أوَخَطبُ فُرقَتِكُم لَديّ قليلا
كَلاَّ ولا الصبر الجميل جميلا
Is the calamity of parting from you a small matter to me?
Is the ordeal of parting from you slight to me?
Never! Nor does fair patience seem fair.
No indeed, nor is beautiful patience beautiful.
يا نازحاً عن غير قلبي إنَّه
مُذ بان عنه أقامه تمثيلا
O you who are absent from everywhere but my heart—for it,
O you far from all but my heart—for it,
since you departed from it, has kept you embodied there.
Since you left it, has enshrined your likeness.
كيف السُّلُو وبيننا من رغبة
أُسدٌ تكون لها الأسنة غيلا
How could I forget, when between us, thwarting my desire,
How can I forget, when between us, born of desire,
are lions for whom spearheads make a thicket,
Stand lions whose thickets are spearheads,
وسباسب تذر الدليل مرددا
انظر إلى أثر المطي كليلا
and deserts that leave the weary guide repeating,
And wastelands that leave the guide wavering?
“Look at the tracks of the mounts”?
Look, weary-eyed, at the tracks of the riding camels.
لله أنت فقد وجدتك عدَّة
سمح الزمان بها وكان بخيلا
God bless you! I have found you a source of strength
God bless you! I have found you a support
that Time generously granted, though Time was miserly.
That Time generously bestowed, though it was miserly.
وبلوت منك شمائلا من دونها
صفو الشمول فما أردت بديلا
I have experienced in you qualities beside which
And I have known in you qualities finer than
even the purest wine pales, so I desired no substitute.
The purest wine, so I wanted no substitute.
ابلغ رباط التونسي
عني وأوسع قبره تقبيلا
Go to the Ribāṭ of al-Tūnisī
Visit the ribat of al-Tunisi
on my behalf, and lavish kisses upon his grave.
On my behalf, and lavish kisses upon his grave.
وأقرأ به الذكر الحكيم موفياً
آياته التجويد والترتيلا
There recite the Wise Remembrance, rendering
And recite there the Wise Remembrance, giving
its verses fully, with proper articulation and measured chanting.
Its verses their due of precise and measured recitation.
واذكر أخاك بدعوة مبرورة
تطرح بها عبئاً عليه ثقيلا
Remember your brother in an accepted prayer
And remember your brother with a blessed prayer,
by which you may lift a heavy burden from him.
With which you cast off a burden weighing heavily upon him.
واعطف على صَفِّ البصيلة إنه
قد كان لي مأوى وكان مقيلا
And turn with kindness toward Ṣaff al-Baṣīla, for it
And turn toward Saff al-Busayla, for it
was once my refuge and my resting place.
Was once my refuge and my resting place at noon.
والمح بقبلي المدينة منظراً
أضحى لمشتبك النجوم عديلا
And glimpse, south of the city, a prospect
And behold, south of the city, a scene
that has become the equal of the interwoven stars.
That has become the equal of the interwoven stars.
لبست ملونة الأزاهر أرضه
وخطت به ريح الشمال بليلا
Its earth was clothed in many-colored blossoms,
Its earth donned multicolored blossoms,
and the north wind traced its paths there, moist with rain.
And the north wind wrote there, cool and moist.
وأنساب في تلك الأباطح نَهرُه
فهجرت دجلة عنده والنيلا
Its river glided through those broad flats,
And its river flowed through those gravelly valleys,
so for its sake I forsook the Tigris and the Nile.
So beside it I forsook the Tigris and the Nile.
وكأنما الجبل المنمق فوقه
أضحى لمفرق رأسه إكليلا
The ornamented mountain above it seemed
And it was as though the adorned mountain above it
a crown set upon the parting of its head.
Had become a diadem upon the crown of its head.
نشق الهواء به صحيحاً عندما
هبَّ النسيم بصخرتيه عليلا
There we breathed wholesome air whenever
Breathe the air there in health, whenever
the breeze blew gently between its two rocks.
The breeze blows languidly by its two rocks.
لا أنسى أياماً قصاراً فيه لي
أضحى تذكرها عليَّ طويلاً
I shall not forget the few brief days I had there;
I do not forget the brief days I had there;
remembering them has made time long for me.
Their remembrance has grown long for me.
سدَّ السبيل عن اللقاء فلم أجد
لما نأيت إلى السلوّ سبيلا
The way to reunion was barred, yet when I journeyed far away,
The way to reunion was barred, and I could not find
I found no way to forgetfulness.
A way to forget when I went far away.
أعزز عليَّ بأن أكون محملاً
شوق الدنو إليكم ترسيلاً
How grievous it is to me that I should be burdened,
How painful for me to have to convey
as I send these words forth, with longing to draw near you.
My longing to draw near you through letters.
كن كيف شئت أخا الوفاء فإنني
أثنى عليك إقامة ورحيلا
Be as you please, brother of loyalty, for I
Be as you wish, faithful brother, for I
shall praise you whether you stay or depart.
Praise you, whether staying or departing.
دعواي حبك بالضرورة لاحق
وعلى الضرورة لا تريد دليلا
My profession of love for you follows of necessity,
My claim to love you belongs among self-evident truths,
and a necessary truth requires no proof.
And for self-evident truth you ask no proof.
أفتن في فن الثناء عليكم
وأواصل التعظيم والتبجيلا
I range artfully through the art of praising you
I vary my styles in the art of praising you,
and continue in reverence and glorification.
And continue in reverence and veneration.
خذها إليك قصيدة حملتها
فتحملت شوقاً إليك دخيلا
Take this poem: I have charged it
Take this poem to yourself: I have laden it,
and it has taken upon itself a longing for you lodged deep within.
And it has borne a deep-seated longing for you.
ولقد أردت زيادة في نظمها
لكن كرهتُ وحقك التثقيلا
I wished to add still more to its composition,
And indeed I wanted to add to its verses,
but, by your worth, I disliked burdening you.
But, by your honor, I disliked being burdensome.
لا والذي كان الفراق بحكمه
ما خطب فرقتكم لديَّ قليلا
No—by Him through whose decree the separation occurred,
No—by Him whose decree brought about the parting—
the calamity of parting from you is no small matter to me.
The ordeal of parting from you is not slight to me.
Sol 6.1