أَأَرحَلُshall I depart? مِنfrom مِصرٍEgypt وَطيبِand the sweetness of نَعيمِهاits bliss
أَأَرحَلُ مِن مِصرٍ وَطيبِ نَعيمِها
فَأَيُّthen which مَكانٍplace بَعدَهاafter it لِيَfor me شائِقُalluring
فَأَيُّ مَكانٍ بَعدَها لِيَ شائِقُ
Shall I leave Egypt and its sweet bliss?
Shall I leave Egypt, its pleasant comforts,
Then what place after it could entice me?
To yearn thereafter for any other place?
وَأَترُكُand shall I leave أَوطاناًhomelands ثَراهاtheir soil لِناشِقٍto one who smells
وَأَترُكُ أَوطاناً ثَراها لِناشِقٍ
هُوَit الطيبُperfume لاماnot what ضُمَّنَتهُcontain it المَفارِقُthe hair partings
هُوَ الطيبُ لاما ضُمَّنَتهُ المَفارِقُ
And leave homelands whose soil, to one who smells it,
Shall I abandon a homeland, though parted from it,
Is perfume—not what the partings of hair hold?
That is sweet - no matter what its absence makes bitter?
وَكَيفَand how وَقَدand already أَضحَتit has become مِنَthrough الحُسنِbeauty جَنَّةًa paradise
وَكَيفَ وَقَد أَضحَت مِنَ الحُسنِ جَنَّةً
زَرابِيُّهاits carpets مَبثوثَةٌspread out وَالنَمارِقُand the cushions
زَرابِيُّها مَبثوثَةٌ وَالنَمارِقُ
And how could I, when its beauty has made it a paradise,
How could I, now that its loveliness is a paradise,
Its carpets spread out, and its cushions too?
Its plains scattered with groves, its thickets with lotus flowers?
بِلادٌa land تَروقُdelights العَينَthe eye وَالقَلبَand the heart بَهجَةًwith joy
بِلادٌ تَروقُ العَينَ وَالقَلبَ بَهجَةً
وَتَجمَعُand gathers مايَهوىwhat one desires تَقِيٌّa devout person وَفاسِقُand a sinner
وَتَجمَعُ مايَهوى تَقِيٌّ وَفاسِقُ
A land that delights the eye and heart with joy,
A land that delights the eye and gladdens the heart with joy,
And gathers what the devout and the sinner desire.
Bringing together all the righteous and sinful could desire,
وَإِخوانَand brothers صِدقٍof sincerity يَجمَعُunites الفَضلُvirtue شَملَهُمtheir company
وَإِخوانَ صِدقٍ يَجمَعُ الفَضلُ شَملَهُم
مَجالِسُهُمtheir gatherings مِمّاfrom what حَوَوهُthey have gathered it حَدائِقُgardens
مَجالِسُهُم مِمّا حَوَوهُ حَدائِقُ
And true brothers, whom virtue brings together,
And brothers of sincerity, whose excellence binds them together,
Their gatherings are gardens of all they possess.
Their gatherings filled with all that gardens encompass;
أَسُكّانَO dwellers مِصرٍEgypt إِنif قَضىdecrees اللَهُGod بِالنَوىwith parting
أَسُكّانَ مِصرٍ إِن قَضى اللَهُ بِالنَوى
فَثَمَّthen there are عُهودٌpledges بَينَناbetween us وَمَواثِقُand covenants
فَثَمَّ عُهودٌ بَينَنا وَمَواثِقُ
O dwellers of Egypt, if God decrees parting,
Shall I settle in Egypt, if God fulfills my wish,
Then there are pledges between us, and covenants.
When pacts have been made between us, and covenants?
فَلاso do not تَذكُروهاmention them لِلنَسيمِto the breeze فَإِنَّهُfor it
فَلا تَذكُروها لِلنَسيمِ فَإِنَّهُ
لِأَمثالِهاof their like مِنfrom نَفحَةِthe fragrant breath of الرَوضِthe garden سارِقُa thief
لِأَمثالِها مِن نَفحَةِ الرَوضِ سارِقُ
So do not tell the breeze of them, for it
Do not, then, speak of it to the breeze, for it
Steals their like from the garden's fragrant breath.
Is wont to steal from meadows their sweetest scent.
إِلىuntil كَمhow long جُفونيmy eyelids بِالدُموعِwith tears قَريحَةٌsore
إِلى كَم جُفوني بِالدُموعِ قَريحَةٌ
وَحَتّامَand until when قَلبيmy heart بِالتَفَرُّقِwith separation خافِقُthrobbing
وَحَتّامَ قَلبي بِالتَفَرُّقِ خافِقُ
How long shall my eyelids be sore with tears,
How my eyes with tears are worn, my heart torn
And how long shall my heart throb with parting?
