قدindeed دَعَوْتُكَI called to you بالأَشْجَانْwith sorrows
قد دَعَوْتُكَ بالأَشْجَانْ
فَكُنْso be مُجيبْresponsive
فَكُنْ مُجيبْ
I have called to you with my sorrows,
I have called upon you with yearning,
so answer me.
So answer me,
وانتزحتُand I went far away عنfrom الأوطانthe homelands
وانتزحتُ عن الأوطان
وَبُحَّand grew hoarse الغريبthe stranger
وَبُحَّ الغريب
And I have gone far from home,
And I have departed from homelands,
and the stranger has grown hoarse.
And the stranger’s cry emerged,
وماand not حَدَثَhas occurred مِنany سُلْوانsolace
وما حَدَثَ مِن سُلْوان
علىupon الكئيبthe sorrowful one
على الكئيب
And no solace has come
And what grief occurred,
to the sorrowful one.
To the melancholic heart,
فواحَرَبَso alas for قلبِthe heart of الشَّجيّthe sorrowful one
فواحَرَبَ قلبِ الشَّجيّ
مِنْهof it بَرِيّfree
مِنْه بَرِيّ
Alas for the anguish of the grieving heart!
Made it flee from him,
He is untouched by it.
I do not break the covenant,
لاnot أنْقُضُI break العهداthe pledge
لا أنْقُضُ العهدا
إنّيindeed I وَفِيّfaithful
إنّي وَفِيّ
I will not break the pledge;
I am faithful.
indeed, I am faithful.
Arrows of separation, O life,
سهامُarrows of بَيْنٍseparation ياO عُمَرْUmar
سهامُ بَيْنٍ يا عُمَرْ
أَقْصَدْنَthey have mortally struck عَبْدَكْyour servant
أَقْصَدْنَ عَبْدَكْ
The arrows of parting, O Umar,
Aim for your servant,
have struck your servant down.
So tell me how can I have patience,
فقلْso tell ليme كيفَhow أصْبِرْI endure
فقلْ لي كيفَ أصْبِرْ
والقلبُand the heart عندكwith you
والقلبُ عندك
So tell me how I can endure,
While my heart is with you.
while my heart is with you.
If only fate,
أماindeed لَوْif سَاقَbrought القَدَرfate
أما لَوْ سَاقَ القَدَر
ماwhat ساقَit brought بَعْدَكafter your departure
ما ساقَ بَعْدَك
Indeed, if fate should bring
Had not done what it did after you,
what it brought after your departure,
I would fulfil the pledge,
سأَقضيI shall perish أناI الرَّمِيّthe target
سأَقضي أنا الرَّمِيّ
ولاand no قِسيّbows
ولا قِسيّ
I shall perish—I, the target—
And no severity,
though there are no bows.
To separation, if it challenged,
للبينِfor separation إنif حَدَاit chants to drive camels
للبينِ إن حَدَا
أناI المطيّthe riding camels
أنا المطيّ
If separation sings the camel-driver's song,
I am the prepared one.
I am its camel-train.
If the rain poured down,
إنif جادَpours bountifully القطرُthe rain فيupon رَسْمِa ruined trace
إن جادَ القطرُ في رَسْمِ
أخْلافَudders عَهْدِهْof its covenant
أخْلافَ عَهْدِهْ
If rain pours bountifully on a ruined trace,
As in its decree,
from the udders of its covenant,
It would water the abode of its outpouring,
رماهُcast it down جائرُunjust الحكمِin judgment
رماهُ جائرُ الحكمِ
منfrom بعدafter شَدِّهْits strengthening
من بعد شَدِّهْ
an unjust arbiter cast it down
Then a guardian would replace a guardian,
after it had been made firm.
Loyal to it.
يسقيwaters وابلُthe downpour of الوسميthe first autumn rain
يسقي وابلُ الوسمي
ديارَthe dwellings of رِفْدِهْhis bounty
ديارَ رِفْدِهْ
May the first autumn downpour water
Passion gifted me longing,
the dwellings of his bounty.
While it was sincere.
ثمthen الوليthe later rain يتلىis followed وليّa friend
ثم الولي يتلى وليّ
بهاin them صفيّa true companion
بها صفيّ
Then may the later rain be followed; a friend
I do not cease the mention,
is there, a true companion,
Of that time,
أهدىbestowed إليَّupon me الوجداlonging
أهدى إليَّ الوجدا
وهوwhile he خَلِيّuntroubled by love
وهو خَلِيّ
who bestowed longing upon me,
For in my face and mouth,
while he is untroubled by love.
Are two impairments.
لستُI am not أنفكُّI cease عَنْfrom ذِكْرِremembering
لستُ أنفكُّ عَنْ ذِكْرِ
ذاthis الزمانْtime
ذا الزمانْ
I never cease remembering
I avert my gaze towards the full moon,
that time,
And blink,
إذْwhen ليَfor me فيin الوجهthe face والثغرِand the mouth
إذْ ليَ في الوجه والثغرِ
مُعَلّلانْtwo sources of solace
مُعَلّلانْ
when in the face and the mouth I had
So this one winks, and that one winks,
two sources of solace.
And the saliva flows.
أجيلُI let roam الطرْفَthe gaze فيover بدْرِa full moon
أجيلُ الطرْفَ في بدْرِ
وَأقْحوانْand daisies
وَأقْحوانْ
I let my gaze roam over a full moon
But the fervour of roses,
and daisies.
Is a disobedient glance.
فذاso this جَنِيripe fruit وذاand this جَنِيّripe fruit
فذا جَنِي وذا جَنِيّ
والريقand the saliva رِيّa thirst-quencher
والريق رِيّ
So this is ripe, and that is ripe,
Many yearnings of love,
and the saliva quenches thirst.
Yearned for him,
لكنbut حَمَىguarded الورداthe rose
لكن حَمَى الوردا
طَرْفٌa gaze أبيّunyielding
طَرْفٌ أبيّ
But the rose was guarded
The longing of passion, and no sympathy,
by an unyielding gaze.
For what it yearned.
ربَّmany a مُدْنَفَةٍan ailing woman عِشْقَاfrom love
ربَّ مُدْنَفَةٍ عِشْقَا
إليهfor him حَنّتْshe yearned
إليه حَنّتْ
Many a woman wasted by love
If it did not encounter what it encountered,
yearned for him.
It would not have sung.
أكنَّتِshe concealed الشوقlonging ولاand no رفقاgentleness
أكنَّتِ الشوق ولا رفقا
لماfor what أَكَنَّتْshe concealed
لما أَكَنَّتْ
She hid her longing, with no mercy
His excuse is clear, and the bashfulness in me,
for what she hid.
Fears the cover.
لوif لمdid not تلقَshe experienced الذيwhat تلقىshe experiences
لو لم تلقَ الذي تلقى
لماthen not تَغَنتْshe sang
لما تَغَنتْ
Had she not suffered what she suffers,
Whoever’s glance challenged, and the noble one,
she would not have sung.
عُذْرُهhis excuse جَلِيْclear وبيand I am enamored of رُشَيّa little gazelle
عُذْرُه جَلِيْ وبي رُشَيّ
هابَfeared الكَمِيّthe armored warrior
هابَ الكَمِيّ
His excuse is clear, and I am enamored of a little gazelle.
The armored warrior feared
منْfrom لحظهhis glance حَدّاan edge والمَشْرَفِيّand the Mashrafi sword
منْ لحظه حَدّا والمَشْرَفِيّ
the edge of his glance—and so did the Mashrafi sword.
Partial English translation: 45 of 49 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1