أَقْصاهُdrove him far جَوْرُcruelty البَيْنِseparation عنfrom أحبابِهِhis loved ones
أَقْصاهُ جَوْرُ البَيْنِ عن أحبابِهِ
وزَمانِهand his time وبلادِهand his homeland وشَبابِهand his youth
وزَمانِه وبلادِه وشَبابِه
The cruelty of separation drove him far from his loved ones,
From his time, his homeland, and his youth.
فبكىso he wept وماthough not يغنىavails البكاءweeping وإنماbut rather
فبكى وما يغنى البكاء وإنما
هيit is روحهhis soul تَنْهلُّpours forth فيin تسْكابِهits outpouring
هي روحه تَنْهلُّ في تسْكابِه
So he wept, though weeping avails nothing; rather,
It is his soul pouring out with every tear.
إنif كانwas دمعُthe eye’s tears العينِthe eye راحةَa comfort غيرِهto another
إن كان دمعُ العينِ راحةَ غيرِه
فدموعُهthen his tears سببٌare a cause لفَرْطof extreme غذابِهhis anguish
فدموعُه سببٌ لفَرْط غذابِه
If tears bring comfort to others,
His tears only deepen his anguish.
دمعٌtears كَواهseared him لأنbecause نارَthe fire جَنانِهof his heart
دمعٌ كَواه لأن نارَ جَنانِه
سَبكتْهmelted him والعَبراتُand the tears بعضُare part مُذابهof what melted from him
سَبكتْه والعَبراتُ بعضُ مُذابه
They are tears seared by the fire in his heart;
That fire melted his heart, and the tears are part of what flowed from it.
ياoh هلis there إلىto الأِسكندريةِAlexandria أَوْبَةٌa return
يا هل إلى الأِسكندريةِ أَوْبَةٌ
فيُسَرّso he may rejoice قبلَbefore مَماتِهhis death بإيابهat his return
فيُسَرّ قبلَ مَماتِه بإيابه
Oh, is there a return to Alexandria,
So that he may rejoice in coming home before he dies?
فَيرىso he may see مكانthe place شَبابِهof his youth ونِصابهand his roots
فَيرى مكان شَبابِه ونِصابه
وحُبَابهand his loved ones وصِحابهand his companions وعُبابهand its surging waters
وحُبَابه وصِحابه وعُبابه
So that he may see the place of his youth and his roots,
His loved ones, his companions, and its surging waters?
حيثُwhere النسيمُthe breeze الساحليُّthe coastal يَزورهvisits him
حيثُ النسيمُ الساحليُّ يَزوره
ونَدىand dew رياضِof the gardens الرملof sand عِطْرُis the fragrance ثيابِهof his clothes
ونَدى رياضِ الرمل عِطْرُ ثيابِه
There the sea breeze visits him,
And dew from the sand gardens perfumes his clothes.
وَشَفتand kissed ثَناياthe bright teeth الثَّغرof the estuary أفواهthe mouths الصَّباof the breeze
وَشَفت ثَنايا الثَّغر أفواه الصَّبا
أُصُلاat evening وَبرَّدهاand cooled them الندىthe dew برضابهwith its moisture
أُصُلا وَبرَّدها الندى برضابه
The bright teeth of the estuary kissed the mouths of the breeze
At evening, and the dew cooled them with its moisture,
حتىuntil يَشُقَّsplits شَقيقهits anemone أكمامَهits sleeves
حتى يَشُقَّ شَقيقه أكمامَه
والأُقْحوانُand the daisy يَحُطُّlowers ثِنْىthe fold نِقابهof its veil
والأُقْحوانُ يَحُطُّ ثِنْى نِقابه
Until the anemone splits open its sleeves
And the daisy lowers the fold of its veil.
ويُجمِّشand caresses الرَّيحانَthe basil راحُthe hands رياحِهof its winds
ويُجمِّش الرَّيحانَ راحُ رياحِه
فيَشُوقُso it stirs longing منهfrom it ماwhat يُحدِّثُناit tells us بهof it
فيَشُوقُ منه ما يُحدِّثُنا به
The hands of its winds caress the basil,
Making it yearn through what it tells us.
نِعْمَhow fine المَحلُّthe place ونعمand how fine مُرْتَبَعٌa retreat بهthere
نِعْمَ المَحلُّ ونعم مُرْتَبَعٌ به
يَجْلُوclears جَنانَthe heart الصَّبِّof the lover منof أَوْصابهits ills
يَجْلُو جَنانَ الصَّبِّ من أَوْصابه
What a fine place, what a fine retreat,
Clearing the lover’s heart of its ills.
