Ibrahim Naji (Egyptian): El-Atlaal (The Ruins) 1

1 O heart of mine, may your love rest in peace,

‫ال فَھَ َوى‬ ٍ َ‫صرْ حً ا ِم ْن خَ ي‬ َ َ‫ كان‬.. ‫ﷲ الھَ َوى‬ ّ

ُ ‫يا فُؤا ِدي َر ِح َم‬
‘twas a fortress made of dreams now erased.
So quench my thirst, toast love’s memory upon my ruin,
ْ َ
‫ وارْ ِو َعنﱢي طَالَ َما ال ﱠد ْم ُع َر َوى‬.. ‫اِ ْسقِني وا ْش َربْ َعلَى أطالَلِ ِه‬ and tell, long as tears do tell upon my face,
‫الج َوى‬
َ ‫ث‬ ِ ‫ َو َح ِد ْيثًا ِم ْن أَ َحا ِد ْي‬..‫َك ْيفَ َذاكَ الحُبﱡ أَ ْم َسى خَ بَرً ا‬ how love faded like old news,
‫اروا أَبَ ًدا َو ْھ َو ا ْنطَ َوى‬ َ ‫ ھم ت ََو‬.. ‫َوبِ َساطًا ِم ْن نَدَا َمى ُحلُ ٍم‬
a tale of the tales of love’s unfinished race,
a shroud for those dreamt and mourned;
their shroud folded and kept but they without a trace.
2
O winds that blow! Their storming never ends;
2 My lamp now drained, my light expired,
‫احي ا ْنطَفَا‬ِ ‫ْت َو ِمصْ َب‬ُ ‫ب ال ﱠزي‬ َ ‫َض‬ ُ
َ ‫ ن‬.. ‫ْس يَ ْھدأ َعصْ فُھَا‬ َ ‫يَا ِريَاحً ا لَي‬ I live on crumbs of illusions passed,
‫س َما َوفَى‬ٍ ‫ َوأَفي ال ُع ْم َر لِنِا‬.. ‫َات ِم ْن َو ْھ ٍم َعفَا‬
ُ ‫َوأَنا أ ْقت‬ holding a trust that others have retired.
‫الج ْفنُ َغفَا‬
َ ‫ال َوال‬ َ ‫ ال الھَ َوى َم‬.. ‫ْت علَى خَ ْن َج ِر ِه‬ ُ ‫ك ْم تقَلّب‬ I toss and turn upon love’s blade,
but my love won’t fade, and my eyes are oh so tired;
َ ‫ ُكلﱠ َما غ‬.. ‫َوإذا القَ ْلبُ َعلَى ُغ ْفرانِ ِه‬
‫َار بَ ِه النﱠصْ ُل َعفَا‬ And though all this my heart forgave,
tis all repeated when again it strikes and expires.
3
Desire was in me, she was in my blood,
3 like a fated death or death tasted;
ِ‫ت أَوْ فَى طَ ْع ِمه‬ ِ ْ‫ قَدَرً ا َكال َمو‬.. ‫يَاغ ََرا ًما كان منّي في دمي‬ Not a single hour were we happily wed,
ْ َ َ‫ وق‬.. ‫ض ْينَا َسا َعةً في عُرْ ِس ِه‬
‫ض ْينَا ال ُع ْم َر في َمأتَ ِم ِه‬ َ َ‫َما ق‬ all our years were in her funeral wasted;
I dispossessed her eyes of just a single tear,
ِ‫صابي بَ ْس َمةً ِم ْن فَ ِمه‬ َ ِ‫ َوا ْغت‬.. ‫َما ا ْنتِزَ اعي َد ْم َعةً ِم ْن َع ْينَ ْي ِه‬ and from her mouth a single smile arrested.
‫َاربٌ ِم ْن َد ِمهِ؟‬ ِ ‫ أَ ْينَ يَ ْمضي ھ‬.. ‫لَيْتَ ِشعْري أَ ْينَ ِم ْنهُ َمھ َْربي‬ How I wish that poetry could my escape provide,
but where can one flee from his own blood however he hasted?

