أعذّاليO my reproachers أعذّاليO my reproachers
أعذّالي أعذّالي
دَعواleave حاليmy state علىas حاليmy state
دَعوا حالي على حالي
O my reproachers, O my reproachers!
Leave me just as I am.
وخلّونيand leave me بداءٍwith an ailment واِقand desist (start)
وخلّوني بداءٍ واِق
صرواdesist (end) فيin القيلgossip والقالِand idle talk
صروا في القيل والقالِ
Leave me to my ailment, and cut
short your gossip and idle talk.
تَلومونَyou reproach اِمرءاًa man فيin حبlove (start)
تَلومونَ اِمرءاً في حب
بهِhis love (end) لِملامكمof your reproach قاليone who loathes
بهِ لِملامكم قالي
You reproach a man for his love,
a man who loathes your reproach;
أَسيراًa captive فيin سلاسلchains منof
أَسيراً في سلاسل من
هَوىlove for سُعدىSu'da وأغلالِand fetters
هَوى سُعدى وأغلالِ
a captive in the chains
and fetters of love for Su'da.
وتُؤيسنيand she makes me despair بهجرتِهاby her desertion
وتُؤيسني بهجرتِها
وَتُطمعنيand she gives me hope بإدلالِthrough coquetry
وَتُطمعني بإدلالِ
She makes me despair by deserting me,
and gives me hope with her coquetry.
وَتَكْلمُنيand she wounds me وتَشفينيand heals me
وَتَكْلمُني وتَشفيني
بِمعسولٍwith honeyed sweetness وعسّالِand a supple spear
بِمعسولٍ وعسّالِ
She wounds me and heals me
with honeyed sweetness and a supple spear.
كأنّas though رضابthe saliva of فيهاher mouth خمwine (start)
كأنّ رضاب فيها خم
رةwine (end) شيبتwas blended بسلسالِwith clear, sweet water
رة شيبت بسلسالِ
The nectar of her mouth seems wine
blended with clear, sweet water.
لَهاshe has قدٌّa figure كغصنٍlike a bough ناtender (start)
لَها قدٌّ كغصنٍ نا
عمٍtender (end) ريّانwell-watered ميّالِswaying
عمٍ ريّان ميّالِ
She has a figure like a bough,
tender, lush, and swaying;
وَردفٌand a rump مثلlike دعصa sand mound منfrom
وَردفٌ مثل دعص من
كثيبِa dune of الرملsand منهالِloose and spilling
كثيبِ الرمل منهالِ
and a rump like a mound from
a dune of loose, spilling sand;
وساقٌand a calf فاعمٌplump قدindeed غصwas constricted (start)
وساقٌ فاعمٌ قد غص
صwas constricted (end) فاعمهits plumpness بخلخالِby an anklet
ص فاعمه بخلخالِ
and a plump calf, its fullness
constricted by an anklet.
مَتىwhenever تَرحلshe departs تهمّis poised حشاlife-breath (start)
مَتى تَرحل تهمّ حشا
شتيmy life-breath (end) مِنهاbecause of her بترحالِto depart
شتي مِنها بترحالِ
Whenever she departs, my life-breath
is poised to depart because of her.
أَلاah! ماwhat ليails me أكابدُI endure حسanguish (start)
أَلا ما لي أكابدُ حس
رةًanguish (end) مِنهاbecause of her أَلاah! ماwhat ليails me
رةً مِنها أَلا ما لي
Ah, what ails me, that I endure
anguish for her? Ah, what ails me?
وَقَلبيand my heart مُذever since تعلّقهاfell in love with her
وَقَلبي مُذ تعلّقها
لِنيرانin the fires of الهوىpassion صالِburning
لِنيران الهوى صالِ
And my heart, ever since it loved her,
burns in the fires of passion.
فَإنand if تكُshe has قدalready سَلَتforgotten عنّيabout me
فَإن تكُ قد سَلَت عنّي
فإنّيthen I لستُam not بالساليone who forgets
فإنّي لستُ بالسالي
If she has indeed forgotten me,
I am not one to forget.
وقفتُI stood بِدارهاat her dwelling منfrom بعafter (start)
وقفتُ بِدارها من بع
دِafter (end) حولهits year بعدafter أحواليmy years
دِ حوله بعد أحوالي
I stood at her dwelling, after
its year had passed, after years of my own.
أُسائِلهاI question it وكيفbut how سؤاquestioning (start)
أُسائِلها وكيف سؤا
لُناour questioning (end) فيamong رسمِهاits traces الخاليdeserted
لُنا في رسمِها الخالي
I question it—but what can our questions
mean among its deserted traces?
