بَلِّغTell قُرَيبَةَQuraybah أَنَّthat البَينَparting قَدindeed أَفِداhas drawn near
بَلِّغ قُرَيبَةَ أَنَّ البَينَ قَد أَفِدا
وَأَنَّناand that we إِنif سَلِمناwe remain safe رائِحُونَdeparting غَداtomorrow
وَأَنَّنا إِن سَلِمنا رائِحُونَ غَدا
Tell Quraybah that parting has drawn near,
Deliver a message to my beloved that separation has taken its toll
and that, if we remain safe, we shall depart tomorrow.
And if we survive, we shall leave tomorrow
كَمmany a بِالحَرامِin the Sacred Precinct وَلَوeven though كُنّاwe were نُجامِلُهُtreating him courteously
كَم بِالحَرامِ وَلَو كُنّا نُجامِلُهُ
مِنof كاشِحٍa spiteful foe وَدَّwished أَنّاthat we لاnot نُرىwe are seen أَبَداever
مِن كاشِحٍ وَدَّ أَنّا لا نُرى أَبَدا
Many a one in the Sacred Precinct, though we treated him courteously,
How many forbidden nights have we spent together
was a spiteful foe who wished we would never be seen again.
A night visitor whose visits we wished would never end
حُمِّلَwas burdened مِنfrom بُغضِناhatred of us غِلّاrancor يُعالِجُهُhe wrestles with it
حُمِّلَ مِن بُغضِنا غِلّا يُعالِجُهُ
وَقَدand indeed تَمّلاhe became filled عَلَيناagainst us فِيكُمُon your account حَسَداwith envy
وَقَد تَمّلا عَلَينا فِيكُمُ حَسَدا
He was burdened by hatred of us with rancor he wrestles with,
He carries a burden of our hatred that afflicts him
and was filled with envy against us on your account.
And is wearied of the envy towards us here
وَذاتِand a woman with وَجدٍlonging عَلَيناfor us تَبُوحُshe speaks openly بِهِof it
وَذاتِ وَجدٍ عَلَينا تَبُوحُ بِهِ
تُحصىare counted اللَياليthe nights إِذاwhenever غِبناwe are absent لَهاfor her عَدَداone by one
تُحصى اللَيالي إِذا غِبنا لَها عَدَدا
And many a woman openly avows her longing for us;
A passionate soul pours her woes out to us
the nights are counted for her, one by one, whenever we are absent.
Counting the nights when we are absent from her
حَرِيصَةٍeager أَنto تَكُفَّshe restrains الدَمعَthe tears جاهِدَةًstriving hard
حَرِيصَةٍ أَن تَكُفَّ الدَمعَ جاهِدَةً
وَماand not رَقاsubsided دَمعُthe tears عَينَيهاher two eyes وَلاnor جَمَداdried up
وَما رَقا دَمعُ عَينَيها وَلا جَمَدا
Eager to hold back her tears, she strives hard,
Eagerly trying to hold back her tears in vain
yet the tears of her eyes neither subside nor dry.
Neither her tears flowed nor her sorrow dried
ياO لَيلَةَnight of السَبتِSaturday قَدindeed زَوَّدتِنيyou provisioned me with سَقَماًsickness
يا لَيلَةَ السَبتِ قَد زَوَّدتِني سَقَماً
حَتّىuntil المَماتِdeath وَحُزناًand grief صَدَّعَcleft الكَبِداthe liver
حَتّى المَماتِ وَحُزناً صَدَّعَ الكَبِدا
O Saturday night, you have provisioned me with sickness
Oh night of Saturday, you have burdened me with sickness
until death, and grief that cleft my liver.
Until death and sorrow that racked my liver
قامَتshe rose تَهادىwalking with swaying steps عَلىin خَوفٍfear تُشَيِّعُنيshe sees me off
قامَت تَهادى عَلى خَوفٍ تُشَيِّعُني
مَشىthe gait of الحَسِيرِthe weary beast المُزَجّىdriven onward أُحشِمَmade to toil (reading uncertain) الصَعَداthe ascent
مَشى الحَسِيرِ المُزَجّى أُحشِمَ الصَعَدا
She rose, swaying as she walked in fear, to see me off,
She got up staggering in fear to bid me farewell
with the gait of a weary beast, driven onward, made to toil uphill.
Like a grieved pilgrim with dust-covered clothes
لَمdid not تَبلُغِshe reaches البابَthe door حَتّىbefore قالَsaid نِسوَتُهاher women
لَم تَبلُغِ البابَ حَتّى قالَ نِسوَتُها
مِنbecause of شِدَّةِseverity البُهرِthe breathlessness هَذاthis الجَهدُexhaustion فاتَّئِداso go slowly
مِن شِدَّةِ البُهرِ هَذا الجَهدُ فاتَّئِدا
She had not reached the door when her women said,
She had barely reached the door when her women said
because of her severe breathlessness: 'Such strain—go slowly!'
In utter shock, this effort is too much, stop
أَقعَدنَهاthey seated her وَنَثاand spread ماwhat قُلنَthey said ذُوone possessing حَسَدٍenvy
أَقعَدنَها وَنَثا ما قُلنَ ذُو حَسَدٍ
صَبٌّardently in love بِلَيلىwith Layla إِذاwhenever ماemphatic particle أُقعِدَتshe was seated قَعَداhe sat
صَبٌّ بِلَيلى إِذا ما أُقعِدَت قَعَدا
They sat her down, and an envious man spread what they had said—
They made her sit as they talked, that envious soul
a man smitten with Layla: whenever she was seated, he sat too.
Light rain on Layla when she is made to sit
Sol 6.1