4
4 I can’t forget you, how you called me
ْ‫ب ال ُمنَادَا ِة َرقِ ْيق‬ ْ َ َ ْ َ
ِ ‫ بِف ٍم عَذ‬.. ‫اك َوقد ن َد ْيتِني‬ ْ َ
ِ ‫لَسْت أن َس‬ ُ with a mouth so soft and whose voice agrees,
with a hand held out my way as if
‫َريْق‬ ْ ‫ج ُم ﱠد‬
ِ ‫ت لِ غ‬ ِ ْ‫ ِم ْن ِخالَ ِل ال َمو‬.. ‫َويَ ٍد تَ ْمتَ ﱡد نَحْ وي َكيَ ٍد‬ thrust through a wave to one in drowning seas.
‫ق‬ ْ ‫ت األَقْدَا ُم أَ ْش َواكَ الطﱠ ِر ْي‬ ِ ‫ َش َك‬.. ‫آ ِه يَا قِبلَةَ أَ ْقدَامي إِ َذا‬ You fix my path and steer me right
‫ْك َذيﱠاكَ البَ ِر ْي ْق؟‬ ِ ‫ أَ ْينَ في َع ْينَي‬.. ُ‫ظ َما ُ السﱠاري لَه‬ ْ َ‫ق ي‬ ٍ ‫وبري‬ should my feet complain as thorns increase;
With that shine travelers by night do seek,
Where is that shine within your eyes that keeps?

5 5
ُّ ُ ْ َ ُّ ً َ
‫ بالذ َرى الشم ف ْأد َمنت الط ُموح‬.. ‫وقد أغ َر ْيتني‬ ْ ُ
ْ ِ‫لست أنساك‬
I can’t forget you, how you enticed me
at the height of mountain peaks and I addicted to aspire,
ّ َ َ
‫ لكِ أعْ لو فكأني محض روح‬.. ‫ت رو ٌح في َس َمائِي َوأنا‬ ِ ‫أن‬ You’re the spirit in my sky, and I
َّ
‫ نتالقى َوبسرينا نبوح‬.. ‫َيا ل َھا ِمنْ قمم كنا بِ َھا‬ as if mere spirit do ascend toward you to retire;
ّ
‫الناس ظِ الل في السفوح‬َ ‫ و َن َرى‬.. ‫ج َھا‬ َ ‫نستشف‬
ِ ‫الغ ْيب ِمنْ أ ْب َرا‬
O the peaks that we did scale,
where we met and talked of the secrets we conspired,
and perceived from high upon our towers the unknown,
6 and saw people far below like mere shadows on the shire.
‫ﱠ‬
ْ‫ي أحْ زَ انُ الطفَل‬ َ ْ ُ
َ ‫ َوأنَا ِعن ِد‬.. ْ‫ُحاهُ ل ْم يَزَل‬َ ‫ت ُحس ٌْن في ض‬ ِ ‫أَ ْن‬ 6
ْ‫ور ِم ْن نَجْ ٍم أَفَل‬ِ ‫ َو ُخيُوطُ النﱡ‬.. ْ‫ب َر َحل‬ ٍ ‫َوبَقَا َيا الظﱢلﱢ ِم ْن َر ْك‬ You are a beauty in full light of day unceasing,
ْ‫اح ال َملَل‬ ْ ‫أَ ْل َم ُح ال ﱡد ْنيَا بِ َعي‬
َ َ‫ َوأَ َرى َحوْ لِي أَ ْشب‬.. ‫ْني َسئِ ٍم‬ while the sorrows of a fading dusk are all I’ve met,
ْ‫ث األَ َمل‬ ِ ‫ق أَجْ دَا‬ ْ ‫ق أَ ْش‬ like half shadows cast by caravans now leaving,
َ ْ‫ت فَو‬ ٍ َ‫ ُم ْعوال‬.. ‫ال ِء الھَ َوى‬ َ ْ‫ت فَو‬ٍ ‫َراقِصا‬ and the faintest threads of light from stars now set.
I glance upon the world with weary eyes
and see about me ghosts bored and yet
they dance upon the severed limbs of love
and howl ore the grave of hopes I could not get.
 7 7
‫ُك إالَ َشبَ َحا‬ ُ َ ْ َ
ِ ‫ ل ْم يَك ْن َو ْعد‬.. ‫َب ال ُع ْم ُر ھَبَا ًء فاذھَبي‬َ ‫َذھ‬
My years are vanished as fine dust; so leave me then;
Your promise is a ghost and that effaced;
‫ أ ُ ْﺛبِتَ الحُبﱡ َعلَ ْيھَا َو ُم َحا‬.. ‫َب ال ﱠد ْھ ُر بِھَا‬
َ ‫ص ْف َحةً قَ ْد َذھ‬َ Ages have passed upon this solitary page,
ُ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ
‫ َوأنَا أحْ ِم ُل قلبًا ذبِ َحا‬.. ‫ضحْ ِكي َو َرقصي ف ِرحً ا‬ ِ ‫ا ُ ْنظري‬ ُ Love was therein writ but now erased.
َ ‫ط َحنُنِي طَحْ نَ الر‬
‫ﱠحى‬ ْ َ‫الج َوى ي‬
َ ‫ َو‬.. ‫َويَ َراني النﱠاسُ رُوحً ا طَائِرً ا‬
View my laughter and my jig with joy,
but deep within there lies my slaughtered heart encased,
Others think of me a soaring spirit but how
grinded am I by the mill of love and its relentless pace.
8
8 You were the statute I imagined but then fell to naught;
ْ َ
‫ ال َمقَا ِد ْي ُر أ َرادَت الَ يَ ِدي‬.. ‫ال خَ يَالي فَھَ َوى‬ َ
َ ‫ت تِ ْمث‬ ْ
ِ ‫ُكن‬ such was desired by the fates, not by my hand.
‫ت َم ْعبَ ِدي‬ ْ ‫ت تَاجي َوھَ ﱠد‬ ْ ‫ َحطﱠ َم‬.. ‫ت‬ ْ ‫َوي َْحھَا لَ ْم تَ ْد ِر َماذا َحطﱠ َم‬ Woe to those fates, they know not what they have crushed—
‫ يَا يَبَابا ً َما بِ ِه ِم ْن أَ َح ِد‬.. ِ ‫س ال ُم ْنفَ ِرد‬
ِ ِ‫يَا َحيَاةَ ال َيائ‬
my crown and my altar gone, but they don’t understand;
O sad and solitary life;
َ
‫ يَا ُس ُكونَ األبَ ِد‬.. ‫ ِم ْن ن َِج ﱟي‬.. ‫ت َما بِھَا‬ ٍ ‫يَا قَفَارً ا الفِ َحا‬ No one in sight, how desolate the land,
a desert wind and scorching too,
No soul with whom to speak, a silence endless in its span.

