ماnot كُنْتُI was أَنْدُبُI lament رَامةًRāmah وَطُوَيْلِعاًand Ṭuwayliʿ
ما كُنْتُ أَنْدُبُ رَامةً وَطُوَيْلِعاً
لَوْif كُنْتَyou were ياO قَمَرِيmy moon عليَّover me طُويْلِعَاrising (diminutive)
لَوْ كُنْتَ يا قَمَرِي عليَّ طُويْلِعَا
I would not have lamented Rāmah and Ṭuwayliʿ,
I would not lament Ramah or Tawilah
had you, my moon, but risen over me.
Had you, my moon, been long upon me.
وَلَقَدْand indeed رَأَيْتُI saw بِرَامَةٍat Rāmah بَيْنَamong النَّقَاthe sand dunes
وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ بِرَامَةٍ بَيْنَ النَّقَا
فَمَنَعْتُso I barred طَرْفيmy gaze مِنْهُfrom it أَنْto يتَمتَّعاtake delight
فَمَنَعْتُ طَرْفي مِنْهُ أَنْ يتَمتَّعا
And indeed I saw, at Rāmah among the dunes,
And I saw between noble women -
so I barred my gaze from taking delight in it.
I prevented my eye from enjoying them.
ماnot ذَاكَthat مِنْfrom رَوْعٍfright وَلكِنْbut مَنْwhoever رَأَىsees
ما ذَاكَ مِنْ رَوْعٍ وَلكِنْ مَنْ رَأَى
أَشْباهَlikenesses of عِطْفِكَyour figure حُقَّit is fitting أَنto يَتورَّعاshow restraint
أَشْباهَ عِطْفِكَ حُقَّ أَن يَتورَّعا
This was not from fear; but whoever sees
It was no frightening thing, but one who sees
likenesses of your figure ought to show restraint.
The likeness of your affection, it behooves him to refrain.
ياO ساكِنيdwellers of نُعْمانNuʿmān لاmay not اِصْطَنَعَfoster الهَوَىlove
يا ساكِني نُعْمان لا اِصْطَنَعَ الهَوَى
صَبّاًa passionate lover يكونُis بِكُمfor you هَواهُhis passion تَصنُّعاpretense
صَبّاً يكونُ بِكُم هَواهُ تَصنُّعا
O dwellers of Nuʿmān, may love never foster
O dweller of Nu'man, passion does not pretend
a lover whose passion for you is feigned.
To be a love struck by you pretentiously.
قَدْindeed أَزْعَجَhas disturbed القَلْبَthe heart الغَرامُardent love وأَعْجَزَand has eluded الthe
قَدْ أَزْعَجَ القَلْبَ الغَرامُ وأَعْجَزَ ال
طَرْفَeye المنامُsleep فَحَقَّso it is right ليfor me أَنْto أَجْزَعَاbe distraught
طَرْفَ المنامُ فَحَقَّ لي أَنْ أَجْزَعَا
Passion has unsettled the heart, and beyond the
Love has perturbed my heart and dream's inability
eye's reach lies sleep; I have every right to be distraught.
Has defeated my eye, so it's right that I despair.
أَضْمَرْتُمواyou harbored هَجْراًestrangement وأَمْرَضْتُمْand you sickened حَشىًinner being
أَضْمَرْتُموا هَجْراً وأَمْرَضْتُمْ حَشىً
مِنّيof me وأَضْرَمَتُمْand you set ablaze بِنارٍwith fire أَضْلُعَاribs
مِنّي وأَضْرَمَتُمْ بِنارٍ أَضْلُعَا
You harbored estrangement and sickened the heart
You harbored estrangement and sickened my heart,
within me, and set my ribs ablaze with fire.
And kindled in me a blazing fire.
وَلَقَدْand indeed وَقَفْتُI stood علىupon حِماكُمْyour sanctuary مُجْدِباًbarren
وَلَقَدْ وَقَفْتُ على حِماكُمْ مُجْدِباً
فَجَرَىso flowed بِهِin it دَمْعِيmy tears إلىuntil أنْthat أَمْرَعَاit grew lush
فَجَرَى بِهِ دَمْعِي إلى أنْ أَمْرَعَا
And I stood upon your barren sanctuary;
I stood over your tent weeping
my tears flowed there until it grew lush.
Until my tears flooded the sands.
