لَعَلّperhaps خَيالاًa vision منْكَfrom you يطْرُقُvisits by night مَضْجَعيmy bed
لَعَلّ خَيالاً منْكَ يطْرُقُ مَضْجَعي
وإنْand if ضَلّit loses its way يهْدِيهِguides it الأنينُthe moaning لمَوْضِعيto my resting place
وإنْ ضَلّ يهْدِيهِ الأنينُ لمَوْضِعي
Perhaps a vision of you will visit my bed by night,
Perhaps an apparition of you visits my bed
And if it loses its way, my moaning will guide it to where I lie.
And if it strays, my moaning will guide it to my place
تَصَدّقْgive in charity بهِwith it وابْعَثْهُand send it فيin سِنَةِa drowse الكَرىsleep
تَصَدّقْ بهِ وابْعَثْهُ في سِنَةِ الكَرى
وماand whatever شِئْتَهُyou desire it منْfrom بعْدِafter ذالكَthat فاصْنَعِthen do
وما شِئْتَهُ منْ بعْدِ ذالكَ فاصْنَعِ
Bestow it as alms, and send it in sleep's drowse,
Bestow it upon me and send it in the year of separation
And after that, do whatever you wish.
And after that do with it what you wish
وإنْand if عادَit returns فاسْألْهُthen ask it يُجِبْكَit will answer you بِماwith what يَرىit sees
وإنْ عادَ فاسْألْهُ يُجِبْكَ بِما يَرى
لعلّكperhaps you تَرْثيfeel pity أوْor لعلّكَperhaps you تقنَعُare convinced
لعلّك تَرْثي أوْ لعلّكَ تقنَعُ
And if it returns, ask it: it will answer you with what it sees.
And if it returns, ask it to answer you with what it sees
Perhaps you will feel pity, or perhaps be convinced.
Perhaps you will console yourself or perhaps you will be content
وإلاّand if not فمُنَّthen grant ليto me بأيْسَرِwith the slightest نائِلِfavor
وإلاّ فمُنَّ لي بأيْسَرِ نائِلِ
بأنْby letting أشْتَكيI lament وجْديmy longing إلَيْكَto you وتَسمَعُand you listen
بأنْ أشْتَكي وجْدي إلَيْكَ وتَسمَعُ
Otherwise, grant me the slightest favor:
Otherwise, grant me the easiest attainment
That I may lament my longing to you, while you listen.
That I may complain to you of my love and you hear
عرَفْتُI have known الهَوىlove حُلْواًsweet ومُرّاًand bitter مذاقُهُits taste
عرَفْتُ الهَوى حُلْواً ومُرّاً مذاقُهُ
وماand not صادِقٌone sincere فيin حُبِّهhis love مثلُlike مُدّعيa pretender
وما صادِقٌ في حُبِّه مثلُ مُدّعي
I have known love, its taste both sweet and bitter,
I knew love to be sweet and bitter in taste
And one sincere in his love is not like a pretender.
And none is more truthful in his love than the pretender
فماfor not ذُقْتُI have tasted أشْهىsweeter منْthan مُشاهَدَةِwitnessing النّوَىseparation
فما ذُقْتُ أشْهى منْ مُشاهَدَةِ النّوَى
وأعظَمُand more grievous منْthan بيْنِparting الحَبيبِthe beloved المُوَدِّعِbidding farewell
وأعظَمُ منْ بيْنِ الحَبيبِ المُوَدِّعِ
For I have tasted nothing sweeter than witnessing separation,
So I have not tasted anything sweeter than beholding the beloved
Nor anything more grievous than parting from the beloved bidding farewell.
Nor greater than the affectionate one bidding farewell
ولمْand not أنْسَI forget إذwhen عانَقْتُهاI embraced her لوَداعِناfor our farewell
ولمْ أنْسَ إذ عانَقْتُها لوَداعِنا
فخالَطَso mingled with دُرَّthe pearls العِقْدِthe necklace جوْهَرُthe jewels أدْمُعيmy tears
فخالَطَ دُرَّ العِقْدِ جوْهَرُ أدْمُعي
Nor have I forgotten when I embraced her at our farewell,
And I could not forget, when I embraced her to bid adieu
And the jewels of my tears mingled with the necklace's pearls.
The essence of my tears mingled with the pearls of my necklace
تُمَسِّحُshe wipes باليُمْنىwith her right hand دُموعَthe tears جفونِهاher eyelids
تُمَسِّحُ باليُمْنى دُموعَ جفونِها
وتَجعلُand she places يُسْرىa left hand فوقَover قلْبٍa heart مُرَوَّعِterrified
وتَجعلُ يُسْرى فوقَ قلْبٍ مُرَوَّعِ
She wiped the tears from her eyelids with her right hand,
She wipes with her right hand the tears of her eyelids
And placed her left hand over a terrified heart.
