لا وَالنَبِيِّ مُحَمَّدٍ وَالأَترَعِ
زَوجِ المُطَهَّرَةِ البَتولِ الأَروَعِ
No, by the Prophet Muhammad and the overflowing one,
No, by the Prophet Muhammad and by the noblest
the splendid husband of the purified, chaste one,
Spouse of the immaculate, most splendid virgin maid.
وَوَحَقِّ أَصحابِ العَبا خَيرِ الوَرى
ما القَلبُ مُذ فارَقتُ أَحبابي مَعي
and by the sanctity of the People of the Cloak, the best of humankind,
By the right of the companions, the best of all mankind,
my heart has not been with me since I parted from my beloveds.
My heart has not been at peace since I left my friends.
وَمَتى ذَكَرتُهُمُ وَلَن أَنساهُمُ
حُنِيَت عَلى النيرانِ مِنهُم أَضلُعي
And whenever I remember them—and I shall never forget them—
Whenever I remember them - I'll never forget them -
my ribs are bent over the fires they cause.
My ribs bend over the fires for their sake.
ما لي إِذا اِبتَزَّ الفِراقُ حُشاشَتي
إِلّا إِلى طولِ البُكا مِن مَفزَعِ
What refuge have I, when separation steals my last breath,
When separation's claws tear at my sides,
except in prolonged weeping?
I have no recourse but crying my eyes out.
عَينايَ دَمعُهُما تَحَدَّرَ أَعيُناً
لِفِراقِهِم فَأَنا غَريقُ الأَدمُعِ
My eyes—their tears have streamed down as springs,
My eyes rain tears down other eyes
at parting from them; so I am drowned in tears.
At parting from them, so I'm drowned in tears.
أَودَعتُكُم قَلبي غَداةَ وَداعِكُم
وا ضَيعَةَ القَلبِ الأَسيرِ المودَعِ
I entrusted my heart to you the morning I bade you farewell.
I entrusted you my heart when I bade you farewell
Alas for the loss of the captive heart entrusted to you!
And the heart of the captive, the lost one, in safekeeping.
وَطَمِعتُ مِنكُم بِالوَفاءِ وَلَيسَ في
قَبضِ الثُرَيّا وَالسُها مِن مَطمَعِ
And I hoped for faithfulness from you, though there is
I hoped for loyalty from you, though there is no hope
no hope of grasping the Pleiades and Suha.
Of gain in pleasing or in appeasing the obstinate.
أَصبَحتُ إِذ أَمَّلتُ صَفوَ ودادِكُم
أَرجو السَرابَ مِنَ السَرابِ اليَلمَعِ
When I hoped for your love's purity, I came to
When I hoped for your true affection at daybreak
hope for a mirage from the shimmering mirage.
I was chasing a mirage, an elusive phantom.
ما عَهدُكُم عِندي وَإِن ضَيَّعتُمُ
عَهدي وَحَقِّ هَواكُمُ بِمُضَيَّعِ
Your pledge in my keeping—even if you have neglected
You are still as I knew you, though you failed
mine—is not neglected, by the sanctity of my love for you.
My hopes of your love, by such callous neglect.
نِمتُم عَنِ الصَبِّ المُعَذَّبِ في الهَوى
وَرَمَيتُموهُ بِالفِراقِ الموجِعِ
You slept, heedless of the ardent lover tormented by love,
You slept, leaving tortured by passion in love,
and struck him with painful separation.
And pierced me with painful, tormenting separation.
كَم بِتُّ أَرجو الطَيفَ يَطرُقُ مَضجَعي
أَنّى يَزورُ الطَيفُ مَن لَم يَهجَعِ
How often I lay at night, hoping a dream-vision would visit my bed!
How often I hoped my darling's phantom would visit
How can a dream-vision visit one who does not sleep?
While I lay awake - how can a phantom pay calls?
يا راكِباً إِمّا عَرَضتَ فَبَلِّغا
عَنّي دِمَشقَ سَلامَ مَن لَم يَربَعِ
O rider, if you happen to pass that way, convey
Traveler, if you pass by them, convey
from me to Damascus the greeting of one who has found no rest.
Greetings from me to Damascus - I do not camp there.
وَاِخصُص أُصَيحابي بِها بِتَحِيَّةٍ
عَذُبَت كَنَشرِ العَنبَرِ المُتَضَوِّعِ
And single out my dear companions there for a greeting
Give my special friends my warmest greetings,
sweet as the wafting fragrance of ambergris.
Sweet as the scent of ambergris, moist and dripping.
حَسُنَت لَهُم بَعدي فَطابَ مَقامُهُم
وَاِعتَضتُ عَنهُم بِالمَقامِ الجَعجَعِ
It grew fair for them after I left, and their dwelling grew pleasant,
Faring well without me, lovely their sojourn,
while in their stead I gained a harsh, cramped abode.
While I struggle on in this arduous, grueling exile.
قَرَّت عُيونُ الحاسِدينَ بِبَينِنا
وَلَطالَما عَطَسوا بِأَنفٍ أَجدَعِ
The eyes of the envious cooled with joy at our parting,
My enviers' eyes are delighted we're parted,
and so often had they sneezed through a mutilated nose.
Though often they sneeze with their broken noses.
ما زِلتُ أَرعى وُدَّهُم وَأَصونُهُ
هَذا وَذِكري قَد أُذيلَ وَما رُعي
I have never ceased to tend their affection and safeguard it,
I tended their love and kept it secure,
all this, while my name has been debased and left uncared for.
Though now my tether is cut and the compact's dissolved.
أَشباحُهُم في ناظِري وَخَيالُهُم
في خاطِري وَكَلامُهُم في مسمَعي
Their forms are in my sight, and their image
Their ghosts are before my eyes, their image in my mind,
in my mind, and their words in my hearing.
Their voices in my hearing, such my plight.
ها قَد فَنِيَ صَبري وَقَلَّت حيلَتي
لَم يَبقَ في قَوسِ العَزا مِن مَنزَعِ
Behold, my patience is spent and my resourcefulness has waned;
My patience is spent, my stratagems are few,
the bow of consolation has no draw left in it.
No place remains in my quiver from which to shoot.
Sol 6.1