عادَrevisited المتيّمَthe lovesick man شَوقٌlonging كانَhad been قَدalready ذَهباdeparted
عادَ المتيّمَ شَوقٌ كانَ قَد ذَهبا
وَزادَand increased فيin قَلبِهِhis heart طولُthe length النَوىof separation لهباa flame
وَزادَ في قَلبِهِ طولُ النَوى لهبا
A longing that had departed revisited the lovesick man,
The longing that had left returned to al-Mutayyam
and prolonged separation increased the flame within his heart.
And the fire of his yearning for them increased in his heart
صَبٌّa lovesick man قَريبُnear الأَمانيhopes فيin البِعادseparation إِذاwhenever
صَبٌّ قَريبُ الأَماني في البِعاد إِذا
تذكَّرَhe remembered الهاجرينthose who forsake الجيرَةَthe neighbors الغَيباthe absent
تذكَّرَ الهاجرين الجيرَةَ الغَيبا
Lovesick, his hopes are near despite the distance, whenever
A young man whose hopes were near despite the distance when
he remembers those who forsook him—the absent neighbors.
He remembered the emigrants and the absent neighborhood
أَيّامُهُhis days وَلياليهِand his nights مقسَّمَةٌdivided
أَيّامُهُ وَلياليهِ مقسَّمَةٌ
أَنto يَلتَقيencounter السهدَsleeplessness فيهاin them أَوor يَرىsee الحرباstrife
أَن يَلتَقي السهدَ فيها أَو يَرى الحربا
His days and nights are divided
His days and nights are divided
between encountering sleeplessness in them and witnessing strife.
For him to meet his loved ones or see warfare
يَستَنشِقhe inhales الريحَthe wind مِنfrom تلقائهمtheir direction فَإِذاand whenever
يَستَنشِق الريحَ مِن تلقائهم فَإِذا
هَبَّتblew شَمالٌa north wind غَلاgrew fervent فيin عشقهِhis passion وَصباand yearned
هَبَّت شَمالٌ غَلا في عشقهِ وَصبا
He inhales the wind from their direction; and whenever
He sniffs the wind coming from their direction so when
a north wind blows, his passion seethes and he yearns.
A north wind blows he is fervent in his love and youthful
قالَsaid العذولُthe reproacher تصبَّرbe patient عنwithout محبّتهمloving them
قالَ العذولُ تصبَّر عن محبّتهم
وَالحبّyet love كالقَلبlike the heart بَعدَafter البُعدِseparation قَدindeed وَجباthrobbed
وَالحبّ كالقَلب بَعدَ البُعدِ قَد وَجبا
The reproacher said, “Be patient and forgo loving them,”
The bachelor acted aloof from his love for them
yet love, like the heart, has throbbed since the parting.
And love is like the heart - absence makes it grow fonder
بَينَbetween الفؤادِthe heart وَبينَand between الصبرِpatience فاصِلَةٌa barrier
بَينَ الفؤادِ وَبينَ الصبرِ فاصِلَةٌ
واِسألand ask رحيليmy departure عَنهمfrom them تعرفyou will know السبباthe reason
واِسأل رحيلي عَنهم تعرف السببا
Between the heart and patience lies a barrier;
There is a separation between the heart and patience
ask my departure from them, and you will know the reason.
Ask about my departure to learn the reason
رفعتُI removed صَبريmy patience عَنّيfrom me إِذاwhen رَحلتُI departed وَقَدand indeed
رفعتُ صَبري عَنّي إِذا رَحلتُ وَقَد
لقيتI encountered فيin سَفَريmy journey منfrom بعدهمafter them نصباhardship
لقيت في سَفَري من بعدهم نصبا
I cast my patience aside when I departed, and indeed
I put aside my patience when I traveled though
I met with hardship on my journey after leaving them.
I faced tribulation after them during my journey
هَلwill …? عائِدٌreturning والأَمانيwhile hopes لَمnot تزلcease to be عرضاًan incidental attribute
هَل عائِدٌ والأَماني لَم تزل عرضاً
لِلقَلبto the heart منof جوهرthe substance الأَفراحof joys ماwhat ذَهباdeparted
لِلقَلب من جوهر الأَفراح ما ذَهبا
Will there return—while hopes remain a mere incidental attribute—
Will he return while hopes still expose
to the heart what has departed of the substance of joy?
The heart to the essence of joy that has passed
ياO كامِلَperfect in الحُسنِbeauty حزنيmy sorrow وافِرٌabundant وأَرىand I see
يا كامِلَ الحُسنِ حزني وافِرٌ وأَرى
وجديmy longing مَديداًprolonged وَصَبريand my patience عنكaway from you مقتَضَباcurtailed
وجدي مَديداً وَصَبري عنك مقتَضَبا
O you perfect in beauty, my sorrow is abundant, and I see
O most beautiful in appearance, my sorrow is abundant and I see
my longing prolonged, and my patience away from you curtailed.
