هاجَstirred ليwithin me مِنكَfrom you هاجِسُa passing thought
هاجَ لي مِنكَ هاجِسُ
فاِعترتنيso they beset me الوساوِسُanxious thoughts
فاِعترتني الوساوِسُ
A thought of you stirred within me,
A longing from you has disturbed me,
and anxious thoughts beset me.
And so suspicions have overcome me.
ماnot دَرىknew بيabout me وَقَدand indeed جُنِنـwas driven mad (continued)
ما دَرى بي وَقَد جُنِنـ
ـتI (verb ending) بِكُمfor you (plural) مَنwhoever أُجالِسُI sit with
ـت بِكُم مَن أُجالِسُ
My state is unknown—though I have gone
None who associate with me know,
mad for you—to those I sit with.
How crazed I've become for you.
إِذwhen بَداappeared بارِقُlightning الغوَيـal-Ghuwayr (continued)
إِذ بَدا بارِقُ الغوَيـ
ـــرخَفيّاًcompletion of al-Ghuwayr; faintly يُحالِسُlingers
ـــرخَفيّاً يُحالِسُ
When the lightning of al-Ghuwayr appeared,
When the deceiving lightning flashed,
faintly, lingering,
Speaking softly, entertaining,
مُذكِراًreminding ليto me يَومَthe day of النَوىseparation
مُذكِراً لي يَومَ النَوى
ماwhat تكِنُconceal الكَنائِسُthe churches
ما تكِنُ الكَنائِسُ
reminding me, on the day of parting,
Reminding me of the day of passion -
of what the churches conceal.
No churches could contain it.
وَحَشَتand filled لَوعَةًanguish حشايَmy inmost heart
وَحَشَت لَوعَةً حشايَ
الدِيارُthe dwellings البَسابِسُbarren wastes
الدِيارُ البَسابِسُ
And my heart was filled with anguish
A burning yearning has laid waste
by the dwellings, barren wastes,
To the adorned dwellings.
مُقفِراتٍdeserted بِهاin them الوحوشُـthe wild beasts
مُقفِراتٍ بِها الوحوشُـ
ــــفَبادٍso one in the open وَكانِسand one sheltering in its lair
ــــفَبادٍ وَكانِس
deserted, with wild beasts there:
Deserted, with only beasts inside -
some in the open, others in their lairs.
Ruined and forsaken.
ياO وُحوشاًwild creatures نَوافِراًshying away
يا وُحوشاً نَوافِراً
أَمِنِare they of الأُنسِhumankind الأَوانِسُthe companionable maidens
أَمِنِ الأُنسِ الأَوانِسُ
O shy, fleeing wild creatures,
O fleeing gazelles,
are the companionable maidens human?
Far from friendly gatherings!
ياO رَفيقيmy companion المُساعِديـthe helpful one (fragment)
يا رَفيقي المُساعِديـ
ـوَالنَديمُand the boon companion المُؤانِسُcomforting
ـوَالنَديمُ المُؤانِسُ
O my helpful companion,
O my companion, my confidante,
and boon companion who brings solace,
My intimate, entertaining friend!
أَحبِسhalt العيَسthe white camels ساعَةًa while
أَحبِس العيَس ساعَةً
ليfor me عَلىat الرُبعِthe campsite حابِسُsomething holding back
لي عَلى الرُبعِ حابِسُ
halt the white camels for a while;
Restrain the stallion awhile
something at the campsite holds me back.
For me, in the meadow, a detainer -
دارِسٌeffaced كانَwas فيin رُباهُـits hillocks
دارِسٌ كانَ في رُباهُـ
ــــــمَدارِسُschools
ــــــمَدارِسُ
A ruined site, whose hillocks once held
A stud he was, in his stable -
schools.
Of pedigree stock.
قاتِليmy slayer النافِرُthe skittish one الَّذيwho
قاتِلي النافِرُ الَّذي
هُوَhe بالصَدِّwith spurning انِسُat ease
هُوَ بالصَدِّ انِسُ
My slayer, the skittish one who
The hater who flees me
is at ease with turning away.
Is intimate with rejection.
