عليكَ دُموعُ العَين لا زال تَنْهَلُّ

عليكَ دُموعُ العَين لا زال تَنْهَلُّ

وَوَجْدي بكم وَجْدَ المفارقِ لا يَسْلو

وَوَجْدي بكم وَجْدَ المفارقِ لا يَسْلو

May the eye's tears never cease to pour for you.

The tears of my eyes keep flowing over you

And my longing for you, the longing of one parted, finds no solace.

And my love for you is like that of the departed - it knows no comfort

وها أنا من فقدانكم ما دَجا ليل

وها أنا من فقدانكم ما دَجا ليل

أبيتُ ولي وَجْدٌ حرارته تعلو

أبيتُ ولي وَجْدٌ حرارته تعلو

And here I am, bereft of you, whenever night grows dark,

And here I am, in darkness from being deprived of you

Passing the night with longing whose heat rises higher,

I have spent the night in anguish, its heat ever rising

ودمعٌ لي في عارضي عارض هطلُ

ودمعٌ لي في عارضي عارض هطلُ

شُغِلْتُ بهذا الوجد قلباً مجدَّدا

شُغِلْتُ بهذا الوجد قلباً مجدَّدا

And tears upon my cheek like a cloud pouring rain.

And a teardrop flows down my cheek like pouring rain

I am absorbed anew, at heart, in this longing,

I have busied my heart with this anguish, renewing it

ولم أرَ لي من شاغل الدَّمع منقذا

ولم أرَ لي من شاغل الدَّمع منقذا

إلامَ أُعاني ما أُعانيه من أذى

إلامَ أُعاني ما أُعانيه من أذى

And see no deliverer from the consuming burden of tears.

And I have not seen any savior from this tearful occupation

How long must I suffer the pain I suffer,

Except - what suffering do I suffer from harm?

وأطوي على جمرٍ وأُغْضي على قذى

وأطوي على جمرٍ وأُغْضي على قذى

وأُشغِلُ أعضائي وقلبي له شغلُ

وأُشغِلُ أعضائي وقلبي له شغلُ

And hold embers within, and close my eyes upon grit,

I endure embers and turn a blind eye to thorns

And keep my limbs occupied, while my heart has its own burden?

And I busy my limbs and heart, which is preoccupied

أُقضِّي نهاري في عسى ولربَّما

أُقضِّي نهاري في عسى ولربَّما

وأبكي عليكم كلّ آونةٍ دَما

وأبكي عليكم كلّ آونةٍ دَما

I spend my day in 'perhaps' and 'maybe,'

I spend my days hoping and sometimes

And weep blood for you at every moment.

I weep for you every now and then

وإنِّي وعيشٍ فيكم قد تصرَّما

وإنِّي وعيشٍ فيكم قد تصرَّما

إذا اللَّيل وافى ضِقْتُ ذرعاً إلى الحمى

إذا اللَّيل وافى ضِقْتُ ذرعاً إلى الحمى

And I—by the life among you that has come to an end—

And I, who lived with you, have become destitute

When night arrives, grow distressed, longing for the sanctuary,

When the night comes, I become extremely distressed to the point of fever

وفاضت شؤون ليس يعقِلُها عَقْلُ

وفاضت شؤون ليس يعقِلُها عَقْلُ

شَجاني حَديثٌ بالبَوار مُصَرِّحُ

شَجاني حَديثٌ بالبَوار مُصَرِّحُ

And tear ducts overflow beyond the grasp of reason.

And passions poured out that no mind can comprehend

A report plainly declaring ruin grieved me,

A heartrending conversation that revealed the state of barrenness

وأوْضَحَ لي حالَ الرُّصافةِ مُوضح

وأوْضَحَ لي حالَ الرُّصافةِ مُوضح

فمن ثَمَّ إنْ يُفضِحْ وللشوقِ مفصح

فمن ثَمَّ إنْ يُفضِحْ وللشوقِ مفصح

And an informant made al-Rusafa's condition clear to me.

