فَياso, alas لِشَجاfor the grief of قَلبٍa heart مِنَof الصَبرِpatience فارِغٍdevoid
فَيا لِشَجا قَلبٍ مِنَ الصَبرِ فارِغٍ
وَياand alas لِقَذىfor the mote in طَرفٍan eye مِنَof الدَمعِtears مَلآنِfull
وَيا لِقَذى طَرفٍ مِنَ الدَمعِ مَلآنِ
Alas for the grief of a heart devoid of patience!
O heart bursting with patience, now empty,
And alas for the mote in an eye brimming with tears!
O eyes brimming with tears, now overflowing,
وَنَفسٍand a soul إِلىtoward جَوِّthe air of الكَنيسَةِal-Kanisa (the church) صَبَّةٍpassionately yearning
وَنَفسٍ إِلى جَوِّ الكَنيسَةِ صَبَّةٍ
وَقَلبٍand a heart إِلىtoward أُفقِthe horizon of الجَزيرَةِal-Jazira (the island) حَنّانِdeeply yearning
وَقَلبٍ إِلى أُفقِ الجَزيرَةِ حَنّانِ
And a soul yearning for the air of al-Kanisa,
O soul aspiring to church spires,
And a heart longing for the horizon of al-Jazira.
O heart yearning for the shores of an island,
تَعَوَّضتُI took in exchange مِنin place of واهاًa cry of delight بِآهٍa sigh of pain وَمِنand in place of هَوىًlove
تَعَوَّضتُ مِن واهاً بِآهٍ وَمِن هَوىً
بِهَونٍhumiliation وَمِنand in place of إِخوانِbrothers of صِدقٍloyalty بِخَوّانِa traitor
بِهَونٍ وَمِن إِخوانِ صِدقٍ بِخَوّانِ
I traded cries of delight for sighs of pain, and love
I've traded companions true for companions new,
For humiliation, and loyal brothers for a traitor.
And love unrequited for love more suited.
وَماand not كُلُّevery بَيضاءٍwhite thing بَروقٍgleaming بِشَحمَةٍa lump of fat
وَما كُلُّ بَيضاءٍ بَروقٍ بِشَحمَةٍ
وَماand not كُلُّevery مَرعىًpasture تَرتَعيهِyou graze in it بِسُعدانِsa'dan fodder
وَما كُلُّ مَرعىً تَرتَعيهِ بِسُعدانِ
Not every gleaming white thing is a lump of fat,
Not every pasture sustains the gazelle at play,
Nor is every pasture you graze a pasture of sa'dan.
Not every dawn brings happiness to stay.
فَياso, oh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether لِدَهرِيَfor my fortune عَطفَةٌa kindly turn
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لِدَهرِيَ عَطفَةٌ
فَتُجمَعَso that they may be gathered أَوطاريmy desires عَلَيَّaround me وَأَوطانيand my homelands
فَتُجمَعَ أَوطاري عَلَيَّ وَأَوطاني
Oh, would that I knew: will my fortune turn kindly,
Would that fate show me some mercy,
So that my desires and my homelands may be gathered around me?
And gather my homelands all around me,
مَيادينُthe fields of أَوطاريmy desires وَلَذَّةُand the delight of لَذَّتيmy delight
مَيادينُ أَوطاري وَلَذَّةُ لَذَّتي
وَمَنشَأُand the birthplace of تَهياميmy passion وَمَلعَبُand the playground of غُزلانيmy gazelles
وَمَنشَأُ تَهيامي وَمَلعَبُ غُزلاني
The fields of my desires and the delight of my delight,
My fields of childhood and sweetest delight,
And the birthplace of my passion and the playground of my gazelles.
