هلwhether بعْدَafter طولthe length of تغرُّبيmy exile وفِراقِيand my separation
هل بعْدَ طول تغرُّبي وفِراقِي
أرجُوI hope for اللِّقاءَreunion ولاتَand it is not حينa time for تلاقِmeeting
أرجُو اللِّقاءَ ولاتَ حين تلاقِ
Can I, after my long exile and separation,
After so long away, so far,
hope for reunion, when it is no time to meet?
Do I hope that we will meet?
لمّاwhen رحلْتُI departed عنِfrom المنازِلِthe dwellings لمْdid not يزَلْcease
لمّا رحلْتُ عنِ المنازِلِ لمْ يزَلْ
سُكْنىthe dwelling of الغَرامِpassion بقلبيَin my heart الخفّاقِfluttering
سُكْنى الغَرامِ بقلبيَ الخفّاقِ
When I left the dwellings, there still remained
Since I left home, desire
passion's dwelling in my fluttering heart.
Still stirs this beating heart.
ياO حادِيَdriver of الأظْعانِthe caravans مالَكَwhat have you to do والسّرىand night travel
يا حادِيَ الأظْعانِ مالَكَ والسّرى
اللهَfor God's sake فيwith regard to الرّمقِthe remnant of life الذيthat هوَit باقِremaining
اللهَ في الرّمقِ الذي هوَ باقِ
O driver of the caravans, why travel by night?
O guide of the caravans,
For God's sake, spare the little life that remains.
What is life but one last breath?
هيَit دارُthe home of أحْبابيmy loved ones وموْضِعُand the place of صبْوَتيmy youthful passion
هيَ دارُ أحْبابي وموْضِعُ صبْوَتي
ومحَلُّand the abode of جيرانيmy neighbors وربْعُand the dwelling of رِفاقيmy companions
ومحَلُّ جيراني وربْعُ رِفاقي
It is my loved ones' home, the place of my youthful passion,
That house was home to dear friends,
and my neighbors' abode and my companions' dwelling.
My neighborhood and comrades.
جارَdealt unjustly الزّمانُTime ببُعْدِهِمْthrough their distance ولعلّهُand perhaps it
جارَ الزّمانُ ببُعْدِهِمْ ولعلّهُ
يوماًone day يجودُit is generous بعادةِwith the custom of الإشْفاقِcompassion
يوماً يجودُ بعادةِ الإشْفاقِ
Time has wronged me through their distance; perhaps it
Time parts us but may one day
will one day bestow its customary compassion.
Reunite us in mercy.
ماwhat لِيfor me وللشمْسِand with the sun المنيرةِradiant كُلّماwhenever
ما لِي وللشمْسِ المنيرةِ كُلّما
تُبْديit reveals وتُبْدِعُand it creates بهجَةَthe splendor of الإشْراقِsunrise
تُبْدي وتُبْدِعُ بهجَةَ الإشْراقِ
What have I to do with the radiant sun, whenever
Why should the brilliant sun
it reveals and creates the splendor of sunrise?
Rise and shine while we're apart?
ماnot راقَpleased عيْنيَmy eye دونَهُمwithout them حُسْنٌbeauty ولاnor
ما راقَ عيْنيَ دونَهُم حُسْنٌ ولا
دمْعيmy tears علىunder حُكْمِthe rule of الصّبابةِardent longing راقِceasing
دمْعي على حُكْمِ الصّبابةِ راقِ
No beauty has pleased my eye without them, nor
Without them no beauty stirs
do my tears cease under longing's sway.
My eyes, no tear flows from this heart.
بَخلواthey begrudged برَدّin returning جَوابِa reply to ماwhat راقَdelighted النُهَىthe intellect
بَخلوا برَدّ جَوابِ ما راقَ النُهَى
ممّاof what وشَتْembroidered يمْنايَmy right hand فيon الأوْراقِthe pages
ممّا وشَتْ يمْنايَ في الأوْراقِ
They begrudged a reply to the mind-delighting words
Their cold response to my passion
that my right hand embroidered on the pages.
Scattered pages to the wind.
ماwhat بالُهُمْtheir condition منَعواthey prevented نجائِبَthe noble camels of كُتْبِهِمْtheir letters
ما بالُهُمْ منَعوا نجائِبَ كُتْبِهِمْ
أنto تسْتَقِلَّset forth بأرْبُعِamong the dwellings of العُشّاقِthe lovers
أن تسْتَقِلَّ بأرْبُعِ العُشّاقِ
Why have they held back the noble camels of their letters
Why can't their letters reach me,
from setting forth among the lovers' dwellings?
Solace for this lover's pain?
ماwhat بالُهُhis condition منfrom بعْدِafter حادثةthe calamity of النّوىseparation
ما بالُهُ من بعْدِ حادثة النّوى
لمْdid not يحفَظواthey keep عهْديmy pledge ولاnor مِيثاقيmy covenant
لمْ يحفَظوا عهْدي ولا مِيثاقي
What ails him, that after the calamity of separation
After that vow, that promise,
they have kept neither my pledge nor my covenant?
Why break faith and our covenant?
ياO سائِليyou who ask me عنabout شرْحِan explanation of حاليَmy state ليْتَنيwould that I
يا سائِلي عن شرْحِ حاليَ ليْتَني
لوif كُنتُI were أُلْقيI relate بعضَsome of ماwhat أناI لاقِenduring
لو كُنتُ أُلْقي بعضَ ما أنا لاقِ
O you who ask me to explain my state, would that I
You ask to know my sorrows-
could relate some of what I endure!
If I could tell of my torment!
ماذاwhat أقولُI say وطولُand the length of كتْبيَmy writing لاnot يَفيsuffices
ماذا أقولُ وطولُ كتْبيَ لا يَفي
بحَديثِfor an account of ماwhat عِنْديI have منof الأشواقِthe longings
بحَديثِ ما عِنْدي من الأشواقِ
What can I say, when my lengthy writing cannot suffice
What can I say? No words contain
to tell of the longings I hold within?
The longing that I feel.
وكتَمتُand I concealed ماwhat أهْلُthe people of الهَوىlove نطَقواthey spoke بهِof it
وكتَمتُ ما أهْلُ الهَوى نطَقوا بهِ
إلاexcept قَليلاًa little ضاقَwas too narrow عنْهُfor it نِطاقِيmy girdle
إلا قَليلاً ضاقَ عنْهُ نِطاقِي
And I concealed what the lovers spoke of,
I've kept secret what lovers shout,
save a little that my girdle was too narrow to contain.
Beyond my powers to reveal.
Sol 6.1