لَيْتَif only شِعْريmy knowledge مَنْwhoever قَدْalready أَحَلَّpitched الخِياماthe tents
لَيْتَ شِعْري مَنْ قَدْ أَحَلَّ الخِياما
حَفِظَkept العَهْدَthe covenant أَمْor أَضَاعَforsook الذِّمامَاthe bond of honor
حَفِظَ العَهْدَ أَمْ أَضَاعَ الذِّمامَا
If only I knew: have those who pitched the tents
I wish I knew who pitched the tents
kept the covenant, or forsaken the bond of honor?
And kept their word or broke their bond
عَرَبٌArabs بِالحِمَىin the sanctuary حَموْاthey forbade أَنْthat يُسامَbe sought الthe
عَرَبٌ بِالحِمَى حَموْا أَنْ يُسامَ ال
وَصْلُunion مِنْهُمْwith them وَعِزُّهُمand their glory أَنْthat يُسامَىbe rivaled
وَصْلُ مِنْهُمْ وَعِزُّهُم أَنْ يُسامَى
Arabs in the sanctuary forbade that
Arabs proud of their zeal, zealous lest
union with them be sought, or their glory rivaled.
Their kinship frays, their pride is shamed
رَحلواthey departed بِالفُؤادِwith the heart وَالطَّرْفِand the gaze لكنْbut
رَحلوا بِالفُؤادِ وَالطَّرْفِ لكنْ
رَجَعَreturned الطّرْفُthe gaze وَالفُؤَادُand the heart أَقاماremained
رَجَعَ الطّرْفُ وَالفُؤَادُ أَقاما
They departed, taking my heart and gaze; but
They left with heart and eyes – and yet
my gaze returned, while my heart remained.
The eyes returned, the heart remained
حَملواthey bore بِالبُعادِthrough separation إِثْماًsin وَزُوراًand falsehood
حَملوا بِالبُعادِ إِثْماً وَزُوراً
وَحَمَلْناand we bore صَبَابَةًyearning وهِيَامَاand love's delirium
وَحَمَلْنا صَبَابَةً وهِيَامَا
Through separation, they bore sin and falsehood,
Bearing their wrongs and lies afar
and we bore yearning and love's delirium.
While we bear passion and romance
وَرَأَيْنَاand we saw تِلْكَthose الخُدُودَthe cheeks رِياضاًgardens
وَرَأَيْنَا تِلْكَ الخُدُودَ رِياضاً
فَجَعَلْناso we made لَهاfor them الجُفُونَthe eyelids غَمامَاclouds
فَجَعَلْنا لَها الجُفُونَ غَمامَا
And we saw those cheeks as gardens,
Seeing those cheeks as gardens, we
so we made our eyelids clouds for them.
Made our eyelids like clouds, askance
وَأَطَعْنَاand we obeyed دَواعِيthe promptings of الوَجْدِpassion فِيهِمfor them
وَأَطَعْنَا دَواعِي الوَجْدِ فِيهِم
وَعَصَيْناand we defied الوُشَاةَthe talebearers واللُّوّاماand the reproachers
وَعَصَيْنا الوُشَاةَ واللُّوّاما
And we obeyed the promptings of passion for them,
Heeding love’s call, we disobeyed
and defied the talebearers and reproachers.
The sly rebukers and their slams
أَيُّwhich صَبٍّa lovesick lover قَدْever غَادَرَleft behind الوَجْدُpassion مِنْهُof him
أَيُّ صَبٍّ قَدْ غَادَرَ الوَجْدُ مِنْهُ
مُسْتَقَرّاًa resting place بِقَلْبِهِin his heart وَمُقَامَاand an abode
مُسْتَقَرّاً بِقَلْبِهِ وَمُقَامَا
Which lover has passion left
What love-sick youth did love not mar
any resting place or abode within his heart?
Stamping his heart as its firm stand?
