إِنّيindeed I ذَكَرتُكِI remembered you بِالزَّهْراءَat al-Zahra مُشتاقاًlonging
إِنّي ذَكَرتُكِ بِالزَّهْراءَ مُشتاقاً
وَالأُفقُand the horizon طَلقٌclear وَمَرأىand the sight الأَرضِof the earth قَدhad راقاdelighted
وَالأُفقُ طَلقٌ وَمَرأى الأَرضِ قَد راقا
I remembered you at al-Zahra, full of longing,
while the horizon was clear and the sight of the earth delighted.
وَلِلنَسيمِand the breeze had اِعتِلالٌa languor فيin أَصائِلِهِits late afternoons
وَلِلنَسيمِ اِعتِلالٌ في أَصائِلِهِ
كَأَنَّهُas though it رَقَّsoftened ليfor me فَاعتَلَّand so grew languid إِشفاقاout of pity
كَأَنَّهُ رَقَّ لي فَاعتَلَّ إِشفاقا
The breeze had a languor in the late afternoons,
as though, pitying me, it softened and grew faint.
وَالرَوضُand the garden عَنfrom/revealing مائِهِits water الفِضِيِّsilvery مُبتَسِمٌsmiling
وَالرَوضُ عَن مائِهِ الفِضِيِّ مُبتَسِمٌ
كَماas شَقَقتَyou opened عَنِaway from اللَبّاتِthe throats أَطواقاcollars
كَما شَقَقتَ عَنِ اللَبّاتِ أَطواقا
The garden smiled, revealing its silvery water,
as when you opened collars away from throats.
يَومٌa day كَأَيّامِlike days لَذّاتٍof pleasures لَناfor us انصَرَمَتthat passed
يَومٌ كَأَيّامِ لَذّاتٍ لَنا انصَرَمَت
بِتناwe spent the night لَهاstealing them حينَwhen نامَslept الدَهرُTime سُرّاقاas thieves
بِتنا لَها حينَ نامَ الدَهرُ سُرّاقا
A day like those days of pleasure that passed from us—
we spent the night stealing them while Time slept.
نَلهوwe delight بِماin what يَستَميلُcaptivates العَينَthe eye مِنof زَهَرٍblossoms
نَلهو بِما يَستَميلُ العَينَ مِن زَهَرٍ
جالَroamed النَدىthe dew فيهِthrough them حَتّىuntil مالَbent أَعناقاnecks
جالَ النَدى فيهِ حَتّى مالَ أَعناقا
We delighted in blossoms that captivated the eye,
through which the dew roamed until they bent their necks.
كَأَنَّas though أَعيُنَهُtheir eyes إِذwhen عايَنَتthey beheld أَرَقيmy sleeplessness
كَأَنَّ أَعيُنَهُ إِذ عايَنَت أَرَقي
بَكَتthey wept لِماfor what بيafflicts me فَجالَand then flowed الدَمعُthe tears رَقراقاglistening
بَكَت لِما بي فَجالَ الدَمعُ رَقراقا
It was as though their eyes, when they beheld my sleeplessness,
wept for my suffering, and tears flowed glistening.
وَردٌroses تَأَلَّقَgleamed فيin ضاحيthe open part of مَنابِتِهِtheir beds
وَردٌ تَأَلَّقَ في ضاحي مَنابِتِهِ
فَازدادَand so increased مِنهُthrough them الضُحىthe morning فيin العَينِthe eye إِشراقاin brightness
فَازدادَ مِنهُ الضُحى في العَينِ إِشراقا
Roses gleamed in the open reaches of their beds,
and through them morning grew still brighter to the eye.
سَرىjourneyed by night يُنافِحُهُvying with it in fragrance نَيلوفَرٌa water lily عَبِقٌfragrant
سَرى يُنافِحُهُ نَيلوفَرٌ عَبِقٌ
وَسنانُdrowsy نَبَّهَawakened مِنهُfrom it الصُبحُthe dawn أَحداقاeyes
وَسنانُ نَبَّهَ مِنهُ الصُبحُ أَحداقا
A fragrant water lily moved by night, vying with them in perfume,
drowsy, its eyes awakened by the dawn.