And clarified to me the condition of emptiness

Hence, if it gives me away, longing has a spokesman;

So if it reveals and expresses this yearning

حَداني إلى الزَّوراء شوق مبرِّح

حَداني إلى الزَّوراء شوق مبرِّح

فلماذا الَّذي حَدَّثَتْ عن حالها سهل

فلماذا الَّذي حَدَّثَتْ عن حالها سهل

A tormenting longing drove me toward al-Zawra.

It leads me to Az-Zawra' with a refreshing longing

So why is what she told of her condition so slight?

So why did what spoke of its condition seem easy

وقالوا نَبَتْ لكنْ بأرباب فضلها

وقالوا نَبَتْ لكنْ بأرباب فضلها

وجارَتْ على أشرافها بعد عدلها

وجارَتْ على أشرافها بعد عدلها

And they said: 'She has grown inhospitable—but to her men of merit,

And they said, vegetation has grown there with people of merit

And wronged her nobles after once being just.'

And its elite have treated it with justice after its rectitude

فقلتُ ولا مأوًى إلى غير ظلّها

فقلتُ ولا مأوًى إلى غير ظلّها

إذا ما نبت دارُ السلام بأهلها

إذا ما نبت دارُ السلام بأهلها

I said—there is no refuge outside her shade—

So I said: There is no refuge but in its shade

If the City of Peace grows inhospitable to its people,

When the Abode of Peace has grown with its people

فلا جبلٌ يؤوي الكرام ولا سهل

فلا جبلٌ يؤوي الكرام ولا سهل

على ما أُصيبَت من عظيم مصابها

على ما أُصيبَت من عظيم مصابها

No mountain shelters the noble, nor any plain.

So neither mountain nor plain can shelter the generous

Despite the grievous calamity that has struck her,

Despite the great calamity that has befallen it

وما آذَنَتْ أحداثها بخرابها

وما آذَنَتْ أحداثها بخرابها

فلا ظِلَّ إلاَّ في فسيح رحابها

فلا ظِلَّ إلاَّ في فسيح رحابها

And the disasters that have foretold her ruin,

And the events that have signaled its destruction

There is no shade except within her spacious precincts.

So there is no shade but in its expansive sanctuary

وإنْ قَلُصَ الظلّ الَّذي في جنابها

وإنْ قَلُصَ الظلّ الَّذي في جنابها

فأين من الرَّمضاء في غيرها ظلّ

فأين من الرَّمضاء في غيرها ظلّ

And if the shade within her bounds has shrunk,

And if the shade that is in its side has shrunk

Where, outside her, is shade from the scorching ground?

Then where in other than it is there shade in the burning heat?

أَيُعْرَفُ خفضُ العيش إلاَّ بخفضها

أَيُعْرَفُ خفضُ العيش إلاَّ بخفضها

وفيض النمير العذب إلاَّ بفيضها

وفيض النمير العذب إلاَّ بفيضها

Is ease of living known anywhere but in her ease,

Is life's lowness known except through its lowness?

Or the flow of sweet, wholesome water but in her flow?

And the flowing of fresh water except through its flowing?

لئنْ أجْدَبَتْ يوماً فهل مثل روضها

لئنْ أجْدَبَتْ يوماً فهل مثل روضها

وإنْ نَضِبَ الماء النمير بأرضها

وإنْ نَضِبَ الماء النمير بأرضها

Though drought afflict her one day, is there any garden like hers?

If one day it becomes barren, is there any garden like it?

And if the wholesome water in her land runs dry,

And if the flowing water dries up in its land

فأيّ شراب في سواها لنا يحلو

فأيّ شراب في سواها لنا يحلو

رعى الله ماضي عَهديَ المتقادمِ

رعى الله ماضي عَهديَ المتقادمِ

What drink elsewhere could taste sweet to us?

Then what sweet drink but it can we have?

