أَباO father of حَسَنٍHasan لَوif قُلتI spoke فيin ذِكرِmentioning وَحشَتيmy loneliness
أَبا حَسَنٍ لَو قُلت في ذِكرِ وَحشَتي
لِبُعدِكَbecause of your absence شِعراًverse كانَit would يُعرِبُexpress clearly عَنabout أنسيmy ease
لِبُعدِكَ شِعراً كانَ يُعرِبُ عَن أنسي
Abu Hasan, if I spoke of my loneliness
over your absence in verse, it would reveal my ease.
أَبىrefused ذاكَthat إِنّيindeed I مُذsince رَحَلتُI departed بِخاطِرٍwith a mind
أَبى ذاكَ إِنّي مُذ رَحَلتُ بِخاطِرٍ
كَليلٍdulled وَقَلبٍand a heart بِالجَوىthrough anguish عازِبِbereft of الحِسِّfeeling
كَليلٍ وَقَلبٍ بِالجَوى عازِبِ الحِسِّ
That cannot be: since I departed, my mind has been
dulled, and my heart, through anguish, bereft of feeling.
أَطالَتlengthened عَليَّfor me اللَّيلَthe night سودُdark هُمومِهِits cares
أَطالَت عَليَّ اللَّيلَ سودُ هُمومِهِ
كَأَنّيas though I خَلَّفتُI left behind السُّرورَjoy مَعَwith الشَّمسِthe sun
كَأَنّي خَلَّفتُ السُّرورَ مَعَ الشَّمسِ
Its dark cares have lengthened the night for me,
as though I had left joy behind with the sun.
فَهَلso, are...? أَنتَyou مِمَّنamong those who يَدَّعيclaims ماwhat ادَّعَيتُهُI claimed it
فَهَل أَنتَ مِمَّن يَدَّعي ما ادَّعَيتُهُ
وَقَدand indeed صِرتُI became بَعدَafter البَينِseparation أَفصَحُmore eloquent مِنthan قُسِّQuss
وَقَد صِرتُ بَعدَ البَينِ أَفصَحُ مِن قُسِّ
Are you, then, among those who claim what I have claimed,
while I have become, since parting, more eloquent than Quss?
وَجاءand came كَلامٌwords مِنكَfrom you دَلَّindicated صِقالُهُits polish
وَجاء كَلامٌ مِنكَ دَلَّ صِقالُهُ
وَصِدقُand the truth of مَعانِيهِits meanings عَلىto جَذلِthe delight of النَّفسِthe soul
وَصِدقُ مَعانِيهِ عَلى جَذلِ النَّفسِ
And words came from you whose polish attested,
with the truth of their meanings, to your soul's delight.
فَأَينَso where is غَرامٌconsuming passion يَعقِلُfetters الفِكرَthought بَعضُهُsome of it
فَأَينَ غَرامٌ يَعقِلُ الفِكرَ بَعضُهُ
وَوَجدٌand ardent longing يُعيدُturns المُسهِبينthe long-winded مِنَamong الخُرسِthe mute
وَوَجدٌ يُعيدُ المُسهِبين مِنَ الخُرسِ
Where, then, is the passion, a mere part of which fetters thought,
and the longing that turns the long-winded into the mute?
وَهَيهاتَand far from it! لَوif كانَتhad جُفونُكَyour eyelids أَطلَقَتreleased
وَهَيهاتَ لَو كانَت جُفونُكَ أَطلَقَت
مَدامِعَهاtheir tears أَلفَيتَyou would have found ذِهنَكَyour mind فيin حَبسِconfinement
مَدامِعَها أَلفَيتَ ذِهنَكَ في حَبسِ
Far from it! Had your eyelids released
their tears, you would have found your mind imprisoned,
وَأجبِلتَand you could not compose حَتّىuntil صِرتَyou became مِثليlike me فَإِنَّنيfor indeed I
وَأجبِلتَ حَتّى صِرتَ مِثلي فَإِنَّني
بِبُعدِكَbecause of your absence قَدindeed لاقَيتُI experienced ضَرباًa kind مِنَof المَسِّmadness
بِبُعدِكَ قَد لاقَيتُ ضَرباً مِنَ المَسِّ
and been unable to compose until you became like me; for I,
through your absence, have suffered a kind of madness.
فَلَمso did not تَجتَمِعcome together ليfor me أَحرُفletters فيon صَحيفَةa page
فَلَم تَجتَمِع لي أَحرُف في صَحيفَة
كَأَنَّas though الدُّجاnight's darkness نَفسيmy soul وَشَمسُand the sun of الضُّحىmidmorning طِرسيmy writing sheet
كَأَنَّ الدُّجا نَفسي وَشَمسُ الضُّحى طِرسي
So no letters came together for me upon a page,
as though night's darkness were my soul, and the midmorning sun my page.
Sol 6.1