هَلْwill? شافعٌan intercessor لِيfor me إلىto نَعْمٍNaʿm وسيلتُهاthe means of reaching her
هَلْ شافعٌ لِي إلى نَعْمٍ وسيلتُها
وَلاand no وَسيلةَmeans of approach إلّاexcept السَّقْمُsickness والجُهُدُand suffering
وَلا وَسيلةَ إلّا السَّقْمُ والجُهُدُ
Will the means of reaching Naʿm intercede for me with her,
Is there one who can help me attain bliss, though the only means to it
when there is no means but sickness and suffering?
Are sickness and toil, and naught else in between?
لَمnot تطعمِshe tasted الحبَّlove فَاِرتابَتْso she doubted لطاعِمهِthe one who tastes it
لَم تطعمِ الحبَّ فَاِرتابَتْ لطاعِمهِ
ولمand not تَجِدْshe felt love بِيfor me فلمso not أوقنْI was certain بماof what أجدُI feel
ولم تَجِدْ بِي فلم أوقنْ بما أجدُ
She has not tasted love, so she doubts the one who has;
You did not feed love, so it doubted its feeder;
and she felt no love for me, so I was not sure of what I feel.
You did not find me worthy, so I doubted what I felt.
فيin القربِnearness والبعدِand distance هجرانٌestrangement ومَقْلِيَةٌand hatred
في القربِ والبعدِ هجرانٌ ومَقْلِيَةٌ
فليسso not ينفعنِيbenefits me قربٌnearness ولاnor بُعُدُdistance
فليس ينفعنِي قربٌ ولا بُعُدُ
Near and far alike, there is estrangement and hatred;
Both closeness and distance bring estrangement and torment;
so neither nearness nor distance benefits me.
Neither nearness nor remoteness avails me.
ماnot نامَslept ذِكرُكِthe memory of you فيin قلبِيmy heart فيوقظُهُso it might awaken it
ما نامَ ذِكرُكِ في قلبِي فيوقظُهُ
برقٌlightning سرىtraveled by night موهِناًlate at night أوor طائرٌa bird غَرِدُwarbling
برقٌ سرى موهِناً أو طائرٌ غَرِدُ
The memory of you never slept in my heart, to be awakened
My heart recalls you not in sleep, so
by lightning coursing late at night, or a warbling bird.
A shooting star startles it, or a bird's song awakens it.
أُحِبُّI cherish منكِfrom you وإنْand even if ماطَلْتِyou delay عنconcerning أرَبيmy desire
أُحِبُّ منكِ وإنْ ماطَلْتِ عن أرَبي
وعداًa promise وكمand how often أخلفbroke الميعادthe promise منone who يَعدُpromises
وعداً وكم أخلف الميعاد من يَعدُ
I cherish from you—even if you delay fulfilling my wish—
I love you though you are slow to fulfill what you promised me;
a promise—and how often one who promises breaks his word!
How many who promise are late to deliver!
ماhow أطعمَsweet-tasting الحبَّlove يأساًas despair ثمّthen مَطْمَعَةًhope
ما أطعمَ الحبَّ يأساً ثمّ مَطْمَعَةً
لَوif كانَthere were ليfor me بالّذيover what يجنيdoes harm عليَّto me يَدُa hand; power
لَو كانَ لي بالّذي يجني عليَّ يَدُ
How sweet love would be—despair, then hope—
Love was not fed despair, then hope;
if I had power over what wrongs me!
Had I power over her who wrongs me, my hand would suffice!
لاnot مَوقفthe scene الحبِّof love أَنساهُI forget it وَنَحنُwhile we عَلىupon
لا مَوقف الحبِّ أَنساهُ وَنَحنُ عَلى
رَصْفٍa stone pavement منof البينِparting يخبوdies down ثمَthen يَتَّقِدُblazes
رَصْفٍ من البينِ يخبو ثمَ يَتَّقِدُ
I do not forget the scene of love, when we were upon
Neither of us forgot our stance in love, though we stand
a stone pavement of parting that smolders, then blazes,
On the pavement of separation, fading, then blazing anew.
حَيثُwhere اِستَندتُI leaned إِلىon صبرِيmy patience فأَسْلَمنِيand it abandoned me
حَيثُ اِستَندتُ إِلى صبرِي فأَسْلَمنِي
والشّوقُand longing يأخذُtakes مِنِّيfrom me كلّall ماthat يجدُit finds
والشّوقُ يأخذُ مِنِّي كلّ ما يجدُ
where I leaned on my patience, and it abandoned me,
I resorted to my patience, so it betrayed me,
while longing takes from me everything it finds.
While yearning takes from me all it can seize.
Sol 6.1