خليقٌfit أَنto يطيرَfly إلىto مَسِنْياMasinya
خليقٌ أَن يطيرَ إلى مَسِنْيا
فؤادٌa heart ليتهwould that it قدalready كانَhad طاراflown
فؤادٌ ليته قد كانَ طارا
Fit to fly to Masinya
My heart longs to fly to Masinya
Is a heart—would that it had already flown!
If only it could take wing and soar
خليقٌfit أَنto يطيرَfly إلىto مَسِنْياMasinya
خليقٌ أَن يطيرَ إلى مَسِنْيا
وقاطِنهاand her dweller اشتياقاًout of longing وادّكاراand remembrance
وقاطِنها اشتياقاً وادّكارا
Fit to fly to Masinya
My heart longs to fly to Masinya
And her dweller, in longing and remembrance,
And dwell there, yearning and in awe
وَيُلْقِيand it lays down فيin مغانيهاher dwellings عَصَاهُits staff
وَيُلْقِي في مغانيها عَصَاهُ
ويتخذُand it takes الديارَthe dwellings بهاin her دياراas a home
ويتخذُ الديارَ بها ديارا
And lay down its staff amid her dwellings,
To cast its staff among its meadows
And make the dwellings there its home.
And make that land its home once more
أمامَbefore الغيثِthe rain يلعبُit plays فيon رباهاher hills
أمامَ الغيثِ يلعبُ في رباها
ويخلعُand it casts off فيin ملاعِبهاher fields of play العذاراthe bridle
ويخلعُ في ملاعِبها العذارا
Before the rain, it frolics on her hills,
Before the rain it frolics in its pasture
And casts off its bridle in her fields of play.
And sheds its splendid robes and more
يُحَلِّيهاit adorns her الخُزَامىlavender والأقاحيand daisies
يُحَلِّيها الخُزَامى والأقاحي
ويكسوهاand clothes her in الشقائقَanemones والبهاراand yellow oxeyes
ويكسوها الشقائقَ والبهارا
It adorns her with lavender and daisies,
Adorned with chamomile and wild oats
And clothes her in anemones and yellow oxeyes.
Draped in anemones galore
وَيُهدِيand it offers لِلَّذَيْنِto the two who بهاin her أقاماboth settled
وَيُهدِي لِلَّذَيْنِ بها أقاما
تحياتيmy greetings رَواحاًat evening وابتكاراand in early morning
تحياتي رَواحاً وابتكارا
And offers to the two who settled there
Bearing greetings to its dwellers
My greetings, at evening and early morning.
Scents and inventions yet before
سَلِيلَيO two scions of هاشمٍHashim لاmay not قَرَّfind comfort عيناًin the eye
سَلِيلَي هاشمٍ لا قَرَّ عيناً
مطيقٌone able to endure عندduring بُعْدِكماyour absence, you two قَراراrepose
مطيقٌ عند بُعْدِكما قَرارا
O two scions of Hashim, may no one find contentment
O Hashim's scions, no rest my eye knows
Who can endure repose while you are far away.
Without you here, tranquility's no more
لقدindeed جارacted unjustly الزمانُtime عليَّagainst me فيماin what
لقد جار الزمانُ عليَّ فيما
جناهُit perpetrated it منthrough فراقِكُماparting from you both وجاراand acted unjustly
جناهُ من فراقِكُما وجارا
Time has indeed wronged me in what
Time has wronged me since we parted
It wrought through parting from you both—wronged me indeed.
In the harm of your loss evermore
وسارand it departed فماso did not أقامَremain جميلُgracious صبريmy patience
وسار فما أقامَ جميلُ صبري
بسيركماwith your departure, you two فأَجملَso it did well حينwhen ساراit departed
بسيركما فأَجملَ حين سارا
And my gracious patience departed and did not remain
It marched on, my patience stayed not
When you both left; it did well to depart.
As lovely as when you marched before
سلبتَyou stole أباO Abu (father of) محمّدٍMuhammad اصطباريmy patient endurance
سلبتَ أبا محمّدٍ اصطباري
وهلand does يُبْقِيleave ليَfor me الدهرُtime اصطباراpatient endurance
وهل يُبْقِي ليَ الدهرُ اصطبارا
You robbed me, Abu Muhammad, of my patience,
You stole my patience, Abu Muhammad
And does time leave me any patience?
Can time leave me with patience still in store?
ولستَand you are not ولاnor أبوAbu (father of) عيسىIsa قريباًnear
ولستَ ولا أبو عيسى قريباً
ولاnor تُدنيbrings within reach لناfor us حَلَبٌAleppo مَزَاراa visit
ولا تُدني لنا حَلَبٌ مَزَارا
Neither you nor Abu Isa is near,
Neither you nor Abu Isa are near
Nor does Aleppo put a visit within our reach.
