أَلمhave not يُنسِmade forget لَيلىLayla عَهدُكَyour former days المُتَباعِدُfar-receding
أَلم يُنسِ لَيلى عَهدُكَ المُتَباعِدُ
وَدَهرٌand an age أَتىcame بَعدَafter الَّذيthe one that زَلَّpassed away فاسِدُtroubled
وَدَهرٌ أَتى بَعدَ الَّذي زَلَّ فاسِدُ
Have not your far-receding days effaced Layla,
and a troubled age that followed the one gone by,
فُؤادَكَyour heart أَنthat يَهتاجَbe stirred لَماwhen بَدَتappeared لَهُto it
فُؤادَكَ أَن يَهتاجَ لَما بَدَت لَهُ
رُسُومُtraces المَغانيthe dwellings وَالأَثافيand the hearthstones الرَواكِدُunmoving
رُسُومُ المَغاني وَالأَثافي الرَواكِدُ
from your heart, that it should stir when there appeared to it
the traces of dwellings and the unmoving hearthstones,
وَمَربَطُand a tethering ground أَفراسٍhorses وَخَيمٌand tents مُصَرَّعٌthrown down
وَمَربَطُ أَفراسٍ وَخَيمٌ مُصَرَّعٌ
وَهابٍand spent ashes كَجُثمانِlike the body الحَمامَةِthe dove هامِدُcold and still
وَهابٍ كَجُثمانِ الحَمامَةِ هامِدُ
and the horses' tethering ground, and tents thrown down,
and cold ashes, like the body of a dove,
وَمَربَعُand a spring camp حَيٍّa clan صالِحينَworthy نأَتwent far away بِهِمwith them
وَمَربَعُ حَيٍّ صالِحينَ نأَت بِهِم
نَوىًseparation بَعدَafter إِسعافٍgranting favors وَسَكنٌand companionship مَعاهدُfamiliar
نَوىً بَعدَ إِسعافٍ وَسَكنٌ مَعاهدُ
and the spring camp of a worthy clan, carried far away
by separation, after kindness and familiar companionship?
فَعِشتُso I lived بِعَيشٍwith a life صالِحٍgood إِذwhen هُمُthey بِهِin it
فَعِشتُ بِعَيشٍ صالِحٍ إِذ هُمُ بِهِ
فَبادُواthen they vanished وَعَيشُand the life المَرءِa person لاno بُدَّescape بائِدُpassing away
فَبادُوا وَعَيشُ المَرءِ لا بُدَّ بائِدُ
I lived a good life when they were there;
then they vanished—a man's life must surely pass away.
فَلِلهِso to God عَيناًthe eyes مِنwhoever رَأىsaw مِثلَthe like of مَجلِسٍa gathering
فَلِلهِ عَيناً مِن رَأى مِثلَ مَجلِسٍ
بِكَرسانَat Karsan أَسقاهُwatered it الغَمامُthe clouds الرَواعِدُthundering
بِكَرسانَ أَسقاهُ الغَمامُ الرَواعِدُ
God bless the eyes of whoever saw such a gathering
at Karsan—may thundering clouds water it!
لَقِيتُI met بِهِin it سِرباًa bevy تَنَظَّرنَthey awaited مَوعِديmy promised visit
لَقِيتُ بِهِ سِرباً تَنَظَّرنَ مَوعِدي
وَقِدماًand long ago وَفَتwere fulfilled مِنّيby me لَهُنَّfor them المَواعِدُthe promises
وَقِدماً وَفَت مِنّي لَهُنَّ المَواعِدُ
I met a bevy there, awaiting my promised visit,
and long had I kept my promises to them.
فَبُغتُso I smeared بِسَأويon my skin الزَعفَرانَsaffron فَلَمand did not أَرِمdepart
فَبُغتُ بِسَأوي الزَعفَرانَ فَلَم أَرِم
مَعَwith القَومِthe company حَتّىuntil لَمdid not تُخِفنيfrighten me المَراصِدُthe watchposts
مَعَ القَومِ حَتّى لَم تُخِفني المَراصِدُ
So I smeared my skin with saffron and did not leave
the company until the watchposts no longer frightened me,
وَحَتّىand until بَدَتappeared أُخرىthe last of النُجومthe stars وَباشَرَتand touched
وَحَتّى بَدَت أُخرى النُجوم وَباشَرَت
خُدُودَthe cheeks الرِجالِthe men لِلرُقادِfor sleep الوَسائِدُthe pillows
خُدُودَ الرِجالِ لِلرُقادِ الوَسائِدُ
and until the last stars appeared and pillows touched
the cheeks of men settling down to sleep.
