عادَvisited منّيof me الخيالَthe shadow طيفُthe phantom الخيالِthe imagination
عادَ منّي الخيالَ طيفُ الخيالِ
مرحباwelcome مرحباwelcome بهto it منas وصالa reunion
مرحبا مرحبا به من وصال
Fancy returned to me—the phantom born of fancy;
The phantom of fancy visited the shadow I had become.
welcome, welcome to the reunion it brought.
Welcome, welcome to it—what a reunion!
لمnot تطلlast long مدَّةduration السقامthe illness منfrom البلـthe anguish (fragment)
لم تطل مدَّة السقام من البلـ
ـبالanguish (continued) حتىuntil ظفرتI attained بالإبلالwith recovery
ـبال حتى ظفرت بالإبلال
The sickness born of turmoil did not endure
My illness born of anguish did not last long
long before I won recovery.
before I attained recovery.
ليلةٌa night طوّلتlengthened يدَthe hand الليلof the night عنديfor me
ليلةٌ طوّلت يدَ الليل عندي
وأدالتand granted victory منover اللياليthe nights الطّوالlong
وأدالت من الليالي الطّوال
One night stretched Night’s hand long over me
A night that lengthened night's hand for me
and gave me redress for all the nights stretched long.
and gave me victory over the long nights.
أبعدتنيtook me far away منfrom قبضةthe grip الخوفof fear والأهand terrors (fragment)
أبعدتني من قبضة الخوف والأه
والterrors (continued) لمّاwhen سرىjourneyed by night علىthrough الأهوالthe terrors
وال لمّا سرى على الأهوال
It carried me far from the grip of fear
It freed me from the grip of fear and terrors
and terrors, as it journeyed by night through horrors.
when the phantom journeyed by night through terrors.
كاذباتِfalse ones الأحلامof dreams لستُI am not اسميـI call
كاذباتِ الأحلام لستُ اسميـ
ـكنَّyou (feminine plural) إلاَّexcept صوادقَtrue ones الآمالof hopes
ـكنَّ إلاَّ صوادقَ الآمال
Lying dreams—I shall give you
False dreams, I do not call you
no name but hopes proven true.
anything but true hopes.
زورةٌa visit انشرتْrevived حشاشةَthe last spark of life قلبيmy heart
زورةٌ انشرتْ حشاشةَ قلبي
وأقامتْand raised قيامةَan uproar العذَّالthe reproachers
وأقامتْ قيامةَ العذَّال
A visitation revived my heart’s last spark
A visit revived the last spark of life in my heart
and raised a Judgment Day among the reproachers.
and set the reproachers in an uproar.
وأحادتand diverted صرفَthe onslaught الصروفof fortune وقدalthough already
وأحادت صرفَ الصروف وقد
قصّرfell short منof وعدهاits promise مطيلthe prolonger المطالof delay
قصّر من وعدها مطيل المطال
It turned aside the onslaught of fate’s reversals, though
It turned aside fortune's blows, though
the inveterate delayer had fallen short of her promise.
the prolonger of delay had fallen short of its promise.
بأبيwith my father as ransom ذلكthat القوامstature وماand what
بأبي ذلك القوام وما
رنحَset swaying منof عطفهits flank نسيمُthe breeze الدلالof coquetry
رنحَ من عطفه نسيمُ الدلال
My father be ransom for that figure, and for each curve
May my father ransom that stature, and what
of it the breeze of coyness set swaying.
the breeze of coquetry set swaying in its flank.
راحbegan يقضيto judge بالعدلwith justice والميلand partiality فيناamong us
راح يقضي بالعدل والميل فينا
كلُّevery غصنٍbough للميلfor swaying والاعتدالand uprightness
كلُّ غصنٍ للميل والاعتدال
Each branch judged among us with justice and partiality,
We came to be judged with justice and partiality
made for swaying and for upright grace.
by every bough, made for swaying and standing straight.
