مَاwhat ليfor me وماand what لِصَوَادِحِwith the songbirds of الأَوْرَاقِthe leaves
مَا لي وما لِصَوَادِحِ الأَوْرَاقِ
يُكثِرْنَthey increase منof قَلقِيmy anxiety ومِنْand of إقْلاقِيmy agitation
يُكثِرْنَ من قَلقِي ومِنْ إقْلاقِي
What have I to do with the songbirds among the leaves?
What is with me and with the fluttering of leaves?
They increase my anxiety and my agitation.
They increase my anxiety and unease.
مَلأَتْfilled حَشَايَmy heart أَسىًwith sorrow لِمَاbecause of what أَملتْهُrecited it مِنْof
مَلأَتْ حَشَايَ أَسىً لِمَا أَملتْهُ مِنْ
قَصَصِtales of الغَرَامِpassionate love علَيَّto me والأَشْوَاقِand longings
قَصَصِ الغَرَامِ علَيَّ والأَشْوَاقِ
They filled my heart with sorrow through what they recited
They filled my nights with sorrow for what they evoked
to me of tales of love and longing.
Of tales of love for me and longings.
وأَتَتْand came بِشَفْعِwith the pair of غنَائِهاtheir song فَتَشَفَّعَتْso they interceded
وأَتَتْ بِشَفْعِ غنَائِها فَتَشَفَّعَتْ
لحَبِيسِfor the captive دَمْعِtears of العَينِthe eye فيin الإطْلاقِrelease
لحَبِيسِ دَمْعِ العَينِ في الإطْلاقِ
They came with their song's paired notes and interceded
And they came pleading through their songs and interceded
for the eye's imprisoned tears to be released.
For the captive of teardrops in my eyes that seek release.
أَنْزَلْنَthey brought down بِيupon me أَحْزَانَthe sorrows of يَعْقُوبٍYaqub لِمَاbecause of what
أَنْزَلْنَ بِي أَحْزَانَ يَعْقُوبٍ لِمَا
أَسْمَعنَنِيهِthey made me hear it منof غِنَاthe singing of إسْحَاقIshaq
أَسْمَعنَنِيهِ من غِنَا إسْحَاق
They brought upon me the sorrows of Yaqub through
They brought down on me Jacob’s sorrows for what
what they made me hear of Ishaq's singing.
They made me hear of Isaac’s singing.
عُمريby my life لَكَذَّبتُنَّyou have indeed belied ماwhat ادَّعَتِclaimed الوَرَىhumankind
عُمري لَكَذَّبتُنَّ ما ادَّعَتِ الوَرَى
قِدْماًlong ago لَكُنَّfor you منof الغَرَامِpassionate love البَاقِيenduring
قِدْماً لَكُنَّ من الغَرَامِ البَاقِي
By my life, you have belied what people claimed
Had I believed the false claims of passion’s permanence,
long ago of your enduring love.
They would have lasted from love remaining.
لَوْif كَانَwas عنfrom حُزْنٍgrief بُكاؤكِyour weeping لانْبَرَتْwould have sprung forth
لَوْ كَانَ عن حُزْنٍ بُكاؤكِ لانْبَرَتْ
عِندَduring البُكَاءِweeping مَدَامِعُstreams of tears الآمَاقِthe eye-corners
عِندَ البُكَاءِ مَدَامِعُ الآمَاقِ
If your weeping arose from grief, there would spring forth,
Were your tears from sorrow, fountains would have gushed
as you wept, tears from the corners of your eyes.
Forth with weeping, torrents bursting.
ولَمَاand would not have خَضَبْتُنَّyou dyed الأكُفَّthe palms وزُيِّنَتْand were adorned
ولَمَا خَضَبْتُنَّ الأكُفَّ وزُيِّنَتْ
أَعْنَاقُكُنَّyour necks بِحِلْيَةِwith the ornament of الأَطْوَاقِcollars
أَعْنَاقُكُنَّ بِحِلْيَةِ الأَطْوَاقِ
Nor would you have dyed your palms, nor would
You dyed hands crimson, graced necks with necklaces
your necks have been adorned with ornamental collars.
And in the dawn, nestled in branches, adorned with leaves.
ولَمَاand would not have افترشتُنَّyou made your bedding الغَدَاةَin the morning نَوَاعِمَtender الْthe
ولَمَا افترشتُنَّ الغَدَاةَ نَوَاعِمَ الْ
أغصَانِbranches وارتشتُنَّand you feathered yourselves بالأَوْرَاقِwith the leaves
أغصَانِ وارتشتُنَّ بالأَوْرَاقِ
Nor would you have bedded at dawn on the tender
I am one who when tears diminished for a person
branches, and feathered yourselves with leaves.
Questioned my streaming tears for explanation.
أنَاI مَنْthe one who إذَاwhen ماemphatic particle الدَّمعُtears قَلَّgrew scarce علىfor امْرئٍa person
أنَا مَنْ إذَا ما الدَّمعُ قَلَّ على امْرئٍ
رَفَعَraised السُّؤَالَa plea لِدمْعِيَfor my tears المِهْرَاقِpoured out
رَفَعَ السُّؤَالَ لِدمْعِيَ المِهْرَاقِ
I am the one to whom, when a man's tears run short,
And when at night the crested hoopoe returns
he raises a plea for my freely flowing tears.
