كلَّفتُI tasked حَمْلَcarrying تحيتيmy greeting ريحَthe wind الصَّباthe east wind
كلَّفتُ حَمْلَ تحيتي ريحَ الصَّبا
فكأننيso it is as though I حمَّلتُهاI burdened it بعضَsome of الرُبىthe hills
فكأنني حمَّلتُها بعضَ الرُبى
I charged the east wind with carrying my greeting,
I tasked the morning breeze to carry my greetings
As though I had burdened it with some of the hills.
As if I burdened it with some debt
لاdoes not تَحمِلُcarry الريحُthe wind الجبالَthe mountains ولَيتَنيand would that I
لا تَحمِلُ الريحُ الجبالَ ولَيتَني
كلفتُهاI tasked it حَمْليcarrying me فإنّيfor I am كالهَباlike dust
كلفتُها حَمْلي فإنّي كالهَبا
The wind does not carry mountains; would that I
If only the wind could carry mountains, I would have
Had charged it with carrying me, for I am like dust.
Tasked it with my burden, for I am like dust
بَعُدَgrew distant المزارُthe place to be visited فلاso no مزارَvisit وطالماand often
بَعُدَ المزارُ فلا مزارَ وطالما
جَدَّintensified البِعادُseparation إذاwhenever رَجَوتُI hoped for تَقَرُّباdrawing near
جَدَّ البِعادُ إذا رَجَوتُ تَقَرُّبا
The place I would visit is far—no visit is possible; and often
The shrine is far, so there is no visiting, though often
Separation has deepened when I hoped to draw near.
Distance seems near when I hope to draw closer
دُونَbefore الأحبَّةِthe loved ones بحرُa sea of ماءٍwater دُونَهُon this side of it
دُونَ الأحبَّةِ بحرُ ماءٍ دُونَهُ
للدمعِof tears بحرُa sea of دمٍblood أبَىrefused أنْto يُركباbe crossed
للدمعِ بحرُ دمٍ أبَى أنْ يُركبا
Between me and my loved ones lies a sea of water; nearer still,
Between my loved ones and I is a sea with no water
A sea of blood from tears that refuses to be crossed.
For tears, a sea of blood that refuses boarding
ولَقدand indeed مرَرتُI passed علىby الدِّيارِthe dwellings فهاجَنيso it stirred me
ولَقد مرَرتُ على الدِّيارِ فهاجَني
نَظَرٌa sight أطَلْتُI prolonged لهُfor it الوُقوفَthe standing تَعَجُّباin wonder
نَظَرٌ أطَلْتُ لهُ الوُقوفَ تَعَجُّبا
Indeed, I passed by the dwellings, and was stirred
I passed by the dwellings, so they stirred me
By a sight before which I stood long in wonder.
A gaze I paused at length, astonished
خاطَبتُهاI addressed them أرجوI hope for الجوابَthe answer فإنهاfor they
خاطَبتُها أرجو الجوابَ فإنها
قدindeed مازَجَتْmingled with مُهَجَthe lifeblood of الرِجالِthe men تصَبُّباflowing forth
قد مازَجَتْ مُهَجَ الرِجالِ تصَبُّبا
I addressed them, hoping for an answer, for they
I spoke to them, hoping for an answer, though they
Have mingled with men's lifeblood as it poured forth.
Have blended with the throngs of men pouring forth
ماwhat بالُis the matter with هذاthis الدَّهرِthe age دامَremained constant علىin النَوىseparation
ما بالُ هذا الدَّهرِ دامَ على النَوى
وعلىand in الوِصالِreunion عَهِدتُهُI have known it مُتَقلِّباfickle
وعلى الوِصالِ عَهِدتُهُ مُتَقلِّبا
Why has this age remained constant in separation,
Why does time persist in inconstancy?
While I have known it fickle in reunion?
Promising intimacy, yet always wavering
هَيْهاتِfar from it! ماnot للِدهرِfor Time عَهدٌa pledge صادقٌfaithful
هَيْهاتِ ما للِدهرِ عَهدٌ صادقٌ
فَتراهُso you see it يُخلِفُbreaks its word كاذباًlying ومُكَذّباand belied
فَتراهُ يُخلِفُ كاذباً ومُكَذّبا
Far from it! Time has no faithful pledge;
Alas, time has no true promise
So you see it break its word, lying and belied.
Making and breaking vows, lying and accusing
غَلَبَdefeated البلاءُaffliction الصبرَpatience فيin غَزَواتهِits campaigns
غَلَبَ البلاءُ الصبرَ في غَزَواتهِ
وقدِand already استَجاشَmustered منfrom الصَبابةِpassionate longing مَوْكباa cavalcade
وقدِ استَجاشَ من الصَبابةِ مَوْكبا
Affliction defeated patience in its campaigns,
Affliction has overwhelmed patience in its raids
Having mustered a cavalcade of passionate longing.
