لَوif كُنتَyou were تُبصرyou see حالَتيmy condition
لَو كُنتَ تُبصر حالَتي
أَغنتكَit would spare you عَنfrom وَصفa description اِشتِياقيmy longing
أَغنتكَ عَن وَصف اِشتِياقي
If you could see my condition,
you would need no description of my longing.
وَبِحَسبand sufficient for دَمعيmy tears أَنَّهُthat they are
وَبِحَسب دَمعي أَنَّهُ
دَمعٌtears تَضيقُare too narrow بِهِfor them المَئاقيthe inner corners of the eyes
دَمعٌ تَضيقُ بِهِ المَئاقي
And it suffices to say of my tears that they
are tears the corners of the eyes cannot contain.
وَكَفىand it suffices اللَياليthe nights أَنَّهاthat they
وَكَفى اللَيالي أَنَّها
قَدindeed أَفرَدتنيhave isolated me عَنfrom رِفاقيmy companions
قَد أَفرَدتني عَن رِفاقي
And it suffices to say of the nights that they
have left me alone, apart from my companions.
وَالمَوتand death أَهوَنeasier مِنthan فِراparting (first part)
وَالمَوت أَهوَن مِن فِرا
قparting (final part) وُجوهfaces إِخوانbrothers الوِفاقconcord
ق وُجوه إِخوان الوِفاق
And death is easier than parting
from the faces of brothers in concord.
وَأَحرّand hotter مِنthan نارfire السُموthe scorching wind (first part)
وَأَحرّ مِن نار السُمو
مscorching wind (final part) نَسيمbreeze نيرانfires الفراقseparation
م نَسيم نيران الفراق
And hotter than the fire of the scorching wind
is the breeze from the fires of separation.
إِنif يَسقِنيgives me to drink سابِقاًbeforehand
إِن يَسقِني سابِقاً
ماءَwater الحَياةlife يَدhand التَلاقيreunion
ماءَ الحَياة يَد التَلاقي
If I were given to drink beforehand
the water of life by the hand of reunion,
لانفكَّwould surely come undone طَوقcollar الكَربanguish بالby the (prefix)
لانفكَّ طَوق الكَرب بال
فرجrelief المنفسthat eases عَنfrom خِناقيmy throat
فرج المنفس عَن خِناقي
the collar of anguish would surely be loosened by
relief that eases the grip on my throat.
إِنnot كُنتُI was أَنساكُمforget you (plural) وَلَوeven if
إِن كُنتُ أَنساكُم وَلَو
بَلَغَتreached بيwithin me الروحthe soul التَراقيthe collarbones
بَلَغَت بي الروح التَراقي
I would not forget you, even if
my soul reached my collarbones.
وَأَظُننيand I think myself إِنif ضَنَّwithholds دَهfate (first part)
وَأَظُنني إِن ضَنَّ دَه
ريmy fate (final part) بِالتَلاقيwith reunion غَيرَnot باقيremaining alive
ري بِالتَلاقي غَيرَ باقي
And I think that, if my fate withholds
reunion, I shall not survive.