نأتwent far away بيwith me الأوطانthe homelands عنfrom حضرةِthe presence of الإحسانbenevolence
نأت بي الأوطان عن حضرةِ الإحسان
ولاand no معينhelper
ولا معين
The homelands have borne me far from the presence of benevolence,
The homelands have carried me far from the sanctuary of benevolence
And there is no helper.
With no helper
فمنso who لذيfor one with أحزانsorrows لطيبةfor Tayba مذsince كانhe came to be
فمن لذي أحزان لطيبة مذ كان
لهfor him حنينlonging
له حنين
Who, then, will aid a sorrowful man who, ever since he came to be, for Tayba
So who with sorrows could be so fortunate since time began
Has yearned?
To yearn
شطتgrew distant بيwith me الدارthe dwelling فياso, oh شوقاهُoh, the longing!
شطت بي الدار فيا شوقاهُ
ليَثرِبfor Yathrib
ليَثرِب
My dwelling has cast me far away—oh, my longing
The abode has sailed with me, oh how I yearn
For Yathrib!
For Yathrib
اخدانهhis close friends سنارواunclear; possibly departed والبينand separation أقصاهُcast him far away
اخدانه سناروا والبين أقصاهُ
بالمغربin the Maghreb
بالمغرب
His close friends [departed?], and separation has cast him far away
Its branches are companions, though distance keeps us apart
In the Maghreb.
In the Maghreb
فيin قلبهhis heart نارa fire تذكيهkindle it أمواهُwaters
في قلبه نار تذكيه أمواهُ
فلتعجَبso marvel
فلتعجَب
In his heart is a fire that waters kindle—
In my heart a fire kindles these passions
So marvel!
So be amazed
لوif سابقhe raced الأخدانthe close friends فيin ذلكthat الميدانthe arena
لو سابق الأخدان في ذلك الميدان
أضحىhe would become مكينeminent; firmly established
أضحى مكين
If he raced his close friends in that arena,
If the branches raced in that arena
He would become eminent.
They would be established
فحالفso ally yourself with الأشجانsorrows واصحبand keep company with معwith الأحيانthe passing times
فحالف الأشجان واصحب مع الأحيان
قلباa heart حزينsorrowful
قلبا حزين
So ally yourself with sorrows, and as time passes, befriend
So the most intense sorrows accompanied the times
A sorrowful heart.
A grieving heart
للموردِtoward the watering place العذبsweet والمنهَلِand the spring السلسلsmooth-flowing
للموردِ العذب والمنهَلِ السلسل
شدواthey made ready الرحيلdeparture
شدوا الرحيل
Toward the sweet watering place and the smooth-flowing spring
To the sweet springs and cascading streams
They made ready to depart.
They marched on
فياso, oh ظماthe thirst of قلبيmy heart لذلكfor that المنهلthe spring
فيا ظما قلبي لذلك المنهل
هلis there منany مقيلa noonday resting place
هل من مقيل
Oh, how my heart thirsts for that spring!
Oh my burning heart for that stream
Is there a place for noonday rest
Is there any rest
بساحةin the precinct of القربnearness فيبردso may cool السلسَلthe flowing water
بساحة القرب فيبرد السلسَل
حرthe heat of الغليلthirst
حر الغليل
In the precinct of nearness, so the flowing water may cool
In the field of nearness may the cascade cool the fevered thirst
The heat of thirst?
If it were possible for the thirsty one to be sated
إنif أمكنwas possible الإمكانpossibility أنthat يكرَعdrink directly الظمآنthe thirsty one
إن أمكن الإمكان أن يكرَع الظمآن
منfrom المعينthe flowing spring
من المعين
If it were possible for the thirsty one to drink
From the fountain
From the flowing spring,
In the meadows of contentment that is fortune
فيin مشرَبِthe watering place of الرضوانdivine favor فذاكthen that is سعدgood fortune دانnear at hand
في مشرَبِ الرضوان فذاك سعد دان
للرائدينfor the seekers
للرائدين
At the watering place of divine favor—that is good fortune near at hand
For the seekers
For the seekers.
Oh guide of the caravan
ياO حاديsinging camel-guide of الظعنthe travelers وسائقand driver of الركبthe caravan
يا حادي الظعن وسائق الركب
إلىto العقيقal-Aqiq
إلى العقيق
O camel-chanter guiding the travelers, and driver of the caravan
To al-Aqiq
To al-Aqiq,
I lament the separation - is there a path
أسفتُI grieved للبينat separation فهَلso is there إلىtoward القربِnearness
أسفتُ للبين فهَل إلى القربِ
يلفىto be found طريقa path
يلفى طريق
I grieved at separation—is there, toward nearness,
That leads to the beloved
A path to be found?
