دُموعٌtears فيon الخُدودِthe cheeks لَهاfor them مَسيلُa flowing course
دُموعٌ في الخُدودِ لَها مَسيلُ
وَعَينٌand an eye نَومُهاits sleep أَبَداًalways قَليلُscant
وَعَينٌ نَومُها أَبَداً قَليلُ
My tears have channels down my cheeks,
Tears stream down the cheeks,
and my eye’s share of sleep is ever scant;
And an eye whose sleep is ever scant,
وَصَبٌّand a lovesick lover لاnot يَقَرُّsettles لَهُfor him قَرارٌrest
وَصَبٌّ لا يَقَرُّ لَهُ قَرارٌ
وَلاnor يَسلوfinds solace وَلَوeven if طالَlasts long الرَحيلُthe journey away
وَلا يَسلو وَلَو طالَ الرَحيلُ
and a lovesick soul who can find no rest,
And a lovesick lover who finds no rest,
nor consolation, however long the departure.
Nor finds solace, however long the journey away.
فَكَمso how often أُبلىI am tried بِإِبعادٍby being kept away وَبَينٍand parting
فَكَم أُبلى بِإِبعادٍ وَبَينٍ
وَتَشجينيand grieve me المَنازِلُthe dwellings وَالطُلولُand the ruins
وَتَشجيني المَنازِلُ وَالطُلولُ
How often distance and separation wear me down,
How often, then, am I tried by distance and parting,
while dwellings and ruins fill me with sorrow.
And the dwellings and the ruins grieve me.
وَكَمand how often أَبكيI weep عَلىfor إِلفٍa beloved شَجانيsaddened me
وَكَم أَبكي عَلى إِلفٍ شَجاني
وَماand not يُغنيavails البُكاءُweeping وَلاnor العَويلُwailing
وَما يُغني البُكاءُ وَلا العَويلُ
How often I weep for an intimate beloved who caused me grief,
And how often I weep for a beloved who has saddened me,
though neither weeping nor wailing avails.
And neither weeping nor wailing is of any avail.
تَلاقَيناwe met فَماyet not أَطفىquenched التَلاقيthe meeting
تَلاقَينا فَما أَطفى التَلاقي
لَهيباًa blaze لاno وَلاnor بَرَدَgrew cool الغَليلُthe burning thirst
لَهيباً لا وَلا بَرَدَ الغَليلُ
We met, yet our meeting did not extinguish
We met, yet our meeting did not quench
the blaze—no, nor did it cool the burning thirst.
A blaze—no, nor did the burning thirst grow cool.
طَلَبتُI asked for مِنَfrom الزَمانِtime صَفاءَserenity عَيشٍof life
طَلَبتُ مِنَ الزَمانِ صَفاءَ عَيشٍ
وَحَسبُكَand enough for you قَدرُthe measure ماwhat يُعطيgives البَخيلُthe miser
وَحَسبُكَ قَدرُ ما يُعطي البَخيلُ
I asked Time for serenity in life,
I asked of time an untroubled life,
but all you may count on is what a miser gives.
And the measure a miser gives must suffice you.
وَهاand here أَناI مَيِّتٌdying إِنif لَمnot يُعِنّيhelps me
وَها أَنا مَيِّتٌ إِن لَم يُعِنّي
عَلىagainst أَسرِthe bondage of الهَوىlove الصَبرُpatience الجَميلُgracious
عَلى أَسرِ الهَوى الصَبرُ الجَميلُ
And here I am, dead, unless I am aided
And here I am, dying, unless I am helped
against love’s captivity by beautiful patience.
Against love’s bondage by gracious patience.
Sol 6.1