عصفَravaged السُّهدُsleeplessness والنَّوَىand separation بفؤاديupon my heart
عصفَ السُّهدُ والنَّوَى بفؤادي
وجَفانيand forsook me منذُsince الفراقِparting رقاديmy sleep
وجَفاني منذُ الفراقِ رقادي
Sleeplessness and separation have ravaged my heart,
The departure wracked my heart with longing,
and my sleep has forsaken me since our parting,
And since we parted sleep has eluded me.
بعدَafter عهدٍa time مِنَof الوصالِunion وصَفوٍand serenity
بعدَ عهدٍ مِنَ الوصالِ وصَفوٍ
وزمانٍand a time مضَـىpassed بحُلوِwith the sweetness of وِدادِaffection
وزمانٍ مضَـى بحُلوِ وِدادِ
after a time of union and serenity,
After days of union and joy,
and a time that passed in sweet affection.
And times now gone, sweet and affectionate.
أسلمَتْناhanded us over نوائبُcalamities الدَّهرِtime كرهًاagainst our will
أسلمَتْنا نوائبُ الدَّهرِ كرهًا
لِشُجونٍto sorrows ماnot إنْemphatic particle لهاfor them مِنany نَفادِend
لِشُجونٍ ما إنْ لها مِن نَفادِ
Time's calamities handed us over against our will
The turns of fate delivered us unwillingly
to sorrows that have no end.
To sorrows that know no end.
كانthere was منهاfrom her مِنfrom قبلِbefore هذاthis اشتياقٌlonging
كان منها مِن قبلِ هذا اشتياقٌ
وحنينٌand yearning بالقلبِin the heart ذوpossessing أمدادِsustaining supplies
وحنينٌ بالقلبِ ذو أمدادِ
Before this, there was longing on her part,
Before this was a yearning
and yearning in the heart, ever replenished.
And an ache within, far reaching.
كيفhow باللهِby God آثرَتْshe preferred طُولَlength بينٍparting
كيف باللهِ آثرَتْ طُولَ بينٍ
فرماهاso struck her النَّوىseparation بِطُولِwith prolonged سُهادِsleeplessness
فرماها النَّوى بِطُولِ سُهادِ
How, by God, did she prefer a long parting,
How could she choose long separation?
so that separation struck her with prolonged sleeplessness?
Casting me to the winds of desolation.
ودَعاهاand summoned her بعدَafter التَّحَوُّلِthe change وجدٌpassionate longing
ودَعاها بعدَ التَّحَوُّلِ وجدٌ
فيin حَناياهits inner folds النَّارُfire تحتَbeneath رمادِashes
في حَناياه النَّارُ تحتَ رمادِ
And longing summoned her after the change;
And sorrow called her after change
in its inner folds, fire lay beneath ashes.
With fire beneath the embers in her breast.
قدindeed قضَـىdecreed البينُparting ماwhat قضَـىdecreed ودَعاناand summoned us
قد قضَـى البينُ ما قضَـى ودَعانا
لِشُجونٍto sorrows تَغَصُّchoke بالأكبادِon the vitals (livers)
لِشُجونٍ تَغَصُّ بالأكبادِ
Parting has decreed what it has decreed, and summoned us
Separation has ruled as it would, drawing us
to sorrows choking on our vitals.
To heartache that pierces the liver.
فَصَحِبْتُso I kept company with النُّجومَthe stars طِيلةَthroughout ليلِيmy night
فَصَحِبْتُ النُّجومَ طِيلةَ ليلِي
بينَamid أنَّاتِmoans قلبِthe heart of صبٍّa lovesick lover شادِsinging
بينَ أنَّاتِ قلبِ صبٍّ شادِ
So I kept the stars company throughout my night,
I kept company with the stars through my long night
amid the moans of a lovesick singer's heart.
Between the sighs of my ardent, sleepless heart.
قدindeed تَعهَّدْنَthey tended بالعَشِـيِّat evening فؤاديmy heart
قد تَعهَّدْنَ بالعَشِـيِّ فؤادي
هُنَّthey فيهِwithin it منذُsince التَّفَرُّقِseparation زاديmy sustenance
هُنَّ فيهِ منذُ التَّفَرُّقِ زادي
They have tended my heart at evening;
At nightfall my heart promised
within it, since our parting, they are my sustenance.
To sustain me since we were torn apart.
بعضَa little رِفقٍgentleness إنَّindeed الفؤادَthe heart تَرَدَّىfell into ruin
بعضَ رِفقٍ إنَّ الفؤادَ تَرَدَّى
بِسهامِby the arrows of النَّوىseparation وسيفِand the sword of البعادِdistance
بِسهامِ النَّوى وسيفِ البعادِ
A little gentleness—the heart has been laid low
Show some compassion, for the heart has stumbled
by the arrows of separation and the sword of distance.
On the arrows of yearning and the sword of distance.
ماnot علَىupon الصَّبِّthe lovesick lover إنْif تصَبَّرَhe endured patiently دهرًاfor an age
ما علَى الصَّبِّ إنْ تصَبَّرَ دهرًا
مِنany ملامٍblame إنْif ضلَّhe lost his way بعدَafter جهادِstruggle
مِن ملامٍ إنْ ضلَّ بعدَ جهادِ
The lover, if he has endured an age, deserves
No blame rests on one who resiliently bears
no blame if he loses his way after striving.
After exertion, though misguided.
