وماand not بينbetween هارونٍAaron وموسىand Moses ابنson of أمهhis mother
وما بين هارونٍ وموسى ابن أمه
منof الودaffection ماthat which بينيbetween me ومَاand what بينbetween قاسِمQasim
من الود ما بيني ومَا بين قاسِم
And not even between Aaron and Moses, his mother's son,
The affection between Harun and Musa, son of his mother,
is there the affection that lies between me and Qasim.
Is like the affection between me and my Qasim.
ولماand when حوتهit held him الشامthe Levant عنيaway from me وأيْمنَتْand lay toward Yemen
ولما حوته الشام عني وأيْمنَتْ
بلاديmy homeland وهذاand this الدهرtime اجورُحَاكمthe most unjust of judges
بلادي وهذا الدهر اجورُحَاكم
And when the Levant held him far from me, and toward Yemen lay
When Syria kept him away from me and deprived
my homeland—and time is the most unjust of judges—
My country - oh time of separation and agony!
سطرتI wrote إليهto him فيon الطروسthe pages رسالةًa letter
سطرت إليه في الطروس رسالةً
تعبّرexpressing عماwhat is فيin الحَشاthe heart والحيازمand the breast
تعبّر عما في الحَشا والحيازم
I wrote him a letter upon the pages,
I sent him a message in verse
expressing what lies within my heart and breast.
Expressing what was in my heart and mind,
وماand not طرسُهاits page إلاّexcept الفؤادthe heart يُخطهwrites upon it
وما طرسُها إلاّ الفؤاد يُخطه
يُدthe hand of الشوقlonging عنيon my behalf بالدموعwith tears السواجِمstreaming
يُد الشوق عني بالدموع السواجِم
And its page is nothing but the heart, inscribed
Which my innermost self addressed
by longing's hand on my behalf, with streaming tears.
And my hand of longing wrote through falling tears.
فلوso if علمknew القِرطاسthe paper مَاwhat فيin ضميرهits inner self
فلو علم القِرطاس مَا في ضميره
شكىit lamented وبكىand it wept لكنّهbut it غيرnot عالمaware
شكى وبكى لكنّه غير عالم
So, if the paper knew what lay within it,
If only the paper knew what was in its folds,
it would lament and weep, but it is unaware.
It would have complained and cried, but it does not know.
Sol 6.1