عَذيرُكَyour pardon مِنfor نَأيٍdistance غَداًtomorrow وَبِعادِand separation
عَذيرُكَ مِن نَأيٍ غَداً وَبِعادِ
وَسَيرِand the journey of مُحِبٍّa lover لاnot يَسيرُtravels بِزادِwith provisions
وَسَيرِ مُحِبٍّ لا يَسيرُ بِزادِ
Your pardon for tomorrow's distance and separation,
Your excuse for being away tomorrow and far off,
And for a lover's journey with no provisions.
And a lover's journey with no provisions,
لِعَلوَةَfor Alwa فيin هَذاthis الفُؤادِheart مَحَلَّةٌa dwelling
لِعَلوَةَ في هَذا الفُؤادِ مَحَلَّةٌ
تَجانَفتُI turned away عَنfrom سَعديSa'da بِهاbecause of her وَسُعادِand Su'ad
تَجانَفتُ عَن سَعدي بِها وَسُعادِ
Alwa has a dwelling in this heart;
For I have in this heart a place,
For her I have turned from Sa'da and Su'ad.
I have turned away from happiness because of it.
أَتُحسِنُwill she do well at إِصفاديgiving to me; also, fettering me فَأَشكُرَso I may thank نَيلَهاher bounty
أَتُحسِنُ إِصفادي فَأَشكُرَ نَيلَها
وَإِنand even if كانَit is نَزراًscant أَوor تَحُلُّshe loosens صِفاديmy fetters
وَإِن كانَ نَزراً أَو تَحُلُّ صِفادي
Will she kindly favor me, that I may thank her bounty,
Shall I compose my fetters and be thankful I have attained them,
Even if scant, or will she loosen my fetters?
Whether a little or my shackles are undone?
وَكَيفَand how رَحيليmy departure وَالفُؤادُwhile the heart مُخَلَّفٌleft behind
وَكَيفَ رَحيلي وَالفُؤادُ مُخَلَّفٌ
أَسيرٌa captive لَدَيهاwith her لاnot يُفَكُّis freed بِفادِby a ransomer
أَسيرٌ لَدَيها لا يُفَكُّ بِفادِ
And how can I leave, when my heart is left behind,
How can I depart when my heart remains
A captive with her, whom no ransomer can free?
A captive with her, unfreed by any ransom?
فَوَاللَهِso, by God ماnot أَدريI know أَأَثنيshall I turn back عَزيمَتيmy resolve
فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَأَثني عَزيمَتي
عَنِaway from الغَربِthe west أَمor أَمضيI go on بِغَيرِwithout فُؤادِa heart
عَنِ الغَربِ أَم أَمضي بِغَيرِ فُؤادِ
So, by God, I do not know: should I turn my resolve
By God, I know not if I should change my mind
Away from the west, or go on without a heart?
From traveling west, or go on without my heart.
وَلَيلَتَناand our night وَالراحُand the wine عَجلىhurrying تَحُثُّهاurge it on
وَلَيلَتَنا وَالراحُ عَجلى تَحُثُّها
فُنونُvarieties غِناءٍof song لِلزُجاجَةِfor the wine-flask حادِa singing camel-driver
فُنونُ غِناءٍ لِلزُجاجَةِ حادِ
And our night, when the wine hurried, urged on
Our night, and the gentle breeze hurrying it on
By varied songs—a singing drover for the wine-flask.
With songs of wine for the wine-jug now emptied.
تَدارَكَovertook غَيِّwaywardness نَشوَةًa rapture مِنfrom لِقائِهاmeeting her
تَدارَكَ غَيِّ نَشوَةً مِن لِقائِها
ذَمَمتُI condemned لَهاfor its sake حَتّىuntil الصَباحِdawn رَشاديmy good sense
ذَمَمتُ لَها حَتّى الصَباحِ رَشادي
My folly overtook the rapture of meeting her;
I tried to recover from the intoxication of seeing her,
For its sake I condemned my good sense until dawn.
I censured myself until morning came to guide me.
وَماand not بَلَغَattained النَومُsleep المُسامِحُindulgent لَذَّةًa pleasure
وَما بَلَغَ النَومُ المُسامِحُ لَذَّةً
سِوىother than أَرَقيmy sleeplessness فيin حُبِّهاlove for her وَسُهاديand my wakefulness
سِوى أَرَقي في حُبِّها وَسُهادي
And indulgent sleep attained no pleasure
And sleep attained no pleasure,
Beyond my sleepless love for her and my wakefulness.
Save my wakefulness in love of her and vigilance.
عَلىat بابِthe gate of قِنَّسرينَQinnasrin وَاللَيلُwhile night لاطِخٌsmearing
عَلى بابِ قِنَّسرينَ وَاللَيلُ لاطِخٌ
جَوانِبَهُits sides مِنof ظُلمَةٍdarkness بِمِدادِwith ink
جَوانِبَهُ مِن ظُلمَةٍ بِمِدادِ
At the gate of Qinnasrin, while night smeared
At the door of the tavern, and night is muddy,
Its sides with an ink of darkness,
Its edges darkened with ink's blackness.
كَأَنَّas though القُصورَthe palaces البيضَwhite فيalong جَنَباتِهِits sides
كَأَنَّ القُصورَ البيضَ في جَنَباتِهِ
خَضَبنَthey dyed مَشيباًgray hair نازِلاًcoming on بِسَوادِwith black
خَضَبنَ مَشيباً نازِلاً بِسَوادِ
As though the white palaces along its sides
As if the white palaces on its sides
Had dyed their encroaching gray hair black.
Were dyed gray with descending old age.
