ياO طولَlength of ساعاتِthe hours of لَيلِthe night of العاشِقِthe lover الدَّنِفِwasted by illness
يا طولَ ساعاتِ لَيلِ العاشِقِ الدَّنِفِ
وَطولَand the length of رَعيتِهِhis watching لِلنّجمِof the stars فيin السَّدَفِthe darkness
وَطولَ رَعيتِهِ لِلنّجمِ في السَّدَفِ
How long the hours of the ailing lover’s night,
and how long his watching of the stars in the darkness!
ماذاwhat تُواريconceal ثِيابيmy clothes مِنof أَخيone afflicted with حُرَقٍburning anguish
ماذا تُواري ثِيابي مِن أَخي حُرَقٍ
كَأَنَّماas though الجِسمُthe body مِنهُof him دِقَّةُthe slenderness of الأَلِفِthe letter alif
كَأَنَّما الجِسمُ مِنهُ دِقَّةُ الأَلِفِ
What do my clothes conceal of a man consumed by burning anguish,
whose body seems as slender as the letter alif?
ماnot قالَsaid ياO أَسَفاmy sorrow! يَعقوبُJacob مِنfrom كَمَدٍanguish
ما قالَ يا أَسَفا يَعقوبُ مِن كَمَدٍ
إِلَّاexcept لِطولِbecause of the duration of الَّذيwhat لاقىhe endured مِنَof الأَسَفِsorrow
إِلَّا لِطولِ الَّذي لاقى مِنَ الأَسَفِ
Jacob did not cry ‘O my sorrow!’ in anguish
except for the long sorrow he had endured.
مَنwhoever سَرَّهُpleases him أَنto يَرىsee مَيتَone dead from الهوىlove دَنِفاwasted by illness
مَن سَرَّهُ أَن يَرى مَيتَ الهوى دَنِفا
فَليَستَدِلَّthen let him seek directions عَلىto الزَّيَّاتِal-Zayyat وَليَقِفِand let him stand
فَليَستَدِلَّ عَلى الزَّيَّاتِ وَليَقِفِ
Whoever would delight in seeing one dead of love, wasted by illness,
let him seek out al-Zayyat and stand there.
Sol 6.1