And places her left upon a frightened heart
وقالتْand she said دُموعيmy tears واشْتِياقيand my longing وزَفْرَتيand my sigh
وقالتْ دُموعي واشْتِياقي وزَفْرَتي
شُهودٌwitnesses علىto ماwhat مِنْof غرامِكَpassion for you أدّعيI profess
شُهودٌ على ما مِنْ غرامِكَ أدّعي
And she said, “My tears, my longing, and my sigh
And she said my tears, my yearning and my sighs
Bear witness to the passion for you that I profess.
Are witnesses to my love for you that I profess
فإنْfor if غِبْتَyou are absent غابَdeparts الأنْسُsolace عنّيfrom me بأسْرِهِin its entirety
فإنْ غِبْتَ غابَ الأنْسُ عنّي بأسْرِهِ
ومالِيand what have I منْof عيشٍlife إذاif لمْnot تكُنْyou are مَعيwith me
ومالِي منْ عيشٍ إذا لمْ تكُنْ مَعي
For if you are absent, all solace leaves me,
If you are absent, all joy departs from me
And what life have I if you are not with me?”
And I have no life if you are not with me
ولمّاand when سرَتْshe journeyed by night واللّيلُand the night قدْhad مالَwaned وانقَضَىand ended
ولمّا سرَتْ واللّيلُ قدْ مالَ وانقَضَى
وأعْجَلَهاand hurried her ضَوْءُthe light الصّباحِthe morning المُلمَّعِradiant
وأعْجَلَها ضَوْءُ الصّباحِ المُلمَّعِ
And when she set out, the night having waned and passed,
And when she left and the night had passed
And the light of radiant morning hurried her,
The light of dawn hurried her
ولمْand not تسْتَطِعْshe could ردَّreturning السّلامِthe greeting مَخافةًout of fear
ولمْ تسْتَطِعْ ردَّ السّلامِ مَخافةً
أشارَتْshe signaled بطَرْفٍwith a glance ثمّthen أوْمَتْshe gestured بإصْبَعِwith a finger
أشارَتْ بطَرْفٍ ثمّ أوْمَتْ بإصْبَعِ
And she could not return the greeting, out of fear,
And she could not return the greeting in her fear
She signaled with a glance, then gestured with a finger.
She gestured with a glance then winked with a finger
فأيُّthen what اصْطبارpatience لمْnot تُحَلَّwere undone عُقودُهits knots
فأيُّ اصْطبار لمْ تُحَلَّ عُقودُه
وأيّand what فؤادٍheart بعْدُafterward لمْnot يتصدّعِshatter
وأيّ فؤادٍ بعْدُ لمْ يتصدّعِ
What patience, then, did not have its knots undone?
So what patience has its knots not unbound
And what heart, after that, did not shatter?
And what heart thereafter has not cracked
رَعَىmay protect اللهُGod مَنْwhoever يرْعَىhonors العُهودَthe pledges علىdespite النّوىseparation
رَعَى اللهُ مَنْ يرْعَى العُهودَ على النّوى
فلَسْتَfor you are not تَراهُyou see him عنْfrom هَواهُhis love بمُقْلِعِturning away
فلَسْتَ تَراهُ عنْ هَواهُ بمُقْلِعِ
May God protect whoever honors pledges despite separation,
May God guard those who keep their word to the beloved
For you will not see him turn away from his love.
You will not see them turn away from their passion
ولاand may not كانَthere be دمْعٌtears لاnot يُطيعُobey لمَنْto whoever دَعاcalls
ولا كانَ دمْعٌ لا يُطيعُ لمَنْ دَعا
وكمْand how far بيْنَbetween عاصٍa rebellious one فيamong الدّموعِtears وطيّعِand an obedient one
وكمْ بيْنَ عاصٍ في الدّموعِ وطيّعِ
And may there be no tears that refuse their caller,
No tear that does not obey the one who calls it
And how far apart are rebellious tears and obedient ones!
And how different between a disobedient and an obedient tear
أحِبّةَO beloved ones قَلْبيmy heart لاdo not تظنّواthink بأنّنيthat I
أحِبّةَ قَلْبي لا تظنّوا بأنّني
نسيتُI have forgotten وأفْنَىand extinguished البُعْدُdistance نِيرانَthe fires أضْلُعيmy ribs
نسيتُ وأفْنَى البُعْدُ نِيرانَ أضْلُعي
Beloved ones of my heart, do not think that I
My dear ones, do not think that I
Have forgotten and that distance has quenched the fires within my ribs.
Have forgotten, absence kindled the fires in my ribs
علَيْكُمupon you سَلامُpeace اللهِGod's ماas long as هبّتِblows الصَّباthe east wind
علَيْكُم سَلامُ اللهِ ما هبّتِ الصَّبا
وماand as long as لاحَflashes برْقٌlightning فيin أجارِعِsandy flats لعْلَعِLaʿlaʿ
وما لاحَ برْقٌ في أجارِعِ لعْلَعِ
May God's peace be upon you as long as the east wind blows,
Upon you is God's peace for as long as the morning blows
And as long as lightning flashes in the sandy flats of Laʿlaʿ.
And for as long as lightning flashes in rumbling clouds
Sol 6.1