بمنازلِin the dwellings of الفُسْطاطِFustat حلَّsettled فؤاديmy heart
بمنازلِ الفُسْطاطِ حلَّ فؤادي
فارْبَعْso linger علىat عَرَصاتِهنtheir courtyards ونادِand call out
فارْبَعْ على عَرَصاتِهن ونادِ
In the dwellings of Fustat my heart has settled.
In the quarters of Fustat my heart found repose,
So linger by their courtyards and call out.
So linger in their broad expanses and call out,
يامصرُO Egypt هلْhas عَرَضتْarisen لغصنٍfor a bough فوقهَabove it
يامصرُ هلْ عَرَضتْ لغصنٍ فوقهَ
قمرٌa moon لرَبْعِكto your abode أَوْبةٌa return لِمَعادfor a homecoming
قمرٌ لرَبْعِك أَوْبةٌ لِمَعاد
O Egypt, has there arisen for a bough above which
O Egypt, has any branch offered to you,
a moon shines, a return to your abode, a homecoming?
A moon for your quarter or rain for its plains?
تَرِفٌa delicate one يُميِّلهsways him الصِّباyouth مَيْلthe swaying of الصَّباthe east wind
تَرِفٌ يُميِّله الصِّبا مَيْل الصَّبا
بقَوامِwith the stature of خُوطa shoot of البانةthe bān tree المَيّادswaying
بقَوامِ خُوط البانة المَيّاد
A delicate one, whom youth sways as the east wind sways
A gentle breeze sways it like the swaying
the form of a swaying bān-tree shoot.
Of the slim waist of a fawn bending to drink.
أَتُرَىdo you think أَنالَgave النِّيلَthe Nile بعضَsome of رُضابِهhis sweet saliva
أَتُرَى أَنالَ النِّيلَ بعضَ رُضابِه
فعَذُبْنَso grew sweet منهfrom it مياهُthe waters of ذاكthat الواديvalley
فعَذُبْنَ منه مياهُ ذاك الوادي
Do you think he gave the Nile some of his sweet saliva,
Could it be the Nile has offered some of his sweetness
so that the waters of that valley grew sweet from it?
To freshen the waters of that valley?
فأَجادso perfected منهfrom it طعمَهits flavor لكنّbut ذاthis
فأَجاد منه طعمَه لكنّ ذا
يُرْوِىquenches thirst وذاكwhile that يَزيدincreases كَرْبَthe anguish of الصّاديthe thirsty one
يُرْوِى وذاك يَزيد كَرْبَ الصّادي
Thus it gained its fine flavor from it; yet this
It improved their taste but still
quenches thirst, while that deepens the thirsty one's anguish.
Quenches the thirst and increases the want of the thirsty.
واهاًah! علىfor تلكthose الرسومruined traces فإنهاfor they are
واهاً على تلك الرسوم فإنها
آثارُthe remnants of أحبابيmy loved ones وأهلِand the people of وداديmy affection
آثارُ أحبابي وأهلِ ودادي
Ah, for those traces, for they are
Alas for those relics, for they are
the remnants of my loved ones and those I hold dear.
Traces of my loved ones and kindred spirits.
فلقدfor indeed أَحِنُّI yearn لهاfor them ولَسْنَthough they are not منازليmy dwellings
فلقد أَحِنُّ لها ولَسْنَ منازلي
وأَوَدُّهاand I love them شَغَفاًpassionately ولْسنthough they are not بلاديmy homeland
وأَوَدُّها شَغَفاً ولْسن بلادي
For indeed I yearn for them, though they are not my dwellings,
I yearn for them though my dwellings
and love them passionately, though they are not my homeland.
Are far away, I love them passionately though not my country.
دِمنٌruined dwelling-sites لبستُI wore بهاin them الشبابَyouth ولِمَّتِيwhile my tresses
دِمنٌ لبستُ بها الشبابَ ولِمَّتِي
سَوداءُblack تَرْفُلtrail proudly فيin ثيابrobes of حِدادmourning
سَوداءُ تَرْفُل في ثياب حِداد
Ruins where I wore my youth, while my tresses
Homes in which I wore the garb of youth in my prime,
were black, trailing proudly in mourning robes.
Jet black, fluttering in mourning robes.
والعيشُand life غَضٌّfresh والديارُand the dwellings قريبةٌnear
والعيشُ غَضٌّ والديارُ قريبةٌ
وأَبيتُand I spend the night منfrom أَمليmy hope علىwith ميعادa promise
وأَبيتُ من أَملي على ميعاد
Life was fresh, and the dwellings close by,
Life is raw, home near,
and I spent the night with a promise from my hope.
Yet I refuse my wishes, awaiting reunion.
والقلبُand the heart حيثwhere القلبُthe heart رَهْنٌheld in pledge والظُّباand sword-blades
والقلبُ حيث القلبُ رَهْنٌ والظُّبا
حَدَقُthe eyes of الظِّباgazelles والغِيدand graceful maidens قَيْدُthe fetter of الغاديthe one setting out
حَدَقُ الظِّبا والغِيد قَيْدُ الغادي
And the heart was where the heart lay captive; and the blades
My heart is hostage wherever it is,
were the gazelles' eyes, and graceful maidens the traveler's fetters.
The gazelle is intent on gazelles, the lost on the lost.
شَتَّتُّI scattered شملُthe company of الدمعِtears لماwhen شَتَّتواthey scattered
شَتَّتُّ شملُ الدمعِ لما شَتَّتوا
شَمْليmy company وصِحْتُand I cried out بهto it بَدادِscatter! بَدادِscatter!
شَمْلي وصِحْتُ به بَدادِ بَدادِ
I scattered the company of tears when they scattered
My tears dispersed when they dispersed -
my company, and I cried to it, 'Scatter! Scatter!'
My kin - and I awoke in Baghdad, in Baghdad!
فالآنَso now تخترِقُbreak through الدموعُthe tears سَواكِباpouring down
فالآنَ تخترِقُ الدموعُ سَواكِبا
ماranging بينَbetween مثْنَىpairs تَوْأَمٍtwinned وفُرادِand singly
ما بينَ مثْنَى تَوْأَمٍ وفُرادِ
So now the tears break through, pouring down,
Now tears course down like stars
some in twin pairs, some singly.
Between the Gemini and the Single One.
قانِيcrimson المَسيلِthe course of flow كأنَّas though فيضَthe overflow of غُروبِهits streams
قانِي المَسيلِ كأنَّ فيضَ غُروبِه
فوقَupon الخدودthe cheeks عُصارةthe juice of الفِرْصادmulberries
فوقَ الخدود عُصارة الفِرْصاد
Crimson in their course, as though their overflowing streams
My tears resemble the overflowing
upon the cheeks were mulberry juice.
Of sunset, pressed on my cheeks like grape juice.
Sol 6.1