قِفْstand وِقفَةَin the stance of المتألِّمِthe suffering one المتأمِّلِthe contemplative one
قِفْ وِقفَةَ المتألِّمِ المتأمِّلِ
بمعرةِin Maʿarra النعمانِal-Nuʿman وانظرْand look بيthrough me وليand on my behalf
بمعرةِ النعمانِ وانظرْ بي ولي
Stand as one who suffers and reflects,
Stop and reflect like one who is suffering and contemplating
in Maʿarrat al-Nuʿman; look with my eyes and on my behalf.
At Ma'rib and look at me O friend
تلكَthose المعاهدُthe familiar haunts والمعالمُand the landmarks والربىand the hills
تلكَ المعاهدُ والمعالمُ والربى
وملاعبُand the playgrounds الغزلانِof gazelles والمتغزلِand of the love-poet
وملاعبُ الغزلانِ والمتغزلِ
Those familiar haunts, those landmarks, those hills,
Those dwellings, landmarks, and meadows
and the playgrounds of gazelles and the love-poet.
And gazelles' playgrounds and lovers'
وطنٌa homeland يخيِّلُconjures up ليfor me تخيُّلهimagining it الصِباyouth
وطنٌ يخيِّلُ لي تخيُّله الصِبا
فيin ذكرهِremembering it ذكرُthe memory of الزمانِthe time الأولthe earliest
في ذكرهِ ذكرُ الزمانِ الأول
A homeland—imagining it conjures youth for me;
A homeland that seems to my imagination
in remembering it, I remember the earliest days.
In remembering it, remembering the first era
زمنٌa time قطعناهُwe passed it وكنّاand we were صبْيةًchildren
زمنٌ قطعناهُ وكنّا صبْيةً
لاnot يسألونَthey ask عنِabout السوادِthe darkness المقبلِapproaching
لا يسألونَ عنِ السوادِ المقبلِ
A time we passed when we were children,
An era we cut off while we were boys
who never asked about the darkness to come.
Who did not ask about the approaching gloom
للّهِto God (in admiration) أيامُthe days of الصِّباyouth وجنونُهُand its madness
للّهِ أيامُ الصِّبا وجنونُهُ
وفنونُهُand its arts وغصونُهُand its branches لمdid not تذبلِwither
وفنونُهُ وغصونُهُ لم تذبلِ
How wondrous, by God, the days of youth and its madness,
To God belong the days of youth and its madness
and its arts and its branches, still unwithered.
And its arts and its branches have not withered
ياO ليتَif only أمرَthe state of صبايَmy youth عاودنيreturned to me لكيso that
يا ليتَ أمرَ صبايَ عاودني لكي
أشكوI might complain إلىto الماضيthe past منof المستقبلِthe future
أشكو إلى الماضي من المستقبلِ
If only the state of my youth returned to me, so that
I wish the matter of my youth would return to me so
I could complain to the past of the future.
I may complain to the past about the future
ياO سعدُSaʿd زُرْvisit أرضَthe land of المعرةِMaʿarra نائباًas a deputy
يا سعدُ زُرْ أرضَ المعرةِ نائباً
عنِّيon my behalf وسرْand walk فيهاin it مسيرَwith the gait of مبجَّلِone held in honor
عنِّي وسرْ فيها مسيرَ مبجَّلِ
O Saʿd, visit the land of Maʿarra as a deputy
O Saad visit the land of Ma'rib in place of
on my behalf, and walk there as one held in honor.
Me and walk in it a walk of reverence
وإذاand when نظرتَyou look إلىat الخزامىthe lavender يانعاًblooming
وإذا نظرتَ إلى الخزامى يانعاً
قفْstop وابْكِand weep منْat ذكرىthe memory of الحبيبِthe beloved ومنزلِand a dwelling
قفْ وابْكِ منْ ذكرى الحبيبِ ومنزلِ
And when you see the lavender in bloom,
And if you look at the ruins languidly
stop and weep at the memory of the beloved and a dwelling.
Stop and weep from the memory of the beloved and the abode
واديthe valley of المعرةِMaʿarra فيin النفوسِsouls معظَّمٌis revered
وادي المعرةِ في النفوسِ معظَّمٌ
لاnot سيَّماthe like (with لا: especially) زمنُthe season of الربيعِspring المقبلِapproaching
لا سيَّما زمنُ الربيعِ المقبلِ
The valley of Maʿarra is revered in people's hearts,
Wadi Al-Ma'rib is honored in souls
especially in the coming springtime.
