نامَslept الخَلِيُّthe carefree man وَبِتُّand I spent the night اللَيلَthe night مُرتَفِقاpropped on my elbow
نامَ الخَلِيُّ وَبِتُّ اللَيلَ مُرتَفِقا
أَرعىI watch النُجومَthe stars عَميداًlove-stricken مُثبَتاًlaid low أَرِقاsleepless
أَرعى النُجومَ عَميداً مُثبَتاً أَرِقا
The carefree man slept; I spent the night propped on my elbow,
The night passed while I stayed awake
Watching the stars, love-stricken, laid low and sleepless.
Watching the stars parade by steadily, sleeplessly
أَسهوI am distracted لِهَمّيby my grief وَدائيand my illness فَهيَfor she تُسهِرُنيkeeps me awake
أَسهو لِهَمّي وَدائي فَهيَ تُسهِرُني
بانَتshe departed بِقَلبيwith my heart وَأَمسىand it became عِندَهاin her keeping غَلِقاa forfeited pledge
بانَت بِقَلبي وَأَمسى عِندَها غَلِقا
I am distracted by my grief and sickness, for she keeps me awake.
My worries and pain kept me up
She departed with my heart; it stayed with her, a forfeited pledge.
They lodged in my heart and it locked them inside
ياoh لَيتَهاwould that she وَجَدَتfelt بيfor me ماwhat وَجَدتُI felt بِهاfor her
يا لَيتَها وَجَدَت بي ما وَجَدتُ بِها
وَكانَand there was حُبٌّlove وَوَجدٌand longing دامَendured فَاِتَّفَقاand the two agreed
وَكانَ حُبٌّ وَوَجدٌ دامَ فَاِتَّفَقا
Would that she felt for me what I felt for her,
If only she felt for me what I feel for her
And there were love and longing, enduring and in accord.
Our love would be shared and joyously matched
لاno شَيءَthing يَنفَعُنيhelps me مِنfrom دونِshort of رُؤيَتَهاseeing her
لا شَيءَ يَنفَعُني مِن دونِ رُؤيَتَها
هَلcan يَشتَفيfind relief وامِقٌa lover ماso long as لَمnot يُصِبcommit رَهَقاa transgression
هَل يَشتَفي وامِقٌ ما لَم يُصِب رَهَقا
Nothing helps me but the sight of her.
Nothing helps me but seeing her face
Can a lover find relief unless he commits a transgression?
Can a thirsty man recover without a sip?
صادَتshe snared فُؤاديmy heart بِعَينَيwith the two eyes of مُغزِلٍa doe with a fawn خَذَلَتshe left the herd
صادَت فُؤادي بِعَينَي مُغزِلٍ خَذَلَت
تَرعىshe tends أَغَنَّa nasal-voiced fawn غَضيضاًlowered طَرفُهُits gaze خَرِقاbewildered
تَرعى أَغَنَّ غَضيضاً طَرفُهُ خَرِقا
She snared my heart with the eyes of a nursing doe that left the herd,
My heart was captivated by eyes that betrayed it
Tending a softly bleating, bewildered fawn with a lowered gaze;
Grazing the meadow, her coy glance pierced me
وَبارِدٍand a cool mouth رَتِلٍwith evenly set teeth عَذبٍsweet مَذاقَتُهُits taste
وَبارِدٍ رَتِلٍ عَذبٍ مَذاقَتُهُ
كَأَنَّماas though عُلَّwas given another draught بِالكافورِwith camphor وَاِغتَبَقاand drank at evening
كَأَنَّما عُلَّ بِالكافورِ وَاِغتَبَقا
And with a cool mouth, its teeth evenly set, sweet to taste,
Her mouth was cold, gentle, sweetly scented
As though given another draught of camphor, then drinking it at dusk;
As if perfumed with camphor, intoxicatingly veiled
وَجيدِand the neck of أَدماءَa pale doe لَمnot تُذعَرwere startled فَرائِصُهاher flank muscles
وَجيدِ أَدماءَ لَم تُذعَر فَرائِصُها
تَرعىshe browses الأَراكَarak trees تَعاطىshe reaches for المَردَarak berries وَالوَرَقاand the leaves
تَرعى الأَراكَ تَعاطى المَردَ وَالوَرَقا
And the neck of a pale doe whose flanks have not trembled in fear,
Her soft cheeks unstartled by her curls’ caprice
Browsing arak trees, reaching for their berries and leaves;
Grazing the flowers, sipping their nectar, their bloom
وَكَفلٍand a rump كَالنَقاlike a sand dune مالَتsloped جَوانِبُهُits sides
وَكَفلٍ كَالنَقا مالَت جَوانِبُهُ
لَيسَتshe is not مِنَamong الزُلِّthe lean-hipped أَوراكاًin the hips وَماand what اِنتَطَقاis girdled
لَيسَت مِنَ الزُلِّ أَوراكاً وَما اِنتَطَقا
And a rump like a sand dune, its sides sloping—
Her chin like a tender sprout, its contour pure
She is not lean in the hips or where the girdle encircles her.
Not bent, but gracefully formed without flaw
كَأَنَّهاas though she were دُرَّةٌa pearl زَهراءُradiant أَخرَجَهاbrought it out
كَأَنَّها دُرَّةٌ زَهراءُ أَخرَجَها
غَوّاصُa diver of دارينَDarin يَخشىhe fears دونَهاbefore reaching it الغَرَقاdrowning
غَوّاصُ دارينَ يَخشى دونَها الغَرَقا
She is like a radiant pearl brought up
As though a radiant pearl retrieved by a diver
By a diver from Darin, who fears drowning before he reaches it.