وَحَفِظْتُand I kept عَهْدَكُمُyour covenant وَضَيَّعْتُمْand you neglected فَلَاso not
وَحَفِظْتُ عَهْدَكُمُ وَضَيَّعْتُمْ فَلَا
أَدْعوI pray لأَجْلِكُمfor your sake عَلىagainst مَنْwhoever ضَيَّعاneglected
أَدْعو لأَجْلِكُم عَلى مَنْ ضَيَّعا
I kept your covenant, and you neglected it; so I do not
I kept your pact while you neglected it,
for your sake, curse whoever neglected it.
So I won't pray for those who neglected.
قَالَsaid العَواذِلُthe reproaching women إِنَّthat مَنْthose whom أَحْبَبْتَهُمْyou loved them
قَالَ العَواذِلُ إِنَّ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتَهُمْ
لَمْdid not يَتْركُواleave لَكَfor you فيin وِصَالٍunion مَطْمَعَاa hope
لَمْ يَتْركُوا لَكَ في وِصَالٍ مَطْمَعَا
The reproaching women said, 'Those you have loved
The censurers said: they you loved
have left you no hope of union.'
Did not leave any union for you to hope for.
أَنَاI قَدْindeed رَضيتُI have accepted بِمَاwith what ارْتَضوْهُthey chose it فَمَاso what عَسَىmight
أَنَا قَدْ رَضيتُ بِمَا ارْتَضوْهُ فَمَا عَسَى
أَنْto يُبْلِغَachieve الواشيthe talebearer لَديَّwith me بِمَاthrough what سَعَىhe strove
أَنْ يُبْلِغَ الواشي لَديَّ بِمَا سَعَى
I have accepted what they chose; what, then, can
I'm content with what they decided, so what can
the talebearer achieve with me through his scheming?
The slanderer accomplish in what he attempted?
مَنْwhoever أَنْتَyou ياO ظَبْيَgazelle of الصَّريمِthe thicket دَعوتَهُyou called him
مَنْ أَنْتَ يا ظَبْيَ الصَّريمِ دَعوتَهُ
هَيْهَاتَfar from possible عَنْكَfrom you بِسَلْوةٍwith relief from longing أَنْto يَرْجِعَاreturn
هَيْهَاتَ عَنْكَ بِسَلْوةٍ أَنْ يَرْجِعَا
Whoever you, O gazelle of the thicket, have called
Who are you, O doe of Sarim, calling him -
will never return from you free of longing.
Alas! He will not return lured by you.
لاno بُدَّalternative ياO قَمَرَmoon of الملاحَةِbeauty بَعْدَafter أَنْthat
لا بُدَّ يا قَمَرَ الملاحَةِ بَعْدَ أَنْ
تُبْدِيyou show السِّرَارَthe moon's dark phase وَتَخْتَفِيand you vanish أَنْto تَطْلُعَاrise
تُبْدِي السِّرَارَ وَتَخْتَفِي أَنْ تَطْلُعَا
Inevitably, O moon of beauty, after you
It's inevitable, O moon of nightfall, that after
show your dark phase and vanish, you will rise.
You appear briefly, you must disappear.
وَلَرُبَّماand sometimes ياO ظَبْيُgazelle تَرْتَاعُtake fright الظِّباthe gazelles
وَلَرُبَّما يا ظَبْيُ تَرْتَاعُ الظِّبا
مِثْلَlike ارْتِياعِكَyour fright ثمthen تَأْنَسُgrow at ease in مَرْتَعَاa pasture
مِثْلَ ارْتِياعِكَ ثم تَأْنَسُ مَرْتَعَا
And sometimes, O gazelle, gazelles take fright
Perhaps, O doe, you shudder like my shuddering,
as you do, then grow at ease in a pasture.
Then feel at peace in a pasture.
ماnot سِحْرُsorcery هَارُونَHārūn المُفَرِّقthat separates غِيْرُother than ماwhat
ما سِحْرُ هَارُونَ المُفَرِّق غِيْرُ ما
فيin مُقْلَتَيْكَyour two eyes مِنَof الفُتُورِlanguor تَجَمَّعَاhas gathered
في مُقْلَتَيْكَ مِنَ الفُتُورِ تَجَمَّعَا
Hārūn's sundering magic is nothing but the
What is the magic of Harun the separator, but
languor gathered in your two eyes.
