ماnot هوhe عارفaware قدمهhis foot المفارقdeparting
ما هو عارف قدمه المفارق
ياO محطhaven أماليmy hopes السلامpeace
يا محط أمالي السلام
He does not know his steps are taking him away.
What is known, the foot that departs
O haven of my hopes, peace to you.
O destination of my hopes, peace be upon you
فيin سمومscorching winds الصيفthe summer لاحappeared لهto him بارقa lightning flash
في سموم الصيف لاح له بارق
لمdid not يزلcease يرتادhe seeks out المشارفthe heights
لم يزل يرتاد المشارف
In summer's scorching winds, a flash of lightning appeared to him.
In the poisons of summer, a lightning flashed for him
He never ceased seeking out the heights.
He kept visiting the edges
كانhe was معwith الأحبابthe loved ones نجمةa star شارقshining
كان مع الأحباب نجمة شارق
مالهwhat has he to do والافلاكand the heavenly spheres فيin الظلامthe darkness
ماله والافلاك في الظلام
Among his loved ones, he was a shining star.
He was with the loved ones a shining star
What has he to do with the heavenly spheres in darkness?
What is his and the orbit in the darkness
ياO دهرTime اهوالكyour terrors تسارقcome stealthily
يا دهر اهوالك تسارق
منهاbecause of them كمhow many كمhow many شابتhave turned gray مفارقhair partings
منها كم كم شابت مفارق
O Time, your terrors steal in unseen.
O fate, your horrors steal
How many, how many hair partings they have turned gray!
From it how much how much departed
ماnot عليناupon us الفاتwhat has passed كلهall of it فارقhas departed
ما علينا الفات كله فارق
رقناwe grew calm ولهand why نعيدwe repeat الملامthe reproach
رقنا وله نعيد الملام
Never mind—all that has passed has departed.
What is past is all gone
We have grown calm; why renew the reproach?
We were pleased and for it we repeat the blame
منamong حطامكyour wreckage غصنىmy branch وارقleafy
من حطامك غصنى وارق
فيّin me شنwhat ابقيتhave you left للطوارقfor sudden calamities
فيّ شن ابقيت للطوارق
My leafy branch lies among your wreckage.
From your rubble my branch flourished
What have you left in me for sudden calamities,
In me what did I keep for the plunderers
غيرexcept قليباًa little heart فيin همومهits sorrows غارقdrowning
غير قليباً في همومه غارق
ولساناand a tongue بردهits soothing coolness الكلامspeech
ولسانا برده الكلام
Except a little heart drowning in its sorrows,
Other than a heart drowning in its worries
And a tongue whose solace is speech?
And a tongue with its speech numbed
ويحalas for قلبيmy heart الماwhich did not انفكcease خافقbeating
ويح قلبي الما انفك خافق
فارقdeparted from امUmm درمانDurman باكيweeping شافقyearning
فارق ام درمان باكي شافق
Alas for my heart, which never ceased beating!
Woe my heart did not cease throbbing
It left Omdurman weeping and yearning.
Did he who wept for Darman depart or was he compassionate
ياO أمmother قبائلtribes ماnot فيكin you منافقa hypocrite
يا أم قبائل ما فيك منافق
سقىmay it water ارضكyour land صوبthe downpour الغمامthe clouds
سقى ارضك صوب الغمام
O mother of tribes, no hypocrite dwells in you.
O mother of tribes no hypocrisy in you
May the clouds' downpour water your land.
Your land the clouds watered from above
ياO بلاديmy homeland كمhow many فيهin it حاذقa skilled person
يا بلادي كم فيه حاذق
غيرother than إلهكyour God ماnot أمhe sought رازقa provider
غير إلهك ما أم رازق
O my homeland, how many a skilled person you hold!
My country how much in it is competent
He has sought no provider but your God.
Other than your God who else is the sustainer
منone whose شعارهhis watchword دخولentering المآزقperils
من شعاره دخول المآزق
يتفانىhe gives his all وشرفكand your honor تمامintact
يتفانى وشرفك تمام
His watchword is to venture into peril;
His motto is entering tribulations
He gives his all, and your honor remains intact.
He is selfless and your honor is intact
مسرحroaming ground الغزلانthe gazelles فيin الحدائقthe gardens
مسرح الغزلان في الحدائق
والشوارعand the streets الغرthe gleaming والمضايقand the narrow lanes
والشوارع الغر والمضايق
A roaming ground for gazelles in the gardens,
The arena of gazelles in the gardens
And the gleaming streets and narrow lanes.
And the narrow, brimmed streets
قولtell ليto me كيفhow امسيتyou spent the evening دمتmay you remain رايقserene
قول لي كيف امسيت دمت رايق
دامmay it endure هواكyour love مشمولenfolded بالنظامin harmony
دام هواك مشمول بالنظام
Tell me how your evening is; may you remain serene.
Tell me how did you remain content
May your love endure, enfolded in harmony.
As long as your love is governed by law
مجلسa gathering اللذاتdelights فيamong النمارقthe cushions
مجلس اللذات في النمارق
والترفand luxury لاnot زالceased وضفهits description خارقextraordinary
والترف لا زال وضفه خارق
A gathering of delights among the cushions,
The council of joys in the carpets
And luxury, still extraordinary in its description.