Where I'd dream and romance from morn till night,
كَأَنas though لَمnot يَصِلنيhe showed me affection فيهِthere ظَبيٌa gazelle يَقومُserves ليfor me
كَأَن لَم يَصِلني فيهِ ظَبيٌ يَقومُ لي
لَماهُhis dusky lips وَصِدغاهُand his two temple-locks بِراحيas my wine وَرَيحانيand my basil
لَماهُ وَصِدغاهُ بِراحي وَرَيحاني
As though no gazelle had shown me love there, whose
As though no roe had grazed there, rising just for me,
Dusky lips and temple-locks served as my wine and basil.
To offer me violets and bloom from each tree,
فَسَقياًso, may rain fall لِواديهِمupon their valley وَإِنand though كُنتُّI am إِنَّماonly
فَسَقياً لِواديهِم وَإِن كُنتُّ إِنَّما
أَبيتُI spend the night لِذِكراهُremembering it بِغُلَّةِwith burning thirst ظَمآنِof one parched
أَبيتُ لِذِكراهُ بِغُلَّةِ ظَمآنِ
So may their valley be watered, though all I do is
I remain, even if but to reminisce,
Spend the night remembering it, with a thirsty man's burning thirst.
About days of bliss in that lost paradise.
فَكَمand how many a يَومِday of لَهوٍrevelry قَدindeed أَدَرناwe passed around بِأُفقِهِbeneath its sky
فَكَم يَومِ لَهوٍ قَد أَدَرنا بِأُفقِهِ
نُجومَstars of كُؤوسٍgoblets بَينَamong أَقمارِmoons of نَدمانِdrinking companions
نُجومَ كُؤوسٍ بَينَ أَقمارِ نَدمانِ
On how many a day of revelry we passed around beneath its sky
How many carefree days have we whiled away,
The stars of goblets among the moons of drinking companions!
Drinking 'neath the stars on carpets we'd lay.
وَلِلقُضبِand for the boughs وَالأَطيارِand the birds مَلهىًa playground بِجَرعَةٍon a sandy patch
وَلِلقُضبِ وَالأَطيارِ مَلهىً بِجَرعَةٍ
فَماso whatever شِئتَyou wished مِنof رَقصٍdancing عَلىto رَجعِthe echo of أَلحانِmelodies
فَما شِئتَ مِن رَقصٍ عَلى رَجعِ أَلحانِ
And the boughs and birds had a playground on a sandy patch—
To music and birds we would dance and sing,
All the dancing you could wish for, to the echo of melodies!
Taking pleasure in each God-given thing.
وَبِالحَضرَةِand at the court الغَرّاءِthe radiant غِرَّa guileless youth عَلِقتُهُI fell in love with him
وَبِالحَضرَةِ الغَرّاءِ غِرَّ عَلِقتُهُ
فَأَجَبتُso I answered حُبّاًout of love فيهِfor him قُضبانَthe boughs of نَعمانِNu'man
فَأَجَبتُ حُبّاً فيهِ قُضبانَ نَعمانِ
And at the radiant court I fell in love with a guileless youth;
And for the fairest of all, my love I professed,
So, for love of him, I responded to Nu'man's boughs.
Answering the soul that my own soul had blessed.
رَقيقُgentle الحَواشيin manner فيin مَحاسِنِthe beauties of وَجهِهِhis face
رَقيقُ الحَواشي في مَحاسِنِ وَجهِهِ
وَمَنطِقِهِand his speech مَسلىsolace for قُلوبٍhearts وَآذانِand ears
وَمَنطِقِهِ مَسلى قُلوبٍ وَآذانِ
Gentle in manner; in the beauties of his face
Of delicate expression and voice serene,
And his speech lies solace for hearts and ears.
That calms every heart and delighting each ear.
أَغارُI am jealous لِخَدَّيهِfor his two cheeks عَلىof الوَردِthe rose كُلَّماwhenever
أَغارُ لِخَدَّيهِ عَلى الوَردِ كُلَّما
بَداit appears وَلِعَطفَيهِand for his two flanks عَلىof أَغصُنِthe boughs of البانِthe ban tree
بَدا وَلِعَطفَيهِ عَلى أَغصُنِ البانِ
For his cheeks I am jealous of the rose whenever
How I envy the roses that dare brush his cheek,
It appears, and for his flanks, of the ban-tree's boughs.
