ياO بَرقُlightning حَيّgreet إِذاwhen مَرَرتَyou pass بِعزَّتاthrough ʿAzzatā
يا بَرقُ حَيّ إِذا مَرَرتَ بِعزَّتا
أَهليmy kin وَإِنeven though زادواthey increased جَفاًharshness وَتَعَنُّتاand obstinacy
أَهلي وَإِن زادوا جَفاً وَتَعَنُّتا
O lightning, when you pass through ʿIzzatā, greet
O lightning, when you pass through ʿAzzatā, greet
my people—even though they grow harsher and more obstinate.
my kin, though they have grown harsher and more obstinate.
أَبلِغهُمُconvey to them عَنّيfrom me السَلامَgreetings وَقُلand say لَهُمto them
أَبلِغهُمُ عَنّي السَلامَ وَقُل لَهُم
أَحبابَناour beloved ones هذاthis الصُدودُestrangement إِلىuntil مَتىwhen
أَحبابَنا هذا الصُدودُ إِلى مَتى
Convey my greetings to them, and tell them:
Convey my greetings to them, and say to them:
“Our beloved ones, how long will this estrangement last?”
Our beloved ones, how long will this estrangement last?
طالَhas grown long اِنتِظاريmy waiting لِلتَّلاقيfor reunion فَاِجعَلواso set
طالَ اِنتِظاري لِلتَّلاقي فَاِجعَلوا
لِصُدودِكُمfor your estrangement أَجَلاًa term يَكونُwill be مُوَقَّتاfixed in time
لِصُدودِكُم أَجَلاً يَكونُ مُوَقَّتا
Long has my waiting for reunion been; so appoint
Long has my wait for reunion lasted; so set
a fixed term for your turning away.
a fixed term for your estrangement.
كَمhow much أَحمِلُI bear الشَوقَlonging المُبَرّحَagonizing وَالأَسىand sorrow
كَم أَحمِلُ الشَوقَ المُبَرّحَ وَالأَسى
لَوif كانَwere قَلبيmy heart صَخرَةًa rock لَتَفَتَّتاit would have crumbled
لَو كانَ قَلبي صَخرَةً لَتَفَتَّتا
How long must I bear this tormenting longing and sorrow?
How much agonizing longing and sorrow I bear!
Were my heart a rock, it would surely have shattered.
Had my heart been a rock, it would have crumbled.
ياO سادَةًmasters فارَقتُI parted with يَومَon the day of فراقِهِمtheir departure
يا سادَةً فارَقتُ يَومَ فراقِهِم
عَقليmy reason وَطَلَّقتُand I divorced السُرورَjoy مُبَتَّتاirrevocably
عَقلي وَطَلَّقتُ السُرورَ مُبَتَّتا
My masters, on the day I parted from them, I lost
O masters, on the day of their departure I parted with
my reason and divorced joy irrevocably.
my reason, and divorced joy irrevocably.
حَرَّمتُI forbade بَعدَكُمُafter your departure وَذاكَand that يحقُّis rightful ليfor me
حَرَّمتُ بَعدَكُمُ وَذاكَ يحقُّ لي
لِبسَwearing الجبابِrobes وَتُبتُand I repented عَنof ذِكرِmentioning الشِتاwinter
لِبسَ الجبابِ وَتُبتُ عَن ذِكرِ الشِتا
Since you left, I have forbidden myself—and rightly so—
After your departure, I forbade myself—and rightly so—
to wear warm robes, and have forsworn even the mention of winter.
to wear robes, and repented of mentioning winter.
أَحبابَناour beloved ones بِدِمَشقَin Damascus دَعوَةَa plea نازِحٍone far away
أَحبابَنا بِدِمَشقَ دَعوَةَ نازِحٍ
لَعِبَتtoyed بِهِwith him أَيديhands النَوىseparation فَتَشَتَّتاso he was scattered
لَعِبَت بِهِ أَيدي النَوى فَتَشَتَّتا
Our beloved ones in Damascus—this is a far-off exile’s plea,
Our beloved ones in Damascus, hear the plea of one far away,
one whom the hands of separation have toyed with and scattered.
whom the hands of separation toyed with, leaving him scattered.
أَشكوI complain إِلَيكُمto you فرطَexcess of وَجدٍlonging لَمhas not يَزَلceased
أَشكو إِلَيكُم فرطَ وَجدٍ لَم يَزَل
حَيّاًalive يُلازِمُنيit clings to me وَصَبراًand patience مَيِّتاdead
حَيّاً يُلازِمُني وَصَبراً مَيِّتا
To you I lament the fierce intensity of a passion that has never ceased,
I complain to you of overwhelming longing that remains
alive and clinging to me, while patience lies dead.
alive, clinging to me, and of patience that is dead.
عَجَباًhow wondrous لِروحيat my soul يَومَon the day جَدَّbecame real فراقُكُمparting from you
عَجَباً لِروحي يَومَ جَدَّ فراقُكُم
إِذfor لَمdid not تَفظdepart وَالقَلبِand the heart كَيفَhow تَثَبَّتاit held firm
إِذ لَم تَفظ وَالقَلبِ كَيفَ تَثَبَّتا
How strange that my soul, when your separation became a certainty,
I marvel at my soul, on the day parting from you became real,
did not depart—and how could the heart hold firm?
for it did not depart—and at my heart: how did it hold firm?
Sol 6.1