سَلُواask الرَكبَthe caravan عَنabout صَبٍّa lovesick man بِأَعتابِكمat your thresholds مُلقَىcast down
سَلُوا الرَكبَ عَن صَبٍّ بِأَعتابِكم مُلقَى
وَعَنand about مَدمَعٍa flow of tears فيكُمfor you مَدىthroughout الدَهرall time لاnot يَرقاceases
وَعَن مَدمَعٍ فيكُم مَدى الدَهر لا يَرقا
Ask the caravan about a lovesick man cast down at your thresholds,
And about a flow of tears for you that never ceases throughout all time.
وَلاand do not تَسأَلواask غَيرَany except المَطاياthe mounts فَإِنَّهاfor they
وَلا تَسأَلوا غَيرَ المَطايا فَإِنَّها
تُخَبِّرُكمtell you عَنabout شَرحِan account of حاليmy condition وَماand what أَلقىI endure
تُخَبِّرُكم عَن شَرحِ حالي وَما أَلقى
And ask none but the mounts, for they
Tell you the full account of my condition and what I endure.
أَلاah فَاسأَلواthen ask عَنabout مُغرَمٍa love-stricken man كَيفَhow حالُهُhis condition
أَلا فَاسأَلوا عَن مُغرَمٍ كَيفَ حالُهُ
حليقُshorn ضَنىًwasting illness يَشكوhe laments الصَبابةardent longing وَالعِشقاand passionate love
حليقُ ضَنىً يَشكو الصَبابة وَالعِشقا
Ah, then ask about a love-stricken man—how does he fare?
Shorn by wasting illness, he laments yearning and passionate love.
يَحِنُّhe yearns إِلَيكُمfor you كُلَّماwhenever هَبَّتِblows الصَباthe east wind
يَحِنُّ إِلَيكُم كُلَّما هَبَّتِ الصَبا
سُحَيراًjust before dawn وَيَصبُوand yearns كُلَّماwhenever صَدَحتsing وُرقاgray doves
سُحَيراً وَيَصبُو كُلَّما صَدَحت وُرقا
He longs for you whenever the east wind blows
Just before dawn, and yearns whenever gray doves sing.
وَيُطرِبُand stirs delight مِنfrom ذكرىthe memory of حَبيبٍa beloved وَمَنزِلٍand a dwelling
وَيُطرِبُ مِن ذكرى حَبيبٍ وَمَنزِلٍ
وَعَيشٍand a life تَقضّىpassed مَعكُمwith you يانِعاًflourishing طَلقاcarefree
وَعَيشٍ تَقضّى مَعكُم يانِعاً طَلقا
And he stirs delight with the memory of a beloved and a dwelling,
And a life that passed with you, flourishing and carefree.
مُغَنّىًserenaded بِكُمabout you لَوif رامَhe sought إِظهارto reveal بَعضsome of ماwhat
مُغَنّىً بِكُم لَو رامَ إِظهار بَعض ما
يُجِنُّhe conceals مِنَof الأَشواقِthe longings لَمnot يَستَطِعhe could نُطقاspeech
يُجِنُّ مِنَ الأَشواقِ لَم يَستَطِع نُطقا
Serenaded with songs of you, were he to reveal some of what
He conceals of longing, he could not utter a word.
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) جَرىhe raced وَالريحَalongside the wind فيin حَلبَةِthe racecourse of الضَنىwasting illness
إِذا ما جَرى وَالريحَ في حَلبَةِ الضَنى
لِفَرطbecause of excessive نُحولٍemaciation مَسَّهُafflicted him أَحرَزَhe secured السَبقاthe lead
لِفَرط نُحولٍ مَسَّهُ أَحرَزَ السَبقا
Whenever he races the wind on the racecourse of wasting illness,
Because of the extreme emaciation afflicting him, he takes the lead.
يَذوبُhe melts جَوىًwith burning grief حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen عَنَّarises ذِكرُكُمthe memory of you
يَذوبُ جَوىً حَتّى إِذا عَنَّ ذِكرُكُم
جَرىflows دَمعُهُhis tears فيover خَدِّهِhis cheek يُخجِلُputs to shame الوُرقاthe gray doves
جَرى دَمعُهُ في خَدِّهِ يُخجِلُ الوُرقا
He melts with burning grief, until, when the memory of you arises,
His tears flow over his cheek, putting the gray doves to shame.
