فُؤادٌa heart بِهِwithin it مِنfrom فَقدthe loss of أَحبابِهِits loved ones جَمرُembers
فُؤادٌ بِهِ مِن فَقد أَحبابِهِ جَمرُ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle خَبتdie down نيرانُهُits fires هاجَهاrekindles them الذكرremembrance
إِذا ما خَبت نيرانُهُ هاجَها الذكر
A heart with embers within it from the loss of its loved ones:
Whenever its fires die down, remembrance rekindles them.
تَغيبُهُmakes it absent الذِكرىremembrance وَتُحضِرُهُand makes it present المُنىhopes
تَغيبُهُ الذِكرى وَتُحضِرُهُ المُنى
فَصَحوٌso sobriety وَلاand no صَحوٌsobriety وَسكرand drunkenness وَلاand no سُكرdrunkenness
فَصَحوٌ وَلا صَحوٌ وَسكر وَلا سُكر
Remembrance carries it away, and hopes bring it back;
So sobriety, yet no sobriety; drunkenness, yet no drunkenness.
وَقَلبٌand a heart جَريحwounded حَشوهُits contents لاعجِthe searing pain of الأَسىgrief
وَقَلبٌ جَريح حَشوهُ لاعجِ الأَسى
وَجِفنٌand an eyelid قَريحٌsore بَعدafter غَزرa torrent of tears لَهُit has غَزرa torrent of tears
وَجِفنٌ قَريحٌ بَعد غَزر لَهُ غَزر
And a wounded heart, filled with the searing pain of grief,
And a sore eyelid, shedding torrent after torrent of tears.
وَغَيرand not بَديعstrange مِنهُfrom it أَنthat يُمطرit rains down الدَماblood
وَغَير بَديع مِنهُ أَن يُمطر الدَما
إِذاwhen اِجتَمَعunite الشَوقlonging المُبرّحagonizing وَالهَجرand abandonment
إِذا اِجتَمَع الشَوق المُبرّح وَالهَجر
And it is no wonder that it should rain blood,
When agonizing longing and abandonment unite.
فَكَيفَhow then وَقَدand already شَطَتhas gone far بِناwith us غُربةexile النَوىseparation
فَكَيفَ وَقَد شَطَت بِنا غُربة النَوى
وَأَصبَحand now stands مِنon دونthis side of اللُقاreunion البَرthe land وَالبَحرand the sea
وَأَصبَح مِن دون اللُقا البَر وَالبَحر
How, then, when separation's exile has carried us far away,
And land and sea now stand between us and reunion?
بِنَفسيَwith my soul as ransom سحارenchanter الجُفونthe eyelids إِذاwhen رَناhe gazes
بِنَفسيَ سحار الجُفون إِذا رَنا
تَبَدَّدscatters لُبُّthe wits of الصَبthe lovesick lover وَاِنكَشَفand is revealed السرthe secret
تَبَدَّد لُبُّ الصَب وَاِنكَشَف السر
My soul be ransom for him whose eyelids bewitch: when he gazes,
The lovesick lover's wits scatter, and the secret is laid bare.
تَكلمنيspeak to me بَينَamong الوشاةthe talebearers لِحاظُهُhis glances
تَكلمني بَينَ الوشاة لِحاظُهُ
فَأَقضيso I die بِهاthrough them وَجداًof longing وَأَحياand I live وَلَمand did not يَدرواthey know
فَأَقضي بِها وَجداً وَأَحيا وَلَم يَدروا
His glances speak to me among the talebearers;
So through them I die of longing and live, without their knowing.
وَتَشكوand they complain فُتورlanguor of الجفنthe eyelid خَوفfor fear of رَقيبهِhis watcher
وَتَشكو فُتور الجفن خَوف رَقيبهِ
فَيوحيso it whispers إِليَّto me اللَحظthe glance ماwhat نَفثbreathed forth السحرmagic
فَيوحي إِليَّ اللَحظ ما نَفث السحر
And they lament the eyelid's languor, for fear of his watcher;
So the glance whispers to me what magic has breathed forth.
تَجافيتyou turned away ياO مَولايَmy lord عَنيfrom me فَخانَنيso it betrayed me
تَجافيت يا مَولايَ عَني فَخانَني
شَبابيmy youth وَجارَand oppressed السُقمsickness وَاِنحَرَفَand turned hostile الدَهرtime
شَبابي وَجارَ السُقم وَاِنحَرَفَ الدَهر
You turned away from me, my lord; then I was betrayed by
My youth; sickness oppressed me, and time turned against me.
فَقلبso a heart وَلاand no جسمbody وَطَرفand an eye وَلاand no كَرىsleep
فَقلب وَلا جسم وَطَرف وَلا كَرى
وَشَوقand longing وَلاand no قَلبheart وَلَيلand a night وَلاand no فَجرdawn
وَشَوق وَلا قَلب وَلَيل وَلا فَجر
So a heart, yet no body; an eye, yet no sleep,
And longing, yet no heart; a night, yet no dawn.
أَكاتمI conceal from حُساديmy enviers وَعُذاليand my reproachers الأَسىgrief
أَكاتم حُسادي وَعُذالي الأَسى
وَلَوand if بُحتI spoke openly بِالشَكوىin complaint لِلانwould soften ليَfor me الصَخرrock
وَلَو بُحت بِالشَكوى لِلان ليَ الصَخر
I conceal my grief from my enviers and reproachers;
And if I voiced my complaint, even rock would soften for me.
أَساءَتdid ill بِناto us الأَيّامthe days ظُلماًunjustly فَبرحتso they caused anguish
أَساءَت بِنا الأَيّام ظُلماً فَبرحت
وَماand never بَرحتdeparted مِنfrom طَبعِهاtheir nature الظُلمinjustice وَالغَدرand treachery
وَما بَرحت مِن طَبعِها الظُلم وَالغَدر
The days wronged us unjustly and sorely tormented us;
And injustice and treachery have never left their nature.
أَبىrefused الدَهرtime إِلّاexcept أَنto يُكَدرmuddy مَشرَبيmy drink
أَبى الدَهر إِلّا أَن يُكَدر مَشرَبي
وَهَلand (question marker) نالَobtained مِنof صَفوthe serenity of الزَمانtime فَتىa youth حُرnoble
وَهَل نالَ مِن صَفو الزَمان فَتى حُر
Time would do nothing but muddy my drink;
And has a noble youth ever had a share of time's serenity?
سأَصرفI shall turn away نَفسيmy soul الآنnow عَنfrom كُلevery مَطمَعobject of desire
سأَصرف نَفسي الآن عَن كُل مَطمَع
وَأَزجرهاand I curb it مَهماwhatever يُؤديهاleads it الزجرrebuke
وَأَزجرها مَهما يُؤديها الزجر
I shall now turn my soul away from every object of desire,
And curb it, whatever rebuke may lead it to.
وَاِقطَعand spend أَياميmy days بِحُسنwith good تَوَكُلtrust
وَاِقطَع أَيامي بِحُسن تَوَكُل
وَصَبرand patience عَلىthrough الأَيامthe days ماas long as أَمكَنis possible الصَبرpatience
وَصَبر عَلى الأَيام ما أَمكَن الصَبر
And spend my days in sound trust,
And patience through the days, as long as patience is possible.