أراجعةٌwill ... return? تلكthose اللياليnights كعهدهاas they once were
أراجعةٌ تلك الليالي كعهدها
إلىto الوصلِreunion أمor لاnot يُرتجىis hoped for ليfor me رجوعُهاtheir return
إلى الوصلِ أم لا يُرتجى لي رجوعُها
Will those nights return, as they once were,
I revisit those nights as in their era
to reunion—or is there no hope of their return to me?
To reunite, or is my return no longer hoped for?
وصحبةand the company of أقوامٍpeople لِبستُI wore لِفَقدِهمbecause of losing them
وصحبة أقوامٍ لِبستُ لِفَقدِهم
ثيابَrobes of حدادٍmourning مُستَجَدَrenewed خليعُهاtheir worn-out cloth
ثيابَ حدادٍ مُستَجَدَ خليعُها
And will the company return of those for whose loss I wore
And the company of people whose loss
mourning robes, renewed whenever they wore out?
I donned mourning garments, now tattered.
إذاwhenever لاحَappears ليto me منfrom نحوthe direction of بغدادَBaghdad بارقٌa lightning flash
إذا لاحَ لي من نحو بغدادَ بارقٌ
تجافَتdraw apart جُفُونيmy eyelids واسُتطيرَand is driven away هُجُوعُهاtheir sleep
تجافَت جُفُوني واسُتطيرَ هُجُوعُها
Whenever lightning appears to me from Baghdad's direction,
When a glimmer toward Baghdad appears to me
my eyelids draw apart, and their sleep is driven away.
My eyelids contract and my sighs take flight.
وإنand if أَخلَفَتهاdisappoint them الغادياتُthe morning rainclouds رُعُودَعاtheir thunder (uncertain reading)
وإن أَخلَفَتها الغادياتُ رُعُودَعا
تُكَلّفare charged with تصديقَvindicating الغمامِthe clouds دمُوعُهاtheir tears
تُكَلّف تصديقَ الغمامِ دمُوعُها
And if morning clouds disappoint them despite their thunder,
Though long gone, if the clouds deny what transpired
their tears are charged with making the clouds' promise true.
Tears compel them to admit what came to pass.
سقىmay ... water جانبيboth sides of بغدادَBaghdad كُلُّevery غَمَامةٍraincloud
سقى جانبي بغدادَ كُلُّ غَمَامةٍ
يُحَاكيresembles دموعَthe tears of المستهامthe lovelorn هُمُوعُهاits downpour
يُحَاكي دموعَ المستهام هُمُوعُها
May every cloud water both sides of Baghdad,
Every cloud watered Baghdad’s side
its downpour mirroring the tears of the lovelorn.
Imitating the tears of the lovesick, their swell.
مَعَاهِدfamiliar haunts منof غزلانِgazelles إنسٍhumankind تحاَلَفتhave sworn together
مَعَاهِد من غزلانِ إنسٍ تحاَلَفت
لواحِظُهاtheir sidelong glances ألاthat ... not يُدَاوَىbe healed صريعُهاtheir fallen victim
لواحِظُها ألا يُدَاوَى صريعُها
Haunts of gazelles in human form, whose
Alliances of human gazelles I made
sidelong glances have sworn their victim shall never be healed.
Their carers agreed not to cure their afflicted.
بهاin it تسَكُنُfinds peace النَّفسُthe soul النفورُthe restless ويَغتَديand becomes
بها تسَكُنُ النَّفسُ النفورُ ويَغتَدي
بآنسَmore at home مِنthan قلبِthe heart of المقِيمِthe resident نَزِيُعهاits newcomer
بآنسَ مِن قلبِ المقِيمِ نَزِيُعها
There the restless soul finds peace, and
With them the soul finds peace, the aversion recedes
the newcomer feels more at home than a resident's heart.
As the resident’s heart discovers company.
يَحنُّyearns إليهاfor it كلُّevery قلبٍheart كأنماas though
يَحنُّ إليها كلُّ قلبٍ كأنما
يُشَادare built بحبَّاتِfrom the cores of القلوبِhearts ربُوعُهاits dwellings
يُشَاد بحبَّاتِ القلوبِ ربُوعُها
Every heart yearns for it, as though
Every heart yearns as if
its dwellings were built from the very cores of hearts.
Its fragments were joined on their meadows.
فكلُّfor all لياليthe nights of عَيشهاlife in it زَمَنُthe time of الصَّباyouth
فكلُّ ليالي عَيشها زَمَنُ الصَّبا
وكلُّand all فصولthe seasons of الدَّهرtime فيهاin it ربُيعهاits springtime
وكلُّ فصول الدَّهر فيها ربُيعها
For all the nights of life there are the season of youth,
All her nights were the era of youth.
and all the seasons of time there are springtime.
Each season in her presence, springtime.
وماand never زلتُhave I ceased being طَوعَobedient to الحادثاتِmisfortunes تقُودُنيlead me
وما زلتُ طَوعَ الحادثاتِ تقُودُني
علىaccording to حُكمهاtheir decree مُستكرَهاًagainst my will فأطيعُهاso I obey them
على حُكمها مُستكرَهاً فأطيعُها
I was ever in thrall to misfortunes, which led me
I remained fate’s servant, reluctantly obeying
by their decree, against my will—yet I obeyed them.
