هَلُمَّاCome, you two نُقَضِّيlet us fulfill الفَرْضَthe duty لِلأَجْرَعِto the sandy tract الفَرْدِsolitary
هَلُمَّا نُقَضِّي الفَرْضَ لِلأَجْرَعِ الفَرْدِ
بِوِرْدِby watering المَطَايَاthe riding mounts مَنْهَلَa watering place المَدْمَعِthe tear-source الوَرْدِrose-red
بِوِرْدِ المَطَايَا مَنْهَلَ المَدْمَعِ الوَرْدِ
Come, you two, let us fulfill our duty to the solitary sandy tract,
by watering the mounts at the fount of rose-red tears.
فَفِيfor on مِثْلَlike هذاthis السَّفْحِthe slope يُبْرِدُcools عَاشِقٌa lover
فَفِي مِثْلَ هذا السَّفْحِ يُبْرِدُ عَاشِقٌ
حَشَاهُhis breast بِسَفْحِby spilling الدَّمْعِthe tears فيin مَسْحَبِthe place of trailing البُرْدِthe mantle
حَشَاهُ بِسَفْحِ الدَّمْعِ في مَسْحَبِ البُرْدِ
For on a slope like this a lover cools
his breast by spilling tears where his mantle trails.
وَقَفْنَاwe stood بِرَبْعِat the dwelling العامِرِيةَِّal-ʿAmiriyya مَوْقِفاًa standing place
وَقَفْنَا بِرَبْعِ العامِرِيةَِّ مَوْقِفاً
بِهِin it الحُرُّthe free man مَبذُولُoffered up الحَشَاشَةِlife's last remnant كالعَبْدِlike a slave
بِهِ الحُرُّ مَبذُولُ الحَشَاشَةِ كالعَبْدِ
We stood at al-ʿAmiriyya's dwelling, in a place
where the free man surrenders his life's breath like a slave.
سُكَارَىdrunk خَيَارَىbewildered (probable intended reading) أَعْيُنِeyes فَكَأنَّمَاso it was as though
سُكَارَى خَيَارَى أَعْيُنِ فَكَأنَّمَا
أَضَلَّled astray بِنَاwith us حَادٍa camel-driver مُجِدٍّdiligent عَنِfrom القَصْدِthe right path
أَضَلَّ بِنَا حَادٍ مُجِدٍّ عَنِ القَصْدِ
Drunk, our eyes bewildered—so it was as though
a diligent camel-driver had led us off the right path.
وَفِيand in الحَيِّthe encampment غَيْرَانُونَjealous men كَادَتْalmost نُفُوسُهُمْtheir souls
وَفِي الحَيِّ غَيْرَانُونَ كَادَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ
تَمَّيزُburst apart مِنْfrom غَيْظٍrage عَلَيْنَاagainst us وَمِنْand from حِقْدِrancor
تَمَّيزُ مِنْ غَيْظٍ عَلَيْنَا وَمِنْ حِقْدِ
And in the encampment were jealous men whose souls almost
burst apart from rage against us and from rancor.
وَمَاand not ذَاكَthat إِلاَّexcept غَيْرَةًjealousy منْat حُلُولِنَاour lodging
وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلاَّ غَيْرَةً منْ حُلُولِنَا
بِلَيْلَىwith Layla مَحْلَthe place المُكْرَمِينَthe honored ones مِنَamong الوَفْدِthe visiting company
بِلَيْلَى مَحْلَ المُكْرَمِينَ مِنَ الوَفْدِ
And that was nothing but jealousy at our lodging
with Layla in the place of honored guests among the visiting company.
وَلَمَّاand when عَرَفْنَاwe recognized عَرْفَهَاher scent نَزَّهَexalted الهَوىlove
وَلَمَّا عَرَفْنَا عَرْفَهَا نَزَّهَ الهَوى
شَذَاthe fragrance عُرْفِهَاher perfume النِّدِّيdewy عَنْabove وِجْهَهِits face النِّدِّthe rival
شَذَا عُرْفِهَا النِّدِّي عَنْ وِجْهَهِ النِّدِّ
And when we recognized her scent, love exalted
the fragrance of her dewy perfume above the rival's face.
فَلَمْso did not نَرَwe see إلاَّexcept أَوْجُهاًfaces عَرَبِيَّةًArab
فَلَمْ نَرَ إلاَّ أَوْجُهاً عَرَبِيَّةً
عَلىto العُرْبِthe Arabs عُجْمَunintelligible اللَّفْظِin speech مِنْfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity الوَجْدِrapture
عَلى العُرْبِ عُجْمَ اللَّفْظِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الوَجْدِ
So we saw nothing but Arab faces,
whose speech was unintelligible to Arabs through the intensity of rapture.
