ياO توأمَtwin الروحِthe soul ونورَand light البصرْsight
يا توأمَ الروحِ ونورَ البصرْ
ضاقتْgrew constricted مُنىhopes الروحthe soul بهذاby this السفرْjourney
ضاقتْ مُنى الروح بهذا السفرْ
O twin of my soul and light of my eyes,
O twin of the soul and light of sight
This journey has cramped the soul’s hopes.
The soul's desires in this journey grew small
وغَشَّتِand veiled الوَحدةُloneliness عينيmy eyes فماso not
وغَشَّتِ الوَحدةُ عيني فما
يؤنسُcomforts عينيmy eyes كلُّall هذاthis البشرْhumankind
يؤنسُ عيني كلُّ هذا البشرْ
And loneliness has veiled my eyes, so none
And solitude has veiled my eyes, so no
Of all these people brings solace to my eyes.
Person comforts my eyes in all this throng
سوىapart from محياكَyour face دُجىًdarkness حالكٌpitch-black
سوى محياكَ دُجىً حالكٌ
فأينso where منهof it لمحةٌa glimpse للنظرْfor sight
فأين منه لمحةٌ للنظرْ
Apart from your face, all is pitch-black gloom;
Except your smile, darkened, your state obscured
Where, then, is a glimpse of it for the eye
Where is a glimpse for seeing in that?
تُسعِدُgladdens أياميmy days وليليand my night كماjust as
تُسعِدُ أيامي وليلي كما
يَسعَدُrejoices بالأنجمِin the stars نِضْوُone worn thin السهرْsleeplessness
يَسعَدُ بالأنجمِ نِضْوُ السهرْ
That gladdens my days and my night, just as
It would gladden my days and nights as
One worn thin by sleeplessness rejoices in the stars?
Stargazing gladdens the wakeful watcher's heart
وتذهبُand departs الوحشةُloneliness عنfrom خاطرٍa heart
وتذهبُ الوحشةُ عن خاطرٍ
كمhow often غالبَbattled الشوقَlonging وكمand how often ذاthis (emphatic) صبرْendured
كم غالبَ الشوقَ وكم ذا صبرْ
And loneliness departs from a heart
And loneliness would leave a mind
That has so often battled longing, and so often endured.
Oft overcome by yearning yet patient still
يهواكَit loves you إنif غِبتَyou are absent وإنand if حاضراًpresent
يهواكَ إن غِبتَ وإن حاضراً
يهواكَit loves you فيin الوحدةsolitude أوor فيin السمرْnighttime conversation
يهواكَ في الوحدة أو في السمرْ
It loves you when you are absent and when present;
Longing for you if you're absent, and if present
It loves you in solitude or in nighttime conversation.
Longing for you in solitude or in company
وماand not لهfor it إنif غِبتَyou are absent منany سامرٍa nighttime companion
وما له إن غِبتَ من سامرٍ
سوىexcept صدىthe echo أيامناour days والذِّكَرْand memories
سوى صدى أيامنا والذِّكَرْ
And when you are absent, it has no nighttime companion
And if you're absent, it has no companion
Except the echo of our days and memories.
Except echoes of our days and memories
وماand how أمرَّbitter الدهرَtime إنif مرَّpassed بيby me
وما أمرَّ الدهرَ إن مرَّ بي
منfrom غيرother than أنthat يُملاbe filled فراغُthe emptiness العُمُرْlife!
من غير أن يُملا فراغُ العُمُرْ!
And how bitter time is when it passes me by
Time has not passed me by without
Without the emptiness of life being filled!
Filling the emptiness of life!
أيُّwhat طيوبٍfragrances ليسdoes not يُوحيgives intimations بهاof them
أيُّ طيوبٍ ليس يُوحي بها
إلاbut محيّاa face فيin شبابyouth الزَّهَرْflowers
إلا محيّا في شباب الزَّهَرْ
What fragrances are evoked by nothing
What sweet aromas are there that do not
But a face in the youthful bloom of flowers?
Remind of your smile in the prime of youth?
ياO مُوحِشَyou who leave lonely النفسthe soul وفيand within النفسthe soul منfrom
يا مُوحِشَ النفس وفي النفس من
هواهlove of him أشتاتُscattered fragments المُنىhopes والفِكَرْand thoughts
هواه أشتاتُ المُنى والفِكَرْ
O you who leave the soul forlorn—and within the soul, from
O solace of the soul, yet in the soul someone
Love of him, lie scattered hopes and thoughts.
Whose love scatters desires and thoughts
لاmay not أوحشَleave bereft اللهGod خياليmy imagination منof الحبِّlove
لا أوحشَ الله خيالي من الحبِّ
ولاnor تلكَthose اللياليnights الأُخَرْother
ولا تلكَ الليالي الأُخَرْ
May God never leave my imagination bereft of love,
May God not make my imagination lonely without love
Nor those other nights,
Nor those other nights
حيثwhere صِباكَyour youth البرعمُthe bud الغضُّtender فيwithin
حيث صِباكَ البرعمُ الغضُّ في
أوراقهits leaves يشتاقهlongs for it منwhoever عَبَرْpassed by
أوراقه يشتاقه من عَبَرْ
Where your youth, the tender bud within
Where your tender blossom in
Its leaves, is longed for by whoever passes.
Its leaves longs for the morning dew
يوحيimparts إلىto الدنياthe world أهازيجَهُits songs
يوحي إلى الدنيا أهازيجَهُ
مُبتدعاًcreating anew فيin كلِّevery قلبٍheart وَتَرْa string
مُبتدعاً في كلِّ قلبٍ وَتَرْ
It imparts its songs to the world,
Inspiring the world with its melodies
Creating a new string in every heart;
Improvising in each heart and chord
فيصدحُso sings out الكونthe universe بأوصافهof its qualities
فيصدحُ الكون بأوصافه
كمhow much صَوَّرَfashioned اللهُGod وكمand how much ذاthis (emphatic) ابتكرْcreated anew
كم صَوَّرَ اللهُ وكم ذا ابتكرْ
So the universe sings of its qualities:
So the universe resounds with its attributes
How much God has fashioned, and how much He has created anew!
However much God depicted and invented anew