نَوىًseparation فَرَّقَتscattered شَملَthe union الهَوىof love فَمياههُso its waters
نَوىً فَرَّقَت شَملَ الهَوى فَمياههُ
تُزالُare removed وَأَمّاand as for عَهدُهُits covenant فَيُصانُso it is preserved
تُزالُ وَأَمّا عَهدُهُ فَيُصانُ
Separation scattered love's union, so its waters
The vows scattered the union of love so its waters
Separation has scattered the gathering of love; its waters vanish, yet its covenant remains preserved.
are drained away, but its covenant is preserved.
Are removed while its covenant remains protected
You were my bliss and my glory, then you departed; so life after you is torment and humiliation.
نَعيميmy bliss وَعِزّيand my glory كُنتُمyou were ثُمَّthen بِنتُمُyou departed
نَعيمي وَعِزّي كُنتُم ثُمَّ بِنتُمُ
فَعَيشيso my life عَذابٌtorment بَعدَكُمafter you وَهَوانُand humiliation
فَعَيشي عَذابٌ بَعدَكُم وَهَوانُ
You were my bliss and my glory; then you departed.
My bliss and glory, you were then you passed away
My share of this world is the beloved and our union; through him life is truly living, and time finds meaning.
So my life after your departure is torment and humiliation.
So my life after you is torment and humiliation
Reason forbade me your love, but I disobeyed it; how impossible it is to turn back the reins of a lover.
نَصيبيmy share مِنَof الدُنياthe world الحَبيبُthe beloved وَوَصلُهُand union with him
نَصيبي مِنَ الدُنيا الحَبيبُ وَوَصلُهُ
بِهِwith him العَيشُlife عَيشٌlife وَالزَمانُand time زَمانُtime
بِهِ العَيشُ عَيشٌ وَالزَمانُ زَمانُ
My share of this world is the beloved and union with him;
My share of life is my beloved and joining him
I find the East breeze sweet for your sake, even if it quickens the palpitations of my heart.
with him, life is life, and time is time.
Through him life is life and time is time
I have grieved for you as a youth grieves in regret, striking his tooth or biting his fingertips.
نَهَتنيforbade me النُهىreason عَنfrom حُبِّكُمlove for you فَعَصيتُهاso I disobeyed it
نَهَتني النُهى عَن حُبِّكُم فَعَصيتُها
وَهَيهاتand never يُثنىbe turned back لِلمُحِبِّfor the lover عَنانُa rein
وَهَيهات يُثنى لِلمُحِبِّ عَنانُ
Reason forbade me to love you, yet I disobeyed it.
The deterrents deterred me from loving you but I disobeyed them
Ash-colored doves banished sleep from my eyelids; they lamented, though possessed of no articulate tongue.
And a lover's rein can never be turned back.
Alas, will the lover ever be restrained
They announced separation—may its day never exist—yet why is it that no place is ever free of it?
نَسيمُthe breeze الصّباof the east wind مِنfor أَجلِكُمyour sake أَستَطيبُهُI find it sweet
نَسيمُ الصّبا مِن أَجلِكُم أَستَطيبُهُ
وَإِنeven if زادَincreased فيin قَلبيmy heart بِهِbecause of it الخَفَقانُthe throbbing
وَإِن زادَ في قَلبي بِهِ الخَفَقانُ
For your sake I find the east wind's breeze sweet,
The morning breeze, I scent it for your sake
They mourned but shed no tears, while pearls from my own eyes scattered for their sake.
even if my heart's throbbing grows stronger because of it.
And if it kindles the fluttering in my heart
They tore open my wounds; would that they had aided my sorrow with tears, for the grieving one deserves to be helped.
نَدِمتُI felt regret عَلَيكُمover you مِثلَماjust as يَندَمُfeels regret الفتىthe young man
نَدِمتُ عَلَيكُم مِثلَما يَندَمُ الفتى
فَيقرعُso is struck سِنٌّa tooth أَوor يعضُّare bitten بَنانُfingertips
فَيقرعُ سِنٌّ أَو يعضُّ بَنانُ
I felt regret over you, as a young man does,
I regret you as a young man regrets
so a tooth is struck, or fingertips are bitten.
When a tooth is knocked out or a tusk is cracked
نَفَتbanished عَنfrom جُفونيmy eyelids النَومَsleep ورقُgray حَمائِمٍdoves
نَفَت عَن جُفوني النَومَ ورقُ حَمائِمٍ
شَكَونَthey complained وَلَمand did not يُفصِحspeak plainly لَهُنَّfor them لِسانُa tongue
شَكَونَ وَلَم يُفصِح لَهُنَّ لِسانُ
Gray doves drove sleep from my eyelids;
Sleep is denied to my eyelids by the leaves of doves
they complained, though no tongue spoke plainly for them.
Complaining though no tongue can speak for them
نعينَthey uttered death-laments إِلىto البَينِseparation لاmay not كانَbe يَومُهُits day
نعينَ إِلى البَينِ لا كانَ يَومُهُ
فَماso what بالُهُits condition لَمdid not يَخلُbe free مِنهُof it مِكانُa place
فَما بالُهُ لَم يَخلُ مِنهُ مِكانُ
They voiced death-laments to separation—may its day never be!
I complain of separation that has no
Why, then, has no place been free of it?
Abode so why has no place been spared it
نَدَبنَthey mourned وَلَمand did not يَذرِفنَshed دَمعاًtears وَإِنَّماbut rather
نَدَبنَ وَلَم يَذرِفنَ دَمعاً وَإِنَّما
تَناثَرَscattered مِنfrom دَمعيmy tears لَهُنَّfor them جُمانُpearls
تَناثَرَ مِن دَمعي لَهُنَّ جُمانُ
They mourned, yet shed no tears; instead,
They mourned but shed no tears rather
pearls from my tears were scattered for them.
My tears for them fell in torrents
نَكَأنَthey reopened قُروحيmy wounds لَوif only أَعَنَّthey had helped علىin الأَسىsorrow
نَكَأنَ قُروحي لَو أَعَنَّ على الأَسى
بِدَمعٍwith tears أَلاbehold إِنَّindeed الحَزينَthe sorrowful يُعانُare helped
بِدَمعٍ أَلا إِنَّ الحَزينَ يُعانُ
They reopened my wounds—if only they had helped me in sorrow
As though they rubbed salt in my wounds to increase my sorrow
with tears! Surely the sorrowful are to be helped.
Alas, the grieved is aided with tears
Partial English translation: 10 of 20 Arabic lines translated.