قضَتِِhas died الصبابةُardent longing، وانقضىand has ended الأمرُthe matter
قضَتِِ الصبابةُ، وانقضى الأمرُ
ياO ناكثًاbreaker of عهديmy covenant لكto you الشكرُthanks
يا ناكثًا عهدي لك الشكرُ
Passion has died, and the matter is over.
Youth has passed, and so has that time
O breaker of my covenant, my thanks to you.
O you who broke your promise to me, I thank you
ماnot ضرَّنيharmed me هجرُdesertion الحبيبthe beloved، ومَنْand whoever
ما ضرَّني هجرُ الحبيب، ومَنْ
هجرَhas forsaken الهوىlove، ماnot ضرَّهُhas harmed him الهجْرdesertion
هجرَ الهوى، ما ضرَّهُ الهجْر
My beloved's desertion did not hurt me; and whoever
Your love's abandonment did not hurt me, for he
has forsaken love is not hurt by desertion.
Who abandons passion, is not hurt by separation
ناءٍfar away عنfrom الأوطانthe native lands يفصلُنيseparates me
ناءٍ عن الأوطان يفصلُني
عمَّنfrom those whom أُحبُّI love البرُّthe land والبحرand the sea
عمَّن أُحبُّ البرُّ والبحر
Far from my native lands, I am separated
An ocean separates me from my homeland
from those I love by land and sea.
And those I love, both land and sea
فيin وحشةٍloneliness لاno شيءَthing يؤنسُهاsoothes it
في وحشةٍ لا شيءَ يؤنسُها
إلاَّexcept أناI والعُودُand the oud والشعرand poetry
إلاَّ أنا والعُودُ والشعر
In a loneliness that nothing soothes
In a desolate wilderness where nothing
except myself, the oud, and poetry.
Consoles me but my lute and poetry
حَوليaround me أَعاجمُforeigners يرطُنُونspeak foreign tongues فماso there is no
حَولي أَعاجمُ يرطُنُون فما
لِلضَّادfor ḍād (Arabic) عندwith لِسانهمtheir tongue قَدْرesteem
لِلضَّاد عند لِسانهم قَدْر
Around me, foreigners speak strange tongues, so
Around me foreigners babbling - the letter
their tongues accord no esteem to ḍād.
Ḍād has no value on their tongues
لوif عاشlived بينهُمُamong them ابنُson of ساعِدةٍSāʿidah
لو عاش بينهُمُ ابنُ ساعِدةٍ
لَقضىhe would have died ولمand not يُسمَعْbe heard لهof him ذكْرmention
لَقضى ولم يُسمَعْ له ذكْر
Had Ibn Sāʿidah lived among them,
If Ibn Sāʿida lived among them
he would have died, with no mention of him ever heard.
His name would not be known or spoken
ناسٌpeople، ولكنْand yet لاno أنيسَcompanion بهمamong them
ناسٌ، ولكنْ لا أنيسَ بهم
ومدينةٌand a city، لكنَّهاbut it is قفرa wasteland
ومدينةٌ، لكنَّها قفر
People, yet no companion among them;
People, yet no friends among them
and a city, yet it is a wasteland.
A city, yet a barren wasteland
الشمسُthe sun للأكوانfor all creation ضاحكةٌlaughing
الشمسُ للأكوان ضاحكةٌ
عنto reveal باهرdazzling الأنوارlights تَفْترّit smiles
عن باهر الأنوار تَفْترّ
The sun laughs upon all creation,
The sun, laughing across the horizons
smiling to reveal dazzling light.
Beaming with brilliant lights
والطيرُand the birds تُرسلُsend forth شدوهاtheir song طربًاin delight
والطيرُ تُرسلُ شدوها طربًا
فيُجيبُهاso it answers them بخريرهwith its murmuring النهرthe river
فيُجيبُها بخريره النهر
And the birds send forth their song in delight,
The birds warbling melodiously
so the river answers them with its murmuring.
Answered by the murmuring river
أمَّاas for أناI، والغمُّand grief كبّلنيhas shackled me
أمَّا أنا، والغمُّ كبّلني
صخرٌa rock يُحسُّfeels، وليتنيand if only I were صَخرa rock
صخرٌ يُحسُّ، وليتني صَخر
As for me, shackled by grief,
As for me, sorrow has shackled me
I am a rock that feels—if only I were a rock!
A boulder that feels - oh that I were a rock!
عجبًاhow strange!، وكمand how many فيon الأرضthe earth منof عَجبٍwonders!
عجبًا، وكم في الأرض من عَجبٍ!
بينbetween السعادةhappiness والشقاand misery فِتْرa thumb-to-forefinger span
بين السعادة والشقا فِتْر
How strange! And how many wonders there are on earth!
Strange, how many marvels on this earth!
Between happiness and misery lies a thumb-to-forefinger span.
Between joy and misery, a slight difference
لاَdo not تعْتُبَنَّever blame الدّهرَTime فيin كدرٍdistress
لاَ تعْتُبَنَّ الدّهرَ في كدرٍ
إنَّindeed المُسَبِّبَthe cause أنتَyou لاnot الدهرTime
إنَّ المُسَبِّبَ أنتَ لا الدهر
Do not blame Time when you are troubled;
Do not blame fate for your troubles
indeed, you are the cause, not Time.
You, not fate, are the cause
ماwhatever ذقتَyou have tasted منof فرحٍjoy ومنand of ترحٍsorrow
ما ذقتَ من فرحٍ ومن ترحٍ
هوit منكfrom you، فالدُّنياfor the world هيit الصدرthe breast
هو منك، فالدُّنيا هي الصدر
Whatever you have tasted of joy and sorrow
The joy and sorrow you tasted
comes from you, for the world is your breast.
Came from you - the world is but a chest
لاdo not تَبطرَنَّever grow arrogant، ولاand do not تمتْdie جَزعًاof anguish
لا تَبطرَنَّ، ولا تمتْ جَزعًا
لاneither الخيرُgood مكتمِلٌcomplete، ولاnor الشرّevil
لا الخيرُ مكتمِلٌ، ولا الشرّ
Do not grow arrogant, nor die of anguish;
Do not despair or die from grief
neither good nor evil is complete.
For good is not complete, nor is evil
ضوءُthe light of النهارday تشوبهmar it سُحبٌclouds
ضوءُ النهار تشوبه سُحبٌ
وتلوحُand gleam فيin جُنحthe cover of الدُّجىdarkness الزُّهْرthe bright stars
وتلوحُ في جُنح الدُّجى الزُّهْر
The light of day is marred by clouds,
The light of day is marred by clouds
and bright stars gleam under cover of darkness.
And flowers bloom in the wings of night
Sol 6.1