دَعوتَyou called إلىto السُّلوانِforgetfulness غيرnot سميعِa listener
دَعوتَ إلى السُّلوانِ غير سميعِ
وألزْمتَand you enjoined تركَabandoning الحُبّlove غيرَnot مُطيعِobedient
وألزْمتَ تركَ الحُبّ غيرَ مُطيعِ
You called one who would not listen to forgetfulness,
You called me to tranquility without hearing,
and enjoined one who would not obey to abandon love.
And made abandoning love compulsory without obeying.
أمِنfrom ...? بعدafter أَنthat قامَتْstood forth شهوديmy witnesses عَلىconcerning الهوىlove
أمِن بعد أَن قامَتْ شهودي عَلى الهوى
لَمَاcertainly not هِمتُI was enamored يوماًever فيwith رُبىًhills وربوعِand dwelling places
لَمَا هِمتُ يوماً في رُبىً وربوعِ
Is this after my witnesses have testified to my love?
After my witnesses against passion stood up,
Never was I enamored of hills and dwelling places,
When I once thought of dwelling in meadows and plains.
ولكنْbut جفونٌeyelids يومَon the day نَعمانًNa‘man فُتَّرٌlanguid
ولكنْ جفونٌ يومَ نَعمانً فُتَّرٌ
صوارمُهاtheir keen swords لاnot تُتَّقىcan be warded off بدروعِwith armor
صوارمُها لا تُتَّقى بدروعِ
but of languid eyelids, that day at Na‘man,
But eyelids one day of bliss are split,
whose keen swords no armor can ward off.
Their swords cannot be warded off with shields.
وكنتُand I had been علىon الصّبرpatience الجميلnoble مُعوّلاًrelying
وكنتُ على الصّبر الجميل مُعوّلاً
أُلاقيI face بهwith it الأحداثَlife's trials غيرnot جزوعِdismayed
أُلاقي به الأحداثَ غير جزوعِ
And I had relied on noble patience,
And I was counting on beautiful patience,
facing life's trials with it, undismayed.
To face events without being broken.
فقدso indeed فرَّعنّيfled from me الصبرpatience فيat مركزِbattle station الهوىlove
فقد فرَّعنّي الصبر في مركزِ الهوى
وفُضّتْand were scattered بغاراتby the raids الغرامِpassion جُموعيmy forces
وفُضّتْ بغارات الغرامِ جُموعي
Yet patience fled from me at love's battle station,
For patience has branched me in the center of passion,
and my forces were scattered by passion's raids.
And the hordes of love have shed my blood.
أسكّانO dwellers نعمانNa‘man الأراكthe arak trees إلىuntil مَتَىwhen
أسكّان نعمان الأراك إلى مَتَى
وحتّىand until مَتىwhen وجديmy yearning بكمfor you وولوعيand my ardor
وحتّى مَتى وجدي بكم وولوعي
O dwellers of Na‘man of the arak trees, how long—
Dwellers of bliss, until when will you inhabit the meadows,
and how long must my yearning for you and my ardor last?
And until when will my love for you and agony remain?
مَضَىhas passed العُمرlife فيكمْin loving you وانْقَضىand has ended وَصبَابتيand my longing
مَضَى العُمر فيكمْ وانْقَضى وَصبَابتي
تُؤَجِّجُkindles نيرانَfires الجوىheartache بضلوعيwithin my ribs
تُؤَجِّجُ نيرانَ الجوى بضلوعي
My life has passed and ended in loving you, yet my longing
My life passed in you and expired, and my youth
kindles the fires of heartache within my ribs.
Kindles the fires of longing in my ribs.
وقلتمand you said خَلِيٌّfree of love يدَّعيhe claims الحُبَّlove باطلاًfalsely
وقلتم خَلِيٌّ يدَّعي الحُبَّ باطلاً
سقاميmy sickness لِماذاwhy فيكُمfor you ودُموعيand my tears
سقامي لِماذا فيكُم ودُموعي
And you said, 'He is free of love and falsely claims it.'
And you said, "He falsely claims love in vain,"
Why, then, my sickness for you and my tears?
Why is my sickness in you and my tears?
ألاoh رحمةًmercy سكانdwellers نَعمانNa‘man إنّنيindeed I
ألا رحمةً سكان نَعمان إنّني
بحمْلِin bearing الّذيwhat ألْقاهُI suffer it غيُnot ضَليعِstrong enough
بحمْلِ الّذي ألْقاهُ غيُ ضَليعِ
Have mercy, dwellers of Na‘man, for I
Oh, have mercy, dwellers of bliss! I am
am not strong enough to bear what I suffer.
Bearing a burden too heavy for the feeble.
أصدٌّrejection? وهجرانٌand estrangement ولمthough not آتِI have committed فيin الْهوىlove
أصدٌّ وهجرانٌ ولم آتِ في الْهوى
بذَنبٍwith a sin سوىexcept ذلّيmy abasement لكُمbefore you وخضوعيand my submission
بذَنبٍ سوى ذلّي لكُم وخضوعي
Rejection and estrangement, though in love I have committed
I am loyal and abandoned, and in love
no sin but my abasement before you and my submission?