To her chicks after roaming far,
وإذَاand when أَوَتْreturned to shelter ليْلاًat night إلىto أفْراخِهاher chicks
وإذَا أَوَتْ ليْلاً إلى أفْراخِها
وَرْقَاءُa gray dove بعدَafter السَّعْيroaming فيthrough الآفَاقِthe horizons
وَرْقَاءُ بعدَ السَّعْي في الآفَاقِ
And when, at night, there returns to her chicks
She casts off her wandering staff and swallows
a gray dove, after roaming the horizons,
A cup of sorrow till sunrise,
ألقَتْcast down عَصَاthe staff of تَطْوَافِهاher wandering واستَوْعَبَتْand drained completely
ألقَتْ عَصَا تَطْوَافِها واستَوْعَبَتْ
كَأسَthe cup of الكَرَىsleep شُرْباًby drinking إلىuntil الإشْرَاقِsunrise
كَأسَ الكَرَى شُرْباً إلى الإشْرَاقِ
she lays down the staff of her wanderings and drains
Or if a long night comes to one restless,
the cup of sleep, drinking until sunrise.
Sorrow shreds it, stoking disquiet,
أوor إنْif أتَىcame اللّيلُthe night الطَّويلِlong لمُقْلَةٍto an eye
أو إنْ أتَى اللّيلُ الطَّويلِ لمُقْلَةٍ
شَتَّdeparted الكَرَىsleep وإلىand to حَشَاa heart of إقْلاقِunrest
شَتَّ الكَرَى وإلى حَشَا إقْلاقِ
Or if the long night comes upon an eye
And remembrance hurls at my bedclothes missiles
whose sleep has fled, and upon a heart full of unrest
No medicine can counter or potion cure,
وتذَكُّرٍand remembrance يرْمِيpelts الحَشَاthe heart بأَسَاوِدٍwith black serpents
وتذَكُّرٍ يرْمِي الحَشَا بأَسَاوِدٍ
ماnot مَنْone whom نَهَشْنَthey bit يُفيدُhelps فيهِin his case الرَّاقِيthe charm-healer
ما مَنْ نَهَشْنَ يُفيدُ فيهِ الرَّاقِي
and remembrance that hurls black serpents at the heart—
Longing for people whose place is my heart
no charm-healer can help anyone they have bitten—
Though distant on my horizons.
شَوْقاًout of longing إلىfor القَومِthe people الذينwho محلُّهُمْtheir dwelling
شَوْقاً إلى القَومِ الذين محلُّهُمْ
قَلْبيmy heart وإنْalthough بَعُدواthey are distant علَىfrom أحْدَاقِيmy pupils
قَلْبي وإنْ بَعُدوا علَى أحْدَاقِي
out of longing for the people whose dwelling
I left them, unable to bid farewell,
is my heart, though they are far from my sight.
Or turn my hand to embrace.
فَارَقْتُهُمْI parted from them لَمْdid not أَلْوِI turn منany جِيدٍneck لِتَوْfor fare-
فَارَقْتُهُمْ لَمْ أَلْوِ من جِيدٍ لِتَوْ
دِيعٍ-well ولَمْnor did I أَعْطِفْbend يَداًa hand لِعِنَاقِfor an embrace
دِيعٍ ولَمْ أَعْطِفْ يَداً لِعِنَاقِ
I parted from them without turning my neck to bid
Days before hurried my departure
farewell, nor bending an arm for an embrace.
From a friend, hastening my course.
قَدindeed كانَتِwere الأَيَّامُthe days تُعْجِلُhasten رِحلَتِيmy departure
قَد كانَتِ الأَيَّامُ تُعْجِلُ رِحلَتِي
عَنْaway from وَاصلٍone who maintains closeness وتَجُدُّand hasten عَنْهُaway from him سِيَاقِيmy being driven onward
عَنْ وَاصلٍ وتَجُدُّ عَنْهُ سِيَاقِي
The days once hastened my departure
Today they envy me one I did not reach
from one who offered closeness, and drove me swiftly away from him.
And squeeze me for the taste they stole.
فاليَومَso today تَحسِدُنِيenvy me علَىfor مَنْone who لمhas not يَصِلْmade contact
فاليَومَ تَحسِدُنِي علَى مَنْ لم يَصِلْ
وتَغَصُّنيand choke me منfrom قَبلُbefore حِينَat the moment of مَذَاقِيmy tasting
وتَغَصُّني من قَبلُ حِينَ مَذَاقِي
So today they begrudge me even one who has not joined me,
By God, if sustenance is apportioned,
and before, they choked me at the very moment of tasting.
And they are not struck by separation’s arrow,
وأَبيby my father لئِنْif indeed قُسِمَwas allotted الدُّنوُّnearness لِمَعْشَرٍto a group
وأَبي لئِنْ قُسِمَ الدُّنوُّ لِمَعْشَرٍ
رِزْقاًas a portion فَلَمْand not يُرمَوْاthey were struck بِسَهمِby the arrow of فِرَاقِseparation
رِزْقاً فَلَمْ يُرمَوْا بِسَهمِ فِرَاقِ
By my father, if closeness was allotted to some
I am distinguished by distance and estrangement
as their portion, and they were spared separation's arrow,
From those I love, with amplest shares.
فَلَقَدْthen indeed خُصِصْتُI was singled out منof التَّبَاعُدِdistance والنَّوَىand separation
فَلَقَدْ خُصِصْتُ من التَّبَاعُدِ والنَّوَى
عَمَّنْfrom those whom أُحِبُّI love بأوْفَرِwith the most abundant الأَرْزَاقِallotments
عَمَّنْ أُحِبُّ بأوْفَرِ الأَرْزَاقِ
then I have indeed been singled out, in distance and separation
from those I love, for the richest of portions.
Partial English translation: 36 of 38 Arabic lines translated.