مَنwho غائِبٌabsent فيin الحُبِّlove لَمnot يَؤُبِreturn
مَن غائِبٌ في الحُبِّ لَم يَؤُبِ
لاnot شَيئاَanything يَرقُبُهُhe awaits it سِوىexcept العَطَبِruin
لا شَيئاَ يَرقُبُهُ سِوى العَطَبِ
Who has vanished into love and not returned,
Who is lost in love and does not return?
awaiting nothing but ruin,
Watching for nothing but his own ruin.
مِنfrom حُبِّlove of شاطِرَةٍa roguish woman رَمَتshe shot غَرَضاًa target
مِن حُبِّ شاطِرَةٍ رَمَت غَرَضاً
قَلبيmy heart فَمَنso who ذاis it قالَsaid لَمnot تُصِبِshe hit
قَلبي فَمَن ذا قالَ لَم تُصِبِ
from loving a roguish woman who shot at a target:
From the love of a cunning beauty who aimed a shot
my heart—who, then, says she missed?
At my heart—and who could claim she missed?
البَدرُthe full moon أَشبَهُmost like ماwhat رَأَيتِyou (f.) saw بِهاto her
البَدرُ أَشبَهُ ما رَأَيتِ بِها
حينَwhen اِستَوىbecame full وَبَداand appeared مِنَfrom الحُجُبِthe veils
حينَ اِستَوى وَبَدا مِنَ الحُجُبِ
The full moon is the closest likeness to her you have seen,
The full moon is the likest thing I have seen to her,
when it becomes full and emerges from the veils.
When it stands complete and emerges from the veils.
وَاِبنُand the offspring of الرَشاthe gazelle لَمnot يُخطِهاmiss her شَبَهاًin likeness
وَاِبنُ الرَشا لَم يُخطِها شَبَهاً
بِالجيدِin the neck وَالعَينَينِand the two eyes وَاللَبَبِand the breast
بِالجيدِ وَالعَينَينِ وَاللَبَبِ
And the gazelle's fawn does not fail to resemble her
And the young gazelle fails not to resemble her,
in neck, both eyes, and breast.
In the neck, the eyes, and the upper chest.
وَإِذاand when تَسَربَلَdonned a tunic غَيرَهاsomeone other than her اِشتَمَلَتshe wrapped herself
وَإِذا تَسَربَلَ غَيرَها اِشتَمَلَت
وَردَrose-colored الحَواشيedges مُسبَلَtrailing الذَنَبِthe tail
وَردَ الحَواشي مُسبَلَ الذَنَبِ
And when others don tunics, she wraps herself
And when she dresses, she wraps herself
in a rose-bordered garment with a trailing hem.
In rose-bordered silks with a trailing train.
فَتَقولُso you say طَوراًat times ذاthis فَتىًa youth هَتَفَتcalled out
فَتَقولُ طَوراً ذا فَتىً هَتَفَت
نَفسُthe soul of النَصيحِthe well-wisher بِهِto him فَلَمyet did not يُجِبِanswer
نَفسُ النَصيحِ بِهِ فَلَم يُجِبِ
So at times you say: this is a youth called to
At times you say: "This is a youth called out
by a well-wisher's soul, yet he did not answer;
By the advisor's voice, yet he answered not."
وِدٌّa friend لِعُصبَةِto a band of ريبَةٍsuspicion مُجُنٍshameless men
وِدٌّ لِعُصبَةِ ريبَةٍ مُجُنٍ
أَعدىmore virulent لِمَنtoward those whom عادَواthey opposed مِنَthan الجَرَبِscabies
أَعدى لِمَن عادَوا مِنَ الجَرَبِ
a friend to a suspect band of shameless men,
A friend to a suspicious, shameless gang,
more virulent toward their foes than scabies,
More contagious to their foes than the mange.
شُنعُugly الأَساميnames مُسبِليletting trail أُزُرٍwaist-wraps
شُنعُ الأَسامي مُسبِلي أُزُرٍ
حُمرٍred تَمَسُّtouch الأَرضَthe ground بِالهُدُبِwith the fringes
حُمرٍ تَمَسُّ الأَرضَ بِالهُدُبِ
with ugly names, letting their waist-wraps trail,
With hideous names, letting their robes drag low,
red wraps whose fringes touch the ground,
Red garments brushing the earth with their fringes.
مُتَعَطِّفينَdraping themselves عَلىover خَناجِرِهِمtheir daggers
مُتَعَطِّفينَ عَلى خَناجِرِهِم
سُلُبٍlean لِشُربِهِمbecause of their drinking مِنَfrom القِرَبِthe waterskins
سُلُبٍ لِشُربِهِم مِنَ القِرَبِ
draping their wraps over their daggers,
Bending over their daggers,
lean from their drinking out of waterskins.
Gaunt from drinking from the wineskins.
وَإِذاand when هُمُthey لِحَديثِهِمfor their conversation جَلَسواsat down
وَإِذا هُمُ لِحَديثِهِم جَلَسوا
عَطَفواthey bent أَكُفَّهُمُtheir palms عَلىupon الرُكَبِthe knees
عَطَفوا أَكُفَّهُمُ عَلى الرُكَبِ
And when they sit down to converse,
And when they sit down to converse,
they lay their palms upon their knees.
