يَقُولُsays رجالٌmen لاnot يضرُّكَharms you نَأْيُهاher remoteness
يَقُولُ رجالٌ لا يضرُّكَ نَأْيُها
بَلىindeed it does كلُّall ماthat شَفَّwore down النفوسَthe souls يضيرُهاharms them
بَلى كلُّ ما شَفَّ النفوسَ يضيرُها
Men say, “Her distance does not harm you.”
Indeed it does: all that wears souls thin harms them.
أليسَdoes it not يَضرُّharm العينَthe eye أنْto تُكثِرَdo much of البُكاweeping
أليسَ يَضرُّ العينَ أنْ تُكثِرَ البُكا
ويُمنَعَand be withheld منهاfrom it نَومُهاits sleep وسُرورُهاand its joy
ويُمنَعَ منها نَومُها وسُرورُها
Does it not harm the eye to weep so much,
and to be deprived of its sleep and joy?
لكلِّfor every لقاءٍmeeting نَلْتَقيهِwe share بَشاشةُgladness
لكلِّ لقاءٍ نَلْتَقيهِ بَشاشةُ
وإنْeven if كانَit were حَولاًa year كلَّevery يومٍday نزورُهاwe visit her
وإنْ كانَ حَولاً كلَّ يومٍ نزورُها
Every meeting we share brings gladness,
even if we visit her every day for a year.
خَليليَّmy two friends رُوحاgo, you two راشدَيْنِboth rightly guided فقدfor indeed نأَتْshe has gone far away
خَليليَّ رُوحا راشدَيْنِ فقد نأَتْ
بعيداًfar away وَهَلْand is there فيin القُربِnearness شيءٌanything يَضيرُهاharms her
بعيداً وَهَلْ في القُربِ شيءٌ يَضيرُها
My two friends, go, rightly guided, for she has gone
far away; could anything in nearness harm her?
يَقُرُّbrings comfort بِعَينيto my eye أنْto أَرىI see العِينَthe wide-eyed mounts تَعْتَليclimb
يَقُرُّ بِعَيني أنْ أَرى العِينَ تَعْتَلي
بناwith us نحوَtoward ليلىLayla وهْيَwhile they تَجْرِيrace صقُورُهاtheir falcons
بنا نحوَ ليلى وهْيَ تَجْرِي صقُورُها
It gladdens my eye to see the wide-eyed mounts climbing,
bearing us toward Layla, their falcons racing.
وماand not لحِقَتْthey arrived حتَّىuntil تَقَلَّلَdwindled عرْضُهاtheir bulk
وما لحِقَتْ حتَّى تَقَلَّلَ عرْضُها
وسامحَand yielded مِنْfrom بَعْدِafter المُرامِthe quest عسيرُهاtheir stubborn ones
وسامحَ مِنْ بَعْدِ المُرامِ عسيرُها
They did not arrive until their bulk had dwindled,
and, after the quest, their stubborn ones had yielded.
وأُشرِفُand I look out بالأرضِfrom the ground اليَفاعِhigh لعلَّنيhoping that I
وأُشرِفُ بالأرضِ اليَفاعِ لعلَّني
أرىI see نارَthe fire of ليلىLayla أوْor يَرانيsees me بَصيرُهاher lookout
أرى نارَ ليلى أوْ يَراني بَصيرُها
And I look out from the high ground, hoping
to see Layla’s fire, or be seen by her lookout.
فنادَيتُso I called ليلىLayla والحُمولُand the laden camels كأنّهاas though they were
فنادَيتُ ليلى والحُمولُ كأنّها
مَواقيرُheavy-laden ones نخلٍdate palms زَغْزَعَتْهاshook them دَبورهاtheir west wind
مَواقيرُ نخلٍ زَغْزَعَتْها دَبورها
So I called to Layla, while the laden camels seemed
like heavy-laden date palms shaken by their west wind.
فقالتthen she said أَرىI think أنْthat لاnot تُفيدَكَbenefit you صُحْبَتيmy company
فقالت أَرى أنْ لا تُفيدَكَ صُحْبَتي
لهيبةِfor fear of أعداءٍenemies تَلَظَّىare aflame صُدورُهاtheir breasts
لهيبةِ أعداءٍ تَلَظَّى صُدورُها
She said, “I think my company will not benefit you,
for fear of enemies whose breasts are aflame.”
فمَدَّتْso she stretched out ليَto me الأسبابَthe cords حتَّىuntil بَلغْتُهاI reached her
فمَدَّتْ ليَ الأسبابَ حتَّى بَلغْتُها
برِفْقيwith my gentleness وقدand indeed كادَnearly ارْتِفاقيmy reliance يَضيرُهاharms her
برِفْقي وقد كادَ ارْتِفاقي يَضيرُها
So she stretched out the cords to me until I reached her
gently, though my reliance on her had almost harmed her.
وإنّيand I إذاwhen ماemphatic particle زُرتُهاI visit her قلتُI say ياO! اسْلَميbe well
وإنّي إذا ما زُرتُها قلتُ يا اسْلَمي
وماand not كانَwas قَوليmy saying اسْلميbe well ماanything that يَضيرُهاharms her
وما كانَ قَولي اسْلمي ما يَضيرُها
And whenever I visit her, I say, “May you be well!”
And my saying “Be well!” was nothing that could harm her.
Sol 6.1