أيّامَناour days بالحِمىin the protected pasture ماhow كانَwere أحْلاكِsweet you were
أيّامَنا بالحِمى ما كانَ أحْلاكِ
كمhow often بِتُّI spent the night أرعاهُI watch over it إجْلالاًin reverence وأرْعاكِand I watch over you
كم بِتُّ أرعاهُ إجْلالاً وأرْعاكِ
O our days in the protected pasture, how sweet you were!
Our days when you were present were the sweetest
How often I spent the night watching over it in reverence, and watching over you!
How much did I revere and hold you dear
لاdo not تُنْكِريscorn وَقْفَتِيmy standing ذُلّاًin humility بِمَغْناكِat your abode
لا تُنْكِري وَقْفَتِي ذُلّاً بِمَغْناكِ
ياO دارُdwelling لولاwere it not for أحِبّائيmy loved ones ولولاكِand were it not for you
يا دارُ لولا أحِبّائي ولولاكِ
Do not scorn my standing humbly at your abode,
Do not deny my standing humbly at your dwelling
O dwelling, were it not for my loved ones and for you,
Oh home, if not for my loved ones and you
لَماwould not have وَقَفْتُI stood وُقوفَthe standing of الهائِمِthe lovesick wanderer الباكِيthe weeping one
لَما وَقَفْتُ وُقوفَ الهائِمِ الباكِي
أحبابَbeloveds أنْفُسِناof our souls كَمْhow long ذاthis النَّوىseparation وكَمِand how long
أحبابَ أنْفُسِنا كَمْ ذا النَّوى وكَمِ
I would not have stood like a lovesick, weeping wanderer.
I would not have stood like a lost weeping wanderer
O beloveds of our souls, how long this separation—and how long!
How many dear souls have departed, how many
وياand O مَعاهِدَhaunts نَجْواناour whispered converse بِذِيat Dhu سَلَمِSalam
ويا مَعاهِدَ نَجْوانا بِذِي سَلَمِ
تاللهِby God ماشُبْتُI did not mingle دَمْعيmy tears للأسىout of grief بِدَمِwith blood
تاللهِ ماشُبْتُ دَمْعي للأسى بِدَمِ
And O haunts of our whispered converse at Dhu Salam,
Oh sanctuary where we found peace
By God, I did not mingle my tears with blood out of grief,
By God, I did not choke back my tears in sorrow
ولاnor لَثَمْتُI kissed تُرابَdust الأرْضِof the earth مِنْout of كَرَمِgenerosity
ولا لَثَمْتُ تُرابَ الأرْضِ مِنْ كَرَمِ
إلاexcept مُراعاةَout of regard for خِلٍّa dear friend باتَspent the night يَرْعاكِhe watches over you
إلا مُراعاةَ خِلٍّ باتَ يَرْعاكِ
Nor did I kiss the earth's dust out of generosity,
Nor kiss the dust of the ground out of dignity
Except out of regard for a dear friend who spent the night watching over you.
Except to indulge a companion now gone from you
هَلْis there? مِنْهُمُfrom them ليَfor me عَطْفٌtenderness بَعْدَafter دَلِّهِمُtheir coyness
هَلْ مِنْهُمُ ليَ عَطْفٌ بَعْدَ دَلِّهِمُ
آهاًalas لِقَلْبيfor my heart عَلىat تَبْدِيْدِthe scattering of شَملِهِمُtheir company
آهاً لِقَلْبي عَلى تَبْدِيْدِ شَملِهِمُ
Is there any tenderness for me from them after their coyness?
Is there still kindness in them after their affection?
Alas for my heart at the scattering of their company!
Alas for my heart at their scattered state
تاللهِby God ماnot تسمحُis generous الدُّنياthe world بِمِثْلِهِمُwith their like
تاللهِ ما تسمحُ الدُّنيا بِمِثْلِهِمُ
ماhow كانَwere أحْلاكِsweet you were ياO أيَّامَdays وَصْلِهِمُunion with them
ما كانَ أحْلاكِ يا أيَّامَ وَصْلِهِمُ
By God, the world does not bestow their like.
By God, the world cannot allow the like of them
How sweet you were, O days of union with them!
You were the sweetest, oh days of their company
ويالَياليand O nights الرِّضاof contentment ماhow كانَwere أضْواكِbright you were
ويالَيالي الرِّضا ما كانَ أضْواكِ
ياO بدرَmoon تِمٍّfullness تَجافَتْhave grown distant عَنْهُfrom him أرْبُعُناour dwellings
يا بدرَ تِمٍّ تَجافَتْ عَنْهُ أرْبُعُنا
And O nights of contentment, how bright you were!
And nights of contentment, how luminous you were
O full moon, from whom our dwellings have grown distant,
Oh full moon, we turned away and abandoned you
وَلمand has not يَزَلْceased تَحْتَوِيهِenfold him الدَّهْرَthrough all time أضْلُعُناour ribs
وَلم يَزَلْ تَحْتَوِيهِ الدَّهْرَ أضْلُعُنا
ماwhat لِلنَّوىwith separation بضُروبِwith kinds of الوَجْدِpassionate longing تُوجِعُناit pains us
ما لِلنَّوى بضُروبِ الوَجْدِ تُوجِعُنا
Yet our ribs have never ceased to enfold him through all time.
Yet our hearts still shelter you
Why does separation torment us with longing in its many forms?
Why does the thought of those times still torment us?
إذاwhen ذَكَرْتُI remember زَماناًa time كانَused to يَجْمَعُناbring us together
إذا ذَكَرْتُ زَماناً كانَ يَجْمَعُنا
تَفَطَّرتْsplits apart كَبدِيmy liver شَوْقاًwith longing لِمَرآكِfor the sight of you
تَفَطَّرتْ كَبدِي شَوْقاً لِمَرآكِ
When I remember a time that used to bring us together,
When I recall a time that brought us together
My liver splits apart with longing for the sight of you.
My liver is torn with yearning to see you
لعلَّperhaps رَوْحَthe breeze of الرِّضاcontentment يَدْنُوdraws near بِهِمْwith them وعَسىand may it be
لعلَّ رَوْحَ الرِّضا يَدْنُو بِهِمْ وعَسى
فَيُثْبِتُthen reestablishes القُرْبُnearness ماwhat بالبُعْدِthrough distance قدْalready دَرَساfaded away
فَيُثْبِتُ القُرْبُ ما بالبُعْدِ قدْ دَرَسا
Perhaps the breeze of contentment will bring them near—and may it be so!
Perhaps the spirit of acceptance will draw near them
Then nearness will reestablish what distance has effaced.
And nearness will establish what distance erased
كَمْhow long ذاthis أُنادِيI call out to وأشْدواand I sing to الأرْبُعَthe dwellings الدُّرُساthe ruined ones
كَمْ ذا أُنادِي وأشْدوا الأرْبُعَ الدُّرُسا
ياقَلبِيَO my heart الصَّبَّlovesick أيْنَwhere الصَّبْرُpatience عادَhas turned into أسىsorrow
ياقَلبِيَ الصَّبَّ أيْنَ الصَّبْرُ عادَ أسى
How long shall I keep calling and singing to the ruined dwellings:
How much I call out and sing of the brilliant four!
O my lovesick heart, where is patience? It has turned to sorrow.
Oh my steadfast heart, where has endurance gone? Only sorrow remains
وياand O منازلَdwellings سَلْمىSalma أيْنَwhere سَلْماكِyour Salma
ويا منازلَ سَلْمى أيْنَ سَلْماكِ
And O dwellings of Salma, where is your Salma?
Oh dwellings of Salma, where is your peace?
Sol 6.1