ياO عَبرَتيmy tear هَذِهِthese الأَطلالُthe ruins وَالدِّمَنُand the campsite traces
يا عَبرَتي هَذِهِ الأَطلالُ وَالدِّمَنُ
فَماso what اِنتِظارُكِyour waiting سيليflow فَهيَfor they are ليfor me وَطَنُa home
فَما اِنتِظارُكِ سيلي فَهيَ لي وَطَنُ
O my tear, these are the ruins and the traces of old camps.
My ruin, these remnants and ashes
Then why wait? Flow, for they are home to me.
Why do you await the flood, for this is my homeland
لَمnot أَلقَI found قَبلَbefore ابنَةِthe daughter of السَّعديِّal-Saʿdi ليfor me سَكَناًa comforting beloved
لَم أَلقَ قَبلَ ابنَةِ السَّعديِّ لي سَكَناً
يَكادُalmost يَلفِظُcasts out روحيmy soul بَعدَهُafter him البَدَنُthe body
يَكادُ يَلفِظُ روحي بَعدَهُ البَدَنُ
Before al-Saʿdi’s daughter, I had never found a beloved
Never before did I find rest in the daughter of Sa'd
after whose departure my body almost casts out my soul.
My soul nearly departs my body after her
تَلَفَّتَturned القَلبُthe heart نَحوَالرَّكبِtoward the caravan حينَwhen ثَنىturned aside
تَلَفَّتَ القَلبُ نَحوَالرَّكبِ حينَ ثَنى
عَنِfrom التأَمُّلِgazing intently طَرْفِيmy gaze دَمعِيَmy tears الهَتِنُsteadily pouring
عَنِ التأَمُّلِ طَرْفِي دَمعِيَ الهَتِنُ
My heart turned toward the caravan as my gaze was turned
My heart turned towards the caravan when
away from watching by my streaming tears.
My eyes turned from contemplation, my tears seduced me
غَدواthey set out early وَماand not yet فَلَقَcleft الإِصباحَthe dawn فالِقُهُthe one who cleaves it
غَدوا وَما فَلَقَ الإِصباحَ فالِقُهُ
فاللَيلُso the night لِلنّاسِfor people غَيريexcept me بَعدَهُمafter their departure سَكَنُrepose
فاللَيلُ لِلنّاسِ غَيري بَعدَهُم سَكَنُ
They set out before the one who cleaves the dawn had cleft it.
Tomorrow, though the dawn has not yet cracked its dawn
So, since they left, night brings repose to everyone but me.
The night for people other than me is home after them
فيin القُربِnearness وَالبُعدِand distance ماليI have no مِنهُمُfrom them فَرَجٌrelief
في القُربِ وَالبُعدِ مالي مِنهُمُ فَرَجٌ
فالوَجدُfor love’s anguish إِنif نَزلواthey encamp والشَّوقُand longing إِنif ظَعَنواthey depart
فالوَجدُ إِن نَزلوا والشَّوقُ إِن ظَعَنوا
Whether near or far, I find no relief from them:
Whether near or far I have no relief from them
For there is love’s anguish if they encamp, and longing if they depart.
Longing if they settle, and yearning if they journey
وَقَدand indeed سَكَنتُI have found solace إِلىin الأَخبارِthe news بَعدَهُمُafter their departure
وَقَد سَكَنتُ إِلى الأَخبارِ بَعدَهُمُ
وَعِنديand with me المُزعِجانِthe two tormentors الذِّكرُremembrance وَالحَزَنُand sorrow
وَعِندي المُزعِجانِ الذِّكرُ وَالحَزَنُ
And since they left, I have taken comfort in news of them,
And I had settled for news of them after their departure
while with me are the two tormentors: remembrance and sorrow.
While the two disquieters for me are memory and sadness
والأُذنُand the ear تَسمَعُهاhears it وَالقَلبُand the heart يَصحَبُهُمaccompanies them
والأُذنُ تَسمَعُها وَالقَلبُ يَصحَبُهُم
وَأَنتِand you ياO عَينُeye لاnot يَعتادُكِvisits you الوَسَنُdrowsiness
وَأَنتِ يا عَينُ لا يَعتادُكِ الوَسَنُ
And the ear hears that news, while the heart accompanies them.
My ear hears them and my heart accompanies them
And you, O eye—drowsiness never visits you.
While you, oh eye, are not accustomed to drowsiness
فَلَيتَso if only حَظَّكِyour share مِنهُمof them مِثلُlike حظِّهِماthe share of those two
فَلَيتَ حَظَّكِ مِنهُم مِثلُ حظِّهِما
ماnot آفَةُthe bane of العَينِthe eye إِلّاexcept القَلبُthe heart والأُذنُand the ear
ما آفَةُ العَينِ إِلّا القَلبُ والأُذنُ
If only your share of them were like the share of those two!
If only your fortune with them were like that of the heart and ear
The eye’s only bane is the heart and the ear.
No affliction of the eye but the heart and ear
Sol 6.1