Nor does Halab bring comforts as of yore
وعينيand my eye ياah وَقَيْتُكُمَاmay I protect you both بِعَيْنيwith my eye
وعيني يا وَقَيْتُكُمَا بِعَيْني
مُعَوَّضةٌis given in exchange منinstead of النَّظَرِseeing انتظاراwaiting
مُعَوَّضةٌ من النَّظَرِ انتظارا
And my eye—ah, may I shield you both with my eye—
My eye will await you both steadfastly
Is given waiting in place of seeing.
For the gaze's recompense held in store
لئنif indeed بكماthrough you both حَلَتْgrew sweet أيامُthe days of عَيْشيmy life
لئن بكما حَلَتْ أيامُ عَيْشي
لقدindeed عادَتْhas turned حلاوَتُهاtheir sweetness مَراراbitterness
لقد عادَتْ حلاوَتُها مَرارا
If through you both the days of my life grew sweet,
If days were sweet when you were here
Their sweetness has indeed turned bitter.
Bitter again their taste is all the more
ولولاand were it not for أَنْthat يسكِّنَquells نارَthe fire of شوقيmy longing
ولولا أَنْ يسكِّنَ نارَ شوقي
أبوAbu (father of) بكرٍBakr إِذنْthen لازدادَit would surely increase ناراin fire
أبو بكرٍ إِذنْ لازدادَ نارا
And were it not that my longing's fire is calmed
If not for Abu Bakr calming the fires
By Abu Bakr, it would then burn still fiercer.
Of longing, their flames would roar and soar
لعلَّmay اللهGod يجمعكُمْgather you all لعينيfor my eye
لعلَّ الله يجمعكُمْ لعيني
فيجمعَand so He gathers ليfor me أمانيَّmy hopes الكباراthe great ones
فيجمعَ لي أمانيَّ الكبارا
May God gather you all before my eye,
May God reunite you before my eyes
And so gather for me my great hopes,
And unite my greatest hopes once more
فيجمعَand so He gathers ليfor me بكمْin you all رُمحاًa spear وسيفاًand a sword
فيجمعَ لي بكمْ رُمحاً وسيفاً
وَسَهماًand an arrow إِنif أردتُI wish بهthrough it انتصاراvictory
وَسَهماً إِن أردتُ به انتصارا
And gather for me, in you, a spear and a sword,
Unite my lance, sword and arrow I need
And an arrow, if I wish for victory through it.
When triumph in battle I seek to score
فذاfor this one is جدٌّa grandfather وذاكand that one is أبٌa father وذاand this one is ابنٌa son
فذا جدٌّ وذاك أبٌ وذا ابنٌ
خِيارٌchoice men حينwhen نَختارُwe choose الخياراthe choicest
خِيارٌ حين نَختارُ الخيارا
For this is a grandfather, that a father, and this a son—
The root, branch, and shoot that came to be
Choice men, when we choose the choicest.
A spring when excellents came to fore
أولاكَthose ثلاثةٌthree جِذعٌa trunk وَفَرْعٌand a branch
أولاكَ ثلاثةٌ جِذعٌ وَفَرْعٌ
وَطَلْعٌand a blossom صارbecame نبعاًbow-wood (nab‘) حينwhen صاراit came to be
وَطَلْعٌ صار نبعاً حين صارا
Those are three—a trunk and a branch,
Abu Isa, did you not see us refuse
And a blossom that became bow-wood as it grew.
All heedless acts that prudence makes us deplore?
أباO Abu (father of) عيسىIsa ألمhave you not ترناseen us كَفَاناhas spared us الthe (continued)
أبا عيسى ألم ترنا كَفَانا ال
حذارُfear عليكfor you مَنْthe One who خَلَقَcreated الحذاراfear
حذارُ عليك مَنْ خَلَقَ الحذارا
O Abu Isa, have you not seen us? We have been spared the
Since you were bent on leaving far away
Fear for you by the One who created fear.
We were bent on no visits, even more
عَزَمْناwe resolved مذsince عَزَمْتَyou resolved علىon التنائيkeeping far away
عَزَمْنا مذ عَزَمْتَ على التنائي
علىon أنْthat لاnot نزورَwe visit ولاnor نزاراwe are visited
على أنْ لا نزورَ ولا نزارا
We resolved, since you resolved to keep far away,
Each day our love for you grows yet more dear
Neither to visit nor to be visited.
Until you return, as we hope and implore
فنحنand so we إلىuntil إيابِكَyour return كلَّevery يومٍday
فنحن إلى إيابِكَ كلَّ يومٍ
تزيدُgrow حيالُbonds (reading uncertain) أُلفتناour fellowship انتشاراin dispersal
تزيدُ حيالُ أُلفتنا انتشارا
And so, until your return, each day
So turn the vain hopes into fulfillment
The bonds of our fellowship grow ever more scattered.
Cast off the veil of blame, weep no more!
فأبْso return تَؤُبِwill return الأمانيhopes حاسراتٍcasting off
فأبْ تَؤُبِ الأماني حاسراتٍ
قناعَthe mask of الذَّنْبsin عنهاfrom themselves والخِمَاراand the veil
قناعَ الذَّنْب عنها والخِمَارا
So return, and hopes will return, casting off
The mask of sin and the veil from themselves.
Partial English translation: 42 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1