The languor gathered in your eyes?
أَخْلَيْتَyou emptied مَرْبَعthe dwelling of كُلِّevery قَلْبٍheart فيin الهَوَىlove
أَخْلَيْتَ مَرْبَع كُلِّ قَلْبٍ في الهَوَى
مِنْof صَبْرِهِits patience وجَعَلْتَهُand you made it لَكَfor you مَرْبَعاa dwelling
مِنْ صَبْرِهِ وجَعَلْتَهُ لَكَ مَرْبَعا
You emptied the dwelling of every heart in love
You emptied the composure of every heart in love,
of its patience, and made it a dwelling for yourself.
And made it for you a square.
وَهِيَand they are القُلُوبُthe hearts الطائِراتُflying فَمَاso what لَهَاis with them
وَهِيَ القُلُوبُ الطائِراتُ فَمَا لَهَا
أَبداًalways نَراهاwe see them فيin حِبَالِكَyour snares وُقَّعَاcaught
أَبداً نَراها في حِبَالِكَ وُقَّعَا
And they are flying hearts—what ails them,
Those are the soaring hearts - so why do we
that we always see them caught in your snares?
Never see them tethered by your ropes?
مَاnot صَدَّhe turned away عَنِّيfrom me فيin الغَرامِpassionate love فَديْتُهُmay I be his ransom
مَا صَدَّ عَنِّي في الغَرامِ فَديْتُهُ
لَمّاwhen بَذلْتُI offered لَهُto him دَمِيmy blood فَتَمَنَّعاand he held aloof
لَمّا بَذلْتُ لَهُ دَمِي فَتَمَنَّعا
He did not shun me in love—may I be his ransom—
I ransomed what distracted me from passion
when I offered him my blood and he held aloof;
When I shed my blood for it, but it refused.
لَكنْbut رَأَىhe saw قَلْبيmy heart يَزيدُgrow بِقُرْبِهِwith his nearness
لَكنْ رَأَى قَلْبي يَزيدُ بِقُرْبِهِ
صَدْعاًin cracking فأَشفَقَso he feared إِنif دَنَاhe drew near أَنْthat يُصْدَعاit would be shattered
صَدْعاً فأَشفَقَ إِن دَنَا أَنْ يُصْدَعا
but he saw my heart, with his nearness, grow
Rather, my heart saw it increase the cracks
more fractured, and feared it would shatter if he drew near.
When drawing near, fearing it would crack.
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher دَعْنِيleave me وَعَلِّمand teach مُقْلَتِيmy eye
يا عاذِلي دَعْنِي وَعَلِّم مُقْلَتِي
لِتَرىso it may see خَيالthe phantom of مُعَذِّبيmy tormentor إِنْif تَهْجَعَاit slumbers
لِتَرى خَيال مُعَذِّبي إِنْ تَهْجَعَا
O my reproacher, leave me be, and teach my eye
O my censurer, leave me be and teach my eyelids
to see my tormentor's phantom if it slumbers.
To see the specter of my tormentor as I sleep.
مَنْwhoever كَانَwas مَدْمَعُهُhis tears نَجِيعاًblood فيin الهَوَىlove
مَنْ كَانَ مَدْمَعُهُ نَجِيعاً في الهَوَى
هَيْهَاتَfar from possible عَذْلُكَyour reproach عِنْدَهُwith him أَنْto يَنْجَعَاtake effect
هَيْهَاتَ عَذْلُكَ عِنْدَهُ أَنْ يَنْجَعَا
He whose tears in love are blood—
Whose tears were streaming in passion -
your reproach can never have any effect on him.
Alas! Your censure will not avail him.
أَمْor كَيْفَhow رِيقَتُكَyour saliva الَّتيwhich أَرِقَتْstayed sleepless لهاfor it
أَمْ كَيْفَ رِيقَتُكَ الَّتي أَرِقَتْ لها
عَيْنيmy eye وَماand did not رَاقَتْgrow clear تُكَفْكِفُstaunches أَدْمُعَاtears
عَيْني وَما رَاقَتْ تُكَفْكِفُ أَدْمُعَا
Or how can your saliva, for which
Or how did your departure, which deprived me of sleep
my eye stayed sleepless and never grew clear, staunch tears?
And did not let my eyes rest, assuage tears?
Sol 6.1