أبرقٌis it lightning? علىover المنحنىthe bend لائحُgleaming
أبرقٌ على المنحنى لائحُ
امِor الزَّنْدُthe firestick أضرمَهُkindled it القادِحَthe fire-striker
امِ الزَّنْدُ أضرمَهُ القادِحَ
Is it lightning gleaming over the bend,
A flash on the curve, shining,
or a firestick kindled by the striker?
The mother of darkness, ignited by the striker,
تألّقَflashed ليلاًat night ففاضَand overflowed علىin response to
تألّقَ ليلاً ففاضَ على
تألُّقِهِits flashing المدمعُthe tearful eye الفاضحُbetraying
تألُّقِهِ المدمعُ الفاضحُ
It flashed by night, and in response
It shone at night, overflowing over
to its flashing, my betraying eye brimmed over.
Its shine, the shedding tear.
ولولاand were it not for نوىthe departure of الحيِّthe tribe عنfrom لَعْلعٍLaʿlaʿ
ولولا نوى الحيِّ عن لَعْلعٍ
لماwould not have طافَcircled بيaround me غربُهُits torrent of tears الطافحُُoverflowing
لما طافَ بي غربُهُ الطافحُُ
Had the tribe not departed from Laʿlaʿ,
If the intentions of the living were not for hope,
its overflowing torrent of tears would not have swept over me.
His loneliness would not have overwhelmed me.
أياO جيرةَneighbors of الخَيْفِal-Khayf مذsince بنتُمُyou departed
أيا جيرةَ الخَيْفِ مذ بنتُمُ
لقدindeed جدَّbecame serious هجرُكُمyour estrangement المازحُplayful
لقد جدَّ هجرُكُم المازحُ
O neighbors of al-Khayf, since you departed,
O neighbor of the tent, since you built
your playful estrangement has indeed turned serious.
Your abandonment has saddened the jester.
نأيتمْyou went far away فليso I have بعدَكمْafter you مقلةُan eye
نأيتمْ فلي بعدَكمْ مقلةُ
أضرdid harm َّبهاto it دمعُهاits tears السافحُstreaming
أضر َّبها دمعُها السافحُ
You went far away; after you, I am left with an eye
You went far, so after you my abode
ravaged by its streaming tears.
Became desolate, with its tears streaming.
أعللِّهُاI console it بدنوِّwith the nearness of الديارِthe dwellings
أعللِّهُا بدنوِّ الديارِ
ومِنand on دونِهthis side of it سَبْسَبٌa level wasteland نازحُfar-stretching
ومِن دونِه سَبْسَبٌ نازحُ
I soothe it with the thought that the dwellings are near,
Excuse it by the nearness of home,
yet a far-stretching wasteland stands in the way.
And without it, a longing breeze blows.
ولولاand were it not for الغرامُpassionate love لماخَبَّwould not have trotted بيcarrying me
ولولا الغرامُ لماخَبَّ بي
الىto أرضِهاher land الأعيَسُthe pale camel الرازحُexhausted
الى أرضِها الأعيَسُ الرازحُ
But for love, I would not have been borne at a trot
If not for passion entrapping me
to her land by the exhausted, pale camel.
To its barren land, the miserable complainer.
ولاnor كانwould have been يَمزَعُspeeding بيcarrying me نحوَهاtoward her
ولا كان يَمزَعُ بي نحوَها
فسيحُbroad الخُطاin stride جَرْشَعٌmassive-framed قارحُfull-grown
فسيحُ الخُطا جَرْشَعٌ قارحُ
Nor would I have been sped toward her
Nor would anxiety push me towards it
by a broad-striding, massive, full-grown steed.
With wide steps, a barefoot, wounded walker.
ليfor me اللّهُGod مِنagainst أضلُعٍribs تَلْتَظيblaze
لي اللّهُ مِن أضلُعٍ تَلْتَظي
بنارِwith the fire of هوًىlove خطبُهُits affliction فادحُcrushing
بنارِ هوًى خطبُهُ فادحُ
God help me—my ribs are ablaze
May God protect me from ribs
with the fire of a love whose burden is crushing.
