مُضناكَyour lovesick one جَفاهُhas forsaken him مَرقَدُهُhis bed
مُضناكَ جَفاهُ مَرقَدُهُ
وَبَكاهُand wept over him وَرَحَّمَand prayed for mercy عُوَّدُهُhis sickbed visitors
وَبَكاهُ وَرَحَّمَ عُوَّدُهُ
Your lovesick one—his bed has forsaken him.
Your harshness has made his resting place miserable
His sickbed visitors have wept over him and prayed for mercy.
And your crying and pitying has accustomed him
حَيرانُbewildered القَلبِof heart مُعَذَّبُهُtormented in it
حَيرانُ القَلبِ مُعَذَّبُهُ
مَقروحُwounded الجَفنِof eyelid مُسَهَّدُهُkept sleepless in it
مَقروحُ الجَفنِ مُسَهَّدُهُ
His heart is bewildered and tormented.
The heart is confused, tortured
His eyelid is wounded and sleepless.
The eyelids are wounded, laid down
أَودىhas perished حَرَفاًfrom wasting sickness إِلّاexcept رَمَقاًa last breath
أَودى حَرَفاً إِلّا رَمَقاً
يُبقيهِkeeps him alive عَلَيكَfor you وَتُنفِدُهُand you exhaust it
يُبقيهِ عَلَيكَ وَتُنفِدُهُ
He has wasted to death, save for a last breath
He almost ran out of words except a breath
That keeps him alive for you, while you drain it.
That remains for you, and you deplete
يَستَهويcaptivates الوُرقَthe grey doves تَأَوُّهُهُhis moaning
يَستَهوي الوُرقَ تَأَوُّهُهُ
وَيُذيبُand melts الصَخرَthe rock تَنَهُّدُهُhis sighing
وَيُذيبُ الصَخرَ تَنَهُّدُهُ
His moaning enchants the grey doves,
The foliage sways to his sighing
And his sighing melts the rock.
And the rock melts at his lament
وَيُناجيand confides in النَجمَthe star وَيُتعِبُهُand wearies it
وَيُناجي النَجمَ وَيُتعِبُهُ
وَيُقيمُand makes stand اللَيلَthe night وَيُقعِدُهُand makes it sit down
وَيُقيمُ اللَيلَ وَيُقعِدُهُ
And he confides in the star and wearies it,
He confides in the stars and tires them
And makes the night stand up and sit down.
And spends the night awake and seated
وَيُعَلِّمُand teaches كُلَّevery مُطَوَّقَةٍring-necked dove
وَيُعَلِّمُ كُلَّ مُطَوَّقَةٍ
شَجَناًa sorrow فيamong الدَوحِthe great trees تُرَدِّدُهُshe repeats it
شَجَناً في الدَوحِ تُرَدِّدُهُ
And teaches every ring-necked dove
And teaches every turtledove
A sorrow she repeats among the great trees.
A yearning in the orchards that echoes him
كَمhow many مَدَّhe laid لِطَيفِكَfor your phantom مِنof شَرَكٍa snare
كَم مَدَّ لِطَيفِكَ مِن شَرَكٍ
وَتَأَدَّبَand showed courtesy لاnot يَتَصَيَّدُهُhe ensnares it
وَتَأَدَّبَ لا يَتَصَيَّدُهُ
How many a snare he has laid for your phantom,
How much he lowered himself to your phantom
Yet, out of courtesy, he does not ensnare it.
And was well-mannered without intending it
فَعَساكَso perhaps you بِغُمضٍwith a little sleep مُسعِفُهُhis helper
فَعَساكَ بِغُمضٍ مُسعِفُهُ
وَلَعَلَّand perhaps خَيالَكَyour image مُسعِدُهُone who gladdens him
وَلَعَلَّ خَيالَكَ مُسعِدُهُ
So perhaps, with a little sleep, you may come to his aid,
May you be comforted by a blink that aids him
And perhaps your image will gladden him.
Perhaps your imagination makes him happy
الحُسنُbeauty حَلَفتُI have sworn بِيوسُفِهِby its Joseph
الحُسنُ حَلَفتُ بِيوسُفِهِ
وَالسورَةِand by the surah إِنَّكَindeed you مُفرَدُهُits peerless one
وَالسورَةِ إِنَّكَ مُفرَدُهُ
Beauty—I have sworn by its Joseph,
By the beauty of Joseph I swear
And by the surah: you are its peerless exemplar.