May God preserve my distant, bygone days,

May God protect the past era of my life

ببغدادَ في رغدٍ منَ العَيش ناعمِ

ببغدادَ في رغدٍ منَ العَيش ناعمِ

وفي الكرخِ جاد الكرخ صوبُ الغمائمِ

وفي الكرخِ جاد الكرخ صوبُ الغمائمِ

In Baghdad, amid a life of gentle abundance,

In Baghdad, in ease and soft living

And in al-Karkh—may showers from the clouds drench al-Karkh—

And in Karkh - Karkh facing the clouds

ديارٌ بها نيطَتْ عليَّ تمائمي

ديارٌ بها نيطَتْ عليَّ تمائمي

قديماً ولي فيها نما الفرع والأَصلُ

قديماً ولي فيها نما الفرع والأَصلُ

Lands where my amulets were hung upon me

An abode in which my amulets were tied

Long ago, and where my branch and root have grown.

And I had family and roots there long ago

يكلِّفُني عنها النَّوى فوقَ طاقتي

يكلِّفُني عنها النَّوى فوقَ طاقتي

فسُكري بتذكاري بها وإفاقتي

فسُكري بتذكاري بها وإفاقتي

Separation from her burdens me beyond my strength;

Remembering it wearies me beyond my capacity

Remembrance of her is my intoxication and my sobriety.

My intoxication with recalling it and waking from it

منازلُ أحبابي ومنشا علاقتي

منازلُ أحبابي ومنشا علاقتي

بها سَكني في رَبعها الخصب ناقتي

بها سَكني في رَبعها الخصب ناقتي

The dwellings of my loved ones, the birthplace of my attachment:

The dwellings of my loved ones and the origin of my attachment

There is my home; in her fertile quarter, my she-camel.

In it my she-camel settled in its fertile expanse

بها جَملي يرغو بها قِيمتي تغلو

بها جَملي يرغو بها قِيمتي تغلو

تَذكَّرْتُ أحباباً لأيَّامِ جَمعها

تَذكَّرْتُ أحباباً لأيَّامِ جَمعها

There my camel bellows; there my worth rises.

In it my camel bellows, and my price with it soars

I remembered loved ones in the days when she gathered us,

I remembered loved ones in the days of their company

ولم يَصْدَعِ البينُ المشتُّ بصَدْعها

ولم يَصْدَعِ البينُ المشتُّ بصَدْعها

فآهاً على وصلي لها بعد قطعها

فآهاً على وصلي لها بعد قطعها

And scattering separation had not yet torn her gathering apart.

And separation has not ripped its seam

Ah, to be joined with her again after her severance!

Oh! For my union with it after its separation

ألا ليتَ شعري هل أراني بربعها

ألا ليتَ شعري هل أراني بربعها

مقيماً وبالأَحباب يجتمع الشمل

مقيماً وبالأَحباب يجتمع الشمل

Would that I knew: shall I see myself in her quarter,

I wish I knew - will it show me one of its quarters?

Dwelling there, reunited with my loved ones?

Settled, with loved ones reunited

عفا ربعها من رَسْمِه وطلوله

عفا ربعها من رَسْمِه وطلوله

وأضحى هشيماً روضها بمحوله

وأضحى هشيماً روضها بمحوله

Her quarter is effaced, its outlines and ruins gone,

Its countryside has vanished, its meadows transformed

And drought has reduced her garden to dry stubble.

So does the downpour revive it with its flooding?

فيا هلْ يروِّيها الحيا بهموله

فيا هلْ يروِّيها الحيا بهموله

وهل روضها يخضرُّ بعد ذبوله

وهل روضها يخضرُّ بعد ذبوله

O, will pouring rain give her water again?

And will its meadows green after withering?

And will her garden turn green after its withering,

And will ruin and decay assail its leaves?

ويهمي على أوراقه الوبل والطّلّ

ويهمي على أوراقه الوبل والطّلّ

لقد شاقني منها كرامٌ أماجدُ

لقد شاقني منها كرامٌ أماجدُ

As downpour and dew stream over its leaves?

