مَا هَب مِنْ نخوكُمْ نَسِيمُ صَبَا
إِلاَّ وَأَذْكَى بمُهْجَتِي لَهَبا
No east wind ever blew from your direction
Never did an east-wind breeze blow from your direction
but it kindled a flame within my heart.
but it kindled a flame in my heart.
وَلاَ شَدَا مُطْربٌ بذِكْرِكُمْ
إلاَّ وَنَادَى المَشُوُقُ واطرَبا
No minstrel ever sang in remembrance of you
Nor did a singer ever sing of you
but the yearning lover cried, “Oh, what rapture!”
but the yearning lover cried, 'O rapture!'
وَلاَ تَذكُرْتُ عِيشَةَ سَلفَتْ
بالخِيفِ إلاَّ وَقلْتُ وَا حَرَبا
Whenever I remembered the life that had passed
Nor did I recall a bygone life
at al-Khayf, I cried, “Alas, my grief!”
at al-Khayf but I cried, 'O woe!'
لا نَالَ مِنْكَ المَشُوُقُ بُغْيَتَهُ
إِنْ كان يَوْماً إلى سِوَاكَ صَبَا
May the yearning lover never attain his desire from you
May the yearning lover never gain his desire from you
if ever, for a day, he yearns for anyone but you.
if he has ever yearned toward anyone but you.
يَا حَبْذا لَوْعَتي عَليْكَ وَيَا
بُشْرَاىَ إنْ مُتُّ فِيكَ مُكْتَئِبا
How dear is my burning anguish for you—and oh,
Oh, how sweet is my burning anguish for you! And oh,
what glad tidings if I die for love of you, grief-stricken!
what joy is mine if I die grief-stricken for you!
أحْبَابَنا هَلْ بقُرْبِكُمْ أَمَلُ
أَمْ هَلْ بوَصْلِكُمُ أَرَى سَبَبا
Our beloved, is there hope of drawing near to you,
Our beloved ones, is there hope of nearness to you,
or can I see some means to union with you?
or do I see a way to union with you?
آهاً لأَيَّامِنَا بقُرْبكُمُ
وطِيبِ عَيْشٍ بِوَصْلِكُمْ ذهَبا
Alas for our days spent near you,
Ah, for our days spent near you
and the sweetness of life in union with you—both gone!
and the sweetness of life in union with you—both gone!
يَا سَائقَ العِيسِ نَحْوَ كاظِمَةٍ
أَبْلغْ سَلامِي لِنَازِليِنَ قَبا
O driver of the white camels toward Kāẓima,
O driver of the pale camels toward Kazima,
bear my greetings to those encamped at Qubā.
convey my greetings to those dwelling in Quba,
وقلْ قضَى ذلِكَ المَشُوُقُ بِكُمْ
وَمَا قضَى مِنْ وصَالِكُمْ أَرَبا
And say: “That yearning lover has perished for you,
and say: 'That yearning lover died for love of you,
without ever fulfilling his desire for union with you.”
yet never fulfilled his desire for union with you.'
Sol 6.1