أمن الفراق يراق دمعك احمرا

أمن الفراق يراق دمعك احمرا

أم لاعج الأشواق فيه تصورا

أم لاعج الأشواق فيه تصورا

Is it from parting that your tears are shed red,

Do your tears shed for the pain of separation run red,

or has the searing fire of longing taken shape in them?

Or do longing and passion color them so?

وحمامة الوادي التي تبكيك أم

وحمامة الوادي التي تبكيك أم

يعفورة النادي التي نفت الكرى

يعفورة النادي التي نفت الكرى

And is it the valley's dove who makes you weep, or

Is it the valley dove who cries for you, or

the gazelle of the gathering place who banished sleep?

The wild dove who has banished sorrow?

قالت جرى دمع المحب فما جرى

قالت جرى دمع المحب فما جرى

لا ناقتي سارت ولا جملي سرى

لا ناقتي سارت ولا جملي سرى

She said: the lover's tears have flowed—so what has happened?

"My beloved's tears flowed, but did not flow

Neither my she-camel set out, nor did my he-camel travel by night.

Far, for neither my she-camel nor my camel went on," she said.

أتخال ذات الخال أن صدودها

أتخال ذات الخال أن صدودها

دون النوى يا صحابي تبصّرا

دون النوى يا صحابي تبصّرا

Does the woman with the mole think her rejection

Can the cheek's down think that, though soft,

less than parting? My companions, look closely!

It hides the intention, O my friends, discerningly?

ما نافعي قرب الديار وقد غدا

ما نافعي قرب الديار وقد غدا

هذا النفار عليَّ بيناً منكرا

هذا النفار عليَّ بيناً منكرا

What good is the nearness of the dwellings to me, now that

Of what use is nearness to the abodes when

this estrangement has become a grievous parting for me?

This estrangement has become manifestly unfamiliar to me?

ويلاه من جور الجفا قلب الصفا

ويلاه من جور الجفا قلب الصفا

كدراً وقرَّح بالدموع المحجرا

كدراً وقرَّح بالدموع المحجرا

Alas for the cruelty of rejection! It turned clarity

Woe to the injustice of coolness that makes a heart of affection

to murk, and made the eye socket sore with tears.

Turbid and lacerates the tearful eyes!

ونفى الكرى عني وما استأجرته

ونفى الكرى عني وما استأجرته

فعلام صبري اليوم صار له كرا

فعلام صبري اليوم صار له كرا

And it banished sleep from me, though I had not hired it;

It has banished sorrow from me, and now that I have hired it out,

so why has my patience today become its wage?

Why has my patience today become hateful?

ليت العيون عيون آرام الحمى

ليت العيون عيون آرام الحمى

علمت بما صنعت بآساد الشرى

علمت بما صنعت بآساد الشرى

Would that the eyes—the eyes of the protected pasture's gazelles—

Would that my eyes were the eyes of the fever's thorns

knew what they have done to the lions of Shara!

That knew what the evildoers of passions did!

هن الحمام لنا وهن حياتنا

هن الحمام لنا وهن حياتنا

سبحان من أحيى بهن ودمَّرا

سبحان من أحيى بهن ودمَّرا

They are death to us, and they are our life.

Glory to Him who revived us with them and destroyed us!

Glory to Him who through them gave life and brought destruction!

O lady of the cheek whose pendant

يا ربة الخال الذي ما رفرف ال

يا ربة الخال الذي ما رفرف ال

خلخال يوماً فوقه وتصدرا

خلخال يوماً فوقه وتصدرا

O lady with the mole, above which no

Never fluttered above it and went forth,

anklet ever fluttered or took pride of place,

My tears flowed from the injustice of your coolness;

دمعي جرى من جور صدك إنه

دمعي جرى من جور صدك إنه

أجرى وأجرح من جفونك خنجرا

أجرى وأجرح من جفونك خنجرا

my tears flowed from the cruelty of your rejection; indeed, it

It made them flow and made them gush from your eyelids like a dagger.

is a swifter, more wounding dagger than your eyelids.

