خَليلَيَّmy two friends ماليwhat ails me? قَدindeed بَليتُI have wasted away وَلاand not أَرىI see
خَليلَيَّ مالي قَد بَليتُ وَلا أَرى
لُبَينىLubayna عَلىdespite الهِجرانِestrangement إِلّاexcept كَماjust as هِياshe
لُبَينى عَلى الهِجرانِ إِلّا كَما هِيا
My two friends, what ails me? I have wasted away, yet I see
Lubayna unchanged despite our estrangement.
أَلاah ياO غُرابَraven البَينِparting مالَكَwhat ails you? كُلَّماwhenever
أَلا يا غُرابَ البَينِ مالَكَ كُلَّما
ذَكَرتَyou recalled لُبَينىLubayna طِرتَyou took flight ليfor me عَنon شِمالِياmy left
ذَكَرتَ لُبَينى طِرتَ لي عَن شِمالِيا
Ah, raven of parting, why, whenever
you recall Lubayna, do you take flight on my left?
أَعِندَكَdo you possess? عُلمُknowledge الغَيبِthe unseen أَمor لَستَyou are not مُخبِريtelling me
أَعِندَكَ عُلمُ الغَيبِ أَم لَستَ مُخبِري
عَنِabout الحَيِّthe tribe إِلّاexcept بِالَّذيof what قَدalready بَداbecame plain لِياto me
عَنِ الحَيِّ إِلّا بِالَّذي قَد بَدا لِيا
Do you know the unseen, or do you tell me
nothing of the tribe but what has already become plain to me?
فَلاso may not حُمِلَتbe made to carry رِجلاكَyour two feet عُشّاًa nest لِبَيضَةٍfor an egg
فَلا حُمِلَت رِجلاكَ عُشّاً لِبَيضَةٍ
وَلاand may not زالَcease to be عَظمٌa bone مِنof جَناحِكَyour wing واهِياfrail
وَلا زالَ عَظمٌ مِن جَناحِكَ واهِيا
May your feet never bear a nest for an egg,
and may a bone in your wing remain forever frail.
أُحِبُّI love مِنَamong الأسماءِthe names ماwhatever وافَقَmatches اِسمَهاher name
أُحِبُّ مِنَ الأسماءِ ما وافَقَ اِسمَها
وَأَشبَهَهُand resembles it أَوor كانَwas مِنهُto it مُدانِياclose
وَأَشبَهَهُ أَو كانَ مِنهُ مُدانِيا
Of names, I love whatever matches her name,
and resembles it, or is close to it.
وَماand not ذُكِرَتwas mentioned عِنديin my presence لَهاof hers مِنany سَمِيَةٍa female namesake
وَما ذُكِرَت عِندي لَها مِن سَمِيَةٍ
مِنَamong الناسِpeople إِلّاexcept that بَلَّwetted دَمعيmy tears رِدائِياmy cloak
مِنَ الناسِ إِلّا بَلَّ دَمعي رِدائِيا
And no namesake of hers is mentioned before me
among people without my tears soaking my cloak.
جَزِعتُI would grieve عَلَيهاfor her لَوif أَرىI see لِيَfor me مَجزَعاًan outlet for grief
جَزِعتُ عَلَيها لَو أَرى لِيَ مَجزَعاً
وَأَفنَيتُand I would exhaust دَمعَthe tears العَينِthe eye لَوif كانَwere فانِياexhaustible
وَأَفنَيتُ دَمعَ العَينِ لَو كانَ فانِيا
I would grieve for her, if I could find an outlet for grief,
and exhaust the tears of my eyes, if they could be exhausted.
حَياتَكَyour life لاdo not تُغلَبbe overcome عَلَيهاover it فَإِنَّهُfor it is
حَياتَكَ لا تُغلَب عَلَيها فَإِنَّهُ
كَفىsuffices بِالَّذيby what تَلقىyou endure لِنَفسِكَfor yourself ناهِياas a deterrent
كَفى بِالَّذي تَلقى لِنَفسِكَ ناهِيا
Guard your life; do not let it be taken from you, for
what you suffer is warning enough for your own soul.
أَشوقاًsuch longing? وَلَمّاand not yet تَمضِhas passed ليfor me غَيرُother than لَيلَةٍa night
أَشوقاً وَلَمّا تَمضِ لي غَيرُ لَيلَةٍ
رُوَيدَgently الهَوىlove حَتّىuntil يَغُبَّstays away لَيالِياfor nights
رُوَيدَ الهَوى حَتّى يَغُبَّ لَيالِيا
Such longing, when only a single night has passed for me?
Be patient with love until several nights of absence have passed.
تَمُرُّpass اللَياليthe nights وَالشُهورُand the months وَلاand not أَرىI see
تَمُرُّ اللَيالي وَالشُهورُ وَلا أَرى
وَلَوعيmy passion بِهاfor her يَزدادُgrows إِلّاonly تَمادِياpersistence
وَلَوعي بِها يَزدادُ إِلّا تَمادِيا
The nights and months pass, yet I see
my passion for her growing ever more persistent.
فَقَدfor perhaps يَجمَعُbrings together اللَهُGod الشَتيتَينِthe two parted ones بَعدَماafter
فَقَد يَجمَعُ اللَهُ الشَتيتَينِ بَعدَما
يَظُنّانِthey both think كُلَّall الظَنِّconviction أَنthat لاno تَلاقِياreunion
يَظُنّانِ كُلَّ الظَنِّ أَن لا تَلاقِيا
For God may yet unite the two who are parted, after
they have become utterly convinced that they will never meet.
فَماso not عَنbecause of نَوالٍa favor مِنfrom لُبَينىLubayna زِيارَتيmy visits
فَما عَن نَوالٍ مِن لُبَينى زِيارَتي
وَلاand not قِلَّةُinfrequency الإِلمامِvisiting أَنbecause كُنتُI was قالِياِhating
وَلا قِلَّةُ الإِلمامِ أَن كُنتُ قالِياِ
So my visits are not prompted by any favor from Lubayna,
nor are my visits rare because I hate her.
وَلَكِنَّهاand yet she صَدَّتturned away وَحُمِّلتُand I was burdened مِنwith هَواًlove
وَلَكِنَّها صَدَّت وَحُمِّلتُ مِن هَواً
لَهاfor her ماwhat يَأودُweighs down الشامِخاتِthe towering ones الرَواسِياthe firmly rooted ones
لَها ما يَأودُ الشامِخاتِ الرَواسِيا
But she turned away, and I was burdened with love
for her that would weigh down the towering, firmly rooted mountains.
Sol 6.1