وَلَوعَةٍand many a burning longing بِتُّI spent the night أُخفيهاconcealing it وَأُظهِرُهاand revealing it
وَلَوعَةٍ بِتُّ أُخفيها وَأُظهِرُها
بِمَنزِلِat the camp الحَيِّof the tribe بَينَbetween الضَّالِwild lote trees وَالسَلَمِand acacia trees
بِمَنزِلِ الحَيِّ بَينَ الضَّالِ وَالسَلَمِ
Many a burning longing I spent the night hiding and revealing
at the tribe's camp, between wild lote and acacia.
وَالدَّمعُand tears يَغلِبُنيovercome me طَوراًat times وأَغلِبُهُand I overcome them
وَالدَّمعُ يَغلِبُني طَوراً وأَغلِبُهُ
وَمَنand who يُطيقُcan endure غِلابَcontending with المَدمَعِthe tearful eye السَجِمِstreaming
وَمَن يُطيقُ غِلابَ المَدمَعِ السَجِمِ
And tears sometimes overcame me, and I overcame them—
and who can withstand a contest with a streaming eye?—
حَتَّىuntil تَبَيَّنَdiscerned صَحبيmy companions ماwhat اتُّهِمتُI was suspected بِهِof
حَتَّى تَبَيَّنَ صَحبي ما اتُّهِمتُ بِهِ
فَقُلتُso I said لِلطَّرْفِto the eye هَذاthis مَوضِعُthe source التُهَمِof suspicions
فَقُلتُ لِلطَّرْفِ هَذا مَوضِعُ التُهَمِ
until my companions discerned what I was suspected of.
So I said to my eye: here is the source of suspicion.
ظَلَلتَyou kept تُذرِيshedding دُموعاًtears ماnot يُنَهْنِهُهاchecks them
ظَلَلتَ تُذرِي دُموعاً ما يُنَهْنِهُها
عَذلُthe reproach الصَّديقِof a friend فَسرِّيso my secret غَيرُnot مُكتَتِمِconcealed
عَذلُ الصَّديقِ فَسرِّي غَيرُ مُكتَتِمِ
You kept shedding tears unchecked
by a friend's reproach; so my secret is not concealed.
هَبنيsuppose I أُغَيِّضُهاmake them subside مالَمso long as ... not تُشَبْthey are mingled بِدَمٍwith blood
هَبني أُغَيِّضُها مالَم تُشَبْ بِدَمٍ
فَكَيفَthen how أَستُرُهاcan I conceal them مَمزوجَةًmingled بِدَمِwith blood
فَكَيفَ أَستُرُها مَمزوجَةً بِدَمِ
Grant that I can stem them while unmixed with blood;
then how can I hide them when mingled with blood?
وَهَكَذاand thus كُنتَyou were تَبكيweeping يَومَon the day ذيDhu بَقَرٍBaqar
وَهَكَذا كُنتَ تَبكي يَومَ ذي بَقَرٍ
وَلَيلَةَand the night الجِزعِof al-Jizʿ وَالمَثوىand the stay عَلىbeside إِضَمِIḍam
وَلَيلَةَ الجِزعِ وَالمَثوى عَلى إِضَمِ
And thus you wept on the day of Dhu Baqar,
and the night at al-Jizʿ, and during the stay beside Iḍam.
فَأَنتَso you أَمنَعُa greater hindrance ليto me مِمّاfrom what أُحاوِلُهُI seek
فَأَنتَ أَمنَعُ لي مِمّا أُحاوِلُهُ
مِنَthan الوُشاةِthe talebearers فَدَعنيso leave me وَالهَوىand love وَنَمِand sleep
مِنَ الوُشاةِ فَدَعني وَالهَوى وَنَمِ
So you hinder me more in what I seek
than the talebearers; leave me with love, and sleep.
وَيحَwoe to العَذولِthe reprover أَماwill he not يُبقيshow mercy عَلىto دَنِفٍa lovesick man
وَيحَ العَذولِ أَما يُبقي عَلى دَنِفٍ
طَوىhe folded الحَيازيمَhis ribs مِنfrom وَجدٍlonging عَلىaround أَلَمِpain
طَوى الحَيازيمَ مِن وَجدٍ عَلى أَلَمِ
Woe to the reprover! Will he not spare a lovesick man
who, from longing, has closed his ribs around pain?
يَمشيhe goes بِعِرضيwith my good name إِلىظَمياءَto Ẓamyāʾ يَثلِمُهُtarnishing it
يَمشي بِعِرضي إِلىظَمياءَ يَثلِمُهُ
وَقَدthough indeed دَرىhe knows أَنَّthat مِنfrom أَلحاظِهاher glances سَقَميmy sickness
وَقَد دَرى أَنَّ مِن أَلحاظِها سَقَمي
He takes my good name to Ẓamyāʾ, tarnishing it,
though he knows that my sickness comes from her glances.
