تَرىyou see آثارَهُمtheir traces إِلّاnothing but أَمانيwishes
تَرى آثارَهُم إِلّا أَماني
طَلولاًruins بَعدَafter ماwhen كانَتthey were مَغانيdwellings
طَلولاً بَعدَ ما كانَت مَغاني
You see their traces as nothing but wishes—
Their traces I see nought but wishes
ruins that once were dwellings,
Desolate after what were revelries
كَأَلفاظٍlike words خَلَتbecame empty مِنof ساكِنيهاtheir inhabitants
كَأَلفاظٍ خَلَت مِن ساكِنيها
فَياso, oh شَوقيmy longing إِلىfor تِلكَthose المَعانيthe meanings
فَيا شَوقي إِلى تِلكَ المَعاني
like words emptied of their inhabitants.
Like words devoid of dwellers
Oh, my longing for those meanings!
So my longing for those meanings!
إِلَيهاto them عُدتُI returned ذاwith دَمعٍtears شُجاعٍbold
إِلَيها عُدتُ ذا دَمعٍ شُجاعٍ
أَعودُI turn بِهِwith them عَلىagainst صَبرٍpatience جَبانِcowardly
أَعودُ بِهِ عَلى صَبرٍ جَبانِ
To them I returned with bold tears,
To them I returned with brave tears
with which I assail a cowardly patience.
I return on patience coward
وَهَلand is there لِلمَرءِfor a person إلاanything but حَرُّheat نارٍfire
وَهَل لِلمَرءِ إلا حَرُّ نارٍ
إِذاif ماemphatic particle لَمnot يَنَلhe attains بَردَcoolness الجِنانِthe gardens of Paradise
إِذا ما لَم يَنَل بَردَ الجِنانِ
And has a man anything but the heat of fire
What's to man but heat of fire
if he does not attain the coolness of Paradise?
If he attains not the cool of gardens?
وَمَجلِسِand a gathering of لَذَّةٍpleasure قَلَّبتُI turned عَينيmy eye
وَمَجلِسِ لَذَّةٍ قَلَّبتُ عَيني
بِساحَتِهِacross its courtyard فَلَمand did not أَحمَدI praise عِيانيwhat I saw
بِساحَتِهِ فَلَم أَحمَد عِياني
And at a gathering of pleasure I swept my gaze
And a seat of bliss I turned my eye
across its courtyard, but did not like what I saw.
Upon its court but praised not my condition
وَلاand no ساقٍcupbearer بِهِin it إِلّاexcept عَذولٌa reproacher
وَلا ساقٍ بِهِ إِلّا عَذولٌ
سَقاهُmay He make him drink اللَهُGod مِمّاof what قَدalready سَقانيhe made me drink
سَقاهُ اللَهُ مِمّا قَد سَقاني
And no cupbearer was there but a reproacher;
Nor a comrade but for unfaithfulness
may God make him drink of what he made me drink!
May God give him of what he gave me!
عَذوليmy reproacher ماnot رَأَيتُكَI found you ليto me صَديقاًa friend
عَذولي ما رَأَيتُكَ لي صَديقاً
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle كانَis شَأنُكَyour concern غَيرَother than شانيmy concern
إِذا ما كانَ شَأنُكَ غَيرَ شاني
My reproacher, I have not found you a friend to me
My comrade, I saw you no true friend
when your concern is other than mine.
When your affair was other than mine
فَماso not هَذاthis مَكانَكَyour place مِنamong دِيارٍdwellings
فَما هَذا مَكانَكَ مِن دِيارٍ
عَرَفتَyou knew عَلىamong البِلادِthe lands بِهاin them مَكانيmy place
عَرَفتَ عَلى البِلادِ بِها مَكاني
So this is not your place, among dwellings
So what is this your place of lands
where, among the lands, you knew my place.
You knew the countries by it my place?
