سَلِask البَانَthe ban-tree عَنهُمabout them كَيفَhow بَعدَهُمafter their departure البَانُthe ban-tree
سَلِ البَانَ عَنهُم كَيفَ بَعدَهُم البَانُ
أَشَاقُوهُdid they stir its longing? إِذwhen سَارُواthey set out وَرَاعُوهُand they alarmed it إِذwhen بَانُواthey departed
أَشَاقُوهُ إِذ سَارُوا وَرَاعُوهُ إِذ بَانُوا
Ask the ban-tree about them: how fares the ban-tree after their departure?
Ask the abodes about them, how the abodes yearned for them after they had gone,
Did they stir its longing when they set out, and alarm it when they departed?
They were intimate with the abodes when they traveled, and the abodes cried when they left,
أَلَمdid not? يَتَعَاطَstretch forth دُونَbefore بَانٍa ban-tree قَضِيبُهُits bough
أَلَم يَتَعَاطَ دُونَ بَانٍ قَضِيبُهُ
فَتِلكَfor those القُدُودُforms الهِيفُslender-waisted فِيin العَينِthe eye إِخَوَانُbrothers
فَتِلكَ القُدُودُ الهِيفُ فِي العَينِ إِخَوَانُ
Did not its bough stretch forth before a ban-tree?
Did not the staff of the abodes once in their hands become bent?
For those slender-waisted forms are brothers to the eye.
So those are the dear brothers in the eyes of the beholder.
فَمَاthen what بَالُهَاis the matter with them لَمdid not تَدنُdraw near شَوقاًout of longing إِلَيهِمُto them
فَمَا بَالُهَا لَم تَدنُ شَوقاً إِلَيهِمُ
وَلَمand did not تَنقَدِحignite فِيهَاwithin them مِنَfrom الوَجدِardent longing نِيرَانُfires
وَلَم تَنقَدِح فِيهَا مِنَ الوَجدِ نِيرَانُ
Why, then, did they not draw near to them in longing,
Why then did the abodes not approach them longing,
And why did no fires of passion kindle within them?
Nor in them flare up the fires of ardor?
Sol 6.1