أَحبّايmy beloved friends أَمّاas for الودُّaffection منّيfrom me فَراسخُthen firmly rooted
أَحبّاي أَمّا الودُّ منّي فَراسخُ
وإنand even if حالَstands as a barrier دونيin my way عنfrom لقاكمmeeting you فراسخُleagues
وإن حالَ دوني عن لقاكم فراسخُ
My beloved friends, my affection is firmly rooted,
though leagues stand between me and meeting you.
كأَنَّas though نَهاريmy day بعدكمafter your departure نابُthe fang of حَيَّةٍa serpent
كأَنَّ نَهاري بعدكم نابُ حَيَّةٍ
وَليليand my night إذاwhen ما(emphatic particle) جنَّfalls أسودُa black serpent سالخُshedding its skin
وَليلي إذا ما جنَّ أسودُ سالخُ
My day since your departure is like a serpent's fang,
and my night, when it falls, a black serpent shedding its skin.
نأيتمyou went far away فَلاso not حرُّthe heat of الفِراقِseparation مُفارِقٌdeparting from
نأيتم فَلا حرُّ الفِراقِ مُفارِقٌ
فؤاديmy heart ولاnor جمرُthe embers of الصَبابةardent yearning بائخُdying down
فؤادي ولا جمرُ الصَبابة بائخُ
You have gone far away; parting's heat never leaves
my heart, nor do the embers of yearning die down.
وَكَيفَand how وأَنفاسيwhile my breaths منfrom الشَوقlonging والجَوىand burning heartache
وَكَيفَ وأَنفاسي من الشَوق والجَوى
لنارِfor the fire of الأَسىsorrow بينbetween الضُلوعthe ribs نَوافخُbellows
لنارِ الأَسى بين الضُلوع نَوافخُ
And how could they, when my breaths, from longing and heartache,
are bellows for sorrow's fire between my ribs?
لئنeven if نسخَannulled البينُseparation المشِتُّsundering وِصالَناour union
لئن نسخَ البينُ المشِتُّ وِصالَنا
فَماyet not هوit للحبِّof love المبرِّحِtormenting ناسِخُannulling
فَما هو للحبِّ المبرِّحِ ناسِخُ
Even if sundering separation has annulled our union,
it cannot annul this tormenting love.
وَلَيلٍand many a night كَيومlike the Day of الحَشرِResurrection طُولاًin length سَهرتُهُI spent it awake
وَلَيلٍ كَيوم الحَشرِ طُولاً سَهرتُهُ
وَبينand between جُفونيmy eyelids وَالمَنامand sleep بَرازِخُbarriers
وَبين جُفوني وَالمَنام بَرازِخُ
And many a night, long as Resurrection Day, I have passed awake,
with barriers between my eyelids and sleep.
وَكَمand how many لَيلَةٍa night مَدَّتstretched out دُجاهاits darkness كأَنَّماas though
وَكَم لَيلَةٍ مَدَّت دُجاها كأَنَّما
كواكِبُهاits stars فيهاwithin it رواسٍanchored mountains رواسِخُfirmly rooted
كواكِبُها فيها رواسٍ رواسِخُ
And how many a night stretched out its darkness, as though
its stars were mountains, firmly rooted within it.
أَرِقتُI lay sleepless بهاthrough it وَالصبحُwhile dawn قدalready حالفَallied itself with الدُجىdarkness
أَرِقتُ بها وَالصبحُ قد حالفَ الدُجى
فَماso not نَسرُهاits Vulture-star سارٍmoving onward ولاnor الديكthe cock صارخُcrowing
فَما نَسرُها سارٍ ولا الديك صارخُ
I lay sleepless through it, while dawn had allied itself with darkness,
so its Vulture-star did not move, nor did the cock crow.
كأَنَّas though نجومَthe stars of الأفقthe horizon غاصَةُdivers in لُجَّةٍa deep sea
كأَنَّ نجومَ الأفق غاصَةُ لُجَّةٍ
توحَّلنَthey became mired فالأَقدامُso the feet منهاof them سوائخُsinking
توحَّلنَ فالأَقدامُ منها سوائخُ
As though the stars of the horizon were divers in a deep sea,
mired in mud, their feet sinking deep.
كأَنَّas though حناديسَthe pitch-black depths of الظَلامdarkness أَداهِمٌblack steeds
كأَنَّ حناديسَ الظَلام أَداهِمٌ
لَهاthey have غُدرٌwhite blazes (reading uncertain) ملءfilling الجباهthe foreheads شوادِخُbroad-spreading
لَها غُدرٌ ملء الجباه شوادِخُ
As though the deepest darkness were black steeds,
with broad white blazes filling their foreheads.
كَأَنَّas though سهيلاًSuhayl راحset off قابسَfetching جَذوَةٍa glowing brand
كَأَنَّ سهيلاً راح قابسَ جَذوَةٍ
فَوافىthen arrived وأَنضاءُwhile the worn-out mounts of النجومthe stars روابخُlay crouched
فَوافى وأَنضاءُ النجوم روابخُ
As though Suhayl had gone to fetch a glowing brand,
then arrived while the stars, worn-out mounts, lay crouched.
