لقدindeed كنتُI was جَلْداًsteadfast قبْلَbefore أَنْthat تُوقِدَkindle النَّوَىseparation
لقد كنتُ جَلْداً قبْلَ أَنْ تُوقِدَ النَّوَى
علىupon كبديmy liver ناراًa fire بطيئاًslow خُمودُهاits dying out
على كبدي ناراً بطيئاً خُمودُها
I was indeed steadfast before separation kindled
Upon my liver a fire slow to die.
ولوand even if تُرِكَتْwere left alone نارُthe fire of الهَوىlove لَتَضرَّمَتْit would surely blaze
ولو تُرِكَتْ نارُ الهَوى لَتَضرَّمَتْ
ولكنَّbut شَوْقاًlonging كلَّevery يومٍday يَزِيدُهاincreases it
ولكنَّ شَوْقاً كلَّ يومٍ يَزِيدُها
And even if love's fire were left alone, it would blaze,
But longing feeds it more each day.
فقدْfor indeed جَعَلتْhave begun فيin حَبَّةِthe core of القَلْبِthe heart والحَشاand the inward parts
فقدْ جَعَلتْ في حَبَّةِ القَلْبِ والحَشا
عِهادُrecurring showers الهَوىlove تُولَىare followed بِشَوْقٍby longing يُعِيدُهاthat renews them
عِهادُ الهَوى تُولَى بِشَوْقٍ يُعِيدُها
For within the heart's core and inward parts,
Love's recurring showers have begun to be followed by longing that renews them.
وقدand indeed كنتُI used to أَرْجُوhope أنْthat تموتَwould die صَبابَتيmy ardent yearning
وقد كنتُ أَرْجُو أنْ تموتَ صَبابَتي
إذاwhen قَدُمَتْgrew old أيَّامُهاits days وعُهودُهاand its seasons
إذا قَدُمَتْ أيَّامُها وعُهودُها
And I had hoped my ardent longing would die
When its days and seasons had grown old—
بِمُرْتَجةِfor those with quivering الأرْدافِbuttocks هِيفٌslender خُصورُهاtheir waists
بِمُرْتَجةِ الأرْدافِ هِيفٌ خُصورُها
عِذابٌsweet ثَناياهاtheir front teeth لِطافٌdelicate قُيودُهاtheir anklets
عِذابٌ ثَناياها لِطافٌ قُيودُها
For women with swaying hips and slender waists,
Their front teeth sweet, their anklets delicate;
وَصُفْرٌand yellow تَراقِيهاtheir collarbones وحُمْرٌand red أكُفُّهاtheir palms
وَصُفْرٌ تَراقِيها وحُمْرٌ أكُفُّها
وسُودٌand black نَواصِيهاtheir forelocks وبِيضٌand white خُدودُهاtheir cheeks
وسُودٌ نَواصِيها وبِيضٌ خُدودُها
And yellow are their collarbones, and red their palms,
And black their forelocks, and white their cheeks.
يُمَنِّينَنَاthey fill us with hopes حَتَّىuntil تَرِفَّflutter قُلُوبُنَاour hearts
يُمَنِّينَنَا حَتَّى تَرِفَّ قُلُوبُنَا
رَفِيفَthe fluttering of الخُرَامَىkhurama (a flowering plant) بَاتَspent the night طَلٌّdew يَجُودُهاdrenching it generously
رَفِيفَ الخُرَامَى بَاتَ طَلٌّ يَجُودُها
They fill us with hopes until our hearts flutter
Like the flutter of khurama, lavishly drenched with dew all night.
وَفِيهِنَّand among them مِقْلاقُcausing to slip الوِشَاحِthe sash كَأنَّهاas though she were
وَفِيهِنَّ مِقْلاقُ الوِشَاحِ كَأنَّها
مَهاةan oryx بتُرْبَانٍat Turban طَويلٌlong عَمُودُهاher frame
مَهاة بتُرْبَانٍ طَويلٌ عَمُودُها
And among them is one whose sash slips loose, as though she were
An oryx at Turban, long of frame.
مُخَصَّرةُslender-waisted الأوْسَاطِthe midsections زَانتْshe adorned عُقُودَهاher necklaces
مُخَصَّرةُ الأوْسَاطِ زَانتْ عُقُودَها
بِأحْسَنَwith greater beauty مِمَّاthan what زَيَّنَتْهَاadorned her عُقُودُهاher necklaces
بِأحْسَنَ مِمَّا زَيَّنَتْهَا عُقُودُها
Slender-waisted, she has adorned her necklaces
More beautifully than her necklaces have adorned her.