By parting, each day renewing my fervent yearning!
فَفيfor in كُلِّevery يَومٍday ليfor me حَنينٌlonging مُجَدَّدٌrenewed
فَفي كُلِّ يَومٍ لي حَنينٌ مُجَدَّدٌ
وَفيand in كُلِّevery أَرضٍland ليfor me حَبيبٌa beloved مُفارِقُseparated
وَفي كُلِّ أَرضٍ لي حَبيبٌ مُفارِقُ
For every day my longing is renewed,
In every place I am parted from one beloved,
And in every land I have a beloved from whom I am parted.
And time will bring a parting more grievous still.
سَتَأتيwill come مَعَwith الأَيّامِthe days أَعظَمُthe greatest فُرقَةٍparting
سَتَأتي مَعَ الأَيّامِ أَعظَمُ فُرقَةٍ
فَماthen why لِيَfor me أَسعىI strive نَحوَهاtoward it وَأُسابِقُand I race ahead
فَما لِيَ أَسعى نَحوَها وَأُسابِقُ
The greatest parting will come with the passing days;
Why should I hasten toward it, overtake it?
Why, then, do I strive toward it and race ahead?
It is my nature to grow used to friends, and rue their loss.
وَمِنand among خُلُقيmy traits أَنّيthat I أَلوفٌaffectionate وَأَنَّهُand that it
وَمِن خُلُقي أَنّي أَلوفٌ وَأَنَّهُ
يَطولُis prolonged اِلتِفاتيmy looking back لِلَّذينَtoward those whom أُفارِقُI leave
يَطولُ اِلتِفاتي لِلَّذينَ أُفارِقُ
And it is in my nature to be affectionate, and
A bird startles me to sadness in the thicket,
To keep looking back at those from whom I part.
Lightning kindles my lament in the darkness.
يُحَرِّكُstirs وَجديmy longing فيin الأَراكَةِthe arak tree طائِرٌa bird
يُحَرِّكُ وَجدي في الأَراكَةِ طائِرٌ
وَيَبعَثُand awakens شَجويmy grief فيin الدُجَنَّةِthe darkness بارِقُa lightning flash
وَيَبعَثُ شَجوي في الدُجَنَّةِ بارِقُ
A bird in the arak tree stirs my longing,
I swear by all the homes from which I’ve parted
And a lightning flash in the darkness awakens my grief.
On earth, remembering them with tears outpoured!
وَأُقسِمُand I swear مافارَقتُI have never left فيon الأَرضِthe earth مَنزِلاًa dwelling
وَأُقسِمُ مافارَقتُ في الأَرضِ مَنزِلاً
وَيَذكَرُand it is recalled إِلّاexcept وَالدُموعُand the tears سَوابِقُracing ahead
وَيَذكَرُ إِلّا وَالدُموعُ سَوابِقُ
And I swear, no dwelling I have left on earth
When I journey far, manners console me
Is recalled without my tears racing ahead.
That I should leave, yet nothing leaves me.
وَعِنديand I have مِنَfrom الآدابِliterature فيin البُعدِremoteness مُؤنِسٌa companion
وَعِندي مِنَ الآدابِ في البُعدِ مُؤنِسٌ
أُفارِقُI leave أَوطانيmy homelands وَليسَand does not يُفارِقُleave
أُفارِقُ أَوطاني وَليسَ يُفارِقُ
And in literature I have a companion when far away;
I have the passion of lovers in verse alone -
I leave my homelands, but it never leaves me.
All else divorced from me would loathe a bond.
وَليand I have صَبوَةُthe passionate yearning of العُشّاقِlovers فيfor الشِعرِpoetry وَحدَهُit alone
وَلي صَبوَةُ العُشّاقِ في الشِعرِ وَحدَهُ
وَأَمّاand as for سِواهاanything besides it فَهيَthen it is مِنِّيَfrom me طالِقُdivorced
وَأَمّا سِواها فَهيَ مِنِّيَ طالِقُ
And mine is the lovers' passion for poetry alone;
My words enchant all listeners,
And as for any other passion, it is divorced from me.
Loved even by secluded ladies in their bowers.