As it led me by its own schemes.
فلماthen when حللتُI settled in القَصرَthe palace قَصرَthe palace of مسرَّتيmy joy
فلما حللتُ القَصرَ قَصرَ مسرَّتي
تَفَرَّقنَthey scattered عنيaway from me آيساتٍdespairing جُمُوعَهاtheir throngs
تَفَرَّقنَ عني آيساتٍ جُمُوعَها
Then, when I settled in the palace—the palace of my joy—
When I left the palace, my delight’s palace
their throngs scattered from me, despairing.
Despondent crowds dispersed from me.
بدارٍin a dwelling بهاwhere يَسلَىforgets المشوقُthe yearning lover اشتياقَهhis longing
بدارٍ بها يَسلَى المشوقُ اشتياقَه
ويأمَنُand is safe from رَيبَthe perils of الحادثاتmisfortunes مَروعُهاthe one they terrify
ويأمَنُ رَيبَ الحادثات مَروعُها
In a dwelling where the yearning lover forgets his longing,
To a house where yearning is consoled
and one whom calamities terrify is safe from their perils.
And safe from the terrors of events.
بهاin it مسرحٌa roaming ground للعينfor the eye فيماamong what يَرُوقُهاdelights it
بها مسرحٌ للعين فيما يَرُوقُها
ومُستَروَحٌand a refuge للنَّفسfor the soul مِمَّاfrom what يروعُهاfrightens it
ومُستَروَحٌ للنَّفس مِمَّا يروعُها
There the eye may roam through sights that delight it,
In it a theater for the eye in what pleases it
and the soul finds respite from whatever frightens it.
And a retreat for the soul from what alarms it.
يرىsees كلُّevery قلبٍheart بينهاwithin it ماwhat يَسُرُّهgladdens it
يرى كلُّ قلبٍ بينها ما يَسُرُّه
إذاwhen زَهَرَتblossom أشجارُهاits trees وزروعُهاand its crops
إذا زَهَرَت أشجارُها وزروعُها
Within it every heart sees what gladdens it,
Each heart sees in it what gladdens it
when its trees and crops blossom.
When its trees and crops have blossomed.
كأنَّas though خريرَthe murmur of الماءwater فيin جَنَبَاتهاits sides
كأنَّ خريرَ الماء في جَنَبَاتها
رُعُودٌthunderclaps تلقَّتhave met مُزنَةًa raincloud تستريعُهاstartle it
رُعُودٌ تلقَّت مُزنَةً تستريعُها
As though the water's murmur along its sides
As if the gurgling water in its sides
were thunderclaps meeting a raincloud and startling it.
Were thunder receiving a gentle drizzle.
إذاwhen ضرَبتهاstrikes it الريحُthe wind وانبسطتand spreads out لهاfor it
إذا ضرَبتها الريحُ وانبسطت لها
مُلاءةُa mantle of بَدرٍa full moon فَصَّلتهاhave patterned it وَشِيعُهاits weft threads
مُلاءةُ بَدرٍ فَصَّلتها وَشِيعُها
When the wind strikes it and over it is spread
When the wind struck it and for it unfurled
a full moon's mantle, patterned by its weft,
The mantle of a full moon, parting and gathering it.
رأيتُI saw سيوفاًswords بينamong أثناءthe folds of أدرُعٍcoats of mail
رأيتُ سيوفاً بين أثناء أدرُعٍ
مُذهَّبةًgilded يَغشَىdazzles العيونَthe eyes لميعُهاtheir gleam
مُذهَّبةً يَغشَى العيونَ لميعُها
I saw swords amid the folds of coats of mail,
I saw between suits of armor swords
gilded, their gleam dazzling the eyes.
Gilded, overwhelming eyes with their brightness.
فمنfor from صنعةِthe craftsmanship of البدرِthe full moon المنيرِthe radiant نُصُولُهاtheir blades
فمن صنعةِ البدرِ المنيرِ نُصُولُها
ومنand from نسجِthe weaving of أنفاسِthe breaths of الرِّياحِthe winds دُرُوعُهاtheir coats of mail
ومن نسجِ أنفاسِ الرِّياحِ دُرُوعُها
For their blades are fashioned by the radiant full moon,
Its points formed by the shining full moon.
and their mail is woven from the breaths of the winds.
Its suits of armor woven by the breaths of wind.
صفاbecame serene عَيشُناour life فيهاin it وكادَتand almost لِطِيِبهاbecause of its sweetness
صفا عَيشُنا فيها وكادَت لِطِيِبها
تُمازِجُهاmingle with it الأرواحُsouls لوif تستطيعهاthey could accomplish it
تُمازِجُها الأرواحُ لو تستطيعها
Our life there grew serene, and such was its sweetness
Our life there was pure, and due to its excellence,
that souls all but merged with it—if only they could.
Souls almost mingled with it, if able.
Sol 6.1