ماwhy ليwith me أَرىI see النَومَsleep عَنaway from عَينَيَّmy eyes قَدindeed نَفَراfled
ما لي أَرى النَومَ عَن عَينَيَّ قَد نَفَرا
أَأَنتَwas it you عَلمتَyou taught طَرفيmy eye بَعدَكَafter you السَهَراwakefulness
أَأَنتَ عَلمتَ طَرفي بَعدَكَ السَهَرا
Why do I see that sleep has fled my eyes?
Why do I see sleep refusing my eyes
Was it you who taught my eye wakefulness in your absence?
Did you know about my wakefulness after you
وَماand why لِذِكرِكَwith the memory of you يَصلىburns in النارَthe fire فيin كَبِديmy liver
وَما لِذِكرِكَ يَصلى النارَ في كَبِدي
أَهَكَذاis it thus كُلُّevery صَبٍّlovesick lover أَلفَهُhis beloved ذكراhe remembered
أَهَكَذا كُلُّ صَبٍّ أَلفَهُ ذكرا
And why does the memory of you burn in the fire within my liver?
And why does the memory of you kindle fire in my liver
Is this how every lovesick lover remembers his beloved?
Is this how every young lover feels about the beloved's memory
ياO غائِباًabsent one كانَwas جَهيunclear; perhaps 'my effort' لاnot أُفارِقُهI leave him
يا غائِباً كانَ جَهي لا أُفارِقُه
فَماyet not قَدَرتُI was able عَلىto أَنto أَدفَعَI ward off القَدَراfate
فَما قَدَرتُ عَلى أَن أَدفَعَ القَدَرا
O absent one, whom I [strove] never to leave,
O absent one, my passion for you does not diminish
Yet I could not ward off fate.
And I could not avert what was destined
سَقياًmay rain fall لِأيامِناupon our days ماhow كانَwere أَطيَبَهاsweet they were
سَقياً لِأيامِنا ما كانَ أَطيَبَها
وَلَّتthey passed وَلَمand not أَقضِI satisfied مِنof لِذّاتِهاtheir delights وَطَراa desire
وَلَّت وَلَم أَقضِ مِن لِذّاتِها وَطَرا
May rain bless our days—how sweet they were!
A drink for our days, however sweet they were
They passed, and I had not had my fill of their delights.
They are gone and I could not fulfill the pleasures in them
هَبواgrant المَنامَsleep لِعَينيto my eye رُبَّماperhaps غَلِطَتit erred
هَبوا المَنامَ لِعَيني رُبَّما غَلِطَت
بِرَقدَةٍin a slumber فَرَأَتso it saw مِنكُمof you خَيالَa phantom كَراsleep
بِرَقدَةٍ فَرَأَت مِنكُم خَيالَ كَرا
Grant my eye sleep; perhaps it may lapse
Grant sleep to my eyes, perhaps they erred
Into a slumber and see a dream-image of you.
In slumber and saw an illusion of you
وَاِستَعطِفواand implore الريحَthe wind عَلَّperhaps الريحthe wind حامِلَةcarrying
وَاِستَعطِفوا الريحَ عَلَّ الريح حامِلَة
إِلىto المُتَيَّمِthe love-stricken one مِنfrom أَكنافِكُمyour environs خَبَراsome news
إِلى المُتَيَّمِ مِن أَكنافِكُم خَبَرا
And appeal to the wind's compassion; perhaps the wind will carry
And entreat the wind, maybe the wind will carry
To the love-stricken one some tidings from your environs.
To the bereaved, news from your dwellings
أَحبابَناour beloved ones لَمnot أَعِشI lived واللَهِand by God بَعدَكُمafter you
أَحبابَنا لَم أَعِش واللَهِ بَعدَكُم
صَبراًpatiently وَرُبَّand perhaps الرَدىdeath خَيرٌbetter لِمَنfor one who صَبَراendured
صَبراً وَرُبَّ الرَدى خَيرٌ لِمَن صَبَرا
Our beloved ones, by God, I have not lived since you left
O beloveds, by God, I did not live after you
In patience—and perhaps death is better for one who endures.
With patience, and returning is best for the patient
أَشتاقُكُمI yearn for you شَوقَthe yearning مُشتاقٍone who yearns إِلىfor وَطَنٍa homeland
أَشتاقُكُم شَوقَ مُشتاقٍ إِلى وَطَنٍ
هاجَتstirred بَلابِلَهُhis cares ريحُwind الصَباthe east wind سَحَراbefore dawn
هاجَت بَلابِلَهُ ريحُ الصَبا سَحَرا
I yearn for you as one yearns for a homeland,
I yearn for you with the yearning of a yearner toward a homeland
His cares stirred by the east wind before dawn.
Whose nightingales were stirred by the morning breeze
يَشكوكُمُhe complains to you البَينَseparation صَبٌّa lovesick lover قلis scarce ناصِرُهُhis helper
يَشكوكُمُ البَينَ صَبٌّ قل ناصِرُهُ
وَلِلفِراقِand with parting خُطوبٌcalamities تَصدَعُsplit الحَجَراstone
وَلِلفِراقِ خُطوبٌ تَصدَعُ الحَجَرا
A lovesick man with scant support complains to you of separation;
A bereaved lover complains of separation to you
And parting brings calamities that split stone.
And separation has calamities that crack even rocks
Sol 6.1