هَاتِ الْحَدِيثَ عَنِ الرَّكْبِ الَّذِي بَانَا
هَلْ جَاوَزَ الّشعْبَ أَمْ هَلْ يَمَّمَ الْبَانَا
Tell us about the caravan which set out
Did it cross the mountain pass or head for Al-Bana?
أَحْبَابَنَا إِنْ نَأَتْ يَوْماً دِيَارُكُمُ
عَنَّا فَمَا زِلْتُمُ بِالْقَلْبِ سُكَّانَا
If we ever come to your lands, O friends of ours,
Though absent, in heart you remain our neighbors.
إِذَا دَعَتْنَا إِلَى السَّلْوَانِ بَعْدَكُمُ
نُفُوسَنَا قَامَتِ الأَشْوَاقُ تَنْهَانَا
When nostalgia calls us to reminisce after you,
Our hearts rise, longing restrains them.
فِي ذِمَّةِ اللَّهِ أَحْبَابٌ لَنَا رَحَلُوا
دَانُوا مُحِبَّهُمُ مِثْلَ الَّذِي دَانَا
We have dear friends who left in God's protection
As devoted to their beloveds as we are devoted.
فَإِنْ شَكْوْنَا إِلَيهِمْ مَا نُكَابِدُهُ
شَكَوْا مِنَ الْبُعْدِ عَنَّا مِثْلَ شَكْوَانَا
If we complain to them of our suffering,
They complain of being far from us like we complain.
يَا نَسْمَةَ الرِّيحِ مِنْ تِلْقَاءِْ أَرْضِهِمُ
جَرِّرْ عَلَى الطِّيبِ أَذْيَالاَ وَأَرْدَانَا
O passing breeze, from their lands,
Drag along sweet scents and traces of them.
وَاقْر السَّلاَمَ عَلَى مَنْ لَسْتُ أَذْكُرُهُ
وَإِنْ كَنَيْتُ بهنْدٍ عَنْهُ أَحْيَانَا
Convey greetings to those I don't mention by name,
Though at times I pined for them in India.
وَسْأَلْهُ أَيْنَ عُهُودٌ بَيْنَنَا أُخِذَتْ
كَأَنَّ مَا كَانَ مِنْهُ قَطُّ مَا كَانَا
Ask him where are the pacts we made,
As though what was never was.
وَقَلْ لَهُ أَنْتَ رُوحِي يَا مُعَذِّبَهُ
فَلاَ أَرَى عَنْكَ طُولَ الدَّهْرِ سُلْوَانَا
Tell him: "You are my soul, O my tormentor,
I cannot do without you however long I live."
قَدْ صَارَ دَمْعِيَ بَحْراً فِي مَحَاجِرِهِ
وَأَصْبَحَتْ وَسْطَهُ الأجفان أَجْفَانَا
My tears have become a sea in my eyelids
And my eyes twin ships floating on its surface.
وَمَا رَأَى يَامُنَى نَفْسِي وَبُغْيَتَهَا
إِنْسَانُ عَيْنِي لَمَّا غِبْت أَعْيَانَا
What my soul craved and lusted for, O Muna,
No human eye has seen since you vanished from sight.
قَدْ كَانَ وَصْلُكَ يَوْماً لَيْسَ يُقْنِعُنِي
فَصَارَ يُقْنِعُ قَلْبِي ذِكْرَكَ أَلاَنَا
Your company once did not satisfy me,
But now, just remembering you contents my heart.
يَاسَامِعِينَ مِنَ الْعُذَّالِ إِفْكَهُمُ
بِاللهِ لاَ تَسْمَعُوا زُوراً وَبُهْتَانَا
O you who hear the slanderer's lies,
I implore you - do not listen to false accusations.