مرَّpassed منهاof her باللَّيلِat night طيفُa phantom خيالٍa vision
مرَّ منها باللَّيلِ طيفُ خيالٍ
أيقظَawakened الذِّكرَremembrance بعدَafter طُولِlength رقادِsleep
أيقظَ الذِّكرَ بعدَ طُولِ رقادِ
A phantom vision of her passed in the night,
A phantom of memory passed in the night
awakened remembrance after a long slumber,
Waking longing after protracted slumber.
وذرَىand scattered الدَّمعَtears بالجُفونِon the eyelids وولَّىand turned away
وذرَى الدَّمعَ بالجُفونِ وولَّى
وتَباريحُand the torments of الشَّوقِlonging غيرُnot هِجادِasleep
وتَباريحُ الشَّوقِ غيرُ هِجادِ
and scattered tears over the eyelids, then turned away,
It shed tears on my lids and departed
while longing's torments knew no sleep.
While the pangs of longing were unrelenting.
حِجَجٌyears قدalready مضَتْhave passed عليهاover her فأضحَتْso she became
حِجَجٌ قد مضَتْ عليها فأضحَتْ
فيin كتابِthe book of الذِّكرَىremembrance بَريقَa gleam of مِدادِink
في كتابِ الذِّكرَى بَريقَ مِدادِ
Years have passed over her, and she has become
Pilgrimages now gone, faded
a gleam of ink in the book of remembrance.
In the book of memories and dried ink.
عاجلَتْهاovertook her suddenly مِنَof الشُّجونِsorrows وُفودٌdelegations
عاجلَتْها مِنَ الشُّجونِ وُفودٌ
يختَطِفْنَthey snatch away الخَلِيَّthe carefree one بالأصفادِwith fetters
يختَطِفْنَ الخَلِيَّ بالأصفادِ
Bands of sorrow suddenly overtook her,
Sorrows came to him in droves
snatching the carefree into fetters.
Snatching sleep with shackles.
تَتَهادَىshe glides gently كالآلِlike the mirage نَدَّfled إليهtoward it
تَتَهادَى كالآلِ نَدَّ إليه
كلُّevery مُودٍperishing one مِنَfrom الصَّبابةِpassionate longing صادِthirsty
كلُّ مُودٍ مِنَ الصَّبابةِ صادِ
She glides like a mirage, toward which has fled
Each affectionate friend lamented
every thirsty soul perishing of yearning.
Drawing near with hands outstretched.
عرَضتْshe appeared لِلفؤادِbefore the heart حِينًاfor a while فأبدَىso it showed
عرَضتْ لِلفؤادِ حِينًا فأبدَى
وجَلًاfear والهمومُand worries بالمرصادِlying in wait
وجَلًا والهمومُ بالمرصادِ
She appeared before the heart awhile, and it showed
At times it exposed my heart
fear, while worries lay in wait.
To fear, while anxieties lay in wait.
ليسis not مَنone who قامstood بالعهودِby the pledges كمَنlike one who أمـbecame (first fragment)
ليس مَن قام بالعهودِ كمَن أمـ
ـسَىbecame (final fragment) بهذاin this الدُّجَىdarkness هَتِيَّbroken الفؤادِof heart
ـسَى بهذا الدُّجَى هَتِيَّ الفؤادِ
One who has stood by his pledges is not like one who has
Not alike are those who kept their word
become brokenhearted in this darkness.
And those who in gloom forgot their fervent hearts.
كانit was منهاfrom her وكانand it was منِّيfrom me ولكنْand yet
كان منها وكان منِّي ولكنْ
أبرَمَmade firm البينُparting أمْرَهits decree بمِهادِupon a resting-place
أبرَمَ البينُ أمْرَه بمِهادِ
It was from her, and it was from me, but
There was her and there was me, yet
parting made its decree firm upon a resting-place.
Separation had its way in the end.
أقفرَتْgrew desolate منهاwithout her آيةٌa sign بعدَafter أخرىanother
أقفرَتْ منها آيةٌ بعدَ أخرى
وعفاand faded مِنamong آثارِهاher traces كلُّevery نادِgathering-place
وعفا مِن آثارِها كلُّ نادِ
One sign after another grew desolate in her absence,
Sign by sign she faded
and every gathering-place among her traces faded away.
And every companion forgot her traces.
فبعثتُso I sent forth الذِّكرَىremembrance تَؤُمُّheading for صَداهاher echo
فبعثتُ الذِّكرَى تَؤُمُّ صَداها
ورصدتُand I watched for الآياتِthe signs فيin كلِّevery وادِvalley
ورصدتُ الآياتِ في كلِّ وادِ
So I sent remembrance to seek her echo,
I sent memory to echo her
and watched for signs in every valley.
And traced her signs in every valley.
ليتَwould that بعدَafter البينِparting المُشِتِّscattering وصالًاa reunion
ليتَ بعدَ البينِ المُشِتِّ وصالًا
يَشتفِيfinds healing منهfrom it القلبُthe heart ذوpossessing الأوصادِlocks
يَشتفِي منه القلبُ ذو الأوصادِ
Would that, after sundering separation, there were reunion,
Would that after separation comes a union
through which the locked heart might find healing.
To heal the shackled heart.
ليسthere is not ممَّاin what يُحاذرُfears القلبُthe heart بأسٌharm
ليس ممَّا يُحاذرُ القلبُ بأسٌ
إنْif تَدانَتْshe drew near أوor آذنَتْshe gave notice بِوَفادِof arrival
إنْ تَدانَتْ أو آذنَتْ بِوَفادِ
There is no harm in what the heart fears,
No harm for the heart to fear
if she draws near or announces her coming.
If it draws near or promises devotion.
Sol 6.1