تَرىdo you think النازِلينَthose dwelling بِأَرضِin the land of العِراIra- (first part of Iraq)
تَرى النازِلينَ بِأَرضِ العِرا
قِ-q (completes Iraq) قَدalready عَلِمواthey have learned أَنَّthat وَجديmy longing كَذاthus
قِ قَد عَلِموا أَنَّ وَجدي كَذا
Do you think those dwelling in the land of Iraq
The settlers in the land of Iraq have come to know that my love is as such
have learned that my longing is thus?
So no homeland is cherished after them
فَلاso not حَبَّذاhow welcome بَلَدٌa land بَعدَهُمafter their departure
فَلا حَبَّذا بَلَدٌ بَعدَهُم
وَإِنand if أَوطَنوهُthey make it their home فَياthen oh حَبَّذاhow welcome
وَإِن أَوطَنوهُ فَيا حَبَّذا
So no land is welcome once they are gone;
Even if they make it their homeland, how cherished!
but if they make it their home, how welcome it is!
Destruction drew near and passion departed
دَناhas drawn near طَرَبٌrapture وَالهَوىwhile the beloved نازِحٌfar away
دَنا طَرَبٌ وَالهَوى نازِحٌ
فَياso oh بُعدَdistance ذالَكthat وَياand oh قُربَnearness ذاthis
فَيا بُعدَ ذالَك وَيا قُربَ ذا
Rapture has drawn near, while the beloved is far away—
So far is that and so near is this
oh, how far that is, and how near this!
A love I obeyed, thereby angering the critics
هَوىًa beloved ليof mine أَطَعتُI obeyed بِهِconcerning him العاذِلينَthe reproachers
هَوىً لي أَطَعتُ بِهِ العاذِلينَ
وَماand not طاعَةُobedience to العَذلِreproach إِلّاexcept أَذىharm
وَما طاعَةُ العَذلِ إِلّا أَذى
A beloved of mine—I obeyed the reproachers concerning him;
And obedience to criticism is but harm
and obedience to reproach is nothing but harm.
I would annoy my onlooker with it
وَكُنتُand I used to أُقَذّيremove motes from بِهِthrough him ناظِريmy eye
وَكُنتُ أُقَذّي بِهِ ناظِري
فَمُذbut since غابَhe vanished صارَhe became لِعَينيfor my eye قَذىa mote
فَمُذ غابَ صارَ لِعَيني قَذى
And through him I used to clear the motes from my eye;
But since it left, it has become an irritation to my eye
but since he vanished, he has become a mote in my eye.
Partial English translation: 9 of 10 Arabic lines translated.