كمHow often كنتI was فيin غمراتthe engulfing depths of الحبlove أستبقI race ahead
كم كنت في غمرات الحب أستبق
وكمAnd how often أرانيI see myself بحرthe sea of الشوقlonging أغتبقI drink at evening
وكم أراني بحر الشوق أغتبق
How often I raced ahead in the engulfing depths of love!
How often I hastened in the depths of love,
And how often I see myself drinking at evening from longing's sea!
And how often the sea of passion engulfed me,
وكمAnd how often دهتنيbefell me خطوبcalamities قدmay تشيبturn gray بهاbecause of them
وكم دهتني خطوب قد تشيب بها
ذوائبيmy tresses وسهامand the arrows of الفتكslaughter تختنقchoke
ذوائبي وسهام الفتك تختنق
And how often calamities befell me that could turn gray
And how often my eyelids grew white with promises,
my tresses, while the arrows of slaughter choke.
As my desires and arrows of death choked me,
وكمAnd how often رمتنيshe struck me بسهمwith the arrow of الدهرtime عنfrom بعدafar
وكم رمتني بسهم الدهر عن بعد
وماand not أحولI turn away عنfrom التهيامlove's frenzy أنتشقI breathe in
وما أحول عن التهيام أنتشق
And how often she struck me from afar with time's arrow.
And how often the fate cast me far with its arrow,
Yet I do not turn away from love's frenzy; I breathe it in.
Yet I do not cease gazing and drawing breath,
وكمAnd how often سهرتI kept vigil علىfor ودlove of النوافحfragrant wafts فيin
وكم سهرت على ود النوافح في
صيدhunting الظباءgazelles عليهاover them الروحthe soul تنفتقis torn open
صيد الظباء عليها الروح تنفتق
And how often I kept vigil for love of fragrant wafts, in
And how often I stayed up with the breeze of gazelles,
hunting gazelles, over whom the soul is torn open.
Hunting them while my soul burst forth,
وكمAnd how often نصبتI set لهاfor her فخthe trap of الجفونthe eyelids علىupon
وكم نصبت لها فخ الجفون على
مهواةthe chasm of وكرa nest لعلperhaps الطيفthe phantom ينسرقis stolen
مهواة وكر لعل الطيف ينسرق
And how often I set for her the trap of eyelids upon
And how often I set up the trap of eyelids,
a nest's chasm, hoping the phantom might be stolen,
On the lair and den, hoping the phantom gets snatched,
أوor تعثرنthey stumble بذيلon the hem of الحسنbeauty فيin نارa fire
أو تعثرن بذيل الحسن في نار
منfrom ليلهاher night فترىso you see جفنيmy eyelid تنطبقcloses
من ليلها فترى جفني تنطبق
or they might stumble on beauty's hem, in a fire
Or they stumble on the tail of beauty in
from her night, so you see my eyelid close.
A fire from her night, so my eyelids shut,
وكمAnd how often دنوتI drew near لنبتto the growth of الشيحwormwood أرعىI graze بهin it
وكم دنوت لنبت الشيح أرعى به
علperhaps مهاةan oryx يراهاsees her الجفنthe eyelid يسترقsteals a glimpse
عل مهاة يراها الجفن يسترق
And how often I drew near the wormwood growth, grazing there,
And how often I approached the youthful sprout to graze on it,
perhaps the eyelid might steal a glimpse of an oryx.
On a meadow, as my eyelids furtively watch,
وكمAnd how often تنمرتI grew leopard-like فيin قنصhunting الشواردthe elusive ones لاno
وكم تنمرت في قنص الشوارد لا
يصدنيturns me away ساربa wanderer عنهمfrom them وماand not أثقI trust
يصدني سارب عنهم وما أثق
And how often I grew fierce as a leopard, hunting the elusive ones; no
And how often I lurked to hunt the songbirds,
wanderer turns me away from them, and I have no trust.
No hunter deterring me, and I have no doubt,
وكمAnd how often أحومI circle بحولaround الحيthe encampment أرصدهاI watch for her
وكم أحوم بحول الحي أرصدها
فيin كلevery مدرجةpath والقلبand the heart مؤترقsleepless
في كل مدرجة والقلب مؤترق
And how often I circle around the encampment, watching for her,
And how often I prowled around the neighborhood to ambush them
on every path, while the heart is sleepless.
In every valley, while my heart quaked,
وكمAnd how often تسورتI scaled walls فيin أرضthe land of المعارفknowledge ماnot
وكم تسورت في أرض المعارف ما
أرىI see سواهاanyone but her ولوeven if بالبينwith separation أحترقI burn
أرى سواها ولو بالبين أحترق
And how often I scaled walls in the land of knowledge; I do not
And how often I scaled the land of friends,
see anyone but her, even if I burn with separation.
Seeing none but them, even if by distance I burn,
وكمAnd how often رعفتI bled لذاذاتthe delights of المنىhope ولكمand how often
وكم رعفت لذاذات المنى ولكم
جارتacted unjustly عليناagainst us وكمand how much للقلبfor the heart ينفهقwells over
جارت علينا وكم للقلب ينفهق
And how often I bled the delights of hope, and how often
And how often I wavered for the sweetest wishes,
they wronged us, and how much wells over for the heart.
As they avoided us, and how my heart sighs,
وكمAnd how often رتقتI stitched up ميادينthe fields of المعاطبperils لاno
وكم رتقت ميادين المعاطب لا
يألونيspares me جهداeffort هياميmy infatuation ماnot أرىI see أفقa horizon
يألوني جهدا هيامي ما أرى أفق
And how often I stitched up the fields of peril; no
And how often I climbed battlefields of flirtation,
effort does my infatuation spare me; I see no horizon.
