مَاnever إنْat all (emphasis) تذكَّرتُI recalled أياميmy days بذيat Dhu سَلمSalam
مَا إنْ تذكَّرتُ أيامي بذي سَلم
إلاّexcept that مزجتُI mingled دموعيmy tears مِنfrom أسىًgrief بدَمِwith blood
إلاّ مزجتُ دموعي مِن أسىً بدَمِ
Never did I recall my days at Dhu Salam
Whenever I recall my days in Dhi Salm
without mingling my tears, from sorrow, with blood.
I mix my tears with blood out of sorrow
ولاand never حكَىtold ليto me قومٌpeople باللّوىat al-Liwa خِيَمٌtents
ولا حكَى لي قومٌ باللّوى خِيَمٌ
إلاّexcept that وناديتُand I cried out وآشوقاah, my longing! إلىfor الخيمthe tents
إلاّ وناديتُ وآشوقا إلى الخيم
Nor did people tell me of tents at al-Liwa
Whenever people pitched tents of devotion for me
without my crying, 'Ah, my longing for the tents!'
I called out longingly for the tents
ياO بانةَban tree of العَلَمthe hill الغربيwestern فوقَabove قُباQuba
يا بانةَ العَلَم الغربي فوقَ قُبا
ماwhat حالَthe condition of جيراتِناour neighbors ياO بانةَban tree of العَلمُthe hill
ما حالَ جيراتِنا يا بانةَ العَلمُ
O ban tree of the western hill above Quba,
O pillar of the western world up on the hill
how fare our neighbors, O ban tree of the hill?
What is the state of our neighbors, O pillar?
وكيفَand how أخدارُsecluded chambers of لَيْلَىLayla بعدafter رحلتناour departure
وكيفَ أخدارُ لَيْلَى بعد رحلتنا
سَقَىmay water معَاهدَthe haunts of ليلىLayla واكفُthe downpour of الدَّيمsteady rains
سَقَى معَاهدَ ليلى واكفُ الدَّيم
And how are Layla's secluded chambers since our departure?
And how is Layla after our departure?
May steady, pouring rains water Layla's haunts.
Layla's settlements have quenched the shelters
قالواthey said شُغلْتَyou are preoccupied بليليwith Layla وهيwhile she فارغةcarefree
قالوا شُغلْتَ بليلي وهي فارغة
فقلتُso I said ليسَis not المُعَافىone in good health مثلَlike ذيone with سِقَمِillness
فقلتُ ليسَ المُعَافى مثلَ ذي سِقَمِ
They said, 'You are preoccupied with Layla, while she is carefree.'
They said you were busy with your Layla while she was free
So I said, 'One who is well is not like one who is sick.'
So I said, he who is unwell is not like one who is well
قالواthey said فزارتكthen she visited you كَيso that تُبْرىyou might recover فزدتyet you grew more ضَنىًwasting sickness
قالوا فزارتك كَي تُبْرى فزدت ضَنىً
فقلتُso I said برْدُthe coolness of لِماهاher dark lips زادincreased فيin ألميmy pain
فقلتُ برْدُ لِماها زاد في ألمي
They said, 'Then she visited you to heal you, yet you grew more wasted.'
They said she visited so you would be cleared But I said
So I said, 'The coolness of her dark lips increased my pain.'
The coolness of her waters increased my pain
مَاnever إنat all (emphasis) يحِنُّyearns إلىfor الأوطانhomelands مُغْتربٌan exile
مَا إن يحِنُّ إلى الأوطان مُغْتربٌ
إلاّexcept that حَنَنْتُI yearned إلىfor أياميmy days القِدَمِof old
إلاّ حَنَنْتُ إلى أيامي القِدَمِ
Never does an exile yearn for home
When an expatriate yearns for home
without my yearning for my days of old.
I yearned for my early days
قالواthey said المِشيبُgray hair وقارٌdignity قُلْتُI said طَيْشْيmy recklessness
قالوا المِشيبُ وقارٌ قُلْتُ طَيْشْي
إلىtoward العُقَارwine وذاتِand the woman of الدّلcoy charm والحَومِand circling
إلى العُقَار وذاتِ الدّل والحَومِ
They said, 'Gray hair is dignity.' I said, 'My folly
They said gray hair is dignity I said my madness
turns to wine and the woman of coy charm and circling movements.'
Is for medicine, raisins, rice and meat
والطيْرُand the birds يُبكرُgo out early إذاwhen خيطَthe thread of الصَّباحdawn بدىappeared
والطيْرُ يُبكرُ إذا خيطَ الصَّباح بدى
لرزقهاfor their sustenance وأناwhile I للكاسfor the cup والنَّغمِand song
لرزقها وأنا للكاس والنَّغمِ
And the birds go out early when the thread of dawn appears,
The birds rise early when dawn breaks
for their sustenance, while I rise for the cup and song.
