كمْhow many ليَوْمِfor the day of الفِراقِparting منْof غُصّهْa choking pang
كمْ ليَوْمِ الفِراقِ منْ غُصّهْ
فيin فؤادِthe heart of العَميدْthe lovesick one
في فؤادِ العَميدْ
How many a choking pang the day of parting brings
How heavy is the day of parting
to the heart of the lovesick one!
In the heart of the chief
ترْفَعُit brings الأمْرَthe matter فيهِconcerning him والقِصّهْand the story
ترْفَعُ الأمْرَ فيهِ والقِصّهْ
للوَليّto the protector الحَميدْpraiseworthy
للوَليّ الحَميدْ
It brings his plight and story
To raise the matter then and the story
before the praiseworthy protector.
To the gracious guardian
رحَلَdeparted الرّكْبُthe caravan يقْطَعُcrossing البَيْداthe desert
رحَلَ الرّكْبُ يقْطَعُ البَيْدا
بسَفينِon ships of النّياقْshe-camels
بسَفينِ النّياقْ
The caravan departed, crossing the desert
The caravan traveled cutting through the desert
on ships of she-camels.
With the sailing camel
كُلُّevery وجْناءَsturdy she-camel تُتْلِعُstretches الجِيداthe neck
كُلُّ وجْناءَ تُتْلِعُ الجِيدا
وتَبُذُّand outstrips الرِّفاقْthe companions
وتَبُذُّ الرِّفاقْ
Every sturdy she-camel stretches her neck
Every beautiful gazelle calling out
and outstrips her companions.
And parting from friends
حسِبْتI reckoned لَيْلَةَthe night of اللِّقاreunion عيداa feast
حسِبْت لَيْلَةَ اللِّقا عيدا
فهْيَand she ذاتُfull of اشْتِياقْlonging
فهْيَ ذاتُ اشْتِياقْ
I counted the night of reunion a feast,
I thought the night of meeting was a celebration
and she is full of longing.
Yet it was full of yearning
صائِماتٍfasting she-camels لاnot تقْبَلُthey accept الرّخْصَهْthe dispensation
صائِماتٍ لا تقْبَلُ الرّخْصَهْ
قبْلَbefore فِطْرٍbreaking the fast وَعيدْand a feast
قبْلَ فِطْرٍ وَعيدْ
Fasting, they accept no dispensation
Fasting women who don’t accept the concession
before the breaking of the fast and the feast.
Before the feast and holiday
فهْيَso they مُذْsince أمّلَتْهُthey hoped for it مُخْتَصّهْdevoted
فهْيَ مُذْ أمّلَتْهُ مُخْتَصّهْ
بجِهادٍto a struggle جَهيدْarduous
بجِهادٍ جَهيدْ
So, since they hoped for it, they have been devoted
Since it hoped for it, it became specialized
to an arduous struggle.
With enormous effort
ياO إمامَleader of العَلاءِeminence والفَخْرِand glory
يا إمامَ العَلاءِ والفَخْرِ
ذاpossessor of السّناradiance المُبْهِجِgladdening
ذا السّنا المُبْهِجِ
O leader in eminence and glory,
O Imam of the noble and the pride
possessor of gladdening radiance,
Of radiant years
هاكَهاtake it لاnot عدِمْتَyou lack فيin الدّهْرِall time
هاكَها لا عدِمْتَ في الدّهْرِ
آمِلاًa hopeful seeker مُرْتَجيexpectant
آمِلاً مُرْتَجي
take it—may you never lack, throughout time,
I present you this, may you never lack in life
a hopeful, expectant seeker.
Hoping and aspiring
عارَضْتُI answered in kind قوْلَthe words of بائِعِthe seller of التّمْرِdates
عارَضْتُ قوْلَ بائِعِ التّمْرِ
بمَقالٍwith an utterance شَجيplaintive
بمَقالٍ شَجي
I answered the date-seller's words
I confronted the saying of the date seller
with a plaintive utterance:
With difficult words
غرّبوكِthey bore you westward الجِمالُthe camels ياO حَفْصَهْHafsa
غرّبوكِ الجِمالُ يا حَفْصَهْ
منْfrom مَكانٍa place بَعيدْdistant
منْ مَكانٍ بَعيدْ
The camels bore you westward, O Hafsa,
Beauty has hidden you, oh Hafsa
from a distant place,
From a far place
منْfrom سِجِلْماسَةٍSijilmasa ومنْand from قَفْصَهْGafsa
منْ سِجِلْماسَةٍ ومنْ قَفْصَهْ
وبِلادِand the land of الجَريدْal-Jarid
وبِلادِ الجَريدْ
from Sijilmasa and from Gafsa,
From Ségilmassa and from Kafsa
and the land of al-Jarid.
And the lands of Jarid
Sol 6.1