9 9
ِ ‫أَ ْينَ ِم ْن َعيْني َحبِيبٌ َس‬
‫ فِ ْي ِه نُ ْب ٌل َو َجالَ ٌل َو َحيَا ْء‬.. ‫اح ٌر‬ Where can I find that charming love of mine?
ْ‫ ظَالِ ُم ال ُح ْس ِن َش ِھ ﱡي ال ِكب ِْريَاء‬..‫ط َو ِة يَ ْمشي َملِ ًكا‬ ْ ‫ق ال ُخ‬
ُ ِ‫َواﺛ‬ Nobility, modesty, and majesty acquired,
َ
‫ف َكأحْ الَ ِم ال َم َسا ْء‬ ‫ﱠ‬
ِ ْ‫ َسا ِھ ُم الطر‬.. ‫اس الرﱡ َبى‬ َ
ِ َ‫ق السﱢحْ ِر َكأ ْنف‬ ُ ِ‫َعب‬
Each step is confident, her stride angelic to behold;
Unfair even in her beauty and her pride to be desired,
ُ ْ ‫ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ ل َغة ُ النﱡ‬.. ‫ق الطل َع ِة في َم ْن ِطقِ ِه‬
ْ‫ور َوتَ ْعبِ ْي ُر ال ﱠس َماء‬ ُ ‫ُم ْش ِر‬ A charmed aroma she, like fields of breathing flowers,
An arrow shot from out the eye, like dreams in nights retired
In appearance shinning bright is she, and from her lips there
comes the language of light dressed in heavenly attire.