عَفَتvanished مِنfrom ناظِرِيَّmy two eyes فَماso not أَراهاI see them
عَفَت مِن ناظِرِيَّ فَما أَراها
وَعَفّانيand effaced me السَقامُsickness فَماso not تَرانيyou see me
وَعَفّاني السَقامُ فَما تَراني
They have vanished from my eyes, so I see them no more;
She turned away from myglance and I see her not
and sickness has effaced me, so you see me no more.
And sickness made me turn away so you see me not
وَذَكَّرَنيand reminded me وَلاand no وَالحُبِّby love أَنسىI forget
وَذَكَّرَني وَلا وَالحُبِّ أَنسى
عُهوداًbygone days غُصنُa bough of بانٍa bān tree غُصنَa bough of بانِa bān tree
عُهوداً غُصنُ بانٍ غُصنَ بانِ
And I was reminded—no, by love, I do not forget—
And it reminded me—no, by love I forget not—
of old days: a bān bough recalling another bān bough,
Trysts a Ghulshan branch, Ghulshan branch
وَرَوضاًand a garden مُسفِراًunveiling ليto me عَنof وُجوهِfaces
وَرَوضاً مُسفِراً لي عَن وُجوهِ
وَطَيراًand birds مُخبِراًtelling ليto me عَنof قِيانِsinging girls
وَطَيراً مُخبِراً لي عَن قِيانِ
and a garden unveiling faces to me,
And a garden revealing to me faces
and birds telling me of singing girls.
And birds informing me of dwellings
فَياso, oh لَيتَif only المَكانَthe place يَمُرُّpasses عَنّاaway from us
فَيا لَيتَ المَكانَ يَمُرُّ عَنّا
مُرورَthe passing of وَفاfidelity المَكانِthe place مِنَfrom الزَمانِtime
مُرورَ وَفا المَكانِ مِنَ الزَمانِ
Oh, if only the place would pass away from us
Would that time might pass upon us
as time's fidelity to the place has passed away.
Like the fidelity of place passing time
فَياso, oh عَجَباًhow strange لِفانٍat one who perishes مِنهُfrom it يَبكيhe weeps
فَيا عَجَباً لِفانٍ مِنهُ يَبكي
لِفانٍfor one who perishes فيكَin you يُضمِرُhe harbors غَيرَnot فانِperishing
لِفانٍ فيكَ يُضمِرُ غَيرَ فانِ
So how strange: a mortal of time weeps
What wonder in one who weeps for one who
for a mortal in you, harboring what never dies.
In you harbors other than caprice?
وَطَيِّand the fold of وَدائِعِtreasures of الخَطَراتِpassing thoughts وَجدٌyearning
وَطَيِّ وَدائِعِ الخَطَراتِ وَجدٌ
طَواهُfolded it away الذِكرُremembrance عَنهُمfrom them بَلrather طَوانِيit folded me
طَواهُ الذِكرُ عَنهُم بَل طَوانِي
And in the fold of thoughts' treasures lies a yearning
Wind up and deposit the perils, a grief
that remembrance folded away from them—no, it folded me.
Remembrance concealed them from me, no concealed me
يُقيمُit endures عَلىthrough الزَمانِtime وَلَوand even if تَقَضّىcame to an end
يُقيمُ عَلى الزَمانِ وَلَو تَقَضّى
مَدىthe span of عُمريmy life أَقامَit would endure بلاwithout زَمانِtime
مَدى عُمري أَقامَ بلا زَمانِ
It endures through time; and even if an end came
It stays over time, and if my life span
to my life's span, it would endure without time.
Were fulfilled, it would stay sans time
فَياso, oh نَدَميmy regret وَياand oh ظُلمَthe injustice of اللَياليthe nights
فَيا نَدَمي وَيا ظُلمَ اللَيالي
وَظُلميand my injustice اليَومَtoday فيin عَضِّbiting البَنانِthe fingertips
وَظُلمي اليَومَ في عَضِّ البَنانِ
Oh, my regret! Oh, the injustice of the nights!
So oh my regret and dark of nights
And my own injustice today in biting my fingertips!
And my darkness this day in youth of life!
Sol 6.1