ماwhat بالthe matter with جيرانناour neighbors بالبانat al-Bān
ما بال جيراننا بالبان
مالواthey turned away عنfrom الودaffection والحبand love
مالوا عن الود والحب
What ails our neighbors at al-Bān?
Why have our neighbors turned away
They have turned away from affection and love,
From affection and kindness?
وصبرواand made [probable intended reading] حظناour lot الهجرانestrangement
وصبروا حظنا الهجران
منهمfrom them وماand there is no ثمthere منany ذنبfault
منهم وما ثم من ذنب
And made estrangement our lot,
They've resigned me to estrangement
From them, though there was no fault.
Though I've done them no wrong.
أصبحتI have become منfrom بعدهمafter them ولهانdistraught with longing
أصبحت من بعدهم ولهان
متيمenslaved by love الجسمthe body والقلبand the heart
متيم الجسم والقلب
Since their departure, I have become distraught,
After them I'm left distraught,
Enslaved by love in body and heart.
My heart and body yearning.
تجريflow دموعيmy tears علىover الأوجانthe cheeks
تجري دموعي على الأوجان
كأنهاas though they ماrainfall [first fragment] طرrainfall [second fragment] السحبthe clouds
كأنها ما طر السحب
My tears flow over my cheeks,
My tears flow down my cheeks
As though they were rain falling from the clouds.
As if poured from the clouds above.
ياO سعدSaʿd ماnot كانwas فيin ظنيmy expectation
يا سعد ما كان في ظني
أنthat الأحبةthe beloved ones والجيرانand the neighbors
أن الأحبة والجيران
O Saʿd, I never imagined
O Saad, never did I think
That the beloved ones and the neighbors
That my loved ones and neighbors
بعدafter اللقاmeeting يعرضواthey would turn away عنيfrom me
بعد اللقا يعرضوا عني
ويتركونيand leave me كذاlike this حيرانbewildered
ويتركوني كذا حيران
Would turn away from me after meeting,
After our meeting would shun me
And leave me so bewildered.
And leave me bewildered like this.
فقلso tell لهمto them ياO أخاbrother of اليمنYemen
فقل لهم يا أخا اليمن
أينwhere are المواثيقthe covenants والأيمانand the oaths
أين المواثيق والأيمان
So tell them, O brother of Yemen:
Tell them, O brother of Yemen,
Where are the covenants and the oaths?
Where are the pacts and covenants?
وأينand where is عهدa pledge لناfor us قدonce كانwas
وأين عهد لنا قد كان
بالسفحon the slope منby جانبthe side of الشعبthe ravine
بالسفح من جانب الشعب
And where is the pledge we once had
Where is the promise that was
On the slope beside the ravine?
By the hillside near the ravine?
سقياmay rain bless لأيامناour days اللاتيwhich
سقيا لأيامنا اللاتي
مرتpassed لناfor us بالحمىin the sanctuary المأنوسthe familiar
مرت لنا بالحمى المأنوس
May rain bless those days of ours
We quenched the days that passed,
That passed in the familiar sanctuary.
The familiar fevered days,
كانتwere بهاin them كلall لذاتيmy delights
كانت بها كل لذاتي
فيin عالمthe world of الروحthe spirit والمحسوسand the tangible
في عالم الروح والمحسوس
In them were all my delights,
In which all my pleasures were
In the world of spirit and sense.
In the world of soul and senses.
لولاwere it not for الترجيhoping لماfor what يأتيis to come
لولا الترجي لما يأتي
منfrom نفحةa breath الملكthe King القدوسthe Most Holy
من نفحة الملك القدوس
Were it not for hope of what is to come
If not for hope of relief
From a breath of the King, the Most Holy,
From the Blessed King's breath,
لمزقتwould have torn apart قلبيmy heart الأحزانsorrows
لمزقت قلبي الأحزان
وذبتand I would have melted منfrom شدةthe intensity of الكربanguish
وذبت من شدة الكرب
Sorrows would have torn my heart apart,
My sorrows would have torn apart
And I would have melted from intense anguish.
My heart from the grip of grief.
عشlive بالرجاby hope والأملand expectation ياO صاحfriend
عش بالرجا والأمل يا صاح
وحسنand good الظنopinion بالمعبودof the One worshipped
وحسن الظن بالمعبود
Live by hope and expectation, my friend,
Live with hope and expectation, O friend,
And with trust in the One you worship.
Think well of the Worshipped One,
وروحand refresh وقتكyour time بالأرواحwith spirits
وروح وقتك بالأرواح
فإنهfor it الأصلthe foundation والمقصودand the goal
فإنه الأصل والمقصود
And refresh your hours with spirits,
Spend your time with the spirits,
For it is the foundation and the goal.
For He is the origin and purpose.
ولاand do not تعزلrely [probable intended reading] علىon الجثمانthe body
ولا تعزل على الجثمان
وإنماand only هوit للتربfor the dust
وإنما هو للترب
And do not rely on the body,
Do not cut yourself off from the flesh,
For it is meant only for dust.
It only returns to dust.
فهلso, will ترىyou think يسعدbring happiness الدهرtime
فهل ترى يسعد الدهر
منfrom بعدafter التفرقseparation والبينand parting
من بعد التفرق والبين
So, do you think time will bring happiness
Will you ever see happiness again
After separation and parting,
After this separation and distance,
منfrom قبلbefore أنthat ينقضيcomes to an end العمرlife
من قبل أن ينقضي العمر
بملتقىthrough reunion with قرةthe delight of العينthe eye
بملتقى قرة العين
Before life comes to an end,
Before our lives run out,
Through reunion with the delight of the eye,
With a joyous meeting of the eyes?
ويدنوand draws near الركنthe Corner والحجرand the Stone
ويدنو الركن والحجر
منof منتهىthe utmost of الحسنbeauty والزينand loveliness
من منتهى الحسن والزين
And the Corner and the Stone draw near—
Will the pillar and stone
Of the utmost beauty and loveliness—
Ever draw near perfect beauty?
وبالمعروفand in the well-known place منof نعمانNuʿmān
وبالمعروف من نعمان
مواقفstations of الفوزtriumph والقربand nearness
مواقف الفوز والقرب
And, in the well-known part of Nuʿmān,
And with goodness from the Eternal
The stations of triumph and nearness?
Are stations of success and nearness.
Sol 6.1