ياO لَقَوميmy people, help! لِطُولِfor the length of هَذاthis العِتابreproach
يا لَقَومي لِطُولِ هَذا العِتاب
وَلِصَبريand for my endurance عَلىin الهَوىlove وَاِجتِنابيand my shunning
وَلِصَبري عَلى الهَوى وَاِجتِنابي
O my people, how long this reproach,
O my people, for how long will this estrangement last
And how I endure love, and how I shun
And my patience in love and avoiding it
مَنone who لَوif انَّthat الفُؤادَthe heart خُيِّرَwere given a choice يَوماًone day
مَن لَو انَّ الفُؤادَ خُيِّرَ يَوماً
بَينَهُbetween him صادِياًthirsting وَبَينَand between الشَرابِdrink
بَينَهُ صادِياً وَبَينَ الشَرابِ
One who, if the heart were given its choice one day,
Who, if the heart was given a choice one day
Thirsting, between him and a drink,
Between it longing and drinking alcohol
فيin سُمُومٍa scorching wind يَهِمُّis about to مِنfrom حَرِّهاits heat الثَوthe gar- (garment fragment)
في سُمُومٍ يَهِمُّ مِن حَرِّها الثَو
بُ-ment (garment completion) عُلىupon جِلدِthe skin of رَبِّهِits owner بِالتِهابِto blaze
بُ عُلى جِلدِ رَبِّهِ بِالتِهابِ
In a scorching wind whose heat almost sets the gar-
In poisons that cause blisters from their heat
ment ablaze upon its wearer's skin,
On the skin of its Lord in inflammation
كانَwould be أَهوىdearer إِلىto الفُؤادِthe heart وَأَشهىand more desired
كانَ أَهوى إِلى الفُؤادِ وَأَشهى
مِنthan جَنيthe harvest of النَحلِthe bees شِيبَwas mingled with صَوبَthe rain of السَحابِthe clouds
مِن جَني النَحلِ شِيبَ صَوبَ السَحابِ
Would be dearer to the heart and more desired
It would prefer to the heart and desire
Than the bees' harvest mingled with rain from the clouds,
More than the honeycomb the gray clouds rain
نَسَجَتهُwove it صَباًan east wind وَصَوبُand the rain of شَمالٍa north wind
نَسَجَتهُ صَباً وَصَوبُ شَمالٍ
لَيسَthere is not فيهِin it قَذىًa mote بِرُوسِat the heads of اللِصابِthe narrow ravines
لَيسَ فيهِ قَذىً بِرُوسِ اللِصابِ
Woven by an east wind and a north wind's rain,
Woven in youth and the blowing of north winds
With no mote in it, at the heads of the ravines.
With no motes in it by the heads of twigs
حالَbarred the way مِنfrom دُونِbefore مُلتَقاهُmeeting him مُنِيفٌa towering one
حالَ مِن دُونِ مُلتَقاهُ مُنِيفٌ
عارِمُfierce المُلتَقىin encounter أَزَلُّsmooth الحِجابِthe barrier
عارِمُ المُلتَقى أَزَلُّ الحِجابِ
A towering presence barred the way to meeting him,
Before meeting it a desolate exile
Fierce to encounter, with a smooth barrier.
Raging at the meeting and clearest of veils
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said إِذwhen وَقَفتُI stood حَزِيناًsorrowful
وَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذ وَقَفتُ حَزِيناً
وَدُمُوعيand my tears حَثيثَةُswift الإِنسِكابِin streaming
وَدُمُوعي حَثيثَةُ الإِنسِكابِ
And indeed I said, as I stood grieving,
And indeed I said when I stood sadly
While my tears were streaming swiftly:
With my tears copiously pouring down
أَيُّهاO القَصرُpalace ذُوpossessing الأَواسيfirm foundations وَذُوand possessing البُسthe gar- (garden fragment)
أَيُّها القَصرُ ذُو الأَواسي وَذُو البُس
تانِ-den (garden completion) أَعلىthe loftiest of القُصُورِthe palaces بَينَamong الظِرابِthe low hills
تانِ أَعلى القُصُورِ بَينَ الظِرابِ
O palace, with firm foundations and a gar-
O palace of terraces and gardens
den, loftiest of palaces among the low hills,
Highest of palaces between the hills
زانَكَmay He adorn you اللَهُGod بِالعِمارَةِwith flourishing habitation مِنهُfrom Him
زانَكَ اللَهُ بِالعِمارَةِ مِنهُ
وَوَقاكَand may He protect you المَليكُthe Sovereign وَشَكَthe imminence of الخَرابِruin
وَوَقاكَ المَليكُ وَشَكَ الخَرابِ
May God adorn you with flourishing from Him,
May God adorn you with buildings
And may the Sovereign protect you from impending ruin.
And may the King protect you from ruin
أَعلىupon (question) العَهدِthe pledge أَنتَyou أَمor حُلتَhave you changed بَعديafter me
أَعلى العَهدِ أَنتَ أَم حُلتَ بَعدي
كُلُّevery شَيءٍthing مَصِيرُهُits ultimate fate لِذَهابِto disappearance
كُلُّ شَيءٍ مَصِيرُهُ لِذَهابِ
Are you still true to the pledge, or have you changed in my absence?
Are you higher in glory or did you become after me
Everything's fate is to pass away.
Everything is destined for loss
قَدonce نَراهُwe would see it وَأَهلَهُand its people لَمhad not يَحُلُّواdeparted
قَد نَراهُ وَأَهلَهُ لَم يَحُلُّوا
آهِلاًinhabited مِنهُمُby them خَصِيبَfertile الجَنابِin its grounds
آهِلاً مِنهُمُ خَصِيبَ الجَنابِ
We once saw it, its people not yet gone,
We see it and its people did not settle
Inhabited by them, with fertile grounds.
Inhabited plentifully by the fertile of loins
لاno وَرَبِّby the Lord of المُكَبِّرينَthose proclaiming God's greatness بِجَمعٍat Jamʿ
لا وَرَبِّ المُكَبِّرينَ بِجَمعٍ
وَالمُنيخينَand those making their camels kneel بَعدَهُمafter them بِالحِصابِat al-Ḥiṣāb
وَالمُنيخينَ بَعدَهُم بِالحِصابِ
No—by the Lord of those proclaiming His greatness at Jamʿ,
No - by the Lord of those glorifying in throngs
And those who make their camels kneel after them at al-Ḥiṣāb,
And those wailing after them with gravel
لاnot يَحُولُturns away الفُؤادُthe heart عَنكَfrom you بِوُدٍّin affection
لا يَحُولُ الفُؤادُ عَنكَ بِوُدٍّ
أَبَداًever أَوunless يَحُولَchanges لَونُthe color of الغُرابِthe raven
أَبَداً أَو يَحُولَ لَونُ الغُرابِ
The heart will not turn its love away from you,
The heart does not turn from you in affection
Ever, unless the raven's color changes,
Ever, or the color of the raven changes
ماas long as ثَوىremains الصالِفُal-Ṣālif الجَمُوحُunyielding وَكانَتand were
ما ثَوى الصالِفُ الجَمُوحُ وَكانَت
بِنِطافِby the pools of العَرجَينِal-ʿArjayn حُمرُred القُبابِthe domes
بِنِطافِ العَرجَينِ حُمرُ القُبابِ
So long as unyielding al-Ṣālif stands, and
What the wild untamed horse carried
Red domes remain by the waters of al-ʿArjayn.
With the striking of the lame the red domes
Sol 6.1