يَاO مَنْyou who نَأَتِwent far away بِهِمُwith them الدِّيارُthe lands فأَصْبحُواand so they became
يَا مَنْ نَأَتِ بِهِمُ الدِّيارُ فأَصْبحُوا
مُسْتوطِنينdwelling in علىdespite النَّوَىseparation الألْبَاباminds
مُسْتوطِنين على النَّوَى الألْبَابا
O you whom the lands have borne far away, who have become
dwellers in our minds despite separation.
إنْif تُكسِبِconfer الألْقَابُtitles مَنْthose who يُدْعَىare called بِهاby them
إنْ تُكسِبِ الألْقَابُ مَنْ يُدْعَى بِها
شَرَفاًhonor فَقَدthen indeed شَرَّفتُمُyou have ennobled الألْقَابَاthe titles
شَرَفاً فَقَد شَرَّفتُمُ الألْقَابَا
If titles confer upon those called by them
honor, you have conferred honor upon the titles.
فارقتُكُمI parted from you فجَعَلْتُso I made زَقُّومَzaqqum (hell's bitter fruit) الأَسَىsorrow
فارقتُكُم فجَعَلْتُ زَقُّومَ الأَسَى
زاداًprovisions وغَسَّاقَand the foul fluid of الدُمُوعِtears شَرَاباa drink
زاداً وغَسَّاقَ الدُمُوعِ شَرَابا
I parted from you, and made the zaqqum of sorrow
my provisions, and the foul flow of tears my drink.
أكَذَاكَis it thus كلُّevery مُفَارِقٍone who parts أمْor لمْnot يكنْwas there
أكَذَاكَ كلُّ مُفَارِقٍ أمْ لمْ يكنْ
قَبْليbefore me مُحِبٌّa lover فَارَقَparted from الأحْبَابَاloved ones
قَبْلي مُحِبٌّ فَارَقَ الأحْبَابَا
Is everyone who parts like this, or was there never
before me a lover who parted from his loved ones?
ياO مُنْتَهَىthe ultimate goal of الآرَابِdesires هَذِيthis is مُهْجَتِيmy heart
يا مُنْتَهَى الآرَابِ هَذِي مُهْجَتِي
قدindeed قُطِّعَتْhas been cut مِنْfrom بِعدِكُمْyour absence آرَابَاinto pieces
قد قُطِّعَتْ مِنْ بِعدِكُمْ آرَابَا
O ultimate goal of all desires, here is my heart,
cut to pieces by your absence.
وتَأسُّفِيand my regret أنِّيis that I غَدَاةَon the morning of فِرَاقِكُمْparting from you
وتَأسُّفِي أنِّي غَدَاةَ فِرَاقِكُمْ
لمْnot أَقْضِI fulfilled منْin تَوْدِيعِكُمْbidding you farewell آرَابَاwishes
لمْ أَقْضِ منْ تَوْدِيعِكُمْ آرَابَا
And my regret is that, on the morning of parting from you,
I did not fulfill my wishes in bidding you farewell.
إنِّيindeed I لأعجَبُsurely marvel مِنْat مُراجَعَةِthe recurrence of النَّوَىseparation
إنِّي لأعجَبُ مِنْ مُراجَعَةِ النَّوَى
عَنْaway from ربْعِكِمyour dwelling ليto me جِيئَةًa coming وذَهَابَاand a going
عَنْ ربْعِكِم لي جِيئَةً وذَهَابَا
I marvel indeed at separation's repeated
comings and goings to me, away from your dwelling.
ماnever ذُقْتُI tasted عَذْبَthe sweetness of القُربِnearness إلاّexcept that ردَّهُturned it
ما ذُقْتُ عَذْبَ القُربِ إلاّ ردَّهُ
وَشْكُthe imminence of التَّفَرُّقِparting والبِعادِand separation عَذَابَاinto torment
وَشْكُ التَّفَرُّقِ والبِعادِ عَذَابَا
I have never tasted the sweetness of nearness without its being turned
to torment by imminent parting and separation.
قدindeed جَرَّدَhas drawn التَّفْريقُseparation سَيْفاًa sword بَيْنَنَاbetween us
قد جَرَّدَ التَّفْريقُ سَيْفاً بَيْنَنَا
أفَماso will ... not? يُتيحُprovide لَهُfor it اللِّقَاءُreunion قِرَابَاa sheath
أفَما يُتيحُ لَهُ اللِّقَاءُ قِرَابَا
Separation has drawn a sword between us;
will reunion not then provide it a sheath?