So the doctor sees me healed by a drop

فترى يداويني الطبيب بقطرةٍ

فترى يداويني الطبيب بقطرةٍ

من فيك تفضل كل شيءٍ قطّرا

من فيك تفضل كل شيءٍ قطّرا

So you see the physician healing me with a drop

That you to any beseecher would stint;

from your mouth, surpassing everything distilled.

And he sees for your hardness, O perfidious one, a stratagem

ويرى لصبك يا زليخة حيلةً

ويرى لصبك يا زليخة حيلةً

تستنزل الأقمار من أعلى الذرى

تستنزل الأقمار من أعلى الذرى

And he finds a stratagem for your lovesick lover, O Zulaykha,

To bring down the moons from the highest celestial sphere,

that brings the moons down from the highest summits;

And to taste from the battle of your sword a draft

فيذوق من جريال فيك سلافةً

فيذوق من جريال فيك سلافةً

لو ذاق يوسف طعمها ما أدبرا

لو ذاق يوسف طعمها ما أدبرا

then he tastes a pure draught of your mouth's crimson wine:

Whose flavor, if Yusuf had tasted, he would not have turned his back.

had Yusuf tasted its flavor, he would not have turned away.

Good - as the mention of Muhammad made it good -

طابت كما طابت بذكر محمدٍ

طابت كما طابت بذكر محمدٍ

مِدَحي التي حاكى شذاها العنبرا

مِدَحي التي حاكى شذاها العنبرا

It grew sweet, just as the mention of Muhammad sweetened

Is my praise that rivaled its fragrance with ambergris.

my praises, whose fragrance matched ambergris.

By him the Abode of Faith was exalted;

والٍ به دار الكنانة فاخرت

والٍ به دار الكنانة فاخرت

أم القرى بحجيج طلّاب القرى

أم القرى بحجيج طلّاب القرى

A governor through whom the Land of the Quiver vied in pride

The Mother of Villages was honored by the pilgrims of the villages.

with the Mother of Towns, in pilgrims seeking hospitality.

And by his name, the demons of treachery were banished,

ونفت شياطين الخيانة باسمه

ونفت شياطين الخيانة باسمه

وبسيفه كادت جبابرة الورى

وبسيفه كادت جبابرة الورى

And it banished the demons of treachery by his name,

And by his sword, the tyrants of the earth almost perished.

and with his sword thwarted the tyrants of humankind.

For it the caravans traveled secure from

فسرت لها الركبان آمنةً من ال

فسرت لها الركبان آمنةً من ال

عدوان تحمل في المهامه جوهرا

عدوان تحمل في المهامه جوهرا

So caravans traveled to it, safe from

Any enemy, bearing in their howdahs a jewel.

aggression, carrying jewels through the desert wastes.

And from it injustices receded, just as

وتباعدت عنها المظالم مثلما

وتباعدت عنها المظالم مثلما

بعدت كباش الدوِّ عن ليث الشرى

بعدت كباش الدوِّ عن ليث الشرى

And injustices withdrew far from it, just as

The ibexes of Duwar receded from the lion of the thickets.

the desert's rams kept far from the lion of Shara.

So the world of his glory was adorned with the signs

فازدان عالم مجده بعلائم ال

فازدان عالم مجده بعلائم ال

شرف التي حكت الكواكب منظرا

شرف التي حكت الكواكب منظرا

So the realm of his glory was adorned with the emblems of

Of honor that the stars described as a spectacle.

honor, which resembled the stars in appearance,

No king generously bestows the like of them

من كل ملكٍ لا يجود بمثلها

من كل ملكٍ لا يجود بمثلها

إلّا لذي ملكٍ يماثل قيصرا

إلّا لذي ملكٍ يماثل قيصرا

from every king who bestows their like on none

Save for one whose kingdom vies with Caesar's.

but a sovereign who equals Caesar.

May God preserve him for us and make him last

اللَه يحفظه لنا ويديمه

اللَه يحفظه لنا ويديمه

ما غاب ديجورٌ وما نورٌ جرى

ما غاب ديجورٌ وما نورٌ جرى

May God preserve him for us and let him endure,

As long as the stars continue and light flows!

as long as deep darkness passes and light flows.