Especially in the time of the approaching spring
هرماسُهاher Hirmas لماwhen تخضَّبَbecame stained سيفُهُhis sword
هرماسُها لما تخضَّبَ سيفُهُ
بعثواthey sent إليهِto him منَfrom النسيمthe breeze بصيقلِwith a sword-polisher
بعثوا إليهِ منَ النسيم بصيقلِ
Its Hirmas, when his sword was stained,
When its sword was dyed red
they sent him a sword-polisher from the breeze.
They sent it the polishing stone by the breeze
مذْsince أطربَdelighted الأغصانَthe branches صوتُthe sound of خريرهِhis murmuring
مذْ أطربَ الأغصانَ صوتُ خريرهِ
مالتْthey leaned إليهِtoward him ونقَّطَتْهُand dotted him بالحليwith jewels
مالتْ إليهِ ونقَّطَتْهُ بالحلي
Since the sound of his murmuring delighted the branches,
Since the sound of its flowing made the branches swing
they leaned toward him and dotted him with jewels.
It inclined to it and dotted it with jewelry
فيin روضةٍa garden عبثَplayed النسيمُthe breeze بخدِّهاwith her cheek
في روضةٍ عبثَ النسيمُ بخدِّها
فتضمَّخَتْso became steeped بالطيبِin perfume كفُّthe palm of الشمألthe north wind
فتضمَّخَتْ بالطيبِ كفُّ الشمأل
In a garden, the breeze played with her cheek,
In a garden the breeze flirted with its cheek
so the north wind's palm became steeped in perfume.
So it was smeared by perfume like the palm of a perfumer
باتتْshe spent the night يضاجعُهاlying beside her الندىthe dew فتعلَّقَتْso she clung
باتتْ يضاجعُها الندى فتعلَّقَتْ
بذيولِهِto his trailing skirts تفديهِoffering herself as ransom for him مِنْas a مُترحِّلِdeparting traveler
بذيولِهِ تفديهِ مِنْ مُترحِّلِ
She spent the night with the dew lying beside her, then clung
The dew slept embracing it so it clung
to his trailing skirts, ready to ransom him as he departed.
To its train to ransom it from one who moves on
نشرَتْshe spread عساكرَthe armies of دوْحِهاher great trees مِنْfrom حولِهاaround her
نشرَتْ عساكرَ دوْحِها مِنْ حولِها
خيماًas tents تَلوَّنُchanging color كالعرائسِlike brides تنجليbeing unveiled
خيماً تَلوَّنُ كالعرائسِ تنجلي
She spread the armies of her great trees around her,
It spread its armies of beauty around it
as tents changing color, unveiled like brides.
Like tents that gleam like brides adorning themselves
شابتْgrew gray بهاwithin her الأغصانُthe branches شيباًa grayness ناصلاًfading
شابتْ بها الأغصانُ شيباً ناصلاً
وسوىand other than الغصونِthe branches مشيبُهاits grayness لمdid not ينصلِfade
وسوى الغصونِ مشيبُها لم ينصلِ
The branches grew gray within her, with a grayness that fades,
The branches were rejuvenated with youthful gray hair
yet, apart from branches, grayness never fades.
And beside the grayed branches their gray did not diminish
يبكيweeps الغمامُthe clouds لهاfor her ويبتسمُand smiles الثرىthe earth
يبكي الغمامُ لها ويبتسمُ الثرى
ضدَّيْنِas two opposites فعلُthe action of أخيone possessed of الصبابةِardent love والخليand the heart-free one
ضدَّيْنِ فعلُ أخي الصبابةِ والخلي
The clouds weep for her, and the earth smiles,
The clouds weep for it and the land smiles
two opposites: the acts of the lovelorn and the heart-free.
Two opposites like the deed of my brother the youth and the mature
واديthe valley of فضالتِهاher Faḍāla وبابُand the gate of شبابهاher Shabāb (youth)
وادي فضالتِها وبابُ شبابها
كفلاboth guaranteed لساكنِهاto her inhabitant بسعدٍwith good fortune مكْمَلِmade complete
كفلا لساكنِها بسعدٍ مكْمَلِ
Her Faḍāla Valley and her Shabāb Gate
Its valley of bounties and its gate of youth
have assured her inhabitant of perfect good fortune.
Protect its resident with perfected bliss
قلبيmy heart لعينِfor the spring of زريقَZurayq صادٍthirsty شينَwas disgraced مَنْwhoever
قلبي لعينِ زريقَ صادٍ شينَ مَنْ
أَلِفَgrew accustomed to العتابَreproach ولامَand blamed لومَwith the blame of مضلِّلِone who leads astray
أَلِفَ العتابَ ولامَ لومَ مضلِّلِ
My heart thirsts for Zurayq's spring; shame upon whoever
My heart for the blue-eyed one has inclinations
has taken to reproach and blamed as a misleader does.