My passion leaves me no respite, I see no horizon,
وكمAnd how often إذاwhen كنتI was فيamid سودdark الأسنةspearheads لاnot
وكم إذا كنت في سود الأسنة لا
أزالI cease أذكرI recall ثغراa mouth منهاfrom her ينعبقwafts fragrance
أزال أذكر ثغرا منها ينعبق
And how often, when I was amid dark spearheads, I would not
And how often, when I'm in the darkness of time,
cease to recall her mouth, wafting fragrance.
I cease not to remember a smile that dazzles,
ألاBehold وإنand indeed مصاباتthe afflictions of الهوىlove ماnot رثتhave shown pity
ألا وإن مصابات الهوى ما رثت
لمنfor one whom رمتهstruck him خطوبcalamities والهوىand love أنقa delight
لمن رمته خطوب والهوى أنق
Behold, indeed the afflictions of love have shown no pity
Behold, the adversities of love have not bequeathed,
for one whom calamities struck, while love is a delight.
To whom it cast tribulations, while love suffocates,
وماand not درتshe knew ببرازخof isthmuses لناfor us اقتنصتcaptured
وما درت ببرازخ لنا اقتنصت
أشكالthe forms of منone who فيin مرائيthe mirrors of الهجرestrangement يخترقpasses through
أشكال من في مرائي الهجر يخترق
Nor did she know of the isthmuses that captured for us
Nor have the intervals perceived for us, snatched
the forms of one who passes through the mirrors of estrangement.
Forms from those in the mirror of estrangement piercing through,
فالجيدfor the neck جيدa neck وإنيand I أقتفيfollow أثراa trace
فالجيد جيد وإني أقتفي أثرا
منfor أجلهاher sake وهلالand the crescent of الأفقthe horizon منمحقis effaced
من أجلها وهلال الأفق منمحق
For the neck is a neck, and I follow a trace
So excellence is excellence, and I trace
for her sake, while the horizon's crescent is effaced.
A mark for its sake, while the crescent horizon fades away,
ماnot كنتI was أدريI know نحولthe wasting of الأفقthe horizon وهوwhile it مصاstricken (word continues)
ما كنت أدري نحول الأفق وهو مصا
بcompletion of 'stricken' بالهوىwith love منfrom هلالthe crescent of الأرضthe earth ياO أفقhorizon
ب بالهوى من هلال الأرض يا أفق
I did not know the horizon's wasting, while it was stricken
I did not know the horizon curves, and it is struck
with love from the earth's crescent, O horizon.
By love, from the crescent of earth - O horizon!
إنيIndeed I إذاwhen اصطحبانيthe two accompany me أرضthe land of منطقةthe belt of
إني إذا اصطحباني أرض منطقة
البروجthe zodiacal signs أحسبهI think him بالوصلthrough union يحترقhe burns
البروج أحسبه بالوصل يحترق
Indeed, when the two accompany me to the land of the belt
When the celestial sphere accompanies me,
of the zodiacal signs, I think him burning through union.
I reckon it as a union blazing,
وإنand though تناءتgrew distant بهwith him الأرحامthe wombs وانتعشتand revived
وإن تناءت به الأرحام وانتعشت
أوصالهhis limbs ولذيذand the sweetness of الوصلunion مفترقis sundered
أوصاله ولذيذ الوصل مفترق
And though the wombs carry him far away, and life returns to
And if the wombs distance themselves from it,
his limbs, the sweetness of union is sundered.
And its limbs become refreshed, and the sweet union severed,
فلاso not تزالcease شعاعاتthe rays of المطارحthe casting places فيin
فلا تزال شعاعات المطارح في
وصلa union of التضايقconstriction فيin شكلa form لهit has طرقpaths
وصل التضايق في شكل له طرق
So the rays of the casting places still remain in
The rays of separation still remain in the constraint
a union of constriction, in a form that has paths.
Of estrangement, in a form accessible to it,
فاعجبSo marvel لعالat one on high يرىwho sees فيin الكونthe cosmos مقتبساa borrower of
فاعجب لعال يرى في الكون مقتبسا
أنوارهhis lights وبداand appeared بالوصلthrough union ينفلقsplits apart
أنواره وبدا بالوصل ينفلق
Marvel, then, at one on high, who sees in the cosmos a borrower of
Wondrous is the sublime that sees the universe ignited by its lights,
his lights, and has appeared, splitting apart through union.
Yet through union it began to split,
وأعجبAnd marvel لناءat one far away يرىwho is seen حياalive وقدand indeed قربتhave drawn near
وأعجب لناء يرى حيا وقد قربت
أنفاسهhis breaths فيin مماتa death ماnot لهfor it فلقa dawn
أنفاسه في ممات ما له فلق
And marvel at one far away, seen alive, though there have drawn near
And wondrous is the feeble that sees life nearing its breath,
his breaths in a death that has no dawn.
Yet in death, it has no slit,
همThey أهلthe people of بدرBadr فماso no فيin فعلهمtheir deeds حرجblame
هم أهل بدر فما في فعلهم حرج
وليهنكand may it gladden you العلمknowledge فضلاas a bounty ماas long as بداappears الأفقthe horizon
وليهنك العلم فضلا ما بدا الأفق
They are the people of Badr, so there is no blame in their deeds.
They are the people of Badr, so no blame in their action,
And may knowledge gladden you as a bounty, as long as the horizon appears.
And may knowledge grace you, before the horizon emerged.
Sol 6.1