قارورة

من والدي جايب عطرfrom my father it carried a perfume

مو ذاك عطر الأولينbut not the perfume it used to be

بريحة الفاقد وليدthe scent of a man who has lost his boy

يمكن مشى الأكبر عليperhaps Ali al Akbar has gone

يا قارورة وخاف عليO vial, have some mercy on me

تجرحيني بخبر ثانيdo not cut me with one more piece of news

وموت قطرة قطرةand kill me a drop at a time

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

وموت قطرة قطرةand kill me a drop at a time

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

يا قارورةO little vial

لما تغايينwhen your colour turns

على أحبابيover the ones I love

مشغل باليmy mind will not rest

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

ثاني رسالة من السفرThe second letter came from the road

مكتوبة لي بقطرة دمwritten to me in a single drop of blood

قالتلي عطشان الوريدit told me: the vein is thirsty

ما تندّى واشرب ظمىit never tasted water, it drank only thirst

عبد الله مو ذاك الطفلAbdullah is not that small child any more

كان والدك شايل سمةyour father carried him and bore his mark

أترب قرابين العشقthe finest of the offerings of love

راد الحبيب يقدمهthe beloved chose to give him up

رسمت لي يا قارورةyou drew it out for me, O vial

ما هد خالي حضن صورةan emptied embrace, and only a picture left

وأثر دمي على صدرهand the mark of my blood on his chest

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

وأثر دمي على صدرهand the mark of my blood on his chest

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

يا قارورةO little vial

لما تغايينwhen your colour turns

على أحبابيover the ones I love

مشغل باليmy mind will not rest

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

ثالث مكاتيب البعيدThe third of the letters from far away

هذا صعب وأكثر خطرthis one is hard, and far more dangerous

يحكي لي سالفة سماit tells me the story of a sky

مثلومة ويطيح القمرleft broken, and a moon falling out of it

من يحضن بروح الجروحOne who holds wounds with his whole soul

يشبه نهر حاضن نهرis like one river holding another

وظهر أبوي الملح لي، ظهر الزمن كله انكسرMy father's back bent before me, and the back of all time broke with it

لقاه كاتم على جروحه، غلاته غطّا مثل روحهHe found him holding his wounds in, shielding the one he loved as if he were his own soul

طلب زينب بتعدهhe called for Zaynab to stand beside him

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

وطلب زينب بتعدهand he called for Zaynab to stand beside him

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

يا قارورةO little vial

لما تغايينwhen your colour turns

على أحبابيover the ones I love

مشغل باليmy mind will not rest

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أما الرسالة الرابعةAs for the fourth letter

أما الرسالة الرابعةAs for the fourth letter

لونك يا قارورة اختلفyour colour has changed, O vial

لون الدم تحول إلىthe colour of the blood has turned into

حنة عريس بلا كفa bridegroom's henna with no hand to wear it

ووالدته ينزف رادتهand the one who raised him bleeding at his side

زفوه على جروحه ونزفthey led him in wedding procession over his wounds, and he bled

صورة بدور ينزف ضوءa picture of a full moon bleeding light

صورتلي احساسي ورجفit drew my own heart back at me, and it shook

وأنا وروحي وخناجر هيand it is me, and my soul, and daggers

مثل رملة ومشاعر هيlike sand, and like feelings

الحجر بالنوح فطرةeven stone was made for wailing

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

الحجر بالنوح فطرةeven stone was made for wailing

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

يا قارورةO little vial

لما تغايينwhen your colour turns

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

لحظة وصل من الهجرa moment of meeting after all that parting

أصعب مراسيل الألمthe hardest of all the letters of pain

شكلك يا قارورة اختلفthe look of you has changed, O vial

صار اسود وقلبي انصدمit has turned black, and my heart was struck

مستغربة وفكري اندهشI could not take it in, my mind was stunned

حزنك على رموشي انرسلyour grief was sent straight down onto my lashes

ليل الربع حالك نزلthe night came down pitch black over the camp

لو هذا دخان الخيلor is this the smoke the horses raised

جمر غربة وحريق خيمةembers of exile and a tent on fire

وأنا بعيني الدمع غامةand in my eyes the tears stand like a cloud

مطر وخدودي صحراءrain, and my cheeks a desert

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

مطر وخدودي صحراءrain, and my cheeks a desert

يا قارورة لما تغايينO vial, when your colour turns

على أحبابي مشغل باليover the ones I love, my mind will not rest

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

أراقب واني حذرI keep watch, and I am on edge

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

وآخر رسالة من النحرand the last letter of all came from the throat

قلبت موازين الزمنit turned the scales of time upside down

قارورة الدم امتلأتthe vial of blood was filled to the brim

وتبدت وفاض الوطنit spilled over and flooded the whole land

صدرك علي حافر فرسyour chest, and on it the hoof of a horse

والخطب الرماح اندفنand in that calamity the spears were buried

وصفوا لي بجروحك شمسthey told me there was a sun inside your wounds

وجروحي ما يتوصفنbut my own wounds, no one can describe

على جروحك جمر غافيover your wounds, embers gone quiet

وأنا بروحي نجم طافيand inside me, a star that has gone out

طفى العالم بأسرهthe whole world went dark

رسائل كلها خطرevery message of them carries danger

طفى العالم بأسرهthe whole world went dark

العالم بأسرهthe whole world

العالم بأسرهthe whole world