They fold their hands over their knees.
وَتَقولُand you say طَوراًat times ذاthis فَتىًa youth غَزِلٌamorous
وَتَقولُ طَوراً ذا فَتىً غَزِلٌ
باديshowing الدَماثَةِgentleness كامِلُperfect in الأَدَبِgood manners
بادي الدَماثَةِ كامِلُ الأَدَبِ
And at other times you say: this is an amorous youth,
Yet at other times you say: "This is an amorous youth,
plainly gentle, perfect in good manners,
Of apparent gentleness and perfect refinement."
صَبٌّpassionately in love إِلىwith حَوراءَa dark-eyed woman يَمنَعُهُholds him back
صَبٌّ إِلى حَوراءَ يَمنَعُهُ
مِنهاfrom her الحَياmodesty وَصِيانَةُand safeguarding الحَسَبِfamily honor
مِنها الحَيا وَصِيانَةُ الحَسَبِ
besotted with a dark-eyed woman, held back
Yearning for a doe-eyed beauty, yet held back
from her by modesty and care for family honor.
By shyness and the preservation of honor.
فَكِلاهُماso both of them صَبٌّenamored بِصاحِبِهِwith his companion
فَكِلاهُما صَبٌّ بِصاحِبِهِ
لَوif يَستَطيعُhe could لَطارَhe would fly مِنfrom طَرَبِjoy
لَو يَستَطيعُ لَطارَ مِن طَرَبِ
So each is passionately in love with the other;
So each of them is enamored with the other;
if he could, he would fly for joy.
Could they but do so, they would fly from rapture.
فَتَواعَداso they both arranged to meet يَوماًone day وَشَأنُهُماand their practice
فَتَواعَدا يَوماً وَشَأنُهُما
أَلّاnot to يَشوباthey both taint الوَعدَthe promise بِالكَذِبِwith lies
أَلّا يَشوبا الوَعدَ بِالكَذِبِ
So they arranged to meet one day, their practice being
They promised to meet one day, their intent being
not to taint their promise with lies.
Not to taint the promise with deceit.
فَغَدَتso she set out in the morning كَواسِطَةِlike the jewel of الرِياضِthe gardens إِلىtoward
فَغَدَت كَواسِطَةِ الرِياضِ إِلى
مَوعودَةٍan appointed rendezvous تَمشيshe walks عَلىwith رُقُبِwatchfulness
مَوعودَةٍ تَمشي عَلى رُقُبِ
So she set out that morning like the gardens' jewel, toward
So she went forth like the heart of a garden toward
an appointed rendezvous, walking warily.
A promised meeting, walking with wary steps.
وَغَداand he set out in the morning مُطَرَّقَةًhenna-stained أَنامِلُهُhis fingertips
وَغَدا مُطَرَّقَةً أَنامِلُهُ
حُلوَsweet in الشَمائِلِmanners فاخِرَsplendid in السُلُبِattire
حُلوَ الشَمائِلِ فاخِرَ السُلُبِ
And he set out that morning, his fingertips henna-stained,
And he went forth with fingertips dyed and scented,
sweet in manner, splendid in attire.
Sweet in character, luxurious in attire.
مَنwhoever لَمnot يُصَبbe touched فيamong الناسِthe people يَومَئِذٍthat day
مَن لَم يُصَب في الناسِ يَومَئِذٍ
مِنby ريحِهِhis fragrance إِذas مَرَّhe passed لَمnot يَطِبِsmell sweet
مِن ريحِهِ إِذ مَرَّ لَم يَطِبِ
Whoever among the people that day was untouched
Whoever among the people was not touched that day
by his fragrance as he passed was not perfumed.
By his scent as he passed, found no delight.
لاno بَلrather لَهاshe has خُلُقٌa temperament مُنِيتُI was afflicted بِهِby it
لا بَل لَها خُلُقٌ مُنِيتُ بِهِ
وَمَلاحَةٌand beauty عَجَبٌa marvel مِنَamong العَجَبِmarvels
وَمَلاحَةٌ عَجَبٌ مِنَ العَجَبِ
No, rather, she has a temperament that has afflicted me,
Nay, rather she has a nature I am afflicted by,
and beauty that is a marvel among marvels.
And a beauty that is a wonder of wonders.
فَالمُستَعانُso the one whose help is sought اللَهُGod فيin طَلَبيmy pursuit
فَالمُستَعانُ اللَهُ في طَلَبي
مَنthe one whom لَستُI am not أُدرِكُهُreaching him عَنِthrough الطَلَبِpursuit
مَن لَستُ أُدرِكُهُ عَنِ الطَلَبِ
So it is God's help I seek in pursuing
So God is the One sought for help in my pursuit
the one whom I cannot reach through pursuit.
Of one whom I cannot attain through mere seeking.
ماnot لامَنيhe blamed me الإِنسانُthe person أَعشَقُهُI love him
ما لامَني الإِنسانُ أَعشَقُهُ
حَتّىuntil يُعَيِّرَهُtaunts him المُعَيِّرُthe taunter بيbecause of me
حَتّى يُعَيِّرَهُ المُعَيِّرُ بي
The person I love never reproaches me
The one I adore did not blame me,
until a taunter shames him because of me.
Until the critic shamed him on my account.
Sol 6.1