قالَتshe said مَرِضتُI fell ill فَعُدتُهاso I visited her فَتَبَرَّمَتand she grew annoyed
قالَت مَرِضتُ فَعُدتُها فَتَبَرَّمَت
وَهِيَwhile she الصَحيحَةُthe healthy one وَالمَريضُand the sick one العائِدُthe visitor
وَهِيَ الصَحيحَةُ وَالمَريضُ العائِدُ
She said, "I am ill"; I visited her, and she grew annoyed.
She said she was sick, so I returned to her, but she was ungrateful
Yet she was the healthy one, and the visitor was sick.
While she's the healthy one and the sick man is the returning one
وَاللَهِby God لَوif أَنَّthat القُلوبَhearts كَقلبِهاlike her heart
وَاللَهِ لَو أَنَّ القُلوبَ كَقلبِها
ماnot رَقَّfelt tenderness لِلوَلَدِfor the child الصَغيرِlittle الوالِدُthe father
ما رَقَّ لِلوَلَدِ الصَغيرِ الوالِدُ
By God, if hearts were like her heart,
By Allah, if all hearts were like hers
no father would feel tenderness for his little child.
No father's heart would ache for his little child
كَتَبَتshe wrote بِأَنsaying that لاdo not تَأتِنيcome to me فَهَجَرتُهاso I abandoned her
كَتَبَت بِأَن لا تَأتِني فَهَجَرتُها
لِتَذوقَso she might taste طَعمَthe taste of الهَجرِabandonment ثُمَّthen أُعاوِدُI return
لِتَذوقَ طَعمَ الهَجرِ ثُمَّ أُعاوِدُ
She wrote, "Do not come to me," so I abandoned her,
She wrote to me not to visit her, so I abandoned her
that she might taste abandonment; then I shall return.
So she would taste the flavor of abandonment, then I would return
ماذاwhat عَلَيهاupon her أَنthat يُلِمَّcall briefly بِبابِهاat her door
ماذا عَلَيها أَن يُلِمَّ بِبابِها
ذوone with حاجَةٍa need بِسَلامِهِwith his greeting مُتَعاهِدُa regular visitor
ذو حاجَةٍ بِسَلامِهِ مُتَعاهِدُ
What harm would it do her if there came to her door
What fault is it of mine if one in need
a man in need who keeps returning to offer his greeting?
Knocks at her door, hopeful and loyal?
إِنif كانَwas ذَنبيmy sin فيin الزيارَةِthe visit فَاِعلَميthen know
إِن كانَ ذَنبي في الزيارَةِ فَاِعلَمي
أَنّيthat I عَلىin كَسبِearning الذُنوبِsins لَجاهِدُindeed striving
أَنّي عَلى كَسبِ الذُنوبِ لَجاهِدُ
If my sin lies in visiting, then know
If my sin was in visiting, then know
that I strive hard to commit sins.
That I am insistent on committing sins
سَمّاكِnamed you ليto me قَومٌsome people وَقالواand they said إِنَّهاindeed she
سَمّاكِ لي قَومٌ وَقالوا إِنَّها
لَهيَshe is indeed الَّتيthe one who تَشقىyou suffer بِهاbecause of her وَتُكابِدُand you struggle
لَهيَ الَّتي تَشقى بِها وَتُكابِدُ
Some people named you to me and said, "She
Some people told me she
is indeed the one because of whom you suffer and struggle."
Is the one I suffer and struggle for
فَجَحَدتُهُمso I contradicted them ليَكونَso that it might be غَيرَكِother than you ظَنُّهُمtheir supposition
فَجَحَدتُهُم ليَكونَ غَيرَكِ ظَنُّهُم
إِنّيindeed I لَيُعجِبُنيindeed pleases me المُحِبُّthe lover الجاحِدُthe denier
إِنّي لَيُعجِبُني المُحِبُّ الجاحِدُ
So I denied it to them, that they might suspect someone other than you;
So I denied them, so their assumption would be
I truly admire the lover who denies his love.
That I love the denying lover
إِنَّindeed النِساءَthe women حَسَدنَthey envied وَجهَكِyour face حُسنَهُits beauty
إِنَّ النِساءَ حَسَدنَ وَجهَكِ حُسنَهُ
حُسنُbeauty الوجوهِfaces لِحُسنِto the beauty of وَجهِكِyour face ساجِدُprostrate
حُسنُ الوجوهِ لِحُسنِ وَجهِكِ ساجِدُ
The women have envied your face its beauty;
Indeed, women envied your beautiful face
the beauty of faces lies prostrate before the beauty of your face.
The beauty of faces bows to your beautiful face
جالَswayed الوِشاحُthe sash عَلىupon قَضيبٍa slender branch زانَهُadorned it
جالَ الوِشاحُ عَلى قَضيبٍ زانَهُ
رُمّانُpomegranates صَدرٍa bosom لَيسَis not يُقطَفُis plucked ناهِدُswelling
رُمّانُ صَدرٍ لَيسَ يُقطَفُ ناهِدُ
The sash swayed upon a slender branch, adorned
The scarf hung on a branch adorned
by a bosom's swelling pomegranates, not to be plucked.