Or the vines that caress where his glances seek.
وَهَبنِيَand grant that I أَجيI gather (reading uncertain) وَردَthe rose of خَدٍّa cheek بِناظِريwith my gaze
وَهَبنِيَ أَجي وَردَ خَدٍّ بِناظِري
فَمِنthen from أَينَwhere ليfor me مِنهُfrom him بِتُفّاحِthe apples of لُبنانِLebanon
فَمِن أَينَ لي مِنهُ بِتُفّاحِ لُبنانِ
And grant that I gather a cheek's rose with my gaze—
He gifted me a glance that set my soul aflame,
Then where can I obtain from him the apples of Lebanon?
Where can I find apples to give him the same?
يُعَلِّلُنيit beguiles me مِنهُfrom him بِمَوعِدِwith a promise of رَشفَةٍa sip
يُعَلِّلُني مِنهُ بِمَوعِدِ رَشفَةٍ
خَيالٌa phantom لَهُof him يُغريit entices بِمَطلٍwith delay وَلَيّانِand evasion
خَيالٌ لَهُ يُغري بِمَطلٍ وَلَيّانِ
I am beguiled with the promise of a sip from him
His imaginary tryst makes me pine and yearn,
By a phantom of him that entices me with delay and evasion.
For meetings destined never to come or return.
حَبيبٌa beloved عَلَيهِaround him لُجَّةٌa deep sea مِنof صَوارِمٍsharp swords
حَبيبٌ عَلَيهِ لُجَّةٌ مِن صَوارِمٍ
عَلاهاrose above it حَبابٌfoam مِنof أَسِنَّةِspearheads of مُرّانِashwood spears
عَلاها حَبابٌ مِن أَسِنَّةِ مُرّانِ
A beloved surrounded by a deep sea of sharp swords,
My love wears a coat of mail like warrior of old,
Above which rose foam of spearheads on ashwood shafts.
Tempered with wisdom more precious than gold.
تَراءىhe appeared لَناto us فيin مِثلِthe likeness of صورَةِthe form of يوسُفٍJoseph
تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ صورَةِ يوسُفٍ
تَراءىhe appeared لَناto us فيin مِثلِthe likeness of مُلكِthe dominion of سُلَيمانِSolomon
تَراءى لَنا في مِثلِ مُلكِ سُلَيمانِ
He appeared to us in a form like Joseph's;
We saw him as Joseph, beauty touched by the Divine,
He appeared to us with a dominion like Solomon's.
We saw him as Solomon, destined to reign and to shine.
طَوىenfolded بُردُهُhis mantle مِنهاfrom it صَحيفَةَa page of فِتنَةٍenchantment
طَوى بُردُهُ مِنها صَحيفَةَ فِتنَةٍ
قَرَأناwe read لَهاfor it مِنfrom وَجهِهِhis face سَطرَa line of عُنوانِa heading
قَرَأنا لَها مِن وَجهِهِ سَطرَ عُنوانِ
His mantle enfolded a page of enchantment from that form;
His cloak contains secrets of love we unravel,
We read upon his face a line of its heading.
Reading truths from his face that confirm and enthrall.
مَحَبَّتُهُlove of him دينيmy religion وَمَثواهُand his dwelling كَعبَتيmy Kaaba
مَحَبَّتُهُ ديني وَمَثواهُ كَعبَتي
وَرُؤيَتُهُand seeing him حَجّيmy pilgrimage وَذِكراهُand remembrance of him قُرآنيmy Quran
وَرُؤيَتُهُ حَجّي وَذِكراهُ قُرآني
Love of him is my religion, and his dwelling my Kaaba;
He's my faith, my Kabah, my pilgrim's desire,
And seeing him is my pilgrimage, and remembering him my Quran.
Remembrance of him is my life's goal, my temple entire.
Sol 6.1