جَسَدٌa body قَدalready نَحَلتُهُI bestowed it للنحُولِupon wasting
جَسَدٌ قَد نَحَلتُهُ للنحُولِ
وَدَمٌand blood قَدalready طَلَلتُهُI shed it unavenged للطُلُولِfor the campsite ruins
وَدَمٌ قَد طَلَلتُهُ للطُلُولِ
A body I have given over to wasting,
A body I made lean with yearning
And blood I have shed unavenged for the campsite ruins;
And blood I shed in torrents
وَجُفُونٌand eyelids كَحَلتُهاI kohl-lined them سَهَراًwith sleeplessness عَنbecause of
وَجُفُونٌ كَحَلتُها سَهَراً عَن
وَسَنٍdrowsiness فيin جُفونِthe eyelids of ظَبيٍa gazelle كَحِيلِkohl-eyed
وَسَنٍ في جُفونِ ظَبيٍ كَحِيلِ
And eyelids I have lined with sleeplessness because of
And eyelids I darkened with sleepless vigils
Drowsiness in the eyelids of a kohl-eyed gazelle.
Over the ruins of an encampment now desolate
لَيسَthere is not ليfor me فيin الخِيامthe tents مِنfrom بَعدِهِafter him غَيother than (word begins)
لَيسَ لي في الخِيام مِن بَعدِهِ غَي
رُcompletion of 'other than' حِيامِwandering المُولَّهِthe love-bewildered one المَخبُولِthe deranged one
رُ حِيامِ المُولَّهِ المَخبُولِ
Since he left, I have nothing in the tents but
In the tents since you left, I have no life
The wandering of one love-bewildered and deranged.
O madness of a soul obsessed and crazed
أَسألُI ask البانَthe ban tree (moringa) أَينَwhere مَنthe one who بانَdeparted عَنهُfrom it
أَسألُ البانَ أَينَ مَن بانَ عَنهُ
وَمُحالٌand futile سُؤالُquestioning رَبعٍan encampment مَحِيلِdesolate
وَمُحالٌ سُؤالُ رَبعٍ مَحِيلِ
I ask the ban tree: where is the one who left it?
I ask the sands where my love has gone
Yet questioning a desolate encampment is futile.
But how can the sands tell where he fled?
أَيُّهاO الراحِلُونَdeparting ones هَلis there طَمَعٌhope فيof
أَيُّها الراحِلُونَ هَل طَمَعٌ في
نَظرَةٍa glance أَوor لِوَقفَةٍfor a pause مِنany سَبِيلِway
نَظرَةٍ أَو لِوَقفَةٍ مِن سَبِيلِ
O departing ones, is there any hope of
O you who are departing, is there any hope
A glance, or any chance of a pause?
That you might glance back or pause a while?
قَدalready بَسَطناwe spread out خُدُودَناour cheeks لِلمَطاياfor the riding-camels
قَد بَسَطنا خُدُودَنا لِلمَطايا
فَرُوَيداًso gently لِوَخدِهاwith their swift strides وَالذَمِيلِand trotting
فَرُوَيداً لِوَخدِها وَالذَمِيلِ
We have laid our cheeks out for the riding-camels,
We offered our cheeks to the mounts’ kisses
So gently with their swift strides and trotting!
But gently, lest they wound our cheeks when they nuzzle
كَيفَhow أَبقىI survive وَلاand no بَقاءsurvival لِجِسمٍfor a body
كَيفَ أَبقى وَلا بَقاء لِجِسمٍ
رَحَلَdeparted الرُوحُthe soul عَنهُfrom it يَومَon the day of الرَحيلِdeparture
رَحَلَ الرُوحُ عَنهُ يَومَ الرَحيلِ
How can I survive, when no body can endure
How can I stay when the soul has left
Once its soul has left it on the day of departure?
The body on the day it departed?