My affliction prolonged and my patience for you curtailed
لاmay … not أَبعدbanish اللَهُGod أَيّاماًdays بقربكnear you قَدalready
لا أَبعد اللَهُ أَيّاماً بقربك قَد
حلَّتarrived ولكنّهاbut they مَرَّتpassed فَواso, oh عَجَباwhat a wonder
حلَّت ولكنّها مَرَّت فَوا عَجَبا
May God not banish the days that, close to you, had
May God not make the days far with your nearness that
arrived—but they passed away; oh, how strange!
Arrived but alas passed so quickly
أَيّامَdays when أَمسىbecame حَبيبُthe beloved القَلبof the heart مقترباًdrawing near
أَيّامَ أَمسى حَبيبُ القَلب مقترباً
منّيto me وَأَبعدَand drove away منwhoever قَدalready كانَhad been مرتقباkeeping watch
منّي وَأَبعدَ من قَد كانَ مرتقبا
Days when the heart’s beloved drew near
The days when the beloved of my heart drew near
to me, and drove away whoever had been watching.
To me and went farther than was expected
وَبِتُّand I spent the night أبصِرُseeing كأسيmy cup وَالمدامُand the wine بِهاin it
وَبِتُّ أبصِرُ كأسي وَالمدامُ بِها
طَرفاًa gaze صَقيلاًburnished إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) صالlunged أَوor ضرباstruck
طَرفاً صَقيلاً إِذا ما صال أَو ضربا
And I spent the night seeing my cup, with the wine within it,
And I stay up to see my cup and the red wine in it
as a burnished gaze whenever it lunged or struck.
When he toasted or struck up conversation
حَتّىuntil قَضىdecreed اللَهGod بِالتِرحالfor departure عنهfrom him فَقَدand indeed
حَتّى قَضى اللَه بِالتِرحال عنه فَقَد
أَمسىbecame الحَبيبthe beloved بظهرbehind الغيبthe unseen مُحتَجِباhidden
أَمسى الحَبيب بظهر الغيب مُحتَجِبا
Until God decreed departure from him; and now
Until God ordained separation from him so
the beloved has become hidden from sight.
The beloved hid behind the veil of absence
عوِّضتُI was compensated بِالبَدرfor the full moon مَحقاًthe moon’s darkening وَالرضىand contentment سُخطاًdispleasure
عوِّضتُ بِالبَدر مَحقاً وَالرضى سُخطاً
وَبِالوصالand for union جفاًestrangement وَالدُّرِّand pearls مُخشَلَباimitation pearls
وَبِالوصال جفاً وَالدُّرِّ مُخشَلَبا
I was given a darkened moon for the full moon, and displeasure for contentment,
I replaced the full moon with loss and acceptance with anger
and estrangement for union, and imitation pearls for pearls.
And union with estrangement and smooth with rough
قَدindeed اِتّخذتُI took شُهوداًwitnesses بِالَّذيto what صنعتdid
قَد اِتّخذتُ شُهوداً بِالَّذي صنعت
أَيديthe hands النَوىof separation بيَto me إِنif أَنكرتمyou deny النُوَباthe calamities
أَيدي النَوى بيَ إِن أَنكرتم النُوَبا
I have called witnesses to what was wrought
I have taken as witnesses what
upon me by the hands of separation, if you deny the calamities:
The hands of fate have done to me if you deny the affliction
الحزنَsorrow فالهمّthen anxiety فالدمعَthen tears الموَرَّدَrose-red فالطthen the… (word fragment)
الحزنَ فالهمّ فالدمعَ الموَرَّدَ فالط
طَرفَeye المسَهَّدsleepless فالأوصابthen ailments فالتَعباthen weariness
طَرفَ المسَهَّد فالأوصاب فالتَعبا
sorrow, then anxiety, then rose-red tears, then the
Sorrow, anxiety, flowing tears, sleepy eyes, limbs in pain, exhaustion
sleepless eye, then ailments, then weariness.
My eyes turned white and his tears turned red
وَاِبيضَّand grew white طرفيmy eye واِحمَرَّتand grew red مَدامِعُهُits tear ducts
وَاِبيضَّ طرفي واِحمَرَّت مَدامِعُهُ
وَاِسودَّand turned black طرفُthe steed اِصطِباريof my endurance بعدكمafter your departure وَكباand stumbled
وَاِسودَّ طرفُ اِصطِباري بعدكم وَكبا
And my eye grew white, and its tear ducts reddened;
And the edge of my endurance for you turned black and bent
and the steed of my endurance turned black after you left, and stumbled.
I sought you so nearness became distance for me
طَلَبتكمI sought you فاِستَحالand turned القربُnearness ليfor me بُعُداًdistance
طَلَبتكم فاِستَحال القربُ لي بُعُداً
ماnot كلّevery وَقتtime يَنالattains المرءa person ماwhat طلباhe sought
ما كلّ وَقت يَنال المرء ما طلبا
I sought you, and nearness became distance for me;
One cannot always get what one wants
one does not always attain what one has sought.
Partial English translation: 35 of 36 Arabic lines translated.