And the chapter, you are uniquely it
قَدindeed وَدَّdesired جَمالَكَyour beauty أَوor قَبَساًa spark
قَد وَدَّ جَمالَكَ أَو قَبَساً
حَوراءُa dark-eyed maiden الخُلدِof Paradise وَأَمرَدُهُand its beardless youth
حَوراءُ الخُلدِ وَأَمرَدُهُ
Your beauty, or a spark of it, has been coveted
The houri of eternity wished for your beauty
By Paradise's dark-eyed maiden and its beardless youth.
Or even a fleeting glimpse
وَتَمَنَّتand wished كُلُّevery مُقَطَّعَةٍwoman with cuts
وَتَمَنَّت كُلُّ مُقَطَّعَةٍ
يَدَهاher hand لَوif only تُبعَثُshe were raised again تَشهَدُهُshe might behold it
يَدَها لَو تُبعَثُ تَشهَدُهُ
And every woman has wished, with cuts on
And every severed hand wished
Her hand, to be raised again and behold it.
If revived, to witness you
جَحَدَتdenied عَيناكَyour two eyes زَكِيَّinnocent دَميmy blood
جَحَدَت عَيناكَ زَكِيَّ دَمي
أَكَذلِكَis it likewise? خَدُّكَyour cheek يَجحَدُهُdenies it
أَكَذلِكَ خَدُّكَ يَجحَدُهُ
Your eyes have denied my innocent blood;
My truthful eyes denied your pure blood
Does your cheek deny it too?
Does your cheek thus deny it too?
قَدindeed عَزَّwere scarce شُهوديmy witnesses إِذwhen رَمَتاthe two of them shot
قَد عَزَّ شُهودي إِذ رَمَتا
فَأَشَرتُso I pointed لِخَدِّكَto your cheek أُشهِدُهُI call it as witness
فَأَشَرتُ لِخَدِّكَ أُشهِدُهُ
My witnesses were scarce when your two eyes shot,
My witnesses grew helpless when they glanced
So I pointed to your cheek, calling it as witness.
So for your cheek I pointed it out to bear witness
وَهَمَمتُand I thought بِجيدِكِof your neck أَشرَكُهُI include it
وَهَمَمتُ بِجيدِكِ أَشرَكُهُ
فَأَبىthen refused وَاِستَكبَرَand grew haughty أَصيَدُهُits proud, upraised form
فَأَبى وَاِستَكبَرَ أَصيَدُهُ
And I thought of your neck, to include it too,
I intended to join your locks but
But that proud, upraised neck refused and grew haughty.
It refused, too proud for that
وَهَزَزتُand I shook قَوامَكَyour form أَعطِفُهُI bend it
وَهَزَزتُ قَوامَكَ أَعطِفُهُ
فَنَباthen recoiled وَتَمَنَّعَand resisted أَملَدُهُits supple form
فَنَبا وَتَمَنَّعَ أَملَدُهُ
And I shook your form, seeking to bend it,
I swayed your slender figure to bend it
But the supple figure recoiled and resisted.
But it recoiled, too dignified for that
سَبَبٌa means لِرِضاكَto your favor أُمَهِّدُهُI prepare it
سَبَبٌ لِرِضاكَ أُمَهِّدُهُ
ماwhat بالُis the matter with الخَصرِthe waist يُعَقِّدُهُknots it
ما بالُ الخَصرِ يُعَقِّدُهُ
I prepare a means to win your favor;
I smooth the way to please you
Why does your waist tie it in knots?
Why does the waist make it difficult?
بَينيbetween me فيin الحُبِّlove وَبَينَكَand between you ماsomething that
بَيني في الحُبِّ وَبَينَكَ ما
لاnot يَقدِرُcan واشٍa tale-bearer يُفسِدُهُspoil it
لا يَقدِرُ واشٍ يُفسِدُهُ
Between me and you in love lies something
Between me in love, and you, nothing
That no tale-bearer can spoil.
That a slanderer can spoil
ماwhat بالُis the matter with العاذِلِthe reproacher يَفتَحُopens ليfor me
ما بالُ العاذِلِ يَفتَحُ لي
بابَthe door السُلوانِof forgetting وَأوصِدُهُand I bolt it shut
بابَ السُلوانِ وَأوصِدُهُ
Why does the reproacher open for me
Why does the blamer open for me
The door of forgetting, while I bolt it shut?