With a breast that no eager hand could pluck
لَمّاwhen رأَيتُI saw اللَيلَthe night سَدَّblocked طَريقَهُits path
لَمّا رأَيتُ اللَيلَ سَدَّ طَريقَهُ
عَنّيfrom me وَعَذَبَّنيand tormented me الظَلامُthe darkness الراكِدُstagnant
عَنّي وَعَذَبَّني الظَلامُ الراكِدُ
When I saw that night had barred its own passage
When I saw the night block my path
away from me, and the stagnant darkness tormented me,
And the stagnant darkness tortured me
وَالنَجمَand the star فيin كَبِدِthe heart of السَماءِthe sky كَأَنَّهُas though it
وَالنَجمَ في كَبِدِ السَماءِ كَأَنَّهُ
أَعمىa blind man تَحَيَّرَwas bewildered ماnot لَدَيهِwith him قائِدُa guide
أَعمى تَحَيَّرَ ما لَدَيهِ قائِدُ
and the star in the heart of heaven seemed
The star in the liver of the sky was as if
like a bewildered blind man with no guide,
A blind man lost, with no guide before him
نادَيتُI called out to مَنthe one who طَرَدَdrove away الرُقادَsleep بِنَومِهِby his sleeping
نادَيتُ مَن طَرَدَ الرُقادَ بِنَومِهِ
عَمّاaway from what أُعالِجُI struggle with وَهوَwhile he خِلوٌuntroubled هاجِدُasleep
عَمّا أُعالِجُ وَهوَ خِلوٌ هاجِدُ
I called to the one whose sleep had driven mine away,
I called on the one whose sleep had banished sleepiness
heedless of what I endure, carefree and asleep:
From what I was suffering, while he lay prostrate
ياO ذاyou الَّذيwho صَدَعَsplit الفُؤادَthe heart بِصَدِّهِby his rejection
يا ذا الَّذي صَدَعَ الفُؤادَ بِصَدِّهِ
أَنتَyou البَلاءُaffliction طَريفُهُits new form وَالتالِدُand the old
أَنتَ البَلاءُ طَريفُهُ وَالتالِدُ
O you who split the heart by turning away,
O you who cracked my heart with your aloofness
you are affliction, both new and old.
You are the sweet affliction, the everlasting one
أَلقَيتَyou cast بَينَbetween جُفونِthe eyelids of عَينيmy eye فُرقَةًa separation
أَلقَيتَ بَينَ جُفونِ عَيني فُرقَةً
فَإِلىso until مَتىwhen أَناI ساهِرٌawake ياO راقِدُsleeper
فَإِلى مَتى أَنا ساهِرٌ يا راقِدُ
You cast a rift between my eyelids;
You cast separation between my eyelids
so how long must I stay awake, O sleeper?
So how long will I stay awake, o sleeper?
وَإِلىand until مَتىwhen أَبكيI weep وَتَضحَكُand you laugh لاهياًheedless
وَإِلى مَتى أَبكي وَتَضحَكُ لاهياً
عَنّيof me وَأُدنيand I draw near فيin الهَوىlove وَتُباعِدُand you draw away
عَنّي وَأُدني في الهَوى وَتُباعِدُ
And how long must I weep while you laugh, heedless
And how long will I weep while you laugh heedlessly
of me, while I draw near in love and you draw away?
Turning from me, as I draw near in love and you distance yourself?
وَإِلىand until مَتىwhen أَناI هاتِفٌcalling out بِكَto you فيin دُجّىًdeep darkness
وَإِلى مَتى أَنا هاتِفٌ بِكَ في دُجّىً
أَبكيI weep إِلَيكَto you وَأَشتَكيand I complain وَأُناشِدُand I implore
أَبكي إِلَيكَ وَأَشتَكي وَأُناشِدُ
And how long must I call out to you in the darkness,
And how long will I call out to you in the darkness
weeping to you, complaining and pleading?
I cry to you, complain and recite poetry?
أُردُدgive back رُقاديmy sleep ثُمَّthen نَمsleep فيin غِبطَةٍbliss
أُردُد رُقادي ثُمَّ نَم في غِبطَةٍ
إِنّيindeed I اُمرُؤٌa man سَهَريmy sleeplessness لِنَومِكَof your sleep حاسِدُenvious
إِنّي اُمرُؤٌ سَهَري لِنَومِكَ حاسِدُ
Give me back my sleep, then sleep in bliss;
I wish for my sleep then sleep in bliss
I am a man whose sleeplessness envies your sleep.
I am one whose wakefulness envies your sleep
يَقَعُbefalls البَلاءُaffliction وَيَنقَضيand passes away عَنfrom أَهلِهِits sufferers
يَقَعُ البَلاءُ وَيَنقَضي عَن أَهلِهِ
وَبَلاءُand the affliction of حُبِّكَlove for you كُلَّevery يَومٍday زائِدُincreasing
وَبَلاءُ حُبِّكَ كُلَّ يَومٍ زائِدُ
Affliction strikes and passes from those it befalls,
Affliction befalls and passes from its people
yet the affliction of loving you grows each day.
But the affliction of your love increases every day
أَنّىhow أَصيدُI hunt وَماwhile there is no لِمِثليfor one like me قُوَّةٌstrength
أَنّى أَصيدُ وَما لِمِثلي قُوَّةٌ
ظَبياًa gazelle يَموتُdies إِذاwhen رآهُhe sees it الصائِدُthe hunter
ظَبياً يَموتُ إِذا رآهُ الصائِدُ
How can I hunt—when one like me has no strength—
How can I hunt when one like me has no strength
a gazelle whose hunter dies at the sight of it?
A gazelle who dies when the hunter sees him?
Sol 6.1