أقول لمحبوبٍ تخلّف من بعدي

أقول لمحبوبٍ تخلّف من بعدي

عليلاً بأوجاع الفراق والبعد

عليلاً بأوجاع الفراق والبعد

I say to a beloved who remained behind after I left,

I say to a beloved left behind after my departure,

ailing with the pains of parting and distance:

Ailing with the agonies of separation and distance:

أما أنت حقا لو رأيت صبابتي

أما أنت حقا لو رأيت صبابتي

لهان عليك الأمرُ من شدة الوجد

لهان عليك الأمرُ من شدة الوجد

Indeed, if you truly saw my yearning,

If you were truly to witness my ardent longing,

your ordeal would seem light beside the fierceness of my longing.

The burden would seem light to you compared to the intensity of my passion.

وقلت أرى المسكين عذبه النوى

وقلت أرى المسكين عذبه النوى

وأنحله حقا إلى منتهى الحدّ

وأنحله حقا إلى منتهى الحدّ

And you would say, 'I see that separation has tormented the poor soul

And you would say, "I see the wretched one, tortured by distance,"

and truly wasted him away to the utmost limit.'

"And truly wasted away to the absolute limit."

وساءك ما قد نلت من شدة الجوى

وساءك ما قد نلت من شدة الجوى

فقلت وما للشوق يرميك بالجد

فقلت وما للشوق يرميك بالجد

What I have suffered from such burning grief would distress you,

You would be grieved by what I suffer from burning affection,

and you would say, 'Why does longing assail you so fiercely?'

And say, "Why does longing cast you into such affliction?"

وإني وحق اللَه دائم لوعةٍ

وإني وحق اللَه دائم لوعةٍ

ونار الجوى بين الجوانح في وقد

ونار الجوى بين الجوانح في وقد

And I, by God's truth, am ever in anguish,

For I, by God's truth, am in perpetual anguish,

and the fire of heartache blazes within my ribs.

While the fire of passion blazes between my ribs.

غريقٌ أسيرُ السقم مكلوم الحشا

غريقٌ أسيرُ السقم مكلوم الحشا

حريقٌ بنار الهجر والوجد والصد

حريقٌ بنار الهجر والوجد والصد

Drowning, a captive of sickness, wounded at heart,

A drowning man, a prisoner of sickness, wounded deep within,

burning in the fire of abandonment, longing, and rejection.

Consumed by the fire of abandonment, passion, and rejection.

غريقُ حريق هل سمعتم بمثل ذا

غريقُ حريق هل سمعتم بمثل ذا

ففي القلب نار والمياه على الخد

ففي القلب نار والمياه على الخد

Drowning and burning—have you heard of anything like this?

Drowning and burning—have you ever heard of such a thing?

For fire is in the heart, and water upon the cheek.

For within the heart is fire, while water flows upon the cheek.

حنيني أنيني زفرتي ومضرتي

حنيني أنيني زفرتي ومضرتي

دموعي خضوعي قد أبان الذي عندي

دموعي خضوعي قد أبان الذي عندي

My yearning, my groaning, my sigh, and my suffering,

My yearning, my moaning, my deep sighs, and my distress,

my tears and my submission have revealed what lies within me.

My tears and my submission have exposed what I hide.

ومن عجب صبري لكل كريهة

ومن عجب صبري لكل كريهة

وحملي أثقالا تجلّ عن العد

وحملي أثقالا تجلّ عن العد

And it is a wonder that I endure every hardship,

It is a wonder how I endure every calamity,

and bear burdens too great to count.

And bear burdens too heavy to be numbered.

ولست أهاب البيض كلا ولا القنا

ولست أهاب البيض كلا ولا القنا

بيوم تصير الهام للبيض كالغمد

بيوم تصير الهام للبيض كالغمد

And I fear no gleaming swords—no, nor spears,

I fear neither the white blades nor the spears,

on a day when heads become like sheaths for gleaming swords.

On a day when skulls become sheaths for the swords.

ولا هالني زحف الصفوف وصوتها

ولا هالني زحف الصفوف وصوتها

بيوم يشيب الطفل فيه مع المرد

بيوم يشيب الطفل فيه مع المرد

Nor has the advance of ranks and their clamor frightened me,

Nor does the marching of ranks and their clamor terrify me,

on a day when the child turns gray, along with beardless youths,

On a day when children and beardless youths turn gray.