As the throngs of youth burst forth
والصبرُand patience منfrom هِممِthe resolves of القلوبِhearts ولمand did not يَدَعْleave
والصبرُ من هِممِ القلوبِ ولم يَدَعْ
خَطْبُthe calamity of النَّوىseparation للصبرِfor patience قلباًa heart طَيِّباuntroubled
خَطْبُ النَّوى للصبرِ قلباً طَيِّبا
And patience springs from hearts' resolve; yet there remains no
Patience comes from resolute hearts, and sorrow's tale
Untroubled heart for patience after separation's calamity.
Has left no heart that's kind to patience
قدindeed أجمَدتْhave frozen نُوَبُthe vicissitudes of الزمانِtime قريحتيmy poetic gift
قد أجمَدتْ نُوَبُ الزمانِ قريحتي
كَمَداًwith grief وأنْستْنيand made me forget الكَلامَspeech المُعرَباeloquent
كَمَداً وأنْستْني الكَلامَ المُعرَبا
The vicissitudes of time have frozen my poetic gift
The blows of fate have frozen my talent
With grief, and made me forget eloquent speech.
To silence, making me forget articulate speech
فنَسيتُso I forgot إنشاءَcomposing الرسائلletters كاتباًas a writer
فنَسيتُ إنشاءَ الرسائل كاتباً
ونَسيتُand I forgot أنيthat I am كاتبٌa writer مُنذُsince الصِّباchildhood
ونَسيتُ أني كاتبٌ مُنذُ الصِّبا
So I forgot how to compose letters, though a writer,
Thus I forgot composing epistles as a scribe
And forgot that I have been a writer since childhood.
And forgot that since childhood, I was a scribe
ياO أيهاyou الشُهُبُthe bright stars التيthat قدalready أغرَبتْhave set in the west
يا أيها الشُهُبُ التي قد أغرَبتْ
عناaway from us تُرَىI wonder هلwhether تَلزَمينَyou remain in المغرِباthe west
عنا تُرَى هل تَلزَمينَ المغرِبا
O bright stars that have set in the west,
O shooting stars that have wandered
Away from us—I wonder, will you remain in the west?
Far from us, will you keep to the sunset?
سيَّارةٌwandering لاnot تَثبُتينَyou stay still فماso what لناfor us
سيَّارةٌ لا تَثبُتينَ فما لنا
مُذsince غِبْتِyou vanished لمdid not نرَwe see منكfrom you يوماًon any day كوكباa star
مُذ غِبْتِ لم نرَ منك يوماً كوكبا
Wandering, you never stand still; why is it that we,
Wanderers who do not tarry, what can we do?
Since you vanished, have seen no star of yours on any day?
Since you left, we've seen no planets as bright
لاno بُدَّescape منfrom يومٍa day يَجِدُّarises anew لهُfor it بناconcerning us
لا بُدَّ من يومٍ يَجِدُّ لهُ بنا
رأيٌa plan ولوeven if لَعِبتْtoyed بناwith us أيديthe hands of سَبَاSaba
رأيٌ ولو لَعِبتْ بنا أيدي سَبَا
There must come a day when Time devises for us
There must come a day when, for us, you'll
A new plan, even if the hands of Saba have toyed with us.
Opine, even if the hands of time toyed with us
هيهاتِfar from it! لمdid not يَمُتِdie الزَمانُTime وإنماbut only
هيهاتِ لم يَمُتِ الزَمانُ وإنما
قدalready نامَslept ثمَّthen يَهُبُّawakens معقودَtied الحُبَىthe knee-binding bands
قد نامَ ثمَّ يَهُبُّ معقودَ الحُبَى
Far from it! Time has not died; it has only
Alas, time did not die. Rather,
Fallen asleep, and will then wake with its knee-bands tied.
It slept, only to awaken with knotted ropes
لاno بُدَّescape منfrom يومٍa day يَجِدُّarises anew لهُfor it بناconcerning us
لا بُدَّ من يومٍ يَجِدُّ لهُ بنا
رأيٌa plan ولوeven if لَعِبتْtoyed بناwith us أيديthe hands of سَبَاSaba
رأيٌ ولو لَعِبتْ بنا أيدي سَبَا
There must come a day when Time devises for us
There must come a day when, for us, you'll
A new plan, even if the hands of Saba have toyed with us.
Opine, even if the hands of time toyed with us
هيهاتِfar from it! لمdid not يَمُتِdie الزَمانُTime وإنماbut only
هيهاتِ لم يَمُتِ الزَمانُ وإنما
قدalready نامَslept ثمَّthen يَهُبُّawakens معقودَtied الحُبَىthe knee-binding bands
قد نامَ ثمَّ يَهُبُّ معقودَ الحُبَى
Far from it! Time has not died; it has only
Alas, time did not die. Rather,
Fallen asleep, and will then wake with its knee-bands tied.
It slept, only to awaken with knotted ropes
Sol 6.1