لَوْلاَwere it not for الحِمَىthe preserve وَصَبَايَاand maidens بِالْحِمَىin the preserve عُرُبُamorous
لَوْلاَ الحِمَى وَصَبَايَا بِالْحِمَى عُرُبُ
مَاnot كَانَwould be فِيin البَارِقِthe lightning النَّجْدِيِّof Najd ليfor me أَرَبُa desire
مَا كَانَ فِي البَارِقِ النَّجْدِيِّ لي أَرَبُ
Were it not for the preserve and the amorous maidens within it,
Had it not been for love and the fair maidens,
I would have no desire for the lightning of Najd.
The Arab youths would have had no desire in me.
حَلَّتْundid عُقُودَthe knots of اصْطِبَارِيmy endurance دُوْنَهُbefore it حُلَلٌencampments
حَلَّتْ عُقُودَ اصْطِبَارِي دُوْنَهُ حُلَلٌ
حُقُوُقهَاtheir rights كَارتِيَاحاتِيlike my raptures لَهَاfor them تَجِبُare due
حُقُوُقهَا كَارتِيَاحاتِي لَهَا تَجِبُ
Encampments before it have undone the knots of my patience;
The knots of my patience loosed before her,
Their claims, like my raptures for them, are binding.
While obligations to her are my only comforts.
وَفِيand in رِيَاضِthe gardens of بِيوُتِthe dwellings of الحَيِّthe clan مِنْfrom إِضَمٍIdam
وَفِي رِيَاضِ بِيوُتِ الحَيِّ مِنْ إِضَمٍ
وَرْدٌroses جَنِيٌّfreshly picked وَفِيand in أَكْمَامِهَاtheir sleeves القُضُبُthe slender boughs
وَرْدٌ جَنِيٌّ وَفِي أَكْمَامِهَا القُضُبُ
And in the gardens of the clan's dwellings at Idam
In the gardens of the neighborhood houses
Are fresh roses, with slender boughs inside their sleeves.
A blossoming rose, and in their buds, promise
يَسْقِيwaters الأَقَاحِيَthe daisies مِنْهَاfrom them قُرْقُفٌwine فإِذَاand when
يَسْقِي الأَقَاحِيَ مِنْهَا قُرْقُفٌ فإِذَا
لاَحَgleams الحَبَابُthe bubbles عَلَيْهَاupon them فَاسْمُهُthen its name is الشَّنَبُthe cool luster of teeth
لاَحَ الحَبَابُ عَلَيْهَا فَاسْمُهُ الشَّنَبُ
Wine from them waters the daisies; and when
Nourishing the branches until their flowers
Bubbles gleam upon them, it is called the cool luster of teeth.
Burst into bloom and their name becomes splendor.
يَقْضِيpasses judgment بِهَاin them لِعُيُونِfor the eyes of النَّاظِرينَthe beholders عَلَىagainst
يَقْضِي بِهَا لِعُيُونِ النَّاظِرينَ عَلَى
كُلِّall القُلُوبِthe hearts قَضَاءٌa judgment مَاnot لَهُit has سَبَبُa cause
كُلِّ القُلُوبِ قَضَاءٌ مَا لَهُ سَبَبُ
Judgment is given there for the beholders' eyes against
Fulfilling for the eyes of onlookers
All hearts—a judgment that has no cause
Upon all hearts a decree that has no cause,
إِلاَّexcept تَمَارُضَthe feigned languor of أَجْفَانٍeyelids إِذَاwhen سَلَبَتْthey rob
إِلاَّ تَمَارُضَ أَجْفَانٍ إِذَا سَلَبَتْ
فَمُقْتَضَىso the requirement of هَمِّهَاtheir intent المَسْلُوبُthe one robbed لاَnot السَّلَبُthe spoil
فَمُقْتَضَى هَمِّهَا المَسْلُوبُ لاَ السَّلَبُ
Save the feigned languor of eyelids: when they rob,
Except the feigning of glances that when withdrawn
Their intent calls for the one robbed, not the spoil.
Yearn for their theft, not for the act of stealing.
وَلِيand I have لَدَىby الحِلَّةِthe encampment الفَيْحَاءِthe spacious غُصْنُa bough of نَقَاa sand dune
وَلِي لَدَى الحِلَّةِ الفَيْحَاءِ غُصْنُ نَقَا
يَهْفُوsways فَيَجْذِبُهُthen draws it خَفْقٌa flutter فَيَنْجَذِبُso it is drawn
يَهْفُو فَيَجْذِبُهُ خَفْقٌ فَيَنْجَذِبُ
And by the spacious camp I have a bough upon a dune:
By the sand dunes I have a soft, supple branch
It sways; a flutter draws it, and it yields.
Swaying gently, pulled by a flutter, swaying back.
لاَnot يَقْدِرُcan الحِبُّthe beloved أنْto يُخْفِيhide مَحَاسِنَهُhis beauties
لاَ يَقْدِرُ الحِبُّ أنْ يُخْفِي مَحَاسِنَهُ
وَإِنَّمَاbut rather فِيin سَنَاهُhis radiance الْحُجْبُthe veils تَحْتَجِبُare veiled
وَإِنَّمَا فِي سَنَاهُ الْحُجْبُ تَحْتَجِبُ
The beloved cannot hide his beauties;
Love cannot conceal its beauty
Rather, in his radiance, the veils themselves are veiled.