فَلَمّاthen when بَداappeared جَرسٌa stretch مِنَof ليلِnight وَاِحتَوَتand enclosed
فَلَمّا بَدا جَرسٌ مِنَ ليلِ وَاِحتَوَت
كِلابَthe dogs الرِعاءِthe shepherds المُوسَداتِbedded down المَواقِدُthe hearths
كِلابَ الرِعاءِ المُوسَداتِ المَواقِدُ
Then, when a stretch of night had come and the hearths sheltered
the shepherds' dogs, bedded down to rest,
فَقُمتُso I rose إِلىtoward طِرفٍa noble steed مِنَamong الخَيلِthe horses لَمhad not يَبِتspent the night
فَقُمتُ إِلى طِرفٍ مِنَ الخَيلِ لَم يَبِت
مُذالاًneglected وَلَمand had not تُقفِرbecome empty عَلَيهِfor it المَذاوِدُthe feeding troughs
مُذالاً وَلَم تُقفِر عَلَيهِ المَذاوِدُ
I rose and went to a noble steed, which had not spent the night
neglected, nor had its feeding troughs been left empty.
بِوَردٍa bay horse كَسِيدٍlike a wolf الغِيلِthe thicket ذيpossessing مَيعَةٍvigor لَهُit has
بِوَردٍ كَسِيدٍ الغِيلِ ذي مَيعَةٍ لَهُ
إِذاwhen ماever جَرىit ran فيamong الخَيلِthe horses عَقبٌreserve speed وَشاهِدُand manifest speed
إِذا ما جَرى في الخَيلِ عَقبٌ وَشاهِدُ
A bay like a wolf of the thicket, full of vigor, with
staying power and manifest speed when it ran among horses.
فَلَأمَso it reunited شَمليmy scattered company بَعدَafter ماthat شُتَّwas scattered حِقبَةًa long while
فَلَأمَ شَملي بَعدَ ما شُتَّ حِقبَةً
بِهِنَّwith them وَذُوand the bearer الأَضغانِof grudges عَنهُنَّapart from them هاجِدُasleep
بِهِنَّ وَذُو الأَضغانِ عَنهُنَّ هاجِدُ
So it reunited me, after long separation,
with them, while the spiteful man slept apart from them—
بِحُورٍwith wide-eyed beauties كَأَمثالِlike images of الدُمىfigurines قُطُفِshort in الخُطاstep
بِحُورٍ كَأَمثالِ الدُمى قُطُفِ الخُطا
لَهَونَthey dallied وَهُنَّwhile they المُحصَناتُthe chaste women الخَرائِدُthe bashful maidens
لَهَونَ وَهُنَّ المُحصَناتُ الخَرائِدُ
with wide-eyed beauties like figurines, dainty in their steps.
They dallied, though they were chaste, bashful maidens.
أَمِنَّthey felt safe from العُيُونَthe eyes الرامِقاتِwatching وَلَمand not يَكُنthere was
أَمِنَّ العُيُونَ الرامِقاتِ وَلَم يَكُن
لَهُنَّfor them بِهِin it عَينٌa watcher سِوىexcept الصُبحِdawn ذائِدُdriving away
لَهُنَّ بِهِ عَينٌ سِوى الصُبحِ ذائِدُ
They felt safe from prying eyes, and there was
no watcher there to drive them off except dawn.
فَبِتُّso I spent the night صَريعاًprostrate يَبنَهُنَّamong them كَأَنَّنيas though I
فَبِتُّ صَريعاً يَبنَهُنَّ كَأَنَّني
أَخُوone afflicted with سَقَمٍillness تَحنُوbend tenderly عَلَيهِover him العَوائِدُthe women visitors
أَخُو سَقَمٍ تَحنُو عَلَيهِ العَوائِدُ
So I lay prostrate among them all night, as though I were
a sick man, with visiting women bending tenderly over him.
أَطَفنَthey circled بِمَعسُولِaround one honey-sweet in الدُعابَةِbanter سادِرٍcarefree
أَطَفنَ بِمَعسُولِ الدُعابَةِ سادِرٍ
كَخُوطِlike a shoot الأَبالمthe doum palms يَهصِرِbends العُودَthe stem عاضِدُa woodcutter
كَخُوطِ الأَبالم يَهصِرِ العُودَ عاضِدُ
They circled one honey-sweet in banter, carefree,
like a doum-palm shoot whose stem a woodcutter bends,
كَماas طافَcircled أَبكارٌyoung she-camels هِجانٌwhite and highbred بِمُصعَبٍaround an unbroken male
كَما طافَ أَبكارٌ هِجانٌ بِمُصعَبٍ
طَرِبنَthey grew excited لِأَعلىat the loudest of هَدرِهِhis rumbling وَهوَwhile he سامِدُholding his head high
طَرِبنَ لِأَعلى هَدرِهِ وَهوَ سامِدُ
as young white she-camels circle an unbroken bull-camel,
thrilled by his loudest rumbling while he holds his head high.
