ماwhat بالthe matter وجهكyour face ياO " عيبانAyban " منخطفdrained of color
ما بال وجهك يا " عيبان " منخطف
وأنتand you " عيبانAyban " أنتَyou الزَّهوpride والشرفand honor
وأنت " عيبان " أنتَ الزَّهو والشرف
Why is your face so pale, O Ayban?
What is with your face, O Aiban, so sullen?
And you are Ayban—you are pride and honor.
You, Aiban, are pride and nobility
ماwhat بالthe matter طرفكyour gaze "ياO عيبانAyban " منكسرdowncast
ما بال طرفك "يا عيبان " منكسر
وكانand was طرفكyour gaze صبحاًa dawn ماnot لهfor it طرفan end
وكان طرفك صبحاً ما له طرف
Why is your gaze downcast, O Ayban?
What is with your gaze, O Aiban, so downcast?
And your gaze was a dawn without an end.
Your gaze was like the dawn, boundless
منwho باعsold عينيكyour two eyes للأحزانto sorrows ياO قمراًa moon
من باع عينيك للأحزان يا قمراً
منfrom ضوئهhis light كتبwrote العشاقthe lovers واغترفواand drew their fill؟
من ضوئه كتب العشاق واغترفوا؟
Who sold your eyes to sorrows, O moon,
Who sold your eyes to sorrows, O moon
from whose light lovers wrote and drew their fill?
Whose light the lovers wrote and drew from?
منwho امتطىmounted ظَهْرَthe back هذاthis الحُرِّthe free one أسلمهsurrendered him
من امتطى ظَهْرَ هذا الحُرِّ أسلمه
للعارto disgrace .. سيفٌa sword يمانيٌYemeni .. ويرتجفُand it trembles !
للعار .. سيفٌ يمانيٌ .. ويرتجفُ !
Who mounted this free one's back and surrendered him
Who mounted the back of this free steed and handed him
to disgrace? A Yemeni sword—and it trembles!
To shame.. A Yemeni sword.. And it trembles!
كانwas الغمامthe clouds علىon جفنيكyour two eyelids مزرعةٌa field
كان الغمام على جفنيك مزرعةٌ
منof الهوىlove أينwhere ذاكthat العاشقthe lover الدنفlovesick؟
من الهوى أين ذاك العاشق الدنف؟
The clouds upon your eyelids were a field
The clouds were a farm on your eyelids
of love—where is that lovesick lover?
Where is that loving farmer now?
كانتwere غصونbranches النَّدىdew والبُنَّand coffee أشرعةًsails
كانت غصون النَّدى والبُنَّ أشرعةً
واليومand today " غرزتكَyour floral adornment " البارودgunpowder والجيفُand corpses
واليوم " غرزتكَ " البارود والجيفُ
The boughs of dew and coffee were sails,
The dew branches were like sails
and today your garland is gunpowder and corpses.
And today your body is riddled with bullets and rot
سيفٌa sword علىon كاحلankle التاريخhistory تشحذهsharpens it
سيفٌ على كاحل التاريخ تشحذه
كفٌّa hand عراقيةIraqi فيin حُكمهاits judgment جنفbias
كفٌّ عراقية في حُكمها جنف
A sword at history's ankle, sharpened
A sword on the shoulder of history a Iraqi hand sharpens
by an Iraqi hand whose judgment is biased.
An Iraqi hand generous with what it possesses and austere
كفٌa hand عراقيةٌIraqi جادتgave generously بماwith what وجدتit found
كفٌ عراقيةٌ جادت بما وجدت
والحقدand hatred منfrom قبلُbefore ماnot ضنَّتwithheld بهwith it "النجفNajaf"
والحقد من قبلُ ما ضنَّت به "النجف"
An Iraqi hand gave freely of what it found,
An Iraqi hand that gave what it found
and hatred was what Najaf had not withheld before.
While rancor did not stint what Najaf possessed
" عيبانAyban " منwho يبلغconveys الأحبابthe loved ones أسئلتيmy questions
" عيبان " من يبلغ الأحباب أسئلتي
لعلهُمperhaps they بعدafter هذاthis العارdisgrace أنto يقفواstand
لعلهُم بعد هذا العار أن يقفوا
Ayban, who will convey my questions to my loved ones?
