دعاهُcalled him لذكرto remember الحمىthe beloved haunts مذهبٌa departure
دعاهُ لذكر الحمى مذهبٌ
وشوقٌand longing أقامَstayed فماso not يذهبdeparts
وشوقٌ أقامَ فما يذهب
A departure called him to remember the beloved haunts,
A longing for the memories of love called him,
And longing settled in, never to depart.
And my passion remained, it does not fade,
أمصرُO Egypt سقتكِwatered you غوادِيmorning showers السرورof joy
أمصرُ سقتكِ غوادِي السرور
وجادَكِand drenched you منfrom أفقهاtheir horizon صيبa downpour
وجادَكِ من أفقها صيب
O Egypt, may the morning showers of joy water you,
I insist on pouring you the valleys of joy,
And may a downpour from their horizon drench you.
And your generosity overflowed from its horizons.
ذكرتُI recalled زمانكyour days حيثwhen الوِصالunion
ذكرتُ زمانك حيث الوِصال
وحيثand when الصباyouth طيّبsweet طيّبsweet
وحيث الصبا طيّب طيّب
I recalled your days, when there was union,
I remembered the time of union with you,
And when youth was sweet, so sweet.
Where youth was good, so good.
وبيضُand fair الوجوهِthe faces بهاin her نجْتليwe behold
وبيضُ الوجوهِ بها نجْتلي
وسودُand black الشعورِthe tresses بهاin her تسحبare trailed
وسودُ الشعورِ بها تسحب
And there we behold fair faces,
The faces whitened with it brought me salvation,
And black tresses trail there.
And the black hair with it withdrew.
وكمand many a قمرٍmoon فيكِin you سافرتُI journeyed عنهُaway from him
وكم قمرٍ فيكِ سافرتُ عنهُ
وعقربand the scorpion أصداغهhis temple-locks غيهبpitch-dark
وعقرب أصداغه غيهب
And many a moon in you I journeyed away from,
How many moons with you did I travel away from,
While the scorpion of his temple-locks was pitch-dark.
And their scorpion forelocks disappeared.
فماso not كانَwas بالسفرِa journey المستجادcommendable
فما كانَ بالسفرِ المستجاد
وقدand already أطلعَmade rise القمرَthe moon العقربthe Scorpion
وقد أطلعَ القمرَ العقرب
So it was no journey to be commended,
Traveling was not in vain,
When the Scorpion had made the moon rise.
When the moon rose, the scorpion did.
وإنand though حفَّsurrounded بيme للنوىbecause of separation مهلكٌmortal peril
وإن حفَّ بي للنوى مهلكٌ
فكمyet many a صحَّcame true ليfor me باللقاthrough reunion مطلبwish
فكم صحَّ لي باللقا مطلب
And though separation's mortal peril surrounded me,
If ruin threatens me with its intent,
Yet many a wish came true for me through reunion.
How often my request was fulfilled by the meeting.
وإنand if طمعتcoveted فيfor لياليthe nights of الحمىthe beloved haunts
وإن طمعت في ليالي الحمى
منايَmy wishes فكمthen many a قدalready فشاbecame widespread أشعبAsh'ab
منايَ فكم قد فشا أشعب
And if the nights of the beloved haunts are coveted
If I hoped for nights of memories,
By my wishes—many an Ash'ab has appeared!
My wishes overflowed in many ways.
وقدand may يحسبreckon المرءُa man ماwhat فاتهpassed him by
وقد يحسب المرءُ ما فاته
فيأتيهthen comes to him أضعافُmultiples of ماwhat يحسبhe expects
فيأتيه أضعافُ ما يحسب
And a man may reckon what has passed him by,
One may account for what escapes him,
Then he receives many times what he expects.
Yet multiples of that may come to him.
لعمركَby your life ماnot الصبحِthe dawn بالمستنيرradiant
لعمركَ ما الصبحِ بالمستنير
وقدand already فاتنيpassed me by ذلكَthat المغربsunset
وقد فاتني ذلكَ المغرب
By your life, the dawn is not radiant,
By your life, the dawn is not illuminated,
When that sunset has passed me by.
For I have missed that sunset.
عسىperhaps خبرٌnews منfrom كتابthe letter of الشهابal-Shihab
عسى خبرٌ من كتاب الشهاب
يخبرُtells عنهاabout her بماof what أرقبI await
يخبرُ عنها بما أرقب
Perhaps news from al-Shihab's letter
Hopefully news from the book of meteors,
Will tell of her what I await.
Will tell me what I await.
Sol 6.1