وَسُهادٌand sleeplessness مِنfrom مُقلةan eye
وَسُهادٌ مِن مُقلة
طَرفُهاits gaze الدَهرfor all time ناعِسُdrowsy
طَرفُها الدَهر ناعِسُ
And sleeplessness from an eye
Pillows of eyeliner,
whose gaze is forever drowsy.
Whose edge the ages have slept on.
وَغَزالٌand a gazelle لَهُfor him الأُسودُthe lions
وَغَزالٌ لَهُ الأُسودُ
الضَواريthe ravening ones فَرايسُprey
الضَواري فَرايسُ
And a gazelle for whom the lions,
A doe, whom the predators
those fierce hunters, are prey.
Make into titbits.
بَدرُa full moon تِمٍّcomplete fullness عَلاrose high عَلىupon
بَدرُ تِمٍّ عَلا عَلى
غُصنٍa bough وَهوَand he مائِسswaying gracefully
غُصنٍ وَهوَ مائِس
A full moon risen upon
A full moon risen
a bough, as he sways.
On a branch, fulfilled.
هُوَhe فيin الأَمنِsafety جَنَّةٌa paradise
هُوَ في الأَمنِ جَنَّةٌ
وَهوَand he فيin الرَوعِterror فارِسa knight
وَهوَ في الرَوعِ فارِس
He is a paradise in peace,
He's safe, a heaven,
and he is a knight in peril.
And dangerous, a knight.
مِنfrom بَنيthe sons of التُركِthe Turks أَدَّبتهُshe educated him
مِن بَني التُركِ أَدَّبتهُ
أَدَّبتهُshe educated him وَربَّتهُand she raised him فارِسُPersia
أَدَّبتهُ وَربَّتهُ فارِسُ
Of the sons of the Turks, he was schooled—
Of Turkish stock I trained him,
schooled and raised by Persia.
Trained him and nurtured him, a horseman.
وَعَلىand upon وَردِthe rose of خَدِّهhis cheek مِنfrom
وَعَلى وَردِ خَدِّه مِن
شَباthe sharp edge of اللَحظِthe glance حارِسُa guard
شَبا اللَحظِ حارِسُ
And over the rose of his cheek, from
The flower of his cheek guards
the sharp edge of his glance, stands a guard.
The glances of passionate eyes.
قَدindeed حَماهُhe protected it فَلَمand so did not يَنَلobtain
قَد حَماهُ فَلَم يَنَل
بِنَظرَةٍwith a glance مِنهُfrom it بائِسُa hapless one
بِنَظرَةٍ مِنهُ بائِسُ
It has guarded it, so nothing was gained
He's protected, so that no miserable one
from it by a hapless lover's glance.
Could harm him with their gaze.
أَناI مِنof شَمّsmelling ماwhat
أَنا مِن شَمّ ما
عَلَيهِupon it مِنof الآسِthe myrtle آيسُdespairing
عَلَيهِ مِن الآسِ آيسُ
I despair of smelling what
I despair any medicine
lies upon it: the myrtle.
Could cure the pain he's in.
ياO بَديعاًa marvel فَردunique
يا بَديعاً فَرد
وَفيهِand over him تُكايــــــــــسُyou vie in wit
وَفيهِ تُكايــــــــــسُ
O peerless marvel,
O wondrous perfection, unique one -
and over him you vie in wit.
In him my hopes reside!
لامَreproached فيfor خَلعيmy casting off العِذارَthe bridle
لامَ في خَلعي العِذارَ
عَلَيكَover you المُنافِسُthe rival
عَلَيكَ المُنافِسُ
I was reproached for casting off the bridle
No blame in shedding my chastity,
by the rival who competes for you.
For you, my rival.
أَبَداًforever يَخلَعُcasts off المُتَيَّمُـthe love-struck one
أَبَداً يَخلَعُ المُتَيَّمُـ
ـماwhat الخَدُّthe cheek لابِسُwearing
ـما الخَدُّ لابِسُ
The love-struck one forever casts off
The lovesick will never shed
what the cheek wears.
What the cheek wears.
Sol 6.1