I have no sin except my submission and humility to you.
فإِنْso if كانis فرطexcess الحُبّlove ذَنبيmy sin إليكمُagainst you
فإِنْ كان فرط الحُبّ ذَنبي إليكمُ
فياthen, oh ليتَwould that شعريmy knowledge ماwhat يكونُwould be شفيعيmy intercessor
فيا ليتَ شعري ما يكونُ شفيعي
If, then, excessive love is my sin against you,
So if excessive love is my sin to you,
then, would that I knew what could intercede for me!
Oh, how I wish I knew who might intercede for me!
رعىmay preserve اللهGod عصراًa time قدonce مَضىpassed ليfor me بقًربكمnear you
رعى الله عصراً قد مَضى لي بقًربكم
وشمليand my union بكمْwith you إذْat ذاكَthat time غيرnot صديعِbroken
وشملي بكمْ إذْ ذاكَ غير صديعِ
May God preserve the time I once spent near you,
May God guard a time now passed in your company,
when my union with you was still unbroken,
When I enjoyed your shade unlike the outcast.
إذِwhen الْعَيشlife غضٌّfresh والزّمانُand time مُساعِدٌfavorable
إذِ الْعَيش غضٌّ والزّمانُ مُساعِدٌ
وسيرْبيَand my flock بالهجْرانِby estrangement غيرُnot مروعfrightened
وسيرْبيَ بالهجْرانِ غيرُ مروع
when life was fresh and time was kind,
As life was pleasant and time auspicious,
and my flock was not frightened by estrangement;
And parting frightens not the intrepid.
وإذand when أناI آويtake refuge منfrom عَزيزِinviolable حِماكُمyour sanctuary
وإذ أنا آوي من عَزيزِ حِماكُم
إلىinto مَربعٍan abode رحبِspacious الفِناءthe courtyard مَريعِfertile
إلى مَربعٍ رحبِ الفِناء مَريعِ
and when, within your inviolable sanctuary, I found refuge
And as I take refuge from your dear protection
in a fertile abode with a spacious courtyard.
To a spacious, expansive courtyard.
ودِدْتُI wished لَوif only أنَّthat الحُزنَsorrow ساعةَat the hour بنتُمyou departed
ودِدْتُ لَو أنَّ الحُزنَ ساعةَ بنتُم
عصانيhad disobeyed me وأنand that الصّبرpatience كانhad been مُطيعيobedient to me
عصاني وأن الصّبر كان مُطيعي
I wish that, at the hour you departed, sorrow
I wish grief would for an hour revolt against me,
had disobeyed me, and that patience had obeyed me.
And patience would become obedient to me!
وبالرغمand against the will منّيof me أنthat أعيشَI live لساعةٍto an hour
وبالرغم منّي أن أعيشَ لساعةٍ
أُخاطبكمI address you فيهاin it بخيرas the best وديعone bid farewell
أُخاطبكم فيها بخير وديع
And against my will I live to see an hour
And despite me, that I live one moment
in which I address you as 'best of those I bid farewell to.'
Speaking to you in it with kindness and calm.
أكفكِفُI hold back أسرابflocks المدامعtears والْهوىand passion
أكفكِفُ أسراب المدامع والْهوى
يقولsays أذيعيreveal سرَّهhis secret وأضيعيand bring ruin
يقول أذيعي سرَّه وأضيعي
I hold back the flocks of tears, while passion
I restrain the swarms of tears and passion
says, 'Reveal his secret and undo him!'
Saying, “Divulge your secret and waste it!”
ليَfor me اللهGod كمhow often أمْسيI pass the evening وأضْحيand I pass the morning متيّماًenslaved by love
ليَ الله كم أمْسي وأضْحي متيّماً
بحِبٍّby a beloved مَنوعwithholding لِلْوصالِof union منيعِinaccessible
بحِبٍّ مَنوع لِلْوصالِ منيعِ
God is my help! How often I pass evening and morning enthralled
Oh God, how often I become infatuated
by a beloved who withholds union and is beyond reach,
With a forbidden love, impregnable to union!
بحبّin love with رشاa fawn لَوif لاَحَappeared للشمسِto the sun وجهُهhis face
بحبّ رشا لَو لاَحَ للشمسِ وجهُه
لماthen not أذِنَتْshe would consent منfrom شَرقهاher east بطلوعto rising
لما أذِنَتْ من شَرقها بطلوع
in love with a fawn—if his face appeared before the sun,
A love if its face appeared to the sun,
she would not consent to rise from her east.
It would not have risen from its east.
منamong الغِيدlithe beauties يُحْمىis guarded بالصِّفاحِwith sword-blades كناسُهُhis lair
من الغِيد يُحْمى بالصِّفاحِ كناسُهُ
فكمso how many منof أسيرٍa captive حولَهaround him وصريعِand one struck down
فكم من أسيرٍ حولَه وصريعِ
One of the lithe beauties, whose lair is guarded with sword-blades—
It is protected in elegance like its carrier,
so many captives and fallen men lie around him!
So many captives are around it and slain.
Sol 6.1