ماnot علىbeyond ماwhat لاقيتهI experienced it منany مزيدِincrease
ما على ما لاقيته من مزيدِ
شفَّwore down برحُthe agony of البكاءِweeping والتسهيدِand sleeplessness
شفَّ برحُ البكاءِ والتسهيدِ
Nothing can surpass what I have suffered.
No matter what more I find of sorrow's store,
The agony of weeping and sleeplessness has wasted me.
My tears flow copiously, my sighs outpour.
ياO قلوبَhearts of الأحبابthe beloved ماhow أسعدَhappy العشـthe lovers (first part)
يا قلوبَ الأحباب ما أسعدَ العشـ
ـاق(completes 'lovers') جدّاَtruly لوif حزنَthey possessed لينَthe suppleness of القدودِthe figures
ـاق جدّاَ لو حزنَ لينَ القدودِ
O hearts of the beloved, how happy lovers would be,
O gentle hearts of loved ones, how blissful were
truly, if you had the suppleness of their figures!
Union's days if but the severance were less sore!
منwhoever شكاcomplains قسوةَthe hardness of القلوبhearts فماbut not أشI complain (first part)
من شكا قسوةَ القلوب فما أش
كو(completes 'complain') سوىexcept فرطexcessive رقةٍsoftness فيin الخدودِcheeks
كو سوى فرط رقةٍ في الخدودِ
Others may lament the hardness of hearts; I complain
Who but complains of hearts' cruelty knows naught
only of the excessive softness of cheeks.
Except too great a tenderness at their core.
وقريبand one near منّيto me بعيدfar عنfrom الناthe eye (first part)
وقريب منّي بعيد عن النا
ظر(completes 'eye') فأعجبْso marvel منat القريبthe near one البعيدِthe distant one
ظر فأعجبْ من القريب البعيدِ
And one near me is far from sight;
And one who's near seems far from my sad gaze.
so marvel at the one both near and far!
Strange is the near, yet distant toward me more!
ياO عهودdays of الحدباءal-Hadba عوديreturn فقدfor indeed
يا عهود الحدباء عودي فقد
برحتyou have tormented شوقاًwith longing بالهائمupon the bewildered lover المعمودِthe stricken
برحت شوقاً بالهائم المعمودِ
O days of al-Hadba, return, for you have
O plighted troth of my beloved, return,
tormented the bewildered, stricken lover with longing.
For I am consumed with longing evermore.
طالhas grown long بثّيmy lament ولاand not أرىI see منany سميعٍlistener
طال بثّي ولا أرى من سميعٍ
سالفُbygone الدهرtime ماnot لهfor it منany معيدِrestorer
سالفُ الدهر ما له من معيدِ
My lament has drawn on, and I see no listener.
Long has my wait been, no attentive ear discerns.
No one can bring back the days gone by.
Past days restore not what is gone before.
أناI أفديwould ransom منthe one whose خدّهِhis cheek فضَّةًsilver بيضاwhite (first part)
أنا أفدي من خدّهِ فضَّةً بيضا
ءَ(completes 'white') لكنَّbut قلبهhis heart منof حديدِiron
ءَ لكنَّ قلبه من حديدِ
I would ransom the one whose cheek is white silver,
For his fair cheek I'll ransom precious white,
but whose heart is made of iron.
But his heart's forged of coldest iron ore.
وأرىand I see الدهرTime كالأحبَّةِlike the beloved ones فعلاًin conduct
وأرى الدهر كالأحبَّةِ فعلاً
ماnot صفاwas free يومُa day of وصلهits union منfrom صدودِrejection
ما صفا يومُ وصله من صدودِ
And I see Time behaving like the beloved:
I see Time treats true lovers cruelly, too.
no day of its union is free of rejection.
No day of union's free of parting's war.
وبديعُand one wondrous in الجمالbeauty كمhow many حلَّhe untied منof
وبديعُ الجمال كم حلَّ من
عقدةِa knot of صبريmy patience ببندهِwith his band المعقودِthe knotted
عقدةِ صبري ببندهِ المعقودِ
And one of wondrous beauty—how often he has untied
My patience oft unravels helplessly
a knot in my patience with his knotted band!
Before my love's alluring, dimpled lore.
علَّنيperhaps I أنthat أراهI see him يوماًone day فيطفيand so he quenches
علَّني أن أراه يوماً فيطفي
نارthe fire of وجدٍlonging فيبin (apparent typo) القلبthe heart ذاتpossessing وقودِfuel
نار وجدٍ فيب القلب ذات وقودِ
Perhaps I may see him one day, and he may quench
Would that I'd see him someday, quenching fires
the fuel-fed fire of longing within the heart.
Lit by yearning in my breast's deep core!
لذعتنيscorched me نارthe fire of الفارقthe departing one ونارand the fire of الحـlove (first part)
لذعتني نار الفارق ونار الحـ
ـب(completes 'love') والبينand separation ماnot لهاfor it منany خمودِdying down
ـب والبين ما لها من خمودِ
The departing one's fire scorched me, and the fire of love
Both love's fire and the blaze of severance stung.
and separation never dies down.
No cooling solace could their heat restore.
ياO زمانtime of الوصلunion السريعfleeting فدىa ransom for عصـspan (first part)
يا زمان الوصل السريع فدى عصـ
ـركِyour span (completion) عصرُthe span of الهجرestrangement الطويلlong المديدِprotracted
ـركِ عصرُ الهجر الطويل المديدِ
O time of fleeting union, may your span be ransomed
Swift days of union, your morn I ransom!
by the long, drawn-out span of estrangement!
Long exile's eve drags on forevermore.
وضعيفَand you, weak in العهودpledges ماnot مثلthe like of وجديmy longing
وضعيفَ العهود ما مثل وجدي
بكfor you فيamong العاشقينlovers بالمعهودِknown
بك في العاشقين بالمعهودِ
And you, frail in your pledges—no longing like mine
My anguish has no match 'mongst lovers true.
for you is known among lovers.
No troth is frail as mine that went before.
طالhas grown long عمرthe life of البعادseparation عنكمfrom you وفيand amid الأشـthe sorrows (first part)
طال عمر البعاد عنكم وفي الأشـ
ـجان(completes 'sorrows') عمرُthe life of الملامblame والتفنيدِand censure
ـجان عمرُ الملام والتفنيدِ
Long is the life of separation from you, and amid sorrows,
Long has my life from you been separation.
the life of blame and censure is long as well.
Only blame and rebuke each day's night store.
فقنعناso we were content منinstead of وصلكمunion with you بالتمنّيwith wishing
فقنعنا من وصلكم بالتمنّي
ورضيناand we accepted منكمfrom you بليَّwith the twisting of الوعودِpromises
ورضينا منكم بليَّ الوعودِ
So we settled for merely wishing for union with you,
Your union we cherish but in fancy's flight,
and accepted your twisting of promises.
And in your vows find solace and no more.
Sol 6.1