وَداعُthe farewell of قَلبٍa heart أَزِفاhas drawn near
وَداعُ قَلبٍ أَزِفا
وَعاشِقٌand a lover عَلىon شَفاthe brink
وَعاشِقٌ عَلى شَفا
A heart's farewell has drawn near,
and a lover is on the brink.
جاءَhe came بِقَلبٍwith a heart سالِمٍintact
جاءَ بِقَلبٍ سالِمٍ
فَسَلهُso ask him كَيفَhow اِنصَرَفاhe departed
فَسَلهُ كَيفَ اِنصَرَفا
He came with a heart intact;
so ask him how he departed.
هَلdoes يَجِدُfind الإِنسانُa person مِنfor
هَل يَجِدُ الإِنسانُ مِن
نَفسٍa soul تَوَلَّتthat departed خَلَفاa replacement
نَفسٍ تَوَلَّت خَلَفا
Can a person find, for
a soul departed, a replacement?
يانَظرَةًO glance ماnot غُرِسَتwas planted
يانَظرَةً ما غُرِسَت
حَتّىuntil جَنَيتُI reaped الشَغَفاconsuming passion
حَتّى جَنَيتُ الشَغَفا
O glance, no sooner were you planted
than I reaped consuming passion!
السِحرُmagic كَمhow far جالَroamed وَفيand in
السِحرُ كَم جالَ وَفي
أَلحاظِthe glances of موسىMusa وَقَفاcame to rest
أَلحاظِ موسى وَقَفا
How far magic wandered! And in
Musa's glances it came to rest.
ياOh شَدَّhow intense ماa nominalizing particle كَلَّفَنيit burdened me
يا شَدَّ ما كَلَّفَني
حُبّيmy love لِموسىfor Musa الكُلَفاhardships
حُبّي لِموسى الكُلَفا
Oh, how heavily it has burdened me—
my love for Musa—with cares!
فَلاso may not شَفانيheal me اللَهُGod إِنif
فَلا شَفاني اللَهُ إِن
دَعَوتُI prayed مِنهُfrom it بِالشِفاfor healing
دَعَوتُ مِنهُ بِالشِفا
So may God not heal me if
I pray to be cured of it.
أَذعَنتُI submitted إِذwhen جارَhe acted unjustly وَلاand not
أَذعَنتُ إِذ جارَ وَلا
يُحمَلُis heeded حُكمُthe judgment of الضُعَفاthe weak
يُحمَلُ حُكمُ الضُعَفا
I submitted when he wronged me, and no
judgment of the weak is heeded.
ذُلُّthe abasement of الهَوىlove وَعِزَّةُand the pride of الthe
ذُلُّ الهَوى وَعِزَّةُ ال
حُسنِbeauty حَديثٌa tale عُرِفاwas known
حُسنِ حَديثٌ عُرِفا
Love's abasement and the pride of
beauty are a well-known tale.
لاno ذَنبَfault إِلّاexcept عاشِقٌa lover
لا ذَنبَ إِلّا عاشِقٌ
أَذعَنَsubmitted يَبغيseeking النَصَفاfairness
أَذعَنَ يَبغي النَصَفا
No fault but that of a lover
who submitted, seeking fairness.
وَلَستُand I am not وَهوَwhile he هاجِريforsakes me
وَلَستُ وَهوَ هاجِري
وَالرَسمُand the trace مِنّيof me قَدalready عَفاhas faded
وَالرَسمُ مِنّي قَد عَفا
Nor am I, though he forsakes me
and all trace of me has faded,
أَوَّلَthe first صَبٍّlovesick lover ماتَdied أَوor
أَوَّلَ صَبٍّ ماتَ أَو
أَوَّلَthe first مَعشوقٍbeloved جَفاwas cruel
أَوَّلَ مَعشوقٍ جَفا
the first lovesick lover to die, nor
is he the first beloved to be cruel.
ياO مَنyou whom حَلَفتُI swore أَنto أَرىsee
يا مَن حَلَفتُ أَن أَرى
عانٍa captive فَبَرَّso fulfill الحَلِفاthe oath
عانٍ فَبَرَّ الحَلِفا
O you whom I swore to see
a captive—so make good the oath!
تَبخَلُyou begrudge أَنto تُحيِيَbring to life بِاللَwith the (word continues)
تَبخَلُ أَن تُحيِيَ بِاللَ
فظِword (completion) مُحِبّاًa lover تَلِفاhas perished
فظِ مُحِبّاً تَلِفا
You begrudge reviving, with a
word, a lover who has perished.