The door of intimacy, yet bar it?
وَيَقولُand he says تَكادُyou nearly تُجَنُّgo mad بِهِover him
وَيَقولُ تَكادُ تُجَنُّ بِهِ
فَأَقولُso I say وَأوشِكُand I nearly أَعبُدُهُI worship him
فَأَقولُ وَأوشِكُ أَعبُدُهُ
And he says, 'You are almost mad over him.'
And say, you almost go mad for him
So I say, 'And I almost worship him.'
And I say, I'm about to worship him
مَولايَmy lord وَروحيand my soul فيin يَدِهِhis hand
مَولايَ وَروحي في يَدِهِ
قَدindeed ضَيَّعَهاhe squandered it سَلِمَتmay be safe يَدُهُhis hand
قَد ضَيَّعَها سَلِمَت يَدُهُ
My lord—my soul is in his hand;
My master, my soul is in his hands
He has squandered it—may his hand remain safe.
He has wasted it, surrendered to his grasp
ناقوسُthe bell القَلبِof the heart يَدُقُّtolls لَهُfor him
ناقوسُ القَلبِ يَدُقُّ لَهُ
وَحَناياand the arches الأَضلُعِof the ribs مَعبَدُهُhis temple
وَحَنايا الأَضلُعِ مَعبَدُهُ
The heart's bell tolls for him,
The bell of the heart rings for him
And the arches of my ribs are his temple.
And the ribs of my bosom are his dwelling
قَسَماًan oath بِثَناياby front teeth لُؤلُؤهاtheir pearls
قَسَماً بِثَنايا لُؤلُؤها
قَسَمَdivided الياقوتُthe ruby مُنَضَّدُهُits ordered array
قَسَمَ الياقوتُ مُنَضَّدُهُ
I swear by front teeth whose pearls
I swear by your smooth pearls
Lie arrayed, divided by ruby;
The rubies stacked have sworn it too
وَرُضابٍand saliva يوعَدُis promised كَوثَرُهُits Kawthar
وَرُضابٍ يوعَدُ كَوثَرُهُ
مَقتولُthe slain one العِشقِof love وَمُشهَدُهُand its martyr
مَقتولُ العِشقِ وَمُشهَدُهُ
And by saliva, whose Kawthar is promised
And a saliva that promises its river
To love's slain one and its martyr;
The slain of passion, its scene
وَبِخالٍand by a beauty spot كادَalmost يُحَجُّpilgrimage is made لَهُto it
وَبِخالٍ كادَ يُحَجُّ لَهُ
لَوif كانَwere يُقَبَّلُis kissed أَسوَدُهُits blackness
لَو كانَ يُقَبَّلُ أَسوَدُهُ
And by a mole to which one would almost make pilgrimage,
By a mole that nearly performs pilgrimage to it
If its blackness could be kissed;
If its blackness were kissed
وَقَوامٍand a form يَرويrecounts الغُصنُthe bough لَهُfor it
وَقَوامٍ يَروي الغُصنُ لَهُ
نَسَباًkinship وَالرُمحُand the spear يُفَنِّدُهُrefutes it
نَسَباً وَالرُمحُ يُفَنِّدُهُ
And by a form with which the bough claims
By a figure whose branch is watered with lineage
Kinship, while the spear refutes it;
And the spear unravels its ancestry
وَبِخَصرٍand by a waist أَوهَنَfrailer مِنthan جَلَديmy endurance
وَبِخَصرٍ أَوهَنَ مِن جَلَدي
وَعَواديand the assaults الهَجرِof separation تُبَدِّدُهُscatter it
وَعَوادي الهَجرِ تُبَدِّدُهُ
And by a waist frailer than my endurance,
By a waist weaker than my skin
And separation's assaults scatter it:
And estrangement assails, scattering it
ماnot خُنتُI betrayed هَواكَyour love وَلاnor خَطَرَتoccurred
ما خُنتُ هَواكَ وَلا خَطَرَت
سَلوىa solace بِالقَلبِin the heart تُبَرِّدُهُcools it
سَلوى بِالقَلبِ تُبَرِّدُهُ
I have not betrayed your love, nor has there passed
I have not betrayed your love, nor has
Through my heart a solace that could cool it.
Any diversion with the heart cooled it
Sol 6.1