أحْبابَناour beloveds هلْis there? لَناfor us بعْدَafter النّوىseparation طمَعُhope
أحْبابَنا هلْ لَنا بعْدَ النّوى طمَعُ
فيin القُرْبِnearness أوor هلْwill? زمانُthe time الأُنْسِintimacy يرْتَجِعُreturn
في القُرْبِ أو هلْ زمانُ الأُنْسِ يرْتَجِعُ
Our beloveds, have we any hope after separation
Our loved ones, is there still hope after our resolve
of nearness, or will the time of intimacy return?
Of nearness, or will the time of companionship return?
إذاwhen تذكّرتُI recalled ماwhat بَيْنيbetween me وبيْنَكُمُand between you
إذا تذكّرتُ ما بَيْني وبيْنَكُمُ
يكادُnearly قلبيَmy heart منfrom ذِكْراهُthe memory of it ينْصَدِعُsplits apart
يكادُ قلبيَ من ذِكْراهُ ينْصَدِعُ
When I recall what lay between me and you,
When I remember what was between you and I
my heart nearly splits at the memory of it.
My heart almost splits with the memory.
ولّتْdeparted صباحاًin the morning رِكابُriding camels القومِthe people مُسرِعةًhurrying
ولّتْ صباحاً رِكابُ القومِ مُسرِعةً
والدّمْعُand the tears ينزِلُfall والأنْفاسُand the breaths ترتَفِعُrise
والدّمْعُ ينزِلُ والأنْفاسُ ترتَفِعُ
In the morning, the people's riding camels sped away,
The riders departed at dawn hurriedly
while tears fell and sighs rose.
While tears fell and sighs arose.
ماnot أمّلواthey hoped للحِمىto the sanctuary رُجْعَىa return فلَيْتَهُمُso, if only they
ما أمّلوا للحِمى رُجْعَى فلَيْتَهُمُ
لوif أنّهُمthat they لجميلِto gracious الصبْرِpatience قدindeed رجَعواthey returned
لو أنّهُم لجميلِ الصبْرِ قد رجَعوا
They hoped for no return to the sanctuary; if only they
They did not hope for recovery from lovesickness, if only
had returned to gracious patience.
They had returned to the goodness of patience.
ماwhat لِيfor me وللصّبرِand with patience أسْتَجْديI beg عوارِفَهُits favors
ما لِي وللصّبرِ أسْتَجْدي عوارِفَهُ
لكنّهُbut it سنَنٌa path فيin الحُبّlove مُتَّبَعُfollowed
لكنّهُ سنَنٌ في الحُبّ مُتَّبَعُ
What have I to do with patience, begging its favors?
Why do I implore patience when it fails me?
Yet it is a path followed in love.
But it is the way of love to persevere.
كُنّاwe were كماjust as شاءَتِwished الآمالُhopes فيin دَعَةٍease
كُنّا كما شاءَتِ الآمالُ في دَعَةٍ
والوصْلُand union متّصِلٌunbroken والشّمْلُand the company مُجْتَمِعُgathered together
والوصْلُ متّصِلٌ والشّمْلُ مُجْتَمِعُ
We were at ease, just as our hopes desired,
We were at ease as hopes desired,
with union unbroken and our company gathered together.
Reunited and gathered together.
ففرّقَthen separated الدّهْرُtime ظُلْماًunjustly بينَناbetween us وغَداand became
ففرّقَ الدّهْرُ ظُلْماً بينَنا وغَدا
ماwhat كانwas طوْعَat the command of يدَيْناour two hands وهْوَand it مُمْتَنِعُunattainable
ما كان طوْعَ يدَيْنا وهْوَ مُمْتَنِعُ
Then time unjustly parted us, and now
Time unjustly separated us and went on
what once lay within our grasp is beyond reach.
As if what was in our hands was now out of reach.