Who risked the depths, fearing she’d slip from his grasp
قَدalready رامَهاhe sought it حِجَجاًfor years مُذsince طَرَّsprouted شارِبُهُhis moustache
قَد رامَها حِجَجاً مُذ طَرَّ شارِبُهُ
حَتّىuntil تَسَعسَعَhe grew old and feeble يَرجوهاhoping for it وَقَدand he had خَفَقاfailed
حَتّى تَسَعسَعَ يَرجوها وَقَد خَفَقا
He has sought it for years, since his moustache first sprouted,
He’d sought her persistently since youth’s first drink
Until he grew old and feeble, still hoping for it after failure.
Until he trembled with want, hoping she was his
لاnot النَفسُhis soul توئسُهُmakes him despair مِنهاof it فَيَترُكُهاso he abandons it
لا النَفسُ توئسُهُ مِنها فَيَترُكُها
وَقَدand indeed رَأىhe saw الرَغبَthe object of desire رَأيَwith the sight of العَينِthe eye فَاِحتَرَقاand so burned
وَقَد رَأى الرَغبَ رَأيَ العَينِ فَاِحتَرَقا
His soul will not let him despair of it and leave it.
His soul cannot abandon her, though it despair
He has seen what he covets with his own eyes, and burned for it.
For his eye’s desire consumed him, set him ablaze
وَمارِدٌand a rebel مِنamong غُواةِthe wayward ones of الجِنِّthe jinn يَحرُسُهاguards it
وَمارِدٌ مِن غُواةِ الجِنِّ يَحرُسُها
ذوpossessing نيقَةٍmeticulous care مُستَعِدٌّready دونَهاbefore it تَرَقاwakeful
ذو نيقَةٍ مُستَعِدٌّ دونَها تَرَقا
And a rebel from the wayward jinn guards it,
A fierce jinni guards her, poise ready to pounce
Meticulous, ready before it, keeping watch.
Let no one sneak up on her, he stays alert
لَيسَتthere is not لَهُfor him غَفلَةٌheedlessness عَنهاof it يُطيفُhe circles بِهاaround it
لَيسَت لَهُ غَفلَةٌ عَنها يُطيفُ بِها
يَخشىhe fears عَلَيهاfor it سَرىnight journeys السارينَof night travelers وَالسَرَقاand theft
يَخشى عَلَيها سَرى السارينَ وَالسَرَقا
He never neglects it, circling around it,
Lest a secret lover creep near to steal her
Fearing for it the approach of night travelers and theft.
He fiercely protects her from thieves in the night
حِرصاًout of eagerness عَلَيهاfor it لَوَif only اِنَّthat النَفسَthe soul طاوَعَهاobeyed it
حِرصاً عَلَيها لَوَ اِنَّ النَفسَ طاوَعَها
مِنهُwithin him الضَميرُinward resolve لَياليnights اليَمِّof the sea أَوor غَرِقاhe drowned
مِنهُ الضَميرُ لَيالي اليَمِّ أَو غَرِقا
Out of eagerness for it—if only his soul were obeyed
If his soul obeyed him, he would hide with her
By his inward resolve on nights at sea, or he were drowned
In dark valleys, though the flood engulfed them both
فيin حَومِthe midst of لُجَّةِthe depths of آذِيٍّsurging waves لَهُit has حَدَبٌridges
في حَومِ لُجَّةِ آذِيٍّ لَهُ حَدَبٌ
مَنwhoever رامَهاseeks it فارَقَتهُforsakes him النَفسُhis soul فَاِعتُلِقاand he is ensnared
مَن رامَها فارَقَتهُ النَفسُ فَاِعتُلِقا
Amid a surging deep, its waves rising in ridges!
In harsh, arduous seas, their breakers so rough
Whoever seeks it loses his life and is caught fast.
Who dares reach for her loses his soul in their midst
مَنwhoever نالَهاwins it نالَwins خُلداًeternal life لاno اِنقِطاعَending لَهُto it
مَن نالَها نالَ خُلداً لا اِنقِطاعَ لَهُ
وَماand whatever تَمَنّىhe wished for فَأَضحىand so he becomes ناعِماًat ease أَنِقاdelighted
وَما تَمَنّى فَأَضحى ناعِماً أَنِقا
Whoever wins it wins eternal life without an end,
He who attains her attains eternity’s reign
And whatever he desires, then lives in ease and delight.
Fulfilled beyond measure, most refined in his luck
تِلكَthat one الَّتيwhom كَلَّفَتكَhas burdened you النَفسُyour soul تَأمُلُهاyou hope for her
تِلكَ الَّتي كَلَّفَتكَ النَفسُ تَأمُلُها
وَماand not تَعَلَّقتَyou clung to إِلّاexcept الحَينَdoom وَالحَرَقاand burning anguish
وَما تَعَلَّقتَ إِلّا الحَينَ وَالحَرَقا
It is she your soul has made you long for;
It is she whom your soul strove to behold
Yet you have clung only to doom and burning anguish.
Though just glimpsed, burnt forever in that moment’s flash
Sol 6.1