ياO بينُseparation ويحكَwoe to you كمhow many أَشعلتyou kindled نيراناfires
يا بينُ ويحكَ كم أَشعلت نيرانا
طيَّwithin القلوبthe hearts وكمand how many أَدميتyou made bleed أجفاناeyelids
طيَّ القلوب وكم أَدميت أجفانا
O separation, woe to you! How many fires you have kindled
O my beloved, woe to you, how many fires you lit,
Within hearts, and how many eyelids you have made bleed.
That melted hearts, and how many eyelids you made shed tears,
وَكمand how many مَحقَتyou effaced بدورَmoons of اليمّthe sea مشرقةًradiant
وَكم مَحقَت بدورَ اليمّ مشرقةً
وَكمand how many طَويتyou enfolded بأَطباقin layers of الثَرىthe earth بأنَّاbān trees (probable reading)
وَكم طَويت بأَطباق الثَرى بأنَّا
And how many radiant moons of the sea you have effaced,
How many bright moons you eclipsed with the nights of anguish,
And how many bān trees you have enfolded in layers of earth.
And how many you buried in the dirt’s darkness.
واحرَّah, the burning of قلبيmy heart عَلىover غصنٍa bough بهِupon it فتَكَتwreaked havoc
واحرَّ قلبي عَلى غصنٍ بهِ فتَكَت
أيديhands of المنونdeath وكمand how many قصفَّنَthey snapped أَغصاناboughs
أيدي المنون وكم قصفَّنَ أَغصانا
Ah, how my heart burns over a bough ravaged by
My heart burns for a branch whereon you wreaked havoc,
The hands of death—how many boughs they have snapped!
And the hands of death snapped many branches.
ياO ويحalas for خنسآءِKhansāʾ عينيmy eye وهيwhile it باكيةٌweeping
يا ويح خنسآءِ عيني وهي باكيةٌ
صخراًSakhr بدمعwith tears لديهِbefore it الصخرstone قدindeed لاناgrew soft
صخراً بدمع لديهِ الصخر قد لانا
Alas for my Khansāʾ-like eye, as it weeps
Woe to my sleepy eyes that weep,
For Sakhr, with tears before which stone has softened.
Weeping rocks with tears that soften even rocks.
ياO مَنone whom سقتهُgave him to drink المناياthe fates خمرةًwine طفَحَتoverflowed
يا مَن سقتهُ المنايا خمرةً طفَحَت
منfor أجلهاits sake كلُّevery قلبٍheart باتَspent the night سكراناdrunk
من أجلها كلُّ قلبٍ باتَ سكرانا
O you whom the fates made drink a wine that overflowed,
O you who drank from death a overflowing wine,
Because of it, every heart has spent the night drunk.
For which every heart got drunk.
ياO بدرmoon of تمٍّfullness فؤَآديmy heart كانwas مسكنُهُits dwelling
يا بدر تمٍّ فؤَآدي كان مسكنُهُ
ملأتَهُyou filled it عَوضinstead of الأَفراحjoys أَحزاناsorrows
ملأتَهُ عَوض الأَفراح أَحزانا
O full moon whose dwelling was my heart,
O full moon, my heart was your dwelling,
You filled it with sorrows instead of joys.
You filled it, instead of joys, with sorrows.
ياO مهجةlifeblood of القلبِthe heart هلis there عودٌa return نؤَملّهُwe hope for it
يا مهجة القلبِ هل عودٌ نؤَملّهُ
وهلand has كتابa letter of سلامٍgreeting منكَfrom you حيَّاناgreeted us
وهل كتاب سلامٍ منكَ حيَّانا
O lifeblood of the heart, is there a return we may hope for?
O comfort of my heart, is there a hope we still wait for,
And has a letter of greeting from you greeted us?
And a greeting letter from you that would enliven us?
بَكَتwept علىover فقدكَlosing you الإخوانthe brethren دمعَtears of دمٍblood
بَكَت على فقدكَ الإخوان دمعَ دمٍ
واستبدَلَتand they exchanged عنin place of لذيذsweet الأُنسcompanionship هجراناseparation
واستبدَلَت عن لذيذ الأُنس هجرانا
The brethren wept tears of blood at losing you,
For your loss, friends wept blood,
And exchanged sweet companionship for separation.
