وفيتُI was faithful لِمَنْto those whom أُحبُّهُمُI love them فخانواbut they betrayed
وفيتُ لِمَنْ أُحبُّهُمُ فخانوا
وبانتْand departed راحتيmy peace اِبّانَwhen بانواthey departed
وبانتْ راحتي اِبّانَ بانوا
I was faithful to those I love, but they betrayed me.
I was loyal to those I loved, but they betrayed me
And my peace departed when they departed.
And my tranquility was lost when they were gone
وأجريتُand I let flow الدموعَthe tears يَحارُis bewildered منهاby them
وأجريتُ الدموعَ يَحارُ منها
عقيقاًas agate فيupon الخدودِthe cheeks الاُرّجُوانُthe crimson hue
عقيقاً في الخدودِ الاُرّجُوانُ
And I let tears flow, bewildering
I shed copious tears that reddened
crimson itself—agate upon my cheeks.
My pale cheeks like carnelians
فليتهمُso, if only they وقدand already نزحواthey drained دموعيmy tears
فليتهمُ وقد نزحوا دموعي
رثواthey took pity لأليمِfor the anguish of ماwhat ألقىI endure ولانواand they softened
رثوا لأليمِ ما ألقى ولانوا
If only they, having drained my tears,
If only they had wept when leaving me
would pity the anguish I endure and relent.
And grieved for the pain I was dealt
وماand not مِنْof حقَّthe rightful due دمعيmy tears وهوwhile it is عِدٌّan unfailing spring
وما مِنْ حقَّ دمعي وهو عِدٌّ
يُضاعُis wasted علىin التباعدِestrangement أوor يُهانُis dishonored
يُضاعُ على التباعدِ أو يُهانُ
Nor should my tears, an unfailing spring,
My tears deserve not to be wasted
be wasted in estrangement or treated with contempt.
Due to separation or humiliation
فأيُّthen which مدامعٍtears مِنْfrom بعدِafter دمعيmy tears
فأيُّ مدامعٍ مِنْ بعدِ دمعي
تُكَرَّمُare honored فيin المحبَّةِlove أوor تُصانُare safeguarded
تُكَرَّمُ في المحبَّةِ أو تُصانُ
Then what tears, after mine,
What tears after mine
will be honored in love or safeguarded?
Can be honored in love or respected?
وأوجعُand more painful مِنthan بكانيmy weeping (text uncertain) كلَّevery وقتٍmoment
وأوجعُ مِن بكاني كلَّ وقتٍ
وقوفيmy standing فيin المنازلِthe dwellings حيثwhere كانواthey were
وقوفي في المنازلِ حيث كانوا
And more painful than my constant weeping
More painful than my weeping is
is standing in the dwellings where they once were.
Standing where they once stood
لقدindeed غدرواthey betrayed بذيagainst one possessing عهدٍa pledge متينٍsteadfast
لقد غدروا بذي عهدٍ متينٍ
تَنَزَّهَwas above أنbeing يُغَيرَهُaltering him الزمانُtime
تَنَزَّهَ أن يُغَيرَهُ الزمانُ
They indeed betrayed one with a steadfast pledge,
They broke a solid pact
above being altered by time.
That time could not change
تعَّودَwas accustomed أنto يُراعوهtheir caring for him قديماًlong ago
تعَّودَ أن يُراعوه قديماً
وقدand already زانَadorned الشبابَyouth العُنْفُوانُvigor
وقد زانَ الشبابَ العُنْفُوانُ
He had long been accustomed to their care,
I was used to their care in the past
when vigor adorned his youth.
But youth is now reckless and bold
وحالوُاand they turned away عنfrom ودادِهمُtheir affection ومالواand they swerved
وحالوُا عن ودادِهمُ ومالوا
وكلُّand every محبَّةٍlove فلهاso it has أوانُa season
وكلُّ محبَّةٍ فلها أوانُ
And they turned from their affection and drifted away;
They turned from loving me and strayed
and every love has its season.
For every love has its time
تكدَّرَbecame clouded صفوُthe serenity of ذاكَthat العيشِlife لمّاwhen
تكدَّرَ صفوُ ذاكَ العيشِ لمّا
تناءَتْdrew far away عنّيfrom me العُرُبُthe affectionate women الحِسانُthe beautiful ones
تناءَتْ عنّي العُرُبُ الحِسانُ
The serenity of that life was clouded when
The sweetness of that life was marred
the beautiful, affectionate women drew far from me.
When the tender Arabs left me
لقدindeed وكَّلْنَthey tasked بالعبراتِwith tears طرفاًan eye
لقد وكَّلْنَ بالعبراتِ طرفاً
اِذاwhenever سكَّنتُهI stilled it خَفَقَfluttered الجَنانthe heart
اِذا سكَّنتُه خَفَقَ الجَنان
They surely consigned my eye to tears;
I tasked my eyes with crying
whenever I stilled it, my heart fluttered.
When I silenced them, they flickered
حمتُهنَّprotected them الُكماةُthe armored warriors الشُّوسُthe fierce ones حفتencircled
حمتُهنَّ الُكماةُ الشُّوسُ حفت
بأظعنهِنَّaround their camel-litters والسُّمْرُand the brown spears اللِّدانُthe supple ones
بأظعنهِنَّ والسُّمْرُ اللِّدانُ
Fierce, armored warriors guarded them, encircling
The twisted curls and dark tresses protected them
their camel-litters, with supple brown spears.
With their bendable stems and pliancy
حبائبُbeloved women مذهجرنَفدcorrupt; likely 'since they deserted, then…' معُcorrupt fragment, likely completing 'tears' عينيmy eye
حبائبُ مذهجرنَفد معُ عيني
نشيرَُمثلماcorrupt; likely 'scattered, just as' انتشرَspread out الُجمانُthe pearls
نشيرَُمثلما انتشرَ الُجمانُ
[Likely reading:] Beloved women—since they deserted me, my eye's tears
My beloveds smiles have parted from my eyes
lie scattered like pearls strewn abroad.
Like flowers scattering in a meadow
يَغارُgrows jealous إذاwhen مشينَthey walked ومِلنَand they swayed تبهاَunclear; probably 'proudly'
يَغارُ إذا مشينَ ومِلنَ تبهاَ
علىover سَرَقِlengths of cloth الحريرِsilk الخَيْزُرانُthe bamboo
على سَرَقِ الحريرِ الخَيْزُرانُ
It grows jealous when they walk and sway [perhaps proudly]—
They resent it when they walk proudly
the bamboo, over silken fabrics.
In their silken clothes and glittering gowns
Sol 6.1