أدرىdoes he know? منone who نامslept عنof الأرقsleeplessness
أدرى من نام عن الأرق
أوor دمعtears مقاهhis eyes المستبقracing ahead
أو دمع مقاه المستبق
Does one who sleeps know of sleeplessness,
Or the racing tears from his eyes?
هيهاتfar from it! فماfor … not الخاليthe carefree one كشحlike one grief-stricken (uncertain reading)
هيهات فما الخالي كشح
ببكاin weeping وأسىand sorrow غرقdrowned حرقburning
ببكا وأسى غرق حرق
Far from it! The carefree are not like one [grief-stricken],
Drowned in weeping and sorrow, burning.
ليلnight سهرwakefulness والصبحand the morning بكاweeping
ليل سهر والصبح بكا
وبدونهماand without them both تلكthose الحدقthe pupils
وبدونهما تلك الحدق
Night is wakefulness, and morning weeping,
And those eyes are without them both.
هجرdesertion ونوىand separation منكfrom you اجتمعاthe two came together
هجر ونوى منك اجتمعا
وكواحدةand like one ضربstriking العنقthe neck
وكواحدة ضرب العنق
Desertion and separation from you have come together,
And beheading is like just one of them.
فارحمso pity صباa lovesick man قدindeed صبhas poured الدمfirst part of ‘the tears’
فارحم صبا قد صب الدم
عcompletion of ‘the tears’ علىupon الخدينboth cheeks كماlike العلقclotted blood
ع على الخدين كما العلق
So pity a lovesick man who has poured tears
Upon his cheeks, like clotted blood.
منwhoever حبloved ولمand was not يرزقgranted حباlove
من حب ولم يرزق حبا
ممنfrom the one whom قدindeed حبhe loved فذاكthen that one شقىis wretched
ممن قد حب فذاك شقى
Whoever has loved but has not been granted love
By the one he has loved—that man is wretched.
الليلthe night يطولgrows long علىfor منone who لمhas not
الليل يطول على من لم
يطعمtasted نوماًsleep طولthroughout الغسقthe darkness
يطعم نوماً طول الغسق
The night grows long for one who has not
Tasted sleep throughout the darkness.
حمدpraised النوامthe sleepers منامهمtheir slumber
حمد النوام منامهم
وشكىand complained السهرانthe wakeful one منof الأرقsleeplessness
وشكى السهران من الأرق
The sleepers praised their slumber,
And the wakeful one complained of sleeplessness.
ياليلO night فنيhas wasted away عمريmy life شهراًa month
ياليل فني عمري شهراً
فمتىso when يفنىwill end ماwhat منكof you بقىremains
فمتى يفنى ما منك بقى
O night, a month of my life has wasted away;
So when will what remains of you end?
منwho ليfor me بالنومwith sleep لعلperhaps الطfirst part of ‘the apparition’
من لي بالنوم لعل الط
يفcompletion of ‘the apparition’ بهin it يبدوappears للمعتنقto the one embracing
يف به يبدو للمعتنق
Who will grant me sleep? Perhaps the apparition
Will appear in it to one who would embrace it.