And pleasant company was replaced with estrangement.
أَلبستَنيyou clothed me ثوبa robe of حزنٍgrief لستI am not أَخلعهُI remove it
أَلبستَني ثوب حزنٍ لست أَخلعهُ
حتىuntil أُبدَّلI am given in exchange منهُin its stead فيهِwithin it أَكفاناshrouds
حتى أُبدَّل منهُ فيهِ أَكفانا
You clothed me in a robe of grief I will not take off
You clothed me in a dress of sorrow I cannot take off
Until, still in it, I am given shrouds in its stead.
Until it is replaced with my shroud.
أَبكيI mourn صباءَكَyour youth ماas long as ناحlamented الحَمامthe doves وَماand as long as
أَبكي صباءَكَ ما ناح الحَمام وَما
غَنَّىsang الهزارُthe nightingale علىupon الأَغصانthe boughs أَلحاناmelodies
غَنَّى الهزارُ على الأَغصان أَلحانا
I mourn your youth as long as doves lament, and as long as
I bewail your youth as long as the pigeons moan,
The nightingale sings melodies upon the boughs.
And the chants on the branches play their tunes.
قدindeed كنتُI used to اشفقُI fear منbecause of دمعيmy tears عَلىfor بَصريmy sight
قد كنتُ اشفقُ من دمعي عَلى بَصري
واليومand today كلُّall عزيزٍprecious بعدكُمafter you (plural) هاناbecame worthless
واليوم كلُّ عزيزٍ بعدكُم هانا
I once feared for my sight because of my tears,
I used to fear for my sight from my tears,
And today, after you, all that was dear has lost its worth.
And today, after you, everything precious became cheap.
لاmay not رطَّبِmoisten اللهُGod قلباًa heart ظلَّremained مُشتَعلاًablaze
لا رطَّبِ اللهُ قلباً ظلَّ مُشتَعلاً
منيof mine وَلاnor جفَّdry up دمعٌtears سالflowed غدراناin pools
مني وَلا جفَّ دمعٌ سال غدرانا
May God never moisten a heart that has remained ablaze
May God not reward a flaming heart like mine,
Within me, nor may tears that flowed in pools run dry.
Nor dry a tear that flowed perfidiously.
ماhow كانwas أًسرَعswift ذاكَthat السيرthe journey وأسغىand alas (probable reading)
ما كان أًسرَع ذاكَ السير وأسغى
فهلso, do ترَىyou think تُسرعُhasten الأيامthe days لقياناour meeting
فهل ترَى تُسرعُ الأيام لقيانا
How swift that journey was—alas!
How quick was that journey, and hasty,
So do you think the days will hasten our meeting?
Do you think the days will hasten our reunion?
وهلand shall نعاينُwe behold ذاكَthat الوجهَthe face مُبتسماًsmiling
وهل نعاينُ ذاكَ الوجهَ مُبتسماً
وهلand will يُشنّفadorn ذكthat اللفظthe speech آذاناears
وهل يُشنّف ذك اللفظ آذانا
And shall we behold that face smiling?
Shall we behold that smiling face,
And will that speech adorn our ears?
And shall that voice enchant our ears?
طالlasted long النَوَىseparation ياO شقيقbrother of الروحthe soul وأَسفىand alas for me
طال النَوَى يا شقيق الروح وأَسفى
وأَشعَلand kindled الحزنsorrow طىَّwithin القلبthe heart نيراناfires
وأَشعَل الحزن طىَّ القلب نيرانا
Long has separation lasted, O brother of my soul—alas!
Longing grew, O soulmate, and hasty,
And sorrow has kindled fires within the heart.
And sorrow set my heart on fire.
فاذهبso go عليكupon you سلامُpeace of اللهGod ماas long as طلعتrose
فاذهب عليك سلامُ الله ما طلعت
شمسٌa sun وزادَكَand may He grant you more منfrom نعماهُHis blessings رضواناfavor
شمسٌ وزادَكَ من نعماهُ رضوانا
Go, then; God's peace be upon you as long as
So farewell, may God’s peace be upon you, as long as
The sun rises; may He grant you His favor from His blessings.
A sun rises, and His approval increases your bounty.
Sol 6.1