سَقاهاmay He water it اللّهGod منfrom نوءِthe rain-season of الثthe (start of 'the Pleiades')
سَقاها اللّه من نوءِ الث
ثُريّاPleiades (end) كلّevery هطّالِpouring raincloud
ثُريّا كلّ هطّالِ
May God water it from the rain-season of
the Pleiades, with every pouring cloud.
فَمَنso who ليfor me باِمرئٍwith a man واعٍdiscerning
فَمَن لي باِمرئٍ واعٍ
مجدٍّdiligent غيرnot هزّالِa jester
مجدٍّ غير هزّالِ
Who will find me a discerning man,
diligent, no jester,
فَيكتبُand so he may write ماwhat أمليI dictate تبرvoluntarily (start)
فَيكتبُ ما أملي تبر
رعاًvoluntarily (end) مِنwith غيرno إملالِtedium
رعاً مِن غير إملالِ
to write down what I dictate,
freely and without tedium?
عَرفتُI have known الدهرَTime معرفةًa knowledge
عَرفتُ الدهرَ معرفةً
بِهاthrough which أهملتُI neglected أشغاليmy affairs
بِها أهملتُ أشغالي
I have come to know Time so well
that I have neglected my affairs.
تجودُyou give generously بماwith what تجودyou give generously منَof الthe (continues)
تجودُ بما تجود منَ ال
عَطاءِgifts لِشرِّto the worst of أنذالِscoundrels
عَطاءِ لِشرِّ أنذالِ
You lavish whatever you lavish in
gifts on the vilest of scoundrels,
وَيرفعُand it withdraws ثديهits breast عنfrom كلevery (start)
وَيرفعُ ثديه عن كل
لِevery (end) هامِlavish الكفّof hand مفضالِmunificent
لِ هامِ الكفّ مفضالِ
yet it withdraws its breast from every
openhanded, munificent man.
فَلولاbut were it not for حميرٌHimyar لمwould not تصfulfill (start)
فَلولا حميرٌ لم تص
دقfulfill (end) الأيّامthe days آمالِmy hopes
دق الأيّام آمالِ
Were it not for Himyar, the days would not
have fulfilled my hopes.
نَفىhe banished عنّيfrom me الخطوبَcalamities وصرand they became (start)
نَفى عنّي الخطوبَ وصر
نَthey became (end) منهthrough him فيin حمىًa sanctuary عاليlofty
نَ منه في حمىً عالي
He banished troubles from me, and they came
through him into a lofty refuge.
وَأَنزلنيand he lodged me منازلin stations ماnever
وَأَنزلني منازل ما
سَمَتaspired قلبيmy heart بنزّالِas a guest
سَمَت قلبي بنزّالِ
And he lodged me in stations which
my heart had never aspired to inhabit.
مليكٌa king جلّexalted قدindeed راعتawed
مليكٌ جلّ قد راعت
سجيتهhis nature كلّevery بطّالِvaliant champion
سجيته كلّ بطّالِ
An exalted king, whose
nature has awed every champion.
تجودُyou give freely شجاعةًout of courage وسماand generosity (start)
تجودُ شجاعةً وسما
حةًgenerosity (end) بالنفسِwith life والمالِand wealth
حةً بالنفسِ والمالِ
You give, with courage and
generosity, your life and wealth.
أَلاmark! لاdo not تحكهِcompare him كرماًin generosity
أَلا لا تحكهِ كرماً
بِأندادٍwith rivals وأشكالِand peers
بِأندادٍ وأشكالِ
Ah, do not compare him in generosity
with rivals and peers.
كأنَّas though نداهُhis bounty غيثٌrain قدhas
كأنَّ نداهُ غيثٌ قد
هَمىpoured مِنfrom كفِّthe palm of ميكالِMikal
هَمى مِن كفِّ ميكالِ
His bounty seems rain that has
poured from Mikal's palm.
أَأفضلO best مَنof those بهِtoward him وجدتand hastened
أَأفضل مَن بهِ وجدت
وَخبّتand trotted كلّevery مرقالِswift she-camel
وَخبّت كلّ مرقالِ
O best of those toward whom has sped
and trotted every swift she-camel!
بَراكَfashioned you اللّهGod منfrom نورٍlight
بَراكَ اللّه من نورٍ
وَمِنand from شرفٍnobility وإجلالِand honor
وَمِن شرفٍ وإجلالِ
God fashioned you from light,
and from nobility and honor.
Sol 6.1