مَتَىwhen يَعْطِفُrelents الجانِيthe wrongdoer وَتُقْضَىand are fulfilled وعُودُهُhis promises
مَتَى يَعْطِفُ الجانِي وَتُقْضَى وعُودُهُ
فَقَدْfor indeed طَالَhas lasted long مِنْهُfrom him هَجْرُهُhis abandonment وصُدودُهُand his aversion
فَقَدْ طَالَ مِنْهُ هَجْرُهُ وصُدودُهُ
When will the wrongdoer relent and his promises be fulfilled?
When will the offender show mercy, and fulfill his promises?
For his abandonment and aversion have lasted so long.
For his estrangement has been long, and his hostility.
أَشدُّgreater نِفَاراًin elusiveness مِنْthan مَنامِيmy sleep عَطْفُهُhis tenderness
أَشدُّ نِفَاراً مِنْ مَنامِي عَطْفُهُ
وَأَكْذَبُand falser مِنْthan طَيْفِa phantom الخَيالِof fancy وُعُودُهُhis promises
وَأَكْذَبُ مِنْ طَيْفِ الخَيالِ وُعُودُهُ
His tenderness is more elusive than my sleep,
More abhorrent to me than my dreams is his kindness,
And his promises are falser than a phantom of fancy.
And his vows are more false than the ghosts of delusion.
هِلالٌa crescent moon بَعيدُfar beyond النَّيْلِreach مَنْwho ذَاthat one يَرومُهُseeks him
هِلالٌ بَعيدُ النَّيْلِ مَنْ ذَا يَرومُهُ
ومَرْعىًand a pasture خَصِيبُlush الرَّوضِthe meadow مَنْwho ذَاthat one يَرُودُهُseeks him out
ومَرْعىً خَصِيبُ الرَّوضِ مَنْ ذَا يَرُودُهُ
A crescent far beyond reach—who can aspire to him?
A crescent far from fulfillment - who can attain it?
And a pasture of lush meadows—who can seek him out?
And a lush meadow - who can lead their camels to graze it?
يَسُلُّhe unsheathes سُيُوفَswords اللَّحْظِthe glance مِنْهُfrom him فَبِيضُهُso his white blades
يَسُلُّ سُيُوفَ اللَّحْظِ مِنْهُ فَبِيضُهُ
إِذَاwhen رامَhe sought فَتْكَاًslaughter فيamong المُحبِّينthe lovers سُودُهُhis black eyes
إِذَا رامَ فَتْكَاً في المُحبِّين سُودُهُ
He unsheathes the swords of his glance; his white blades,
His glances unsheathe swords against me while sheathed towards others,
When he means to slaughter lovers, are his black eyes.
When he seeks to kill those who love him, through them he is lethal.
إِذَاif أَسَرَتْcaptured صَبّاًa lovesick lover سَلاسِلُthe chains شَعْرِهِhis hair
إِذَا أَسَرَتْ صَبّاً سَلاسِلُ شَعْرِهِ
فَذَاكَthen that one الَّذيwho ماnot إِنْat all (emphatic) تُفَكَّare undone قُيُودُهُhis fetters
فَذَاكَ الَّذي ما إِنْ تُفَكَّ قُيُودُهُ
If the chains of his hair take a lovesick lover captive,
When his hair entraps morning light in its chains,
Then that is one whose fetters are never undone.
That's when his shackles cannot be undone.
يَسُوقُhe drives إِلىto قَلْبِيmy heart الضَّنَاwasting sickness ويقُودُهُand he leads it
يَسُوقُ إِلى قَلْبِي الضَّنَا ويقُودُهُ
ويَطْرُدُand he drives away عَنْfrom جَفْنِيmy eyelid الكَرَىsleep ويذُودُهُand he repels it
ويَطْرُدُ عَنْ جَفْنِي الكَرَى ويذُودُهُ
He drives wasting sickness to my heart and leads it there,
He brings sorrow to my heart, steering it,
And drives sleep from my eyelid and keeps it away.
And drives away sleep from my eyes, warding it off.
يُرينيshows me قَضِيبَa bough البانِthe bān tree مِنْهُfrom him نُهُوضُهُhis rising
يُريني قَضِيبَ البانِ مِنْهُ نُهُوضُهُ
ويَحْكيand resembles كَثِيبَa dune الرَّمْلِof sand مِنْهُfrom him قُعُودُهُhis sitting
ويَحْكي كَثِيبَ الرَّمْلِ مِنْهُ قُعُودُهُ
When he rises, he shows me a bough of the bān tree;
He shows me his firm stance, his rising up,
And when he sits, he resembles a dune of sand.
And tells of his stillness, his sitting down.
وَإِنْand if جِئْتُI came أَبْغيI seek وَصْلَهُunion with him زَادَhe increased صَدَّهُhis rejection
وَإِنْ جِئْتُ أَبْغي وَصْلَهُ زَادَ صَدَّهُ
كَأَنِّيas though I منُof هِجْرانِهِhis abandonment اسْتَزِيدُهُI ask him for more
كَأَنِّي منُ هِجْرانِهِ اسْتَزِيدُهُ
And if I come seeking union with him, he spurns me all the more,
And if I come desiring his affection, he increases his rejection,
As though I were asking him to forsake me still more.
As if by his estrangement, I have asked for more.
كأنّاas though we قَسَمْناwe divided نِصْفَthe middle of شَعْبَانShaʿbān بَيْنَنَاbetween us
كأنّا قَسَمْنا نِصْفَ شَعْبَان بَيْنَنَا
عَلىaccording to حُكْمthe dictates ماwhat يُرْضِيpleases الهَوَىlove ويُريدُهُand it desires it
عَلى حُكْم ما يُرْضِي الهَوَى ويُريدُهُ
As though we had divided mid-Shaʿbān between us,
It's as if we divided Sha'ban between us,
According to the dictates of what pleases love and what it desires:
Based on what would please passion, and what it desires.
حَلَاوَتُهُits sweetness فيin ثَغْرِهِhis mouth وَكَلامِهِand his speech
حَلَاوَتُهُ في ثَغْرِهِ وَكَلامِهِ
ونِيرَانُهُand its fires فيin مُهْجَتِيmy heart's core وَوَقِيْدُهُand its blaze
ونِيرَانُهُ في مُهْجَتِي وَوَقِيْدُهُ
Its sweetness is in his mouth and his speech,
His sweetness in his mouth and his speech,
And its fires and its blaze are in my heart's core.
And his fires in my innermost heart, and his fuel.
Sol 6.1