منfrom كلِّevery جَفنٍeyelid بينbetween عَينيmy eyes بَينparting
من كلِّ جَفنٍ بين عَيني بَين
وإنَّماand only تَسهرُkeeps vigil عَينٌan eye لِعَينfor an eye
وإنَّما تَسهرُ عَينٌ لِعَين
Parting from every eyelid stands before my eyes,
Between every eyelid of mine, an eye lies between
And an eye keeps vigil only for an eye.
Yet only one eye stays awake for another eye
أيامُdays هَجرٍof estrangement ولَياليand nights نَوىًof separation
أيامُ هَجرٍ ولَيالي نَوىً
مُقَدَّراتٌdecreed كلُّevery حِينٍmoment لِحَينfor doom
مُقَدَّراتٌ كلُّ حِينٍ لِحَين
Days of estrangement and nights of separation,
Days of estrangement and nights of yearning
Decreed—every moment destined for doom.
Ordained for every time, for every era
وقَدand indeed ثَوىdwelt بَينَbetween الأسَىsorrow والجَوىand burning anguish
وقَد ثَوى بَينَ الأسَى والجَوى
قَلبيmy heart فَماso what يَصنعُdoes ذاthis one بَينَbetween ذَينthose two
قَلبي فَما يَصنعُ ذا بَينَ ذَين
And between sorrow and burning anguish has dwelt
My heart settled between sorrow and burning
My heart—what can this one do between those two?
So what can this do, between these two?
واتَّهمُواand they accused عَينَكَyour eye فيof سِحرِهاits sorcery
واتَّهمُوا عَينَكَ في سِحرِها
ولمand not تَزلceased عَيناكَyour two eyes مَتهُومَتَينboth accused
ولم تَزل عَيناكَ مَتهُومَتَين
And they accused your eye of its sorcery,
They accused your eyes of sorcery
And your two eyes have never ceased to stand accused.
Yet your eyes remained falsely accused
إذاwhen رَمَتنيit shot me بِهماwith both of them مُقلَتيmy eye
إذا رَمَتني بِهما مُقلَتي
فمَنthen who يَكونُis السَّاحِرthe one enchanting المُقلَتَينthe two eyes
فمَن يَكونُ السَّاحِر المُقلَتَين
When my eye shoots me with those two,
When she glanced at me with them
Who, then, is it that enchants the two eyes?
Who then is the sorcerer of these two glancing eyes?
فَاسقِso give drink كَماas تَشرَبُyou drink وَردِيَّةًrose-colored wine
فَاسقِ كَما تَشرَبُ وَردِيَّةً
تُنقَلُis carried منfrom كأسٍa cup إلىto وَجنَتَينtwo cheeks
تُنقَلُ من كأسٍ إلى وَجنَتَين
So pour, as you drink, a rose-colored wine,
So drink as you would drink rose-water
Carried from a cup to two cheeks.
Passed from one cup to two cheeks
كأنَّماas though إذwhen أصبَحَتit came to be فِيهماin both of them
كأنَّما إذ أصبَحَت فِيهما
مُخَضرَمٌone spanning two eras قدalready شَهِدَwitnessed الملَّتَينthe two faiths
مُخَضرَمٌ قد شَهِدَ الملَّتَين
As though, when it came to dwell in them, it were
As if when they shone in the morning
A man of two eras who had witnessed both faiths.
A green-eyed one witnessed the two faiths
فيin سَنةٍa year لاحَتappeared تباشِيرُهاits first glad signs
في سَنةٍ لاحَت تباشِيرُها
فابتَكرَso came early الغَيثُthe rain وجادَand gave freely الحُسَينal-Husayn
فابتَكرَ الغَيثُ وجادَ الحُسَين
In a year whose glad signs appeared,
In a year whose first rains shone forth
Rain came early, and al-Husayn gave freely.
The clouds poured and Hussain's hands gave generously
وأيُّand what خُلفٍdiscord بَينَناbetween us بعدَafter ماthat
وأيُّ خُلفٍ بَينَنا بعدَ ما
وافقَmatched صَوبُthe downpour الغَيثِof rain صَوبthe downpour اليَدَينof both hands
وافقَ صَوبُ الغَيثِ صَوب اليَدَين
And what discord can there be between us, now that
What difference remains between us, after
The rain's downpour has matched the downpour of both hands?
The path of the rain aligned with the path of the hands?
فلتَخلعso let strip off الأيَّامthe days عَنِّيfrom me فَكَمfor how often
فلتَخلع الأيَّام عَنِّي فَكَم
أرفلُI strut فيin أثوابِgarments عُدمٍof poverty وَدَينand debt
أرفلُ في أثوابِ عُدمٍ وَدَين
So let the days strip them from me—for how often
So let the days strip from me, how long
I strut in robes of poverty and debt!
Will I wear the garb of oblivion and debt?
حالانِtwo conditions إنif وقَّعتyou endorse in writing ليfor me حالةًa condition
حالانِ إن وقَّعت لي حالةً
فرُبَّfor many a خَطٍّpen-stroke دفعdispelled الخُطَّتَينthe two predicaments
فرُبَّ خَطٍّ دفع الخُطَّتَين
Two conditions—if you endorse my case,
If the days destine a state for me
For many a pen-stroke has dispelled both plights.
Many lines repelled the two lines
وراعَهمand it startled them أنthat لمnot يَرَواthey had seen قَبلَهاbefore it
وراعَهم أن لم يَرَوا قَبلَها
يَراعَةa reed pen فيin يَدِthe hand ذيone with لِبدَتَينtwo mane-tufts
يَراعَة في يَدِ ذي لِبدَتَين
And it startled them that, before it, they had never seen
And astonished them, that they did not see before it
A reed pen in the hand of one with twin mane-tufts,
Such wonder in the hand of one with two lips
مِنfrom قَصَباتِthe reeds الخَطِّof writing فتَّاكَةٍdeadly
مِن قَصَباتِ الخَطِّ فتَّاكَةٍ
فيamong قَصَباتِthe spear-reeds الخطِّof al-Khatt غَرسِthe planting اليَدَينof both hands
في قَصَباتِ الخطِّ غَرسِ اليَدَين
One of writing's reeds, deadly
With the reeds of writing, deadly
Among al-Khatt's spear-reeds, planted by both hands.
In the reeds of the hands, planted
كلُّevery مكانٍplace مِنfrom نَداهاits bounty نَدىًdew
كلُّ مكانٍ مِن نَداها نَدىً
عَمَّspread everywhere فَماso not يُسألُis asked عَنهُabout it بِأَينwith 'where?'
عَمَّ فَما يُسألُ عَنهُ بِأَين
Every place has dew from its bounty;
Every place sounded by it, sounds
It has spread everywhere, so no one asks of it, 'Where?'
Spread, so none ask where it is