, are you still asking me
About the softness of poetry, about my honey and cups?
about poetry's delicacy, about my honey and my cups?
I search for my voice and rhyme
إنّيindeed I أُفَتِّشُam searching عَنfor صَوتيmy voice وand قافيتيmy rhyme
إنّي أُفَتِّشُ عَن صَوتي و قافيتي
بينَamong الأفاعيَthe vipers ذاتِpossessing السُّمِّvenom وand النابِthe fang
بينَ الأفاعيَ ذاتِ السُّمِّ و النابِ
I am searching for my voice and my rhyme
Among the venomous snakes with fangs
among vipers with venom and fangs.
Poetry burns its elegance in the wilderness
الشِّعرُpoetry يحرقُburns فيin الأدغالِthe jungles رَونَقَهُits luster
الشِّعرُ يحرقُ في الأدغالِ رَونَقَهُ
وَand يَلْبَسُwears المَوتَdeath لاnot أقراطَearrings of كُتَّابِwriters !
وَ يَلْبَسُ المَوتَ لا أقراطَ كُتَّابِ !
Poetry burns away its luster in the jungles
And wears not the jewels of scribes!
and wears death, not writers' earrings!
And the poet of roses in the wilderness is dressed
وand شاعِرُpoet of الوردِroses فيin الأدغالِthe jungles تلْبَسُهُpossesses him
و شاعِرُ الوردِ في الأدغالِ تلْبَسُهُ
رُوحُspirit of الطرازانِTarzan فيwith زَهوٍpride وand إعجابِadmiration !
رُوحُ الطرازانِ في زَهوٍ و إعجابِ !
And the poet of roses in the jungles is possessed
In the spirit of humming and self-admiration!
by the spirit of Tarzan, with pride and admiration!
The sweetest poems are resounding screams
أحلىloveliest القصائدِpoems صَرْخاتٌscreams مُدوّيَةٌresounding
أحلى القصائدِ صَرْخاتٌ مُدوّيَةٌ
تُرَوّعُterrify الليلَthe night تُلغيabolish سُلطَةَrule of الغابِthe jungle !
تُرَوّعُ الليلَ تُلغي سُلطَةَ الغابِ !
The loveliest poems are resounding screams
That frighten the night, undo the authority of the forest!
that terrify the night and abolish the jungle's rule!
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.