Who became accustomed to blaming and to the blame of the misguided
ياO عاذليmy reproacher كنْbe عاذريmy excuser فيin حبِّهاlove for her
يا عاذلي كنْ عاذري في حبِّها
يفنىwears out القميصُthe shirt وفيهِand in it عرفُthe scent of المندلِaromatic incense-wood
يفنى القميصُ وفيهِ عرفُ المندلِ
O my reproacher, excuse me for loving her;
O reproacher, be forgiving in loving her
the shirt wears out, yet the scent of fragrant wood remains in it.
The shirt wears out and in it is the scent of the woven robe
لوif زرْتُهاI visited her لفتحْتُI would open بابَthe gate of جنانِهاher gardens
لو زرْتُها لفتحْتُ بابَ جنانِها
وأقولُand I would say ياO نفسُsoul اطمئنيbe at peace وادخليand enter
وأقولُ يا نفسُ اطمئني وادخلي
If I visited her, I would open the gate of her gardens,
If I visited her I would open the gate of her heavens
and say, 'O soul, be at peace and enter.'
And I say O soul be reassured and enter
إنَّindeed القلوبَhearts إلىtoward القلوبِhearts مشوقةٌare yearning
إنَّ القلوبَ إلى القلوبِ مشوقةٌ
قدْindeed أذكرتهاI reminded them بالرحيقِwith pure wine السلسلِsmooth-flowing
قدْ أذكرتها بالرحيقِ السلسلِ
Indeed, hearts yearn for hearts;
Hearts to hearts are longing
I have stirred their memory with pure, smooth-flowing wine.
I have reminded it of the continuous sweet nectar
وزهورُهاand her flowers وطيورُهاand her birds وسرورُهاand her joy
وزهورُها وطيورُها وسرورُها
وقصورُهاand her palaces وديورُهاand her dwellings للمجتليfor the beholder
وقصورُها وديورُها للمجتلي
And her flowers, her birds, her joy,
Its flowers, birds, joy,
and her palaces and her dwellings are for the beholder.
Palaces, houses for one isolated
اللّهُGod قدَّرَordained رحلتيmy departure عنfrom ربعِهاher abode
اللّهُ قدَّرَ رحلتي عن ربعِها
ياO قلبُheart لاdo not تهلكْperish أسىin sorrow وتجمَّلِand bear yourself nobly
يا قلبُ لا تهلكْ أسى وتجمَّلِ
God decreed my departure from her abode;
God decreed my travel from its land
O heart, do not perish of grief; bear it nobly.
O heart do not perish in sorrow and forbear
ياO ليتَif only قوميmy people يعلمونَknew بنعمتيof my blessing
يا ليتَ قومي يعلمونَ بنعمتي
لكنْbut لأجلِbecause of فراقِهاseparation from her لمdid not تكملِbecome complete
لكنْ لأجلِ فراقِها لم تكملِ
If only my people knew of my blessing,
I wish my people knew of my blessing
yet separation from her has kept it incomplete.
But because of parting from it, it was incomplete
أقسمْتُI swore لوْif نطقَتْshe spoke لأبدَتْshe would reveal شوقَهاher longing
أقسمْتُ لوْ نطقَتْ لأبدَتْ شوقَها
نحويtoward me كشوقيlike my longing نحوهاtoward her وترقُّand feel tenderness ليfor me
نحوي كشوقي نحوها وترقُّ لي
I have sworn: if she could speak, she would reveal her longing
I swore if it spoke it would express its longing
for me, like my longing for her, and feel tenderness toward me.
Toward me like my longing toward it and it would be devoted to me
لمَwhy لاnot ترقُّshe feels tenderness لدمعِfor the tears of عينِan eye ماnot رقاceased
لمَ لا ترقُّ لدمعِ عينِ ما رقا
وجوارحٍand limbs جرْحَىwounded وبالٍand a mind قدْalready بليhas worn out
وجوارحٍ جرْحَى وبالٍ قدْ بلي
Why would she not pity an eye's unceasing tears,
Why does it not devote itself to the tear of an eye that did not devote itself
and wounded limbs, and a mind worn out?
And hurting organs and a long-suffering state
موتيmy death حسينيٌّHusayn-like بهاfor her ومَلامُكُمْand your reproach
موتي حسينيٌّ بها ومَلامُكُمْ
فيهاconcerning her يزيدٌYazid—ever increasing وقدرُهاand her worth عنديin my eyes عليʿAli—lofty
فيها يزيدٌ وقدرُها عندي علي
My death for her is Husayn-like, while your reproach
My death in it is Husseini and your blame
over her is Yazid—ever increasing—and her worth to me is ʿAli—lofty.
In it is Yazid while with me it is Ali
Sol 6.1