صَابَpoured down مُزْنُrainclouds الدُّمُوعِof tears مِنْfrom جَفْنِthe eyelid of صَبِّكْyour ardent lover
صَابَ مُزْنُ الدُّمُوعِ مِنْ جَفْنِ صَبِّكْ
عِنْدَمَاwhen اسْتَرْوَحَbreathed in الصَّبَاthe east wind مِنْfrom مَهَبِّكْyour quarter
عِنْدَمَا اسْتَرْوَحَ الصَّبَا مِنْ مَهَبِّكْ
Rainclouds of tears poured from your lover’s eyelid
when he breathed the east wind from your quarter.
كَيْفَhow يَسْلُوِgrow forgetful يَاO جَنَّتِيmy paradise عَنْكَof you قَلْبٌa heart
كَيْفَ يَسْلُوِ يَا جَنَّتِي عَنْكَ قَلْبٌ
كَانَwas قَبْلَbefore الْوُجُودِexistence جُنَّdriven mad بِحُبِّكْby love of you
كَانَ قَبْلَ الْوُجُودِ جُنَّ بِحُبِّكْ
How can a heart forget you, O my paradise,
that went mad with love for you before existence?
ثُمَّthen قُلْsay كَيْفَhow كَانَit was بَعْدَafter انْتِشَاءِthe rapture of الرthe spirit (first fragment)
ثُمَّ قُلْ كَيْفَ كَانَ بَعْدَ انْتِشَاءِ الر
رُوحِspirit (continuation) مِنْfrom أُنْسِكَyour companionship الشَّهِيِّdelightful وَقُرْبِكْand nearness to you
رُوحِ مِنْ أُنْسِكَ الشَّهِيِّ وَقُرْبِكْ
Then say: how did it fare after the rapture of the
spirit in your sweet companionship and nearness?
لَمْdid not يَدَعْleave بَيْتَكَyour house الْمَنِيعَimpregnable حِمَاهُits precinct
لَمْ يَدَعْ بَيْتَكَ الْمَنِيعَ حِمَاهُ
لِسِوَاهُfor any other than it إِلاَّexcept إِلَىto بَيْتِthe house of رَبِّكْyour Lord
لِسِوَاهُ إِلاَّ إِلَى بَيْتِ رَبِّكْ
It never left your house, whose precinct is impregnable,
for any other, save the house of your Lord.
أَوْلِgrant عُذْرِيmy excuse الرِّضَاacceptance فَمَاfor ... not جِئْتُI have come بِدْعاًas something unprecedented
أَوْلِ عُذْرِي الرِّضَا فَمَا جِئْتُ بِدْعاً
دُمْتَmay you endure وَالْفَضْلُand generosity وَالرِّضَاand goodwill مِنْamong دَأبِكْyour habits
دُمْتَ وَالْفَضْلُ وَالرِّضَا مِنْ دَأبِكْ
Grant my excuse your acceptance, for I have done nothing unprecedented.
May you endure—generosity and goodwill are your wont.
وَإِذَاand if مَاindeed (emphatic) ادَّعَيْتَyou claim كَرْباًanguish لِفَقْدِيat losing me
وَإِذَا مَا ادَّعَيْتَ كَرْباً لِفَقْدِي
أَيْنَwhere كَرْبِيmy anguish وَوَحْشَتِيand my loneliness مِنْcompared with كَرْبِكْyour anguish
أَيْنَ كَرْبِي وَوَحْشَتِي مِنْ كَرْبِكْ
And if you claim anguish at losing me,
how do my anguish and loneliness compare with yours?
وَلَدِيmy child فِيin ذَرَاكَyour shelter وَكْرِيَmy nest فِيin دَوْgrove (first fragment)
وَلَدِي فِي ذَرَاكَ وَكْرِيَ فِي دَوْ
حِكَyour grove (continuation) لَحْدِيmy grave وَتُرْبَتِيand my dust فِيin تُرْبِكْyour soil
حِكَ لَحْدِي وَتُرْبَتِي فِي تُرْبِكْ
My child is in your shelter, my nest in your
grove; my grave and my dust are in your soil.
يَاO زَمَاناًTime أغْرَىincited الْفِرَاقَparting بِشَملِيagainst my gathered company
يَا زَمَاناً أغْرَى الْفِرَاقَ بِشَملِي
لَيْتنِيwould that I أُهْبَتيmy gear أَخَذْتُI had taken لِحَرْبِكْfor war against you
لَيْتنِي أُهْبَتي أَخَذْتُ لِحَرْبِكْ
O Time, who set parting upon my gathered company,
would that I had taken up my gear for war against you!
أَرْكَبَتنِيmade me ride صُرُوفُكَyour vicissitudes الصَّعْبَhardship حَتَّىuntil
أَرْكَبَتنِي صُرُوفُكَ الصَّعْبَ حَتَّى
جِئْتَyou came بِالْبَيْنِwith separation وَهْوَand it is أَصْعَبُthe hardest of صَعْبَكْyour hardships
جِئْتَ بِالْبَيْنِ وَهْوَ أَصْعَبُ صَعْبَكْ
Your vicissitudes set me astride hardship, until
you brought separation, the hardest of your hardships.
Sol 6.1