ياO بارِقاًlightning flash إِذْكَرَreminded الحَشَىthe heart حَزَنهْits sorrow
يا بارِقاً إِذْكَرَ الحَشَى حَزَنهْ
مَنْزِلُناour home بِاْلعَقيقِat al-Aqiq مَنْwho سَكَنَهْhas inhabited it
مَنْزِلُنا بِاْلعَقيقِ مَنْ سَكَنَهْ
O lightning-flash, calling the heart back to its grief,
O lightning flash that reminded my heart of its sorrow,
Who now inhabits our dwelling in al-‘Aqiq?
Our home at al-Aqiq—who has settled in it?
وَمَرْتَعُand the meadow of اللَّهوِpleasure يانِعٌflourishing خَضِرٌgreen
وَمَرْتَعُ اللَّهوِ يانِعٌ خَضِرٌ
أَمْor غَيَّرَhas changed الدَّهْرُtime بَعْدَناafter us دِمَنَهْits traces of habitation
أَمْ غَيَّرَ الدَّهْرُ بَعْدَنا دِمَنَهْ
Is the pleasure-ground still flourishing and green,
And is the meadow of pleasure flourishing and green,
Or has time, since we left, altered its traces?
Or has time altered its traces of habitation since we left?
ياO بَرْقُlightning هذاthis جِسميmy body يَذوبُmelts away ضَنىًwasting illness
يا بَرْقُ هذا جِسمي يَذوبُ ضَنىً
وَمُهْجَتيand my lifeblood بِالْعَقيقِat al-Aqiq مُرْتَهَنهْheld in pledge
وَمُهْجَتي بِالْعَقيقِ مُرْتَهَنهْ
O lightning, this body of mine melts away from wasting love,
O lightning, this body of mine melts away with wasting illness,
While my soul remains a hostage in al-‘Aqiq.
And my lifeblood is held in pledge at al-Aqiq.
ياO برقlightning أشكوI complain عساكperhaps you will تخبرهمtell them
يا برق أشكو عساك تخبرهم
وكلand everyone منwho هامis mad with love يشتكيcomplains of شجنهhis sorrow
وكل من هام يشتكي شجنه
O lightning, I make my complaint—perhaps you will tell them;
O lightning, I complain—perhaps you will tell them,
Everyone consumed by love complains of sorrow.
And everyone mad with love complains of his sorrow.
بَلِّغْconvey حَدِيثَnews of الحِمىthe sanctuary وَساِكِنهِand its inhabitant
بَلِّغْ حَدِيثَ الحِمى وَساِكِنهِ
لِمُغْرَمٍto one smitten with love أَنْحَلَhas emaciated الْهَوىpassion بَدَنَهْhis body
لِمُغْرَمٍ أَنْحَلَ الْهَوى بَدَنَهْ
Carry news of the protected abode and its dweller
Convey news of the sanctuary and its inhabitant
To a lover whose body passion has worn thin.
To a lovesick man whose body passion has wasted away.
أَسْمِعْهُlet him hear ذِكْرِmention of الْحِبيبِthe beloved مُقْتَرِباًdrawing near
أَسْمِعْهُ ذِكْرِ الْحِبيبِ مُقْتَرِباً
فَقَدْfor indeed أَصَمَّتْhave deafened عُذَّالُهُhis reproachers إِذْنَهْhis ear
فَقَدْ أَصَمَّتْ عُذَّالُهُ إِذْنَهْ
Let him hear the beloved mentioned as drawing near,
Draw near and let him hear mention of the beloved,
For his reproachers have deafened his ear.
For his reproachers have deafened his ear.
هُمْthey آَنسُوهُcomforted him لكِنْbut بوَحْشَتِهِمْwith their estrangement
هُمْ آَنسُوهُ لكِنْ بوَحْشَتِهِمْ
وَنَفَّرُواand they drove away عَنْfrom جُفونِهِhis eyelids وَسَنَهْhis drowsiness
وَنَفَّرُوا عَنْ جُفونِهِ وَسَنَهْ
They kept him company, yet only through their estrangement,
They have comforted him, yet with their estrangement,
And drove all drowsiness from his eyelids.
And driven drowsiness away from his eyelids.
أَشْقَىthe most wretched of اُلْمحِبِّينَthe lovers عادِمٌone deprived of وَطَراًa heart's desire
أَشْقَى اُلْمحِبِّينَ عادِمٌ وَطَراً
فَكَيْفَthen how إنْif كانَhe is عادِماًbereft of وَطَنَهْhis homeland
فَكَيْفَ إنْ كانَ عادِماً وَطَنَهْ
The most wretched lover is one denied his desire—
The most wretched of lovers is one denied his desire;
How much more so when he is denied his homeland.
How, then, if he is bereft of his homeland?
سَقْياًa blessing of rain لأِيَّامِناupon our days التيthat سَلَفَتْhave passed
سَقْياً لأِيَّامِنا التي سَلَفَتْ
كانَتْthey were بِطِيبِto the sweetness of الْوِصالِunion مُقْتَرِنَهْjoined
كانَتْ بِطِيبِ الْوِصالِ مُقْتَرِنَهْ
May rain bless those days of ours that have passed,
May rain bless our days gone by!