Indeed, noble and glorious people have made it hard for me

Noble, illustrious men there have filled me with longing;

Their resting places are goals for all people

مشاهِدُهم للعالمين مقاصِدُ

مشاهِدُهم للعالمين مقاصِدُ

فهلْ أنا في تلك المقاعد قاعد

فهلْ أنا في تلك المقاعد قاعد

Their gathering places are sought by all the world.

So am I sitting in those seats?

Shall I sit again in those seats,

And am I on the day of glory headed for

وهل أنا في يوم العروبة قاصد

وهل أنا في يوم العروبة قاصد

لحضرة بازٍ شأنها الفصلُ والوصلُ

لحضرة بازٍ شأنها الفصلُ والوصلُ

And shall I, on Friday, make my way

The courtyard whose separating and uniting are supreme?

To the presence of Baz, whose province is separation and union?

And will I one day obtain my goals

وهل أنا يوماً ظافرٌ بمقاصِدي

وهل أنا يوماً ظافرٌ بمقاصِدي

فمكرمُ أحبابي ومكبتُ حاسِدي

فمكرمُ أحبابي ومكبتُ حاسِدي

And shall I one day attain my aims,

Honored by my loved ones and suppressing my envious enemies

Honoring my loved ones and humbling my envier,

And will I follow the custom of my habits with the brethren

وأجري مع الإِخوان مجرى عوائدي

وأجري مع الإِخوان مجرى عوائدي

وهلْ كلّ يوم لاثم كفَّ والدي

وهلْ كلّ يوم لاثم كفَّ والدي

And follow my accustomed ways among my brothers?

And will I every day kiss the palm of my father

And shall I kiss my father's hand each day,

My father Mustafa, whose resolve is always lofty

أبي مصطفى ذي همَّة أبداً تعلو

أبي مصطفى ذي همَّة أبداً تعلو

وهلْ علماءٌ طبَّقَ الأرض علمُهُمْ

وهلْ علماءٌ طبَّقَ الأرض علمُهُمْ

Abu Mustafa, whose aspiration forever rises?

And will scholars whose knowledge has encompassed the earth

And shall scholars whose learning has covered the earth,

And whose understanding has perplexed minds

وحَيَّرَ أفهام البريَّةِ فَهْمُهُمْ

وحَيَّرَ أفهام البريَّةِ فَهْمُهُمْ

تَقَرّ بهم عيني وينجاب غمّهم

تَقَرّ بهم عيني وينجاب غمّهم

Whose understanding has bewildered mankind's minds,

Draw near them, lightening their worries?

Delight my eyes, with their sorrow dispelled?

And will the poets of both lands gather them

وهل أدباء الجانبين يضمّهم

وهل أدباء الجانبين يضمّهم

وإيَّاي طاقٌ نقله الأَدب الجزل

وإيَّاي طاقٌ نقله الأَدب الجزل

And shall the men of letters from both banks be gathered,

While I have the capacity to convey their morals?

Together with me, in a vaulted hall whose fare is rich literature?

So I come in the morning, not as we were separated

فأَغدو ولا كانَ التفرُّق لاقيا

فأَغدو ولا كانَ التفرُّق لاقيا

وجُوهاً عليها قد بَلَلْتُ المآقيا

وجُوهاً عليها قد بَلَلْتُ المآقيا

Then I would go forth—may separation never be—meeting

Faces I have watered with tears from missing them

Faces for which I have wetted my eye-corners with tears,

With a capacity that has risen above those contained in minarets

بطاقٍ رقى فيمن حواه المراقيا

بطاقٍ رقى فيمن حواه المراقيا

وذلك طاقُ الشّهم لا زال باقيا

وذلك طاقُ الشّهم لا زال باقيا

In a vaulted hall that, through those it held, climbed the heights.

And this is the capacity of the valiant, still enduring

That is the noble man's vaulted hall—may it endure forever—

For him is the necklace in its corners, and for him the solution

له العَقْد في أرجائه وله الحلّ

له العَقْد في أرجائه وله الحلّ

وهل يُرِيَنِّي مُصبِحاً كلّ منجب

وهل يُرِيَنِّي مُصبِحاً كلّ منجب

Within its precincts, his are the binding and the loosening.