أَسَفيmy grief علىfor ذاكthat الزمانِtime لَوَif only أَنّهit
أَسَفي على ذاك الزمانِ لَوَ أَنّه
بالصَّخرِwith rock فَتَّتَit shattered منهfrom it صُمَّthe hardest صِلابهof its solid parts
بالصَّخرِ فَتَّتَ منه صُمَّ صِلابه
How I grieve for that time! If only it
Had broken its hardest rocks to pieces.
ياoh, would that I ليتَنيmight enjoy أَحْظىsmelling بشَمِّits breeze نسيمِهits breeze
يا ليتَني أَحْظى بشَمِّ نسيمِه
وبديعِand the beauty منظرهof its appearance وَلَثْمand kissing تُرابهits soil
وبديعِ منظره وَلَثْم تُرابه
Would that I might smell its breeze,
See its wondrous beauty, and kiss its soil.
ويُعِلُّنيand gives me to drink ذاكthat الخليجُgulf بشَرْبةٍa sip
ويُعِلُّني ذاك الخليجُ بشَرْبةٍ
سِيماespecially إذاwhen انْتَسَجتْare woven دُروعُthe armor حَبابهof its bubbles
سِيما إذا انْتَسَجتْ دُروعُ حَبابه
And that the gulf might give me a drink,
Especially when the armor of its bubbles is woven together,
وصَفاand grew clear وراقand shone وعادand became مَدُّthe tide زُلالِهof its pure water
وصَفا وراق وعاد مَدُّ زُلالِه
كالسيفlike a sword جُرِّدdrawn منfrom خِلالwithin قِرابهits sheath
كالسيف جُرِّد من خِلال قِرابه
When it grows clear and bright, and its pure tide becomes
Like a sword drawn from within its sheath.
فكأنَّهso it seems والريحُwhile the wind تَنْقُشinscribes مَتْنَهits surface
فكأنَّه والريحُ تَنْقُش مَتْنَه
حِرْزٌan amulet عليهupon which يُدَقُّis finely etched خَطُّthe script كِتابهof its inscription
حِرْزٌ عليه يُدَقُّ خَطُّ كِتابه
As the wind inscribes its surface, it seems
An amulet with the lines of its writing finely etched upon it,
كالمِبْردlike a file المنقوشthe engraved نَقْشاًwith a pattern خَفَّفتsoftened
كالمِبْرد المنقوش نَقْشاً خَفَّفت
آثارَthe marks مَوْقِعهof its blows يَداthe two hands ضُرَّابهof those who wield it
آثارَ مَوْقِعه يَدا ضُرَّابه
Like an engraved file whose patterned marks
Have been softened by the hands of those who wield it,
كضَفيرةlike a braid الْخَوّاصof the palm weaver أَمْكَنهwas available لهاfor it
كضَفيرة الْخَوّاص أَمْكَنه لها
سَعَفٌpalm fronds ضَفاgrew abundant فأرَقَّand made finer ضَفْرَthe braiding لُبابهof its core
سَعَفٌ ضَفا فأرَقَّ ضَفْرَ لُبابه
Like a palm weaver’s braid, for which
Abundant fronds provide a finer weave at its heart.
حيثُwhere الغصونُthe branches روَاقِصٌare dancing وَيَمامُهاand its doves
حيثُ الغصونُ روَاقِصٌ وَيَمامُها
يَشْدوُsing لطيبِto the sweetness الزَّمْرِof the piping منfrom دُولابهits waterwheel
يَشْدوُ لطيبِ الزَّمْرِ من دُولابه
There the branches dance, and the doves
Sing to the sweet piping of its waterwheel.
نَعرتcreaked نَواعيرُthe waterwheels المياهِof the waters وأُتْرِعتand were filled
نَعرت نَواعيرُ المياهِ وأُتْرِعت
تلكthose التِّراعُcanals وفُضّand was released فَيْضthe flood عُبابهof its surging water
تلك التِّراعُ وفُضّ فَيْض عُبابه
The waterwheels creak, and the canals fill;
Those channels brim, and its surging flood is released,
حتىuntil تُجرِّدdraw سَيْفَهits sword أَسيافُهاits banks
حتى تُجرِّد سَيْفَه أَسيافُها
بجداولٍthrough streams جُدِّلْنbraided فيamong أعشابهits grasses
بجداولٍ جُدِّلْن في أعشابه
Until its banks draw its sword
Through streams braided among the grasses.
Sol 6