إِنwhether أَعرَضَتshe turns away وَنأَتْand withdraws أَوor أَقبَلَتْshe approaches وَدَنَتْand draws near
إِن أَعرَضَت وَنأَتْ أَو أَقبَلَتْ وَدَنَتْ
فَهيَthen she is المُنىall that is wished for وَالهَوىand love النَجديُّNajdi مِنamong شيَمِيmy traits
فَهيَ المُنى وَالهَوى النَجديُّ مِن شيَمِي
Whether she turns away and withdraws, or comes forward and draws near,
she is my heart's desire, and Najdi love is in my nature.
وَرُبَّand many a لَيلٍnight طَليحِweary النَّجمِin its stars قَصَّرَهُshortened it
وَرُبَّ لَيلٍ طَليحِ النَّجمِ قَصَّرَهُ
بِهاwith her الشِّفاءَانِthe two cures مِنof لَثمٍkissing وَمُلتَزِمِand an embrace
بِها الشِّفاءَانِ مِن لَثمٍ وَمُلتَزِمِ
And many a night, its stars weary, was shortened
with her by the two cures: a kiss and an embrace.
تَقَبيلَةٌa kiss كانِنتهازِlike the seizing الصَّقرِby a falcon فُرصَتَهُof its chance
تَقَبيلَةٌ كانِنتهازِ الصَّقرِ فُرصَتَهُ
بِهاthrough it التَقىmet فيin عِناقٍan embrace خَدُّهاher cheek وَفَميand my mouth
بِها التَقى في عِناقٍ خَدُّها وَفَمي
A kiss, like a falcon seizing its chance,
through which her cheek and my mouth met in an embrace.
وَلَمand not يَكُنwas there بَعدَهاafter it إِلّاexcept التُّقَىpiety وَطَرٌa desire
وَلَم يَكُن بَعدَها إِلّا التُّقَى وَطَرٌ
وَهَلand did خَطَتْstep بيwith me إِلىtoward ماwhat شانَنيdisgraced me قَدَميmy foot
وَهَل خَطَتْ بي إِلى ما شانَني قَدَمي
And after it, no desire remained but piety;
and did my foot ever lead me to anything that disgraced me?
ثُمَّthen اِفتَرَقناwe parted فأَغنَتناso they sufficed us مَباسِمُهاher smiles
ثُمَّ اِفتَرَقنا فأَغنَتنا مَباسِمُها
عَنِin place of البُروقِlightning flashes وَأَجفانيand my eyelids عَنِin place of الديَمِsteady rains
عَنِ البُروقِ وَأَجفاني عَنِ الديَمِ
Then we parted; her smiles spared us the need
for lightning, and my eyelids for the steady rains.
وَالثَّغرُand the teeth مِنهاof hers كَعِقدٍlike a necklace وَهوَand it is مُنتَظِمٌstrung together
وَالثَّغرُ مِنها كَعِقدٍ وَهوَ مُنتَظِمٌ
والدَّمعُand tears مِنّيfrom me كَعِقدٍlike a necklace غَيرِnot مُنتَظِمِstrung together
والدَّمعُ مِنّي كَعِقدٍ غَيرِ مُنتَظِمِ
And her teeth were like a necklace, neatly strung,
and my tears like a necklace unstrung.
وَاللَيلُand the night يَنفيdrives away ضياءَthe light الصُّبحِof dawn ظُلمَتُهُits darkness
وَاللَيلُ يَنفي ضياءَ الصُّبحِ ظُلمَتُهُ
كَعابِسٍlike a scowling man ماnot بِهِin him أُنسٌfriendliness لِمُبتَسِمِtoward one who smiles
كَعابِسٍ ما بِهِ أُنسٌ لِمُبتَسِمِ
And night, whose darkness drives away dawn's light,
is like a scowler with no warmth for one who smiles.
إِنif شاعَspreads عَنfrom أُزرِهاher waist-wraps مِنof عِفَّتيmy chastity خَبَرٌa report
إِن شاعَ عَن أُزرِها مِن عِفَّتي خَبَرٌ
فَإِنَّthen indeed شاهِدَهاtheir witness فيماconcerning what حَكَتthey recount كَرَميmy nobility
فَإِنَّ شاهِدَها فيما حَكَت كَرَمي
If word of my chastity spreads from her waist-wraps,
then my nobility is their witness to what they recount.
Sol 6.1