لَقَدindeed سَقانيmade me drink الرُعافthe nosebleed فيهِin him
لَقَد سَقاني الرُعاف فيهِ
كُلَّevery ذُعافٍdeadly poison مِنَof السِمامِpoisons
كُلَّ ذُعافٍ مِنَ السِمامِ
The hemorrhage that struck him made me drink
His nosebleed has indeed made me drink
The tears poured down my cheeks for him
His hemorrhage has made me quaff
every deadly draught of poison.
every deadly draught of poison.
All my sorrows gushed forth
Every deadly venom among poisons.
ماتَhe died شَهيداًas a martyr وَمُتُّand I died ثكلاًof bereavement
ماتَ شَهيداً وَمُتُّ ثكلاً
ثمَّتَthen أنشرتُI was revived لِلسّقامِfor sickness
ثمَّتَ أنشرتُ لِلسّقامِ
He died a martyr, and I died of bereavement,
He died a martyr, and I died of bereavement;
He died a martyr and a bereaved mother wept
He died a martyr, and I died of bereavement,
then was raised again only to suffer sickness.
then I was revived to suffer sickness.
Then I spread my wings despite my agony
Then I was resurrected only for suffering.
مَتىwhenever يَهِجنيstirs me اِسمُهُhis name يَجِدنيfinds me
مَتى يَهِجني اِسمُهُ يَجِدني
غَصّانchoking بِالأَدمُعِon the tears السِجامِstreaming
غَصّان بِالأَدمُعِ السِجامِ
Whenever his name stirs me, it finds me
Whenever his name stirs me, it finds me
Whenever his name stirs me, I become
Whenever his name stirs me, it finds me
choking on streaming tears.
choking on streaming tears.
Branches shedding ceaseless tears
Choking on pouring tears.
ماnever قيلَwas spoken عَبدُ‘Abd (servant) الغَنِيِّal-Ghani (the Self-Sufficient) إِلّاexcept
ما قيلَ عَبدُ الغَنِيِّ إِلّا
ذُقتُI tasted بِهِthrough it غُصَّةَa choking pang الحِمامِdeath
ذُقتُ بِهِ غُصَّةَ الحِمامِ
Whenever ʿAbd al-Ghani is mentioned,
Whenever ‘Abd al-Ghani’ is spoken,
None said Abd al-Ghani except
Never is "Abd al-Ghani" spoken, but that
through him I taste the choking pang of death.
I taste in it the choking pang of death.
I tasted through him the bitterness of sorrow
I taste through it the choking bitterness of death.
مَرَّhe passed خَيالاًas a phantom عَلَيَّby me لَيلاًat night
مَرَّ خَيالاً عَلَيَّ لَيلاً
فَبَدَّلَso he replaced السُهدَsleeplessness بِالمَنامِwith sleep
فَبَدَّلَ السُهدَ بِالمَنامِ
His phantom passed over me one night
He passed by me as a phantom at night,
His image passed me by at night
He passed by me as a vision in the night,
and exchanged my sleeplessness for sleep.
and so replaced sleeplessness with sleep.
Transforming consciousness into a dream
And exchanged my sleeplessness for slumber.
مَثَّلتهُI pictured him فيin الحَشاthe bosom فَمَنso who ليfor me
مَثَّلتهُ في الحَشا فَمَن لي
بِلَذَّةِwith the pleasure of الأُنسِcompanionship وَالكَلامِand conversation
بِلَذَّةِ الأُنسِ وَالكَلامِ
I pictured him within my breast—but who will grant me
I pictured him in my bosom; who, then, can grant me
I imagined him in my thoughts, but who will give me
I pictured him deep within my soul; who can grant me
the delight of companionship and conversation?
the pleasure of companionship and conversation?
The sweetness of company and talk?
The joy of his company and conversation?
مَثواهُhis dwelling فيin القَلبِthe heart غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I
مَثواهُ في القَلبِ غَيرَ أَنّي
فيin حُرَقٍburning anguish وَهوَand he فيin سَلامِpeace
في حُرَقٍ وَهوَ في سَلامِ
His dwelling is in my heart, except that I
His dwelling is in my heart, yet I
His dwelling is in my heart, though
His dwelling place is in the heart, yet I am
am amid burning anguish, while he is at peace.
am in burning anguish, while he is at peace.
I am burnt while he is at peace
In burning agony, while he is in peace.