قيامةُupright bearing الرمحof the spear طلعةُthe face البدرof the full moon خدّthe cheek الـthe
قيامةُ الرمح طلعةُ البدر خدّ الـ
ـوردِrose ريقُsaliva السُّلافof choice wine جفنthe eyelid الغزالof the gazelle
ـوردِ ريقُ السُّلاف جفن الغزال
A spear for stature, the full moon for face, a cheek of—
A spear's upright bearing, the full moon's face, the cheek of a
—rose; pure wine for saliva, and a gazelle’s eyelid.
rose, the saliva of choice wine, a gazelle's eyelid.
ياO ولاةَrulers القلوبof hearts والحسنِand beauty منwho حكمgave dominion
يا ولاةَ القلوب والحسنِ من حكم
غيدَthe graceful does الآجالthe herds فيover الآجالthe lifespans
غيدَ الآجال في الآجال
O sovereigns of hearts and beauty—who gave dominion
O rulers of hearts and beauty, who gave dominion
over mortal lifespans to the graceful maidens of Fate?
to the herds' graceful does over lifespans?
أرسلتْloosed منكمُfrom you (plural) قسيّbows الحواجيبthe eyebrows
أرسلتْ منكمُ قسيّ الحواجيب
جفوناًeyelids ياoh فوزهاtheir triumph منas نبالarrows
جفوناً يا فوزها من نبال
From among you, the bows of eyebrows have launched
Your eyebrow-bows have loosed
eyelids—ah, what victorious arrows they are!
eyelids—oh, how triumphant they are as arrows!
كلُّevery تركيّةTurkish woman المناسبlineages فيهاin her
كلُّ تركيّة المناسب فيها
لمحٌa glimmer للغزالof the gazelle والرئبالand the lion
لمحٌ للغزال والرئبال
Every beauty of Turkish lineage among them
Every woman of Turkish lineage has within her
bears a glance both of gazelle and lion.
a glimmer of the gazelle and the lion.
فدعانيso spare me, you two منfrom ذكرmention هندHind بنيBanu (sons of) نهدNahd
فدعاني من ذكر هند بني نهد
ولاand may not كنتَyou exist ياO هلالَcrescent هلالHilal
ولا كنتَ يا هلالَ هلال
So spare me mention of Hind of Banu Nahd;
So spare me, you two, mention of Hind of Banu Nahd,
nor were you, O Hilal, merely a crescent moon.
and may you be no more, O crescent of Hilal!
حبّذاhow fine العيسthe pale camels كالسفائنlike ships فيin
حبّذا العيس كالسفائن في
لجّةthe deep sea ليلٍof night وفيand in جداولstreams آلmirage
لجّة ليلٍ وفي جداول آل
How lovely the pale camels, like ships upon
How fine the pale camels, like ships in
a deep sea of night and through channels of mirage.
the deep sea of night and the streams of mirage!
إنماonly الغيّfolly فيin الوقوفstopping علىat الداthe dwelling (fragment)
إنما الغيّ في الوقوف على الدا
رdwelling (continued) وطلُّand the dew الدموعof tears فيamong الأطلالthe ruins
ر وطلُّ الدموع في الأطلال
Delusion lies only in halting at the dwell—
Folly lies only in stopping at the
—ing, and in tears bedewing the ruins.
dwelling and letting tears fall like dew among the ruins.
حسنتْbecame pleasing عنديَto me النَّوىseparation وأرتنيand showed me
حسنتْ عنديَ النَّوى وأرتني
أنَّthat حظَّthe fortune المقيمof the stay-at-home فيin التّرحالtravel
أنَّ حظَّ المقيم في التّرحال
Departure grew lovely to me and showed me
Separation grew pleasing to me and showed me
that the stay-at-home’s fortune lies in travel.
that the stay-at-home's fortune lies in travel.
لاnot أدمُّI blame البينseparation المشتَّthat scatters وقدand indeed
لا أدمُّ البين المشتَّ وقد
جادَbestowed generously لناupon us بالمعظّمwith al-Muʿaẓẓam المفضالthe bountiful
جادَ لنا بالمعظّم المفضال
I do not blame the separation that scattered us, for
I do not blame the separation that scatters us, since
it bestowed on us the exalted, munificent one.
it bestowed upon us al-Muʿaẓẓam, the bountiful.
Sol 6.1