تَأوَّبَهُvisited him by night الخَيَالُthe phantom ولَيسَand he does not يَألوslacken
تَأوَّبَهُ الخَيَالُ ولَيسَ يَألو
بُكًىweeping صَبُّa lovesick man تَأَوبُّهُvisited him by night الخَيَالُthe phantom
بُكًى صَبُّ تَأَوبُّهُ الخَيَالُ
A phantom visited him by night, and he never slackens
in weeping—a lovesick man whom the phantom visits.
وَفَارَقَهُand it left him فَأرَّقَهُso it kept him awake وصَابٌa lasting affliction
وَفَارَقَهُ فَأرَّقَهُ وصَابٌ
علىto الصَّابيthe lovesick man التَّأُوُبُnightly visitation والزَّيَالُand departure
على الصَّابي التَّأُوُبُ والزَّيَالُ
It left him, then kept him awake; an affliction
to the lovesick are its visits and departures.
فَبَلَّso soaked بَلاَلُthe moisture أجفَانيof my eyelids جُفُونيmy eyelids
فَبَلَّ بَلاَلُ أجفَاني جُفُوني
ولَمand did not أَحجُI suppose الجُفُونَthe eyelids بِهَاin them بَلاَلُmoisture
ولَم أَحجُ الجُفُونَ بِهَا بَلاَلُ
So my eyelids’ moisture drenched my lids,
though I had not thought the lids held any moisture.
وقَدand indeed ظَعَنَdeparted الأَحِبَّةُthe loved ones فَاستَمَالُواso they drew away
وقَد ظَعَنَ الأَحِبَّةُ فَاستَمَالُوا
فُؤَادَكَyour heart حِينَwhen تُعتَسَفُare traversed without a path الرِّمَالُthe sands
فُؤَادَكَ حِينَ تُعتَسَفُ الرِّمَالُ
The loved ones departed and drew away
your heart as the sands were crossed without a path.
ألاَbehold إِنَّindeed الظَّعَائِنَthe women in howdahs يَومَon the day نَاءَتwent far away
ألاَ إِنَّ الظَّعَائِنَ يَومَ نَاءَت
بِهاwith them أُدمُwhite الجِمَالِthe camels نَأَىdeparted الجَمَالُbeauty
بِها أُدمُ الجِمَالِ نَأَى الجَمَالُ
Indeed, on the day the women in their howdahs were borne away
by white camels, beauty itself departed.
فَمَاso there is no لِلعَينِfor the eye بَعدَafter البَينِseparation أَينٌexhaustion
فَمَا لِلعَينِ بَعدَ البَينِ أَينٌ
عَنfrom إجراءِletting flow الدُّمُوعِthe tears ولاَnor كَلاَلُweariness
عَن إجراءِ الدُّمُوعِ ولاَ كَلاَلُ
So after parting the eye knows no exhaustion
from shedding tears, nor any weariness.
مَطَاrode حَرفُthe lean she-camel التَّجلُدِof endurance مُستَطِيعهone capable of it
مَطَا حَرفُ التَّجلُدِ مُستَطِيعه
يُسَلِّيهit consoles him إِذَاwhen طَالَgrew long المِطَالُthe delay
يُسَلِّيه إِذَا طَالَ المِطَالُ
One capable of it rode endurance’s lean she-camel,
which consoles him when delay grows long.
غَلَتboiled أشوَاقُهاlongings for her فيin القَلبِthe heart حَتَّىuntil
غَلَت أشوَاقُها في القَلبِ حَتَّى
أُغِيلَwas treacherously slain وكَانَand it had آلَىsworn لاَnot يُغَالُbe treacherously slain
أُغِيلَ وكَانَ آلَى لاَ يُغَالُ
Longings for her boiled within the heart until
it was slain, though it had sworn it would not be slain.
وَمَاand there is no لِلقَلبِfor the heart قَلبٌturning away عَنfrom هَوَاهُمlove for them
وَمَا لِلقَلبِ قَلبٌ عَن هَوَاهُم
ولَوeven if قَلَبَturned المَجنَّthe shield لُهُagainst it الوِصَالُunion
ولَو قَلَبَ المَجنَّ لُهُ الوِصَالُ
And the heart cannot turn away from loving them,
even if union turns its shield against it.
وَغَرَّتنيand deceived me العِدَاةُthe promises وَهىَّthough they were آلٌa mirage
وَغَرَّتني العِدَاةُ وَهىَّ آلٌ
وكَمand how often قَدindeed غَرَّdeceived قَبلِىbefore me الغِبرَّthe shrewd man آلُa mirage
وكَم قَد غَرَّ قَبلِى الغِبرَّ آلُ
Promises deceived me, though they were a mirage;
and how often before me has a mirage deceived the shrewd!
ولَوeven if أبقَيتُI kept back بَعضَpart of القَلبِthe heart عَنهَاfrom her
ولَو أبقَيتُ بَعضَ القَلبِ عَنهَا
لَدَلَّwould surely point عَلَىto بَقِّيتهِits remainder الدَّلاَلُcoquetry
لَدَلَّ عَلَى بَقِّيتهِ الدَّلاَلُ
Even had I withheld part of my heart from her,
her coquetry would have pointed to what remained.
سَيَالُواwill roam اللاَّئِمُونَthe reproachers إِذَاwhen تَبَدَّىappears
سَيَالُوا اللاَّئِمُونَ إِذَا تَبَدَّى
مُحَيَّاهَاher face الأضاحِىthe sunlit open spaces والسَّيَالُand the acacia trees
مُحَيَّاهَا الأضاحِى والسَّيَالُ
The reproachers will roam—when there appears
her face—the sunlit spaces and acacia groves.
وخَالُونيand they thought me أُسَلاَّa madman إِنif تَبَدَّتshe appeared
وخَالُوني أُسَلاَّ إِن تَبَدَّت
وفيand on وَجَنَاتِهاher cheeks شَامٌmoles وخَالُand a beauty spot
وفي وَجَنَاتِها شَامٌ وخَالُ
And they thought me mad whenever she appeared,
with moles and a beauty spot upon her cheeks.
سَمِعتُI heard فَخِلتُso I swaggered نَغمَتَهَاher voice فَعَابُواso they reproached
سَمِعتُ فَخِلتُ نَغمَتَهَا فَعَابُوا
عَلَىَّin me الخُيَلاَswagger ولَوand had سَمِعُواthey heard لَخَالُواthey would surely have swaggered
عَلَىَّ الخُيَلاَ ولَو سَمِعُوا لَخَالُوا
I heard her voice and swaggered; they reproached
me for my swagger—had they heard, they too would have swaggered.
Sol 6.1