كَأَنَّas though اِنخِراقَthe open expanse of الجَوِّthe sky غَيَّرَchanged لَونَهُits color
كَأَنَّ اِنخِراقَ الجَوِّ غَيَّرَ لَونَهُ
لَبوسُa coat حَديدٍof iron أَوor لِباسُa garment حِدادِof mourning
لَبوسُ حَديدٍ أَو لِباسُ حِدادِ
As though the open expanse of sky had its color changed
As if the sky's rupture changed its color
By a coat of iron, or a garment of mourning.
To worn iron or mourning clothes.
كَأَنَّas though النُجومَthe stars المُستَسِرّاتِconcealed فيin الدُجىthe darkness
كَأَنَّ النُجومَ المُستَسِرّاتِ في الدُجى
سِكاكُstuds دِلاصٍof polished armor أَوor عُيونُeyes جَرادِof locusts
سِكاكُ دِلاصٍ أَو عُيونُ جَرادِ
As though the stars concealed in darkness
As if the stars hiding in the shadows
Were studs of polished armor, or locusts' eyes.
Were lamps' wicks or locusts' eyes.
وَلاand no قَمَرٌmoon إِلّاexcept حُشاشَةُa last flicker of life غائِرِa setting one
وَلا قَمَرٌ إِلّا حُشاشَةُ غائِرِ
كَعَينِlike the eye of طِماسٍa dim-sighted person رَنَّقَتdrooped لِرُقادِfor sleep
كَعَينِ طِماسٍ رَنَّقَت لِرُقادِ
And no moon, save the last flicker of a setting one,
And no moon but the sinking
Like a dim-sighted person's eye drooping into sleep.
Of a drunkard's eyelid closed in slumber.
فَبِتناso we spent the night وَباتَتand she spent the night تَمزُجُmixing الراحَthe wine بَينَناbetween us
فَبِتنا وَباتَت تَمزُجُ الراحَ بَينَنا
بِأَبيَضَwith a white mouth رَقراقِshimmering الرُضابِsaliva بُرادِcool
بِأَبيَضَ رَقراقِ الرُضابِ بُرادِ
So we spent the night, and she spent it mixing wine between us
We spent the night, and the breeze mixed between us
With a white mouth, its saliva shimmering and cool.
With soft murmuring of the tambourine.
وَلَمand not نَفتَرِقwe parted حَتّىuntil ثَنىrepeated الديكُthe cock هاتِفاًcrying out
وَلَم نَفتَرِق حَتّى ثَنى الديكُ هاتِفاً
وَقامَand rose المُناديthe caller بِالصَلاةِto prayer يُناديcalling out
وَقامَ المُنادي بِالصَلاةِ يُنادي
And we did not part until the cock repeated its cry,
We did not part until the cock crowed
And the caller rose to call to prayer.
And the caller to prayer called out.
أَباO Abu (father of) مُسلِمٍMuslim إِلقَreceive السَلامَgreetings مُضاعَفاًdoubled
أَبا مُسلِمٍ إِلقَ السَلامَ مُضاعَفاً
وَرُحand go in the evening سالِمَsafe القُطرَينِon both sides إِنِّيَindeed I غادِdeparting in the morning
وَرُح سالِمَ القُطرَينِ إِنِّيَ غادِ
Abu Muslim, receive my greetings doubled,
Abu Muslim, convey multiplied greetings
And go at evening, safe on both sides; I depart at dawn.
And go safely to both encampments, I am departing.
سَأَشكُرُI shall thank نُعماكَyour bounty المُرَفرِفَfluttering ظِلُّهاits shade
سَأَشكُرُ نُعماكَ المُرَفرِفَ ظِلُّها
عَلَيَّover me وَهَلand can أَنسىI forget رَبيعَthe spring of بِلاديmy homeland
عَلَيَّ وَهَل أَنسى رَبيعَ بِلادي
I shall thank your bounty, whose shade flutters
I will thank you for your overflowing kindness
Over me; can I forget the spring of my homeland,
Shading over me - how could I forget the springtime of my country?
وَفَيضَand the flood of عَطاياgifts ماnot تَأَمَّلَcontemplated ناظِرٌa beholder
وَفَيضَ عَطايا ما تَأَمَّلَ ناظِرٌ
إِلَيهِنَّupon them إِلّاexcept قالَsaid فَيضُa flood of غَوادِmorning rainclouds
إِلَيهِنَّ إِلّا قالَ فَيضُ غَوادِ
And the flood of gifts? No beholder ever looked
And the outpouring of gifts no onlooker surveyed
Upon them without saying, 'A flood from morning rainclouds!'
Except to say: the outpouring of bounty!
وَكَمand how often جاءَتِcame الأَيامُthe days رَسلاًgently تَقودُنيleading me
وَكَم جاءَتِ الأَيامُ رَسلاً تَقودُني
إِلىto نائِلٍbounty مِنfrom راحَتَيكَyour two palms مُعادِrenewed
إِلى نائِلٍ مِن راحَتَيكَ مُعادِ
And how often the days came gently, leading me
How many days came to me like messengers
To bounty renewed from your two palms.
Leading me to rest awhile in your shelter.
وَماand not تُنبِتُbrings forth growth البَطحاءُthe gravelly plain مِنfrom غَيرِother than وابِلٍa downpour
وَما تُنبِتُ البَطحاءُ مِن غَيرِ وابِلٍ
وَلاand not يَستَديمُsustains الشُكرَgratitude غَيرُanyone but جَوادِa generous giver
وَلا يَستَديمُ الشُكرَ غَيرُ جَوادِ
And no gravelly plain brings forth growth without a downpour,
The plain grows nothing without rain,
And none but a generous giver sustains gratitude.
And none sustain gratitude save the generous.
Sol 6.1