أتنْكِرُDo you deny منكَwithin you ماwhat تطويconceal الضُّلوعُthe ribs
أتنْكِرُ منكَ ما تطوي الضُّلوعُ
وقدand already شَهِدَتْhave testified عليكَagainst you بهِto it الدُّموعُthe tears
وقد شَهِدَتْ عليكَ بهِ الدُّموعُ
Do you deny what your ribs conceal within you,
Do you deny what ribs conceal inside
when tears have already borne witness to it against you?
When tears have testified to you their tide
ولولاand were it not for أنَّthat قَلْبكَyour heart مستهامٌlove-stricken
ولولا أنَّ قَلْبكَ مستهامٌ
لماwould not أودىbrought ruin بكupon you البرقthe lightning اللموعflashing
لما أودى بك البرق اللموع
And were your heart not stricken with love,
Had not your heart been drunk with passion's wine
the flashing lightning would not have undone you,
No lightning of desire would you abide
ولاnor هاجَتْstirred شجونكyour sorrows هاتفاتcalling voices
ولا هاجَتْ شجونك هاتفات
تُكَتَّمyou conceal ماwhat تكابدyou endure أوor تذيعyou reveal
تُكَتَّم ما تكابد أو تذيع
nor would calling voices have stirred your sorrows,
Nor would your deepest sorrows start to whine
whether you conceal what you endure or reveal it.
Suppressed, nor call so loudly far and wide
تُشَوِّقُكَmake you yearn الرّبوعthe abodes وكلُّand every صَبِّardent lover
تُشَوِّقُكَ الرّبوع وكلُّ صَبِّ
تُشوِّقُهmake him yearn المنازلُthe dwellings والرُّبوعand the abodes
تُشوِّقُه المنازلُ والرُّبوع
The abodes make you yearn, and every ardent lover
Soft breeze and twilight your desire provoke
is made to yearn by the dwellings and abodes.
As homes provoke the breeze from every side
ليالٍnights بالتواصلin togetherness ماضياتgone by
ليالٍ بالتواصل ماضيات
بحيثwhere الشملthe company مُلْتَئِمٌunited جميعُall together
بحيث الشمل مُلْتَئِمٌ جميعُ
Nights gone by in togetherness,
Nights once joined, now from each other broke
where the whole company was gathered as one.
Though destiny shattered bodies unified
وأقمارٌand moons غَرُبْنَthey have set فَلَيْتَso, if only شعريmy knowing
وأقمارٌ غَرُبْنَ فَلَيْتَ شعري
ألاis there not بعدafter الغروبthe setting لهاfor them طلوعa rising
ألا بعد الغروب لها طلوع
And moons that have set—if only I knew:
Planets that set, would I but know their lore,
will they not rise again after setting?
Do they, when gone, in other sphere abide?
أمرْتُI commanded القلبَthe heart أنْto يسلوforget هواهاlove for them
أمرْتُ القلبَ أنْ يسلو هواها
علىwith مضضٍpainful reluctance ولكنand yet لاnot يطيعit obeys
على مضضٍ ولكن لا يطيع
I commanded my heart to forget its love for them,
I told my heart to gently love ignore
with bitter reluctance—but it will not obey.
Reluctantly, but it will not decide
وماand not أشكوI complain of الهوىlove لوif أنَّthat قلبيmy heart
وما أشكو الهوى لو أنَّ قلبي
تَحَمَّلَbore بالهوىin love ماwhat يستطيعit could endure
تَحَمَّلَ بالهوى ما يستطيع
And I would not complain of love if my heart
And if my heart cannot such love endure
bore in love only what it could endure.
Why do I blame it for what can't abide?
Sol 6.1