10
10 Where am I from your resting place,
‫ت َسنَا ٌء َو َسنَى‬ ْ ‫ فِ ْتنَةٌ تَ ﱠم‬.. ‫أَ ْينَ ِمنّي َمجْ لِسٌ أَ ْنتَ بِ ِه‬ that enchantment, fully lit and shinning
‫ َوفَ َراشٌ َحائِ ٌر ِم ْنكَ َدنَا‬.. ‫َوأَنَا حُبﱞ َوقَ ْلبٌ ود ٌم‬ where all I am is love, and heart and blood,
‫س لَنَا‬ َ ْ‫ َونَ ِد ْي ٌم قَ ﱠد َم ال َكا‬..‫ق َر ُسو ٌل بَ ْينَنَا‬
ِ ْ‫َو ِمنَ ال ﱠشو‬
and butterflies in flight—all these toward you combining?
And twixt us two my longing would a messenger be,
‫ار آ َد ِم ﱟي َم ﱠسنَا‬ ٍ َ‫ لِ ُغب‬..ً‫َو َسقَانَا فَا ْنتَفَضْ نَا لَحْ ظَة‬ a partner at the bar with our raised glass confiding;
We drank and for a short while shook,
as we were in the dust of our humanity conspiring.
11
‫َطغَى في ِد َما ْه‬ ْ ‫ي َوت‬ َ ‫ تَحْ ُك ُم‬.. ‫الجس ِْم الّتي‬
‫الح ﱠ‬ ِ َ‫صوْ لَة‬ َ ‫َر ْفنَا‬
ِ ‫قَ ْد ع‬
11
Our bodies launched their attack on us in full,
ُ
ْ‫ َسوْ ط َج ﱠال ٍد َوتَ ْع ِذيْبُ إلَه‬.. ‫صرْ خَ ةً في َر ْع ِدھَا‬ َ ‫َو َس َم ْعنَا‬ like tyrants in the blood they rule the living;
‫الجبَا ْه‬ َ ُ َ َ
ِ ‫ َوأبَ ْينَا الذ ﱠل أ ْن يَ ْغ َشى‬.. ‫ص ْينَا أ ْم َرھَا‬َ ‫أَ َم َر ْتنَا فَ َع‬ We heard a cry within their thunderous roar,

ِ ‫ َوطُ ِر ْدنَا خَ ْلفَ أَس َْو‬.. ‫ُصا ْه‬

َ ‫َح َك َم الطﱠاغي فَ ُكنﱠا في الع‬
The snap of a flogger’s whip, a torture unforgiving;
‫الحيَا ْه‬َ ‫ار‬ Our bodies ordered us but we obeyed them not,
and refused upon our brow fate’s shameful bidding;
The great tyrants judged us but we would not
and so beyond the walls of life exiled for not submitting.
 12
12 O pair of exiles, lost in the roadless wild
ُ ‫ﱠ‬
ْ‫ َد ِميَا بِالشوْ ِك ف ْيھَا َوالصﱡ خور‬.. ْ‫ضال في ال ُوعُور‬ ‫ﱠ‬ ْ
َ ‫يَا لَ َمنفِيﱠي ِْن‬ Bled by thorns therein and cut upon the stones
ْ‫الآلالم في ال َم ْنفَى الطﱠھُور‬ِ َ‫ َروْ َعة‬.. ‫َرفَا‬ ِ ‫ُكلﱠ َما تَ ْقسُو اللﱠيَالي ع‬
When ‘ere the night the worse became they did learn
pure exile and the sweetest suffering moaned;
ْ‫وظ السﱡو ِد واللﱠي ِْل الضﱠريْر‬ ِ ُ‫ لِ ْل ُحظ‬.. ْ‫ك الح ُْل ِم ال َكبِيْر‬ َ ِ‫طُ ِردَا ِم ْن َذل‬ Exiled were they from that great dream
ْ‫ت ال ﱡد ْنيا بِنُور‬ َ ‫ ُكلﱠ َما قَ ْد‬.. ‫ُوح ْي ِھ َما‬
ِ ‫ضنﱠ‬ َ ‫ور ِم ْن ر‬ َ ‫ان النﱡ‬ِ ‫يَ ْقبَ َس‬ to fortunes black and blinded nights alone,
but drew they light required from out their own spirits
when life deprive them and its light was not shown.