Burning with passion’s fervent flames.
اِذاwhen هبَّتِblew الرِّيحُthe wind مِنfrom نحوِهاher direction
اِذا هبَّتِ الرِّيحُ مِن نحوِها
يهيِّمُنيmakes me love-mad عَزْفُهاits music النافحُwafting
يهيِّمُني عَزْفُها النافحُ
When the wind blows from her direction,
When the wind blows from its direction
its wafting music drives me mad with love.
Its melody confuses me.
كأنَّas though شذاthe scent of العِقدِthe necklace مِنfrom عَلْوةٍʿAlwa
كأنَّ شذا العِقدِ مِن عَلْوةٍ
وقدwhile already نفحتْit wafted سَحَراًbefore dawn فائحُspreading fragrance
وقد نفحتْ سَحَراً فائحُ
As though the scent of ʿAlwa's necklace
As if the scent of braids from her necklace
were spreading abroad as the wind blew before dawn.
Bewitched me with its magic aroma.
ويُطرِبُنيand enraptures me عندَat تغريدِهits singing
ويُطرِبُني عندَ تغريدِه
علىupon البانِthe bān-tree قُمريُّهُits turtledove النائحُlamenting
على البانِ قُمريُّهُ النائحُ
And its singing fills me with rapture—
And her voice singing to the flute
the mourning turtledove upon the bān-tree.
Makes my moon-like beloved weep.
لياليَnights لاnot قُربُهاher nearness مُعْوِزٌُhard to attain
لياليَ لا قُربُها مُعْوِزٌُ
ولاnor وجهُthe face of اِحسانِهاher kindness كالحُgrim
ولا وجهُ اِحسانِها كالحُ
Those nights when nearness to her was not out of reach,
Nights with no shortage of nearness
nor was the face of her kindness grim.
And no lack of benevolence.
سقىmay water نُوْرَthe blossoms of تلكَthose الرُّبىhills
سقى نُوْرَ تلكَ الرُّبى
بالغَميمِat al-Ghamīm مُزْنٌrainclouds علىover تُربهاtheir soil دالحُrain-laden
بالغَميمِ مُزْنٌ على تُربها دالحُ
May the blossoms of those hills be watered
The radiance of those meadows was quenched
at al-Ghamīm, by rain-laden clouds over their soil.
By the clouds, while its dust remains moist.
وحيّاand may greet ثراهنَّtheir earth مِنfrom أدمعيmy tears
وحيّا ثراهنَّ مِن أدمعي
علىin fidelity to عهدِهاher covenant وابلُa downpour رائحُpassing
على عهدِها وابلُ رائحُ
And may their earth be greeted by my tears—
It greeted its land with my tears
a passing downpour, true to her covenant.
In streams, remembering it.
ديارُdwellings نأىdeparted الغيدُthe graceful women عنfrom أرضِهاtheir land
ديارُ نأى الغيدُ عن أرضِها
فعذرُso the excuse for غراميmy passion بهاfor them واضحُclear
فعذرُ غرامي بها واضحُ
Dwellings whose land the graceful women have left—
The land whose love left it
so my excuse for loving them is clear.
So my passion for it is evident.
غدوتُI began the morning أُبكِّيweeping over رسومَthe traces of الديارِthe dwellings
غدوتُ أُبكِّي رسومَ الديارِ
وقدand already لاحَgleamed برقُlightning الحِمىthe protected land اللامحُflashing
وقد لاحَ برقُ الحِمى اللامحُ
At dawn I wept over the traces of the dwellings,
I weep over the relics of the homes
while the flashing lightning over the protected land gleamed.
As the lightning of fever shone.
وماand not فيin الديارِthe dwellings غداةَon the morning of
وما في الديارِ غداةَ
الرحيلِdeparture إلاexcept فتَّىa youth لبُهhis reason طائحِlost
الرحيلِ إلا فتَّى لبُه طائحِ
And no one was in the dwellings on the morning
After the departure, nothing remains in the homes
of departure save a youth whose wits were lost.
