الوَيلُwoe ليto me ياO حُبَيِّبيmy dear beloved إِنif
الوَيلُ لي يا حُبَيِّبي إِن
غالَتstruck down غَداًtomorrow دونَكَshort of reaching you الذُنوبُsins
غالَت غَداً دونَكَ الذُنوبُ
Woe to me, my dear beloved, if
Oh my beloved, woe to me if
Woe is me, O my little beloved, if
tomorrow sins strike me down, keeping me from you.
Tomorrow, without you, sins become dear
Sins should snatch me away tomorrow, bereft of you.
بَينَbetween ضُلوعيmy ribs عَلَيكَfor you نارٌa fire
بَينَ ضُلوعي عَلَيكَ نارٌ
يَكادُalmost مِنهاfrom it الصَفاsmooth, hard rock يَذوبُmelts
يَكادُ مِنها الصَفا يَذوبُ
Between my ribs a fire burns for you,
In my chest for you there is a fire
Between my ribs there burns a fire for you,
from which even hard rock almost melts.
That almost melts purity
From which the solid rock is nigh to melt.
بَرَّحَtormented بيme الوَجدُanguished longing يَومَthe day مَدَّتshe stretched out
بَرَّحَ بي الوَجدُ يَومَ مَدَّت
إِلَيكَtoward you أَظفارهاher claws شعوبُShaʿūb (Death)
إِلَيكَ أَظفارها شعوبُ
Longing tormented me the day she stretched
Passion overwhelmed me the day
Grief tormented me the day that Death
her claws toward you—Shaʿūb, Death.
Its claws reached out to you, O people
Stretched out its claws towards you;
بَزَّتكَsnatched you away ثاراًin vengeance يَدٌa hand تَساوىwere equal
بَزَّتكَ ثاراً يَدٌ تَساوى
فيهاin it عِقابٌan eagle وَعَندَليبُand a nightingale
فيها عِقابٌ وَعَندَليبُ
A hand snatched you away in vengeance; equal
They sought you out in vengeance, hands wherein
A hand snatched you in vengeance, a hand
in its grasp were an eagle and a nightingale.
Are talons and vipers alike
Wherein the eagle and the nightingale are equal.
بَعدَكَafter you أَيقَنتُI knew for certain لِاِنفِراديbecause of my solitude
بَعدَكَ أَيقَنتُ لِاِنفِرادي
أَنّيthat I فيin مَوطِنيmy homeland غَريبُa stranger
أَنّي في مَوطِني غَريبُ
After you, in my solitude, I knew for certain
After you, I realized in my solitude
After your loss, I became certain in my solitude
that I am a stranger in my homeland.
That in my homeland I am a stranger
That I am a stranger within my own homeland.
بانَdeparted شَبابيmy youth وَكُنتُand I was أَشهىmore desirable
بانَ شَبابي وَكُنتُ أَشهى
مِنهُthan it فَماso not راعَنيalarmed me المَشيبُgray hair
مِنهُ فَما راعَني المَشيبُ
My youth departed, and I was more desirable
My youth has passed and I wished for it more
My youth has departed—and how I prized it—
than it; so gray hair did not alarm me.
Than I heeded the approach of old age
Yet the onset of grey hair did not alarm me.
بَشاشَةُgladness العَيشِof life لَوif تَمادَتit endured
بَشاشَةُ العَيشِ لَو تَمادَت
وَطيبُهُand its sweetness عِنديto me الحَبيبُthe beloved
وَطيبُهُ عِندي الحَبيبُ
Life's gladness, were it to endure,
The joy of life, had it persisted
Had the cheerfulness of life endured,
and its sweetness, to me, are my beloved.
And its goodness, would be my beloved
Its sweetness, to me, was but the beloved.
بَرقُthe lightning الأَمانيof hopes خُلَّبٌdeceptive and rainless كَمhow often
بَرقُ الأَماني خُلَّبٌ كَم
يَغُرُّناdeceives us وَعدُهاtheir promise الكَذوبُlying
يَغُرُّنا وَعدُها الكَذوبُ
The lightning of hopes brings no rain; how often
The lightning of wishes is deceptive, so much
The lightning of hopes is false; how often
their lying promise deceives us!
Does its false promise tempt us
Its lying promise deceives us.
بُخلُstinginess المُنىof wishes لَوif نَظَرتَyou reflected جودٌgenerosity
بُخلُ المُنى لَو نَظَرتَ جودٌ
وَحُبّهاand loving them لَوif سَلَوتَyou found solace حوبُa sin
وَحُبّها لَو سَلَوتَ حوبُ
The stinginess of wishes, were you to reflect, is generosity;
The stinginess of fate, had you but seen, is generosity
The withholding of wishes, if you reflect, is generosity,
and loving them, if you found solace, is a sin.
And its love, had you but asked, is true love
And the love of them, if you find solace, is a sin.
بورِكتِmay you be blessed ياO أَعيُنَeyes البَواكيof those who weep
بورِكتِ يا أَعيُنَ البَواكي
لَولاكِbut for you لَمnot تَشتَفِfind relief القُلوبُhearts
لَولاكِ لَم تَشتَفِ القُلوبُ
Blessed are you, O eyes of those who weep;
Blessed are you, O tearful eyes
Blessed be you, O eyes of the weeping,
but for you, hearts would find no relief.
Without you hearts would not have been quenched
Were it not for you, hearts would find no cure.
بيin me حَسَراتٌanguished sorrows يَضيقُis too narrow عَنهاto contain them
بي حَسَراتٌ يَضيقُ عَنها
صَدريmy breast عَلىdespite أَنَّهُits being رَحيبُspacious
صَدري عَلى أَنَّهُ رَحيبُ
In me are sorrows too great for
I have regrets that my chest,
Within me are sorrows too vast for
my breast, spacious though it is.
Capacious as it is, cannot contain
My chest, though it be spacious, to contain.
بُحتُI revealed بِسِرِّthe secret of الأَسىgrief فَقالواso they said
بُحتُ بِسِرِّ الأَسى فَقالوا
نَحبُكَyour life's term يُقضىis brought to an end أَمِor النَحيبُthe sobbing
نَحبُكَ يُقضى أَمِ النَحيبُ
I revealed the secret of grief, and they said:
I confided the secret of my sorrow and they said
I revealed the secret of my grief, and they asked:
“Is it your life that is ending, or your sobbing?”
We love you - is it better to weep or wail?
"Is your death being fulfilled, or is it merely wailing?"
بَحرٌa sea مِنَof الدَمعِtears فيin جُفونيmy eyelids
بَحرٌ مِنَ الدَمعِ في جُفوني
صَعَّدَهُraised it مِنfrom دميmy blood اللَهيبُthe blaze
صَعَّدَهُ مِن دمي اللَهيبُ
A sea of tears lies in my eyelids;
A sea of tears in my eyes
A sea of tears is held within my eyelids,
the blaze raised it from my blood.
Lit by the flames in my blood
Which the inner flame has distilled from my blood.
بَدَّلَنيgave me in exchange بِالسُرورِin place of joy هَمّاًsorrow
بَدَّلَني بِالسُرورِ هَمّاً
خَطبٌa calamity تَباهىboasted بِهِof it الخُطوبُcalamities
خَطبٌ تَباهى بِهِ الخُطوبُ
I was given sorrow in place of joy
It exchanged my joy for sorrow -
Fate has exchanged my joy for anguish,
by a calamity of which calamities boasted.
Woes that proudly flaunt their might
A calamity of which all calamities boast.
Sol 6.1