أَبادَتdestroyed بَقاياremnants الصَبرpatience طارِقةُa calamity الدَهرِtime
أَبادَت بَقايا الصَبر طارِقةُ الدَهرِ
وَعَهدand the days of التَصابيyouthful dalliance وَهِيَand it is رَيحانةsweet basil العُمرِlife
وَعَهد التَصابي وَهِيَ رَيحانة العُمرِ
Time’s sudden calamity destroyed the last remnants of patience,
Time's calamity destroyed the remnants of patience,
and the days of youthful dalliance—the fragrant basil of life.
And the days of youthful dalliance, life's sweet basil.
وَكَأسيَand my cup فيهاin it كانَwas درديَdregs يسرةease
وَكَأسيَ فيها كانَ درديَ يسرة
مَحَتerased رَسمَهُits trace منّاfrom us مُنادَمةُdrinking companionship العُسرhardship
مَحَت رَسمَهُ منّا مُنادَمةُ العُسر
In those days, even the dregs of my cup were ease;
And in my cup there once were dregs of ease;
keeping hardship company erased every trace of it from us.
Drinking in hardship's company erased their trace from us.
وَطارَand flew بيwith me البينseparation المشتthe disperser وَإِنand though ليI have
وَطارَ بي البين المشت وَإِن لي
فِراخاًchicks ضِعافweak السَيرtravel عَنaway from مفحصa nesting hollow الوكرthe nest
فِراخاً ضِعاف السَير عَن مفحص الوكر
Dispersing separation swept me away, though I have
And scattering separation carried me away, though I have
fledglings too weak to walk beyond the hollow of the nest.
Chicks too weak to travel beyond the hollow of the nest.
كَفىsuffices حُزناًas sorrow حاليmy plight وَماand what حالُthe plight مُغرَمa lovesick lover
كَفى حُزناً حالي وَما حالُ مُغرَم
يَبيتspends the night عَلىin يَأسdespair وَيُصبحand awakens فيin أَسرcaptivity
يَبيت عَلى يَأس وَيُصبح في أَسر
My own condition is sorrow enough—what, then, of a lover
My plight is sorrow enough; what of a lovesick lover
who goes to bed in despair and wakes in captivity?
Who spends the night in despair and wakes in captivity?
لَئَنif indeed حارَis bewildered مَهجورone forsaken سِوايَother than me بِأَمرِهِby his plight
لَئَن حارَ مَهجور سِوايَ بِأَمرِهِ
فَقَدthen indeed حارَis bewildered بيby me مِماfrom what أُنازلهُI contend with it أَمريmy plight
فَقَد حارَ بي مِما أُنازلهُ أَمري
If a forsaken man other than I is bewildered by his plight,
If another forsaken lover is bewildered by his plight,
then my very plight, because of what I confront, is bewildered by me.
Then my plight itself is bewildered over me, by all I contend with.
كَأَنيas though I لَمdid not أَصنَعdo بِجلَّقin Jilliq مِنany يَدٍa kindness
كَأَني لَم أَصنَع بِجلَّق مِن يَدٍ
إِذاwhen ذَكَرتI recall أَشتَمُّI smell رائِحَةthe fragrance الشُكرgratitude
إِذا ذَكَرت أَشتَمُّ رائِحَة الشُكر
As though I had never performed a favor in Jallaq
As though I had done no kindness in Jilliq,
which, when remembered, lets me smell the fragrance of gratitude.
Whenever I recall it, I breathe the fragrance of gratitude.
نَسونيthey forgot me وَلَوand if كانُواthey were مِنamong الناسhumankind ماnot عَمواthey were blind
نَسوني وَلَو كانُوا مِن الناس ما عَموا
عَنto القَمَرthe moon الساريtraveling by night وَلاnor جهلواthey were ignorant of قَدريmy worth
عَن القَمَر الساري وَلا جهلوا قَدري
They forgot me; had they been human, they would not have been blind
They forgot me; had they been truly human, they would not have been blind
to the moon journeying by night, nor ignorant of my worth.
To the night-traveling moon, nor ignorant of my worth.
تَرَكتI left بِهُمwith them مِنone who كانَused to يُؤنسsoothe وَحشَتيmy loneliness
تَرَكت بِهُم مِن كانَ يُؤنس وَحشَتي
إِذاwhenever سَئمتgrew weary روحيmy soul وَضاقَand grew tight بِهاwith it صَدريmy breast
إِذا سَئمت روحي وَضاقَ بِها صَدري
Among them I left one who used to solace my loneliness
I left with them one who used to soothe my loneliness,
whenever my spirit wearied and my breast grew too narrow for it.
Whenever my soul grew weary and my breast grew tight with it.
أَتىcame زائِريmy visitor مِنfrom بَعدafter حَولa year مُوَدِعاًbidding farewell
أَتى زائِري مِن بَعد حَول مُوَدِعاً
وَطَوقand the collar الدُجىdarkness قَدalready صارَhad become فيin قَبضةthe grasp الفَجرdawn
وَطَوق الدُجى قَد صارَ في قَبضة الفَجر
After a year my visitor came, bidding farewell,
My visitor came after a year, bidding farewell,
when the collar of darkness had already fallen into dawn’s grasp.
And the collar of darkness had already come into dawn's grasp.
فَأَخجَلتُهُso I shamed him بِالعَتَبwith reproach حَتّىuntil رَأَيتُهُI saw him
فَأَخجَلتُهُ بِالعَتَب حَتّى رَأَيتُهُ
يَزيحhe removes الثُرَياthe Pleiades بِالهِلالwith the crescent عَنfrom البَدرthe full moon
يَزيح الثُرَيا بِالهِلال عَن البَدر
I shamed him with reproach until I saw him
So I shamed him with reproach, until I saw him
shift the Pleiades, with the crescent, away from the full moon.
Sweeping the Pleiades from the full moon with the crescent.
وَغَرّبتand I went west عَنaway from أَهليmy family وَسارَand he traveled مشرِقاًeastward
وَغَرّبت عَن أَهلي وَسارَ مشرِقاً
ولَستُand I do not بِماof what يَجريruns its course القَضاءُfate إِذاًthen أَدريknow
ولَستُ بِما يَجري القَضاءُ إِذاً أَدري
I journeyed west away from my people, while he traveled east,
And I went west, away from my family, while he traveled east;
and I do not know what destiny will then bring to pass.
And so I do not know what course fate will take.
Sol 6.1