وَاطُولَOh, how long شَوْقِيmy longing إِلَيْكَfor you يَاO وَطَنُhomeland
وَاطُولَ شَوْقِي إِلَيْكَ يَا وَطَنُ
وَإِنْand even though عَرَتْنِيhave befallen me بِحُبِّكَfor loving you الْمِحَنُordeals
وَإِنْ عَرَتْنِي بِحُبِّكَ الْمِحَنُ
Oh, how long I have yearned for you, homeland!
Even though ordeals have beset me for loving you.
أَنْتَyou are الْمُنَىhopes وَالْحَدِيثُand the talk إِنْwhen أَقْبَلَcomes الـthe
أَنْتَ الْمُنَى وَالْحَدِيثُ إِنْ أَقْبَلَ الـ
ـصُبْحُdawn وَهَمِّيand my thought إِنْwhen رَنَّقَhovers الْوَسَنُdrowsiness
ـصُبْحُ وَهَمِّي إِنْ رَنَّقَ الْوَسَنُ
You are my desire and my talk when there comes the
dawn, and my thought when drowsiness hovers.
فَكَيْفَso how أَنْسَاكَcan I forget you بِالْمَغِيبِwhile absent وَلِيand I have
فَكَيْفَ أَنْسَاكَ بِالْمَغِيبِ وَلِي
فِيكَin you فُؤَادٌa heart بِالْوُدِّby love مُرْتَهَنُheld in pledge
فِيكَ فُؤَادٌ بِالْوُدِّ مُرْتَهَنُ
How, then, can I forget you while away, when I have
in you a heart held captive by love?
لَسْتُI do not أُبَالِيcare وَقَدْand indeed سَلِمْتَyou have remained safe عَلَىthrough الدْthe (continued)
لَسْتُ أُبَالِي وَقَدْ سَلِمْتَ عَلَى الدْ
دَهْرِages إِذَاif مَا(emphasis) أَصَابَنِيbefalls me الْحَزَنُsorrow
دَهْرِ إِذَا مَا أَصَابَنِي الْحَزَنُ
I do not care, while you remain safe through the
ages, if sorrow befalls me.
لَيْتَif only بَرِيدَthe messenger of الْحَمَامِthe pigeons يُخْبِرُنِيwould inform me
لَيْتَ بَرِيدَ الْحَمَامِ يُخْبِرُنِي
عَنْabout أَهْلِthe people of وُدِّيmy affection فَلِيfor I have بِهِمْfor them شَجَنُsorrowful longing
عَنْ أَهْلِ وُدِّي فَلِي بِهِمْ شَجَنُ
Would that the pigeons' post could tell me
of those I love, for I ache with longing for them.
أَهُمْare they عَلَىsteadfast in الْوُدِّaffection أَمْor أَطَافَcame around بِهِمْto them
أَهُمْ عَلَى الْوُدِّ أَمْ أَطَافَ بِهِمْ
وَاشٍa slanderer أَرَاهُمْshowed them خِلافَthe opposite of مَاwhat يَقِنُواthey knew for certain
وَاشٍ أَرَاهُمْ خِلافَ مَا يَقِنُوا
Are they still faithful in love, or has there come among them
a slanderer who showed them the opposite of what they knew?
فَإِنْso if نَسُونِيthey forgot me فَذُكْرَتِيthen my remembrance لَهُمُis for them
فَإِنْ نَسُونِي فَذُكْرَتِي لَهُمُ
وَكَيْفَand how يَنْسَىcan forget حَيَاتَهُits life الْبَدَنُthe body
وَكَيْفَ يَنْسَى حَيَاتَهُ الْبَدَنُ
If they have forgotten me, I remember them still;
and how can the body forget its life?
أَصْبَحْتُI have come to be مِنْsince بَعْدِهِمْtheir absence بِمَضْيَعَةٍin a wasteland
أَصْبَحْتُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ بِمَضْيَعَةٍ
تَكْثُرُabound فِيهَاin it الْهُمُومُworries وَالإِحَنُand resentments
تَكْثُرُ فِيهَا الْهُمُومُ وَالإِحَنُ
Since parting from them, I have dwelt in a wasteland,
where worries and resentments abound,
بَيْنَamong أُنَاسٍpeople إِذَاif وَزَنْتَهُمْyou weighed them
بَيْنَ أُنَاسٍ إِذَا وَزَنْتَهُمْ
بِالذَّرِّagainst dust-motes عِنْدَin times of الْبَلاءِtrial مَاnot وَزَنُواwould they have weight
بِالذَّرِّ عِنْدَ الْبَلاءِ مَا وَزَنُوا
among people who, if you weighed them
against dust-motes in times of trial, would have no weight.
