إِنif أقفَرَhas become deserted السَّفحُal-Safḥ (the mountain slope) والصَّريمثand al-Ṣarīmth
إِن أقفَرَ السَّفحُ والصَّريمث
منكَمwithout you فماthen no للهَوىfor love رُسومُtraces
منكَم فما للهَوى رُسومُ
If al-Safḥ and al-Ṣarīmth lie deserted
If the valley and the hills are empty of you
of you, then love has no traces.
Then what is left for desire and its ways?
قَدalready صارَhas become ليfor me فيin الفُؤادِthe heart دارٌa home
قَد صارَ لي في الفُؤادِ دارٌ
لَكُمfor you ومَأواكمُand your refuge الصَّميمُthe innermost core
لَكُم ومَأواكمُ الصَّميمُ
I now have a home within my heart
Within my heart a home for you now dwells
for you; your refuge is its innermost core.
While your abode is the innermost heart
أَوor راحَhas become قَلبيmy heart لَكُمfor you مُقاماًan abode
أَو راحَ قَلبي لَكُم مُقاماً
فَهُوَthen it بِمَسعاكُمُthrough your passage حَطِيمُshattered (a pun on Ḥaṭīm)
فَهُوَ بِمَسعاكُمُ حَطِيمُ
Or if my heart has become your abode,
Or did my heart find in you a dwelling place
then your passage leaves it shattered—a Ḥaṭīm.
Now it is shattered by your departure
كأَنَّنيas though I إِذwhen رأَيتُI saw ناراًa fire
كأَنَّني إِذ رأَيتُ ناراً
تَبدوappears بِواديكُمin your valley كلَيمُGod's interlocutor (Moses)
تَبدو بِواديكُم كلَيمُ
It is as though, when I saw a fire
As if when I saw a fire blazing
appear in your valley, I were Moses, God's interlocutor.
In your valley like a burning coal
حَديثُthe tale of وَجديmy longing بِكُمfor you إِذاwhen ماemphasizing 'when'
حَديثُ وَجدي بِكُم إِذا ما
عَزَّgrows scarce حَدِيثُthe tale of الهَوىlove قَديمُancient
عَزَّ حَدِيثُ الهَوى قَديمُ
The tale of my longing for you, whenever
My love for you when love grows cold
love's tale grows scarce, is ancient.
Is refreshed when yearning renews
وَحبُّكُمand love for you والفُؤادُand the heart مِنِّيof mine
وَحبُّكُم والفُؤادُ مِنِّي
طُولَthroughout الَمدىtime الكَهفُthe Cave والرَّقيمُand the Inscription
طُولَ الَمدى الكَهفُ والرَّقيمُ
And love for you and the heart within me
My love, my heart - both will always
are, for all time, the Cave and the Inscription.
Remain devoted, through night and day
هَوايَmy love ماnot إِنreinforcing the negation يُرامُcan be assailed فيكُمfor you
هَوايَ ما إِن يُرامُ فيكُم
كَلاّno indeed ووجديand my longing فَماso it does not يريمdepart
كَلاّ ووجدي فَما يريم
My love for you cannot be assailed;
My passion, though for you it burned
no indeed, and my longing never departs.
No more, and yet my love does not fade
حديثُكُمyour tale مُسندٌascribed إِليهِto it
حديثُكُم مُسندٌ إِليهِ
يرفعُهtransmits it عنكُمُfrom you النَّسيمُthe breeze
يرفعُه عنكُمُ النَّسيمُ
Your tale is ascribed to it;
Talk of you is carried on the breeze
the breeze transmits it from you.
Away from you, as breath it fades
فَمنthen who لِصَبِّfor a lovesick lover صَغاinclined إِليكُمtoward you
فَمن لِصَبِّ صَغا إِليكُم
غَرامُهُhis passion فيكُمُfor you الغَريمُthe creditor
غَرامُهُ فيكُمُ الغَريمُ
Who, then, will aid a lovesick man inclined toward you,
Whoever pines for you as I have pined
whose passion for you is his creditor?
Will despair for you as I despaired
منِكُمfrom you لَهُfor him بالصَّباwith the Ṣabā (east wind) قَبولٌacceptance
منِكُم لَهُ بالصَّبا قَبولٌ
وبِالنُّعامىand with the Nuʿāmā (south wind) لَهُfor him نَعيمُbliss
وبِالنُّعامى لَهُ نَعيمُ
From you, the Ṣabā east wind brings him acceptance,
From you may gentle breezes blow
and the Nuʿāmā south wind brings him bliss.
And bring you joy and pleasant air
فياso O ولاةَrulers of القُلوبِhearts رِفِقاًbe gentle
فيا ولاةَ القُلوبِ رِفِقاً
بِهِwith him أَماis there not فيكُمُamong you رَحيمُa merciful one
بِهِ أَما فيكُمُ رَحيمُ
O rulers of hearts, then, be gentle
O you who rule the hearts, be kind
with him—is there no merciful one among you?
To him - have you no pity to spare?
Sol 6.1