سمعت ان يعيني سيدي رمدا

سمعت ان يعيني سيدي رمدا

فقلت ليت بعيني ذلك الرمد

فقلت ليت بعيني ذلك الرمد

I heard that my lord's eyes were inflamed,

I heard that helping me would pain my master,

so I said, 'If only that inflammation were in my own eyes!'

So I said, "If only that pain were in my eye!"

وليت اعضاء حمى وهي منزله

وليت اعضاء حمى وهي منزله

لو عاد يصلح منها للفدا جلد

لو عاد يصلح منها للفدا جلد

And would that my limbs were his sanctuary, for they are his dwelling,

I wish the parts of fever were its dwelling,

if any skin of them were again fit to serve as ransom.

So from them skin for ransom could be paid.

ان رمس تعلم فعل البين في جسد

ان رمس تعلم فعل البين في جسد

فانظر إلي فإني ذلك الجسد

فانظر إلي فإني ذلك الجسد

If you wish to know what separation does to a body,

If love learned how bodies sicken,

then look at me, for I am that very body.

Then look at me—I am that body!

انا الغريب الذي ان مات في بلد

انا الغريب الذي ان مات في بلد

لم يرثه غير جاري دمعه احد

لم يرثه غير جاري دمعه احد

I am the stranger who, if he dies in some land,

I am the stranger who, if he died in a land,

has no one to mourn him except his own flowing tears.

None would mourn him but the tears of a friend.

اذا بكى كتبت في الارض ادمعه

اذا بكى كتبت في الارض ادمعه

العلق لا ينتقضي او ينقضي الابد

العلق لا ينتقضي او ينقضي الابد

When he weeps, his tears write upon the earth:

When he wept he'd inscribe his tears on the earth—

'Love will not end until eternity itself ends.'

Traces that do not vanish or end.

يندى الثر من عظامي كلما بليت

يندى الثر من عظامي كلما بليت

ولا يزال عليه ينبت الكمد

ولا يزال عليه ينبت الكمد

The soil grows moist from my bones whenever they decay,

The burial mound crumbles from my bones

and grief never ceases to sprout upon it.

Whenever I am worn away, and still the bramble grows over it.

علاقة لي بالشهباء ما ذكرت

علاقة لي بالشهباء ما ذكرت

الا استفاضت دما من مقلتي الكبد

الا استفاضت دما من مقلتي الكبد

I have a bond with al-Shahba: never is she recalled

I have no pact with the shooting star I mentioned

without my liver pouring blood out through my eyes.

Unless blood poured copiously from my liver.

دار عرفت بها اللذات عن كثب

دار عرفت بها اللذات عن كثب

وانت يا سند العلياء لي سند

وانت يا سند العلياء لي سند

A home where I knew pleasures at close hand,

A house I knew where pleasures were manifold,

and you, O pillar of glory, were my support,

And you, O pillar of the lofty ones, were my pillar.

اذ للهوى بيننا صرف ونحن على

اذ للهوى بيننا صرف ونحن على

جاه الصبا في تعاطيه فم ويد

جاه الصبا في تعاطيه فم ويد

when love's pure wine flowed between us and we, in

For between us passion turned like the celestial sphere,

youth's favor, were mouth and hand in drinking it.

And we were in our prime, hand and mouth.

تقضي الليالي عناء وهي من حنق

تقضي الليالي عناء وهي من حنق

تكاد بين شرار النجم تنقد

تكاد بين شرار النجم تنقد

The nights decree suffering, and in their rage they

Nights were sleepless from ecstasy and, vexed,

almost burst among the sparks of the stars.

Nearly rent the shreds of stars apart.

وبعد ما بلغت مني النوى ارباً

وبعد ما بلغت مني النوى ارباً

واستخلفت من شبابي بعدك الجدد

واستخلفت من شبابي بعدك الجدد

And after separation had had its way with me,

After intentions in me climbed to fourths,

and, in your absence, had replaced my youth with streaks of age,

And after you my fresh successors took my youth,

امست بصبح الغنى الاسفار توعدني

امست بصبح الغنى الاسفار توعدني

ولم يزل بتمادي بيننا الأمد

ولم يزل بتمادي بيننا الأمد

my journeys began promising me the dawn of wealth,

The dawns of wealth threatened me with departures,

while the time between us kept lengthening,

And distance between us continued to grow.

حتى التقينا وضاءت منك اوديتي

حتى التقينا وضاءت منك اوديتي

فكنت انت الذي كانت به تعد

فكنت انت الذي كانت به تعد

until we met, and through you my valleys shone,

Until we met, and my valleys shone because of you,

and you proved to be the one they had promised.

For you were the one they had promised me.

يا قلب خل الجوى وانظر تحيته

يا قلب خل الجوى وانظر تحيته

فقد تلقاك منها الثلج والبرد

فقد تلقاك منها الثلج والبرد

O heart, leave anguish behind and behold his greeting:

O heart, leave passion and look at his greeting,

for from it snow and hail have come to meet you.

For from it you met snow and hail.

ان عيدتني قبل العيد طلعته

ان عيدتني قبل العيد طلعته

فاليوم لي وليكن للآخرين غد

فاليوم لي وليكن للآخرين غد

If his face has given me a feast before the feast day,

If he returned me before the feast, his rising

then today is mine; let tomorrow belong to others.

Was for me—let tomorrow be for others!

وان اكن بمديحي فيه منفردا

وان اكن بمديحي فيه منفردا

فإن مجد صلاح الدين منفرد

فإن مجد صلاح الدين منفرد

And if I stand alone in my praise of him,

And if in praising him I stand alone,

then Salah al-Din's glory stands alone.

Then the glory of Saladin stands alone!

ما قلت في مصر لي عيد اسرّ به

ما قلت في مصر لي عيد اسرّ به

لو لم أجد من صلاح الدين ما اجد

لو لم أجد من صلاح الدين ما اجد

I would not have said, 'In Egypt I have a feast to rejoice in,'

I said, In Egypt I have no feast that delights me,

had I not found in Salah al-Din what I find.

Unless from Saladin I find what I find.