ماذاwhat دعاكَprompted you إلىto التَّذكُّرِremembering بعدماafter
ماذا دعاكَ إلى التَّذكُّرِ بعدما
ركضَcharged الزَّمانُtime بسيفِwith a sword of بينٍparting مُصْلَتِdrawn
ركضَ الزَّمانُ بسيفِ بينٍ مُصْلَتِ
What prompted you to remember, after
What reminded you of remembrance after
time charged with a drawn sword of parting?
Time had run with the sword of separation between us?
قدindeed كانwas عهدًاa time غابرًاbygone عَصفتْraged بهover it
قد كان عهدًا غابرًا عَصفتْ به
رِيحُthe wind of الفراقِseparation فلمso did not يكنbe بالمُفْلِتِable to escape
رِيحُ الفراقِ فلم يكن بالمُفْلِتِ
It was a bygone time, battered by
It was a bygone era blown away
the wind of separation, so it could not escape.
By the winds of parting, with no escape
هلwill ...? عائدٌreturning مِنfrom بعدِafter أنْthat شحطَgrew distant النَّوىseparation
هل عائدٌ مِن بعدِ أنْ شحطَ النَّوى
وتقطَّعتْand broke apart حِيَلُthe means of الوصالِreunion وأبْلتِand wore out
وتقطَّعتْ حِيَلُ الوصالِ وأبْلتِ
Will it return, after separation has stretched so far
Can it return after the cord of intimacy was severed
and the means of reunion have broken apart and worn out?
And the means of reunion failed and wore out?
وتشتَّتَتْand scattered سُبلُthe paths of المزارِvisiting فماso none لهاfor them
وتشتَّتَتْ سُبلُ المزارِ فما لها
حادٍa camel-driver فيهديَهاto then guide them إذاwhen هيَthey ضلَّتِstrayed
حادٍ فيهديَها إذا هيَ ضلَّتِ
And the paths to meeting scattered, with no
The paths to visitation are dispersed with no one
camel-driver to guide them when they stray.
To guide them when they go astray
ماhow أسرعَswift الأيامَthe days فيin وثباتِهاtheir leaps
ما أسرعَ الأيامَ في وثباتِها
وأشدَّهاand how fierce they are بطشًاin assault إذاwhen هيَthey ولَّتِturned away
وأشدَّها بطشًا إذا هيَ ولَّتِ
How swift the days are in their leaps,
How quickly the days leap in their bounds
and how fierce their onslaught when they turn away!
And how violent they are when they attack!
قدindeed كنتُI was آمُلُhoping أنthat يعودَwould return وصالُناour union
قد كنتُ آمُلُ أن يعودَ وصالُنا
والعينُwhile the eye تَذريscatters الدَّمعَthe tears حتىuntil ملَّتِgrew weary
والعينُ تَذري الدَّمعَ حتى ملَّتِ
I had hoped that our union would return,
I used to hope that our union would return
while the eye shed tears until it grew weary.
While my eyes shed tears until they were weary
تاللهِby God ماnot زالceased الفؤادُthe heart بذِكرِهاat remembering her
تاللهِ ما زال الفؤادُ بذِكرِها
يَشْجَىgrieves وإنْeven if رُسُلُthe messengers of الوشايةِslander حلَّتِarrived
يَشْجَى وإنْ رُسُلُ الوشايةِ حلَّتِ
By God, remembering her, the heart still
By Allah! My heart is still remembering her
grieves, even if the messengers of slander arrive.
Yearning while the messengers of slander arrive
لاnot أدَّعيI claim زُورًاfalsehood ولكنْand yet أيقنتْbecame certain
لا أدَّعي زُورًا ولكنْ أيقنتْ
منِّيfrom me ومنهاand from her النَّفسُthe soul حينwhen أقلَّتِgave little
منِّي ومنها النَّفسُ حين أقلَّتِ
I claim no falsehood; yet certainty came
I do not falsely claim, but my soul and hers
to my soul and hers when she gave little.
Were certain when it weakened and declined
قدindeed كنتُI was فيماin what قبلُbefore أزعمُsupposing أنَّهاthat she
قد كنتُ فيما قبلُ أزعمُ أنَّها
سيَحِينُwill come in due time منهاfrom her الوصلُunion إنْif هيَshe أوْلتِbestowed
سيَحِينُ منها الوصلُ إنْ هيَ أوْلتِ
I had once supposed that
Previously, I claimed she would reunite
union would come from her in time, if she bestowed it.
If she came back, but my heart refused
فزجرتُso I rebuked قلبيmy heart حينwhen طالgrew long تصبُّريmy striving for patience
فزجرتُ قلبي حين طال تصبُّري
فأبَىbut it refused وشَدَّand hastened وسارَand traveled حيثُwhere تولَّتِshe turned away
فأبَى وشَدَّ وسارَ حيثُ تولَّتِ
So I rebuked my heart when my striving for patience dragged on;
It pulled and walked where she turned away
but it refused, hastened, and went where she had turned away,
Waiting, reciting the melodies of passion
مترقِّبًاwaiting expectantly يتلوreciting ترانيمَthe hymns of الهوىlove
مترقِّبًا يتلو ترانيمَ الهوى
مِنfrom حيثُwhere ألقتْcast سهمَهاher arrow وتجلَّتِand revealed herself
مِن حيثُ ألقتْ سهمَها وتجلَّتِ
waiting expectantly, reciting the hymns of love,
From where her arrow landed and she appeared
from where she cast her arrow and revealed herself.