For their livelihood, while I rise for the cup and melody
ولوand if ارادHe wished متابيmy repentance مَاnot ذرىcreated وبرىand fashioned
ولو اراد متابي مَا ذرى وبرى
لإِبنةfor the daughter of الكرمِthe vine يتلوهاfollows her ابنتُa daughter of الكرمِthe vine
لإِبنة الكرمِ يتلوها ابنتُ الكرمِ
And had He wished my repentance, He would not have created and fashioned me
If the proud one wanted, he would not see or graze
for the daughter of the vine, followed by another daughter of the vine.
To the generous lady, followed by the daughter of the generous
فيُونُسٌfor Yunus بعدَafter بطنِthe belly of الحوتِthe whale خلَّصَهُHe delivered him
فيُونُسٌ بعدَ بطنِ الحوتِ خلَّصَهُ
وحَلَّand loosened عُقْدةَthe knot of موسىMusa صاحبُthe Master of الكلمِspeech
وحَلَّ عُقْدةَ موسى صاحبُ الكلمِ
For He delivered Yunus after his time in the whale's belly,
Jonah was saved after the belly of the whale
and the Master of speech loosened Musa's knot.
And the companion of the word untied Moses' knot
مَاhow كانَwere أحسنَbeautiful أياميmy days وَاطيبَهاand how sweet they were
مَا كانَ أحسنَ أيامي وَاطيبَها
ياO ابنَson of الحسينal-Husayn رفيعlofty in القدرrank والهممِand aspirations
يا ابنَ الحسين رفيع القدر والهممِ
How lovely my days were, and how sweet!
How good and sweet were my days
O son of al-Husayn, lofty in rank and aspiration!
O son of Hussein, of high worth and aspiration
وصَاحبُand the companion of الخَضْرِal-Khidr كمhow often ليfor me قدindeed رَعَاcared ودَعاand prayed
وصَاحبُ الخَضْرِ كم لي قد رَعَا ودَعا
فصرتُso I became أفْصَحُthe most eloquent مَنْthose who يمشيwalk علىon قَدِمfoot
فصرتُ أفْصَحُ مَنْ يمشي على قَدِم
And the companion of al-Khidr—how often he cared for me and prayed for me!
The companion of Al-Khidr, how much he shepherded and prayed for me
So I became the most eloquent of those who walk on foot.
I became the most eloquent of those who walked on feet
كنّاwe were إذاwhen مَاever (emphasis) التقيناwe met والفقيهand the jurist بهاin it
كنّا إذا مَا التقينا والفقيه بها
كنّاwe were لجملةِto all of ذاكthat القومِcompany كالخَدَمِlike servants
كنّا لجملةِ ذاك القومِ كالخَدَمِ
When we used to meet, with the jurist there,
Whenever we met, my mentor and I
we were like servants to that whole company.
We were to that group like servants
ياO رحمةَmercy of اللهGod لاdo not تنْأيstay far from ضَرائِحهمtheir tombs
يا رحمةَ الله لا تنْأي ضَرائِحهم
وياand O غَمَامُcloud عليهاover them حُلّsettle وانسجمِand pour down
ويا غَمَامُ عليها حُلّ وانسجمِ
O mercy of God, do not stray far from their tombs.
O God's mercy, do not avoid their tombs
And O cloud, settle over them and pour down!
And O clouds, descend and blend upon them
وياand O رياحَwinds of النَّعَامىal-Na'ama (the south wind) باكريvisit early سَحَراًbefore dawn
ويا رياحَ النَّعَامى باكري سَحَراً
تلكthose القبورَgraves وقوليand say ياO قبورُgraves عميfare well
تلك القبورَ وقولي يا قبورُ عمي
And O winds of al-Na'ama, visit early, before dawn,
And O winds of the ostriches, rise early at dawn
those graves, and say, 'O graves, fare well!'
To those graves, and say: O graves of my pillars
جِيْرانَنَاour neighbors مِنْsince قديمancient الدهرtime سَادَتناour masters
جِيْرانَنَا مِنْ قديم الدهر سَادَتنا
ونحْنُand we مِنthrough نعمfavors of الساداتِthe masters فيin نِعمِblessings
ونحْنُ مِن نعم الساداتِ في نِعمِ
Our neighbors of old are our masters,
Our neighbors since ancient times are our masters
and through the masters' favors, we dwell amid blessings.
And we, from the best masters, are in bounty
Sol 6.1