أنتَyou ماذاwhat دهاكَbefell you قلsay ليto me حتَّىso that
أنتَ ماذا دهاكَ قل لي حتَّى
بِكwith you ذَرعاin endurance قدindeed ضَاقgrew narrow رحبُthe vastness الفضَاءthe open space
بِك ذَرعا قد ضَاق رحبُ الفضَاء
What has befallen you? Tell me—how is it that
You—tell me, what has befallen you, that
even the breadth of space grew too strait to bear you,
The wide expanse of space has grown weary of you?
وملأتَand you filled الدنياthe world صُرَاخاwith cries وَواصَلand kept up
وملأتَ الدنيا صُرَاخا وَواصَل
تَyou (verb ending) طويلَprolonged الأنينthe groaning منwith غَيرِno داءillness
تَ طويلَ الأنين من غَيرِ داء
and you filled the world with cries and kept
And you filled the world with cries, and kept up
up your long moaning, though you suffer no illness?
Long groaning without an illness.
أنتَyou لوif كنتَyou were فيin الحقيقةِtruth صبّاًa passionate lover
أنتَ لو كنتَ في الحقيقةِ صبّاً
بكَafflicting you ماwhat تدَّعيyou claim منof البُرحَاءthe anguish
بكَ ما تدَّعي من البُرحَاء
Had you truly been a lover,
You—if you were truly a passionate lover,
afflicted by the torment you claim,
Afflicted by the anguish you claim,
ماnot اختفَىvanished منthe one whom هَوِيتَyou loved طرفةa blink عينٍof an eye
ما اختفَى من هَوِيتَ طرفة عينٍ
عنكَfrom you فيinto الأرضِthe earth غاصَhe plunged أوor فيinto السَّماءthe sky
عنكَ في الأرضِ غاصَ أو في السَّماء
the one you loved would not vanish for the blink of an eye
The one you loved would not vanish for the blink of an eye
from you—though he plunged into earth or heaven.
From you, whether he plunged into the earth or into the sky.
خلِّleave aside عنكَfrom yourself الهَوىlove لأهلهِto its devotees منthose who هُمthey
خلِّ عنكَ الهَوى لأهلهِ من هُم
لظباءafter gazelles ظلالهاtheir shadows فيin اقتفاءِpursuit
لظباء ظلالها في اقتفاءِ
Leave love to those fit for it, who
Leave love to its devotees, those who
trail gazelles as closely as their shadows.
Pursue the shadows of gazelles.
أوor تبكيyou weep إذbecause أنَّthat بَدرَthe full moon الدَّياجيthe dark nights
أو تبكي إذ أنَّ بَدرَ الدَّياجي
عنكfrom you ناءٍdistant وليسَand is not عنِّيfrom me بنَاءat all distant
عنك ناءٍ وليسَ عنِّي بنَاء
Or do you weep because the full moon of the dark nights
Or do you weep because the full moon of dark nights
is far from you, though not far from me?
Is far from you, but not at all far from me?
كُلمَاwhenever قدindeed دنوتُI drew near منهُto him قليلاًa little
كُلمَا قد دنوتُ منهُ قليلاً
صبغَcolored الوجهَthe face منهُof him لونُthe hue الحيَاءshyness
صبغَ الوجهَ منهُ لونُ الحيَاء
Whenever I drew a little nearer to him,
Whenever I drew a little nearer to him,
bashfulness dyed his face its own color.
The hue of shyness colored his face.
وحكتand mirrored حالناour state رؤوسُtips غُصُونٍbranches
وحكت حالنا رؤوسُ غُصُونٍ
فيin تدانيهاtheir drawing near تارةًat times وتَنَاءand drawing apart
في تدانيها تارةً وتَنَاء
The heads of branches mirrored our condition,
And the tips of branches mirrored our state,
now drawing close, now drifting apart.
Now drawing close, now drawing apart.
وشَحاريرُهاand their blackbirds تغنِّيsing ولكنand yet
وشَحاريرُها تغنِّي ولكن
فيin غنىًself-sufficiency نحنُwe عنfrom سمَاعhearing الغِناءthe singing
في غنىً نحنُ عن سمَاع الغِناء
Their blackbirds sang, yet
And their blackbirds sang, but
we had no need to hear the song.
We had no need to listen to the singing.
قُلتُI said غَابَhas gone الرقيبُthe watcher ياO كلَّall سُؤليmy desire
قُلتُ غَابَ الرقيبُ يا كلَّ سُؤلي
قالَhe said ياO حسنَbeauty غيبةِabsence الرُّقبَاءthe watchers
قالَ يا حسنَ غيبةِ الرُّقبَاء
I said, “The watcher is gone, O all my desire!”
I said, "The watcher is gone, O all my desire!"
He said, “How lovely the watchers’ absence!”
He said, "How lovely the watchers' absence!"
قلتُI said مَاwhat ليfor me أرَاكI see you عنِّيfrom me بعيداfar away
قلتُ مَا لي أرَاك عنِّي بعيدا
قالhe said بلrather فيin امتزاجِmingling راحٍwine بمَاءwith water
قال بل في امتزاجِ راحٍ بمَاء
I said, “Why do I see you far from me?”
I said, "Why do I see you far from me?"
He said, “No—we are wine commingled with water.”
He said, "No—we are mingled like wine with water."
قلتُI said ماwhat ليfor me نَبَذتُI cast aside كلَّall وقارٍdignity
قلتُ ما لي نَبَذتُ كلَّ وقارٍ
قالhe said ليto me تِلكَthat عادةُhabit الشُّعرَاءthe poets
قال لي تِلكَ عادةُ الشُّعرَاء
I said, “How have I cast aside every shred of reserve?”
I said, "Why have I cast aside all dignity?"
He told me, “Such is the custom of poets.”
He said to me, "That is the poets' habit."
فَتراجَعتُso I drew back منout of حَيائيmy shyness ولكِنand yet
فَتراجَعتُ من حَيائي ولكِن
لمdid not أجدنيI find myself فيin رَجعَةٍa retreat للورَاءbackward
لم أجدني في رَجعَةٍ للورَاء
I drew back then, out of modesty; but
So I drew back out of shyness, but
I could not find it in me to retreat.
I did not find myself moving backward.
ذاكَthat ماwhat قدindeed جَرىhappened وماand what سوفَwill يَجريhappen
ذاكَ ما قد جَرى وما سوفَ يَجري
بينَناbetween us فيin صفاءclarity جوِّair الولاءdevotion
بينَنا في صفاء جوِّ الولاء
That is what has happened, and what shall happen
That is what has happened and what will happen
between us, beneath the clear sky of devotion:
Between us, in the clear air of devotion.
اجتمعناwe came together علىat لقاءِa meeting وُعودٍpromises
اجتمعنا على لقاءِ وُعودٍ
وافترقَناand we parted علىwith وعُودِpromises لقَاءa meeting
وافترقَنا على وعُودِ لقَاء
we came together for a promised meeting,
We came together at a meeting of promises,
and parted with promises of meeting again.
And parted with promises of a meeting.