When they were joined to the sweetness of union.
They were joined to the sweetness of union.
لَوْif بِيعَwere sold يَوْمٌa day مِنْهاof them وَكَيْفَand how بِهِto obtain it
لَوْ بِيعَ يَوْمٌ مِنْها وَكَيْفَ بِهِ
كُنْتُI would be بِعُمْريwith my life مُسْتَرْخِصاًdeeming cheap ثَمَنَهْits price
كُنْتُ بِعُمْري مُسْتَرْخِصاً ثَمَنَهْ
If one day of them could be sold—but how could it?—
If one of those days were for sale—but how could it be had?—
I would count my lifetime a paltry price.
I would deem my life a cheap price for it.
إلَيْكَaway with you ياO عإِذْليmy reproacher فَلَسْتُfor I am not أَناI
إلَيْكَ يا عإِذْلي فَلَسْتُ أَنا
أَوَّلَthe first صَبٍّardent lover جَمالُهُمْtheir beauty فَنَتَهْbewitched him
أَوَّلَ صَبٍّ جَمالُهُمْ فَنَتَهْ
Leave me, reproacher, for I am not
Away with you, my reproacher, for I am not
The first love-struck man their beauty has bewitched.
The first lover whom their beauty has bewitched.
فَكَمْfor how many لِنَفْسِيfrom my soul عَلَيَّagainst me سَيِّئَةٌa wrong
فَكَمْ لِنَفْسِي عَلَيَّ سَيِّئَةٌ
وَكَمْand how many لِمُوسىfrom Musa عَلَيَّupon me مِنْof حَسَنَهْa kindness
وَكَمْ لِمُوسى عَلَيَّ مِنْ حَسَنَهْ
How many wrongs my own soul has done me,
For how many wrongs my soul has done me,
And how many favors Musa has bestowed upon me!
And how many kindnesses Musa has shown me!
مُجازِفٌlavish without reckoning فِيin عَطاءِgiving to آمِلِهِone who hopes in him
مُجازِفٌ فِي عَطاءِ آمِلِهِ
مُحَرَّرُcarefully refined الرَّأْيِjudgment عِنْدَin the eyes of مَنwhoever وَزَنَهْweighs it
مُحَرَّرُ الرَّأْيِ عِنْدَ مَن وَزَنَهْ
He gives boldly and unstintingly to whoever hopes in him,
He is lavish in giving to whoever hopes in him;
His judgment refined in the eyes of whoever weighs it.
His judgment is sound to anyone who weighs it.
لِلأّجْرِof reward وَالشُّكْرِand gratitude خازِنٌone who stores up أَبَداًforever
لِلأّجْرِ وَالشُّكْرِ خازِنٌ أَبَداً
وَلَمْand did not يَصُنْguard مالَهُhis wealth وَلاَnor خَزَنَهْhoard it
وَلَمْ يَصُنْ مالَهُ وَلاَ خَزَنَهْ
He stores up reward and gratitude forever,
He forever stores up reward and gratitude,
Yet never guards his wealth or hoards it.
And has neither guarded his wealth nor hoarded it.
مُؤَيَّدُsupported الرَّأيِin judgment مَنْwhoever يُنافِسُهُrivals him
مُؤَيَّدُ الرَّأيِ مَنْ يُنافِسُهُ
تَحْتَbeneath حَضِيضِthe lowest depths of الْخُمولِobscurity قَدindeed دَفَنَهْhe has buried him
تَحْتَ حَضِيضِ الْخُمولِ قَد دَفَنَهْ
Unerring in judgment—whoever vies with him
His judgment is upheld; whoever rivals him,
He buries beneath the lowest depths of obscurity.
He has buried beneath the lowest depths of obscurity.
لَوif لَمْhad not تُقَيِّضْbeen appointed لِلْجُودِto generosity راحَتُهُhis palm
لَو لَمْ تُقَيِّضْ لِلْجُودِ راحَتُهُ
لَمَwould not نَعْتَرِفْwe acknowledge فَرْضَهُits prescribed duty وَلاnor سُنَنَهْits traditions
لَمَ نَعْتَرِفْ فَرْضَهُ وَلا سُنَنَهْ
Had his open hand not been appointed to generosity,
Had his palm not been appointed to generosity,
We would never have known its duty or its tradition.
We would not have recognized its prescribed duty or its traditions.
لَهُhe has بَنانٌfingertips يَسْديbestow لَناupon us مِنَحاًgifts
لَهُ بَنانٌ يَسْدي لَنا مِنَحاً
وَمَنْand whoever يُعاديهِis hostile to him يَشْتَكِيcomplains of مِحَنَهْhis ordeals
وَمَنْ يُعاديهِ يَشْتَكِي مِحَنَهْ
His fingers extend gifts to us,
His fingertips bestow gifts upon us,
While whoever opposes him complains of affliction.
And whoever is his enemy laments his own ordeals.
Sol 6.1