يا شاديا في ذرى الأفنان أفنانا

يا شاديا في ذرى الأفنان أفنانا

فتون شدوك في الأسحار أفنانا

فتون شدوك في الأسحار أفنانا

O singer, aloft amid the boughs, warbling varied melodies,

O singer of varied strains in the highest boughs,

the charms of your song in the predawn hours consumed us.

the enchantment of your predawn song has undone us.

كرر بصرحة وادي الجزع شدود قد

كرر بصرحة وادي الجزع شدود قد

أذابنا شجو ما تبدى وأشجانا

أذابنا شجو ما تبدى وأشجانا

Repeat your song atop a tall tree in Wadi al-Jazʿ, for

Repeat a song in the clearing of Wadi al-Jiz‘; it has

its plaint, when it arose, melted us and filled us with grief.

melted us with sorrow whenever it arose, and grieved us.

أراك بين غصون البان تندب في ال

أراك بين غصون البان تندب في ال

أفنان إلفاً وذاك الإلف قد خانا

أفنان إلفاً وذاك الإلف قد خانا

I see you among the bān-tree branches, lamenting amid the—

I see you among the bān-tree’s branches, mourning amid the

boughs for a mate—and that mate has proved false.

boughs a companion—and that companion has proved faithless.

كذاك أصبحت يا ورقاء مثلك من

كذاك أصبحت يا ورقاء مثلك من

شباب عمر نأى عني وقد بانا

شباب عمر نأى عني وقد بانا

So too have I become, O ringdove—like you, bereft of

I too have become like you, O gray dove, because of

the youth of a life that has gone far from me and vanished.

my life’s youth, which has withdrawn from me and departed.

ولّى ولم أجن في ريعان غرّتِه

ولّى ولم أجن في ريعان غرّتِه

جنى أنال به برّاً وإحسانا

جنى أنال به برّاً وإحسانا

It passed before, in the first flush of its bloom, I could reap

It fled, and in the flowering of its prime I reaped no

a harvest through which I might attain righteousness and grace.

fruit through which I might attain goodness and beneficence.

أسفتُ لكن على دهرٍ به لم أجد

أسفتُ لكن على دهرٍ به لم أجد

على بلوغي لما أملت أعوانا

على بلوغي لما أملت أعوانا

I grieved—but over an age in which I found no

Yet I grieved for a time in which I found no

helpers toward attaining what I had hoped for.

helpers in attaining what I hoped for.

قاسيتُه بالضنا خوف الجوى أسفاً

قاسيتُه بالضنا خوف الجوى أسفاً

ها قد مضى بالأسى شجواً وأحزاناً

ها قد مضى بالأسى شجواً وأحزاناً

I endured it, wasted by anguish, fearing love’s torment, sorrowful;

I endured it in wasting sickness, fearing heartache, full of regret;

now it has passed, laden with pain, grief, and sorrows.

behold, it has passed in anguish, sorrow, and grief.

لكن ما بيننا فيي حالنا أبداً

لكن ما بيننا فيي حالنا أبداً

شوق أبينه في البثّ تبيانا

شوق أبينه في البثّ تبيانا

Yet what lies forever between us, in this condition of ours,

But what we share, in our condition, is always

is longing, which I make plain by openly pouring out my grief.

a longing that I plainly disclose in lamentation.

أنا لفرط الضنا أبديكِ فرط أسى

أنا لفرط الضنا أبديكِ فرط أسى

وأنت تبدين فرط الشجو ألحانا

وأنت تبدين فرط الشجو ألحانا

In the extremity of wasting anguish, I show you the utmost sorrow,

In my extreme wasting, I show you overwhelming anguish,

while you reveal the utmost grief in melodies.

while you reveal overwhelming sorrow in melodies.

أراك تبكين دون الدمع يا عجباً

أراك تبكين دون الدمع يا عجباً

ودمع عيني جرى درّاً ومرجانا

ودمع عيني جرى درّاً ومرجانا

I see you weep without tears—what a wonder!

I see you weeping without tears—how strange!

while my eye’s tears flow as pearls and coral.

And tears from my eye have flowed as pearls and coral.

قالت مياه جفوني صيّرَت لهباً

قالت مياه جفوني صيّرَت لهباً

فاعجب لماء جفون عاد نيرانا

فاعجب لماء جفون عاد نيرانا

She said, “The waters of my eyelids have been turned to flame.”

She said, “The waters of my eyelids were turned to flame;

Then marvel at eyelid-water that has become fires.

so marvel at eyelids’ water that has become fire!”

فأحكمت في مقال الحق حجتها

فأحكمت في مقال الحق حجتها

وأظهرت في مجال الفكر برهانا

وأظهرت في مجال الفكر برهانا

Thus, in speaking truth, she made her case conclusive

Thus she made her argument firm by speaking the truth,

and displayed a proof in the realm of thought.

and set forth a proof in the realm of thought.

فعُدتُ أهمِل والأشواق تقلقني

فعُدتُ أهمِل والأشواق تقلقني

دمعاً جرى فوق صحن الخدّ هتانا

دمعاً جرى فوق صحن الخدّ هتانا

So I resumed shedding tears, while longings tormented me—

So again, while longings troubled me, I shed

tears streaming in torrents over the smooth expanse of my cheek.

tears that streamed in torrents over the expanse of my cheek.

يا ويح مكتئب يبكى الذي فاته

يا ويح مكتئب يبكى الذي فاته

أنصاره أدمع تنهل طوفانا

أنصاره أدمع تنهل طوفانا

Alas for a grief-stricken man who weeps for what he has lost,

Alas for a sorrowful man weeping for what has passed him by,

whose allies are tears cascading in a flood.

whose helpers are tears pouring down in a flood!

ترى الزمانُ له يدنى أحبته

ترى الزمانُ له يدنى أحبته

فيُنظَمُ الشمل سلكاً مثل ما كانا

فيُنظَمُ الشمل سلكاً مثل ما كانا

Do you suppose time will bring his loved ones near to him

Will time, I wonder, draw his loved ones near to him,

and string their reunion upon a thread, as it once was?

so their company is strung into one strand, as it once was?

على الليالي تعيد الشمل مشتملا

على الليالي تعيد الشمل مشتملا

فكم أذاب النوى بالبعد أشلانا

فكم أذاب النوى بالبعد أشلانا

Perhaps the nights will restore the company, gathered whole—

May the nights restore our company, gathered whole,

for how often separation has melted our limbs away through distance!

for how often parting has melted our limbs through distance!

يا أرض طيبة حياك الحيا واغتدى

يا أرض طيبة حياك الحيا واغتدى

ينهَلُّ فيك سحاب المزن أزمانا

ينهَلُّ فيك سحاب المزن أزمانا

O land of Ṭaybah, may the life-giving rain greet you, and at dawn may—

O land of Tayba, may rain greet you, and at dawn may

the raincloud pour down upon you for ages.

rain clouds pour over you for ages.

ودمت تحدى إلى مغناكِ أنفسنا

ودمت تحدى إلى مغناكِ أنفسنا

بالشوق معلنةً سراً وإعلانا

بالشوق معلنةً سراً وإعلانا

And may you endure, while our souls are driven toward your abode,

And may you endure, our souls urged toward your abode

by longing, declaring it in secret and aloud.

by longing, proclaiming it in secret and openly.