ياO راقدَsleeping الطرفِthe eye طرفيmy eye فيin يدِthe grip السَهرِsleeplessness
يا راقدَ الطرفِ طرفي في يدِ السَهرِ
داءٌan affliction بُلِيتُI was afflicted بهwith it مِنfrom رائدِthe scout النظرِof sight
داءٌ بُلِيتُ به مِن رائدِ النظرِ
O you whose eyes sleep, mine are in the grip of sleeplessness.
O you whose eyelids sleep though my eyes in sleeplessness roll
An affliction I have suffered through sight's scout.
I suffer from a malady dealt by the leader of my gaze
نَمْsleep وادعاًat ease ودعِand leave المشتاقَthe yearning lover تُقِلقُهُtrouble him
نَمْ وادعاً ودعِ المشتاقَ تُقِلقُهُ
مماfrom what تخطَّتكَpassed you by أنواعٌkinds مِنَof الفِكَرِthoughts
مما تخطَّتكَ أنواعٌ مِنَ الفِكَرِ
Sleep at ease, and leave the yearning lover troubled
Sleep soundly and leave the lovesick whom anxieties overtake
By many kinds of thoughts that have passed you by.
For thoughts of various kinds have surpassed you
جنايةٌa wrong ناظريmy eye كانَwas الكفيلُthe guarantor لهاfor it
جنايةٌ ناظري كانَ الكفيلُ لها
وآفةُand the bane المرءِof a person بينَbetween القلبِthe heart والبصرِand sight
وآفةُ المرءِ بينَ القلبِ والبصرِ
A wrong for which my eye stood surety;
My eyes committed a crime for which they were responsible
And a person's bane lies between the heart and sight.
And man's affliction lies between his heart and sight
ماnot مرَّpassed يومa day وباليwhile my mind منكَabout you فيin دَعَةٍease
ما مرَّ يوم وبالي منكَ في دَعَةٍ
اِلاّexcept وأُعقِبَand was followed ذاكَthat الصفوُserenity بالكدرِby gloom
اِلاّ وأُعقِبَ ذاكَ الصفوُ بالكدرِ
No day has passed with my mind at peace about you
No day has passed while my affliction from you lacked
Without that serenity being followed by gloom.
Except that the pureness was followed by the turbid
تلهوyou make merry وقدwhile indeed جدَّhas grown serious بيfor me ماwhat قدalready علمتَyou knew بهِof it
تلهو وقد جدَّ بي ما قد علمتَ بهِ
اِنَّindeed الأحبَّةَthe beloved اعوانٌhelpers علىin الضَّرَرِharm
اِنَّ الأحبَّةَ اعوانٌ على الضَّرَرِ
You make merry, though what you already know of has grown grave for me.
You jest though you know the seriousness that has befallen me
Indeed, the beloved are allies in harm.
Indeed, loved ones further the harm
أكادُI almost والقلبُand the heart تهفوبيcarry me fluttering نوازعُهits impulses
أكادُ والقلبُ تهفوبي نوازعُه
إليكَtoward you مثلَlike جناحِthe wing الطائرِof the bird الحَذِرٍِwary
إليكَ مثلَ جناحِ الطائرِ الحَذِرٍِ
I almost take wing, my heart's impulses wafting me
I almost dissolve, my heart urged by its whims
Toward you like the wing of a wary bird.
Toward you like the wing of a cautious bird
أذوبُI melt شوقاًwith longing لكنّيbut I أخوa possessor of جَلَدٍendurance
أذوبُ شوقاً لكنّي أخو جَلَدٍ
فيهin it وانْand even if كانَis طعمُthe taste الصَّبْرِof patience كالصَّبِرِlike bitter aloe
فيه وانْ كانَ طعمُ الصَّبْرِ كالصَّبِرِ
I melt with longing, yet I am a man of endurance
I pine yet am stalwart with the taste of patience like aloes
In it, even though patience tastes like bitter aloe.
And wine falls short of union's wine, leaving craving
والسُّمرُand brown spears دونَbarring وصالِunion with السُّمرِthe brown-skinned beloveds مُشْرَعَةٌleveled
والسُّمرُ دونَ وصالِ السُّمرِ مُشْرَعَةٌ
فكمso how often أعلَّلُI divert روحيmy soul عنهfrom it بالسَّمَرِwith nighttime conversation
فكم أعلَّلُ روحي عنه بالسَّمَرِ
And brown spears stand leveled, barring union with brown-skinned beloveds.
How I make excuses for my soul to abstain from it
So how often I divert my soul from it with nighttime talk!
Many a night my eyes refused to close
وكمand how often أبيتُI spend the night وعينيwhile my eye غيرُnot هاجعةٍsleeping
وكم أبيتُ وعيني غيرُ هاجعةٍ
أرعىI watch لوامعَflashes برقٍof lightning طائرِflying الشررِsparks
أرعى لوامعَ برقٍ طائرِ الشررِ
And how often I pass the night with my eye unsleeping,
I stayed awake watching flashes of lightning's sparks
Watching the flashes of lightning whose sparks fly.
I said not, while it obstructed tree trunks, O sleepless lightning rouse the slumbering wine
ماأnot (apparent typo) قلتُI said وهوwhile it علىover الأجزاعِthe valley bends معترضٌstretched across
ماأ قلتُ وهو على الأجزاعِ معترضٌ
ياO ساهرَwakeful البرقِlightning أيقظْawaken راقِدَthe sleeper السَّمُرِthe acacias
يا ساهرَ البرقِ أيقظْ راقِدَ السَّمُرِ
I did not say, as it stretched across the valley bends:
Nor when drowsiness overcame us, did I seek
O wakeful lightning, wake the sleeper among the acacias!
From the confidants of sadness, help against sleeplessness
ولاnor طلبتُI sought وقدthough indeed أودىbrought ruin السهادُsleeplessness بناupon us
ولا طلبتُ وقد أودى السهادُ بنا
مِنfrom نازلِthe dweller الجِزعِof the valley bend أعواناًhelpers علىin السَّهَرِkeeping vigil
مِن نازلِ الجِزعِ أعواناً على السَّهَرِ
Nor did I seek, though sleeplessness had laid us low,
From the dweller at the valley bend, helpers in keeping vigil.
Partial English translation: 20 of 22 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1