ياO لَيلُnight طُلتَyou have grown long وَطالَand has grown long الوَجدُpassionate longing وَالكَمَدُand grief
يا لَيلُ طُلتَ وَطالَ الوَجدُ وَالكَمَدُ
كِلاكُماboth of you مُستَمِرٌّunceasing ماthere is no لَهُfor it أَمَدُend
كِلاكُما مُستَمِرٌّ ما لَهُ أَمَدُ
O night, you have grown long, and long are longing and grief.
Both of you endure, with no end.
لاmay not دَرَّflow درّكyour milk مِنas a لَيلٍnight كَواكِبُهُits stars
لا دَرَّ درّك مِن لَيلٍ كَواكِبُهُ
طَلائِحُwearied الخَطوِin step لاnot تَرديgallop وَلاnor تَخِدُstride swiftly
طَلائِحُ الخَطوِ لا تَردي وَلا تَخِدُ
A curse upon you, night, whose stars
are weary in their steps, neither galloping nor striding on.
كَأَنَّهاas though they مِنof فِراقِparting from اللَيلِthe night خائِفَةٌafraid
كَأَنَّها مِن فِراقِ اللَيلِ خائِفَةٌ
وَفيand at الصَباحِdawn عَلَيهاagainst them لِلكَرىfor sleep قَوَدُblood-vengeance
وَفي الصَباحِ عَلَيها لِلكَرى قَوَدُ
They seem afraid to part from night,
and at dawn sleep has blood-vengeance to exact from them.
وَقَدand indeed تَعَرَّضتI turned لِلجَوزاءِtoward al-Jawza طالِعَةًrising
وَقَد تَعَرَّضت لِلجَوزاءِ طالِعَةً
مِثلَlike الهَدِيِّthe bride عَلَيهاupon her التاجُthe crown مُنعَقِدُfastened
مِثلَ الهَدِيِّ عَلَيها التاجُ مُنعَقِدُ
And I have turned toward al-Jawza as she rises,
like a bride with a crown fastened upon her.
ياO لَيلُnight ماnot طُلتَyou have grown longer عَمّاthan what كُنتُI used to أَعرِفُهُknow it
يا لَيلُ ما طُلتَ عَمّا كُنتُ أَعرِفُهُ
وَإِنَّماand only طالَhas grown long بيfor me فيكَin you الَّذيwhat أَجِدُI feel
وَإِنَّما طالَ بي فيكَ الَّذي أَجِدُ
O night, you are no longer than I knew you to be;
it is only my suffering in you that drags on.
ياO أُمَّmother of عَمروٍAmr لَقَدindeed كَلَّفتِنيyou burdened me كُلَفاًburdens
يا أُمَّ عَمروٍ لَقَد كَلَّفتِني كُلَفاً
مِنَfrom الصُدودِrejection فَقَلبيso my heart للرَدىfor death صَدَدُa target
مِنَ الصُدودِ فَقَلبي للرَدى صَدَدُ
O Umm Amr, you have burdened me with torments
by turning away; my heart lies exposed to death.
أَتلَفتِyou destroyed رُوحيmy soul وَماand not خَلَّفتِyou left behind ليfor me جَسَداًa body
أَتلَفتِ رُوحي وَما خَلَّفتِ لي جَسَداً
فَعُدتُso I became لَمnot يَبقَremains ليto me رُوحٌa soul وَلاnor جَسَدُa body
فَعُدتُ لَم يَبقَ لي رُوحٌ وَلا جَسَدُ
You destroyed my soul and left me no body,
so neither soul nor body remains to me.
قَدindeed كُنتُI was جَلداًsteadfast وَأَمَّاbut as for بَعدَafter نَأيِكُمُyour departure
قَد كُنتُ جَلداً وَأَمَّا بَعدَ نَأيِكُمُ
فَلَيسَso there is no ليfor me فيin الهَوىlove صَبرٌpatience وَلاnor جَلَدُfortitude
فَلَيسَ لي في الهَوى صَبرٌ وَلا جَلَدُ
I was once steadfast, but since your departure,
I have neither patience nor fortitude in love.
أَهوىI long for المَزارَa visit وَكَمand how many بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكُمُand between you
أَهوى المَزارَ وَكَم بَيني وَبَينَكُمُ
مِنof شاهِقِtowering الصَمدِrugged high ground أَعلىraised سَمكَهُits height الصَمَدُthe Eternal One
مِن شاهِقِ الصَمدِ أَعلى سَمكَهُ الصَمَدُ
I long to visit; yet between me and you lie so many
towering crags whose height the Eternal One raised,
وَمِنand of فَلاةٍa wilderness شَطونِremote البِيدِthe deserts نازِحَةٍfar-distant
وَمِن فَلاةٍ شَطونِ البِيدِ نازِحَةٍ
تَكِلُّgrows weary مِنfrom دَونِهاshort of reaching it العَيرانَةُthe hardy she-camel الأَجُدُstrong-built
تَكِلُّ مِن دَونِها العَيرانَةُ الأَجُدُ
and far-flung wastes, remote among the deserts,
that weary the hardy, strong-built she-camel before she reaches them.
يَسريtravels by night الخَيالُthe dream-phantom فَيَلقىand encounters دُونَكُمshort of reaching you نَصَباًhardship
يَسري الخَيالُ فَيَلقى دُونَكُم نَصَباً
فَماso not يُعاوِدُreturns إِلّاexcept وَهوَwhile it is مُضطَهَدُharried
فَما يُعاوِدُ إِلّا وَهوَ مُضطَهَدُ
The dream-phantom journeys by night, meeting hardship short of you;
it never returns except sorely harried.
