ماذاwhat علىupon مَنone whom أذىanguish الأشواقyearnings ينهكهwears him down
ماذا على مَن أذى الأشواق ينهكه
لوif أفصحَspoke plainly الدمعُthe tears عنهُfor him حينwhen ينهكهwears him down
لو أفصحَ الدمعُ عنهُ حين ينهكه
What blame falls on one whom longing's anguish wears down,
What can he who is worn down by intense longing do
if tears speak for him when he is worn down?
If tears fail to express his suffering when it wears him down?
ياO لائميmy reproacher فيfor هوىlove منone whom لستُI do not أتركهُforsake him
يا لائمي في هوى من لستُ أتركهُ
كمhow often أكتمI conceal الوجدَpassion والأجفانand the eyelids تهتكهexpose it
كم أكتم الوجدَ والأجفان تهتكه
O you who blame me for loving one I will not forsake,
O you who blame me for loving one I cannot abandon
how often I hide my passion, while my eyelids expose it!
How much anguish I conceal though it tears me apart
وأُطلقُand I release الحبَّlove والأحشاءُand the entrails تمسكهhold it
وأُطلقُ الحبَّ والأحشاءُ تمسكه
قالواthey said دعِleave الحبَّlove ياO هذاyou there ومسلكهُand its path
قالوا دعِ الحبَّ يا هذا ومسلكهُ
And I set love free, yet my entrails hold it fast.
I profess my love though my soul clings to it
They said, 'Leave love and its path, you there;
They said: "Leave love and its ways, o you"
فكمfor how many سعىstrove فيهِin it منof صبٍّa lovesick lover فأهلكهُand so it destroyed him
فكم سعى فيهِ من صبٍّ فأهلكهُ
فقلتso I said والشوقand longing داعيthe herald of البينparting حرَّكهُstirred it
فقلت والشوق داعي البين حرَّكهُ
for many a lovesick lover has pursued it, and it has destroyed him.'
Yet how many ardent lovers has it destroyed
So I said, as parting's herald stirred my longing:
I said: While yearning stirs the pain of separation
عصانيَdefied me القلبthe heart لمّاwhen أنthat تملّكهُpossessed it
عصانيَ القلب لمّا أن تملّكهُ
غيريsomeone other than me فواso, oh أسفاًsorrow لوif only كنتI were أملكهُI own it
غيري فوا أسفاً لو كنت أملكهُ
'My heart defied me when it was possessed
My heart disobeyed me when it possessed it
by another—alas, if only I owned it!'
Others, alas, if only I could possess it
السحبُthe clouds ترويrecount حديثthe tale الغيثrain عنfrom حدقيmy pupils
السحبُ تروي حديث الغيث عن حدقي
والورقُand the doves تنقلconvey سجعrhymed cadence النوحlamentation عنfrom قلقيmy unrest
والورقُ تنقل سجع النوح عن قلقي
The clouds recount the tale of rain as told by my eyes,
The clouds narrate the rain’s discourse about my eyelids
and the doves echo the cadence of lament from my unrest.
And the leaves echo the dirge of my anxiety
سلask الّذيthe one who نامslept عنheedless of وجديmy passion وعنand of حرقيmy burning anguish
سل الّذي نام عن وجدي وعن حرقي
ماwhat ضرَّwould harm منone who لمdid not يدعleave منّيof me سوىexcept رمقيmy last breath
ما ضرَّ من لم يدع منّي سوى رمقي
Ask the one who slept heedless of my passion and my burning:
Ask him who slept ignoring my agony and burning pain
what harm would befall him who left nothing of me but my last breath,
It would not hurt if he had let me keep but a breath
لوif كانhe were يسمحُto be generous بالباقيwith what remains ويتركهُand leave it
لو كان يسمحُ بالباقي ويتركهُ
ويحwoe to الفؤادِthe heart أَيرجوdoes it hope منfrom معذّبهِits tormentor
ويح الفؤادِ أَيرجو من معذّبهِ
if he would spare what remains and leave it be?
If he were to forgive the rest and leave it
Woe to the heart! Does it hope from its tormentor
Woe to my heart! Does it hope to attain union with its tormentor
وصلاًunion ونيلand attaining الثريّاthe Pleiades دونless than مطلبهِits goal
وصلاً ونيل الثريّا دون مطلبهِ
بعداًfar away لماfor what يتمنّىit longs for منbecause of تجنبهِhis shunning
بعداً لما يتمنّى من تجنبهِ
for union, when even the Pleiades are easier to reach than what it seeks?
And reach the beloved’s presence without needing to seek?
How far off is what it longs for, with him shunning it!
Away with what it wishes to avoid!
لهفيmy anguished longing علىfor الوصلunion لوif only أنّيthat I ظفرتُI attained بهِit
لهفي على الوصل لو أنّي ظفرتُ بهِ
ماnot كلّماeverything that يتمنّىwishes for المرءُa person يدركهُhe attains it
ما كلّما يتمنّى المرءُ يدركهُ
How I ache for union—if only I had attained it!
My craving for union, if only I could attain it
Not everything a person wishes for does he attain.
One cannot gain all that one wishes
Sol 6.1