ماnot كَفىwas enough أَنthat سَلَبتُمُوهُyou robbed him of الكَرىsleep حَتuntil (word begins)
ما كَفى أَن سَلَبتُمُوهُ الكَرى حَت
تىcompletion of 'until' حَمَلتُهمI carried them (as written; wording uncertain) فُؤادَهُhis heart فِيamong الحُمولِthe laden camels
تى حَمَلتُهم فُؤادَهُ فِي الحُمولِ
Was it not enough that you robbed him of sleep, that
Not only did you rob me of my reason
[You carried] his heart away among the laden camels?
You carried off my heart among your plunder
عَجَباًhow strange لِلرِياحِat the winds لَمdid not تُهدِoffer رَوحاًrelief
عَجَباً لِلرِياحِ لَم تُهدِ رَوحاً
وَعَليلُand the gentle النَسيمِbreeze بُرءُa cure for العَلِيلِthe ailing
وَعَليلُ النَسيمِ بُرءُ العَلِيلِ
How strange that the winds offered no relief,
Strange that the winds blew not back his spirit
Though the gentle breeze is a cure for the ailing.
Though the breath of dawn heals the sick at night
جانَبتِنيshunned me الجُنوبُthe south wind مِنكُمfrom you وَضَنَّتand was stingy
جانَبتِني الجُنوبُ مِنكُم وَضَنَّت
بِقُبُولٍwith welcome عَلَيَّto me رِيحُthe wind القَبُولِthe east wind
بِقُبُولٍ عَلَيَّ رِيحُ القَبُولِ
The south wind from your quarter shunned me, and stingy
The southern winds drew you away from me
With its welcome to me was the east wind.
While the winds of acceptance blew toward me
وَبشَوقِيand with my longing بَعَثتُI sent قَلبيmy heart رَسُولاًas a messenger
وَبشَوقِي بَعَثتُ قَلبي رَسُولاً
فَارفِقواso be gentle لاnot يَحِلُّis lawful قَتلُkilling الرَسُولِthe messenger
فَارفِقوا لا يَحِلُّ قَتلُ الرَسُولِ
And with my longing I sent my heart as a messenger;
In my longing I sent my heart to you as messenger
So be gentle: killing the messenger is forbidden.
So have mercy, for messengers must not be slain
وَارحَمُواand show mercy مَنone who شَكاcomplained لِغَيرِto one not رَحِيمٍmerciful
وَارحَمُوا مَن شَكا لِغَيرِ رَحِيمٍ
بُعدَكُمyour absence وَاستنالَand sought a gift غَيرَone not مُنِيلِgiving
بُعدَكُم وَاستنالَ غَيرَ مُنِيلِ
And pity one who complained to the merciless
Take pity on one who complained of your distance
Of your absence, and sought gifts from one who gives none.
To one incapable of empathy or kindness
نالَhe gained عِزّاًhonor بِكُمthrough you وَذَلَّand was abased لَدَيكُمbefore you
نالَ عِزّاً بِكُم وَذَلَّ لَدَيكُم
فَاعجَبُواso marvel مِنهُat him لِلعَزيزِat the honored one الذَلِيلِthe abased one
فَاعجَبُوا مِنهُ لِلعَزيزِ الذَلِيلِ
He gained honor through you, and was abased before you;
Through you I gained honor, through you disgrace
So marvel at him—the honored yet abased.
So marvel at one made mighty, then humbled
حالَفَmade an alliance with الوَجدَlove's anguish مِثلَماjust as حالَفَmade an alliance with المَجglory (word begins)
حالَفَ الوَجدَ مِثلَما حالَفَ المَج
دَcompletion of 'glory' أَبُوAbu (father of) بَكرٍBakr بنُson of يَحيىYahya الفَضِيليal-Fadili
دَ أَبُو بَكرٍ بنُ يَحيى الفَضِيلي
He made love's anguish his ally, just as glory was allied with
Passion has sworn to me what glory has sworn
Abu Bakr ibn Yahya al-Fadili.
To Abu Bakr Bin Yahya Al-Fadili
Sol 6.1