لِمَن الدار أَقفَرَت بِالمصلى

لِمَن الدار أَقفَرَت بِالمصلى

دَرس الغَيث رَسمَها فَاِضمَحَلّا

دَرس الغَيث رَسمَها فَاِضمَحَلّا

Whose dwelling lies desolate at al-Muṣallā?

Whose is the dwelling, deserted at al-Musalla?

The rain effaced its trace, and it faded away.

The rain erased its trace, and it vanished.

لا تَلُمني عَلى الوُقوف عَلَيها

لا تَلُمني عَلى الوُقوف عَلَيها

لَيسَ لَوم المُحب في ذاكَ عَدلا

لَيسَ لَوم المُحب في ذاكَ عَدلا

Do not blame me for lingering over it;

Do not blame me for stopping at it;

blaming a lover for that is not just.

blaming a lover for that is not just.

وَمِن الجَهل إِن تَعنف مَجبو

وَمِن الجَهل إِن تَعنف مَجبو

لاً عَلى الحُب لَيسَ يقبل عَذلا

لاً عَلى الحُب لَيسَ يقبل عَذلا

It is folly to rebuke one fashioned

And it is folly to rebuke one fashioned

for love: he will accept no reproach.

for love, who accepts no reproach.

تِلكَ دار الأَحباب فَاِستَوقَفَ الرَكب

تِلكَ دار الأَحباب فَاِستَوقَفَ الرَكب

المجدين في ساعَةٍ تَتَملى

المجدين في ساعَةٍ تَتَملى

That is the beloveds’ dwelling—halt the caravan

That is the loved ones’ dwelling; halt the caravan,

as it speeds onward, for an hour to feast your eyes.

hastening onward, for a moment to gaze your fill.

نَتَشاكى وَجداً وَنَسفح دَمعاً

نَتَشاكى وَجداً وَنَسفح دَمعاً

وَنُناجي رُبعاً وَعَصراً تَوَلى

وَنُناجي رُبعاً وَعَصراً تَوَلى

Let us share our laments of longing and shed tears,

We lament our longing to one another and shed tears,

and commune with an abandoned camp and an age gone by.

and commune with a dwelling and an age gone by.

كَيفَ أَصبَحَت يا دِيار وَقَدرا

كَيفَ أَصبَحَت يا دِيار وَقَدرا

يلك الأُنس حينَ بانوا وَوَلى

يلك الأُنس حينَ بانوا وَوَلى

How have you fared, O dwellings, now that

How are you now, O dwellings, since

cheer has forsaken you, since they departed and it vanished?

companionship [left you] and fled when they departed?

وَكَأَنّ الدِيار إِذ فارَقوها

وَكَأَنّ الدِيار إِذ فارَقوها

زَهرة مِن لَآليء الطَل عَطلي

زَهرة مِن لَآليء الطَل عَطلي

It was as though the dwellings, when they left them, were

And the dwellings, when they left them, seemed

a flower stripped of the pearls of dew.

a blossom bereft of the pearls of dew.

كانَ فيها بَدر إِذا ما تَجَلى

كانَ فيها بَدر إِذا ما تَجَلى

فَالمُحبون بَينَ صَرعى وَقَتلى

فَالمُحبون بَينَ صَرعى وَقَتلى

Among them was a full moon who, whenever he shone forth,

A full moon dwelt there; whenever he shone forth,

left the lovers lying—some stricken, some slain.

the lovers were either stricken or slain.

حَجبتهُ عَن ناظِري سَحب البي

حَجبتهُ عَن ناظِري سَحب البي

ن وَفي القَلب وَالجَوانح حَلّا

ن وَفي القَلب وَالجَوانح حَلّا

He was veiled from my eyes by the clouds of

The clouds of separation veiled him from my sight,

separation, yet he dwells in heart and breast.

yet he dwelt in my heart and within my ribs.

عاطني يا نَديم كَأس الأَماني

عاطني يا نَديم كَأس الأَماني

عَلَّ هَمي بِذَلِكَ الكاس يَجلى

عَلَّ هَمي بِذَلِكَ الكاس يَجلى

Pass me, cupmate, the cup of hopes;

Pass me, O drinking companion, the cup of wishes;

perhaps with that cup my sorrow will be dispelled.

perhaps that cup will dispel my sorrow.

أَيُّها النازح الَّذي لَيسَ يَهوى

أَيُّها النازح الَّذي لَيسَ يَهوى

غَيرَهُ القَلب في البَرية خلّا

غَيرَهُ القَلب في البَرية خلّا

O far-off one, my heart loves no

O faraway one, my heart loves no one

other intimate in all creation.

but you as a dear companion among all creation.

كُلُّ يَوم أَقضي عَلَيك حذاراً

كُلُّ يَوم أَقضي عَلَيك حذاراً

أَن يَرى مُبصر لِشَخصك ظِلا

أَن يَرى مُبصر لِشَخصك ظِلا

Each day I spend fearful for you,

I spend each day in fear for you,

lest some watching eye glimpse even your shadow.

lest anyone with sight see a shadow of your form.

وَاِشتِياقي إِلَيك في البُعد مثل ال

وَاِشتِياقي إِلَيك في البُعد مثل ال

قُرب نار بِها الجَوانح تُصلى

قُرب نار بِها الجَوانح تُصلى

My longing for you in distance, as in

And my longing for you, in distance as in

nearness, is a fire that scorches my breast.

nearness, is a fire that scorches my ribs.