أَأَدعوdo I call? فَلاyet not تَلويyou turn وَأَنتَthough you are قَريبُnear
أَأَدعو فَلا تَلوي وَأَنتَ قَريبُ
وَأَشكوand I complain فَلاyet not تُشكيyou give relief وَأَنتَthough you are طَبيبُa physician
وَأَشكو فَلا تُشكي وَأَنتَ طَبيبُ
Do I call, yet you pay me no heed though you are near?
Do I call, yet you pay no heed, though you are near?
Do I complain, yet you bring no relief though you are a healer?
And I complain, yet you give no relief, though you are a physician?
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَخشىI feared أَنthat تَرانيyou see me ضاحِياًexposed to the sun
وَما كُنتُ أَخشى أَن تَراني ضاحِياً
وَأَيكُكَwhile your grove مَطلولُdew-moistened الفُروعِthe branches رَطيبُlush
وَأَيكُكَ مَطلولُ الفُروعِ رَطيبُ
Never did I fear that you would see me laughing
And I never feared that you would see me exposed to the sun,
while your grove stood lush, its branches drenched in dew.
While your grove is lush, its branches wet with dew.
وَهَلand does...? يَستَجيزُdeem permissible المَجدُnobility أَنthat أَشتَكيI complain of الصَدىthirst
وَهَل يَستَجيزُ المَجدُ أَن أَشتَكي الصَدى
وَأَنتَwhile you are رِشاءٌa well-rope مُحصَدٌtightly twisted وَقَليبُand a well
وَأَنتَ رِشاءٌ مُحصَدٌ وَقَليبُ
Can honor permit me to complain of thirst
And does nobility permit me to complain of thirst,
when you are both a stoutly twisted well-rope and a well?
While you are a tightly twisted well-rope and a well?
وَكَيفَand how بِمَطلوبيwith the one I seek إِذاwhen شَطَّتِstretches far النَوىseparation
وَكَيفَ بِمَطلوبي إِذا شَطَّتِ النَوى
وَقَدthough already صَمَّhe has turned deaf مِنfrom قُربٍclose range فَلَيسَso he does not يُجيبُanswer
وَقَد صَمَّ مِن قُربٍ فَلَيسَ يُجيبُ
And how can I attain the one I seek when separation stretches far,
And what of the one I seek when separation stretches far,
when even at close range he has turned deaf to me and will not answer?
Though he has turned deaf even close at hand, and will not answer?
فَهَلhas, then...? شَيبَbeen tainted مِنof تِلكَthat المُصافاةِsincere friendship مَشرَعٌa watering-place
فَهَل شَيبَ مِن تِلكَ المُصافاةِ مَشرَعٌ
وَهيلَand was heaped عَلىupon ذاكَthat الإِخاءِbrotherhood كَثيبُa sand dune
وَهيلَ عَلى ذاكَ الإِخاءِ كَثيبُ
Has the watering place of that pure friendship been muddied,
Has, then, a watering-place of that sincere friendship been tainted,
and has a dune been heaped upon that brotherhood?
And a sand dune been heaped upon that brotherhood?
سَلامٌa salutation عَلىupon عَهدِthe covenant الوَفاءِfidelity مُوَدِّعاًbidding farewell
سَلامٌ عَلى عَهدِ الوَفاءِ مُوَدِّعاً
سَلامُa salutation فِراقٍof parting ماas long as أَقامَstands عَسيبُʿAsīb
سَلامُ فِراقٍ ما أَقامَ عَسيبُ
Farewell to fidelity’s covenant, as I bid it farewell—
A salutation to the covenant of fidelity, as I bid farewell—
a farewell of parting, for as long as a palm stalk stands.
A parting salutation, as long as ʿAsīb stands.
سَلامٌa salutation لَهُit has فَوقَupon المَحاجِرِthe eye-sockets بَلَّةٌmoisture
سَلامٌ لَهُ فَوقَ المَحاجِرِ بَلَّةٌ
وَطَوراًand at times بِأَحناءِwithin the curves الضُلوعِthe ribs لَهيبُa blaze
وَطَوراً بِأَحناءِ الضُلوعِ لَهيبُ
A farewell to it: moisture upon the rims of my eyes,
A salutation with moisture upon the eyes,
and, at other times, a blaze within the curves of my ribs.
And, at times, a blaze within the curves of the ribs.
وَقَدand once كانَit used to يَسريtravel by night وَالتَنائِفُwhile desert wastes بَينَناbetween us
وَقَد كانَ يَسري وَالتَنائِفُ بَينَنا
فَتَندىso grows fragrant بِهِwith it ريحٌa breeze وَيَنفَحُand wafts طيبُperfume
فَتَندى بِهِ ريحٌ وَيَنفَحُ طيبُ
It once would journey by night, though far-flung wastes lay between us;
And once it would travel by night, with desert wastes between us,
through it a breeze would grow dewy, and fragrance would breathe forth;
So a breeze would grow fragrant with it, and perfume would waft;
وَتَفتَرُّand unfolds عَنrevealing بِشرٍgladness هُنالِكَthere زَهرَةٌa flower
وَتَفتَرُّ عَن بِشرٍ هُنالِكَ زَهرَةٌ
وَيَهفوand sways لَهُin response to it مِنfrom مَعطِفَيَّmy two sides قَضيبُa slender branch
وَيَهفو لَهُ مِن مَعطِفَيَّ قَضيبُ
there a blossom would smile, revealing gladness,
And there a flower would unfold, revealing gladness,
and toward it, from my two sides, a slender bough would sway.
And from my sides a slender branch would sway in response to it.