كُلٌّeach one يَهيجُstirs لَناfor us ذِكرىthe memory تَشَوُّقِناof our yearning
كُلٌّ يَهيجُ لَنا ذِكرى تَشَوُّقِنا
إِلَيكِfor you لَمdid not يَعدُdepart عَنهاfrom it الصَدرُthe heart أَنthough ضاقاit grew constricted
إِلَيكِ لَم يَعدُ عَنها الصَدرُ أَن ضاقا
Each one stirs in us the memory of our yearning
for you—a memory my heart never left, though it grew constricted.
لاmay not سَكَّنَgive rest اللَهُGod قَلباًto a heart عَقَّthat betrayed ذِكرَكُمُyour memory
لا سَكَّنَ اللَهُ قَلباً عَقَّ ذِكرَكُمُ
فَلَمand so did not يَطِرsoar بِجَناحِwith the wing الشَوقِof longing خَفّاقاbeating
فَلَم يَطِر بِجَناحِ الشَوقِ خَفّاقا
May God give no rest to a heart that betrays your memory
and does not soar, wings of longing beating.
لَوif شاءَagreed حَمليto carry me نَسيمُthe breeze الصُبحِof morning حينَwhen سَرىit journeyed
لَو شاءَ حَملي نَسيمُ الصُبحِ حينَ سَرى
وافاكُمُit would come to you بِفَتىًwith a young man أَضناهُwore him down ماwhat لاقىhe suffered
وافاكُمُ بِفَتىً أَضناهُ ما لاقى
If the morning breeze, when it journeyed, had agreed to carry me,
it would have brought you a young man worn down by what he suffered.
لَوif كانَit had وَفّىfulfilled المُنىthe hopes فيin جَمعِناour reunion بِكُمwith you
لَو كانَ وَفّى المُنى في جَمعِنا بِكُم
لَكانَit would have been مِنamong أَكرَمِthe noblest الأَيّامِof days أَخلاقاin character
لَكانَ مِن أَكرَمِ الأَيّامِ أَخلاقا
Had reunion with you fulfilled our hopes,
it would have been among the noblest of days.
ياO عَلقِيَmy treasure الأَخطَرَmost precious الأَسنىmost exalted الحَبيبَdearest إِلىto
يا عَلقِيَ الأَخطَرَ الأَسنى الحَبيبَ إِلى
نَفسيmy soul إِذاwhen ماindeed اِقتَنىacquire الأَحبابُthe lovers أَعلاقاtreasures
نَفسي إِذا ما اِقتَنى الأَحبابُ أَعلاقا
O my treasure, most precious, most exalted, dearest to—
my soul, whenever lovers acquire their treasures.
كانَwas التَجارِيthe keeping pace بِمَحضِin pure الوُدِّaffection مُذsince زَمَنٍa time
كانَ التَجارِي بِمَحضِ الوُدِّ مُذ زَمَنٍ
مَيدانَa field أُنسٍof intimacy جَرَيناwe ran فيهِthrough it أَطلاقاunrestrained
مَيدانَ أُنسٍ جَرَينا فيهِ أَطلاقا
Our keeping pace in pure affection, long ago,
was a field of intimacy through which we ran unrestrained.
فَالآنَand now أَحمَدَmost praiseworthy ماis what كُنّاwe were لِعَهدِكُمُtoward your covenant
فَالآنَ أَحمَدَ ما كُنّا لِعَهدِكُمُ
سَلَوتُمُyou have forgotten وَبَقيناwhile we remained نَحنُwe عُشّاقاlovers
سَلَوتُمُ وَبَقينا نَحنُ عُشّاقا
Now, the finest proof of how we kept your covenant is this:
you have forgotten, while we remain lovers.