شقى بعدنا بالبعد من نعمَ نعمانُ

شقى بعدنا بالبعد من نعمَ نعمانُ

وأوحش من لبنى على البعد لبنان

وأوحش من لبنى على البعد لبنان

After our departure, Nuʿmān grew wretched, far from Nuʿm.

After us, misfortune dwelt in remoteness from Na'man's bliss,

And Lebanon grew desolate, far from Lubnā.

And more desolate than Laban's ruins in far-off Lebanon.

سقى القطرُ ما بين العقيق وضارجٍ

سقى القطرُ ما بين العقيق وضارجٍ

معارفَ فيها للأحّبةِ عرفانُ

معارفَ فيها للأحّبةِ عرفانُ

May the rain water what lies between al-ʿAqīq and Ḍārij—

The rain has watered the spaces between al-'Aqiq and Dharij

Familiar landmarks where loved ones are remembered.

Where we and those we love shared dear familiarity.

وحيّا الحيا عهداً عهدناهُ باللّوى

وحيّا الحيا عهداً عهدناهُ باللّوى

لو ديننا فيه صدود وهجرانُ

لو ديننا فيه صدود وهجرانُ

And may the rain greet a time we knew at al-Liwā,

It greeted the living in the days when we frequented it,

Even if our lot there was rejection and estrangement.

Though now our faith there meets rejections and estrangement.

لياليَ روضُ الوصلِ فيهنَّ ممرعُ

لياليَ روضُ الوصلِ فيهنَّ ممرعُ

وغصنُ الصّبا إذ ذاك أخضرُ فينانُ

وغصنُ الصّبا إذ ذاك أخضرُ فينانُ

Nights when the garden of union was lush,

Nights when the meadows of union in them were lush,

And youth’s bough was then green and luxuriant.

And the youthful boughs were freshest green.

تُديرُ علينا الرَّاحَ فيها جآذرٌ

تُديرُ علينا الرَّاحَ فيها جآذرٌ

ويسكرنا باللّحظ منهَّن غزلانُ

ويسكرنا باللّحظ منهَّن غزلانُ

Young antelopes would pass the wine around to us on those nights,

The zephyr would turn about us there brisk lively airs,

And gazelles among them would intoxicate us with their glances.

And gazelles intoxicate us with their dark-eyed glances.

ولم أر مثلي كيف صار بقلبهِ

ولم أر مثلي كيف صار بقلبهِ

من الوجدِ بركانٌ وفي الجفنِ طوفانُ

من الوجدِ بركانٌ وفي الجفنِ طوفانُ

Nor have I seen anyone like me—how there arose within his heart

Never did I see the like of me, how in his heart

A volcano of yearning, and in his eyelid a deluge.

A volcano of passion, while in his eyes a flood.

ولا مثل هذا العدل كيف أَعادَهُ

ولا مثل هذا العدل كيف أَعادَهُ

عليٌّ وقد مَرَّتش من الظلم أزمانُ

عليٌّ وقد مَرَّتش من الظلم أزمانُ

Nor anything like this justice—how it was restored

Nor the like of this justice, how Ali restored it

By ʿAlī, though ages of injustice had passed.

After it had passed through times of injustice and tyranny.