أَبَيْنٌis it parting? واشْتِياقٌand longing وَارْتِياعُand dismay
أَبَيْنٌ واشْتِياقٌ وَارْتِياعُ
لَقَدْindeed حُمِّلْتُI was burdened مَاwhat لاnot يُسْتَطَاعُcan be borne
لَقَدْ حُمِّلْتُ مَا لا يُسْتَطَاعُ
Parting, longing, and dismay?
Indeed, I have been burdened with what cannot be borne.
تَمَلَّكَنِيpossessed me الهَوَىlove فَأَطَعْتُso I obeyed قَسْراًunder compulsion
تَمَلَّكَنِي الهَوَى فَأَطَعْتُ قَسْراً
أَلاbehold إِنَّindeed الهَوَىlove مَلكٌa king مُطَاعُobeyed
أَلا إِنَّ الهَوَى مَلكٌ مُطَاعُ
Love possessed me, so I obeyed against my will.
Behold, love is a king who is obeyed.
وَرَوَّعَنِيand terrified me الفِراقُparting عَلَىdespite احْتِماليmy endurance
وَرَوَّعَنِي الفِراقُ عَلَى احْتِمالي
ومَنْand who ذَاis there بِالتَّفَرُّقِby separation لاnot يُرَاعُis alarmed
ومَنْ ذَا بِالتَّفَرُّقِ لا يُرَاعُ
And parting terrified me, despite my endurance;
And who is not alarmed by separation?
بِعَيْنِin the sight of اللَّهِGod حِفْظِيmy safeguarding دُونَrather than يَحْيَىYahya
بِعَيْنِ اللَّهِ حِفْظِي دُونَ يَحْيَى
وكَتْمِيand my concealing مَاwhat يُضَاعis squandered ومَاand what يُذَاعُis divulged
وكَتْمِي مَا يُضَاع ومَا يُذَاعُ
God sees how I, unlike Yahya, safeguard
And conceal what is squandered and what is divulged.
وَلَيْسَand is not هَوَىlove for الأَحِبَّةthe beloved غَيْرَother than عِلْقٍa treasure
وَلَيْسَ هَوَى الأَحِبَّة غَيْرَ عِلْقٍ
لَدَيَّin my keeping فَمَاso not يُعَارُis lent ولاand not يُباعُis sold
لَدَيَّ فَمَا يُعَارُ ولا يُباعُ
And love for the beloved is nothing but a treasure
In my keeping, neither lent nor sold.
طَوَيْتُI folded عَلَيْهِaround it أَضْلاعِيmy ribs لِيَبْقَىso it may endure
طَوَيْتُ عَلَيْهِ أَضْلاعِي لِيَبْقَى
إذَاwhen الأعْلاقُprecious possessions أتْلَفَهَاdestroys them الضَّيَاعُloss
إذَا الأعْلاقُ أتْلَفَهَا الضَّيَاعُ
I folded my ribs around it, so it might endure
When loss destroys precious possessions.
لَزِمْتُI clung to الصَّبْرَpatience حَتَّىuntil عيلwas exhausted صَبْرِيmy patience
لَزِمْتُ الصَّبْرَ حَتَّى عيل صَبْرِي
وَبانَand became clear العُذْرُthe excuse إذْwhen جَدَّgrew firm الزَّماعُresolve to depart
وَبانَ العُذْرُ إذْ جَدَّ الزَّماعُ
I clung to patience until my patience was spent,
And my excuse was clear when resolve to depart grew firm.
فَلِلْعَبَرَاتِso for the tears بَعْدَهُمُafter them انْحِدَارa downward flow
فَلِلْعَبَرَاتِ بَعْدَهُمُ انْحِدَار
ولِلزَّفَراتِand for the sighs إثْرَهُمُin their wake ارْتِفَاعُa rising
ولِلزَّفَراتِ إثْرَهُمُ ارْتِفَاعُ
So after them the tears stream down,
And in their wake the sighs rise up.
أَلاbehold إنَّindeed الأَحِبَّةَthe beloved لَوْif only أَقامُواthey stayed
أَلا إنَّ الأَحِبَّةَ لَوْ أَقامُوا
مَتاعٌa delight صَالِحٌgoodly نِعْمhow excellent المَتَاعُthe delight
مَتاعٌ صَالِحٌ نِعْم المَتَاعُ
Behold, the beloved—if only they stayed—
Would be a goodly delight—what a delight!
لَهُمْtheirs is أَمْرِيmy fate فإنْso if شَاؤُواthey wish بَقَائِيmy survival
لَهُمْ أَمْرِي فإنْ شَاؤُوا بَقَائِي
بَقِيتُI live on وإنْand if أَبَوْهُthey refuse it فَلاthen no امْتِناعُresistance
بَقِيتُ وإنْ أَبَوْهُ فَلا امْتِناعُ
My fate is theirs: if they wish me to live,
I live on; and if they refuse it, I cannot resist.
وَإنَّand indeed مِنَamong العَجَائِبِthe wonders جُبْنَthe cowardice of قَلْبِيmy heart
وَإنَّ مِنَ العَجَائِبِ جُبْنَ قَلْبِي
بُعَيْدَshortly after نَواهُمُtheir departure وهوَthough it is الشُّجَاعُthe brave one
بُعَيْدَ نَواهُمُ وهوَ الشُّجَاعُ
And among the wonders is my heart's cowardice,
Soon after their departure, though it is brave.
نَأَوْاthey went far away حَقّاًtruly ولاand not أَدْرِيI know أيُقْضَىwhether it is decreed
نَأَوْا حَقّاً ولا أَدْرِي أيُقْضَى
تَلاقٍa meeting أوْor يُباحُis permitted لناto us اجْتِمَاعُa reunion
تَلاقٍ أوْ يُباحُ لنا اجْتِمَاعُ
They have truly gone far; I know not whether we are destined
To meet, or whether we shall be allowed to reunite.