كَلاميmy words الَّذيwhich يَصبوyearns لَهُfor it كُلُّevery سامِعٍlistener
كَلامي الَّذي يَصبو لَهُ كُلُّ سامِعٍ
وَيَهواهُand loves it حَتّىeven فيin الخُدورِthe secluded chambers العَواتِقُthe maidens
وَيَهواهُ حَتّى في الخُدورِ العَواتِقُ
My words are what every listener yearns for,
Needing no melodies to grace them,
And even maidens in their secluded chambers love them.
They build shrines for themselves and burst all fetters.
كَلاميmy words غَنِيٌّhaving no need عَنof لُحونٍmelodies تَزينُهُadorn it
كَلامي غَنِيٌّ عَن لُحونٍ تَزينُهُ
لَهُit has مَعبَدٌMaʿbad مِنfrom نَفسِهِitself وَمُخارِقُand Mukhariq
لَهُ مَعبَدٌ مِن نَفسِهِ وَمُخارِقُ
My words need no melodies to adorn them;
Each person takes from them what suits him,
They have their own Maʿbad and Mukhariq.
Matching his nature, fulfilling his hopes.
لِكُلِّfor every اِمرِئٍperson مِنهُof it نَصيبٌa share يَخُصُّهُis particular to him
لِكُلِّ اِمرِئٍ مِنهُ نَصيبٌ يَخُصُّهُ
يُلائِمُsuits ماwhat فيin طَبعِهِhis nature وَيُوافِقُand agrees
يُلائِمُ ما في طَبعِهِ وَيُوافِقُ
Each person has a share of them all his own,
They entertain the cheerful, and mystics in devotion,
Suited to what is in his nature, and in accord with it.
Those craving needs petition with them, lovers implore.
تُغَنّيsing بِهِwith it النُدمانُdrinking companions وَهوَand it is فُكاهَةٌamusement
تُغَنّي بِهِ النُدمانُ وَهوَ فُكاهَةٌ
وَيُنشِدُهُand recites it الصوفيُّthe Sufi وَهوَand it is رَقائِقُheart-softening reflections
وَيُنشِدُهُ الصوفيُّ وَهوَ رَقائِقُ
Drinking companions sing it as merry diversion,
Yet for whatever has flowed freely from them, I blame them -
And the Sufi recites it as words that soften the heart.
Can they not reunite those parted by the years?
بِهِthrough it يَقتَضيobtains الحاجاتِneeds مَنwhoever هُوَhe طالِبٌa petitioner
بِهِ يَقتَضي الحاجاتِ مَن هُوَ طالِبٌ
وَيَستَعطِفُand seeks the affection of الأَحبابَloved ones مَنwhoever هُوَhe عاشِقُa lover
وَيَستَعطِفُ الأَحبابَ مَن هُوَ عاشِقُ
Through it, the petitioner obtains what he needs,
I did not speak my verses to seek renown,
And the lover seeks his beloveds' affection.
Confident I stand in virtue’s ornament.
وَإِنّيand I indeed عَلىover ماwhat سارَhas traveled مِنهُof it لَعاتِبٌindeed reproachful
وَإِنّي عَلى ما سارَ مِنهُ لَعاتِبٌ
أَلَيسَis it not بِهِwith it لِلبَينِtoward separation تُحدىare driven by chanting الأَيانِقُthe she-camels
أَلَيسَ بِهِ لِلبَينِ تُحدى الأَيانِقُ
Yet I reproach those of my words that have traveled:
Shall I seek God’s provision from other than Him,
Are not she-camels driven toward parting by chanting them?
And seek bounty from mankind when God is the Provider?
وَماand not قُلتُI composed أَشعاريmy poems لَأَبغيto seek بِهاthrough them النَدىlargesse
وَما قُلتُ أَشعاري لَأَبغي بِها النَدى
وَلَكِنَّنيbut I فيin حِليَةِthe adornment of الفَضلِexcellence واثِقُconfident
وَلَكِنَّني في حِليَةِ الفَضلِ واثِقُ
I did not compose my poems to seek largesse through them,
But I trust in the adornment of excellence.
أَأَطلُبُshall I seek رِزقَthe provision of اللَهِGod مِنfrom عِندِthe possession of غَيرِهِsomeone other than Him
أَأَطلُبُ رِزقَ اللَهِ مِن عِندِ غَيرِهِ
وَأَستَرزِقُand seek sustenance from الأَقوامَpeople وَاللَهُand God رازِقُthe Provider
وَأَستَرزِقُ الأَقوامَ وَاللَهُ رازِقُ
Shall I seek God's provision from someone other than Him,
And ask people for sustenance, when God is the Provider?
Partial English translation: 42 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1