أَجيرانَناO our neighbors أَمّاas for أَحاديثُthe tales ذِكرِكُمremembrance of you
أَجيرانَنا أَمّا أَحاديثُ ذِكرِكُم
فَماso not هِيَthey إِلّاexcept لِلعُيونِfor the eyes مَفاتحُkeys
فَما هِيَ إِلّا لِلعُيونِ مَفاتحُ
O our neighbors, as for the tales that recall you,
Our neighbours, though talk of you
they are nothing but keys to the eyes.
Is but keys for eyes to see through,
وَذِكرُكُمُand remembrance of you تَحتَbeneath الدُجُنَّةِnight's gloom غابِقٌserving an evening draught
وَذِكرُكُمُ تَحتَ الدُجُنَّةِ غابِقٌ
كَماjust as أَنَّهُit is تَحتَbeneath الصَبيحَةِthe morning صابِحُserving a morning draught
كَما أَنَّهُ تَحتَ الصَبيحَةِ صابِحُ
And remembrance of you in night's gloom serves an evening draught,
And your mention in the darkness
just as in the morning it serves a morning draught.
Is like the dawn beneath the abyss.
وَمُستَعظِمٍand one deeming immense وَجديmy longing الَّذيwhich هُوَit ظاهِرٌvisible
وَمُستَعظِمٍ وَجدي الَّذي هُوَ ظاهِرٌ
وَأَعظَمُand greater مِنهُthan it ماwhat تَضُمُّenfold الجَوانِحُthe ribs
وَأَعظَمُ مِنهُ ما تَضُمُّ الجَوانِحُ
And many a one deems my visible longing immense,
My passion which is overt
yet greater than it is what the ribs enfold.
Is less than that my heart does keep,
رِياحُwinds زَفيرٍof sighing لِلدُموعِfor the tears لَوافِحٌscorching blasts
رِياحُ زَفيرٍ لِلدُموعِ لَوافِحٌ
وَماand not هِيَthey إِلّاexcept لِلقُلوبِfor the hearts لَوائِحُsigns
وَما هِيَ إِلّا لِلقُلوبِ لَوائِحُ
Winds of sighing scorch the tears,
Winds of sighing for tears given access
and they are nothing but signs for the hearts.
Are but revealers of hearts that weep.
وَعِنديand with me وَقَدand already فَارَقتُكُمI parted from you كُلُّevery زَفرَةٍsigh
وَعِندي وَقَد فَارَقتُكُم كُلُّ زَفرَةٍ
تُمِلُّdictate بِهاthrough it الأَشجانُthe sorrows وَالسِرُّand the secret شارِحُexplaining
تُمِلُّ بِها الأَشجانُ وَالسِرُّ شارِحُ
And since I parted from you, with me is every sigh
Now from you separated, with every gasp
through which sorrows dictate, while the secret explains.
I fill branches with it, and mystery laid bare,
لَقَدindeed مَنَحَhas bestowed الحِصنُthe fortress الَّذيwhich هُوَit مانِعٌbarring
لَقَد مَنَحَ الحِصنُ الَّذي هُوَ مانِعٌ
كَماjust as مَنَعَit barred الدَهرَTime الَّذيwhich هُوَit مانِحُbestowing
كَما مَنَعَ الدَهرَ الَّذي هُوَ مانِحُ
The fortress that bars has indeed bestowed,
The fortress granted, being preventive,
just as it has barred Time, which bestows.
As fate granted, being giving there.
سَلامٌpeace عَلَيكُمupon you إِنَّindeed قَلبِيَmy heart دارُكُمyour dwelling
سَلامٌ عَلَيكُم إِنَّ قَلبِيَ دارُكُم
أَقَرَّhas acknowledged بِهاto it وَالدَمعُand the tears ساقٍa giver of drink وَسافِحُand a pourer
أَقَرَّ بِها وَالدَمعُ ساقٍ وَسافِحُ
Peace be upon you; my heart is your dwelling.
Peace on you, my heart being your abode
It has acknowledged this, while tears give drink and pour forth.
With it verified, and tears pouring unfurled,
وَماand not هُوَit إِلّاexcept أَنَّthat قَلبِيَmy heart طائِرٌflying
وَما هُوَ إِلّا أَنَّ قَلبِيَ طائِرٌ
وَماand not هُوَit إِلّاexcept أنَّthat لُبِّيَmy reason طائِحُfalling
وَما هُوَ إِلّا أنَّ لُبِّيَ طائِحُ
And it is simply that my heart is flying,
It being but that my heart's a bird in flight,
and it is simply that my reason is falling.
