ياO ضُلُوعيmy ribs تَلَهَّبيblaze فيin اكْتِئابِdejection
يا ضُلُوعي تَلَهَّبي في اكْتِئابِ
ياO دُموعيmy tears تَأَهَّبيprepare yourselves لِانْسِكابِto pour forth
يا دُموعي تَأَهَّبي لِانْسِكابِ
O my ribs, blaze in dejection!
O my ribs burning in depression
O my tears, prepare to pour forth!
O my tears prepare to pour out
إِنَّindeed بَرْحَtorment الغَرامِpassionate love يَنْزِفُdraws forth دَمْعاًtears
إِنَّ بَرْحَ الغَرامِ يَنْزِفُ دَمْعاً
راضَtamed شَوْقيmy longing إِباءَهُits resistance فيin التَّصابِيyouthful dalliance
راضَ شَوْقي إِباءَهُ في التَّصابِي
Indeed, love's torment draws forth tears
The wounds of passion bleed tears
whose resistance my longing tamed in youthful dalliance.
My longing is content in adversity
وَكَذاand likewise الماءُwater لَيْسَnot يُجْريهِmakes it flow إِلَّاexcept
وَكَذا الماءُ لَيْسَ يُجْريهِ إِلَّا
وَهَجُheat النارِfire مِنْfrom غُصونٍbranches رِطابِmoist
وَهَجُ النارِ مِنْ غُصونٍ رِطابِ
And likewise, water is drawn forth only
And so water only flows
by the heat of fire, out of moist branches.
With the heat of blazing branches
وَبلائِيand my affliction ثَلاثَةٌthree طَرَقَتْنِيvisited me by night
وَبلائِي ثَلاثَةٌ طَرَقَتْنِي
بِسُهادٍwith sleeplessness وَلَوْعَةٍand burning anguish وَانْتحابِand sobbing
بِسُهادٍ وَلَوْعَةٍ وَانْتحابِ
And my afflictions are three that visited me by night,
And my afflictions struck me three times
with sleeplessness, burning anguish, and sobbing:
With sleeplessness, agony, and lamentation
حَنّةٌa plaintive moan بَعْدَafter صَيْحَةٍa shout وَنَعيبٌand a caw
حَنّةٌ بَعْدَ صَيْحَةٍ وَنَعيبٌ
مِنْfrom مَطِيٍّriding camels وَسَائِقٍand a driver وَغُرابِand a raven
مِنْ مَطِيٍّ وَسَائِقٍ وَغُرابِ
a plaintive moan after a shout, and a caw,
Sorrow after a scream, and wailing
from riding camels, a driver, and a raven.
From a rider, driver, and raven
فَتَقَضَّتْso passed شَبيبَتِيmy youth بَيْنَamid شَكْوَىcomplaint
فَتَقَضَّتْ شَبيبَتِي بَيْنَ شَكْوَى
وَتَجَنٍّand unjust blame وَهِجْرَةٍand estrangement وَعِتابِand reproach
وَتَجَنٍّ وَهِجْرَةٍ وَعِتابِ
So my youth passed amid complaint
So my youth passed amid complaining
and unjust blame, estrangement, and reproach.
Rejection, abandonment, and rebuke
والْتِفاتيand my looking back إِلىtoward سِنِيَّmy years يُرينيshows me
والْتِفاتي إِلى سِنِيَّ يُريني
عَددَاًa number لَيْسَnot يَقْتَضيwarrants غَدْرُهاtheir treachery بيtoward me
عَددَاً لَيْسَ يَقْتَضي غَدْرُها بي
And looking back upon my years shows me
And my awareness of my old age shows me
a number that does not warrant their treachery toward me.
A number whose betrayal I do not deserve
شَابَturned gray رَأْسِيmy head وَلَمْand did not تَمَسَّtouch يَمينيmy right hand
شَابَ رَأْسِي وَلَمْ تَمَسَّ يَميني
ذَنَبَtail-end الأَرْبَعِينَforty عِنْدَaccording to حِسابيmy reckoning
ذَنَبَ الأَرْبَعِينَ عِنْدَ حِسابي
My head has gone gray, though my right hand has not touched
My hair turned gray but my right hand is unblemished
the tail-end of forty, by my reckoning.
At the age of forty in my reckoning
وَرَأَتْand she saw شَيْبيَmy gray hair الرَّبابُRabab فَقالتْso she said
وَرَأَتْ شَيْبيَ الرَّبابُ فَقالتْ
ماwhat جَناهُcaused it فُقُلتُso I said حُبُّlove of الرَّبابِRabab
ما جَناهُ فُقُلتُ حُبُّ الرَّبابِ
And Rabab saw my gray hair and said,
And the lovely one saw my grey hair and said
“What caused it?” So I replied, “Love of Rabab.”
What did it gain you, so I said, love of the lovely one
مَلَكَتْpossessed رِقِّيَmy bondage الصَّبابَةُpassionate longing حَتّىuntil
مَلَكَتْ رِقِّيَ الصَّبابَةُ حَتّى
خاضَwaded into صُبْحُdawn المَشيبِgray hair لَيْلَnight الشَّبابِyouth
خاضَ صُبْحُ المَشيبِ لَيْلَ الشَّبابِ
Passionate longing held me in bondage until
My passion captured my youth until
the dawn of gray hair waded into the night of youth.
The dawn of old age entered the night of youth
Sol 6.1