فُؤادٌa heart مَلاهُfilled it الحُزنُgrief حَتّىuntil تَصَدَّعاit split apart
فُؤادٌ مَلاهُ الحُزنُ حَتّى تَصَدَّعا
وَعَينانِand two eyes قالَsaid الشَوقُlonging جوداpour forth, both of you مَعاًtogether مَعاtogether
وَعَينانِ قالَ الشَوقُ جودا مَعاً مَعا
A heart that grief filled until it split apart,
And two eyes—longing said, 'Pour forth together, together!'
لِمَنwhose طَلَلٌa ruined campsite جَرَّتtrailed بِهِacross it الريحُthe wind ذَيلَهاits hem
لِمَن طَلَلٌ جَرَّت بِهِ الريحُ ذَيلَها
وَحَنَّتand lowed عِشارُpregnant she-camels المُزنِof the rain clouds فيهِthere فَأَمرَعاand so it grew lush
وَحَنَّت عِشارُ المُزنِ فيهِ فَأَمرَعا
Whose is the ruined campsite where the wind has trailed its hem,
And the clouds' pregnant she-camels lowed there, till it grew lush?
لِلَيلاكَyour Layla's إِذwhen لَيلىLayla تُعِلُّكَgives you repeated draughts of ريقَهاher saliva
لِلَيلاكَ إِذ لَيلى تُعِلُّكَ ريقَها
وَتَسقيكَand gives you to drink مِنfrom فيهاher mouth الرَحيقَpure wine المُشَعشَعاmixed with water
وَتَسقيكَ مِن فيها الرَحيقَ المُشَعشَعا
Your Layla's—when Layla gave you sip after sip of her saliva,
And gave you water-mingled wine to drink from her mouth.
كَأَنَّas though بِهِwithin it التُفّاحَapples غَضّاًfresh جَنَيتُهُI picked them
كَأَنَّ بِهِ التُفّاحَ غَضّاً جَنَيتُهُ
وَنَشرَand the fragrance of الخُزامىlavender فيin الصَباحِthe morning تَضَوَّعاspread its fragrance
وَنَشرَ الخُزامى في الصَباحِ تَضَوَّعا
As though it held fresh apples I had picked,
And lavender's fragrance, wafting in the morning.
وَهَيَّجَand stirred شَوقيmy longing ساقُsāq (first part of the dove-name) حُرٍّḥurr (completing the dove-name) أَجابَهُanswered him
وَهَيَّجَ شَوقي ساقُ حُرٍّ أَجابَهُ
هَديلٌa coo عَلىon غُصنٍa bough مِنَof البانِthe bān tree أَفرَعاlofty
هَديلٌ عَلى غُصنٍ مِنَ البانِ أَفرَعا
A sāq-ḥurr dove stirred my longing, answered
By a coo upon a lofty bough of a bān tree.
يُقَلِّبُhe turns عَينَيهِhis two eyes وَيوحيand signals بِطَرفِهِwith his glance
يُقَلِّبُ عَينَيهِ وَيوحي بِطَرفِهِ
إِلَيَّto me بِلَحنٍwith a melody يَترُكُthat leaves القَلبَthe heart موجَعاaching
إِلَيَّ بِلَحنٍ يَترُكُ القَلبَ موجَعا
He turns his eyes and signals with his glance
To me, with a melody that leaves the heart aching.
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) الغَضاthe ghaḍā tree يَوماًone day تَرَنَّمَsang فَرعُهُits bough
إِذا ما الغَضا يَوماً تَرَنَّمَ فَرعُهُ
وَحَنَّتand yearned لَهُtoward him الأَرواحُsouls غَنّىhe sang فَأَسمَعاand made himself heard
وَحَنَّت لَهُ الأَرواحُ غَنّى فَأَسمَعا
When, one day, the ghaḍā tree's bough breaks into song,
And souls yearn toward him, he sings and makes himself heard.
طَوَتنيhave enfolded me بَناتُthe daughters الدَهرِof Time مِنfrom كُلِّevery جانِبٍside
طَوَتني بَناتُ الدَهرِ مِن كُلِّ جانِبٍ
وَلِلدَهرِand Time has وَقعٌa blow يَترُكُthat leaves الرَأسَthe head بَلقَعاa barren waste
وَلِلدَهرِ وَقعٌ يَترُكُ الرَأسَ بَلقَعا
Time's daughters have enfolded me from every side,
And Time has a blow that leaves the head a barren waste.
وَقَدand indeed كُنتُI was وَقّادَblazing الشَعيلَةِthe flame شارِخاًin youth's prime
وَقَد كُنتُ وَقّادَ الشَعيلَةِ شارِخاً
أَحَدَّsharper مِنَthan العَضبِthe keen-edged الحُسامِsword وَأَقطَعاand more cutting
أَحَدَّ مِنَ العَضبِ الحُسامِ وَأَقطَعا
Yet once I burned brightly, in the prime of youth,
Sharper than the keen-edged sword, and more cutting.