It being but that my heart's distraught and whirled.
وَماand not الغَيثُthe rain إِلّاexcept مِنfrom دُموعيَmy tears ساكِبٌpouring
وَما الغَيثُ إِلّا مِن دُموعيَ ساكِبٌ
وَلاnor الرَعدُthe thunder إِلّاexcept مِنfrom حَنينِيَmy longing نائِحُwailing
وَلا الرَعدُ إِلّا مِن حَنينِيَ نائِحُ
And rain only pours from my tears,
The rain's but from my pouring tears,
and thunder only wails from my longing.
The thunder but my yearning's cries,
وَلاnor العُمرُlife إِلّاexcept مِنof أَسىًsorrow مُتَراكِمٍaccumulated
وَلا العُمرُ إِلّا مِن أَسىً مُتَراكِمٍ
وَلاnor البَرقُthe lightning إِلّاexcept مِنfrom زَفيرِيَmy sighing لامِحُflashing
وَلا البَرقُ إِلّا مِن زَفيرِيَ لامِحُ
And life is nothing but accumulated sorrow,
Life but from accumulated sorrows,
and lightning only flashes from my sighing.
The lightning but my glance that vies.
أَقولُI say لَهُto him صَفحاًpardon وَإِنand even if كانَhe was مُذنِباًguilty
أَقولُ لَهُ صَفحاً وَإِن كانَ مُذنِباً
فَياso O عَجَباًa wonder مِنat مُذنِبٍa guilty one هُوَhe صافِحُa pardoner
فَيا عَجَباً مِن مُذنِبٍ هُوَ صافِحُ
I say to him, 'Pardon me,' though he is guilty;
I say to him, "Goodbye," though he's done wrong,
how strange—a guilty one who pardons!
How strange is a wrongdoer who shows grace!
أَأَحبابَناO our beloved ones إِنif كُنتُI have been لِلنَفسِof the soul خاسِراًa loser
أَأَحبابَنا إِن كُنتُ لِلنَفسِ خاسِراً
عَلَيكُمfor your sake فَإِنّيthen indeed I بَعدَafter ذاكَthat رابِحُa gainer
عَلَيكُم فَإِنّي بَعدَ ذاكَ رابِحُ
O our beloved ones, if I have lost my own soul
My loved ones, if I'm of soul loser,
for your sake, then afterward I am a gainer.
To you I'm, after that, winner in place.
تَمَدّونَyou draw out مِنّيfrom me الذَنبَthe fault وَالذَنبُand the fault كامِنٌhidden
تَمَدّونَ مِنّي الذَنبَ وَالذَنبُ كامِنٌ
وَتَعمَونَand you are blind دونَto العُذرِthe excuse وَالعُذرُand the excuse لائِحُplain
وَتَعمَونَ دونَ العُذرِ وَالعُذرُ لائِحُ
You draw the fault out of me, though the fault lies hidden,
You take from me sin, while sin's innate,
and you are blind to the excuse, though the excuse is plain.
And you're blind to excuse, though excuse's light,
وَإِنand if طَرَدَتنيdrove me away عَنfrom ذُراكُمُyour heights طَوارِدٌbanishing forces
وَإِن طَرَدَتني عَن ذُراكُمُ طَوارِدٌ
فَماso not أَناI مِنfrom خَوفِfear المَذَلَّةِhumiliation بارِحُdeparting
فَما أَنا مِن خَوفِ المَذَلَّةِ بارِحُ
And though banishing forces drive me from your heights,
If dangers expel me from being with you,
I will not depart for fear of humiliation.
I won't leave for fear of the stigma's blight.
وَإِنand if قَرَّبَتنيbrought me near الدارُthe dwelling مِنكُمto you وَأَكثَبَتand drew close
وَإِن قَرَّبَتني الدارُ مِنكُم وَأَكثَبَت
فَإِنّيthen indeed I مَعَwith الحِرمانِdeprivation مِنكُمof you لَنازِحُtruly far away
فَإِنّي مَعَ الحِرمانِ مِنكُم لَنازِحُ
And though the dwelling brings me near you and draws close,
If the house brought me close to you and gathered,
deprived of you, I am nonetheless truly far away.
I with deprivation of you will fight.
