أيا غائباً يدنيهِ شَوقي على النّوى

أيا غائباً يدنيهِ شَوقي على النّوى

لأَنْتَ إلى قَلبي من الفِكْرِ أقربُ

لأَنْتَ إلى قَلبي من الفِكْرِ أقربُ

O absent one, whom my longing brings near despite the distance,

O absent one whom my passion draws near in purpose

you are surely closer to my heart than thought itself.

You are closer to my heart than thought

وما غابَ مَن أُفْقَاهُ عَيني وخَاطِرِي

وما غابَ مَن أُفْقَاهُ عَيني وخَاطِرِي

لهُ مَطلعُ مِن ذَا وفي تِلك مَغرِبُ

لهُ مَطلعُ مِن ذَا وفي تِلك مَغرِبُ

Nor is he absent whose two horizons are my eye and my mind;

And he who my eyes and ideas encompass has not been absent

he has a rising from this one, and in that a setting.

For him there is a rising place here and a setting place there

غَبْطتُك نُعْمَى فُزتَ دُونِي بنَيْلِها

غَبْطتُك نُعْمَى فُزتَ دُونِي بنَيْلِها

وفخراً له ذيلُ على السّحبِ يُسْحَبُ

وفخراً له ذيلُ على السّحبِ يُسْحَبُ

I envied you the blessing that you, not I, attained,

I envied you the blessing which you obtained, out of my reach

and glory whose train is dragged across the clouds:

And pride for him whose train trails across the clouds

جِوارَك مَن يَحمِي على الدّهرِ جَارَه

جِوارَك مَن يَحمِي على الدّهرِ جَارَه

ويَطلبُ منهُ جودُهُ كيف يطلبُ

ويَطلبُ منهُ جودُهُ كيف يطلبُ

your dwelling beside one who shields his neighbor against Time,

May he protect his neighbor for eternity

and whose bounty may be sought from him however one asks.

And seek his generosity as one would seek

هو البحرُ تَروَى الأرضُ عند سُكُونِهِ

هو البحرُ تَروَى الأرضُ عند سُكُونِهِ

وتَغرَقُ في تيّارِه حين يَغْضَبُ

وتَغرَقُ في تيّارِه حين يَغْضَبُ

He is the sea: the earth is watered when he is calm,

It is the sea, the earth is watered at its stillness

and drowns in his current when he grows angry.

And drowns in its currents when it rages

فمَن ليَ لو كنتُ الرّسولَ بِبَابِه

فمَن ليَ لو كنتُ الرّسولَ بِبَابِه

لتُبرِدَ رؤْياهُ حشاً تَتلهّبُ

لتُبرِدَ رؤْياهُ حشاً تَتلهّبُ

So who could grant that I might be the messenger at his gate,

If only I were the messenger at his door

so that the sight of him might cool a heart ablaze,

To cool the fire that burns hotly inside

وأبلُغَ ما أنفَقْتُ في أمَلِي لَه

وأبلُغَ ما أنفَقْتُ في أمَلِي لَه

من العُمر عَشراً كلُّها لَي متُعِبُ

من العُمر عَشراً كلُّها لَي متُعِبُ

and I might attain what, in hope of him, I have spent

And convey what I spent in my hopes for him

ten years of my life seeking, all of them wearying me.

Of life, all of it burdens me

فما رَقَّ لي فيها نسيمُ أصائِلي

فما رَقَّ لي فيها نسيمُ أصائِلي

ولا رَاقَ لي فيها من الهمّ مَشرَبُ

ولا رَاقَ لي فيها من الهمّ مَشرَبُ

So no breeze of my late afternoons was gentle to me in those years,

No breeze of my wishes blew gently there

nor was any draught in them clear of sorrow for me.

Nor did any drink quench my worries there

ولولاَ رجاءُ الصَّالِحِ المَلكِ الّذي

ولولاَ رجاءُ الصَّالِحِ المَلكِ الّذي

به طالَ واسْتَعْلَى على الشَّرقِ مَغربُ

به طالَ واسْتَعْلَى على الشَّرقِ مَغربُ

And were it not for hope in al-Salih, the king,

Were it not for hope in the Righteous King

through whom the West has grown great and risen above the East,

By whom the West rose high over the East

وأنّي سِآوِى من حِماهُ إلى حِمىً

وأنّي سِآوِى من حِماهُ إلى حِمىً

يُرَى كلّ خَطبٍ دونَه يَتَذَبْذَبُ

يُرَى كلّ خَطبٍ دونَه يَتَذَبْذَبُ

and the hope that I shall take refuge in a sanctuary within his domain,

And that I will be equal to one whom His protection covers

before which every calamity is seen to waver,

Every peril below him seems to waver

لَمُتُّ ومَا موتِي عَجيبُ وقد نأَت

لَمُتُّ ومَا موتِي عَجيبُ وقد نأَت

بيَ الدّارُ عنه بل بَقَائِيَ أعْجَبُ

بيَ الدّارُ عنه بل بَقَائِيَ أعْجَبُ

I would have died—my death would be no wonder, for far away lies

I would have died, and my death is no wonder when

my dwelling, keeping me from him; rather, my survival is more astonishing.

The house has kept me far from him, but my survival is stranger