خَليليَّmy two friends هلْis there? ليfor me بَعْدَbeyond أَسْنِمَةhumps النَّقاthe sand dunes
خَليليَّ هلْ لي بَعْدَ أَسْنِمَة النَّقا
بسَلْعat Salʿ إلىto مَنthe one whom هَوَيْتُI loved وُصولُaccess
بسَلْع إلى مَن هَوَيْتُ وُصولُ
My two friends, beyond the dune crests, is there for me
My friend, after the fires of separation have cooled
At Salʿ a way to reach the one I love?
Is there still commerce with those I've loved and longed for?
فقدfor indeed حالhave intervened لاmay ... not حالchange اشتياقlonging لهمfor them
فقد حال لا حال اشتياق لهم
مراحلُstages of travel فيماin what بينناbetween us ورحيلand departure
مراحلُ فيما بيننا ورحيل
For there have intervened—may my longing for them never change—
For my fervent yearning for them has passed away;
Stages of travel between us, and departure.
Stages on the journey between us, and farewells.
حَمَلْتُI bore هواهمlove for them ياO هذيمHudhaym علىdespite النوىseparation
حَمَلْتُ هواهم يا هذيم على النوى
وماand not كلُّevery صبٍّlovesick lover ياO هذيمHudhaym حَمُولable to bear burdens
وما كلُّ صبٍّ يا هذيم حَمُول
I bore my love for them, O Hudhaym, despite separation,
I carried their love, O Hathaim, in my soul,
And not every lovesick lover, O Hudhaym, can bear it.
But not every passion, O Hathaim, can be borne.
فَصِرتُso I became إذاwhenever لاحتappeared لعينيَّto my two eyes أرسمٌtraces of dwellings
فَصِرتُ إذا لاحت لعينيَّ أرسمٌ
بدارٍat a dwelling خَلَتْstood empty منof أهلهاits people وطلولُand ruined remains
بدارٍ خَلَتْ من أهلها وطلولُ
So now, whenever traces appear before my eyes,
So when the vestiges of home rise before my eyes -
And ruins, at a home emptied of its people,
A house now empty of its people and belongings -
أُكفكِفُI hold back منfrom عَينيَّmy two eyes خشيةfor fear
أُكفكِفُ من عَينيَّ خشية
منof الواشيthe tale-bearer أَنْthat يدريhe might know بهاof them فتسيلthen they flow
من الواشي أَنْ يدري بها فتسيل
I hold back tears from my eyes, for fear
I check my tears, fearing the spy
Of the tale-bearer learning of them—yet they flow.
May see them flow and tell others of my grief.
أَفيis it at? كلّevery رسمٍtrace دارسٍfaded ليfor me وقفةa pause
أَفي كلّ رسمٍ دارسٍ لي وقفة
تطولlast long عليهover it أنَّةٌa moan وعويلand wailing
تطول عليه أنَّةٌ وعويل
Must I pause at every faded trace,
Does every fading image halt me thus,
With long-drawn moaning and wailing over it?
Prolonging my sighs and laments?
وأَرعىand I watch نجومstars اللَّيلthe night وهيwhile they طوالعare rising
وأَرعى نجوم اللَّيل وهي طوالع
إلىuntil حينthe time تلقىthey meet الغربthe west وهيwhile they أفولare setting
إلى حين تلقى الغرب وهي أفول
And I watch the stars of night as they rise,
I watch the night stars in their rising,
Until they meet the west as they set.
Till they sink down at last in the west.
لعلَّperhaps خيالاًa phantom طارقاًvisiting by night منكfrom you فيin الكرىslumber
لعلَّ خيالاً طارقاً منك في الكرى
فيُشفىso may be healed عَليلٌan ailing one أَوor يُبَلَّbe quenched غَليلa burning thirst
فيُشفى عَليلٌ أَو يُبَلَّ غَليل
Perhaps a phantom of you will come by night in slumber,
Perhaps a phantom of you may visit me here,
So an ailing one may be healed, or a burning thirst quenched.
Comforting the sick, or calming the distressed.
وأُرسلُand I send فيin طيّthe folds of النَّسيمthe breeze تحيَّةًa greeting
وأُرسلُ في طيّ النَّسيم تحيَّةً
إليكَto you وماand not غيرother than النسيمthe breeze رسولa messenger
إليكَ وما غير النسيم رسول
And I send a greeting in the folds of the breeze
I send greeting through the fold of the breeze to you,
To you, with none but the breeze for a messenger.
For nothing but the breeze itself can go as messenger.
نظيركone like you مكحولkohl-darkened النواظرthe eyes خلقةًby nature
نظيرك مكحول النواظر خلقةً
غريرinnocent غضيضdowncast الناظرينthe two eyes كحيلkohl-dark-eyed
غرير غضيض الناظرين كحيل
One like you has naturally kohl-rimmed eyes,
Your face is like Makhul's in its beauty -
Innocent, with a lowered gaze and kohl-dark eyes.
A delicate crescent moon, dark-eyed and fair.
فإنfor if نظرتْlooked at عيناكyour two eyes عينيmy eye تارةًonce
فإن نظرتْ عيناك عيني تارةً
رأيتَyou would see سيوفswords الحتفdeath كيفhow تصولassail fiercely
رأيتَ سيوف الحتف كيف تصول
For if your eyes look once into mine,
If your eyes should look on mine again,
You would see how the swords of death strike.
You'd see how the swords of fate flash out their ire!
وماand not فتنةenchantment العشَّاقlovers إلاَّexcept نواظرeyes
وما فتنة العشَّاق إلاَّ نواظر
تصابُare struck قلوبhearts عندهاin their presence وعقولand minds
تصابُ قلوب عندها وعقول
And nothing bewitches lovers but eyes,
For lovers' glances are naught but treacherous snares
Before which hearts and minds are struck down.
To catch hearts when they look, and souls when they admire.
عصيتُI defied بكfor your sake العُذَّالthe reproachers فيin طاعةobedience to الهوىlove
عصيتُ بك العُذَّال في طاعة الهوى
إذاwhen لامblamed جهلاًignorantly لائمٌa critic وعذولand a reproacher
إذا لام جهلاً لائمٌ وعذول
For your sake I defied the reproachers, obeying love,
For love of you I disobeyed reproving critics;
When a critic and a reproacher blamed me in ignorance.
When the foolish blame, what are their railing words?
وماand how أَثقلَheavy القولَthe words الَّذيwhich لامنيhe reproached me بهwith them
وما أَثقلَ القولَ الَّذي لامني به
وإنْand though كنتُI am مشتدّfirm القوىin strength لضئيلindeed frail
وإنْ كنتُ مشتدّ القوى لضئيل
And how heavy the words with which he reproached me!
How heavy are the words with which they challenged me,
And though my strength is firm, I am indeed frail.
Though I am mighty in power, and great in worth!
وليسَand not يعينُhelps المستهامthe love-stricken علىwith الأَسىsorrow
وليسَ يعينُ المستهام على الأَسى
منfrom الوجدyearning إلاَّexcept صاحبٌa companion وخليلand a dear friend
من الوجد إلاَّ صاحبٌ وخليل
And none helps the love-stricken endure the sorrow
No comfort in grief can a friendless man discover
Of yearning but a companion and a dear friend.
Save in one who is his boon companion and lover.
Sol 6.1