تَأَوَّبنيvisited me by night طَيفٌa phantom بَعِيدُdistant التَأَوُّبِnight visitation
تَأَوَّبني طَيفٌ بَعِيدُ التَأَوُّبِ
هُدُوّاًin the still of night وَلَمand did not يَشعُرnotice بِذَلِكَof that صاحِبيmy companion
هُدُوّاً وَلَم يَشعُر بِذَلِكَ صاحِبي
A phantom from far away visited me by night,
A vision that sees far distantly visited me,
in the still of night, unnoticed by my companion.
Unknowingly, and my companion did not realize.
تَذَكُّرُremembrance of لَيلىLayla إِنَّنيindeed, I خِلتُthought ذِكرَهاthe memory of her
تَذَكُّرُ لَيلى إِنَّني خِلتُ ذِكرَها
يَؤُوبُreturns فُؤاديmy heart اللَيلَat night مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبِside
يَؤُوبُ فُؤادي اللَيلَ مِن كُلِّ جانِبِ
Remembrance of Layla—indeed, I thought her memory
I remembered Layla - truly I am deprived of the mention of her -
returned to my heart at night from every side.
My heart wanders the night from every side.
فَقُلتُso I said أَقعُدَاsit down, you two قَدalready عِيلَwas exhausted صَبرُthe patience of أَخيكُماyour brother, you two
فَقُلتُ أَقعُدَا قَد عِيلَ صَبرُ أَخيكُما
وَكَفكَفتُand I wiped away دَمعَtears العَينِthe eye وَالدَمعُand the tears غالِبيoverpowering me
وَكَفكَفتُ دَمعَ العَينِ وَالدَمعُ غالِبي
So I said, 'Sit down, you two; your brother's patience is spent.'
I said, "Stay seated - verily the patience of your brother has waned!"
And I wiped the tears from my eyes, though tears overpowered me.
And I held back the tear of my eye though the tear was dominant.
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI was أَرجُوhoping أَنto أَييتَspend the night بِراحَةٍat ease
وَقَد كُنتُ أَرجُو أَن أَييتَ بِراحَةٍ
وَلَمand did not أَدرِknow أَنَّthat الطَيفَthe phantom إِنif بِتُّI spent the night طالِبيseeking me
وَلَم أَدرِ أَنَّ الطَيفَ إِن بِتُّ طالِبي
And I had hoped to spend the night at ease,
I used to hope that you would bring me comfort,
and did not know the phantom would seek me if I slept.
And I did not know that the vision - were I to stay - would be my seeker.
وَوَاللَهِand by God لاnot يُنكاis wounded مُحِبُّa lover بِمثلِهاby the like of her
وَوَاللَهِ لا يُنكا مُحِبُّ بِمثلِها
وَإِنand although كانَwas مَكرُوهاًhateful فِراقُparting from الحَبائِبِloved ones
وَإِن كانَ مَكرُوهاً فِراقُ الحَبائِبِ
And by God, no lover is wounded by the like of her,
By Allah! A lover is not denounced for her like,
though parting from loved ones is hateful.
Even if parting from loved ones is hated.
وَأُشِربَand was steeped in جِلديmy skin حُبُّهاlove for her وَمَشىand it coursed بِهِthrough it
وَأُشِربَ جِلدي حُبُّها وَمَشى بِهِ
تَمَشّيthe coursing of حُمَيّاthe intoxicating heat of الكَأسِthe cup فيin جِلدِthe skin of شارِبِa drinker
تَمَشّي حُمَيّا الكَأسِ في جِلدِ شارِبِ
And my skin was steeped in love for her, and it coursed through it
The love of her was absorbed into my skin and it walked with it
like the cup's intoxicating heat through a drinker's skin.
As the wine walks in the skin of the drinker.
يَدِبُّcreeps هَواهاdesire for her فيthrough عِظاميmy bones وَحُبُّهاand love for her
يَدِبُّ هَواها في عِظامي وَحُبُّها
كَماjust as دَبَّcrept فيthrough المَلدُوغِthe one stung سَمُّthe venom of العَقارِبِthe scorpions
كَما دَبَّ في المَلدُوغِ سَمُّ العَقارِبِ
Desire for her and love for her creep through my bones,
Her love creeps into my bones, and her love
as scorpions' venom creeps through one who has been stung.
Crept as the poison of scorpion creeps into the stung one.
تَبَدَّتshe appeared لَناto us يَومَon the day of الرَحيلِdeparture كَأَنَّهاas though she were
تَبَدَّت لَنا يَومَ الرَحيلِ كَأَنَّها
أَحَمُّdark المَآقيthe eye-corners فيamong نِعاجٍdoes الرَبائِبِthe hand-reared ones
أَحَمُّ المَآقي في نِعاجٍ الرَبائِبِ
She appeared to us on the day of departure, as though she were
The day we departed, she appeared to us as though she was
a dark-eyed gazelle among hand-reared does,
The most protective she-camel among grazing sheep.
تَكَفّاswayed وَيَمشينَand they walk الهُوَيناgently and slowly تَأَوُّداًbending gracefully
تَكَفّا وَيَمشينَ الهُوَينا تَأَوُّداً
كَماjust as أَنآدَbent غُصنٌa branch بَلَّهُdrenched it ضَربُthe beating of هاضِبِa rain-pouring cloud
كَما أَنآدَ غُصنٌ بَلَّهُ ضَربُ هاضِبِ
swaying while they walked gently, bending gracefully,
She bid farewell while passionate love walked slowly between us
like a branch bending, drenched by a raincloud's beating.
As a branch calls out when struck by one who cuts down.
Sol 6.1