فَياso O مَنyou who يَغيبُvanishes الحُبُّlove بيwith me وَهوَwhile he is حاضِرٌpresent
فَيا مَن يَغيبُ الحُبُّ بي وَهوَ حاضِرٌ
وَياand O مَنyou who يَجِدُّgrows earnest الوَجدُlonging بيin me وَهوَwhile he is مازِحُjesting
وَيا مَن يَجِدُّ الوَجدُ بي وَهوَ مازِحُ
O you whose love carries me away while you are present,
So you whom love is absent, yet present for me,
and you for whom longing is earnest in me while you jest,
You whom passion is true, yet jesting in slight.
إِلىto اللَهِGod تَشكوthey complain ماwhat تُلاقيهِthey suffer it مِنكُمُfrom you
إِلى اللَهِ تَشكو ما تُلاقيهِ مِنكُمُ
جَوانِحُribs قَدindeed صُحِّفنَwere miswritten فَهيَso they are جَوائِحُcalamities
جَوانِحُ قَد صُحِّفنَ فَهيَ جَوائِحُ
to God they complain of what they suffer from you:
To God I complain of what I get from you,
ribs whose lettering was corrupted, so they are calamities.
Wings falsified and so they are blights.
إِلَيكَaway with you فَماfor not الأَفكارُthe thoughts إِلّاexcept مَعارِكٌbattlefields
إِلَيكَ فَما الأَفكارُ إِلّا مَعارِكٌ
وَماand not هَذِهِthese الأَشجانُsorrows إِلّاexcept صَفائِحُsword-blades
وَما هَذِهِ الأَشجانُ إِلّا صَفائِحُ
Away with you—for thoughts are nothing but battlefields,
To you - thoughts are but battles,
and these sorrows are nothing but sword-blades.
These sorrows are but lethal smites.
وَإِلّاand otherwise فَماthen what باليmy condition وَلَمand not أَحضُرِI attended الوَغىbattle
وَإِلّا فَما بالي وَلَم أَحضُرِ الوَغى
تُضَمُّare folded عَلىover هَذيِthese الجُروحِwounds الجَوارِحُthe limbs
تُضَمُّ عَلى هَذيِ الجُروحِ الجَوارِحُ
Otherwise, why, though I have not entered battle,
Else why am I not present in the fray
are my limbs folded around these wounds?
To bandage these wounds which my sides blight?
وَياand O صاحِبِيَّmy two companions الصاحِبَينِthe two accompanying ones أَرىI see الهَوىpassion
وَيا صاحِبِيَّ الصاحِبَينِ أَرى الهَوى
مُداماًwine وَمِنهُand from it غابِقٌan evening cupbearer لِيَfor me صابِحُa morning cupbearer
مُداماً وَمِنهُ غابِقٌ لِيَ صابِحُ
And O my two companions who keep me company, I see passion
My friend, friend of two, I see passion
as wine; its evening cupbearer serves me in the morning too.
Perennial, from it covers the day's first light.
وَإِلّاand otherwise فَماthen what باليmy condition وَلَمand not أُسقَI was given to drink خَمرَةًwine
وَإِلّا فَما بالي وَلَم أُسقَ خَمرَةً
أَبَيتُI spend the night كَأَنّيas though I مِنهُfrom it سَكرانُdrunk طافِحُutterly intoxicated
أَبَيتُ كَأَنّي مِنهُ سَكرانُ طافِحُ
Otherwise, why, though I have been given no wine,
Else why am I not drinking a draft
do I spend the night as though utterly drunk on it?
I'd pretend from it to be drunk uptight?
وَماand not ذِكرُكُمremembrance of you لِلرَكبِfor the caravan إِلّاexcept تَعِلَّةٌa solace
وَما ذِكرُكُم لِلرَكبِ إِلّا تَعِلَّةٌ
يُراحُis refreshed بِهاthrough it مِنهُنَّamong them غادٍa morning traveler وَرائِحُand an evening traveler
يُراحُ بِها مِنهُنَّ غادٍ وَرائِحُ
And remembrance of you is only a solace for the caravan,
Your mention to trav'llers is but pretext
refreshing those among them who travel at morning and evening.
To comfort them, departing and light.
وَإِلّاand otherwise فَماthen what بالُis the matter with المَطِيِّthe mounts وَلَمand not تُرَحthey were rested
وَإِلّا فَما بالُ المَطِيِّ وَلَم تُرَح
أَثابَrecovered بِهاthrough it مُعيِيthe weary among المَطِيِّthe mounts وَرازِحُand the utterly spent
أَثابَ بِها مُعيِي المَطِيِّ وَرازِحُ
Otherwise, why, though the mounts have not been rested,
Else why is my steed not comforted
have their weary and utterly spent recovered through it?
My tired steed by its trotting plight?
Sol 6.1