يُسِّدنَنيthey pillow me on جُمَّplump المُرافِقِthe elbows زانَهاadorned them
يُسِّدنَني جُمَّ المُرافِقِ زانَها
جَبائِرُهاtheir bracelets غَصَّتwere constricted بِهِنَّaround them المَعاضِدُthe armlets
جَبائِرُها غَصَّت بِهِنَّ المَعاضِدُ
They pillow my head on plump arms, adorned
with bracelets, their armlets straining tight around them.
يُفَدِّينَنيthey pledge themselves for me طَوراًat times وَيَضمُمنَand they embrace تارَةًat other times
يُفَدِّينَني طَوراً وَيَضمُمنَ تارَةً
كَماas ضَمَّclasped مَولُوداًa newborn إِلىto النَحرِthe breast وَالِدُa father
كَما ضَمَّ مَولُوداً إِلى النَحرِ وَالِدُ
Now they pledge their lives for me, now they embrace me,
as a father clasps a newborn to his breast.
يَقُلنَthey say أَلاwill you not تُبدىshow الهَوىlove سَتَزِدَننيasking more of me
يَقُلنَ أَلا تُبدى الهَوى سَتَزِدَنني
وَقَدand sometimes يُستَزادُis asked for more ذُوone possessed of الهَوىlove وَهوَwhile he جاهِدُstriving hard
وَقَد يُستَزادُ ذُو الهَوى وَهوَ جاهِدُ
They say, 'Will you not show your love?'—asking more of me,
and a lover may be asked for more though already striving hard.
لَعَمريby my life لَئِنif indeed أَبدينَthey revealed ليto me الوَجدlonging إِنَّنيindeed I
لَعَمري لَئِن أَبدينَ لي الوَجد إِنَّني
بِهِنَّfor them وَإِنand even if أَخفَيتُI concealed وَجديmy longing لِواجِدُsurely lovesick
بِهِنَّ وَإِن أَخفَيتُ وَجدي لِواجِدُ
By my life, if they reveal their longing to me, I
am truly lovesick for them, though I conceal my longing.
كَأَنَّas though نِعاجَthe wild cows الرَملِthe sands أَهدَتgave as a gift عُيُونَهاtheir eyes
كَأَنَّ نِعاجَ الرَملِ أَهدَت عُيُونَها
إِذاwhen مجمَجَتdarkened أَشفارَهُنَّtheir lashes المَراوِدthe kohl-sticks
إِذا مجمَجَت أَشفارَهُنَّ المَراوِد
As though the wild cows of the sands had given their eyes—
when kohl-sticks darkened their lashes—
لَهُنَّto them وَأَعناقَand the necks الظِباءِthe gazelles اِستَعَرنَهاthey borrowed them
لَهُنَّ وَأَعناقَ الظِباءِ اِستَعَرنَها
إِذاwhen ماever كَسَتclothed لَباتِهِنَّtheir throat-hollows القَلائِدُthe necklaces
إِذا ما كَسَت لَباتِهِنَّ القَلائِدُ
to them; and they had borrowed the gazelles' necks,
when necklaces clothed the hollows of their throats.
تَعِلُّanoints repeatedly قُرُوناًtresses فيin الوَفاءِfullness كَأَنَّهاas though they were
تَعِلُّ قُرُوناً في الوَفاءِ كَأَنَّها
إِذاwhen سُدِلَتwere let down فَوقَover المُتُونِthe backs الأَساوِدُblack snakes
إِذا سُدِلَت فَوقَ المُتُونِ الأَساوِدُ
They anoint their full-grown tresses, as though they were,
when let down over their backs, black serpents.
مَجاسِدُهاher undergowns نُفحٌfragrant مِلاءٌwell-filled كَأَنَّهاas though they were
مَجاسِدُها نُفحٌ مِلاءٌ كَأَنَّها
نَواعِمُsupple حُورٌpoplars تَحتَهُbeneath it الماءُthe water راكِدُstill
نَواعِمُ حُورٌ تَحتَهُ الماءُ راكِدُ
Their undergowns are fragrant and well-filled, as though they were
supple poplars, with still water beneath.
Sol 6.1