كأَنَّas though صغارَthe little ones of الشُهبthe bright stars فيin غَسَقthe deep gloom of الدُجىnight
كأَنَّ صغارَ الشُهب في غَسَق الدُجى
فِراخُchicks of نُسورٍvultures والبُروجand the constellations مَفارِخُnesting places
فِراخُ نُسورٍ والبُروج مَفارِخُ
As though the little stars in the night's deep gloom
were vulture chicks, and the constellations nesting places.
كأَنَّas though مُعلّىthe high-set القُطبPole Star فارسُa knight of حومةa battlefield
كأَنَّ مُعلّى القُطب فارسُ حومة
علاrose above قِرنَهhis adversary فيat مُلتَقىthe meeting place of الكرِّthe charge شامخُtowering proudly
علا قِرنَه في مُلتَقى الكرِّ شامخُ
As though the lofty Pole Star were a battlefield knight,
towering proudly above his foe where charges meet.
كأَنَّas though رَقيقَthe fine fabric of الأفقthe horizon بُردٌa mantle مفوَّفٌstriped
كأَنَّ رَقيقَ الأفق بُردٌ مفوَّفٌ
لهfor it مَوهنُthe late hours of الظَلماءthe dark night بالمسكwith musk ضامخُperfuming
له مَوهنُ الظَلماء بالمسك ضامخُ
As though the horizon's fine fabric were a striped mantle,
which the dead of night perfumes with musk.
كأَنَّas though ذُكاDhuka, the sun باعَتsold منto المُشتَريJupiter (also the buyer) اِبنهاher son (dawn)
كأَنَّ ذُكا باعَت من المُشتَري اِبنها
فَلَمso not تَستَقِلshe sought cancellation بَيعاًof a sale ولاnor هوhe فاسِخُannulling
فَلَم تَستَقِل بَيعاً ولا هو فاسِخُ
As though Dhuka, the sun, had sold her son to Jupiter,
and she sought no release from the sale, nor did he annul it.
فَياoh, then لكَfor you منof لَيلٍa night طَويلٍlong كأَنَّهas though it
فَيا لكَ من لَيلٍ طَويلٍ كأَنَّه
علىabove كُلِّevery لَيلٍnight بالتَطاولthrough its great length باذِخُtowering
على كُلِّ لَيلٍ بالتَطاول باذِخُ
Oh, what a long night—as though it
towered above every other night in its vast length!
وَفيand in القَلبthe heart أَنواعٌkinds منof الشوقlonging جمَّةٌmany
وَفي القَلب أَنواعٌ من الشوق جمَّةٌ
تُدَكُّare crushed لأدناهاby the least of them الجِبالُthe mountains الشوامخُtowering
تُدَكُّ لأدناها الجِبالُ الشوامخُ
And in my heart are many kinds of longing,
the least of which would crush the towering mountains.
وَلاand none مثلُlike شَوقيmy longing لابنِfor Ibn عَبدٍʿAbd فإنَّهfor it
وَلا مثلُ شَوقي لابنِ عَبدٍ فإنَّه
لِصَبريof my patience إذاwhenever حاولتهI try to summon it عنهaway from him ماسخُdestroying
لِصَبري إذا حاولته عنه ماسخُ
Yet none is like my longing for Ibn ʿAbd, for it
undoes my patience whenever I try to summon it in his absence.
فَياthen O أَيُّهاyou الشَيخُvenerable master الَّذيwho أَذعَنَتsubmitted لهto him
فَيا أَيُّها الشَيخُ الَّذي أَذعَنَت له
شَبابٌyoung men عَلىdespite علّاتهاtheir faults وَمَشايخُand elders
شَبابٌ عَلى علّاتها وَمَشايخُ
O venerable master, to whom have submitted
young men, despite their faults, and elders alike.
لَعَمريby my life لأَنتَyou indeed الصادقُsincere الودّin affection فيamong الوَرىhumankind
لَعَمري لأَنتَ الصادقُ الودّ في الوَرى
ومَنand one whose حُبُّهlove for him فيin حَبَّةthe core of القَلبthe heart راسخُfirmly rooted
ومَن حُبُّه في حَبَّة القَلب راسخُ
By my life, among mankind you are the true-hearted one,
and love for you is firmly rooted in the heart's very core.
لكَyours are الكَلِماتُthe words الغرُّradiant وَالمَنطِقُand the eloquence الَّذيwhose
لكَ الكَلِماتُ الغرُّ وَالمَنطِقُ الَّذي
أَقرَّacknowledged لهto it بالفضلexcellence قارٍa reader وَناسِخُand a copyist
أَقرَّ له بالفضل قارٍ وَناسِخُ
Yours are radiant words and eloquence whose
excellence both reader and copyist acknowledge.
عليكupon you سَلامُthe peace of اللَهGod ماas long as حَنَّyearns مُغرَمٌa devoted lover
عليك سَلامُ اللَه ما حَنَّ مُغرَمٌ
وماand as long as دوَّخthrew into turmoil الأَحشاءthe heart's depths للشَوقfrom longing دايخُone who reels
وما دوَّخ الأَحشاء للشَوق دايخُ
God's peace be upon you as long as a lover yearns,
and one reeling with longing sets the heart in turmoil.
Translation model: Sol 6.1