أَطَلْتyou prolonged نَأْيَكَyour absence عَنِّيfrom me
أَطَلْت نَأْيَكَ عَنِّي
وَسُمْتَنِيand you made me endure البُعْدَseparation شَهْرَاfor a month
وَسُمْتَنِي البُعْدَ شَهْرَا
You have prolonged your absence from me,
You prolonged your distance from me
And made me endure a month's separation.
And made me endure a month of separation
أَلشَّهرُthe month بَعْضُsome of اللَّيَالِيthe nights
أَلشَّهرُ بَعْضُ اللَّيَالِي
وَرُبَّماand perhaps كَانَwas عُمْرَاa lifetime
وَرُبَّما كَانَ عُمْرَا
A month is but a few nights,
A month is but some nights
And it may be a lifetime.
And may sometimes be a lifetime
كَمْhow often فِيin تَدَاوُلِthe passing of شَهْرٍa month
كَمْ فِي تَدَاوُلِ شَهْرٍ
يُجَدّدُrenews اللهُGod أَمْراa matter
يُجَدّدُ اللهُ أَمْرا
How often, in the course of a month,
How much in the cycle of a month
God brings about a change!
Does God renew things
كَمْhow many أُمَّةa nation تَتَسَامَىrises high
كَمْ أُمَّة تَتَسَامَى
فِيin حِينِthe time تَسْقُطُfalls أُخْرَىanother
فِي حِينِ تَسْقُطُ أُخْرَى
How many a nation rises high,
How many a nation rises high
While another falls!
While another falls
كَمْhow many لَيْلَةٍa night تَتَقَضَّىpasses away
كَمْ لَيْلَةٍ تَتَقَضَّى
وَلَيْسَand does not تُعْقِبُbring afterward فَجْرَاdawn
وَلَيْسَ تُعْقِبُ فَجْرَا
How many a night passes away,
How many a night passes
And brings no dawn in its wake!
With no dawn to follow
كَمْhow many حَالةٍa situation يَتَوَالَىcomes in succession
كَمْ حَالةٍ يَتَوَالَى
مَاwhat سَاءَsaddened مِنْهَاfrom it وَسَرَّاand delighted
مَا سَاءَ مِنْهَا وَسَرَّا
How many a situation sees a succession
How many a state comes and goes
Of things in it that sadden and delight!
Both the good and the bad
كمْhow many أَزْمَةa crisis تتَوَلَّىpasses away
كمْ أَزْمَة تتَوَلَّى
فَتُتْبِعُthen causes to follow العُسرَhardship يسْرَاease
فَتُتْبِعُ العُسرَ يسْرَا
How many a crisis passes,
How many a crisis passes
Then brings ease after hardship!
To be followed by ease after hardship
أَلَسْتَare you not فِيin الشَّهرِthe month تَشْدُوyou sing
أَلَسْتَ فِي الشَّهرِ تَشْدُو
صَوْتاًa song فَتُطرِبُand so you delight دَهْرَاfor an age
صَوْتاً فَتُطرِبُ دَهْرَا
Do you not, within a month, sing
Are you not, in this month, singing
A song that delights for an age?
A voice that brings joy to the times
كمْhow often فِيin ثَلاَثِينَthirty يَوْماًdays
كمْ فِي ثَلاَثِينَ يَوْماً
أَكْسَبْتَyou brought مِصْرَكَyour Egypt فخْرَاpride
أَكْسَبْتَ مِصْرَكَ فخْرَا
How often, in thirty days,
How much in thirty days
Have you brought pride to your Egypt!
Have you brought glory to your Egypt
كَمْhow many صُغْتَyou fashioned آيَةَa verse وَحْيٍinspiration
كَمْ صُغْتَ آيَةَ وَحْيٍ
يُعِيدُهَاrepeat it النَّاسُpeople شِعْرَاas poetry
يُعِيدُهَا النَّاسُ شِعْرَا
How many a verse of inspiration you have fashioned,
How much have you recited a verse of revelation
Which people repeat as poetry!
That people repeat as poetry
وكَمْand how often بَعَثْتَyou awakened حَيَاةًlife
وكَمْ بَعَثْتَ حَيَاةً
فِيin قَلْبِthe heart of صَخْرٍstone فَدَرّاand so it gushed
فِي قَلْبِ صَخْرٍ فَدَرّا
And how often you have brought life
And how much life have you breathed
Into the heart of stone, so it gushed forth!