مِنَamong البِيضِthe fair-skinned women لاnot تَخْزَىis put to shame إذاwhen الرِّيحُthe wind أَلْصَقَتْpressed
مِنَ البِيضِ لا تَخْزَى إذا الرِّيحُ أَلْصَقَتْ
بِهاagainst her مِرْطَهاher mantle أَوْor زَايلَparted from الحَلْيَthe jewelry جِيدُهاher neck
بِها مِرْطَها أَوْ زَايلَ الحَلْيَ جِيدُها
One of the fair-skinned women, not shamed when the wind presses
Her mantle against her, or her neck is bare of jewels.
ألاَah لَيْتَif only شِعريmy knowledge هَلْwhether تَغيَّرَchanged بَعْدَناsince we left
ألاَ لَيْتَ شِعري هَلْ تَغيَّرَ بَعْدَنا
مَلاَحَةُthe beauty of عَيْنيْthe two eyes of أُمِّUmm (mother of) عَمْروAmr وجِيدُهاand her neck
مَلاَحَةُ عَيْنيْ أُمِّ عَمْرو وجِيدُها
Ah, if only I knew: has it changed since we left—
The beauty of Umm Amr's eyes and her neck?
وهلand have بَلِيَتْgrown worn أثْوَابُهاher clothes بعدَafter جِدَّةٍnewness
وهل بَلِيَتْ أثْوَابُها بعدَ جِدَّةٍ
ألاah حَبَّذاhow dear أخْلاَقُهاher worn clothes وجَدِيدُهاand her new ones
ألا حَبَّذا أخْلاَقُها وجَدِيدُها
And have her clothes grown worn since they were new?
Ah, how dear her worn clothes and her new!
وكنتُand I used to أذُودُhold back العَيْنَthe eye أَنْto تَرِدَcome to البُكاweeping
وكنتُ أذُودُ العَيْنَ أَنْ تَرِدَ البُكا
فقدso indeed وَرَدَتْit has come to ماwhat كنتُI used to عَنْهُfrom it أذُودُهاkeep it back
فقد وَرَدَتْ ما كنتُ عَنْهُ أذُودُها
And I used to keep my eye from coming to tears;
Now it has come to what I once kept it from.
خَلِيليَّmy two friends ماno فيin العيشlife عَيْبٌflaw لوif only انَّناthat we
خَلِيليَّ ما في العيش عَيْبٌ لو انَّنا
وجدناwe found لأيامِfor the days of الصِّباyouth منsomeone who يُعِيدُهاbrings them back
وجدنا لأيامِ الصِّبا من يُعِيدُها
My two friends, life would have no flaw if only we
Found someone to bring back the days of youth.
إذَاwhen جِئْتُهاI came to her بَيْنَamong النِّساءِthe women مَنَحْتُهاI offered her
إذَا جِئْتُها بَيْنَ النِّساءِ مَنَحْتُها
صُدُوداًturning away كأنَّas though النَفْسَthe soul لَيْسَdoes not تُرِيدُهاdesire her
صُدُوداً كأنَّ النَفْسَ لَيْسَ تُرِيدُها
Whenever I came to her among the women, I offered her
A turning-away, as though my soul did not desire her.
ولِيand I have نَظْرَةٌa look بعدafter الصُّدودِturning away منَfrom الجَوىheartache
ولِي نَظْرَةٌ بعد الصُّدودِ منَ الجَوى
كنظرةlike the look of ثَكْلَىa bereaved mother قدalready أُصِيبَwas struck down وَلِيدُهاher child
كنظرة ثَكْلَى قد أُصِيبَ وَلِيدُها
And after turning away, mine is a look of heartache,
Like a bereaved mother's look when her child has been struck down.
هَلwhether اللّهُGod عافٍforgiving عَنْof ذُنوبٍsins تَسَلَّفَتْthat went before
هَل اللّهُ عافٍ عَنْ ذُنوبٍ تَسَلَّفَتْ
أمِor اللّهُGod إنif لمnot يَعْفُgrant pardon عنهاfor them مُعِيدُهاbringing them back
أمِ اللّهُ إن لم يَعْفُ عنها مُعِيدُها
Will God pardon sins that have gone before,
Or will God, if He does not pardon them, bring them back?
Sol 6.1