لِيَI have شَوقlonging إِلَيكَfor you لاnot يَتناهاends
لِيَ شَوق إِلَيكَ لا يَتناها
وَشُجونand sorrows قَدindeed جاوَزَتhave exceeded مُنتَهاهاtheir utmost limit
وَشُجون قَد جاوَزَت مُنتَهاها
My longing for you knows no end,
I yearn for you with endless longing
and my sorrows have passed their utmost limit.
And sorrows that have crossed their bounds
ياO إِبنson عَميmy paternal uncle تَفديكmay ransom you مِنfrom كُلِevery سوءٍharm
يا إِبن عَمي تَفديك مِن كُلِ سوءٍ
نَفسa soul حُرّa free man ماnot فيin يَديهِhis hands سِواهاanything besides it
نَفس حُرّ ما في يَديهِ سِواها
O my cousin, may you be ransomed from every harm
O cousin I'd sacrifice myself for you from all harm
by a free man's soul; he has nothing else in his hands.
A free soul whose only possession is itself
لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge وَقَدand indeed أَضَرَّhas harmed بِيَme الشَوthe longing (continued)
لَيتَ شِعري وَقَد أَضَرَّ بِيَ الشَو
قcompletion of 'longing' اَتجدىdoes it avail? آهٌa sigh إِذاwhen قُلتI say آهاah!
ق اَتجدى آهٌ إِذا قُلت آها
Would that I knew, now that longing has harmed me,
If only I knew, now that longing has hurt me
whether a sigh avails when I say, 'Ah!'
Would a sigh help if I sighed?
كُنتُI used to أَجلوpolish away عَنfrom مُقلَتيmy eye بِمَحياwith the face
كُنتُ أَجلو عَن مُقلَتي بِمَحيا
كyour (possessive suffix) صَداهاits tarnish وَكُنتَand you were أَنتَyou yourself ضِياهاits light
ك صَداها وَكُنتَ أَنتَ ضِياها
I used to cleanse my eye with your face
Your smile used to console my worries
of its tarnish; you yourself were its light.
It was their echo, and you were their brilliance
وَهِيَand it اليَومtoday مِنthrough فِراقَكَseparation from you قَدindeed قَرّحهاhas wounded it
وَهِيَ اليَوم مِن فِراقَكَ قَد قَرّحها
دَمعَهاits tears وَخانَand betrayed كَراهاits sleep
دَمعَها وَخانَ كَراها
And today, through separation from you, it has been wounded
But now, from your absence, it has wounded them
by its tears, and its sleep has betrayed it.
Their tears and its hatred betrayed them
لاnot أَراهاI see it تَقرُّfinding rest مِنfrom بَعدِafter هَذاthis
لا أَراها تَقرُّ مِن بَعدِ هَذا
يامناهاO its desire حَتّىuntil أَراكَI see you تَراهاyou see it
يامناها حَتّى أَراكَ تَراها
I cannot see it finding rest after this,
I don't see them calming after this
O its desire, until I see you looking upon it.
Until I see you, their wish
لَمnot يُغادرhas left مِنof مُهجَتيmy heart الشَوقlonging مُذsince بَنdeparted (continued)
لَم يُغادر مِن مُهجَتي الشَوق مُذ بَن
تyou (verb suffix) وَشَطَand grew distant المزارthe meeting-place إِلّاexcept زَهاهاits outward form
ت وَشَطَ المزار إِلّا زَهاها
Longing has left nothing of my heart since you
Nothing remains of my love since you left
departed and the meeting-place grew distant, save its outward form.
Except its peak and its bloom
كُنتُI used to أَرجوhope عَلىdespite البُعادthe distance كِتاباًa letter
كُنتُ أَرجو عَلى البُعاد كِتاباً
مِنكَfrom you ياO سَيديmy master يبلُّmoistens صَداهاits thirst
مِنكَ يا سَيدي يبلُّ صَداها
Despite the distance, I had hoped for a letter
I hoped for a letter from you my master
from you, my master, to quench its thirst.
That would reach the echo of its call
ماnever تَرجتhoped نَفسيmy soul مِنamong الأَهلthe family مَنsomeone who يَعcares (continued)
ما تَرجت نَفسي مِن الأَهل مَن يَع
نيcompletion of 'cares' بِشَأنيfor my affairs إِلّاexcept وَكُنتَand you were رَجاهاits hope
ني بِشَأني إِلّا وَكُنتَ رَجاها
Whenever my soul hoped for a kinsman to
My soul hoped for no one but you
care for my affairs, you alone were its hope.
To care for my affairs
لَستُI am not أَرضىcontent بِأَنwith the fact that تَخيبshould fail ظُنونيmy expectations
لَستُ أَرضى بِأَن تَخيب ظُنوني
فيكَin you يَوماًever وَأَنتَand you are أَقصىthe utmost مُناهاits wishes
فيكَ يَوماً وَأَنتَ أَقصى مُناها
I will not accept that my hopes be disappointed
I won't be pleased if one day you fail
in you, even once, for you are my soul's utmost desire.
My hopes in you, their farthest aim
أَناI مثنpraising عَلىfor أَياديكyour benefactions مَولاlord (continued)
أَنا مثن عَلى أَياديك مَولا
يmy (possessive suffix) وَمثرand enriched مِنby وُجودِهاtheir presence وَنَداهاand their bounty
ي وَمثر مِن وُجودِها وَنَداها
I praise your benefactions, my lord,
I am folded in your hands, my Master
and am enriched by their presence and bounty.
Fruit of its existence and its boughs
وَمَتىand whenever ماever (emphasis) رَضيتُI were content مِنكَfrom you بِنذرwith a vow
وَمَتى ما رَضيتُ مِنكَ بِنذر
كُنتI would be دوناًbase وَكانَand would be وديmy love كَراهاhatred
كُنت دوناً وَكانَ ودي كَراها
And if ever I were content with a vow from you,
And whenever I was content with your promise
I would be base, and my love would be hatred.
I was base, though my love for you was loathing
Sol 6.1