أَرِقتُ بِسَلعٍ إِنَّ ذا الشَوقِ يَأرَقُ

أَرِقتُ بِسَلعٍ إِنَّ ذا الشَوقِ يَأرَقُ

لِبَرقٍ تَبَدّى آخِرَ اللَيلِ يَخفُقُ

لِبَرقٍ تَبَدّى آخِرَ اللَيلِ يَخفُقُ

I lay sleepless at Salʿ; indeed, one possessed of longing lies sleepless,

I am sleepless with yearning, for he who pines is sleepless,

because of lightning that appeared late in the night, flickering.

For lightning that flashed at the end of the night fluttering,

أَشِيمُ سَناهُ مِن بَعِيدٍ وَرُبَّما

أَشِيمُ سَناهُ مِن بَعِيدٍ وَرُبَّما

تُشامُ البُرُوقُ مِن بَعِيدٍ فَتَصدُقُ

تُشامُ البُرُوقُ مِن بَعِيدٍ فَتَصدُقُ

I watch its radiance from afar; and sometimes

I discern its glare from afar, and maybe

lightning is watched from afar and proves true.

The lightnings are true from afar, so they prove true,

فَما ذِقتُ مِن نَومٍ وَما زالَ عامِلاً

فَما ذِقتُ مِن نَومٍ وَما زالَ عامِلاً

إِلى الصُبحِ ذاكَ البارِقُ المُتَأَلِّقُ

إِلى الصُبحِ ذاكَ البارِقُ المُتَأَلِّقُ

So I tasted no sleep, and still at work

So I haven’t tasted sleep, while ceaselessly working

until dawn was that gleaming lightning.

Till dawn was that flashing lightning, glittering,

لَهُ تَعتَري المَرءَ الغَرِيبَ صَبابَةٌ

لَهُ تَعتَري المَرءَ الغَرِيبَ صَبابَةٌ

وَشَوقٌ إِلى أَوطانِهِ حِينَ يَبرُقُ

وَشَوقٌ إِلى أَوطانِهِ حِينَ يَبرُقُ

Because of it, yearning overtakes a man far from home,

Homesickness for his far-off home overtakes a stranger

and longing for his homelands whenever it flashes.

When lightnings flash open the heart and make it flutter,

فضنَبَّهتُ لَمّا شَفَّني الوُجدُ وَالبُكا

فضنَبَّهتُ لَمّا شَفَّني الوُجدُ وَالبُكا

أَخاً لِلَّذي قَد غالَني وَهوَ مُطرِقُ

أَخاً لِلَّذي قَد غالَني وَهوَ مُطرِقُ

So, when passion and weeping had worn me thin, I roused

So I whimpered when love and tears pierced me,

a brother to help with what had overwhelmed me, his head bowed,

A brother to him who has captivated me while pondering,

عَزُوفاً عَنِ الأَهواءِ لَم يُحى لَيلَةً

عَزُوفاً عَنِ الأَهواءِ لَم يُحى لَيلَةً

لِشَوقٍ وَلَم يُرفَع إِلى الجَنب مِرفَقُ

لِشَوقٍ وَلَم يُرفَع إِلى الجَنب مِرفَقُ

averse to passions, who had never kept vigil through a night

Aloof from passions, not living a night fretfully

for longing, nor had an elbow been raised to his side,

For yearning, nor lifting his elbow for sighing somberly,

خَفِيّاً عَلى ظَهرِ الفِراشِ كَأَنَّهُ

خَفِيّاً عَلى ظَهرِ الفِراشِ كَأَنَّهُ

بِهِ فَقَرٌ مِن حُبِّهِ النَومَ مُلصِقُ

بِهِ فَقَرٌ مِن حُبِّهِ النَومَ مُلصِقُ

lying hidden on the bed's surface, as though

Hidden on his couch, as if pressed by need for his love

he had a spinal ailment, pinning him down through his love of sleep.

To sleep clinging to him, while the night is dark,

فَهَبَّ وَما هَبَّت مِنَ العَجزِ عَينُهُ

فَهَبَّ وَما هَبَّت مِنَ العَجزِ عَينُهُ

وَمِن سِنَةٍ أَوصالُهُ لا تُطَلَّقُ

وَمِن سِنَةٍ أَوصالُهُ لا تُطَلَّقُ

So he stirred, but his eye, from weakness, did not stir,

So he started up, and his eyes started not with disability

and from drowsiness his limbs would not loosen.

