لهفيmy sorrowful longing علىfor أنسdelight بتونسin Tunis مرّpassed بيby me
لهفي على أنس بتونس مرّ بي
فكأنّماand so, as though أيامُهاits days أحلامُdreams
فكأنّما أيامُها أحلامُ
Alas for the delight in Tunis that passed through my life—
How I long for the delight I once knew in Tunis!
as though her days had been a dream.
And so its days seem like dreams.
ماnot حلّهاlodged in it ذُوone with خلّةneed إلاexcept وقدand indeed
ما حلّها ذُو خلّة إلا وقد
بسمتsmiled لهُat him فيin وجههhis face الأيّامُthe days
بسمت لهُ في وجهه الأيّامُ
No one in need ever alighted there but that
No one in need has ever lodged there without
the days themselves smiled into his face.
the days smiling upon him.
ينسىforgets الغريبُthe stranger بأهلهاthrough its people أوطانهُhis homelands
ينسى الغريبُ بأهلها أوطانهُ
وجميعand all منwhom يهوىhe loves وليسand is not يُضامُmistreated
وجميع من يهوى وليس يُضامُ
Among her people, the stranger forgets his homelands,
Through its people, the stranger forgets his homelands
and all whom he loves, and suffers no wrong.
and everyone he loves, and is never mistreated.
يصبوyearns إلىfor اذكارهاmemories of it قلبيmy heart كماjust as
يصبو إلى اذكارها قلبي كما
يُصبيmakes yearn المحبّthe lover إلىtoward الحبيبthe beloved غرامُpassion
يُصبي المحبّ إلى الحبيب غرامُ
My heart yearns for memories of her, just as
My heart yearns for memories of it, just as
passion makes the lover yearn for the beloved.
passion makes the lover yearn for the beloved.