Except a lad whose heart is fluttering.
يبكّيhe weeps over دياراًdwellings عفاهاeffaced them البِلىdecay
يبكّي دياراً عفاها البِلى
دوارسَeffaced ليسthere is no بهاin them نابحُbarking dog
دوارسَ ليس بها نابحُ
He weeps over dwellings that decay has effaced,
Crying over homes time has erased,
faded ruins where no dog barks.
With no mourners in them.
ويندُبُand he laments أطلالَهاtheir ruins الماثلاتِstill standing
ويندُبُ أطلالَها الماثلاتِ
ومدمعُهُand his tearful eye فوقَهاover them سافحُstreaming
ومدمعُهُ فوقَها سافحُ
And he laments their still-standing ruins,
Eulogizing their fading ruins
and his tearful eye streams over them.
While his tears stream over them.
وقدand indeed كانhe had been يكتمُconcealing سرَّthe secret of الهوىlove
وقد كان يكتمُ سرَّ الهوى
فأصبحَso by morning he became وَهْوَwhile he بهِabout it بائحُspeaking openly
فأصبحَ وَهْوَ بهِ بائحُ
He had indeed concealed the secret of love,
He had hidden the secret of passion
but by morning he was openly confessing it.
But now his love for her is exposed.
ولولاand were it not for الهوىlove ماجَرَتْwould not have flowed أدمعيmy tears
ولولا الهوى ماجَرَتْ أدمعي
وقدalthough already ناحَlamented طائرهُits bird الصادحُloud-voiced
وقد ناحَ طائرهُ الصادحُ
But for love, my tears would not have flowed,
If not for love my tears would not have flowed
though its loud-voiced bird lamented.
As his sad bird sang loud.
ومَنْand whoever باتَspent the night يشكوcomplaining of زمانَthe time of الهوىlove
ومَنْ باتَ يشكو زمانَ الهوى
فاِنّيbut indeed I لعصرِfor the age of الهوىlove مادحُone who praises
فاِنّي لعصرِ الهوى مادحُ
And whoever spends the night complaining of love's days—
And whoever complains of the days of passion,
I, for my part, praise the age of love.
I am one who praises the days of passion!
زَمانُa time صحبتُI kept company with بهِduring it الغانياتِthe lovely women
زَمانُ صحبتُ بهِ الغانياتِ
فميزانُso the balance of عَيْشيmy life بهِin it راجحُtipping favorably
فميزانُ عَيْشي بهِ راجحُ
A time when I kept company with lovely women,
An era I enjoyed with singing girls,
so the balance of my life then tipped in my favor.
So my life’s balance in it leaned.
لهوتُI made merry بهنَّwith them وطرفُand the steed of الشبابِyouth
لهوتُ بهنَّ وطرفُ الشبابِ
اليهنَّtoward them بيcarrying me نازعٌstraining جامحُunbridled
اليهنَّ بي نازعٌ جامحُ
I made merry with them, while the steed of youth
I toyed with them, and the vigor of youth
strained toward them, bearing me, unbridled.
To them competed with me fiercely.
فكمso how often ملَّgrew weary of مسراىَmy night journeys فيهin it الظلامthe darkness
فكم ملَّ مسراىَ فيه الظلام
يُعنِقُspeeds along بيcarrying me الأجردُthe sleek-coated steed السابحُswimming in its stride
يُعنِقُ بي الأجردُ السابحُ
How often the darkness tired of my night journeys in those days,
So often I lost my way in its darkness,
as the sleek, swimming steed sped along with me.
Embraced by the pitch-black swimming night.
اِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ضللتُI strayed عنِfrom القصدِthe right course فيهin it
اِذا ما ضللتُ عنِ القصدِ فيه
هدانيguided me سِماكُSimāk الدُّجىthe night-darkness الرامحُthe lance-bearer
هداني سِماكُ الدُّجى الرامحُ
Whenever I strayed from the right path in that darkness,
When I wandered off the path in it,
the lance-bearing Simāk of the night guided me.
The darkness of night guided me straight.
Sol 6.1