Will the dawn show me each intrepid one

And shall I, at daybreak, be shown every accomplished man,

And seasoned diver in the depths of calamities

وخوَّاض أغمارِ الخطوب مجرّب

وخوَّاض أغمارِ الخطوب مجرّب

وكلّ فتًى عذب الكلام مهذّب

وكلّ فتًى عذب الكلام مهذّب

And every seasoned man who plunges into the depths of adversity,

And every refined, eloquent youth

And every refined young man, sweet of speech?

And will it show me, after sunset

وهل يرينّي ذاهباً بعد مغرب

وهل يرينّي ذاهباً بعد مغرب

لتكيّة شيخِ العصرِ مَن جَوْرُه العَدل

لتكيّة شيخِ العصرِ مَن جَوْرُه العَدل

And shall I be seen setting out after sunset

Going to the shaykh of the era's retreat - the one whose oppression is justice

For the lodge of the age's sheikh, whose injustice is justice?

He built it for venerable shayks

بناها لأشياخٍ قرارة عِزِّهم

بناها لأشياخٍ قرارة عِزِّهم

وصَدَّرَهم فيها ولاذَ بحرزهم

وصَدَّرَهم فيها ولاذَ بحرزهم

He built it for sheikhs as the settled home of their dignity,

And made them its elite and took them into his protection

Gave them pride of place there, and sought refuge in their protection.

Even if he did not comprehend the indication of their cipher

وإنْ كانَ لم يفقه إشارة رمزهم

وإنْ كانَ لم يفقه إشارة رمزهم

ففيها صدورٌ لازموه لعجزهم

ففيها صدورٌ لازموه لعجزهم

Though he did not understand the hint of their symbols,

For in it are breasts who kept to it due to their frailty

Within it are leading men who stayed beside him through their weakness,

And they did not complain of traveling to him, though they are exhausted

وما ظعنوا بالسير عنه وقد كلّوا

وما ظعنوا بالسير عنه وقد كلّوا

بَلَوّنا سراها بعد إصرام حبلها

بَلَوّنا سراها بعد إصرام حبلها

And did not travel away from him, having grown weary.

We endured its apartments after determination tired of diverting us

We experienced her night journeys after her cord was severed,

And the affliction of enduring its like became impossible

فكان من البلوى تعذُّرُ مثلها

فكان من البلوى تعذُّرُ مثلها

ديارٌ عَرَفنا بعدها كنه فضلها

ديارٌ عَرَفنا بعدها كنه فضلها

And our ordeal was finding no equal to her.

An abode whose merit we recognized after it

Lands whose true worth we learned after leaving them.

Greetings upon that abode and its people

سلام على تلك الديار وأهلها

سلام على تلك الديار وأهلها

فهم في فؤادي دائماً أينما حلّوا

فهم في فؤادي دائماً أينما حلّوا

Peace upon those lands and their people,

For they are always in my heart wherever they are

For they are always in my heart, wherever they dwell.

It pleases my eye that it be illuminated

يَروقُ لعَيْني أنْ تكونَ جلاءها

يَروقُ لعَيْني أنْ تكونَ جلاءها

وتشتاقُ نفسي أرضَها وسماءها

وتشتاقُ نفسي أرضَها وسماءها

It delights my eye that she should be its brightness,

And my soul yearns for its land and sky

And my soul longs for her earth and sky.

And whoever said I forget its water and air

ومن قال أسلو ماءها وهواءها

ومن قال أسلو ماءها وهواءها

فوالله لا أسلو هواها وماءها

فوالله لا أسلو هواها وماءها

And who said I would forget her water and her air?

By God, I do not forget its air and water

By God, I shall not forget love of her or her water.

When my heart is there, then when could I forget?

إذا كانَ قلبي عندها فمتى أسلو

إذا كانَ قلبي عندها فمتى أسلو

أحبَّتَنا مِنِّي السلامُ عليكمُ

أحبَّتَنا مِنِّي السلامُ عليكمُ

If my heart is with her, when could I forget?