Aiban, who will convey my questions to the loved ones
Perhaps, after this disgrace, they will take a stand.
Perhaps after this shame they will stand
لعلَّperhaps " عيبانAyban " يلقيcasts off نصْفhalf هامتهhis head
لعلَّ " عيبان " يلقي نصْف هامته
لعلّperhaps خافيةhidden secret الأيامthe days تنكشفُis revealed
لعلّ خافية الأيام تنكشفُ
Perhaps Ayban will cast off half his head,
Perhaps Aiban will bow his forehead
perhaps the days' hidden secret will be revealed.
Perhaps the hidden days will be revealed
لعلَّperhaps صنعاءSana'a تستقريexamines closely قصائدناour poems
لعلَّ صنعاء تستقري قصائدنا
"صنعاءSana'a" تعرفknows لكنbut كيفhow تعترفacknowledges؟
"صنعاء" تعرف لكن كيف تعترف؟
Perhaps Sana'a will scrutinize our poems.
Perhaps Sanaa will settle our poems
Sana'a knows—but how can she admit it?
Sanaa knows but how will she admit?
" صنعاءSana'a " مثلكlike you ياO عيبانAyban راسخةfirmly rooted
" صنعاء " مثلك يا عيبان راسخة
فيin عُمقناour depths رُغمdespite ماwhat قالواthey said وماand what عزفواthey played music
في عُمقنا رُغم ما قالوا وما عزفوا
Sana'a, like you, O Ayban, is firmly rooted
Sanaa like you, Aiban, is steadfast
in our depths, despite what they said and what they played.
Despite what they said and strummed
" صنعاءSana'a " عِشقٌa passion جنوبيsouthern نُغالبهwe struggle against it
" صنعاء " عِشقٌ جنوبي نُغالبه
فحبُّfor love "صنعاءSana'a" ماnot جادتgave generously بهwith it الصدفchance
فحبُّ "صنعاء" ما جادت به الصدف
Sana'a is a southern passion we struggle against,
Sanaa is a southern passion we wrestle
for love of Sana'a was not bestowed by chance.
For the love of Sanaa is not what shells gave
ماذاwhat نقولُwe say وماذاand what كيso that تصدقناyou believe us
ماذا نقولُ وماذا كي تصدقنا
إنّindeed الهوىlove فوقbeyond ماwhat نبديwe reveal وماand what نصفwe describe؟!
إنّ الهوى فوق ما نبدي وما نصف؟!
What can we say—and what else—to make you believe us?
What can we say and what can so you believe
Indeed, love is beyond what we reveal and what we describe!
That passion is beyond what we express and describe?!
وكيفَand how نبعثُwe send forth بالأشواقwith the longings راعشةًtrembling ؟
وكيفَ نبعثُ بالأشواق راعشةً ؟
وكيفand how ننصفwe do justice to منthose whom نهوىwe love وننتصِفُand win justice ourselves؟
وكيف ننصف من نهوى وننتصِفُ؟
And how can we send forth our longings, trembling?
And how can we send trembling yearnings?
And how can we do justice to those we love and win justice ourselves?
And how can we do justice to whom we love and pair with?
وهذهand this قصةُtale النجوىintimate whispering مُصيبتناour affliction
وهذه قصةُ النجوى مُصيبتنا
قلبٌa heart علىin الرغمspite منof آهاتهits sighs يجفdries up
قلبٌ على الرغم من آهاته يجف
And this tale of intimate whispers is our affliction:
And this is the story of our whispered love
a heart that dries up despite its sighs.
A heart despite its sighs dries up
كمhow often قيلَit was said : إنَّكِthat you " ياO صنعاءSana'a " مُقلتناour eye
كم قيلَ : إنَّكِ " يا صنعاء " مُقلتنا
وأنناand that we بكَin you ياO " عيبانAyban " نلتحفُwe wrap ourselves
وأننا بكَ يا " عيبان " نلتحفُ
How often it was said that you, O Sana'a, are our very eye,
It was said: "O Sanaa you are our misfortune"
and that we wrap ourselves in you, O Ayban.