13 13
ْ َ ْ ُ
‫ َكث َرت َحوْ لِي أطيَا ُر الرﱡ بَى‬.. ‫َجبَا‬ َ ‫ت أ ْم ِري ع‬ َ ِ ْ‫صيﱠر‬َ ‫ت قَ ْد‬ ِ ‫أَ ْن‬
My situation you made into a thing unbelievable;
Birds of the fields gathered round,
‫ ق ُ ْم نُ َغرﱢ ْد لِ ِس َوى لَ ْيلَى أَبَى‬.. ً‫ت لِقَ ْلبي َسا َعة‬
ُ ‫فَإِذا قُ ْل‬ and if I told my heart, “For just a single hour
‫ْك َوالَ َمطﱠلَبَا‬ِ ‫ َغ ْي ُر َع ْينَي‬.. ‫ُحجْ بٌ تَأْبى لِ َعيْني َمأْ َر َبا‬ let’s sing without Layla,” its refusal would resound;
‫ت ھَذي ال ُح ُجبَا‬ ُ ‫ أَنﱠني أ ْسد َْل‬.. ‫ت َم ْن أَ ْس َدلَھَا ال تَ ﱠدعي‬ ِ ‫أَ ْن‬
Veils do prevent the vision and pursuit
of all but your own eyes whatever else may surround;
‘Twas you who drew these curtains over me,
Don’t claim it was I who laid them down.
14
ْ 14
‫ َد ْعھَا‬:‫ﱠاخ ُر‬ ِ ‫ فَيَ ُر ﱡد القَ َد ُر الس‬.. ‫تز ْعھَا‬ ِ ‫اح بِ َي اليَأسُ ا ْن‬ َ ‫ص‬ َ ‫َولَ َك ْم‬ How often hopelessness did raise its voice, “Tare those veils down!”
‫ْص ُر َش ْيئًا لَ ْم ا ُ ِط ْعھَا‬ َ ‫ﱠ‬
ِ ‫ أنﱠني اُب‬.. ْ‫يَا لَھَا ِم ْن ُخط ٍة َع ْميَا َء لَو‬ But fate’s own irony replied, “Let them stay.”
َ
‫الو ْي ُل إِذا لَ ْم أتﱠبِ ْعھَا‬
َ ‫ َولِ َي‬.. ‫الو ْي ُل إِ َذا لَبﱠ ْيتُھَا‬
َ ‫َولِ َي‬ O what a blind plan this is!
َ
‫ تَ ْشتَري ِع ﱠزةَ نَ ْفسي لَ ْم أبِ ْعھَا‬.. ‫َت َرأسي َولَو ُكلﱡ القِ َوى‬ ْ ْ ‫قَ ْد َحن‬ Should I see anything of it I will not obey;
But woe is me if I follow not,
and woe if I don’t follow in its way.
It bowed my head, but though all the powers that may be
offer a price for dignity I’m not selling mine away.

15 15
‫ق ا ُ َغنّي أَلَمي‬ ِ ْ‫ طَائِ َر ال ﱠشو‬.. ُ‫ت يَوْ ًما أَ ْي َكه‬
ُ ْ‫احبِ ْي ًبا ُزر‬
َ َ‫ي‬ O lover! I visited her tree one day,

ِ َ‫ َوت ََجنّي الق‬.. ‫لَكَ إِ ْبطَا ُء ال ُمدلﱢ ال ُم ْن ِع ِم‬

a bird of longing and desire I sing out my pain;
‫ادر ال ُمحْ تَ ِك ِم‬ Your advice and grace both patient and divine,
‫ات في دَمي‬ ٌ ‫ َوالثﱠ َواني َج َم َر‬.. ‫َو َحنِيْني لَكَ يَ ْكوي أَضْ لُعي‬ steadfast as God is in his rule and reign;
‫ ُمرْ ھَفُ ال ﱠس ْم ِع لِ َو ْق ِع القَد َِم‬.. ‫ضعي‬ ِ ْ‫َوأَنَا ُمرْ َتقِبٌ في َمو‬ While the longings I have for you brand me as your own,
Each tick of time a burning ember in my vein,
While in this my spot I sit and wait,
the steps of your approach to hear I lean and strain.