تمادىwent ever further الصِّباyouth بيَwith me فيin غيِّهِits waywardness
تمادى الصِّبا بيَ في غيِّهِ
وأسلمنيand surrendered me للْهوىto desire لُوّميmy reproachers
وأسلمني للْهوى لُوّمي
Youth carried me ever deeper into its waywardness,
The morning breeze persisted in its folly,
And my reproachers surrendered me to desire.
And surrendered me to passion though I resisted.
وراجعتُand I resumed لهْوِيmy revelry ولذَّاتهand its pleasures
وراجعتُ لهْوِي ولذَّاته
ونزَّهتُand I purified نفسيmyself عنfrom المَحْرَمthe forbidden
ونزَّهتُ نفسي عن المَحْرَم
And I resumed my revelry and its pleasures,
I returned to my passion and its pleasures,
And I kept myself clear of the forbidden.
And kept my soul from what is forbidden.
وقالand said العواتقُthe marriageable maidens أهلاًwelcome بمَنْto one who
وقال العواتقُ أهلاً بمَنْ
تناهَىattained إلىto الخُلقcharacter الأكرمthe noblest
تناهَى إلى الخُلق الأكرم
And the maidens said, “Welcome to one
The maidens said, “Welcome to one
who has attained the noblest character!”
Who has attained the most noble character.”
فكمand how many ليَfor me فيهنَّamong them منof قاضياتٍwomen fulfilling
فكم ليَ فيهنَّ من قاضياتٍ
نذوراًvows لذاكَfor that ولمْand did not أعلمI know
نذوراً لذاكَ ولمْ أعلم
How many among them have fulfilled, for my sake,
How many of them were my judges,
vows on that account, though I did not know!
Making vows to him, though I knew it not.
وقائلةٍand a woman saying بينamong أترابهاher peers
وقائلةٍ بين أترابها
أماdoes ... not? يتقيfear اللهGod ذاthis man فيconcerning دميmy blood
أما يتقي الله ذا في دمي
And a woman said among her companions:
One said among her companions,
“Does this man not fear God concerning my blood?
“Does he not fear God, with my blood in him?”
ألاah! ليتَهُif only he زارَvisited مُسْتخْفِياًin secret
ألا ليتَهُ زارَ مُسْتخْفِياً
إذاwhen رقدتْfell asleep أعينُeyes النُّوَّمthe sleepers
إذا رقدتْ أعينُ النُّوَّم
Ah, if only he would visit in secret
Oh, would that he had come to me stealthily
when the sleepers' eyes have fallen asleep,
When all eyes were closed in sleep.
فأنقعَso I might quench مِنْthrough قُربهِhis nearness غُلَّةًa burning thirst
فأنقعَ مِنْ قُربهِ غُلَّةً
بقلبيَin my heart منfrom حُبِّهِlove for him الأقدمlong-standing
بقلبيَ من حُبِّهِ الأقدم
so I might quench, through his nearness, a burning thirst
So he might have left in my heart
in my heart from my long-standing love for him!”
A love for him more enduring than before.
أتتْنِيcame to me الرسالةُthe message عنهاfrom her بذاكwith that
أتتْنِي الرسالةُ عنها بذاك
علىin منطقٍspeech ليسis not بالأعجميforeign
على منطقٍ ليس بالأعجمي
The message came to me from her with those words,
The message came to me from her, in words
in speech that was not foreign.
Not confused, but clear in meaning.
فأنْبأْتُهاso I informed her أنَّنيthat I am حافظsafeguarding
فأنْبأْتُها أنَّني حافظ
لأشياخِهاfor her elders ذمَّةَthe pledge المُسلمa Muslim
لأشياخِها ذمَّةَ المُسلم
So I told her that I honor
I told her that I remain true
a Muslim's pledge to her elders.
To the protection owed her elders.
وأوْدعْتُهاand I left her with حسرةًheartache بالعفافِthrough chastity
وأوْدعْتُها حسرةً بالعفافِ
ووفرتُand I preserved دِينيmy faith فلمso I did not أثلمِbreach it
ووفرتُ دِيني فلم أثلمِ
And through chastity I left her with heartache,
And I left her in sorrow for virtue,
And I kept my faith intact, without breaching it.
While keeping my religion pure, undefiled.
ألاcome! فاسقِنيthen give me drink منof بناتِdaughters الكُرومthe vines
ألا فاسقِني من بناتِ الكُروم
وروِّand quench بكاساتِهاwith their cups أعْظُميmy bones
وروِّ بكاساتِها أعْظُمي
Come, give me drink of the daughters of the vines,
Oh come, let me drink from the vines
And quench my bones' thirst with their cups,
And be sated by their wine, my best medicine.
علىto لحنthe melody of صوتٍa song تخيَّرتُهُI have chosen it
على لحن صوتٍ تخيَّرتُهُ
وإلاand if not فلاthen do not تُدْنِهاbring it near مِنْto فَمِيmy mouth
وإلا فلا تُدْنِها مِنْ فَمِي
to the melody of a song I have chosen;
To the tune of a voice I know well,
Otherwise, do not bring it near my mouth.
Else, do not bring the cup near my mouth.
غشيتُI visited المنازلَthe dwellings بالأنْعُمِat al-Anʿum
غشيتُ المنازلَ بالأنْعُمِ
كَمُنْعرجِlike the curve of الوشيembroidery فيat المِعْصمِthe wrist
كَمُنْعرجِ الوشي في المِعْصمِ
I visited the dwellings at al-Anʿum,
I roamed the dwellings in comfort
like the curve of embroidery at the wrist.
Like a bracelet sliding on an arm.
Sol 6.1