فَواكَبِداso, alas for my liver! مِنfrom حُبِّlove of مَنone who لاnot يَحُبُّنيloves me
فَواكَبِدا مِن حُبِّ مَن لا يَحُبُّني
وَمِنand from زَفَراتٍsighs ماnot لَهُنَّfor them فَناءُan end
وَمِن زَفَراتٍ ما لَهُنَّ فَناءُ
Ah, my aching liver, from loving one who does not love me,
So I endure the love of one who does not love me,
And from sighs that have no end.
And sighs that know no end.
أَرَيتِكِtell me إِنif لَمnot أُعطِكَI gave you الحُبَّlove عَنfrom يَدِa hand
أَرَيتِكِ إِن لَم أُعطِكَ الحُبَّ عَن يَدِ
وَلَمand not يَكُwas عِنديin me إِذwhen أَبَيتِyou refused إِباءُrefusal
وَلَم يَكُ عِندي إِذ أَبَيتِ إِباءُ
Tell me: if I did not give you love willingly,
Did you see, if I did not give you love willingly,
And when you refused, there was no refusal in me,
And refused when you did, obstinately,
أَتارِكَتيare you abandoning me? لِلمَوتُto death إِنّيindeed I لَمَيِّتٌsurely dying
أَتارِكَتي لِلمَوتُ إِنّي لَمَيِّتٌ
وَماand not لِلنُفوسِfor the souls الهالِكاتِperishing بَقاءُsurvival
وَما لِلنُفوسِ الهالِكاتِ بَقاءُ
Will you abandon me to death? I am surely dying.
That I'd leave you to die? I am dead indeed!
And there is no survival for perishing souls.
What life remains for fading souls?
إِذwhen هِيَshe أَمسَتcame to evening مَنبِتُgrowing-ground الرَبعِthe encampment دونَهاbetween me and her
إِذ هِيَ أَمسَت مَنبِتُ الرَبعِ دونَها
وَدونَكِand between me and you أَرطىًarta shrubs مُسهِلٌgrowing on level ground وَأَلاءُand alaa shrubs
وَدونَكِ أَرطىً مُسهِلٌ وَأَلاءُ
When evening found her, the encampment's growing-ground lay between me and her,
Now the land is Their pasture, while for you
And between me and you lay arta shrubs on level ground and alaa shrubs.
Is a pouring rain, and ruined shelter.
فَلاso no وَصلَreunion إِلّاexcept أَنthat يُقارِبَbring closer بَينَناbetween us
فَلا وَصلَ إِلّا أَن يُقارِبَ بَينَنا
قَلائِصُyoung she-camels فيin أَذنابِهِنَّtheir tails صَفاءُserenity
قَلائِصُ في أَذنابِهِنَّ صَفاءُ
So there is no reunion unless we are brought closer
No union unless the pleasing veils
By young she-camels, with serenity trailing at their tails.
Of Their tails bring us close.
يَجُبنَthey cut across بِناcarrying us عُرضَthe breadth of الفَلاةِthe wilderness وَماand not لَناfor us
يَجُبنَ بِنا عُرضَ الفَلاةِ وَما لَنا
عَليهِنَّon them إِلّاexcept وَحدَهُنَّthem alone شِفاءُa cure
عَليهِنَّ إِلّا وَحدَهُنَّ شِفاءُ
They cleave the wilderness's breadth, carrying us; we have
With Them we cross the barren wastes, and We
Upon their backs no cure but them alone.
Have no relief but Them alone.
إِذاwhen القَومُthe men قالواthey said وِردُهُنَّtheir arrival at water ضُحىmidmorning غَدٍtomorrow
إِذا القَومُ قالوا وِردُهُنَّ ضُحى غَدٍ
تَواهَقنَthey raced one another حَتّىuntil وِردُهُنَّtheir arrival at water عِشاءُnightfall
تَواهَقنَ حَتّى وِردُهُنَّ عِشاءُ
When the men say, 'They will reach water tomorrow at midmorning,'
When people say They will come at dawn tomorrow,
They race one another till their watering comes at nightfall.
They yearn until Their coming at night.
إِذاwhen اِستُخبِرَتwere asked for news رُكبانُهاtheir riders لَمnot يُخَبَّرواthey were informed
إِذا اِستُخبِرَت رُكبانُها لَم يُخَبَّروا
عَلَيهُنَّon them إِلّاexcept أَنthat يَكونَthere is نِداءُa shouted call
عَلَيهُنَّ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ نِداءُ
When their riders are asked for news, no answer is given
If Their riders were asked, they would not know,
Upon their backs, unless it is shouted aloud.
Save that a call would come.