And that through you, O Aiban, we seek warmth
لكنْbut تغيَّرتchanged الدنياthe world فمنso who بدأتbegan ؟
لكنْ تغيَّرت الدنيا فمن بدأت ؟
سوءاتهhis misdeeds وبداand he appeared يلهوhe frolics .. وينحرفand he strays
سوءاته وبدا يلهو .. وينحرف
But the world has changed—so who has begun
But the world has changed, so who began?
his shameful deeds, and appeared to frolic and stray?
Its evils and began to frolic.. And swerve
"عيبانAyban" نعطيwe give ونُعطيand we give والأكفand the hands هناhere
"عيبان" نعطي ونُعطي والأكف هنا
مبسوطةٌoutstretched .. وحماةُand the guardians الدارthe home ماnot ضعُفواthey weakened
مبسوطةٌ .. وحماةُ الدار ما ضعُفوا
Ayban, we give and give, and the hands here
Aiban we give and give and hands here
are outstretched, and the guardians of the home have not weakened.
Are open.. And the homeland's guards did not weaken
ألفتَyou grew used to منّاfrom us الهوىlove صفواpure .. ومعذرةًand pardon
ألفتَ منّا الهوى صفوا .. ومعذرةً
فربماfor perhaps كانwas حتفdoom النَّاسpeople ماwhat ألفواthey grew used to
فربما كان حتف النَّاس ما ألفوا
You have grown used to pure love from us—and pardon us,
You knew our love to be pure.. And apologies
for perhaps people's doom is what they have grown used to.
For perhaps the people's doom was not familiar
"صنعاءSana'a" نثَّتwas circulated بلاwithout وجهٍa face .. ولاand without لغةa language
"صنعاء" نثَّت بلا وجهٍ .. ولا لغة
مقولةٌa saying باسمin the name of حبِّlove الذاتthe self تعتسفُacts unjustly
مقولةٌ باسم حبِّ الذات تعتسفُ
Sana'a, there circulated, faceless and without language,
"Sanaa" disparaged without reason.. Or language
a saying that acts unjustly in the name of self-love.
An unreasonable phrase in the name of self-aggrandizement
ماذاwhat نقولwe say لناwe have دربٌa path ستعرفهshe will know it
ماذا نقول لنا دربٌ ستعرفه
" صنعاءSana'a" ماno فيin دروبpaths الحبِّlove منعطفa bend
" صنعاء" ما في دروب الحبِّ منعطف
What shall we say? We have a path that will be known
What can we say? We have a path you will know
to Sana'a; in the paths of love there is no bend.
Sanaa, the paths of love have no curves
وسوفand will تأسفshe regrets " ليلىLayla " منover مواقفهاher stances
وسوف تأسف " ليلى " من مواقفها
فيin ساعةan hour لاnot يفيدhelps العذرُthe excuse والأسفand regret
في ساعة لا يفيد العذرُ والأسف
And Layla will regret her stances
And Layla will regret her stances
at an hour when excuse and regret are of no use.
In a time when excuses and regrets are of no use
قدmay يُبخسُis diminished الكيلُthe measure لكنbut ضدناagainst us اجتمعاboth joined
قد يُبخسُ الكيلُ لكن ضدنا اجتمعا
ياO وجهface "صنعاءSana'a" سوءbadness الكيلmeasuring والحشفand shriveled dates
يا وجه "صنعاء" سوء الكيل والحشف
The measure may be short, but both have joined against us:
The measure may be skimped but against us they gathered
O face of Sana'a, short measure and shriveled dates.
O Sanaa's face, the skimping and the sieving
بحُبناthrough our love نحنwe ياO " عيبانAyban " ملحمةٌan epic
بحُبنا نحن يا " عيبان " ملحمةٌ
غريبةٌstrange عنfrom جميعall الناسpeople نختلفُwe differ
غريبةٌ عن جميع الناس نختلفُ
Through our love, we, O Ayban, are an epic,
With our love, O Aiban, we are an epic poem
a strange one; we differ from all people.
Strange to all people, we differ
Sol 6.1