تَذَكّرhe recalled سَلمىSalma بَعدَafter ماthat حالَintervened دونهاbetween him and her
تَذَكّر سَلمى بَعدَ ما حالَ دونها
مِنَof النأيِthe distance ماwhat يُسليbrings forgetfulness فَهَلso, are ...? أَنتَyou صابِرُpatient
مِنَ النأيِ ما يُسلي فَهَل أَنتَ صابِرُ
He recalled Salma after there had come between him and her
Remember Salma after what prevented her
such distance as brings forgetfulness—can you be patient?
From being near made absence bearable, are you patient?
فَأَنتَfor you إِلىtoward سَلمىSalma تحِنُّyearn صَبابَةًardent longing
فَأَنتَ إِلى سَلمى تحِنُّ صَبابَةً
كَماjust as حَنَّyearned أُلافُbonded companions المَطِيِّthe riding-camels السَواجِرُthe plaintively moaning ones
كَما حَنَّ أُلافُ المَطِيِّ السَواجِرُ
For you yearn for Salma in ardent longing,
For you yearn for Salma like a young man
as the bonded, plaintively moaning riding-camels yearn.
As thousands of mounted camels yearned
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَدريknow قَبلهاbefore her أَنَّthat ذاone possessed of الهَوىlove
وَما كُنتُ أَدري قَبلها أَنَّ ذا الهَوى
يَزيدُgrows اشتِياقاًin longing أَنthat تَحِنَّmoan الأَباعِرُthe camels
يَزيدُ اشتِياقاً أَن تَحِنَّ الأَباعِرُ
Before her, I did not know that a lover
And I did not know before her that this passion
grows more longing when the camels moan.
Increases longing when camels yearn
أَلاah حَبَّذاhow dear سَلمىSalma الفؤادِof the heart وَحَبَّذاand how dear
أَلا حَبَّذا سَلمى الفؤادِ وَحَبَّذا
زيارَتُهاvisiting her لَوif only يُستَطاعُwere possible التَزاوُرُvisiting one another
زيارَتُها لَو يُستَطاعُ التَزاوُرُ
Ah, how dear is the heart’s Salma, and how dear
Oh how wonderful Salma is to the heart and how wonderful
visiting her—if only we could visit one another!
Her visit would be if we could visit each other
لَقَدindeed بَخِلَتshe was miserly بِالودِّwith affection حَتّىuntil كأَنَّهاas though she were
لَقَد بَخِلَت بِالودِّ حَتّى كأَنَّها
خَليلُan intimate friend صَفاءٍsincerity غَيَّبَتهُhid him away المَقابِرُthe graves
خَليلُ صَفاءٍ غَيَّبَتهُ المَقابِرُ
She has indeed been miserly with affection, until she seems like
She was stingy with affection as if she were
a sincere friend whom the graves have hidden away.
A sincere friend the graves took away
فَإِنso if أَكُI am قَدindeed وَدَّعتُهاI bade her farewell وَهَجَرتُهاand I left her
فَإِن أَكُ قَد وَدَّعتُها وَهَجَرتُها
فَماso not عَنfrom تَقالٍmutual aversion كانَwas ذاكَthat التَهاجُرُmutual estrangement
فَما عَن تَقالٍ كانَ ذاكَ التَهاجُرُ
So if I have bidden her farewell and left her,
So if I bid her farewell and shunned her
that estrangement was not born of mutual aversion.
It was not out of resentment that I shunned her
أَلاah لَيتَif only أَنّاthat we لَمnot نَكُنwe were قَبلُbefore جيرَةًneighbors
أَلا لَيتَ أَنّا لَم نَكُن قَبلُ جيرَةً
جَميعاًtogether أَلاah ياoh لَيتَif only دامَlasted التَجاوُرُliving as neighbors
جَميعاً أَلا يا لَيتَ دامَ التَجاوُرُ
Ah, if only we had not previously been neighbors
Oh, if only we had never been neighbors before
together! Oh, if only our life as neighbors had lasted!
Oh, if only cohabitation had lasted
إِذاwhenever رُمتُI sought عَنهاaway from her سَلوَةًforgetfulness قالَsaid شافِعٌan intercessor
إِذا رُمتُ عَنها سَلوَةً قالَ شافِعٌ
مِنَfrom الحُبِّlove ميعادُthe appointed meeting السُلوِّforgetfulness المَقابِرُthe graves
مِنَ الحُبِّ ميعادُ السُلوِّ المَقابِرُ
Whenever I seek to forget her, an intercessor says
When I seek solace from her, a mediator of love says
from love: 'The rendezvous with forgetfulness is in the graves.'
The tryst of solace is the graves
سَتَبقىwill remain لَهاfor her فيin مُضمَرthe hidden recess القَلبِof the heart والحَشاand the bosom
سَتَبقى لَها في مُضمَر القَلبِ والحَشا
سَريرَةُa secret ودٍّaffection يَومَon the day تُبلىare laid bare السَرائِرُthe secrets
سَريرَةُ ودٍّ يَومَ تُبلى السَرائِرُ
There will remain for her, deep within the heart and bosom,
She will keep for her in the mind's fold and the soul's intimacy
a secret affection, on the day when secrets are laid bare.
A secret affection the day secrets perish
وَكُلُّand every خَليطٍclose companion لاno مَحالَةَescape أنَّهُthat he
وَكُلُّ خَليطٍ لا مَحالَةَ أنَّهُ
إِلىto فُرقَةٍseparation يَوماًone day مِنَof الدَهرِtime صائِرُbound to come
إِلى فُرقَةٍ يَوماً مِنَ الدَهرِ صائِرُ
And every close companion—there is no doubt that he
And every mixture inevitably
will one day, in the course of time, come to parting.
One day in fate headed towards separation
وَمَنand whoever يَحذَرِfears الأَمرَthe event الَّذيwhich هوَit واقِعٌis certain to happen
وَمَن يَحذَرِ الأَمرَ الَّذي هوَ واقِعٌ
يُصِبهُwill befall him وَإِنand even if لَمnot يَهوَهُhe desires it ماwhat يُحاذِرُhe fears
يُصِبهُ وَإِن لَم يَهوَهُ ما يُحاذِرُ
And whoever fears the event that is certain to happen,
And whoever fears what will inevitably happen
what he fears will befall him, even if he does not desire it.
It befalls him even if he does not fear it
Sol 6.1