وَماand not كُلُّall ماwhat مَنَّتكَhas promised you نَفسُكَyour soul خالِياًalone
وَما كُلُّ ما مَنَّتكَ نَفسُكَ خالِياً
تُلاقىyou attain وَلاnor كُلُّevery الهَوىpassion أَنتَyou تابِعُa follower
تُلاقى وَلا كُلُّ الهَوى أَنتَ تابِعُ
Not all that your soul has promised you in solitude
will you attain, nor will you follow every passion.
تَداعَتconverged لَهُupon him الأَحزانُsorrows مِنfrom كُلِّevery وَجهَةٍdirection
تَداعَت لَهُ الأَحزانُ مِن كُلِّ وَجهَةٍ
فَحَنَّso he moaned كَماjust as حَنَّmoaned الظُؤارُthe foster-mother camels السَواجِعُcrooning
فَحَنَّ كَما حَنَّ الظُؤارُ السَواجِعُ
Sorrows converged upon him from every direction,
so he moaned as the crooning foster-mother camels moan.
وَجانِبَand he shunned قَربَcloseness to الناسِpeople يَخلوhe withdraws alone بِهَمِّهِwith his grief
وَجانِبَ قَربَ الناسِ يَخلو بِهَمِّهِ
وَعاوَدَهُand revisited him فيهاfor her هُيامٌlove-madness مُراجِعُrecurring
وَعاوَدَهُ فيها هُيامٌ مُراجِعُ
And he shunned people's company, withdrawing alone with his grief,
and recurring love-madness for her seized him again.
أَراكَI see you اِجتَنَبتَyou have shunned الحَيَّthe clan مِنfrom غَيرِother than بِغضَةٍhatred
أَراكَ اِجتَنَبتَ الحَيَّ مِن غَيرِ بِغضَةٍ
وَلَوand if شِئتَyou wished لَمnot تَجنَحincline إِلَيكَtoward you الأَصابِعُthe fingers
وَلَو شِئتَ لَم تَجنَح إِلَيكَ الأَصابِعُ
I see you have shunned the clan, though not from hatred;
and had you wished, no fingers would have pointed at you.
كَأَنَّas though بِلادَlands of اللَهِGod ماas long as لَمnot تَكُنyou are بِهاin them
كَأَنَّ بِلادَ اللَهِ ما لَم تَكُن بِها
وَإِنand even though كانَwere فيهاin them الخَلقُpeople قَفرٌbarren بَلاقِعُdesolate wastes
وَإِن كانَ فيها الخَلقُ قَفرٌ بَلاقِعُ
It is as though God's lands, while you are not there,
though people dwell there, were barren, desolate wastes.
أَلاindeed إِنَّماonly أَبكيI weep لِماfor what هُوَit واقِعٌsure to happen
أَلا إِنَّما أَبكي لِما هُوَ واقِعٌ
وَهَلand is جَزَعٌanguish مِنat وَشكِimminence of بَينِكَyour departure نافِعُuseful
وَهَل جَزَعٌ مِن وَشكِ بَينِكَ نافِعُ
Indeed, I weep only for what is sure to come;
and can anguish at your imminent departure do any good?
أَحالَassailed عَليَّagainst me الدَهرُTime مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
أَحالَ عَليَّ الدَهرُ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
وَدامَتand persisted وَلَمand did not تُقلِعcease عَلَيَّupon me الفَجائِعُcalamities
وَدامَت وَلَم تُقلِع عَلَيَّ الفَجائِعُ
Time has assailed me from every side,
and calamities have kept afflicting me without cease.
فَمَنso whoever كانَwill be مَحزوناًsorrowful غَداtomorrow لِفُراقِناat our parting
فَمَن كانَ مَحزوناً غَدا لِفُراقِنا
فَمِلآنَthen from now فَليَبكِthen let him weep لِماfor what هُوَit واقِعُsure to happen
فَمِلآنَ فَليَبكِ لِما هُوَ واقِعُ
So whoever will grieve tomorrow at our parting,
then let him weep from this moment for what is sure to come.