Layla and I

I admire all forms of poetry.. one poem that I love, and always will is the following in arabic:

ماتت بمحراب عينيك ابتهالاتي
واستسلمت لرياح اليأس راياتي
جفلت على بابك الموصد أزمنتي
ليلى
وما أثمرت شيئا نداءاتي..
عامان ما رف لي لحن على وتر..
ولا استفاقت على نور سماواتي
أعتق الحب في قلبي وأعصره..فارشف الهم
في مغبر كاساتي
ممزق أنا..لا جاه ولا ترف يغريك في
فخليني لآهاتي..
لو تعصرين سنين العمر أكملها ..
لسال منها نزيف من جراحاتي
لو كنت ذا ترف ما كنت رافضة حبي.
ولكن عسر الحال، فقر الحال، ضعف الحال مأساتي.
عانيت..عانيت
لا حزن أبوح به..ولست تدرين..شيئا عن معاناتي.
أمشي واضحك..ياليلى..مكابرة
على اخبئ عن الناس احتضاراتي
لا الناس تعرف ..ما امري فتعذرني
ولا سبيل لديهم في مواساتي..
يرسو بجفني حرمان يمص دمي
ويستبيح اذا شاء ابتساماتي
معذورة أنت ان اجهضت لي أملي
لا الذنب ذنبك بل كانت حماقاتي..

أضعت في عرض الصحراء قافلتي
و جئت أبحث في عينيك عن ذاتي..
و جئت احضانك الخضراء منتشيا
كالطفل يحمل ..أحلامي البريئات
غرست كفك تجتثين اوردتي
وتسحقين بلا رفق مسراتي
وا غربتاه...
مضاع هاجرت مدني..عني
وما أبحرت منها شراعاتي..
نفيت واستوطن الأغراب في بلدي
ودمروا كل أشيائي الحبيبات..
خانتك عيناك
في زيف وفي كذب
أم غرك البهرج الخداع
مولاتي

فراشة جئت ألقي كحلا أجنحتي لديك
فاحترقت ظلما جناحاتي..
أصيح والسيف مزروع بخاصرتي
والغدر حطم آمالي العريضات
وأنت ايضا الا تبت يداك..
الا تبت يداك
اذ آثرت قتلي واستعذبت أناتي
ملي بحذف اسمك الشفاف من لغاتي
إذن ستمسي بلا ليلى... ليلى
إذن ستمسي بلا ليلى ..حكاياتي

English translation:

(not as accurate, and wont sound as great as original text)


My entreaties died in the caverns of your eyes.
And my flags surrendered to the winds of despair.
My days escaped to find your door closed.
Layla
And what transpired with the object of my cries?
Two years and she didn't hear the melody of my strings...
And she didn't the see light of my sky.
I freed the love in my heart and squeezed it...Then I drank grief
From a dirty chalice.
And I became torn. I had no prestige or luxury to tempt you with.
So then leave me with my grief ..
If you squeeze the years of my life completely,
The blood from my wounds would flow.
If I had riches, you would not have refused my
But I am in a state of difficulty, a state of poverty, a state of weakness.
I suffered... I suffered
But I do not reveal my sorrow, and you did not know a thing about my suffering .
I walk and smile, oh Layla, because I'm stubborn.
So I hide from the people, my approaching death.
For if the knew what is the matter, they would try to console me.
And I knew that they could not.
Deprivation rests upon my brow and sucks my blood.
And only he can allow me to smile.
You are forgiven for aborting my hopes.
The fault is not yours; it was my foolishness.

I wasted my procession in the desert.
And I came, looking for myself in your eyes.
And I came, looking for happiness in your embrace.
Like a child, I formed my innocent dreams.
And you planted your palms and uprooted my veins.
And you are planted without the kindness of my pleasures.
And she emigrated...
My lost cities emigrated away from me
And my sails never left her.
I was exiled and the strangers settled in my country
And they destroyed all my beloved things.
Your eyes betrayed you.
With forgery and lying
Your confusion decieved you.
My lady.

I came as a butterfly to place within your hands, the colors of my wings.
Then injustice burned my wings.
I screamed while the sword was implanted in my chest.
And the betrayal destroyed my huge hopes.
And you also, I perished on your hands.
I perished from your hands.
Because you preferred my murder and loved the sound of my groans.
And so I deleted your precious name from my languages.
Therefore, they will be told without Layla... Layla
Therefore they will be told without Layla, my stories.