تَذَكَّرَhe remembered وَالذكرىand remembrance تُهيجُstirs أَخاa companion of الوَجدِpassionate longing
تَذَكَّرَ وَالذكرى تُهيجُ أَخا الوَجدِ
مراتعَpastures ماwhat lies بينbetween الغُوَيرal-Ghuwayr إِلىto نَجدِNajd
مراتعَ ما بين الغُوَير إِلى نَجدِ
He remembered—and remembrance stirs the lovesick—
He remembers and remembrance kindles longing, O brother of passion
the pastures between al-Ghuwayr and Najd.
Pastures between Ghawir and Najd
أَسيرٌa captive يُعانيendures منfrom نوائِبthe calamities of دَهرِهhis time
أَسيرٌ يُعاني من نوائِب دَهرِه
حوادثَmishaps لاnot تنفكُّcease تَترىcome in succession علىwith عَمدِdeliberate intent
حوادثَ لا تنفكُّ تَترى على عَمدِ
A captive, he endures the calamities of his time:
A captive suffering the vicissitudes of fate
mishaps that never cease to follow one another by design.
Events that do not cease to flow as intended
إذاwhen شاقَهُmade him yearn منfrom نحوthe direction of رامةَRamah بارقٌa lightning flash
إذا شاقَهُ من نحو رامةَ بارقٌ
ذرىhe shed عبرَةًa tear منfrom مُقلَتَيهِhis two eyes علىonto الخَدِّthe cheek
ذرى عبرَةً من مُقلَتَيهِ على الخَدِّ
When a lightning flash from the direction of Ramah stirs his longing,
If from the direction of Ramah, a lightning bolt troubles him
he sheds a tear from his eyes onto his cheek.
He sheds tears of sorrow from his eyelids on his cheek
يحنُّhe yearns إِلىfor أَحياءِthe clans of لَيلىLayla بِذيat Dhu الغَضاal-Ghada
يحنُّ إِلى أَحياءِ لَيلى بِذي الغَضا
وَأَينَand how far الغَضاal-Ghada وَيبَalas for المَشوقthe yearning lover منfrom الهِندِIndia
وَأَينَ الغَضا وَيبَ المَشوق من الهِندِ
He yearns for Layla's clans at Dhu al-Ghada.
He yearns for the dwellings of Layla in Dhi Al-Ghada
And how far is al-Ghada—alas for the yearning lover—from India!
But where is Al-Ghada and how far is the longing one from India?
وَيَبكيand he weeps بطَرفٍwith an eye يمتَريdraws forth الشَوقُlonging دمعَهُits tears
وَيَبكي بطَرفٍ يمتَري الشَوقُ دمعَهُ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle شدَتsang ورقٌgray doves عَلىon فننيtwo branches of رندِlaurel
إذا ما شدَت ورقٌ عَلى فنني رندِ
And he weeps, longing drawing tears from his eye,
And he weeps with an eyelid whose longing tears flow
when gray doves sing on two laurel boughs.
When a leaf rustles on the branches of the wild rue
هيَit الدارُthe abode لاmay never غَبَّتfail to visit مراتعthe pastures of غيدِهاits graceful maidens
هيَ الدارُ لا غَبَّت مراتع غيدِها
ذِهابُshowers الغَواديthe morning rainclouds الجونdark تُزجَرare driven on بالرَعدِby thunder
ذِهابُ الغَوادي الجون تُزجَر بالرَعدِ
That is the abode; may its graceful maidens' pastures never lack
It is the abode whose pastures time has not caused to vanish
showers from dark morning clouds, driven on by thunder.
Where the valleys, when thunder rumbles, are constrained
تَحلُّdwells بهاin it غَيداءُa graceful maiden منfrom آلthe clan of عامِرٍAmir
تَحلُّ بها غَيداءُ من آل عامِرٍ
كَليلةُlanguid رَجعِthe movement of الطَرفِthe eye مائسةُswaying القَدِّthe figure
كَليلةُ رَجعِ الطَرفِ مائسةُ القَدِّ
A graceful maiden of Amir's clan dwells there,
Wherein alights Ghaidaa of the clan of Aamir
her glance languid, her figure swaying.
Like the eve of the returning gaze, smooth of shoulder
يُرَنِّحُهاmakes her sway زَهوُthe exuberance of الصِباحينyouth, when تَنثَنيshe bends
يُرَنِّحُها زَهوُ الصِباحين تَنثَني
كَماjust as رنَّحتswayed ريحُthe wind الصباthe east wind عَذبَa tender one of المُلدِthe supple boughs
كَما رنَّحت ريحُ الصبا عَذبَ المُلدِ
Youth's exuberance sets her swaying when she bends,
The swagger of youth makes it sway
as the east wind swayed a tender, supple bough.
As the morning breeze made sweet, pliant mimosa sway
نَمتهاraised her سَراةٌnobles منذؤابةfrom the foremost line of عامِرٍAmir
نَمتها سَراةٌ منذؤابة عامِرٍ
إلىto سَرواتِthe heights of المَجدِglory والحَسَبand ancestral honor العِدِّage-old
إلى سَرواتِ المَجدِ والحَسَب العِدِّ
Nobles from Amir's foremost line raised her
It was awakened by virtuous, noble clans of Aamir
to the heights of glory and age-old ancestral honor.
To the loftiest glory and most honourable lineage
فَياso, ah لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge وَالأَمانيand hopes تَعلَّةٌa solace
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري وَالأَماني تَعلَّةٌ
وَجورُand the tyranny of النَوىseparation يُهديbrings إلىto القَلبthe heart ماwhat يهديit brings
وَجورُ النَوى يُهدي إلى القَلب ما يهدي
Ah, if only I knew—and hopes are but a solace,
Oh would that I knew—but wishes are futile delusions—
and separation's tyranny brings the heart what it brings—
And the injustice of fate guides the heart as it will guide—
أَيُصبِحُwill it become? ذاكَthat العَهدthe former days للشملfor reunion جامِعاًbringing together
أَيُصبِحُ ذاكَ العَهد للشمل جامِعاً
فَيَخبوso it dies down جَوىًburning anguish بينbetween الجَوانحthe ribs ذوpossessing وَقدِa blaze
فَيَخبو جَوىً بين الجَوانح ذو وَقدِ
will those former days reunite us,
Will that epoch of reunion ever come to pass
so the blazing anguish between the ribs dies down,
When ardor will smoulder within breasts that now are desolate?
وَنَغدوand we greet the morning عَلىin رَغمdefiance of الزَمانtime وقدand already صَفَتhave become clear
وَنَغدو عَلى رَغم الزَمان وقد صَفَت
موارِدُthe springs of وَصلٍunion رنَّقتهاmuddied them يَدُthe hand of البُعدِdistance
موارِدُ وَصلٍ رنَّقتها يَدُ البُعدِ
and shall we wake, despite time, with clear
Shall we live despite time and erstwhile
springs of union that distance's hand had muddied?
The springs of reunion will flow, now hindered by separation?