ماnot كانwas ظنّيَmy expectation أنّthat القُرْبَnearness يُعقِبُهُfollows it
ما كان ظنّيَ أنّ القُرْبَ يُعقِبُهُ
بعْدٌdistance ولاnor أنّthat طولَlong duration الوصْلِunion ينقَطِعُis severed
بعْدٌ ولا أنّ طولَ الوصْلِ ينقَطِعُ
I never thought that nearness would be followed
I did not expect nearness to be followed
by distance, or that enduring union would be severed.
By distance, nor that long companionship would cease.
ماnot كُنْتُI was أحسِبُI supposed أنّthat الوجْدَpassionate longing يُذهِلُنيbewilders me
ما كُنْتُ أحسِبُ أنّ الوجْدَ يُذهِلُني
كمْhow many عاشِقٍa lover غرّهُdeceived him منfrom قَبْليَbefore me الطّمَعُhope
كمْ عاشِقٍ غرّهُ من قَبْليَ الطّمَعُ
I never thought that longing would bewilder me;
I did not reckon that passion would make me lose my mind,
how many a lover before me has hope deceived!
How many lovers before me were deluded by hope!
ياO مَنْyou who تملّكَنيpossessed me حُبّاًthrough love أيَجْملُis it fitting? بيfor me
يا مَنْ تملّكَني حُبّاً أيَجْملُ بي
صبْرٌpatience وعينيand my eye علىupon مرْآكَthe sight of you لاnot تقَعُfalls
صبْرٌ وعيني على مرْآكَ لا تقَعُ
O you who have possessed me through love, does it befit me
O you who possessed me with love, how beautiful
to be patient, when my eye cannot fall upon you?
Patience is, while my eyes long for the sight of you.
تَضيقُgrows narrow فيin عينيَmy eye الدُنْياthe world إذاwhen أناI لاdo not
تَضيقُ في عينيَ الدُنْيا إذا أنا لا
أراكَI see you فيهاin it ورحْبُand the expanse الأرضِthe earth مُتَّسعُvast
أراكَ فيها ورحْبُ الأرضِ مُتَّسعُ
The world grows narrow to my eye when I do not
The world seems narrow in my eyes when
see you in it, though the earth's expanse is vast.
I do not see you in it, though the earth is vast.
مَنwho ليfor me بطَيْفِwith a dream-phantom خَيالٍan image منْكَfrom you يَطْرُقُنيvisits me by night
مَن لي بطَيْفِ خَيالٍ منْكَ يَطْرُقُني
إنّيindeed I بأيْسَرِwith the slightest حظٍّshare منْهُof it أقْتَنِعُI am content
إنّي بأيْسَرِ حظٍّ منْهُ أقْتَنِعُ
Who will bring me a dream-phantom of you to visit me by night?
If only a phantom image of you would visit me,
Indeed, I am content with the slightest share of it.
I would be content with the slightest glimpse.
رامواthey sought سُلُوّيَmy forgetting عنaway from ربْعٍa dwelling حَلَلْتَyou stayed بِهin it
راموا سُلُوّيَ عن ربْعٍ حَلَلْتَ بِه
هيْهاتَimpossible! ماno دونَهapart from it فيin العيْشِlife مُنتفَعُanything of benefit
هيْهاتَ ما دونَه في العيْشِ مُنتفَعُ
They sought to make me forget a dwelling where you had stayed;
They asked me to describe the encampment where you stayed,
Impossible! Apart from it, there is nothing to enjoy in life.
Alas! Apart from it life brings no profit.
مَنwhoever باتَspends the night يَلْقىendures الذيwhat ألقاهُI endure it منْof ألَمٍpain
مَن باتَ يَلْقى الذي ألقاهُ منْ ألَمٍ
فليْسَthen he does not يعلَمُknow ماwhat ياتيhe does وماand what يدَعُhe leaves undone
فليْسَ يعلَمُ ما ياتي وما يدَعُ
Whoever spends the night enduring the pain I endure
He who spends the night suffering what I suffered,
does not know what he does or what he leaves undone.
Does not know what will come or what will pass.
Sol 6.1