وأرجاؤه أضحت ظلاماً ويرقه

وأرجاؤه أضحت ظلاماً ويرقه

سيوفا وأصوات المدافع كالرعد

سيوفا وأصوات المدافع كالرعد

and its reaches have turned to darkness, and its lightning

When the horizon turns to darkness, illuminated only

to swords, with the cannons' voices like thunder.

By flashing swords and cannon-fire roaring like thunder.

وقد هالني بل قد أفاض مدامعي

وقد هالني بل قد أفاض مدامعي

وأضنى فؤادي بل تعدّى عن الحدّ

وأضنى فؤادي بل تعدّى عن الحدّ

Yet what has frightened me—indeed, made my tears flow,

Yet what has truly terrified me, nay, flooded my eyes with tears,

and worn out my heart, indeed exceeded all bounds—

And exhausted my heart, traversing all bounds,

فراق الذي أهواه كهلا ويافعا

فراق الذي أهواه كهلا ويافعا

وقلبي خليّ من سعاد ومن هند

وقلبي خليّ من سعاد ومن هند

is parting from the one I love, in middle age and youth.

Is parting from the one I cherish, from youth to old age,

And my heart is free of Su'ad and of Hind.

While my heart remains free of Su'ad and Hind.

فحلّت محلا لم يكن حل قبلها

فحلّت محلا لم يكن حل قبلها

وهيهات أن يحلل به الغير أو يجدي

وهيهات أن يحلل به الغير أو يجدي

So she has occupied a place none had occupied before her,

For she has occupied a place no one held before her,

and never could another dwell there or be of any avail.

And never shall another dwell there, nor could they suffice.

وقد عرفتني الشوق من قبل والهوى

وقد عرفتني الشوق من قبل والهوى

كذا والبكا يا صاح بالقصر والمد

كذا والبكا يا صاح بالقصر والمد

And she had already taught me longing and love,

She taught me of longing and love before this,

and weeping too, my friend, in its short and long forms.

As well as weeping, my friend, in every measure and breath.

وقد كلفتني الليل أرعى نجومه

وقد كلفتني الليل أرعى نجومه

إذا نامه المرتاع بالبعد والصد

إذا نامه المرتاع بالبعد والصد

And she has made me spend the night watching its stars,

She burdened me with the night, to shepherd its stars,

when one alarmed by distance and rejection sleeps through it.

While those fearful of distance and rejection drift into sleep.

فلو حملت رضوى من الشوق بعض ما

فلو حملت رضوى من الشوق بعض ما

حملت لذاب الصخر من شدّة الوجد

حملت لذاب الصخر من شدّة الوجد

So if Radwa bore some of the yearning that

If Mount Radwa were to bear but a fraction of this longing,

I have borne, the rock would melt from the intensity of longing.

Its solid rock would melt from the intensity of the passion.

ألا هل لهذا البين من آخر فقد

ألا هل لهذا البين من آخر فقد

تطاول حتى خلت هذا إلى اللحد

تطاول حتى خلت هذا إلى اللحد

Ah, is there any end to this separation? For it has

Is there any end to this separation? For it has

dragged on until I thought it would last to the grave.

Dragged on until I feared it would last to the grave.

ألا هل يجود الدهر بعد فراقنا

ألا هل يجود الدهر بعد فراقنا

فيجمعنا والدهر يجري إلى الضد

فيجمعنا والدهر يجري إلى الضد

Ah, will time be generous after our separation,

Will Fate be generous after our parting,

and reunite us, though time runs the other way?

And reunite us, though Time tends toward opposition?

وأشكوك ما قد نلت من ألم وما

وأشكوك ما قد نلت من ألم وما

تحمّله ضعفي وعالجه جهدي

تحمّله ضعفي وعالجه جهدي

And I lament to you the pain I have suffered, and what

That I may complain to you of the pain I have suffered,

my weakness has borne and my effort has struggled with,

Which my weakness endured and my strength strove against.

لكي تعلمي أم البنين بأنه

لكي تعلمي أم البنين بأنه

فراقك نار واقترابك من خلد

فراقك نار واقترابك من خلد

so that you may know, Umm al-Banin, that

So that you may know, O Umm al-Banin, that

parting from you is fire, and your coming near is eternal bliss.

Parting from you is hellfire, and drawing near you is paradise.