Into a barren rock to bloom
وَكَمْand how often نَسفْتَyou blasted apart بِنَاءًa building
وَكَمْ نَسفْتَ بِنَاءً
لِلظالِمِينَbelonging to the oppressors فَخَرَّاand so it fell
لِلظالِمِينَ فَخَرَّا
And how often you have blasted a building
How many an oppressor's edifice
Belonging to the oppressors, so it fell!
Have you toppled to the ground
وَكَمْand how often بَكَيْتَyou wept فَأَبْكيْتَand so you made weep
وَكَمْ بَكَيْتَ فَأَبْكيْتَ
وَادِيthe valley of النِّيلِthe Nile نَهْرَاa river
وَادِي النِّيلِ نَهْرَا
And how often you wept and made
How much have you wept and made
The valley of the Nile weep a river!
The Nile valley flow as a river
وَكَمْand how often حَثَثْتَyou urged on فَأَذْكَيْتَand so you kindled
وَكَمْ حَثَثْتَ فَأَذْكَيْتَ
مُزْبَدَfoaming المَاءِthe water جَمْرَاembers
مُزْبَدَ المَاءِ جَمْرَا
And how often you urged on, and kindled
How much have you stirred to flame
The foaming water into embers!
The cold water's embers
وَكَمْand how often رَفَعْتَyou raised لِقَوْمٍfor a people
وَكَمْ رَفَعْتَ لِقَوْمٍ
ذِكْراًrenown وقَوَّضْتَand you tore down ذِكرَاrenown
ذِكْراً وقَوَّضْتَ ذِكرَا
And how often you exalted a people's
And how much have you raised and razed
Renown, and laid renown low,
The repute of a people
فِيin نَادِيَاتٍdewy ones ذَوَاكٍfragrant ones
فِي نَادِيَاتٍ ذَوَاكٍ
لاَnot تُعْقِبُbring afterward الشَّرْبَdrinking سُكْرَاdrunkenness
لاَ تُعْقِبُ الشَّرْبَ سُكْرَا
In dewy, fragrant verses
In intimate gatherings where drinking
That bring no drunkenness after drinking,
Does not bring drunkenness after
مِنَfrom القَوَافِيthe rhymes اللَّوَاتِيwhich
مِنَ القَوَافِي اللَّوَاتِي
مُلِئْنَwere filled أُنْساًdelight وَسِحْرَاand enchantment
مُلِئْنَ أُنْساً وَسِحْرَا
Among the rhymes that
Of lyrics that fill with intimacy and magic
Were filled with delight and enchantment.
That shine with light and clear elation
ترِقُّyou grow tender فِيهَاin them فَتَصْفُوand so you become pure
ترِقُّ فِيهَا فَتَصْفُو
نُوراًlight وَتَخْلُصُand you become pure نَشْرَاfragrance
نُوراً وَتَخْلُصُ نَشْرَا
You grow tender in them, becoming pure
My friend, my longing and your estrangement suffice me
Light, and distilled fragrance.
If you assess my patience, nothing remains of it
فيَاso, O أَخَاbrother of الوُدِّaffection حَسْبِيenough for me
فيَا أَخَا الوُدِّ حَسْبِي
أَسىًsorrow وَحَسْبُكَand enough for you هَجْرَاestrangement
أَسىً وَحَسْبُكَ هَجْرَا
So, brother in affection, enough for me
Or if you seek reward for me, suffice what has passed as reward
Of sorrow, and enough of your estrangement!
إِنْif كُنْتَyou are تُخْبِرُyou test صَبْرِيmy patience
إِنْ كُنْتَ تُخْبِرُ صَبْرِي
لَمْdid not يُبْقِleave لِيfor me الشَّوْقُlonging صَبْرَاpatience
لَمْ يُبْقِ لِي الشَّوْقُ صَبْرَا
If you are testing my patience,
Longing has left me no patience.
أَوْor تَبْتَغِيyou seek لِيَfor me أَجْراًa reward
أَوْ تَبْتَغِي لِيَ أَجْراً
كَفَىsuffices بِمَاwith what فَاتَhas passed أَجْرَاas reward
كَفَى بِمَا فَاتَ أَجْرَا
Or if you seek a reward for me,
What has passed is reward enough.
Partial English translation: 37 of 42 Arabic lines translated.