هَلُمَّاcome, you two نُقَضِّيlet us fulfill الفَرْضَthe prescribed duty لِلأَجْرَعِto the sandy rise الفَرْدِthe solitary
هَلُمَّا نُقَضِّي الفَرْضَ لِلأَجْرَعِ الفَرْدِ
بِوِرْدِby the watering of المَطَايَاthe riding mounts مَنْهَلَthe watering place of المَدْمَعِthe tears الوَرْدِrose-red
بِوِرْدِ المَطَايَا مَنْهَلَ المَدْمَعِ الوَرْدِ
Come, you two: let us fulfill our duty to the solitary sandy rise,
Let us fulfill the duty to the most thirsty one
by watering the mounts at the rose-red wellspring of tears.
With the provision of tears, the spring of roses
فَفِيfor on مِثْلَthe like of هذاthis السَّفْحِthe slope يُبْرِدُcools عَاشِقٌa lover
فَفِي مِثْلَ هذا السَّفْحِ يُبْرِدُ عَاشِقٌ
حَشَاهُhis core بِسَفْحِby pouring out الدَّمْعِtears فيin مَسْحَبِthe trailing place of البُرْدِthe mantle
حَشَاهُ بِسَفْحِ الدَّمْعِ في مَسْحَبِ البُرْدِ
For on a slope like this a lover cools
For in a place like this a lover cools down
his core by spilling tears where his mantle trails.
His burning with the plain of tears in the chilling place
وَقَفْنَاwe halted بِرَبْعِat the dwelling of العامِرِيةَِّal-ʿĀmiriyya مَوْقِفاًa stopping place
وَقَفْنَا بِرَبْعِ العامِرِيةَِّ مَوْقِفاً
بِهِin it الحُرُّthe freeman مَبذُولُoffered up الحَشَاشَةِthe vital spark كالعَبْدِlike a slave
بِهِ الحُرُّ مَبذُولُ الحَشَاشَةِ كالعَبْدِ
We halted at al-ʿĀmiriyya's dwelling, at a place
We stopped at Al-Amriyah quarter and took a stand
where the freeman surrenders his life's breath like a slave.
Where the freeman with generosity is like a slave
سُكَارَىdrunk خَيَارَىbewildered (reading uncertain) أَعْيُنِof eye فَكَأنَّمَاso as though
سُكَارَى خَيَارَى أَعْيُنِ فَكَأنَّمَا
أَضَلَّled astray بِنَاwith us حَادٍa camel-driver مُجِدٍّpressing onward عَنِfrom القَصْدِthe right course
أَضَلَّ بِنَا حَادٍ مُجِدٍّ عَنِ القَصْدِ
Drunk, [bewildered] of eye, as though
Drunk, bleary-eyed, so it was as if
an eager camel-driver had led us off the right course.
A lost guide led us astray from the intention
وَفِيand in الحَيِّthe encampment غَيْرَانُونَjealous men كَادَتْnearly نُفُوسُهُمْtheir souls
وَفِي الحَيِّ غَيْرَانُونَ كَادَتْ نُفُوسُهُمْ
تَمَّيزُsplit apart مِنْfrom غَيْظٍrage عَلَيْنَاagainst us وَمِنْand from حِقْدِrancor
تَمَّيزُ مِنْ غَيْظٍ عَلَيْنَا وَمِنْ حِقْدِ
And in the encampment were jealous men whose souls nearly
And in the neighborhood there were others, almost
burst apart from rage against us and from rancor.
Their souls were distinctive from rage at us and from hatred
وَمَاand not ذَاكَthat إِلاَّexcept غَيْرَةًjealousy منْat حُلُولِنَاour lodging
وَمَا ذَاكَ إِلاَّ غَيْرَةً منْ حُلُولِنَا
بِلَيْلَىwith Layla مَحْلَthe station of المُكْرَمِينَthe honored ones مِنَamong الوَفْدِthe visiting delegation
بِلَيْلَى مَحْلَ المُكْرَمِينَ مِنَ الوَفْدِ
And that was nothing but jealousy at our lodging
That is only jealousy of our staying
with Layla, in the place of the honored among the delegation.
At Layla's abode, the honored place of delegations
وَلَمَّاand when عَرَفْنَاwe recognized عَرْفَهَاher fragrance نَزَّهَexalted الهَوىlove
وَلَمَّا عَرَفْنَا عَرْفَهَا نَزَّهَ الهَوى
شَذَاthe waft of عُرْفِهَاher fragrance النِّدِّيperfumed عَنْbeyond وِجْهَهِits aspect النِّدِّthe rival
شَذَا عُرْفِهَا النِّدِّي عَنْ وِجْهَهِ النِّدِّ
And when we recognized her fragrance, love exalted
And when we knew her fragrance, passion purified
the waft of her perfumed scent beyond the semblance of a rival.
