ياO نائمَasleep الطَّرفِthe eye عنheedless of سُهديmy wakefulness وعَنand of أرَقيmy sleeplessness
يا نائمَ الطَّرفِ عن سُهدي وعَن أرَقي
وفارغَand free القَلبthe heart مِنof وجديmy longing ومِنand of حُرَقيmy burning grief
وفارغَ القَلب مِن وجدي ومِن حُرَقي
O you whose eyes sleep, heedless of my wakefulness and my sleeplessness,
O you who sleeps with eyes averted from my wakefulness and my vigil
And whose heart is free of my longing and my burning grief,
And a heart devoid of my passion and my torment
إلامَuntil when أُتلِفُهاI destroy it نَفساًa soul مُعَذَّبةًtormented
إلامَ أُتلِفُها نَفساً مُعَذَّبةً
علىthrough نَقيضينِtwo opposites للإحراقِfor burning والغَرَقِand drowning
على نَقيضينِ للإحراقِ والغَرَقِ
How long shall I destroy my tormented soul
Why do I befriend a soul tortured
Through two opposites—burning and drowning?
Between opposites of burning and drowning
وإنَّand indeed أغربَthe strangest شَيءٍthing أنتَyou سامِعُهُhearing it
وإنَّ أغربَ شَيءٍ أنتَ سامِعُهُ
دَمعٌtears يُكفكِفُهُholds it back أجفانُeyelids مُحتَرِقِone aflame
دَمعٌ يُكفكِفُهُ أجفانُ مُحتَرِقِ
And surely the strangest thing you can hear
And the strangest thing you hear
Is a tear held back by the eyelids of one aflame.
Is a tear staunched by scorched eyelids
فتارَةًso sometimes أناI مِنof وَصلٍunion عَلىin طَمَعٍhope
فتارَةً أنا مِن وَصلٍ عَلى طَمَعٍ
وتارَةًand sometimes أناI مِنfrom يأسٍdespair عَلىin فَرَقِfear
وتارَةً أنا مِن يأسٍ عَلى فَرَقِ
So at times I am hopeful of union,
At times I am hopeful of union
And at times despair fills me with dread.
And at others despairing of parting
كَمhow often رُمتُI sought إرسَالَto send أَنفاسِيmy breaths مُؤَدِّيةًbearing a message
كَم رُمتُ إرسَالَ أَنفاسِي مُؤَدِّيةً
عَنِّيon my behalf إليكَto you فقالَthen said القَلبُthe heart لاdo not تَثِقِtrust
عَنِّي إليكَ فقالَ القَلبُ لا تَثِقِ
How often I have sought to send my breaths as messengers
How often I sent my breaths to you bearing
From me to you; then my heart said, 'Do not trust them.'
My regards, but my heart said "do not trust"
كأنَّماas though زَفَراتِيmy sighs فيwithin جَوانِحِهاits ribs
كأنَّما زَفَراتِي في جَوانِحِها
سَماِئمُscorching winds القَيظِthe summer heat فيamong ذاوٍwithered منof الوَرقِthe leaves
سَماِئمُ القَيظِ في ذاوٍ من الوَرقِ
As though my sighs within my breast
As if my sighs in her essence
Were summer's scorching winds among withered leaves.
Were hot desert winds in withered leaves
ليتَwould that المحبَّةَlove للعُشاقfor lovers ماnot خُلِقَتwas created
ليتَ المحبَّةَ للعُشاق ما خُلِقَت
أوor لَيتَنيwould that I حينَwhen ذَاقُواthey tasted الحُبَّlove لمdid not أذُقِI taste
أو لَيتَني حينَ ذَاقُوا الحُبَّ لم أذُقِ
Would that love had never been created for lovers,
Would that love for lovers had not been created
Or that, when they tasted love, I had not tasted it.
Or would that I had not tasted love when they tasted it
هذاthis الفُراقُparting وهذاand this الهَجرُestrangement يَتبَعُهُfollows it
هذا الفُراقُ وهذا الهَجرُ يَتبَعُهُ
ياO قَلبُheart صَبراًpatience علىthrough مَوتينِtwo deaths فيin نَسَقِsuccession
يا قَلبُ صَبراً على مَوتينِ في نَسَقِ
This is parting, and this estrangement follows it;
This separation and estrangement brings about
O heart, bear patiently two deaths in succession.
O heart, patience for two deaths in one draught
أقولُI say للنَّفسِto the soul والأشواقُwhile longings تَغلِبُهاoverwhelm it
أقولُ للنَّفسِ والأشواقُ تَغلِبُها
كيفَhow التَّخَلُّصُescape بينَbetween الوَعرِrough ground والزَّلَقِand slippery ground
كيفَ التَّخَلُّصُ بينَ الوَعرِ والزَّلَقِ
I say to my soul, while longings overwhelm it:
I say to my soul though longing overcomes it
How can one escape between rough ground and slippery ground?
How to escape amid the ruggedness and slipperiness?
ياO عينُeye أنتِyou سَرحتِyou let wander الطّرفthe gaze فانهَمِليso pour forth tears
يا عينُ أنتِ سَرحتِ الطّرف فانهَمِلي
ياO قلبُheart أنتَyou أجَلتَyou set roaming الفِكرَthought فاحتَرِقِso burn
يا قلبُ أنتَ أجَلتَ الفِكرَ فاحتَرِقِ
O eye, you let your gaze wander, so pour forth tears.
O eye, you have wandered, so be tearful
O heart, you set thought roaming, so burn.
O heart, you have tarried in thought, so burn
Sol 6.1