شَغَلَتهُkept him occupied أَشغالٌoccupations عَنِaway from الآرامِthe gazelles
شَغَلَتهُ أَشغالٌ عَنِ الآرامِ
وَقَضىand he fulfilled اللُبانَةَthe longing مِنof هَوىًlove وَغَرامِand passion
وَقَضى اللُبانَةَ مِن هَوىً وَغَرامِ
Occupations kept him away from the gazelles.
Busy with tasks, he forgot about tranquility,
And he fulfilled his longing for love and passion.
And passed the test of love and passion.
وَمَضىand he went on يَجُرُّdragging عَلىover الهَوىlove أَذيالَهُhis robe's hems
وَمَضى يَجُرُّ عَلى الهَوى أَذيالَهُ
وَيَلومُand he blames حامِلَهُits bearer مَعَalong with اللُوّامِthe reproachers
وَيَلومُ حامِلَهُ مَعَ اللُوّامِ
And went on, dragging his robe's hems over love,
He went on, dragging his love behind him,
And joined the reproachers in blaming its bearer.
Blaming his carrier along with the blamers.
وَيَذُمُّand he reviles عَهدَthe days of الغانِياتِthe beautiful women كَناقَةٍlike a she-camel
وَيَذُمُّ عَهدَ الغانِياتِ كَناقَةٍ
بَعدَafter الشِفاءِrecovery يَذُمُّreviles عَهدَthe days of سَقامِsickness
بَعدَ الشِفاءِ يَذُمُّ عَهدَ سَقامِ
And he reviles his days with beautiful women, like a she-camel,
He denounces the time of singers like a she-camel,
That, after recovery, reviles its days of sickness.
After recovery, he denounces the time of illness.
لاdo not تَعجَلَنَّbe hasty وَفيwhile in الشَبابِyouth بَقِيَّةٌa remnant
لا تَعجَلَنَّ وَفي الشَبابِ بَقِيَّةٌ
إِنَّindeed الشَبابَyouth مَزَلَّةَslippery ground for الأَحلامِreason
إِنَّ الشَبابَ مَزَلَّةَ الأَحلامِ
Do not be hasty while a remnant of youth remains.
Don’t rush, for youth still has some life,
Indeed, youth is slippery ground for reason.
Youth is but a resting place for dreams.
كانَتَwas إِنابَتُكَyour repentance المُريبَةُdubious سَلوَةًa solace
كانَتَ إِنابَتُكَ المُريبَةُ سَلوَةً
نُسِجَتwas woven عَلىover جُرحٍa wound بِجَنبِكَin your side داميbleeding
نُسِجَت عَلى جُرحٍ بِجَنبِكَ دامي
Your dubious repentance was a solace,
Your disturbing repentance was a consolation,
Woven over a bleeding wound in your side.
Woven on the wound at your side that still bleeds.
إِنَّindeed الَّذيthe one who جَعَلَmade القُلوبَhearts أَعِنَّةًreins
إِنَّ الَّذي جَعَلَ القُلوبَ أَعِنَّةً
قادَled الشَبيبَةَthe young لِلهَوىto love بِزِمامِwith a bridle
قادَ الشَبيبَةَ لِلهَوى بِزِمامِ
Indeed, the one who made hearts into reins
He who made hearts blind,
Led the young to love with a bridle.
Led youth to love with a bridle.
ياO قَلبَheart of أَحمَدَAhmad وَالسِهامُwhile the arrows شَديدَةٌare fierce
يا قَلبَ أَحمَدَ وَالسِهامُ شَديدَةٌ
ماذاwhat لَقيتَhave you suffered مِنَfrom الغَزالِthe gazelle الراميthe archer
ماذا لَقيتَ مِنَ الغَزالِ الرامي
O heart of Ahmad, while the arrows are fierce,
Oh heart that loved and arrows were severe,
What have you suffered from the gazelle archer?
What did you get from the archer gazelle?
تَدريyou know وَتَسأَلُنيyet you ask me تَجاهُلَfeigning ignorance عارِفٍone who knows
تَدري وَتَسأَلُني تَجاهُلَ عارِفٍ
أَرَناdid he gaze بِعَينٍwith an eye أَمor رَمىhe shot بِسِهامِwith arrows
أَرَنا بِعَينٍ أَم رَمى بِسِهامِ
You know, yet ask me, feigning ignorance though you know:
You know and ask me, the ignorance of a knower,
Did he gaze with an eye, or shoot with arrows?
Did we see with an eye or did he shoot arrows?
ماnot زِلتَyou have ceased تَركَبُriding كُلَّevery صَعبٍunruly mount فيin الهَوىlove
ما زِلتَ تَركَبُ كُلَّ صَعبٍ في الهَوى
حَتّىuntil رَكِبتَyou rode إِلىtoward هَواكَyour desire حِماميmy death
حَتّى رَكِبتَ إِلى هَواكَ حِمامي
You kept riding every unruly mount in love,
You kept riding every difficulty in love,
Until you rode my death toward your desire.
Until you rode the pigeons of your love.
وَإِذاand when القُلوبُhearts اِستَرسَلَتran unchecked فيin غَيِّهاtheir waywardness
وَإِذا القُلوبُ اِستَرسَلَت في غَيِّها
كانَتwas بَلِيَّتُهاtheir affliction عَلىupon الأَجسامِthe bodies
كانَت بَلِيَّتُها عَلى الأَجسامِ
And when hearts run unchecked in their waywardness,
And when hearts ventured into their passions,
Their affliction falls upon the bodies.
Their affliction was upon the bodies.
Sol 6.1