نَحْسُ حلاجٍ تَلَظّى في دَمي

نَحْسُ حلاجٍ تَلَظّى في دَمي

وَبَناتُ الصَّدْرِ أذْكَتْ ألَمي

وَبَناتُ الصَّدْرِ أذْكَتْ ألَمي

Hallaj's ill fortune blazed in my blood.

The ill fate of a despairing dreamer festered in my blood,

And the daughters of my breast kindled my pain.

And the daughters of my heart ignited my pain.

هَدّني التِّيهُ وجافاني الكَرى

هَدّني التِّيهُ وجافاني الكَرى

وَبَراني ذاتَ ويلٍ سَقَمي

وَبَراني ذاتَ ويلٍ سَقَمي

Bewilderment broke me, and slumber shunned me.

Wandering misled me and time abandoned me,

And my sickness wasted me in a time of woe.

And a woeful affliction exposed my frailty.

قَدْ رَمَتْني الرّيحُ مَثْلومَ المُنى

قَدْ رَمَتْني الرّيحُ مَثْلومَ المُنى

عدمًا يسعى وراءَ العَدَمِ

عدمًا يسعى وراءَ العَدَمِ

The wind had flung me, my hopes broken,

The wind has flung me, disappointed in my wishes,

a nothingness striving after nothingness.

A nothingness seeking after more nothingness.

لهفَ قلبي سَيْفُ كَرْبي قَدّني

لهفَ قلبي سَيْفُ كَرْبي قَدّني

جُرْحُ طيني نازِفٌ لَمْ يَنَمِ

جُرْحُ طيني نازِفٌ لَمْ يَنَمِ

Alas for my heart! The sword of my anguish cleft me.

My heart's longing is a sword of sorrows that guided me,

The wound in my clay bleeds; it has not slept.

My clay's wound still bleeding has not slept.

تَنْزوي في الصّرْدِ روحي كُلّما

تَنْزوي في الصّرْدِ روحي كُلّما

عَصَف البَيْنُ وَزَلّت قَدَمي

عَصَف البَيْنُ وَزَلّت قَدَمي

My soul huddles in the bitter cold whenever

My soul withdraws into seclusion whenever

separation rages and my foot slips.

Separation storms and my steps falter.

نازعَتْني ذِكْرياتٌ قدْ رَمَتْـ

نازعَتْني ذِكْرياتٌ قدْ رَمَتْـ

ــني سَوادا في أتونِ الحِمَمِ

ــني سَوادا في أتونِ الحِمَمِ

Memories wrestled with me; they had cast

Memories assaulted me and flung

me, a blackness, into the furnace of lava.

Me into the furnace of anxieties dark.

وَغَزَتْ أرْتالُ بَرْدٍ حَوْزَتي

وَغَزَتْ أرْتالُ بَرْدٍ حَوْزَتي

وسرَتْ سُمًّا بجوفِ الدّسَمِ

وسرَتْ سُمًّا بجوفِ الدّسَمِ

And columns of cold invaded my domain,

And a flood of cold shackled my self,

and coursed as poison through the depths of fat.

And poison crept through my body's crevices.

كُلّما يمَّمْتُ دَرْبًا تاهَ بي

كُلّما يمَّمْتُ دَرْبًا تاهَ بي

واقتفاني مُشْعِلا بي سَأمي

واقتفاني مُشْعِلا بي سَأمي

Whenever I made for a path, it led me astray

Whenever I ventured down a path I lost my way

and pursued me, kindling my weariness within me.

And my own boredom hunted me.

بُحْتُ لليْلِ بِسِرّي فانْبَرى

بُحْتُ لليْلِ بِسِرّي فانْبَرى

مِنْ دَياجيرهِ لَوْمُ اللوَّمِ

مِنْ دَياجيرهِ لَوْمُ اللوَّمِ

I confided my secret to the night, and there emerged

I confided in the night my secret but

from its deep darkness the reproach of reproachers.

Only blame came from its unclear depths.

شَرِب النايُ أنيْني واكْتَوى

شَرِب النايُ أنيْني واكْتَوى

وبكى البَوْحُ بِصَدْرِ الكَلِمِ

وبكى البَوْحُ بِصَدْرِ الكَلِمِ

The reed flute drank my moaning and was seared,

The flute drank in my moan and was sated,

and the outpouring wept in the breast of words.

And weeping flowed from the heart of this word.

دُلَّني يا ليلُ أشْقاني النّوى

دُلَّني يا ليلُ أشْقاني النّوى

ورَماني في أوانٍ دَهِمِ

ورَماني في أوانٍ دَهِمِ

Guide me, O night; separation has made me wretched

Guide me, O night that distressed my wishes

and cast me into a dark time.

And flung me into a time of utter gloom.

ظَبْيَةٌ حَفّتْ بِروحي كالرّؤى

ظَبْيَةٌ حَفّتْ بِروحي كالرّؤى

وَسَبَتْني نَحْوَ هامِ الأكَمِ

وَسَبَتْني نَحْوَ هامِ الأكَمِ

A gazelle encircled my soul like visions,

An illusion encircled my soul like a vision

and carried me captive toward the crests of hills.

And drew me towards the valley of sorrows.

كَفْكَفَتْ دَمْعي وأقْصَتْ شَجَني

كَفْكَفَتْ دَمْعي وأقْصَتْ شَجَني

غِبْطَةٌ داوَتْ طِعانَ النّدمِ

غِبْطَةٌ داوَتْ طِعانَ النّدمِ

She wiped away my tears and banished my sorrow.

It staunched my tears and ended my passion—

Joy healed the stabs of regret.

A happiness that healed the wounds of regret.

هاطِلُ السّعدِ طِلالاً خَصّني

هاطِلُ السّعدِ طِلالاً خَصّني

مِنْ شَهيّاتِ النّدى في الدِّيَمِ

مِنْ شَهيّاتِ النّدى في الدِّيَمِ

The downpour of good fortune favored me with dewdrops

The rain of good fortune neglected me,

from the delights of dew amid the steady rains.

Leaving me craving the dew's delicacies.

سدَلَ الهَدْأةَ أمْهى خاطِري

سدَلَ الهَدْأةَ أمْهى خاطِري

وسقاني مِنْ نَميرٍ مُنعَمِ

وسقاني مِنْ نَميرٍ مُنعَمِ

It let stillness fall and cleared my mind,

Tranquility lowered the most confused of my thoughts

and gave me a drink of pure, blessed water.

And gave me to drink from a gentle spring.

ذا رخيمُ الصَّوت قُمْرِيّا أتى

ذا رخيمُ الصَّوت قُمْرِيّا أتى

وسقى السَّمْعَ غَريدُ النّغمِ

وسقى السَّمْعَ غَريدُ النّغمِ

This mellow-voiced one came as a turtledove,

The soft-voiced moon came round

and the warbler of melody watered my hearing.

And refreshed my hearing with melody.

فاسْتفاقَ القَلْبُ، وَلَّى كَدَري

فاسْتفاقَ القَلْبُ، وَلَّى كَدَري

صنوُ روحي صـــارَ مِني تَوْأمي

صنوُ روحي صـــارَ مِني تَوْأمي

So the heart awoke; my gloom departed.

So my heart awoke, dispelling my gloom—

My soul's counterpart became part of me—my twin.

My spirit's companion was made my twin.