وَكَمْand how many كَبِدٍa liver حَرَّىburning تُكَابِدُstruggles with مَاwhat بِهَاin it
وَكَمْ كَبِدٍ حَرَّى تُكَابِدُ مَا بِهَا
وَصَفْحَةِand a surface خَدٍّa cheek فِيْهِin it للدَّمْعِfor tears كَمْhow many خَدِّa furrow
وَصَفْحَةِ خَدٍّ فِيْهِ للدَّمْعِ كَمْ خَدِّ
And how many a burning liver struggles with what afflicts it,
and a cheek's surface where tears have carved so many furrows!
وَكَمْand how many ثَّمَّthere جِيدٍa neck للرِّنَاfor gazing لَيْسَis not عَاطِلاًunadorned
وَكَمْ ثَّمَّ جِيدٍ للرِّنَا لَيْسَ عَاطِلاً
ضَمَمْنَاwe joined together عَلَيْهِupon it الَّثْمَkisses عِقْداًa necklace علىupon عِقْدِa necklace
ضَمَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الَّثْمَ عِقْداً على عِقْدِ
And how many a neck there, worthy of gazing upon, was not unadorned:
we strung kisses upon it, necklace upon necklace.
وَلَمand did not يَدَعِleave الوَرْقَاءَthe gray dove لِلَّنْوحِto lament وَحْدَهَاby herself
وَلَم يَدَعِ الوَرْقَاءَ لِلَّنْوحِ وَحْدَهَا
فَتَىًa youth قَائلاًsaying إِنِّيindeed I المُعَنَّىthe tormented one بِهَاby her وَحْدِيI alone
فَتَىً قَائلاً إِنِّي المُعَنَّى بِهَا وَحْدِي
Nor was the gray dove left to lament alone
by a youth saying, 'I alone am tormented by her.'
ومِتْنَاand we died لَهَاfor her طُوْلَthroughout الحَيَاةِlife وقَدْwhile indeed بَدَتْshe appeared
ومِتْنَا لَهَا طُوْلَ الحَيَاةِ وقَدْ بَدَتْ
عَلَىupon عَهْدِهَاher pledge والرَّسْمُand the trace فِيin الرَّسْمِthe trace والعَهْدِand the pledge
عَلَى عَهْدِهَا والرَّسْمُ فِي الرَّسْمِ والعَهْدِ
And we died for her throughout life, while she appeared
true to her pledge; the trace lies in the trace and the pledge.
فَمَنْso whoever يَرَsees بُدَاًan escape مِنْfrom فَنَاهُhis annihilation فَلَيْسَthen there is no مِنْfrom
فَمَنْ يَرَ بُدَاً مِنْ فَنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ
فَنَاءٍannihilation رَعَاكَmay He guard you اللهُGod يَاO سَعْدُSaʿd منْany بُدِّescape
فَنَاءٍ رَعَاكَ اللهُ يَا سَعْدُ منْ بُدِّ
So whoever sees an escape from his annihilation—there is no
escape from annihilation—may God guard you, O Saʿd.
وَمَنْand whoever يَرَsees عَنْهَاfrom her البُعْدَdistance يَقْتُلُkills فَالَّذِيthen what
وَمَنْ يَرَ عَنْهَا البُعْدَ يَقْتُلُ فَالَّذِي
أَرَىI see أَنَّthat قَتْلَkilling القُرْبِnearness أَرْجَىmore hopeful مِنَthan البُعْدِdistance
أَرَى أَنَّ قَتْلَ القُرْبِ أَرْجَى مِنَ البُعْدِ
And whoever sees that distance from her kills—what
I see is that death through nearness offers more hope than distance.
فَيَبْقَىso endures الَّذِيthe One who مَعْنَىthe meaning البَقَاءِpermanence لِوَجْهِهِto His Face
فَيَبْقَى الَّذِي مَعْنَى البَقَاءِ لِوَجْهِهِ
دَوَاماًforever وَيَفْنَىand passes away مَنْwhoever بَقَاهُhis permanence إلىto حَدِّa limit
دَوَاماً وَيَفْنَى مَنْ بَقَاهُ إلى حَدِّ
Thus the One endures, to whose Face the meaning of permanence belongs,
forever; and he whose permanence has a limit passes away.
Sol 6.1