لاno فِيin مَوَدَّاتِهِمْtheir affections إِذَاwhen صَدَقُواthey are sincere
لا فِي مَوَدَّاتِهِمْ إِذَا صَدَقُوا
رِبْحٌgain وَلاnor فِيin فِرَاقِهِمْparting from them غَبَنُloss
رِبْحٌ وَلا فِي فِرَاقِهِمْ غَبَنُ
In their affection, even when sincere, there is no
gain, nor in parting from them any loss.
مِنْof كُلِّevery فَظٍّboor يَلُوكُchews فِيin فَمِهِhis mouth
مِنْ كُلِّ فَظٍّ يَلُوكُ فِي فَمِهِ
مُضْغَةَa morsel سُوءٍof evil مِزَاجُهَاits composition عَفِنُis putrid
مُضْغَةَ سُوءٍ مِزَاجُهَا عَفِنُ
Each a boor, chewing in his mouth
a morsel of evil, putrid in its substance.
يَنْضَحُspatters شِدْقَاهُboth sides of his mouth بِالرُّؤَالِwith drool كَمَاjust as
يَنْضَحُ شِدْقَاهُ بِالرُّؤَالِ كَمَا
عُلَّwas drenched بِنَضْحِwith the splashing of الْعَتِيرَةِthe sacrificial beast الْوَثَنُthe idol
عُلَّ بِنَضْحِ الْعَتِيرَةِ الْوَثَنُ
Both sides of his mouth spatter with drool, as
an idol was drenched with a sacrificial beast's spattered blood.
شُعْثٌdisheveled عُرَاةٌnaked كَأَنَّهُمْas though they خَرَجُواhad emerged
شُعْثٌ عُرَاةٌ كَأَنَّهُمْ خَرَجُوا
مِنْfrom نَفَقِa tunnel in الأَرْضِthe earth بَعْدَafter مَاthat دُفِنُواthey were buried
مِنْ نَفَقِ الأَرْضِ بَعْدَ مَا دُفِنُوا
Disheveled and naked, as though they had emerged
from a tunnel in the earth after being buried.
لاnot يُحْسِنُونَthey are skilled in الْمَقَالَspeech إِنْwhen نَطَقُواthey speak
لا يُحْسِنُونَ الْمَقَالَ إِنْ نَطَقُوا
جَهْلاًout of ignorance وَلاnor يَفْقَهُونَthey understand إِنْwhen أَذِنُواthey listen
جَهْلاً وَلا يَفْقَهُونَ إِنْ أَذِنُوا
They cannot speak properly when they talk,
through ignorance, nor understand when they listen.
أَرَىI find بِهِمْin them وَحْشَةًdesolation إِذَاwhen حَضَرُواthey are present
أَرَى بِهِمْ وَحْشَةً إِذَا حَضَرُوا
وَطِيبَand the sweetness of أُنْسٍcomfort إِذَاwhen هُمُthey ظَعَنُواdepart
وَطِيبَ أُنْسٍ إِذَا هُمُ ظَعَنُوا
I feel desolation in their presence,
and sweet comfort when they depart.
وَكَيْفَand how لِيfor me بِالْمُقَامِto remain فِيin بَلَدٍa land
وَكَيْفَ لِي بِالْمُقَامِ فِي بَلَدٍ
مَاnot لِيI have بِهَاin it صَاحِبٌa companion وَلاnor سَكَنُsolace
مَا لِي بِهَا صَاحِبٌ وَلا سَكَنُ
And how can I remain in a land
where I have neither friend nor solace?
كُلُّevery خَلِيلٍclose friend لِخِلِّهِfor his friend وَزَرٌa refuge
كُلُّ خَلِيلٍ لِخِلِّهِ وَزَرٌ
وَكُلُّand every دَارٍhome لأَهْلِهَاfor its people أَمَنُsafety
وَكُلُّ دَارٍ لأَهْلِهَا أَمَنُ
Every close friend is a refuge for his friend,
and every home is safety for its people.
فَهَلْis there, then إِلَىtoward عَوْدَةٍa return أَلُمُّI gather بِهَاthrough it
فَهَلْ إِلَى عَوْدَةٍ أَلُمُّ بِهَا
شَمْلِيmy scattered circle وَأَلْقَىand I meet مُحَمَّداًMuhammad سَنَنُa path
شَمْلِي وَأَلْقَى مُحَمَّداً سَنَنُ
Is there, to return and thereby reunite
my scattered circle and meet Muhammad, a path?
