ليس بُعْدُ الديار مِنا وإن شَطْ

ليس بُعْدُ الديار مِنا وإن شَطْ

طَ مزارٌ بِنا وقلّ ازديار

طَ مزارٌ بِنا وقلّ ازديار

The distance of the dwellings from us, though far

The homelands are not far from us, though the distance is long

our meeting-place may lie, and our visits be few,

A place of visit remains with us, and seldom does it fade

بمنوعٍ لنا من الشوق بل في الْ

بمنوعٍ لنا من الشوق بل في الْ

بُعْدِ يَقْوَى الغرامُ والتَّذْكار

بُعْدِ يَقْوَى الغرامُ والتَّذْكار

does not bar us from longing; rather, in

Not deprived of yearning, rather in distance

distance, passion and remembrance grow stronger.

Passion strengthens, and remembrance

وإذا ما قُلوبُ قومٍ تناءتْ

وإذا ما قُلوبُ قومٍ تناءتْ

لم يَرُحْ نافعاً لهنّ الجِوار

لم يَرُحْ نافعاً لهنّ الجِوار

And when a people’s hearts grow far apart,

And if the hearts of a people turn away

proximity brings them no benefit.

Neighboring them does not benefit

وإذا صحَّ مَعْقِدُ الحبِّ في الأَنْ

وإذا صحَّ مَعْقِدُ الحبِّ في الأَنْ

فُسِ واستأْنَسَتْ به الأَفكار

فُسِ واستأْنَسَتْ به الأَفكار

And when love’s bond holds firm within

And if the pact of love settles in the soul

souls, and thoughts find comfort in it,

And thoughts become intimate with it

زادَ وكْداً في كلّ يوم وإنْ أكْ

زادَ وكْداً في كلّ يوم وإنْ أكْ

ثَرَ واشٍ وإنْ تناءتْ ديارُ

ثَرَ واشٍ وإنْ تناءتْ ديارُ

it grows firmer each day, however much

It increases agony day after day, though many promise

a slanderer may speak, and though dwellings grow far apart.

And dwellings become distant

شوقُنا مذ ظَعَنْتَ للحيِّ حَيٌّ

شوقُنا مذ ظَعَنْتَ للحيِّ حَيٌّ

ليس تَخْبو له وإنْ بِنْتَ نار

ليس تَخْبو له وإنْ بِنْتَ نار

Our longing for the clan lives on since you departed;

Our passion since you bid farewell to life is alive

its fire does not die down, even though you are gone.

It cannot be extinguished, even if you kindle fire

والوفاءُ الذي علمِتَ مقيمٌ

والوفاءُ الذي علمِتَ مقيمٌ

ليس فيه عَمّا عهِدتَ انكسار

ليس فيه عَمّا عهِدتَ انكسار

And the loyalty you knew abides;

And the loyalty you knew remains steady

it has suffered no decline from what you once knew.

It has no diminishing from what you were accustomed to

ولنا لوعةٌ لبُعدِك بِكْرٌ

ولنا لوعةٌ لبُعدِك بِكْرٌ

ودموعٌ على نواك غِزار

ودموعٌ على نواك غِزار

And ours is a fresh anguish at your distance,

And for your distance we have a burning pain

and copious tears over your departure.

And abundant tears streaming for your delight

وإذا ما اختصرتُ شِعريَ فاعلم

وإذا ما اختصرتُ شِعريَ فاعلم

أَنّ وُدِّيك ليس فيه اختصار

أَنّ وُدِّيك ليس فيه اختصار

And if I shorten my verse, know

And if I summarize my poetry then know

that my love for you is not abridged.

That my love for you has no abbreviation

أَظَلمَ الجوُّ مذ ترحَّلتَ إِظلا

أَظَلمَ الجوُّ مذ ترحَّلتَ إِظلا

ماً جفاه الصباحُ والإنفجار

ماً جفاه الصباحُ والإنفجار

The sky has darkened since you departed, with a darkness

The atmosphere darkened when you traveled

forsaken by morning and the breaking of dawn.

To a gloom the dawn and bursting could not illuminate

واحتذتْ أَرْبُعُ المنامِة حتّى

واحتذتْ أَرْبُعُ المنامِة حتّى

طلع البَدْرُ وهو فِيها سِرار

طلع البَدْرُ وهو فِيها سِرار

And al-Manāma’s dwellings followed suit, until

And the four corners of slumber hastened

the full moon rose, yet there it was a dark moon.

Until the moon rose, and it was concealed within them

إنّ صُبْحاً تغِيبُ عنه ظلامٌ

إنّ صُبْحاً تغِيبُ عنه ظلامٌ

وظلاماً تكون فيه نهار

وظلاماً تكون فيه نهار

Indeed, a morning from which you are absent is darkness,

A dawn from which darkness is absent

and darkness in which you are present is daylight,

And a darkness in which is daytime

وقِفاراً تحلّ فيها دِيارٌ

وقِفاراً تحلّ فيها دِيارٌ

ودِياراً تَبِين عنها قِفار

ودِياراً تَبِين عنها قِفار

and deserts in which you dwell are homes,

A wasteland in which dwellings settle

and homes from which you depart are deserts.

And dwellings from which wastelands are apparent