باللهِ يا أيُّها السَّاري العَشِيَّةِ لمْ

باللهِ يا أيُّها السَّاري العَشِيَّةِ لمْ

يبرَحْ مُجِدًّا تَكيلُ القَفْرَ أَذرُعُهُ

يبرَحْ مُجِدًّا تَكيلُ القَفْرَ أَذرُعُهُ

By God, O traveler at dusk, who has not

By God, O night traveler who did not stop glorifying,

ceased pressing onward, his arms measuring out the wilderness.

As the wilderness stretched its yards.

طارَتْ جنائبُهُ والعَجُّ منعَقِدٌ

طارَتْ جنائبُهُ والعَجُّ منعَقِدٌ

عليه واللَّيلُ مَقْفولٌ مدرَّعُهُ

عليه واللَّيلُ مَقْفولٌ مدرَّعُهُ

His led mounts flew, with dust hanging thick

His sides have flown and he is knotted with old age,

over him, and night’s coat of mail locked shut.

With night locked in its decorated dress.

يَمَّمْتَ طيبَةَ مُشتاقاً أخا وَلَهٍ

يَمَّمْتَ طيبَةَ مُشتاقاً أخا وَلَهٍ

وإنَّما الصَّبُّ صوبُ الحِبِّ يولِعُهُ

وإنَّما الصَّبُّ صوبُ الحِبِّ يولِعُهُ

You headed for Tayba, yearning and distraught with love,

You yearned for Tayba, my brother, overwhelmed with longing,

and only the way toward the beloved inflames the lovesick one.

For passion is the direction of love that ignites it.

رِفقاً بشأنِ رفيقٍ كلُّهُ لهَفٌ

رِفقاً بشأنِ رفيقٍ كلُّهُ لهَفٌ

والعزمُ يوصِلُهُ والحظُّ يقْطَعُهُ

والعزمُ يوصِلُهُ والحظُّ يقْطَعُهُ

Be gentle with a companion who is all anguished longing:

Be gentle with a dear friend who is all yearning,

resolve brings him onward, while fortune cuts him off.

Resolve takes him there, but fortune cuts him off.

تكادُ تحرِقُهُ الأَشواقُ ما ذُكِرَتْ

تكادُ تحرِقُهُ الأَشواقُ ما ذُكِرَتْ

أَرجاءُ طيبَةَ إِلاَّ انْهَلَّ مدْمَعُهُ

أَرجاءُ طيبَةَ إِلاَّ انْهَلَّ مدْمَعُهُ

Longings almost burn him; no mention is made

Yearning almost burns him when the environs

of Tayba’s environs without his tears pouring forth.

Of Tayba are mentioned unless his tears gush forth.

يَئِنُّ أنَّةَ ملْسوعٍ ولا عَجَبٌ

يَئِنُّ أنَّةَ ملْسوعٍ ولا عَجَبٌ

أَراقِمُ الهجْرِ والَهْفاهُ تلْسَعُهُ

أَراقِمُ الهجْرِ والَهْفاهُ تلْسَعُهُ

He moans the moan of one bitten—and no wonder:

He moans with the sorrow of separation. No wonder

the speckled serpents of separation—alas!—bite him.

At the adversities of estrangement when they wound him.

يَحُطُّهُ الآهُ مبهوتاً ويرفَعُهُ

يَحُطُّهُ الآهُ مبهوتاً ويرفَعُهُ

والصِدقُ والعَجزُ يُعطيهِ ويمنَعُهُ

والصِدقُ والعَجزُ يُعطيهِ ويمنَعُهُ

The cry of 'Ah!' casts him down, stunned, and lifts him up;

Sighs humble him, lost in thought, and hopes raise him up,

and sincerity gives to him, while helplessness withholds from him.

Truth and weakness give and forbid him.

ناشَدْتُكَ اللهَ إِلاَّ ما رَفَقْتَ به

ناشَدْتُكَ اللهَ إِلاَّ ما رَفَقْتَ به

وسِرتَ مهلاً عَسى يَهْدا تَفَجُّعُهُ

وسِرتَ مهلاً عَسى يَهْدا تَفَجُّعُهُ

I adjure you by God: be gentle with him,

I implore you by God, be gentle with him,

and travel slowly; perhaps his anguish will subside.

Go slowly perhaps his overflowing passion may be guided.

وعلَّ دهراً بسهْمِ الهجرِ فرَّقَهُ

وعلَّ دهراً بسهْمِ الهجرِ فرَّقَهُ

بنفْحَةِ اللُّطْفِ والتَّقريبِ يجمعُهُ

بنفْحَةِ اللُّطْفِ والتَّقريبِ يجمعُهُ

And perhaps time, which scattered him with separation’s arrow,

Time has separated him with the arrows of estrangement,

will gather him together with a breath of kindness and closeness.

So bring him together with the breath of kindness and nearness.

وخذْ حَنينَ مُحِبٍّ هزَّ رَكْبَكَ من

وخذْ حَنينَ مُحِبٍّ هزَّ رَكْبَكَ من

أَطرافِهِ الحَنُّ والأَطرافُ تسمَعُهُ

أَطرافِهِ الحَنُّ والأَطرافُ تسمَعُهُ

And carry a lover’s yearning; your caravan was shaken from

Take the longing of a lover who urged your riding beasts from its edges,

its edges by the longing cry, and those edges hear it.

Grief and the edges call to you.

ورُحْ أَميناً بعينِ اللهِ فوقَكَ من

ورُحْ أَميناً بعينِ اللهِ فوقَكَ من

مُرَفْرَفِ العَوْنِ أَسْناهُ وأَنفَعُهُ

مُرَفْرَفِ العَوْنِ أَسْناهُ وأَنفَعُهُ

And go secure under God’s eye; above you is

Travel safely by the eye of God above you

aid’s fluttering canopy at its most splendid and helpful.

With the fluttering help whose least and best support you.