دَعleave off ذِكرَmentioning هِندٍHind وَلَكنbut رُبَّmany a مَهلَكَةٍdeadly waste
دَع ذِكرَ هِندٍ وَلَكن رُبَّ مَهلَكَةٍ
أَضحَتcame to be بِيَwith me العِيسُthe pale camels فيin أَجوازِهاits depths تَفِدُhastening
أَضحَت بِيَ العِيسُ في أَجوازِها تَفِدُ
Leave off speaking of Hind; yet many a deadly waste
have the pale camels sped through with me,
إِلىtoward المُعِزِّal-Muizz الَّذيwho أَضحَتhave become مَناقِبُهُhis virtues
إِلى المُعِزِّ الَّذي أَضحَت مَناقِبُهُ
يُحصىare counted الحَصاthe pebbles قَبلَbefore أَنthat يُحصىis counted لَهاfor them عَدَدُa number
يُحصى الحَصا قَبلَ أَن يُحصى لَها عَدَدُ
toward al-Muizz, whose virtues are so many
that one could count the pebbles before numbering them.
إِلىtoward فَتىًa young man نالَattained بِالمَعروفِthrough kindness مُنذُsince نَشاhe grew up
إِلى فَتىً نالَ بِالمَعروفِ مُنذُ نَشا
مَحامِداًpraises لَمdid not يَنلهاattain them قَبلَهُbefore him أَحَدُanyone
مَحامِداً لَم يَنلها قَبلَهُ أَحَدُ
Toward a young man who, through kindness, has won since youth
praises no one before him ever attained.
أَلوىunyielding أَشَمُّlofty-nosed بَعِيدُfar-reaching الشَوفِvision مُنصَلِتٌresolute
أَلوى أَشَمُّ بَعِيدُ الشَوفِ مُنصَلِتٌ
جَبِينُهُhis forehead مِثلُlike ضَوءِthe light of الشَمسِthe sun يَتَّقِدُblazes
جَبِينُهُ مِثلُ ضَوءِ الشَمسِ يَتَّقِدُ
Unyielding, high-nosed, far-seeing, resolute,
his forehead blazes like the light of the sun.
أُثنيI praise عَلَيهِhim وَليand I have فيin كُلِّevery جارِحَةٍlimb
أُثني عَلَيهِ وَلي في كُلِّ جارِحَةٍ
قَلبٌa heart لِأَضعافِin multiples of ماwhat أُبديهِI express it مُعتَقِدُfirmly believing
قَلبٌ لِأَضعافِ ما أُبديهِ مُعتَقِدُ
I praise him, and in every limb of mine there is
a heart that deems him worth many times the praise I speak.
ياO مَنyou who هُوَhe البَحرُthe sea جَيّاشاًsurging بِنائِلِهِwith his bounty
يا مَن هُوَ البَحرُ جَيّاشاً بِنائِلِهِ
وَغَيرُهُand others besides him المَنهلُthe watering hole الضَحضاحُshallow وَالثَمَدُand a scant pool
وَغَيرُهُ المَنهلُ الضَحضاحُ وَالثَمَدُ
O you who are the sea, surging with your bounty,
while others are shallow watering holes and scant pools.
فَذاكَthat, then نَزرٌa scant amount تَكادُalmost الأَرضُthe earth تَنشِفُهُdrinks it dry
فَذاكَ نَزرٌ تَكادُ الأَرضُ تَنشِفُهُ
وَأَنتَand you يَطميsurges high عَلَيكَover you المَوجُthe waves وَالزَبَدُand foam
وَأَنتَ يَطمي عَلَيكَ المَوجُ وَالزَبَدُ
That is so scant the earth almost drinks it dry,
while over you the waves and foam surge high.
ياO واهِبَgiver of المالِwealth لاno مَطلٌdelay يَحُولُinterferes بِهِwith it
يا واهِبَ المالِ لا مَطلٌ يَحُولُ بِهِ
وَلاnor يُكَدِّرُهُmars it مَنٌّreproachful reminders وَلاnor نَكَدُgrudging
وَلا يُكَدِّرُهُ مَنٌّ وَلا نَكَدُ
O giver of wealth, no delay holds it back,
nor is it marred by reminders of favors or grudging.
إِذاwhen حَضرتَyou attend وَغابَand are absent الناسُthe people كُلُّهُمُall of them
إِذا حَضرتَ وَغابَ الناسُ كُلُّهُمُ
عَنfrom مَشهَدٍa gathering لَمnot يَغِبbe absent عَنهُمfrom them وَقَدand indeed شَهِدُواthey have attended
عَن مَشهَدٍ لَم يَغِب عَنهُم وَقَد شَهِدُوا
When you attend, though all the people are absent
from a gathering, they have not missed it—they have attended.
لاmay not فارَقَتpart from شَخصَكَyour person الدُنياthe world فَأَنتَfor you بِهاin it
لا فارَقَت شَخصَكَ الدُنيا فَأَنتَ بِها
كَالشَمسِlike the sun لَمnot يَخلُbe devoid مِنof نُورٍlight لَهاbelonging to it بَلَدُa land
كَالشَمسِ لَم يَخلُ مِن نُورٍ لَها بَلَدُ
May the world never part from you, for in it you are
like the sun: no land is without its light.
Sol 6.1