طالَgrew long لَيلىmy night وَبِتُّand I spent the night كَالمَجنونِlike a madman
طالَ لَيلى وَبِتُّ كَالمَجنونِ
وَاِعتَرَتنيand assailed me الهُمومُcares بِالماطِرونِat al-Matirun
وَاِعتَرَتني الهُمومُ بِالماطِرونِ
My night grew long, and I spent it like a madman.
Long was my night, and I remained sleepless as a madman,
And cares assailed me at al-Matirun.
And sorrows assaulted me like heavy rains.
صاحِO friend حَيّاmay bless الإِلهُGod أَهلاًa household وَدوراًand dwellings
صاحِ حَيّا الإِلهُ أَهلاً وَدوراً
عِندَat أَصلِthe head القَناةِthe canal مِنof جَيرونِJayrun
عِندَ أَصلِ القَناةِ مِن جَيرونِ
Friend, may God bless the folk and dwellings
Greetings, O God, to the family and the dwellings
at the head of the canal in Jayrun,
At the origin of the canal from Jairoun.
عَنon يَسارٍthe left إِذاwhen دَخَلتُI entered مِنَthrough الباthe gate (first part)
عَن يَسارٍ إِذا دَخَلتُ مِنَ البا
بِgate (completion) وَإِنand if كُنتُI was خارِجاًgoing out بِيَمينيon my right
بِ وَإِن كُنتُ خارِجاً بِيَميني
on the left when I enter through the gate,
When I enter a door on the left,
and on my right if I am going out.
Even though I exit through the right,
فَبِتِلكَso, for that woman اِغتَرَبتُI lived away from home فيin الشَأمِSyria حَتّىuntil
فَبِتِلكَ اِغتَرَبتُ في الشَأمِ حَتّى
ظَنَّsupposed أَهليmy family مُرَجَّماتِgroundless conjectures الظُنونِof suspicion
ظَنَّ أَهلي مُرَجَّماتِ الظُنونِ
So for her sake I lived away from home in Syria, until
I became a stranger in Syria until
my family entertained groundless conjectures.
My family imagined confused thoughts.
وَهيَand she زَهراءُradiant مِثلُlike لُؤلُؤَةِa pearl الغَوّthe diver (first part)
وَهيَ زَهراءُ مِثلُ لُؤلُؤَةِ الغَوّ
اصِdiver (completion) ميزَتwas selected مِنfrom جَوهَرِgems مَكنونِhidden
اصِ ميزَت مِن جَوهَرِ مَكنونِ
And she is radiant, like a diver's pearl,
She is like a pearl taken out
selected from hidden gems.
From a concealed essence.
وَإِذاand when ماemphatic particle نَسَبتُهاI traced her lineage لَمnot تجِدهاyou find her
وَإِذا ما نَسَبتُها لَم تجِدها
فيin سَناءٍlofty glory مِنَof المَكارِمِnoble virtues دونيbeneath me
في سَناءٍ مِنَ المَكارِمِ دوني
And when I trace her lineage, you will not find her
And if I attribute her noble qualities,
beneath me in the lofty glory of noble virtues.
I will not find her equal among the virtuous.
ثُمَّthen دافَعتُهاI guided her onward إِلىto القُبَّةِthe dome الخَضراءِgreen
ثُمَّ دافَعتُها إِلى القُبَّةِ الخَضراءِ
نَمشيwe walk فيon مَرمَرٍmarble مَسنونِpolished
نَمشي في مَرمَرٍ مَسنونِ
Then I guided her to the green dome,
Then I took her to a green dome
as we walked over polished marble—
Where we walked on marble and gold.
قُبَّةٍa dome مِنof مَراجِلٍpatterned fabrics ضَرَبَتهاshe pitched it
قُبَّةٍ مِن مَراجِلٍ ضَرَبَتها
عِندَat حَدِّthe onset الشِتاءِof winter فيin القَيطونِthe inner chamber
عِندَ حَدِّ الشِتاءِ في القَيطونِ
a dome of patterned cloth that she had pitched
A dome of bricks built
at winter's onset in the inner chamber.
At the onset of winter in Qaytoon.
تَجعَلُshe puts النَدَّblended incense وَالأُلُوَّةَand aloeswood وَالمِسand musk (first part)
تَجعَلُ النَدَّ وَالأُلُوَّةَ وَالمِس
كَmusk (completion) صِلاءًfuel for warmth لَهاfor her عَلىon الكانونِthe brazier
كَ صِلاءً لَها عَلى الكانونِ
She puts blended incense, aloeswood, and musk
It makes dew, flags, and torches
on the brazier as fuel for her warmth.
Like prayers for it in December.
وَقِبابٍand pavilions قَدalready أُشرِجَتwere fastened together وَبُيوتٍand dwellings
وَقِبابٍ قَد أُشرِجَت وَبُيوتٍ
نُطِّقَتwere girdled بِالرَيحانِwith sweet basil وَالزَرجونِand grapevines
نُطِّقَت بِالرَيحانِ وَالزَرجونِ
And pavilions fastened together, and dwellings
Domes were erected and houses
girdled with sweet basil and grapevines.
Adorned with basil and marjoram.
ثُمَّthen فارَقتُهاI parted from her عَلىon خَيرِthe best ماthat كاwas (first part)
ثُمَّ فارَقتُها عَلى خَيرِ ما كا
نَwas (completion) قَرينٌa companion مُفارِقاًparting لِقَرينِfrom a companion
نَ قَرينٌ مُفارِقاً لِقَرينِ
Then I parted from her on the best terms
Then I parted with her in the best state
on which one companion ever parted from another.
That a companion parts with a companion.
وَبَكَتand she wept خَشيَةَfor fear of التَفَرُّقِseparation لِلبَيat the parting (first part)
وَبَكَت خَشيَةَ التَفَرُّقِ لِلبَي
نِparting (completion) بُكاءَthe weeping of الحَزينِthe sorrowful person نَحوَtoward الحَزينِthe sorrowful person
نِ بُكاءَ الحَزينِ نَحوَ الحَزينِ
And she wept at parting, fearing separation,
She cried fearing the separation
as one sorrowful person weeps for another.
The crying of the sorrowful toward the sorrowful.
فَاِسأَليso ask عَنabout تَذَكُّريmy recollections وَاِكتِئابيand my dejection
فَاِسأَلي عَن تَذَكُّري وَاِكتِئابي
لِإيابيon my return إِذاwhen هُمُthey عَذَلونيthey reproached me
لِإيابي إِذا هُمُ عَذَلوني
So ask about my recollections and my dejection
Ask about my remembrance and sadness
on my return, when they reproached me.
For my return when they rebuked me.
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said إِذاwhen تَطاوَلَgrew prolonged سُقمىmy sickness
وَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذا تَطاوَلَ سُقمى
وَتَقَلَّبتُand I tossed and turned لَيلَتيduring my night فيin فُنونِvaried states
وَتَقَلَّبتُ لَيلَتي في فُنونِ
And indeed I said, when my sickness lingered
I said, when my illness was prolonged
and I tossed through the night in changing states:
And my night tossed and turned in discontent,
لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing أَمِنis it from هَوىًlove طارَtook flight نَوميmy sleep
لَيتَ شِعري أَمِن هَوىً طارَ نَومي
أَمor بَرانيfashioned me الباريthe Creator قَصيرَshort الجُفونِthe eyelids
أَم بَراني الباري قَصيرَ الجُفونِ
Would that I knew: has love made my sleep take flight,
I wish I knew: did love steal my sleep?
or did the Creator fashion me with short eyelids?
Or did the Creator deprive me, of little rest?
Sol 6.1