منwho مُسعِديmy helper بِالبُكاby weeping عَلَيهِfor him
من مُسعِدي بِالبُكا عَلَيهِ
فَيَقضِيَso he may fulfill الكلَّall مِنof ذِماميthe duty owed me
فَيَقضِيَ الكلَّ مِن ذِمامي
Who will join me in weeping for him
Who will aid me by weeping for him,
Who will help me weep for him
Who will aid me in weeping over him,
and so discharge all that I owe him?
and so fulfill all that is owed me?
And so clear me of all blame?
That I may discharge all my debts of sorrow?
مَنِيَّتيmy death مُنيَتيmy wish وَإِلّاand if not
مَنِيَّتي مُنيَتي وَإِلّا
فَعَيشُthen the life of حَرّانَone burning with longing مُستَهامِdistraught with love
فَعَيشُ حَرّانَ مُستَهامِ
Death is my desire; otherwise,
My death is my wish; failing that,
My wish, my desire – or else
My death is my desire; if not,
mine is the life of one fevered and distraught with longing.
mine is the life of one burning with longing, distraught with love.
A life of burning anguish
Then the life of a burning, lovelorn soul.
مِثليone like me إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle الحَمامُthe doves ناحَتlamented
مِثلي إِذا ما الحَمامُ ناحَت
بَكىhe wept وَيَشكوand he laments مَعَwith الحَمامِthe doves
بَكى وَيَشكو مَعَ الحَمامِ
One like me, whenever the doves lament,
One like me, whenever the doves lament,
When doves mourn among themselves
One like me, when the doves begin to wail,
weeps and laments along with the doves.
weeps and laments along with the doves.
I weep and complain along with them
Weeps and shares his complaint with the doves.
مِلتُI leaned فَعانَقتُكَthen I embraced you اِشتِياقاًout of longing
مِلتُ فَعانَقتُكَ اِشتِياقاً
وَلَمand did not أُعانِقI embrace سِوىother than العِظامِthe bones
وَلَم أُعانِق سِوى العِظامِ
I leaned toward you and embraced you longingly,
I leaned toward you and embraced you in longing,
I tried to embrace you in yearning
I leaned close and embraced you in longing,
yet embraced nothing but bones.
yet I embraced nothing but bones.
But embraced only bones
Yet I embraced nothing but bones.
ماwhat ليwith me رَأَيتُI saw الَّذيthat which شجانيgrieved me
ما لي رَأَيتُ الَّذي شجاني
مِنكَfrom you وَماand not مُتُّI died فيin المَقامِthe spot
مِنكَ وَما مُتُّ في المَقامِ
How could I see what grieved me
What ails me, that I saw what grieved me
Why did I see that which tore me
How did I see what shattered me
in you and not die upon the spot?
in you, yet did not die on the spot?
And did not die on the spot?
Regarding you, and yet not die upon the spot?
ماقُكَyour inner eye-corner دامَbleeding بِلاwithout بُكاءweeping
ماقُكَ دامَ بِلا بُكاء
وَالثَغرُand the teeth بادٍvisible بِلاwithout اِبتِسامِa smile
وَالثَغرُ بادٍ بِلا اِبتِسامِ
Your eye remained without tears,
Your eye-corner bleeds without weeping,
Your cheek remained tearless
Your eye remains still, without tears,
and your mouth lay visible without a smile.
and your teeth show without a smile.
Your lips devoid of smiles
And your mouth is visible, without a smile.
مِنamong أَطيَبِthe finest الطَيِّبينَthe good خيماًin character
مِن أَطيَبِ الطَيِّبينَ خيماً
كُنتَyou were وَمِنand among أَكرَمِthe noblest الكِرامِthe noble
كُنتَ وَمِن أَكرَمِ الكِرامِ
Among the finest of good men in character
Among the finest of the good in character
Of the sweetest perfumes you were a tent
You were of the purest of the pure in nature,
you were, and among the noblest of the noble—
you were, and among the noblest of the noble.
And of the noblest, most generous host
And of the most noble among the noble.
مِنamong شُهُبِthe meteors المَجدِglory وَالمَعاليand lofty attainments
مِن شُهُبِ المَجدِ وَالمَعالي
بَثَّقتَyou burst through مُحلَولِكَpitch-black الظَلامِthe darkness
بَثَّقتَ مُحلَولِكَ الظَلامِ
one of the blazing stars of glory and exalted rank;
Among the meteors of glory and noble achievement,
You rose through the darkness with your
From the meteors of glory and high honor,
at your coming, you pierced the darkness.
you burst through the pitch-black darkness.
Gleaming glory and nobility
You pierced the intense pitch darkness.