مَنwho لِشَمليfor my scattered life لوif only فازit won منكمfrom you بجمعwith reunion
مَن لِشَملي لو فاز منكم بجمع
فيin لَياليthe nights of منىًMina وأَيّامand the days of جمعِJamʿ
في لَيالي منىً وأَيّام جمعِ
Who will mend my scattered life? If only it could win reunion with you
Who can join my family if one of you wins
In the nights of Mina and the days of Jamʿ!
In the nights of Mina and the days of gathering
ياO رَعىmay ... preserve اللَهGod عَهدَناour time together بالمُصلّىat al-Musalla
يا رَعى اللَه عَهدَنا بالمُصلّى
وَسَقىand may ... water عصرَناour time بكثبانamong the dunes of سَلعِSalʿ
وَسَقى عصرَنا بكثبان سَلعِ
Ah, may God preserve our time together at al-Musalla,
O Allah, bless our covenant in the praying place
And water our days among the dunes of Salʿ,
And quench our time with the sand dunes of Sala'
وَلَيالٍand nights خلتthat passed فعوِّضتُso I was compensated عَنهاin their stead
وَلَيالٍ خلت فعوِّضتُ عَنها
بليالٍwith nights تمرُّthat pass منfrom غيرabsence of نفعِbenefit
بليالٍ تمرُّ من غير نفعِ
And nights gone by, for which I was given in exchange
And nights have passed, so I compensated for them
Nights that pass to no avail.
With nights that pass without benefit
ياO عُريباًdear little band of Arabs لَولاهمwere it not for them لمnot يَشقنيpain me
يا عُريباً لَولاهم لم يَشقني
ذكرُmention of دارٍan abode ولاnor تذكّرremembrance of ربعِa dwelling
ذكرُ دارٍ ولا تذكّر ربعِ
O dear band of Arabs! But for them, I would not be pained
O my dear ones, if not for them, the memory of a house would not have pained me
By mention of an abode or remembrance of a dwelling.
Nor the recollection of a quarter
وإِذاand when ماemphatic particle سمعتI heard عنهمabout them حَديثاًtalk
وإِذا ما سمعت عنهم حَديثاً
حسدتenvied مقلتيmy eye لذلكbecause of that سمعيmy hearing
حسدت مقلتي لذلك سمعي
And whenever I hear talk of them,
And if I hear any news of them
My eye envies my hearing for it.
My eyelids envy that hearing
ليتwould that شِعريmy knowing هلwhether يسمحgrants الدهرtime يوماًone day
ليت شِعري هل يسمح الدهر يوماً
بالتَدانيwith closeness وهلand whether يَعودit returns برجعِwith a return
بالتَداني وهل يَعود برجعِ
Would that I knew: will time one day grant
I wonder if fate will ever allow
Closeness—and will it bring us back together?
Coming closer, and if it will bring back
ضقتI grew distressed ذَرعاًin endurance بالبعدby distance فيكمwhere you are concerned وَلَولاand were it not for
ضقت ذَرعاً بالبعد فيكم وَلَولا
حبُّكمlove for you لمnot يضقbe strained منfrom البينseparation ذرعيmy endurance
حبُّكم لم يضق من البين ذرعي
I cannot bear the distance from you; and were it not for
I am weary of distant separation from you, and if not
My love for you, separation would not strain my endurance.
For my love of you, the distance would not weary me
أرجفspread rumors العاذلونthe reproachers أَنّيَthat I am سالٍfree of longing
أرجف العاذلون أَنّيَ سالٍ
وأَرادواand they wanted منكمfrom you بذلكby that قَطعيcutting me off
وأَرادوا منكم بذلك قَطعي
The reproachers spread rumors that I have forgotten you,
The blamers rumble that I am infatuated
And thereby wanted you to cut me off.
And they wanted by that to sever me from you
كيفَhow أَسلوI forget وحبُّكمand love for you ليَfor me طَبعٌan innate disposition
كيفَ أَسلو وحبُّكم ليَ طَبعٌ
وسلوّيand my forgetting سجيَّةa disposition غيرother than طَبعيmy nature
وسلوّي سجيَّة غير طَبعي
How could I forget, when loving you is my nature,
How can I forget when love of you is my nature
And forgetting you is a disposition foreign to my nature?
And my solace is not in my nature to forget
آدَoverburdened جهديmy strength هواكمُlove for you ونواكمand your remoteness
آدَ جهدي هواكمُ ونواكم
حمَّلتنيit burdened me منof الجَوىheartache غيرَbeyond وسعيmy capacity
حمَّلتني من الجَوى غيرَ وسعي
Love for you has worn out my strength, and your remoteness
Your love and your companionship have exhausted my efforts
Has burdened me with heartache beyond what I can bear.
Loading me beyond my capacity
قرِّبواbring closer لاmay ... not نأيتُمُyou go far away الدارَthe abode منّيto me
قرِّبوا لا نأيتُمُ الدارَ منّي
واِسمَحواand be generous بالعَطاءِwith giving منfrom بعدafter مَنعِwithholding
واِسمَحوا بالعَطاءِ من بعد مَنعِ
Bring the abode near me—may you never go far away!
Bring the house nearer to me, do not distance
And give freely after withholding.
And allow generosity after prevention
وَمَتىand whenever شئتُمُyou desire الغَضاthe ghada trees ففؤاديthen my heart
وَمَتى شئتُمُ الغَضا ففؤادي
أَوor أَردتُمyou wish for سفحَthe slope of العَقيقal-Aqiq فدمعيthen my tears
أَو أَردتُم سفحَ العَقيق فدمعي
And whenever you desire the ghada trees, here is my heart;
And when you wish to turn away, then my heart
Or seek the slope of al-Aqiq, here are my tears.
Or if you want to reject, then my tears