My loved ones, from me is peace upon you

Our beloved ones, from me, peace be upon you,

When the scrolls of passion are spread before you

إذا نُشِرَتْ صحفُ الغرام لديكمُ

إذا نُشِرَتْ صحفُ الغرام لديكمُ

أحبَّتنا والدهرُ أبعد عنكمُ

أحبَّتنا والدهرُ أبعد عنكمُ

When the pages of love are unfolded before you.

My loved ones, though time has distanced you from me

Our beloved ones, while time has sent me far from you,

My loved ones, is there any reaching you?

أحِبَّتنا هلْ من وُصولٍ إليكمُ

أحِبَّتنا هلْ من وُصولٍ إليكمُ

فقد تعبت بيني وبينكم الرسل

فقد تعبت بيني وبينكم الرسل

Our beloved ones, is there any way to reach you?

For the messengers have tired between me and you

The messengers between you and me have grown weary.

I lost touch with you though passion is with me

تناءيت عنكم والهوى فيكم معي

تناءيت عنكم والهوى فيكم معي

كأنْ لم أكنْ منكم بمرأىً ومسمع

كأنْ لم أكنْ منكم بمرأىً ومسمع

I have gone far from you, but my love for you remains with me,

As if I had not been seen or heard by you

As though I had never been within your sight and hearing.

And my distance from my lands and dwellings has been long

وقد طالَ بُعدي عن دياري وأربعي

وقد طالَ بُعدي عن دياري وأربعي

ألا هِمَّةٌ تُرجى ووصلٌ مُرجّعي

ألا هِمَّةٌ تُرجى ووصلٌ مُرجّعي

My distance from my lands and dwellings has grown long.

Oh! For an aspiration hoped for and a union to return me

Is there no resolve to hope for, no reunion to bring me back

To you, if you wish, through it the love will reconnect

لديكم إذا شئتم به اتصل الحبل

لديكم إذا شئتم به اتصل الحبل

أحِبَّتنا أصبو إلى حسن قولكم

أحِبَّتنا أصبو إلى حسن قولكم

To you? If you wish it, through it the cord can be joined.

My loved ones, I aspire to your good words

Our beloved ones, I yearn for your fair words,

And if I taste bitterness in it from the sweetness of your affection

وإنْ ذُقْتُ فيه المُرَّ من حُلو عذلكم

وإنْ ذُقْتُ فيه المُرَّ من حُلو عذلكم

أحِنُّ لمغناكم وسامي محلكم

أحِنُّ لمغناكم وسامي محلكم

Even if I taste bitterness in the sweetness of your reproach.

I yearn for your songs and your sublime position

I long for your dwelling and your lofty station,

And I, in calling upon you for your misdeeds

وإنّي بناديكم على سوء فعلكم

وإنّي بناديكم على سوء فعلكم

أرى أبداً عندي مرارته تحلو

أرى أبداً عندي مرارته تحلو

And I, in your gathering, despite your ill treatment,

Always see its bitterness as sweet with me

Always find its bitterness turning sweet to me.

I asked a God whose request I spoke sincerely

سألتُ إلهاً لم أخِبْ بسؤاله

سألتُ إلهاً لم أخِبْ بسؤاله

بلوغَ المنى من فضله ونواله

بلوغَ المنى من فضله ونواله

I asked God, whom I have never petitioned in vain,

To attain the purpose through His grace and bestowal

To grant my wishes through His grace and bounty.

And I supplicate the supplication of Eid in beseeching Him

وأدعو دعاءَ العيد عند ابتهاله

وأدعو دعاءَ العيد عند ابتهاله

وأسأل ربي بالنبيّ وآله

وأسأل ربي بالنبيّ وآله

And I offer the festival prayer at the time of its supplication,

And I ask my Lord by the Prophet and his progeny

And I ask my Lord, by the Prophet and his family,

To facilitate my return to you - and to Him belongs all bounty

يسهّل عَودي نحوكم وله الفضل

يسهّل عَودي نحوكم وله الفضل

To ease my return to you; His is the grace.