يَاO وَيْحَalas for فَاقِدَةٍa bereaved woman عَزِيزاًa dear one لاَnot يَرَىsees
يَا وَيْحَ فَاقِدَةٍ عَزِيزاً لاَ يَرَى
سَالِيهِone who forgets him بَيْنَamong أَبَاعِدٍstrangers وَأَقَارِبِand relatives
سَالِيهِ بَيْنَ أَبَاعِدٍ وَأَقَارِبِ
Alas for a woman bereft of a dear one, who sees no
Oh woe to her who lost a dear one, unseen,
One who forgets him among strangers and kin.
Whose memory fills the horizons and wilderness,
مِلءُfilling الخَوَاطِرِthe minds والبَوَادِيand the deserts ذكْرُهُhis remembrance
مِلءُ الخَوَاطِرِ والبَوَادِي ذكْرُهُ
وَسَنَاهُand his radiance بَيْنَbetween مَشَارِقٍeastern horizons وَمَغَارِبِand western horizons
وَسَنَاهُ بَيْنَ مَشَارِقٍ وَمَغَارِبِ
His remembrance fills minds and deserts,
True to his spouse, a secret to his child, and most generous friend,
And his radiance shines between eastern and western horizons.
Since we parted, I’ve barely maintained my melting heart,
أَوْفَيmost faithful الْبُعُوْلَةِthe husbands لِلْحَلِيلَةِto the wife ذِمَّةٌpledge
أَوْفَي الْبُعُوْلَةِ لِلْحَلِيلَةِ ذِمَّةٌ
وَأَسَرُّand the happiest ذِيone with وُلْدٍoffspring وَأَكْرَمُand the noblest صَاحِبِcompanion
وَأَسَرُّ ذِي وُلْدٍ وَأَكْرَمُ صَاحِبِ
The most faithful of husbands in his pledge to his wife,
However long the estrangement, passion stays true, no deceit,
And the happiest of fathers, the noblest of companions.
They claim you left, that they hid you from my sight, but you aren’t gone,
يَاO مَنْyou who وَقَفْتُI devoted عَلَيْهِto him مُنْذُsince فِرَاقِهِparting from him
يَا مَنْ وَقَفْتُ عَلَيْهِ مُنْذُ فِرَاقِهِ
رَمَقاًa last breath تَمَاسَكَheld on فِيin فُؤَادٍa heart ذَائِبِmelting
رَمَقاً تَمَاسَكَ فِي فُؤَادٍ ذَائِبِ
O you, to whom, since your departure, I have devoted
They gave the earth a phantom, while your true self stays by my side,
A last breath that held on within a melting heart.
The full moon in my heart that pales my gaunt face with its glow.
مَهْمَاhowever يَطُلْgrows long زَمَنُthe time التَّنَائِيof separation فَالْهَوَىthen love
مَهْمَا يَطُلْ زَمَنُ التَّنَائِي فَالْهَوَى
كَالْعَهْدِlike the pledge مُصْدُوقٌproven true وَلَيْسَand is not بِكاذِبِat all false
كَالْعَهْدِ مُصْدُوقٌ وَلَيْسَ بِكاذِبِ
However long the time of separation lasts, love
Like the pledge, remains true and is not false.
زَعَمُوكَthey claimed you غِبْتَyou were absent بِأَنَّهمْbecause they وَارُوكَthey concealed you عَنْfrom
زَعَمُوكَ غِبْتَ بِأَنَّهمْ وَارُوكَ عَنْ
نَظَرِيmy sight وَلاَand no وَهَوَاكَby love for you لَيْسَis not بِغَائِبِat all absent
نَظَرِي وَلاَ وَهَوَاكَ لَيْسَ بِغَائِبِ
They claimed you were gone because they hid you from
My sight—but no, by my love for you, you are not absent.
مَنَحُواthey gave الثَّرَىthe earth وَهْماًa phantom كَشَخْصِكَlike your form إِنَّمَاrather
مَنَحُوا الثَّرَى وَهْماً كَشَخْصِكَ إِنَّمَا
شَخْصُthe self الْحَقِيقَةِof reality ظَلَّremained بَيْنَamid بَرَاشِunclear word: barāsh
شَخْصُ الْحَقِيقَةِ ظَلَّ بَيْنَ بَرَاشِ
They gave the earth a phantom like your form; yet
The true self remained amid barāsh [unclear in the source].
فِيin قَلْبِيَmy heart الْبَدْرُthe full moon الَّذِيwhich لَنْwill never يُجْتَلَىbe clearly beheld
فِي قَلْبِيَ الْبَدْرُ الَّذِي لَنْ يُجْتَلَى
مِنْهُof it سِوَىexcept شَفَقٌa twilight glow بِوَجِهِيupon my face شَاحِبِpale
مِنْهُ سِوَى شَفَقٌ بِوَجِهِي شَاحِبِ
In my heart is the full moon, which will never be beheld
Save for its twilight glow upon my pale face.
Partial English translation: 8 of 16 Arabic lines translated.