And luxury its splendor still sublime
ضاريfamiliar حسكyour voice فاحwafted جاناcame to us مارقemerging
ضاري حسك فاح جانا مارق
ولهand why قاطعوcut it off الريحthe wind ماnot هوit لامto blame
وله قاطعو الريح ما هو لام
Your familiar voice wafted out and reached us.
Your perception wandered unleashed
And why blame it? The wind cut it off.
And for it they cut the winds it is not blamed
فيon يمينthe right side النيلthe Nile حيثwhere سابقformerly
في يمين النيل حيث سابق
كناwe were فوقabove أعرافthe manes السوابقthe racing steeds
كنا فوق أعراف السوابق
On the Nile's right bank, where once
To the Nile’s right where it preceded
We rode above the manes of racing steeds,
We were above the most sublime traditions
الضريحthe shrine الفاحthat wafted طيبهits perfume عابقfragrant
الضريح الفاح طيبه عابق
السلامpeace ياO المهديthe Mahdi الامامthe Imam
السلام يا المهدي الامام
The shrine is fragrant, its perfume wafting—
The fragrant shrine perfuming
Peace to you, O Mahdi, the Imam.
Peace upon you O Imam the Mahdi
أينwhere منيfrom me الودعتهthe one I bade farewell to شاهقsobbing
أين مني الودعته شاهق
باكيweeping ناهديmy budding beloved مراهقadolescent
باكي ناهدي مراهق
Where, far from me, is the one I left sobbing,
Where is he who I bid farewell lofty
Weeping, my budding adolescent beloved?
My crying pubescent companion
عينيmy eye ماnot بتشوفsees الاexcept شاهقa towering height
عيني ما بتشوف الا شاهق
أينwhere وجهthe face البدرthe full moon التمامcomplete
أين وجه البدر التمام
My eye sees only a towering height.
My eyes see none but the lofty
Where is the face of the moon in its fullness?
Where is the face of the perfect full moon
أينwhere منيfrom me الفيthe one in زهوهhis splendor باسقtowering
أين مني الفي زهوه باسق
فيin شبابهhis youth نقيpure منof مفاسقvices
في شبابه نقي من مفاسق
Where, far from me, is he who towers in his splendor,
Where is he whose youth was pure from sins
In his youth, untainted by vice,
Among his white well-arranged clothes
بينamid ثيابهhis garments البيضthe white المناسقwell-matched
بين ثيابه البيض المناسق
حولكaround you أشبهresembling رتلa procession الحمامthe doves
حولك أشبه رتل الحمام
Amid his well-matched white garments,
Around you most resembling a flock of doves
Around you, like a procession of doves?
O messenger of air above me hovering
ياO بريدmessenger الجوthe sky فوقيabove me حالقsoaring
يا بريد الجو فوقي حالق
ميلturn علىtoward الروحthe soul ليهاit has خالقa Creator
ميل على الروح ليها خالق
O messenger of the sky, soaring above me,
Incline to the soul for it is the creator
Turn toward the soul; it has a Creator.
You have returned safe, say while still aloft
عدتmay you return سالمsafe قولtell وأنتand you عالقhovering
عدت سالم قول وأنت عالق
مقرنconfluence النيلينthe two Niles كيلوkilometers كمhow many
مقرن النيلين كيلو كم
May you return safely; tell me while you hover:
The Niles conjoined, how many kilometers
How many kilometers to the confluence of the two Niles?
The loved ones, to the youths, creations
الحبايبthe loved ones للفتوwho captivated الخلائقall creation
الحبايب للفتو الخلائق
بينيbetween me وبينهمand between them قطعواthey severed العلائقthe ties
بيني وبينهم قطعوا العلائق
The loved ones who captivated all creation
Between me and them they severed ties
Have severed the ties between me and them.
He was a flirt, he was wanderer, all worthy
كانwhether it is دلالcoquetry كانwhether it is تيهpride كلهall of it لايقbecoming
كان دلال كان تيه كله لايق
نحنwe ماnot مجيناhave liked الخصامquarrels
نحن ما مجينا الخصام
Be it coquetry or pride, it all becomes them.
We did not come to conflict
We have no liking for quarrels.
My beauty, light of the anemones
ياO جميلbeautiful one ياO نورblossom الشقايقthe anemones
يا جميل يا نور الشقايق
املأfill كأسكyour cup واصبرand wait patiently دقائقminutes
املأ كأسك واصبر دقائق
O beautiful one, O blossom of the anemones,
Fill your cup and wait a few minutes
Fill your cup and wait a few minutes.
Your council is evident, look how elated
مجلسكyour gathering مفهومclear to see شوفواlook at it رايقserene
مجلسك مفهوم شوفوا رايق
عقدةa necklace ناقصmissing زولa person ولاor تمامcomplete
عقدة ناقص زول ولا تمام
Your gathering is clear to see—look how serene!
The bond incomplete, not one person or perfect
Is the necklace one person short, or complete?
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1