ياah هَلْdo تَرونَyou foresee لِنازِحٍfor an exile قَذَفَتْflung بِهِhim
يا هَلْ تَرونَ لِنازِحٍ قَذَفَتْ بِهِ
أيْديthe hands of البِعَادِseparation لجِدَّto Jidd حفْصَHafs إيابَاa return
أيْدي البِعَادِ لجِدَّ حفْصَ إيابَا
Ah, do you foresee, for an exile flung
by separation's hands, a return to Jidd Hafs?
لوif أنَّthat ذَاthe possessor of القرنَيْنِthe two horns أصْبَحَwere to become مُوقِداًone who heats
لو أنَّ ذَا القرنَيْنِ أصْبَحَ مُوقِداً
زُبُرَblocks of الحَديدِiron بِحرِّهاwith its heat لأذَابَاhe would surely melt them
زُبُرَ الحَديدِ بِحرِّها لأذَابَا
Were Dhu al-Qarnayn to heat
blocks of iron with its heat, he would melt them.
لاlet not تحْسَبِthink البحْرينُBahrain أنِّيthat I بَعْدَهَاafter leaving her
لا تحْسَبِ البحْرينُ أنِّي بَعْدَهَا
مُسْتوطِنٌsettling in دَاراًa home ولاnor أصْحَابَاcompanions
مُسْتوطِنٌ دَاراً ولا أصْحَابَا
Let Bahrain not think that, after leaving her,
I shall settle in another home or among other companions.
ماnot أصْبَحَتْhas become شيرازُShiraz وَهْيthough it is حَبِيبةٌbeloved
ما أصْبَحَتْ شيرازُ وَهْي حَبِيبةٌ
عِنْدِيto me بأبْهجَmore delightful منthan أوالَAwal جَنابَاin its surroundings
عِنْدِي بأبْهجَ من أوالَ جَنابَا
Shiraz, though beloved, is not
more delightful to me in its surroundings than Awal.
ماnot كُنْتُI would be بالمبْتَاعِa purchaser of دارَthe abode of سُرُورِهاits joy
ما كُنْتُ بالمبْتَاعِ دارَ سُرُورِها
يَوماًever بفَارَانٍat the price of Faran ولاnor بمقَابَاat the price of Muqaba
يَوماً بفَارَانٍ ولا بمقَابَا
I would not purchase its abode of joy,
ever, at the price of Faran or Muqaba.
فَأمَاnow indeed وَجائِلُةُby those with swaying النُّسوعِgirth-straps تَخَالُهاyou would think them
فَأمَا وَجائِلُةُ النُّسوعِ تَخَالُها
للضَّمْرِfrom leanness مِمَّاbecause of how أهذبَتْthey sped along هُذَّابَاfringes
للضَّمْرِ مِمَّا أهذبَتْ هُذَّابَا
Now, by the loose-girthed camels—you would think them
mere fringes, so lean from their swift travel—
تَتَبادرُthey race toward الحرمَthe Sanctuary القَصيَّthe distant بفِتْيةٍbearing young men
تَتَبادرُ الحرمَ القَصيَّ بفِتْيةٍ
يثنُونَturn back نازِلةَthe calamity of القَضَاءِfate غِلابَاby force
يثنُونَ نازِلةَ القَضَاءِ غِلابَا
racing toward the distant Sanctuary, bearing young men
who turn back the calamity of fate by force:
لئِنِeven if اقْتَعَدْتُI have mounted مَطَاthe back of البِعَادِseparation وغَرَّنيand deceived me
لئِنِ اقْتَعَدْتُ مَطَا البِعَادِ وغَرَّني
وشْكُthe imminence of التلاقِيreunion والدُنُوِّand nearness طِلابَاin my quest
وشْكُ التلاقِي والدُنُوِّ طِلابَا
even if I have ridden separation's back and been beguiled
in my quest by the imminence of reunion and nearness,
لأُسَيِّرَنَّI shall surely send لَكُمْto you وإنْeven if طَالَgrows long المدَىthe distance
لأُسَيِّرَنَّ لَكُمْ وإنْ طَالَ المدَى
ماwhatever رَقَّis delicate منof محضِpure الثَّناءِpraise وطَابَاand is sweet
ما رَقَّ من محضِ الثَّناءِ وطَابَا
I shall surely send you, though the distance grow long,
all that is delicate and sweet in pure praise.
Sol 6.1