Nor his limbs with old age, too stiff to stir,

إِذا رامَ تَكلِيمي بَداهُ بِبُحَّةٍ

إِذا رامَ تَكلِيمي بَداهُ بِبُحَّةٍ

وَسَدَّ سَبِيلَ القَولِ رِيقٌ فَيَشرَقُ

وَسَدَّ سَبِيلَ القَولِ رِيقٌ فَيَشرَقُ

Whenever he tried to speak to me, he began hoarsely,

When he tried to speak to me, his stammering amazed me,

and saliva blocked the path of speech, so he choked.

And spittle choking his speech burst forth crackling,

يَقُولُ فَيَلحاني كَثيراً وَإِنَّهُ

يَقُولُ فَيَلحاني كَثيراً وَإِنَّهُ

إِذا لامَني عِلمي مِراراً لَأَخرَقُ

إِذا لامَني عِلمي مِراراً لَأَخرَقُ

He speaks and reproaches me often; and indeed,

He speaks and presses me much, though he, when blaming me

when he blames me, he is, as I have often found, truly foolish.

Bitterly, knows my mind is split open by his cracking.

يُكَلِّفُني جَمعاً لِقَلبٍ مُفَرَّقٍ

يُكَلِّفُني جَمعاً لِقَلبٍ مُفَرَّقٍ

وَيَأبى اِجتِماعاً قَلبُكَ المُتَفَرِّقُ

وَيَأبى اِجتِماعاً قَلبُكَ المُتَفَرِّقُ

He bids me gather a scattered heart,

He charges me to unite a fragmented heart,

yet your scattered heart refuses to come together.

While your heart refuses reunion, being fragmented,

فَمِنُهُ فَرِيقٌ بِالحَرامِ وَبَعضُهُ

فَمِنُهُ فَرِيقٌ بِالحَرامِ وَبَعضُهُ

بِوَجٍّ وَبَعضٌ بِالمَدينَةِ مُوثَقُ

بِوَجٍّ وَبَعضٌ بِالمَدينَةِ مُوثَقُ

For a portion of it is in al-Haram, and some of it

For part of it is with the damned, and some of it

in Wajj, and some is bound in Medina.

Is bound by love, and some in town fettered,

فَهَلّا وَدارُ الحَيِّ مُصقِبَةٌ بِهِم

فَهَلّا وَدارُ الحَيِّ مُصقِبَةٌ بِهِم

وَشَملُكَ مَجمُوعٌ وَغُصنُكَ مُونِقُ

وَشَملُكَ مَجمُوعٌ وَغُصنُكَ مُونِقُ

Why, then—while the clan's dwelling was near them,

Why not, while the abode of life crumbles down on them,

and your company was united, and your bough beautiful—

Your protection still united, and your branch still leafy?

بَكَيتُ لَما قَد كانَ أَوهُوَ كائِنٌ

بَكَيتُ لَما قَد كانَ أَوهُوَ كائِنٌ

مِنَ النَأيِ وَالهُجرانِ إِن كُنتَ تُشفِقُ

مِنَ النَأيِ وَالهُجرانِ إِن كُنتَ تُشفِقُ

did I not weep for what had been, or was to come,

I wept for what had happened and what might yet happen

of distance and estrangement, if you were afraid?

Of estrangement and avoidance, if you are compassionate,

إِلى أَيِّ دَهرٍ فَافتَدِه أَنتَ هَكَذا

إِلى أَيِّ دَهرٍ فَافتَدِه أَنتَ هَكَذا

وَقَلبُكَ بِالشَجوِ المُبَرِّحِ مُعَلَقُ

وَقَلبُكَ بِالشَجوِ المُبَرِّحِ مُعَلَقُ

How long—ransom it, then!—will you remain like this,

Until what time will you ransom yourself, while thus

with your heart held fast by agonizing grief?

Your heart is hanging on saddening passion?

إِذا رُمتَ كِتماناً لِوَجدِكَ حَرَّشَت

إِذا رُمتَ كِتماناً لِوَجدِكَ حَرَّشَت

عَلَيكَ العِدى عَينٌ بِسِرِّكَ تَنطُقُ

عَلَيكَ العِدى عَينٌ بِسِرِّكَ تَنطُقُ

When you seek to conceal your passion, it sets

When you tried to conceal your love, the spies pried on you,

enemies against you—an eye that tells your secret.

An eye that speaks your secret, though you are silent,

لَها شاهِدٌ مِن دَمعِها كُلَّما رَقا

لَها شاهِدٌ مِن دَمعِها كُلَّما رَقا

جَرى شاهِدٌ مِن دَمعِها مُتَرَقرِقُ

جَرى شاهِدٌ مِن دَمعِها مُتَرَقرِقُ

It has a witness in its tears; whenever one subsides,

It has a witness from its tears, whenever they flow,

a glistening witness flows from its tears.

A sincere witness, from its streaming tears speaking.