أهلاًwelcome بِجُرحٍto a wound لَيتَهُwould that it يَتَكَرَّرُmight recur
أهلاً بِجُرحٍ لَيتَهُ يَتَكَرَّرُ
فعلىfor, regarding تَكَرُّرِthe recurrence of جَمعكُمyour gathering لاnot أصبِرُI wait patiently
فعلى تَكَرُّرِ جَمعكُم لا أصبِرُ
Welcome, wound—would that it might recur!
I welcome a wound, if only it could be repeated,
For I cannot wait for your gathering to recur.
For at your repeated gatherings, I cannot be patient,
لمdid not يَلتَئمheal فيin الرأسِthe head جُرحٌa wound قدalready بَداappeared
لم يَلتَئم في الرأسِ جُرحٌ قد بَدا
حتىbefore تَركتُمyou left جُرحَthe wound of قلبيmy heart يَقطُرُdrips
حتى تَركتُم جُرحَ قلبي يَقطُرُ
The wound that had appeared in my head had not healed
No wound in my head had yet healed,
Before you left the wound in my heart dripping.
When you left a wound in my heart dripping,
إنif يَلتَئمcomes together ياO جُرحُwound جَمعُthe gathering of أحِبَّتيmy loved ones
إن يَلتَئم يا جُرحُ جَمعُ أحِبَّتي
فلَلتلتئمthen heal أوor لاnot فأنتَfor you مُخَيَّرُare free to choose
فلَلتلتئم أو لا فأنتَ مُخَيَّرُ
If my loved ones gather, O wound,
If the wound heals, O wound, the gathering of my loved ones,
Then heal or not, for you are free to choose.
Then let it heal or not, for you have the choice,
أأَحِبَّتيO my loved ones عَفواpardon me إذاif ماemphatic particle كنتُI am عَنwith regard to
أأَحِبَّتي عَفوا إذا ما كنتُ عَن
شُكرِthanking العواطِفِthe affection مِنكمُfrom you لاnot أقدِرُI am able
شُكرِ العواطِفِ مِنكمُ لا أقدِرُ
O my loved ones, pardon me if, when it comes to
My loved ones, pardon me, if I am unable,
Thanking you for your affection, I fall short.
To appreciate your kind feelings,
بِعواطفِthrough feelings of الإخلاصِsincerity قَدindeed ذابتhave melted عَواaffec- (word fragment)
بِعواطفِ الإخلاصِ قَد ذابت عَوا
طِفُكُم-tions of yours (completion) وللإخلاصِand sincerity has سِرٌّa secret مُسفِرُshining forth
طِفُكُم وللإخلاصِ سِرٌّ مُسفِرُ
Through sincere affection have melted your affec-
With sincere affections, your affections melted,
tions; sincerity has a secret that shines forth.
And sincerity has an evident secret,
بعواطفِwith affection ليbending القضيبthe branch لوbent- (split verb) يتُمُ-you (completes 'you bent')
بعواطفِ لي القضيب لو يتُمُ
عطفيmy side إلىuntil أنthat خلتهI thought it يتكسرُwas breaking
عطفي إلى أن خلته يتكسرُ
With affection, as one bends a branch, you bent
With affections to me, if only
My side, until I thought it would break.
My affections for you would break,
هذاكthat one يَنظِمُstrings verse مِنfrom عُقودِnecklaces of بَيانِهِhis eloquence
هذاك يَنظِمُ مِن عُقودِ بَيانِهِ
وسِواهُand someone other than him مِنfrom دُرَرِpearls of البلاغةrhetoric يَنثُرُscatters
وسِواهُ مِن دُرَرِ البلاغة يَنثُرُ
That one strings verse from the necklaces of his eloquence,
This one composes his words’ necklaces,
And another scatters pearls of rhetoric.
While the other scatters the pearls of eloquence,
منكمfrom you عُيوناًeyes فوقَabove عَينيmy eye زِدتُهاI added them
منكم عُيوناً فوقَ عَيني زِدتُها
أوَand do…? ماnot بِكُمthrough you هذيthese المَعانيthe meanings أبُصِرُI see
أوَ ما بِكُم هذي المَعاني أبُصِرُ
From you I have added eyes above my own eye;
You have given me eyes above my eyes,
And do I not see these meanings through you?
Or is it not you, by whom I see these meanings?
لِلَّهِto God (admiring exclamation) مِنwhat a جَمعٍgathering تَجانَسَwas harmonious شَكلُهits form
لِلَّهِ مِن جَمعٍ تَجانَسَ شَكلُه
كالرَّوضِlike the garden لكنyet بالمَعارِفwith knowledge مُثمِرُbearing fruit
كالرَّوضِ لكن بالمَعارِف مُثمِرُ
By God, what a gathering, harmonious in form,
To God belongs a group whose form is harmonious,
Like a garden, yet bearing the fruit of knowledge!
Like a garden, but fruitful with knowledge,
وإذاand if أناI عنwith regard to وصفِdescribing حُسنِهits beauty عاجِزٌunable
وإذا أنا عن وصفِ حُسنِه عاجِزٌ
عُذراًpardon me فمِثلكمُfor people like you لِمثلىَfor someone like me يَعذِرُforgives
عُذراً فمِثلكمُ لِمثلىَ يَعذِرُ
And if I am unable to describe its beauty,
And if I fail to describe its beauty,
Pardon me, for people like you forgive someone like me.
Forgive me, for the like of you excuses the like of me.