A day which time was stingy with, so it shortened
يومٌa day بهwith it ضنَّwas stingy الزمانُtime فأقصَـرَتْso shortened
يومٌ به ضنَّ الزمانُ فأقصَـرَتْ
خطواتُهits steps مِنfrom حيثُwhere قَلَّdwindled وقلَّتِand dwindled
خطواتُه مِن حيثُ قَلَّ وقلَّتِ
A day that time begrudged; thus shortened were
Its steps from where it diminished and weakened
its steps, as it dwindled and they dwindled.
We enjoyed a brief union traced in the book of intimacy
نلهوwe revel بوصلٍin a union خَطَّinscribed فيin سِفْرِthe book of النَّوىseparation
نلهو بوصلٍ خَطَّ في سِفْرِ النَّوى
سطرينِtwo lines بلrather سطرًاone line وضلَّand strayed فضلَّتِso she strayed
سطرينِ بل سطرًا وضلَّ فضلَّتِ
We revel in a union that inscribed in the book of separation
Two lines, no just one line, then it went astray
two lines—rather, one—and strayed, so she strayed.
If that was a return, then welcome
لوif كانthere were مِنany عَوْدٍreturn لِذاكَto that فمرحبًاthen welcome
لو كان مِن عَوْدٍ لِذاكَ فمرحبًا
بالبِشـرِwith gladness والتَّرحابand warm welcome حيثُwhere أهلَّتِshe appeared
بالبِشـرِ والتَّرحاب حيثُ أهلَّتِ
If there were a return to that, then welcome,
The good news and joy where it gathered
with gladness and warm greetings where she appeared.
But fate insisted on agony
لكنْbut تأبَّىrefused الدَّهرُtime إلاexcept لوعةًburning anguish
لكنْ تأبَّى الدَّهرُ إلا لوعةً
جادتgave generously بهاwith it كفُّthe palm of الزمانtime فعلَّتِthen gave a second draught
جادت بها كفُّ الزمان فعلَّتِ
But time refused all but a burning anguish,
Dealt by the palm of time so it twisted
which time's hand lavished, then gave again.
The days made a sincere promise to it
عَقدتْformed لهاfor it الأيامُthe days عزمًاa resolve صادقًاsincere
عَقدتْ لها الأيامُ عزمًا صادقًا
فأقرَّتِso entrenched الأشجانَthe sorrows حينwhen أظلَّتِcast a shadow
فأقرَّتِ الأشجانَ حين أظلَّتِ
The days formed for it a steadfast resolve,
The sorrows settled when they shaded
so they entrenched sorrows when they cast their shadow.
It ignited for your heart the embers of yearning
أذكتْkindled لقلبِكَfor your heart جمرةَthe ember of الشَّوقِlonging التيthat
أذكتْ لقلبِكَ جمرةَ الشَّوقِ التي
أوْلتْكَbestowed upon you منهاfrom it مرَّتينِtwice وأصلَتِand scorched
أوْلتْكَ منها مرَّتينِ وأصلَتِ
They kindled in your heart the ember of longing that
Which it inflicted on you twice and sparked
they twice gave you a share of, scorching you.
It slipped in a clear sign and concealed it
دسَّتْsecretly slipped in بآيةِwith a sign of بينِهاher parting وتكتَّمتْand kept silent
دسَّتْ بآيةِ بينِها وتكتَّمتْ
بلrather أفصحتْdisclosed عمَّاabout what تخافُyou fear وأجلَتِand made clear
بل أفصحتْ عمَّا تخافُ وأجلَتِ
She slipped in a sign of her parting and kept it secret;
Nay, it openly declared what it feared and uncovered
rather, she disclosed what you fear and made it plain.
So you sat counting the stars behind her travelling
فقعدتَso you sat تُحصـيcounting النَّجمَthe stars خلفَbehind رِكابِهاher riding camels
فقعدتَ تُحصـي النَّجمَ خلفَ رِكابِها
مِنfrom حيثُwhere دلَّpointed علىto الظَّعينِthe departing traveler ودلَّتِand she pointed
مِن حيثُ دلَّ على الظَّعينِ ودلَّتِ
So you sat counting the stars behind her caravan,
From where it indicated the slender one and pointed
from where they pointed to the departing traveler, and so did she.
With it, justifications were presented whose journey was long
وجرتْand passed بهاwith her حِجَجٌyears يَطولُgrows long بهاthrough them المدَىthe span
وجرتْ بها حِجَجٌ يَطولُ بها المدَى
حتىuntil استخفَّmade light بهاof her الوشاةُthe slanderers وأمْلَتِand dictated
حتى استخفَّ بها الوشاةُ وأمْلَتِ
And years swept her onward, lengthening the span,
Until the slanderers took it lightly and dictated
until the slanderers made light of her, and she dictated.
So I stabbed the breast of separation with a flooding
فطعنتُso I stabbed فيin صدرِthe chest of الفراقِparting بعَبرةٍwith a tear
فطعنتُ في صدرِ الفراقِ بعَبرةٍ
ملتاعةٍanguished أحْمَتْهheated it ثُمَّthen تدلَّتِtrailed down
ملتاعةٍ أحْمَتْه ثُمَّ تدلَّتِ
So I stabbed parting in the chest with a tear,
Tear which it carried then dripped down
burning with anguish, searing it, then trailing down.
Maybe time will return as its era was
ولربَّماand perhaps عادreturned الزمانُtime كعَهدِهِas it once was
ولربَّما عاد الزمانُ كعَهدِهِ
فسَلَوتَso you ceased grieving over بَينًاa parting جَلَّgrew grave حينwhen تخلَّتِshe withdrew
فسَلَوتَ بَينًا جَلَّ حين تخلَّتِ
And perhaps time will return as it once was,
So you found intimacy plainly when it withdrew
so you will cease grieving over a parting that grew grave when she withdrew.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1