Rather its modesty veils and hides within.
أُعَاهِدُI pledge to الرَّاحَwine أَنَّىthat I لاَnot أُفَارِقُهَاI part from it
أُعَاهِدُ الرَّاحَ أَنَّى لاَ أُفَارِقُهَا
مِنْfor أَجْلِthe sake of أَنَّthat الثَّنَايَاthe front teeth شِبْهُهُاtheir likeness الحَبَبُthe bubbles
مِنْ أَجْلِ أَنَّ الثَّنَايَا شِبْهُهُا الحَبَبُ
I pledge to wine that I shall never leave it,
I pledge to the gentle breeze I shall not part
Because its bubbles are like the front teeth.
Because the curves are like those of a loved one.
وَأَرْقُبُand I watch البَرْقَthe lightning لاَسُقْيَاهُnot its rain مِنْof أَربَىmy desire
وَأَرْقُبُ البَرْقَ لاَسُقْيَاهُ مِنْ أَربَى
لَكِنَّهُbut it مِثْلُlike خَدَّيْهِhis two cheeks لَهُit has لَهَبُa flame
لَكِنَّهُ مِثْلُ خَدَّيْهِ لَهُ لَهَبُ
And I watch the lightning, not because I desire its rain,
I watch the lightning though not to water it
But because it has a flame like his cheeks.
But like her cheeks, it has its own flame.
يَاO سَالِماًone unscathed فِيin الهَوَىlove مِمَاfrom what أُكَابِدُهُI endure it
يَا سَالِماً فِي الهَوَى مِمَا أُكَابِدُهُ
رِفْقَاًbe gentle بِأَحْشَاءِwith the vitals of صَبٍّa passionate lover شَفَّهَاhas wasted them الوَصَبُaffliction
رِفْقَاً بِأَحْشَاءِ صَبٍّ شَفَّهَا الوَصَبُ
O you safe, in love, from what I endure,
Oh you at peace with love, have mercy
Be gentle with a lover's vitals, wasted by affliction.
On the entrails of one burned, set aflame.
فَالأَجْرُfor the reward يَاO أَمَليmy hope إِنْif كُنْتَyou are تَكْسِبُهُyou earn it
فَالأَجْرُ يَا أَمَلي إِنْ كُنْتَ تَكْسِبُهُ
مِنْfrom كُلِّevery ذِيpossessor of كَبِدٍa liver حَرَّاءَburning تَكْتَسِبُyou earn
مِنْ كُلِّ ذِي كَبِدٍ حَرَّاءَ تَكْتَسِبُ
For if you would earn reward, O my hope,
The reward, my hope, if you are to earn it
You gain it from everyone with a burning liver.
Is from every aching soul you console.
يَاO بَدرَfull moon of تَمٍّfullness مُحَاقِيmy waning فِيin زِيَادَتِهِhis waxing
يَا بَدرَ تَمٍّ مُحَاقِي فِي زِيَادَتِهِ
ماnot أَنْemphatic particle تَنْجَلِيclear away عَنْfrom أُفْقِكَyour horizon السُّحُبُthe clouds
ما أَنْ تَنْجَلِي عَنْ أُفْقِكَ السُّحُبُ
O full moon, in whose waxing lies my waning,
Oh full moon, you are at your peak
The clouds do not lift from your horizon.
While the clouds have yet to uncover your horizon.
صَحَاsobered السُّكَارَىthe drunken وَسُكْرِيand my drunkenness فِيكَin you دَامَendured وَمَاand no
صَحَا السُّكَارَى وَسُكْرِي فِيكَ دَامَ وَمَا
لِلسِّكْرِfor the drunkenness منany سَبَبٌcause يُرْوَىis recounted ولاَnor نَسَبُlineage
لِلسِّكْرِ من سَبَبٌ يُرْوَى ولاَ نَسَبُ
The drunken have sobered; my drunkenness in you has endured, and no
The intoxicated are sober, and my intoxication in you remains
Cause for that drunkenness can be told, nor any lineage.
For drunkenness has no origin or lineage by which it flows.
قَدْindeed أَيَّسَhas driven to despair الصَّبْرَpatience وَالسِّلْوَانَand solace أَيْسَرُهُthe least of it
قَدْ أَيَّسَ الصَّبْرَ وَالسِّلْوَانَ أَيْسَرُهُ
وَعَاقَبَand has punished الصِّبَّthe lover عَنْfor آمَالِهِhis hopes الوَصَبُaffliction
وَعَاقَبَ الصِّبَّ عَنْ آمَالِهِ الوَصَبُ
The least of it has driven patience and solace to despair;
Patience and solace have lost all hope
And affliction has punished the lover for his hopes.
While passion was severed from its aspirations.
وَكُلَّمَاand whenever لاَحَappears يَاO دَمْعِيmy tears وَمِيضُa flash of سَنىًradiance
وَكُلَّمَا لاَحَ يَا دَمْعِي وَمِيضُ سَنىً
تَهْمِيyou stream وَإِنْand if هَبَّblows يَاO قَلْبِيmy heart صَباًan east wind تَجِبُyou throb
تَهْمِي وَإِنْ هَبَّ يَا قَلْبِي صَباً تَجِبُ
And whenever, O my tears, a flash of radiance appears,
Whenever your trace appears my tear,
You stream; and if an east wind blows, O my heart, you throb.
I become hopeless and though youth returns, I am stoic.
Sol 6.1