رَشَقَتْهُshot him العُيونُthe eyes مِنْwith some أَسْهُمarrows of السِّحْthe magic (first part)
رَشَقَتْهُ العُيونُ مِنْ أَسْهُم السِّحْ
رِend of 'magic' فَأَصْمَتso struck dead فُؤادَهُhis heart المُسْتَهَامَاthe love-stricken
رِ فَأَصْمَت فُؤادَهُ المُسْتَهَامَا
Eyes shot him with arrows of magic,
Eyes assailed him with arrows, till
and struck his love-stricken heart dead.
His rapt heart grew confused, nonplussed
فَهُوَso he مِنْهُنَّfrom them بِابنِwith the son of مُصْعَبٍMus'ab أَضْحَىbecame
فَهُوَ مِنْهُنَّ بِابنِ مُصْعَبٍ أَضْحَى
مُسْتَجِيراًseeking refuge بِعَدْلِهِin his justice أَنْlest يُضَامَاhe be wronged
مُسْتَجِيراً بِعَدْلِهِ أَنْ يُضَامَا
So he turned to Ibn Mus'ab for protection from them,
Thus was he with them like the son
seeking refuge in his justice lest he be wronged.
Of Mus’ab, seeking justice just
وَافىhe came وَوَاصَلand granted union عِنْدَمَاwhen
وَافى وَوَاصَل عِنْدَمَا
أَجْرَىhe made flow المَدامِعَthe tears عِنْدمَاcrimson dye
أَجْرَى المَدامِعَ عِنْدمَا
He came and granted union when
He came and stayed when he let flow
he made the tears flow like crimson dye.
Tears, when he bent and hailed me, when
وَرَنَاand he gazed إِليّat me فَسلَّماthen greeted
وَرَنَا إِليّ فَسلَّما
لِلْوَجْدِto passion قَلْبِيmy heart سَلَّماhe surrendered
لِلْوَجْدِ قَلْبِي سَلَّما
And he gazed at me and greeted me;
He glanced at me and bade me “Go!”
to passion he surrendered my heart.
To love my heart said, “There again”
وَثنَىand he bent القَوامَthe form فَهَزَّماso routed
وَثنَى القَوامَ فَهَزَّما
لجيُوشِto the armies of صَبْرِيmy patience هَزَّماhe routed
لجيُوشِ صَبْرِي هَزَّما
And he bent his form and routed—
Bowed his waist, so he gained the day
routed the armies of my patience.
Vanquishing my patience, he gainsayed
وَحَمَىand guarded مَراشِفَthe lips of ثَغْرِهِhis mouth
وَحَمَى مَراشِفَ ثَغْرِهِ
أَرأَيْتُمُhave you all seen? بَرْقَthe lightning of الحِمَىthe sanctuary
أَرأَيْتُمُ بَرْقَ الحِمَى
And he guarded the lips of his mouth—
Protecting his cheek’s horizon, see
have you seen the sanctuary's lightning?
The flash of his zeal – have you surveyed?
وُليwas appointed وَاحِدٌone ماnot زَالَceased باثْنَيْنِof two مُغْرَماenamored
وُلي وَاحِدٌ ما زَالَ باثْنَيْنِ مُغْرَما
علىover واحدٍone ماnot زالَceased باثنَينِof two مُغْرَماenamored
على واحدٍ ما زالَ باثنَينِ مُغْرَما
One, still enamored of two, was set
Mine, devoted to one who remains
over one still enamored of two.
Devoted to two, lovesick, engrossed
رَأَىhe saw جَسَدِيmy body وَالدَّمْعَand the tears وَالقَلْبَand the heart والحَشَىand the inmost being
رَأَى جَسَدِي وَالدَّمْعَ وَالقَلْبَ والحَشَى
فَأَضْنَىso weakened وَأَفْنَىand exhausted واسْتَمَالand won over وَتيَّماand enslaved with love
فَأَضْنَى وَأَفْنَى واسْتَمَال وَتيَّما
He saw my body, my tears, my heart, and my inmost being,
He saw my body, my tear, my heart, my mind
then weakened, exhausted, won over, and enslaved them with love.
So he sighed and was undone, sought and posed
Sol 6.1