When intentions come near the rising of stars
متىwhen النوىseparation تدنىbrings near منto مطلعthe rising-place of الشهبthe bright stars
متى النوى تدنى من مطلع الشهب
قلباa heart خفوقfluttering
قلبا خفوق
When will separation bring close to the rising-place of the bright stars
A fluttering heart
A fluttering heart?
For Yathrib is a garden of spirit and sweet basil
فيثربfor Yathrib بستانa garden للروحfor repose والريحانand sweet basil
فيثرب بستان للروح والريحان
فيهin it فنونvarieties
فيه فنون
For Yathrib is a garden of repose and sweet basil,
Filled with varieties
Containing many varieties.
Its blooming trees give life to the world
ودوحُهُand its spreading trees المزدانadorned تحياcome to life بهthrough it الأكوانthe worlds
ودوحُهُ المزدان تحيا به الأكوان
فيin كلevery حينmoment
في كل حين
And its adorned grove gives life to the worlds
At all times
At every moment.
O best of Messengers with miracles
ياO خيرbest مرسولmessenger للحرّto the free والعبدِand the enslaved
يا خير مرسول للحرّ والعبدِ
بالمعجزاتwith miracles
بالمعجزات
O best messenger to the free and the enslaved,
For the free and slave
With miracles,
The cry of a crazed man called from afar
نداءُa cry of مخبولa distraught man نادىhe called علىat بعدa distance
نداءُ مخبول نادى على بعد
خوفَin fear of المماتdeath
خوفَ الممات
The cry of a distraught man who called from afar
In fear of death
In fear of death.
You are my comfort and you are my goal
أنتمyou منىthe object of longing سولىmy desire وأنتمُand you قصدىmy aim
أنتم منى سولى وأنتمُ قصدى
وليand I have صفاتqualities
ولي صفات
You are the object of my longing, and you are my aim;
And for me attributes
And I have qualities
That ravish the ears and require separation
تمُجُّهاspit them out الآذانthe ears وتقتضىand demand الهجرانestrangement
تمُجُّها الآذان وتقتضى الهجران
فماso what يكونwill become
فما يكون
That ears spit out and that demand estrangement.
What can be done
So what will become
Who with passions recounts in the blooming thickets
منof ذيone with شجونsorrows عانa captive يحكىimitates بدوحamong the spreading trees of البانthe bān
من ذي شجون عان يحكى بدوح البان
شاديsinger of الغصونthe boughs
شادي الغصون
Of a sorrow-laden captive who, among the bān trees, imitates
Of swaying branches
The singer of the boughs?
O passionate one, the intention is for the lost
ياO صاحfriend والقصدُand the aim أنthat يظفَرَshould prevail الأوّاهthe sighing supplicant
يا صاح والقصدُ أن يظفَرَ الأوّاه
يقصدهِhe seeks him or it
يقصدهِ
O friend, the aim is that the sighing supplicant should prevail,
To seek Him
As he seeks him.
If distance has blinded you, trust in God's forgiveness
إنif شفكwears you thin البعدُdistance فثقthen trust بعفوin the pardon of اللَهGod
إن شفك البعدُ فثق بعفو اللَه
عنfor عبدهِHis servant
عن عبدهِ
If distance wears you thin, trust in God's pardon
For His servant
For His servant.
And leave the youth who wanders, distracted
ودَعand leave فتىa youth يشدوsings واللهوُand amusement قدalready ألهاهdistracted him
ودَع فتى يشدو واللهوُ قد ألهاه
عنfrom رُشدهِhis right guidance
عن رُشدهِ
And leave a youth singing—amusement has distracted him
From the right path
From his right course.
O gardens, create from the orchards
جنّانgardener ياO جنانgardener إجنpluck منfrom البُستانthe garden
جنّان يا جنان إجن من البُستان
الياسمينthe jasmine
الياسمين
Gardener, O gardener, pluck from the garden
Jasmine
The jasmine,
And leave the sweet basil for the sanctity of the Merciful
وخلّand leave الريحانthe sweet basil بحرمَةِby the sanctity of الرحمنthe All-Merciful
وخلّ الريحان بحرمَةِ الرحمن
للعاشِقينfor the lovers
للعاشِقين
And leave the sweet basil, for the All-Merciful's sake,
For the lovers
For the lovers.
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.