اِختِلافُ النَهارِ وَاللَيلِ يُنسي by Ahmed Shawqi — Analysis & Translation

Original Poem

اِختِلافُ النَهارِ وَاللَيلِ يُنسي اُذكُرا لِيَ الصِبا وَأَيّامَ أُنسي وَصِفا لي مُلاوَةً مِن شَبابٍ صُوِّرَت مِن تَصَوُّراتٍ وَمَسِّ عَصَفَت كالصَّبَا اللَعوبِ وَمَرَّت سِنَةً حُلوَةً وَلَذَّةُ خَلسِ وَسَلا مِصرَ هَل سَلا القَلبُ عَنها أَو أَسا جُرحَهُ الزَمانَ المُؤَسّي كُلَّما مَرَّتِ اللَيالي عَلَيهِ رَقَّ وَالعَهدُ في اللَيالي تُقَسّي

Translation (English)

The change of day and night makes one forget. Remind me of my youth and happy days. Describe to me a time of youth, formed from dreams and touch. It blew like playful winds and passed, a sweet year and a hidden pleasure. And did Egypt forget, did the heart forget her, or did time heal its painful wound? Every time the nights pass over it, it softens, while the promise in the nights becomes hard.

About the Poet

Ahmed Shawqi (Modern Arabic poetry)

Ahmed Shawqi (1868–1932) was an Egyptian poet and dramatist. He is considered one of the greatest Arabic poets and is known as the 'Prince of Poets'. Shawqi was a pioneer of modern Arabic literature and played a significant role in the Arabic literary renaissance.

Historical Context

Literary Form: Classical Arabic poetry
When Written: Early 20th century
Background: The poem reflects on the passage of time and the nostalgia for youth and past joys. It is part of Shawqi's broader work that often explores themes of memory, loss, and the impact of time.

Sources: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/531056, https://www.aldiwan.net/poem63713.html, https://al-omah.com/اِختِلافُ-النَهارِ-وَاللَيلِ-يُنسي/, https://marbat-alfaras.alafdal.net/t53-topic, https://www.maqola.net/quote/39003, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arabic_poetry

Detailed Explanation

This poem by Ahmed Shawqi reflects on the passage of time and its impact on memory and emotions. The poet begins by noting how the constant cycle of day and night can make one forget past joys and youth. He longs for the days of his youth, which were filled with happiness and carefree moments. Shawqi uses vivid imagery to describe these memories as being formed from imagination and touch, likening them to playful winds that pass swiftly. He questions whether his heart has forgotten Egypt, a place of deep emotional connection, or if time has healed the wounds of separation. The poem concludes with a reflection on how time softens emotions, yet the promises made in the past become more rigid and distant. Shawqi's use of metaphor and imagery evokes a sense of nostalgia and the bittersweet nature of remembering the past.

Themes

Literary Devices

Word Dictionary

Word	Meaning	Translation	Transliteration
اِختِلافُ	تغيّر	change	ikhtilāf
النَهارِ	اليوم	day	an-nahār
وَ	و	with	wa
اللَيلِ	الليل	evening	al-layl
يُنسي	يجعل ينسى	makes forget	yunsī
اُذكُرا	تذكرا	remember	udhkurā
لِيَ	لي	to me	liya
الصِبا	الشباب	youth	as-sibā
وَأَيّامَ	وأيام	and days	wa-ayyām
أُنسي	سعادتي	my joy	unsī
وَصِفا	وصفا	describe	waṣifā
لي	لي	for me	li
مُلاوَةً	فترة	period	mulāwah
مِن	من	of	min
شَبابٍ	شباب	young age	shabāb
صُوِّرَت	تكونت	formed	ṣuwirat
تَصَوُّراتٍ	خيالات	imaginations	taṣawwurāt
وَمَسِّ	ولمس	and feel	wa-mass
عَصَفَت	مرت بسرعة	blew	ʿaṣafat
كالصَّبَا	كالرياح	like winds	kaṣ-ṣabā
اللَعوبِ	المرحة	playful	al-laʿūb
وَمَرَّت	وذهبت	and passed	wa-marrat
سِنَةً	سنة	year	sinah
حُلوَةً	جميلة	sweet	ḥulwah
وَلَذَّةُ	ومتعة	and joy	wa-ladhdhah
خَلسِ	مخفية	hidden	khals
وَسَلا	ونسي	and did forget	wa-salā
مِصرَ	مصر	Egypt	Miṣr
هَل	هل	did	hal
القَلبُ	القلب	the heart	al-qalb
عَنها	عنها	from her	ʿanhā
أَو	أو	or	aw
أَسا	شفى	healed	asā
جُرحَهُ	جرحه	its injury	jurḥah
الزَمانَ	الوقت	time	az-zamān
المُؤَسّي	المداوي	the healer	al-mu'assī
كُلَّما	كلما	every time	kullamā
مَرَّتِ	مرت	pass	marrat
اللَيالي	الليالي	the nights	al-layālī
عَلَيهِ	عليه	over it	ʿalayh
رَقَّ	لين	becomes soft	raq
وَالعَهدُ	والوعد	and the promise	wa-al-ʿahd
في	في	in	fī
تُقَسّي	تجعل قاسيًا	hardens	tuqassī