The repugnance of her hostility from its face
فَلَمْso did not نَرَwe see إلاَّexcept أَوْجُهاًfaces عَرَبِيَّةًArab
فَلَمْ نَرَ إلاَّ أَوْجُهاً عَرَبِيَّةً
عَلىto العُرْبِthe Arabs عُجْمَforeign in اللَّفْظِspeech مِنْfrom شِدَّةِthe intensity of الوَجْدِrapture
عَلى العُرْبِ عُجْمَ اللَّفْظِ مِنْ شِدَّةِ الوَجْدِ
So we saw only Arab faces,
So we saw only Arabic faces
their speech foreign to Arabs from the intensity of rapture.
Rendered ineloquent in Arabic from intensity of passion
وَكَمْand how many كَبِدٍa liver حَرَّىburning تُكَابِدُstruggles with مَاwhat بِهَاis within it
وَكَمْ كَبِدٍ حَرَّى تُكَابِدُ مَا بِهَا
وَصَفْحَةِand a surface of خَدٍّa cheek فِيْهِon it للدَّمْعِfor tears كَمْhow many خَدِّa furrow
وَصَفْحَةِ خَدٍّ فِيْهِ للدَّمْعِ كَمْ خَدِّ
And how many a burning liver struggles with what it bears,
And how many livers seared, enduring what is in them
and a cheek's surface—how many furrows tears have cut there!
And cheeks' page on which tears have many a bruise
وَكَمْand how many ثَّمَّthere جِيدٍa neck للرِّنَاof the beauties لَيْسَis not عَاطِلاًunadorned
وَكَمْ ثَّمَّ جِيدٍ للرِّنَا لَيْسَ عَاطِلاً
ضَمَمْنَاwe joined عَلَيْهِupon it الَّثْمَkisses عِقْداًa necklace علىupon عِقْدِa necklace
ضَمَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ الَّثْمَ عِقْداً على عِقْدِ
And how many a beauty's neck was there, not unadorned;
And how many plump cheeks for humming, not devoid
we strung kisses around it, necklace upon necklace.
We pressed the kiss, a necklace upon necklaces
وَلَمand did not يَدَعِleave الوَرْقَاءَthe ringdove لِلَّنْوحِto lament وَحْدَهَاher alone
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 ringdove left to lament alone
And she did not leave Waraqa to weep alone
by a youth saying, 'I alone am tormented by her.'
A suitor saying, I alone am concerned with her
ومِتْنَاand we died لَهَاfor her طُوْلَthroughout الحَيَاةِlife وقَدْand indeed بَدَتْshe appeared
ومِتْنَا لَهَا طُوْلَ الحَيَاةِ وقَدْ بَدَتْ
عَلَىtrue to عَهْدِهَاher covenant والرَّسْمُand the trace فِيwithin الرَّسْمِthe trace والعَهْدِand the covenant
عَلَى عَهْدِهَا والرَّسْمُ فِي الرَّسْمِ والعَهْدِ
And we died for her all our lives, while she appeared
And we died for her the length of life, and it appeared
true to her covenant, the trace within the trace and the covenant.
In her era, and the pattern in pattern and era
فَمَنْso whoever يَرَsees بُدَاًan escape مِنْfrom فَنَاهُhis annihilation فَلَيْسَthen there is no مِنْfrom
فَمَنْ يَرَ بُدَاً مِنْ فَنَاهُ فَلَيْسَ مِنْ
فَنَاءٍannihilation رَعَاكَmay He protect you اللهُGod يَاO سَعْدُSaʿd منْany بُدِّescape
فَنَاءٍ رَعَاكَ اللهُ يَا سَعْدُ منْ بُدِّ
So whoever sees an escape from his annihilation—there is no
So whoever sees any loss from his demise, is not of
escape from annihilation, God preserve you, O Saʿd.
Loss, may God protect you O Saʿd from loss
وَمَنْand whoever يَرَsees عَنْهَاfrom her البُعْدَdistance يَقْتُلُkills فَالَّذِيthen what
وَمَنْ يَرَ عَنْهَا البُعْدَ يَقْتُلُ فَالَّذِي
أَرَىI see أَنَّthat قَتْلَkilling by القُرْبِnearness أَرْجَىmore hopeful مِنَthan البُعْدِdistance
أَرَى أَنَّ قَتْلَ القُرْبِ أَرْجَى مِنَ البُعْدِ
And whoever sees that distance from her kills—what
And whoever sees distance from her kills, so what
I see is that death through nearness offers more hope than distance.
I see is that killing nearness is better than distance
فَيَبْقَىso remains الَّذِيthe One who مَعْنَىthe meaning of البَقَاءِabiding لِوَجْهِهِfor His Face
فَيَبْقَى الَّذِي مَعْنَى البَقَاءِ لِوَجْهِهِ
دَوَاماًforever وَيَفْنَىand passes away مَنْwhoever بَقَاهُhis abiding إلىto حَدِّa limit
دَوَاماً وَيَفْنَى مَنْ بَقَاهُ إلى حَدِّ
Thus He remains, to whose Face belongs the meaning of abiding,
Thus remains the one whose remaining is for his face
forever; and he whose abiding has a limit passes away.
Everlasting, and the one whose remaining is to a limit perishes
Sol 6.1