قدindeed أجبناwe answered هواكlove for you لمّاwhen دعاناit called us
قد أجبنا هواك لمّا دعانا
وعَصيناand we disobeyed العذولَthe reproacher حينwhen نَهاناhe forbade us
وعَصينا العذولَ حين نَهانا
Indeed, we answered our love for you when it called us,
We obeyed your love when it called us,
and disobeyed the reproacher when he forbade us.
And disobeyed the blamers when they forbade us.
ووَردناand we drank مِنfrom بحرthe sea of حبكlove for you وَرداًa draught
ووَردنا مِن بحر حبك وَرداً
صافياًpure دونهbefore reaching it الكماةُarmored warriors تَفانَىperished
صافياً دونه الكماةُ تَفانَى
And we drank from the sea of love for you a draught,
We brought from the sea of your love a blossom,
pure, though armored warriors perished before reaching it.
Pure, above which the buds have withered.
وبذلْناand we offered up النّفوسَlives ثَمَّthere ولمand did not
وبذلْنا النّفوسَ ثَمَّ ولم
نَنْكلْwe shrink back ضراباًsword-blows منin دُونِهits defense وطِعاناand spear-thrusts
نَنْكلْ ضراباً من دُونِه وطِعانا
And we offered up our lives there, and did not
We sacrificed our souls, then never shirked,
flinch from sword-blows and spear-thrusts in its defense.
Striking without cease, and thrusting with spears.
واستَطَبْناand we found sweet طَعمَthe taste of المنونdeath عَلىfor the sake of
واستَطَبْنا طَعمَ المنون عَلى
ذاكthat كأنَّas though المنونَdeath فيهin it مُناناour wishes
ذاك كأنَّ المنونَ فيه مُنانا
And we found the taste of death sweet for
We favored the taste of death in your cause,
that cause, as though death therein were our desire.
As if death in it brings life.
كمhow often حَطَمناwe shattered علىon رُباكyour heights جهاراًopenly
كم حَطَمنا على رُباك جهاراً
تَارةًat one time صارماًa keen sword وطوراًand at another time سِناناa spearhead
تَارةً صارماً وطوراً سِنانا
How often upon your heights we openly shattered
How often for your sake, did we smash boldly,
now a keen sword, now a spearhead!
Sometimes with sword, another time with spear!
وَوَصَلْناand we reached إلىto حماكِyour sanctuary وصُلْناand we charged
وَوَصَلْنا إلى حماكِ وصُلْنا
صَوْلةٌan onslaught تتركُleaves الشجاعَthe brave man جباناa coward
صَوْلةٌ تتركُ الشجاعَ جبانا
And we reached your sanctuary and charged
We attained your sanctuary, and attained it,
with an onslaught that leaves the brave man a coward.
An ascent leaving the valiant craven.
ورأيناand we found صَعْبَdifficult الأُمورِmatters ذلولاًtractable
ورأينا صَعْبَ الأُمورِ ذلولاً
ربّmany a صَعبٍhardship علىfor المحبّينlovers هاناbecame easy
ربّ صَعبٍ على المحبّين هانا
And we found difficult matters tractable;
We saw harsh matters becoming smooth,
many a hardship became easy for lovers.
How many a rugged place seems gentle to lovers!
ياO زمانيmy time بحاجرٍat Ḥājir والمصلىّand al-Muṣallā
يا زماني بحاجرٍ والمصلىّ
وبواديand in the valley of النَّقاal-Naqā سُقيتَmay you be watered زماناa time
وبوادي النَّقا سُقيتَ زمانا
O my time at Ḥājir and al-Muṣallā,
O my era of ruins and praying place,
and in the valley of al-Naqā—may you be watered, O time!
In the valley of Al-Naqa you were watered for an age.
كمhow often عَمَرْناwe filled تلكَthose الرُّبَىhills بِالأَمانيwith wishes
كم عَمَرْنا تلكَ الرُّبَى بِالأَماني
إذwhen أخذْناwe took مِنfrom اللّياليthe nights أَمَاناa pledge of safety
إذ أخذْنا مِن اللّيالي أَمَانا
How often we filled those hills with wishes,
How long we populated those hills with hopes,
when we took from the nights a pledge of safety.
When we took surety from the nights for a time.
ونهضْناand we rose بلاwithout توانٍdelay وماand not
ونهضْنا بلا توانٍ وما
فازsucceeded بإدراكِin attaining سُؤلِهhis desire مَنْone who توانىdallied
فاز بإدراكِ سُؤلِه مَنْ توانى
And we rose without delay; never
We rose up at once and never flagged,
did one who dallied succeed in attaining his desire.
No procrastinator ever attained his wish.
وجَرَرْناand we trailed منof السّرورِjoy ذيولاًgarment trains
وجَرَرْنا من السّرورِ ذيولاً
وسَحَبْناand we dragged منof الهَنَاbliss أرداناsleeves
وسَحَبْنا من الهَنَا أردانا
And we trailed hems of joy,
We dragged behind us tails of joy,
and dragged sleeves of bliss,
And trailed from bliss overlong trains.
فيin رياضٍgardens قَدalready حاكتِwove السّحبthe clouds فيهاin them
في رياضٍ قَد حاكتِ السّحب فيها
مِنfrom مَناديلِthe kerchiefs of زَهْرهاtheir flowers أَلْواناcolors
مِن مَناديلِ زَهْرها أَلْوانا
in gardens where the clouds had woven
In meadows that mimicked the clouds,
colors from the kerchiefs of their flowers.
Weaving from its blossoms manifold hues.
ماnot رَضيْنَاwe were content مِنfrom بَعْدهنّafter them ربوعاًabodes
ما رَضيْنَا مِن بَعْدهنّ ربوعاً
لاno ولاnor بعدafter أهلِهاtheir people سكاناdwellers
لا ولا بعد أهلِها سكانا
We were content with no other abodes after them,
We approved of no meadow afterwards,
no, nor other dwellers after their people.
Neither its dwellers nor dwellings again.
ياO حلولاًdwellers بالسَّفحِon the lower slope منof شعبthe ravine of
يا حلولاً بالسَّفحِ من شعب
نَعمانNaʿmān سقىmay water صَيبُthe downpour of الحياrain نعماناNaʿmān
نَعمان سقى صَيبُ الحيا نعمانا
O dwellers on the lower slope of the ravine of
O sweet hours in the valley of Al-Shaab
Naʿmān—may the downpour of rain water Naʿmān!
Whose showers of bounty gave life meaning!
لمnot نَزَلْwe cease ذاكريremembering العُودَthe lute
لم نَزَلْ ذاكري العُودَ
فَهلso does ...? تخطرcrosses بالبَالِthe mind مِنكُمamong you ذِكراناremembrance of us
فَهل تخطر بالبَالِ مِنكُم ذِكرانا
We have never ceased remembering the lute;
We never ceased remembering the friendly campfire;
so does the memory of us cross any of your minds?
Does its memory, think you, ever recall us?
Sol 6.1