ذَاكَthat is الصَّدِيقُthe friend الَّذِيwhom وَثِقْتُI trusted بِهِin him
ذَاكَ الصَّدِيقُ الَّذِي وَثِقْتُ بِهِ
فَهْوَfor he بِشُكْرِيof my thanks وَمِدْحَتِيand my praise قَمِنُis worthy
فَهْوَ بِشُكْرِي وَمِدْحَتِي قَمِنُ
That is the friend in whom I placed my trust;
for he is worthy of my thanks and praise.
عَاشَرْتُهُI kept his company حِقْبَةًfor a time فَأَنْجَدَنِيthen came to my aid
عَاشَرْتُهُ حِقْبَةً فَأَنْجَدَنِي
مِنْهُfrom him الْحِجَاintellect وَالْبَيَانُand eloquence وَاللَّسَنُand fluency
مِنْهُ الْحِجَا وَالْبَيَانُ وَاللَّسَنُ
I kept his company for a time, and there came to my aid
his intellect, eloquence, and fluent speech.
وَهْوَand he إِلَىuntil الْيَوْمِtoday بَعْدَafter مَاthat عَلِقَتْclung
وَهْوَ إِلَى الْيَوْمِ بَعْدَ مَا عَلِقَتْ
بِيَto me الرَّزَايَاcalamities مُخَيِّلٌa rain-bearing cloud هُتُنُpouring ceaselessly
بِيَ الرَّزَايَا مُخَيِّلٌ هُتُنُ
And he, to this day, even after I was beset
by calamities, is a raincloud pouring ceaselessly.
يَنْصُرُنِيhe supports me حَيْثُwhere لاnot يَكَادُcomes close to حَمٌa father-in-law
يَنْصُرُنِي حَيْثُ لا يَكَادُ حَمٌ
يَمْنَحُنِيgrants me وُدَّهُhis affection وَلاnor خَتَنُa son-in-law
يَمْنَحُنِي وُدَّهُ وَلا خَتَنُ
He stands by me where a father-in-law would scarcely
grant me his affection, nor would a son-in-law.
قَدْindeed كَانَwould have been ظَنِّيmy opinion يُسِيءُthinking ill بِالنَّاسِof people لَوْif (continued)
قَدْ كَانَ ظَنِّي يُسِيءُ بِالنَّاسِ لَوْ
لاهُnot for him وَفَرْدٌand a peerless man يَحْيَاlives بِهِthrough him الزَّمَنُthe age
لاهُ وَفَرْدٌ يَحْيَا بِهِ الزَّمَنُ
I would indeed have thought ill of people, were it
not for him—a peerless man through whom the age lives.
فَهْوَfor he لَدَىamid الْمُعْضِلاتِgrave difficulties مُسْتَنَدٌa mainstay
فَهْوَ لَدَى الْمُعْضِلاتِ مُسْتَنَدٌ
وَعِنْدَand at فَقْدِthe loss of الرَّجَاءِhope مُؤْتَمَنُone to be trusted
وَعِنْدَ فَقْدِ الرَّجَاءِ مُؤْتَمَنُ
For he is a mainstay amid grave difficulties,
and one to trust when hope is lost.
نَمَّتْgave evidence عَلَىof فَضْلِهِhis excellence شَمَائِلُهُhis character traits
نَمَّتْ عَلَى فَضْلِهِ شَمَائِلُهُ
وَنَفْحَةُand the fragrance of الْوَرْدِthe rose سِرُّهَاits secret عَلَنُis plain
وَنَفْحَةُ الْوَرْدِ سِرُّهَا عَلَنُ
His character has revealed his excellence,
and the rose's fragrance—its secret is plain.
لَوْif كَانَwere to يَعْلُوascend السَّمَاءَthe sky ذُوa possessor of شَرَفٍhonor
لَوْ كَانَ يَعْلُو السَّمَاءَ ذُو شَرَفٍ
لَكَانَhe would then بِالنَّيِّرَاتِwith the radiant stars يَقْتَرِنُbe joined
لَكَانَ بِالنَّيِّرَاتِ يَقْتَرِنُ
If a man of honor could rise into the sky,
he would join the radiant stars.
فَلْيَحْيَso may he live حُرّاًfree مُمَتَّعاًgranted enjoyment بِجَمِيـwith fair (continued)
فَلْيَحْيَ حُرّاً مُمَتَّعاً بِجَمِيـ
ـلِ(ending of 'fair') الذِّكْرِrenown فَالذِّكْرُfor renown مَفْخَرٌa source of pride حَسَنُfine
ـلِ الذِّكْرِ فَالذِّكْرُ مَفْخَرٌ حَسَنُ
So may he live free, enjoying fair
renown; for renown is a fine source of pride.
Sol 6.1