أَياO نازِليdwellers at سَفحthe foot of المُحَصَّبal-Muhassab مِنin مِنىًMina
أَيا نازِلي سَفح المُحَصَّب مِن مِنىً
وَياand O زائِريvisitors to البيتthe House الحَرامthe Sacred أَلاpray رِفقاbe gentle
وَيا زائِري البيت الحَرام أَلا رِفقا
O dwellers at the foot of al-Muhassab in Mina,
And O visitors to the Sacred House—pray, be gentle!
فَبيfor within me مِنكُمfrom you داءٌan illness بِقَلبيin my heart أجنُّهُI conceal it
فَبي مِنكُم داءٌ بِقَلبي أجنُّهُ
وَسورةُand a surge of أَشجانٍsorrows مَعيwith me أَبَداًforever تَبقىremains
وَسورةُ أَشجانٍ مَعي أَبَداً تَبقى
For, because of you, I have an illness I conceal in my heart,
And a surge of sorrows that stays with me forever.
أَأحبابُناO our beloveds إِنif شَتَّتَتناhas scattered us يَدُthe hand of النَوىseparation
أَأحبابُنا إِن شَتَّتَتنا يَدُ النَوى
وَأَبدَتand has revealed صُروفُthe vicissitudes of الدَهرtime فُرقَتناour separation حَقّاtruly
وَأَبدَت صُروفُ الدَهر فُرقَتنا حَقّا
O our beloveds, if the hand of separation has scattered us,
And time's vicissitudes have truly laid bare our separation,
فَإِنّيthen indeed I عَلىin ماwhat تَعهدونَyou have known وَحَقِّكُمand by your honor
فَإِنّي عَلى ما تَعهدونَ وَحَقِّكُم
وَلَمand not أَبغِI sought يَوماًever مِنfrom وَلائِكُمallegiance to you عِتقاrelease
وَلَم أَبغِ يَوماً مِن وَلائِكُم عِتقا
Then, by your honor, I remain as you have known me,
And never have I sought release from allegiance to you.
سَقىmay He water اللَهُGod أَكنافَthe reaches of الحِجازthe Hijaz وَأَهلَهُand its people
سَقى اللَهُ أَكنافَ الحِجاز وَأَهلَهُ
وَحَيّاand may greet الحَياthe rain عَنّيon my behalf سُويقةَSuwayqa وَالفَلقاand al-Falq
وَحَيّا الحَيا عَنّي سُويقةَ وَالفَلقا
May God water the reaches of the Hijaz and its people,
And may the rain greet Suwayqa and al-Falq on my behalf,
وَخَصَّand especially favor كِرامthe noble among الناسpeople فيin كُلِّevery بَلدةٍtown
وَخَصَّ كِرام الناس في كُلِّ بَلدةٍ
لَقدindeed صرتُI have become فيunder حُكمthe rule of الغَرامpassionate love لَهُمto them رِقّاa slave
لَقد صرتُ في حُكم الغَرام لَهُم رِقّا
And especially favor the noble people in every town.
Indeed, under love's rule, I have become their slave.
إِلهَGod of الوَرىall creation إِنّيindeed I دَعوتُكَhave called upon You ضارِعاًhumbly pleading
إِلهَ الوَرى إِنّي دَعوتُكَ ضارِعاً
بِخَيرِby the best of الوَرىall creation المُختارِthe Chosen One أفصَحُهُمthe most eloquent of them نُطقاin speech
بِخَيرِ الوَرى المُختارِ أفصَحُهُم نُطقا
God of all creation, I have called upon You, humbly pleading,
By the best of creation, the Chosen One, the most eloquent of them in speech:
تُجَمِّعُناYou reunite us عَمّاafter (emphatic) قَريبٍa short time فَإِنَّناfor indeed we
تُجَمِّعُنا عَمّا قَريبٍ فَإِنَّنا
أَضَرَّhas harmed بِناus طولُthe length of البعادِseparation وَماand what نَلقىwe endure
أَضَرَّ بِنا طولُ البعادِ وَما نَلقى
Reunite us before long, for we
Have been harmed by long separation and what we endure.
عَلَيكُمupon you سَلامُthe peace of اللَهِGod ماas long as هامَwanders lovesick عاشِقٌa lover
عَلَيكُم سَلامُ اللَهِ ما هامَ عاشِقٌ
وَشامand spies مُعنّىone tormented الخَوفby fear مِنfrom نَحوِكُمyour direction بَرقاlightning
وَشام مُعنّى الخَوف مِن نَحوِكُم بَرقا
May God's peace be upon you as long as a lover wanders love-mad,
And one tormented by fear spies lightning from your direction.