فَأَصبَحتُso I have become كَالريحانِlike basil أَذبَلَهُwithered it الظَماthirst
فَأَصبَحتُ كَالريحانِ أَذبَلَهُ الظَما
وَوَدَّعتُand I bade farewell to رَيعانَthe bloom الشَبابِof youth فَوَدَّعاand it bade farewell
وَوَدَّعتُ رَيعانَ الشَبابِ فَوَدَّعا
But I have become like basil withered by thirst,
And I bade youth's bloom farewell, and it bade me farewell.
خَليلَيَّmy two friends هُبّاrise, both of you طالَhas lasted long ماقَدindeed already هَجَعتُماyou two have slept
خَليلَيَّ هُبّا طالَ ماقَد هَجَعتُما
إِلىto مُصعَبٍa headstrong camel يَمطوextends his stride الجَزيلَthe mighty stride تَبَوُّعاstretching far forward
إِلى مُصعَبٍ يَمطو الجَزيلَ تَبَوُّعا
My two friends, rise! Long have you slept.
To a headstrong camel, stretching forward in mighty strides,
يَمورُhe surges كَمَورِlike the surging الريحِof the wind فيin عَصَفاتِهاits fierce gusts
يَمورُ كَمَورِ الريحِ في عَصَفاتِها
أَوِor الماءِwater وافىreached مَهبِطاًa downward slope فَتَدَفَّعاthen rushed headlong
أَوِ الماءِ وافى مَهبِطاً فَتَدَفَّعا
He surges like the wind surging in its fierce gusts,
Or water that reaches a downward slope and rushes headlong.
هِجانٍpure-white كَلَونِlike the color of القُبطُرِيَّةِCoptic linen لَونُهُhis color
هِجانٍ كَلَونِ القُبطُرِيَّةِ لَونُهُ
إِذاwhen نَطَقَchirped العُصفورُthe sparrow ظَلَّhe remained مُرَوَّعاstartled
إِذا نَطَقَ العُصفورُ ظَلَّ مُرَوَّعا
Pure-white, his color like that of Coptic linen,
When a sparrow chirps, he remains startled.
يُلاعِبُhe toys with أَثناءَthe loops of الزِمامِthe rein كَأَنَّهُas though he were
يُلاعِبُ أَثناءَ الزِمامِ كَأَنَّهُ
عَلىon الأَرضِthe ground أَيمٌa snake خافَfeared شَيئاًsomething فَأَسرَعاand sped away
عَلى الأَرضِ أَيمٌ خافَ شَيئاً فَأَسرَعا
He toys with the loops of the rein, as though he were
A snake on the ground that feared something and sped away.
أَياO اِبنَson of أُنوفِthe foremost of الغُرِّthe illustrious مِنamong آلِthe house of هاشِمٍHāshim
أَيا اِبنَ أُنوفِ الغُرِّ مِن آلِ هاشِمٍ
وَأَكرَمِهِمand of their noblest فيin الخَيرِgood وَالشَرِّand ill مَوقِعاin standing
وَأَكرَمِهِم في الخَيرِ وَالشَرِّ مَوقِعا
O son of the foremost nobles of the House of Hāshim,
And of their noblest in standing, in good times and ill,
وَمَنand of one who قَدindeed حَوىhas amassed مَجداًglory طَريفاًnewly acquired وَتالِداًand inherited
وَمَن قَد حَوى مَجداً طَريفاً وَتالِداً
وَسامىand rivaled in height نُجومَthe stars of الأُفقِthe horizon حينَwhen تَرَفَّعاhe rose high
وَسامى نُجومَ الأُفقِ حينَ تَرَفَّعا
And of one who has amassed glory, newly won and inherited,
And rivaled the horizon's stars when he rose high—
وَيَومٍand many a day مِنَof الهَيجاءِbattle زادَgrew fiercer سَعيرُهاits blaze
وَيَومٍ مِنَ الهَيجاءِ زادَ سَعيرُها
تَساقىexchanged draughts بِهِon it أَبطالُهاits champions السُمَّpoison مَنقَعاdeadly
تَساقى بِهِ أَبطالُها السُمَّ مَنقَعا
And many a day of battle, its blaze growing fiercer,
On which its champions exchanged draughts of deadly poison,
شِهَدَتyou witnessed عَلىastride عَبلِstout in الجُزارَةِthe limbs سابِحٍa swimming (galloping) steed
شِهَدَت عَلى عَبلِ الجُزارَةِ سابِحٍ
كَساهُclothed him in دُقاقُthe fine particles of التُربِdust جُلّاًa horse-cloth وَبُرقُعاand a face-veil
كَساهُ دُقاقُ التُربِ جُلّاً وَبُرقُعا
You witnessed astride a stout-limbed steed that swam in its gallop,
Fine dust had dressed him in a caparison and a veil.
كَأَنَّas though لَهُhe had فيon أَيطَلَيهِhis two flanks كِلَيهِماboth of them
كَأَنَّ لَهُ في أَيطَلَيهِ كِلَيهِما
جَناحَينِtwo wings خَفّاقَينِbeating لَمnot يَتَصَوَّعاfray apart (both)
جَناحَينِ خَفّاقَينِ لَم يَتَصَوَّعا
As though he had on both his flanks
Two beating wings, still unfrayed.
Sol 6.1