وَلِلَّهِand to God ماhow هاجَتstirred لِتونِسَfor Tunis أَوبَتيmy return
وَلِلَّهِ ما هاجَت لِتونِسَ أَوبَتي
وَماand how هَمَلَتflowed مِنfor أَجلِهاher sake سُبلُstreams عَبرَتيmy tears
وَما هَمَلَت مِن أَجلِها سُبلُ عَبرَتي
God, how my urge to return to Tunis has stirred!
By Allah, my yearning for Tunis was not stirred,
And how the streams of my tears have flowed for her!
Nor were my tearful laments for her sake.
وَماand how هيَّجَتkindled أَشواقَهاlongings for her وَتأجَّجَتand blazed
وَما هيَّجَت أَشواقَها وَتأجَّجَت
وَماand not بَرِحَتceased تَزدادُincreasing فيin كُلِّevery لَحظَةِmoment
وَما بَرِحَت تَزدادُ في كُلِّ لَحظَةِ
And how it has kindled longing for her and burst into flame,
Her longing was not kindled, nor did it blaze,
And has never ceased to grow with every moment!
Nor did it increase at every moment.
وَقَدand indeed طالَماoften أَصلَتseared فُؤاديmy heart عَلىupon لَظىa blaze
وَقَد طالَما أَصلَت فُؤادي عَلى لَظى
فراقٍseparation أَليمٍpainful كَيto تُجَدّدَrenew مِحنَتيmy ordeal
فراقٍ أَليمٍ كَي تُجَدّدَ مِحنَتي
And indeed it has often seared my heart upon the blaze
My heart has often lamented the painful
Of painful separation, to renew my ordeal.
Separation, so my ordeal would be renewed.
وَماand not تُونِسٌTunis تَثنيturns عِنانيmy reins وَمَنnor those بِهاin it
وَما تُونِسٌ تَثني عِناني وَمَن بِها
وَلَكِنَّماbut rather بِئرُwell الحِجارِthe stones قَضيَّتيmy concern
وَلَكِنَّما بِئرُ الحِجارِ قَضيَّتي
It is not Tunis that turns my reins, nor those within it,
It is not Tunis that holds back my resolve or those in her,
But rather Bir al-Hijar is my concern.
But the Well of Stones has sealed my fate.
سَقىmay water اللَهُGod ذاكَthat الحَيّquarter صَوباًa downpour مِنَof الحَياrain
سَقى اللَهُ ذاكَ الحَيّ صَوباً مِنَ الحَيا
وَحَيّاand greeted حَياةَlife النَفسِthe soul طيبَsweetness تَحيَّةِa greeting
وَحَيّا حَياةَ النَفسِ طيبَ تَحيَّةِ
May God water that quarter with a downpour of life-giving rain,
May Allah water that good land with bounty,
And greet the life of the soul with a sweet salutation,
And greet the soul’s life with a gracious greeting.
وَخًصَّand singled out فِناءَcourtyard الحِبِّthe beloved دارَhouse مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad
وَخًصَّ فِناءَ الحِبِّ دارَ مُحَمَّدٍ
وَجادَand poured generously عَلَيهاupon it الصَوبُthe downpour لَكِنbut بِرَحمَةwith mercy
وَجادَ عَلَيها الصَوبُ لَكِن بِرَحمَة
And single out the beloved's courtyard, Muhammad's house.
May He single out the abode of love as Muhammad’s house,
And may the downpour fall abundantly upon it, but mercifully.
And shower it with blessings and mercy.
فَلِلَّهِso, to God ذاكَthat الظَبيُgazelle يَرتَعُgrazes حَولَهاaround it
فَلِلَّهِ ذاكَ الظَبيُ يَرتَعُ حَولَها
وَماand not راتِعٌgrazing إِلّاexcept بِجأشيon my heart وَمُهجَتيand my lifeblood
وَما راتِعٌ إِلّا بِجأشي وَمُهجَتي
God, what a gazelle that is, grazing around it!
For by Allah that gazelle grazes around it,
And it grazes on nothing but my heart and lifeblood.
And none graze but my vigor and strength.
فَياso, O سالِبَstealer الأَرواحِsouls حَتماًinevitably بِرِقَّةٍwith tenderness
فَيا سالِبَ الأَرواحِ حَتماً بِرِقَّةٍ
فَرُحماكَso, your mercy! رُحماكَyour mercy! الدَنيفَthe lovesick one بِعَطفَةِwith kindness
فَرُحماكَ رُحماكَ الدَنيفَ بِعَطفَةِ
So, O you who inevitably steal souls with tenderness,
O Gentle Taker of Souls, have mercy
Have mercy, mercy on the lovesick one, with a touch of kindness.
On the lowly, with kindness.
وَياand oh طالَماoften أَفنىspent فيin حُبِّكَlove for you روحَهَhis soul
وَيا طالَما أَفنى في حُبِّكَ روحَهَ
فَهَلso, will...? تَعِدَنyou promise مُضناكَyour languishing lover مِنكَfrom you بِرَوحَةِwith respite
فَهَل تَعِدَن مُضناكَ مِنكَ بِرَوحَةِ
And oh, how often he has spent his soul in loving you!
My soul has often wasted away in love of You,
Will you then promise your languishing lover some respite from you?
Can Your vexation spare it by gentleness?
فَتوصِلُso you reconnect مَقطوعَone cut off السُرورjoy بِأنسكُمthrough your companionship
فَتوصِلُ مَقطوعَ السُرور بِأنسكُم
وَتَجمَعَand you reunite مَفروقَone severed الوِصالِunion بِعِزمَةِwith firm resolve
وَتَجمَعَ مَفروقَ الوِصالِ بِعِزمَةِ
So reconnect the one cut off from joy through your companionship,
May your fellowship reunite the severed joy,
And, with firm resolve, reunite the one severed from union.
And your resolve bring together the parted union.
أَهديI offer سَلاماًa greeting طابَwas sweet نَشرُthe wafting عَبيرِهِits fragrance
أَهدي سَلاماً طابَ نَشرُ عَبيرِهِ
كَماjust as طابَwas sweet ذِكراكُمremembrance of you إِليَّto me بِصَفوَةwith purity
كَما طابَ ذِكراكُم إِليَّ بِصَفوَة
I offer a greeting whose fragrance wafts sweetly,
I send greetings of pure fragrance,
Just as remembering you is sweet to me in its purity.
As the mention of you is sweetly fragrant to me.
وَماand whenever جُدِّدَwas rekindled الشَوقُyearning الكَمينُhidden بِقَولِناby our saying
وَما جُدِّدَ الشَوقُ الكَمينُ بِقَولِنا
وَلِلَّهِand to God ماhow هاجَتstirred لِتونِسَfor Tunis أَوبَتيmy return
وَلِلَّهِ ما هاجَت لِتونِسَ أَوبَتي
And whenever hidden yearning is rekindled by our saying:
Our words have not renewed the latent longing—
God, how my urge to return to Tunis has stirred!
By Allah, my yearning for Tunis was not stirred.
Sol 6.1