ذابَتْshe melted زُبَيْدَةُZubayda مِنfrom شَوْقٍlonging لِسَيِّدِهاfor her master
ذابَتْ زُبَيْدَةُ مِن شَوْقٍ لِسَيِّدِها
عُثْمانَUthman والنجمُand the star بِالنِّيرانِwith fires مُشْتَعِلُablaze
عُثْمانَ والنجمُ بِالنِّيرانِ مُشْتَعِلُ
Zubayda melted with longing for her master,
Zubaydah melted with longing for her master,
Uthman, while the star was ablaze with fires.
Uthman, while the stars blaze with fire.
وَماand not تُلامُshe is blamed وَنَيْلُand attaining الفَخرِglory يُعجِبُهاpleases her
وَما تُلامُ وَنَيْلُ الفَخرِ يُعجِبُها
وَبِالزِّيارةِand with visiting لمَnot يبْرَحْceases لهاfor her شُغُلُa preoccupation
وَبِالزِّيارةِ لمَ يبْرَحْ لها شُغُلُ
She is not to blame: attaining glory delights her,
She is not to be blamed, and glory pleases her,
And visiting has never ceased to occupy her.
Visiting you was her sole occupation.
فَقُلْso say لِطَائِرto a bird قَدْalready أَتاهُhe came to him بِهاwith her
فَقُلْ لِطَائِر قَدْ أَتاهُ بِها
وَيْليwoe is me عليكَfor you وَوَيليand woe is me مِنكَbecause of you ياO رَجُلman
وَيْلي عليكَ وَوَيلي مِنكَ يا رَجُل
So say to the bird who has brought her to him:
Say to the bird that brought her here,
Woe is me for you, and woe is me because of you, O man!
"Woe unto me because of you, O man!
لَوْif كنتَyou were يَاO سَطْلُbucket ذاpossessed of أُذْنٍan ear تُصِيخthat listens إلىto
لَوْ كنتَ يَا سَطْلُ ذا أُذْنٍ تُصِيخ إلى
عَذْلٍreproach عَذَلْتُكَI would reproach you لوif يُجدِيdoes any good لكَfor you العَذَلُreproach
عَذْلٍ عَذَلْتُكَ لو يُجدِي لكَ العَذَلُ
If, O bucket, you had an ear that listened to
If only you, O jug, had ears that would listen
Reproach, I would reproach you—if reproach did you any good.
To advice, I'd advise you, though advice helps you not.
تَقُودُyou lead ظبيةَa doe آرامٍof gazelles إلىto أَسَدٍa lion
تَقُودُ ظبيةَ آرامٍ إلى أَسَدٍ
لولاbut for التّقَىpiety لَمَضَتْwould have sunk in أَنيابُهُhis fangs العُظُلُmassive
لولا التّقَى لَمَضَتْ أَنيابُهُ العُظُلُ
You lead a doe among gazelles to a lion;
You lead a doe of Aram to a lion,
But for piety, his massive fangs would have sunk in.
If not for piety, his great teeth would have seized her."
ومَنand who تَرَىshe sees ذلكَthat الوجَهَface الجميلَbeautiful ولاand not
ومَن تَرَى ذلكَ الوجَهَ الجميلَ ولا
تَوَدُّshe wishes مِنfrom قُبحِكَyour ugliness المَشُهورِnotorious تَنْفَصِلُto part
تَوَدُّ مِن قُبحِكَ المَشُهورِ تَنْفَصِلُ
And what woman sees that beautiful face and does not
And whoever sees that beautiful face yet does not
Wish to part from your notorious ugliness?
Wish to be rid of your renowned ugliness,
هذِيthis بُثينةُButhayna والمجنونُand the madman قائدُهاher guide
هذِي بُثينةُ والمجنونُ قائدُها
إلىto جميلٍJamil أجادَhas done splendidly المخّthe brain يَاO جَمَلُcamel
إلى جميلٍ أجادَ المخّ يَا جَمَلُ
This is Buthayna, and the madman is her guide
This is Buthayna, and Majnun leads her
To Jamil—what splendid brains, you camel!
To a beauty whose brain is excellent, O camel!
وَهَبْهُand suppose him عَفَّhe remained chaste أَمَاdo ... not? تَبقَىremain مَحَاسِنُهاher charms
وَهَبْهُ عَفَّ أَمَا تَبقَى مَحَاسِنُها
فيin قَلبهِhis heart يالَكاعِO fool الوَقتِof the age ياO زُحَلُSaturn
في قَلبهِ يالَكاعِ الوَقتِ يا زُحَلُ
And suppose he remains chaste—do her charms not remain
Grant him pardon. Do her beauties remain
In his heart, you fool of the age, you Saturn?
In his heart, O swift time, O Saturn!
أُفٍّfie! لِعَقْلِكَon your mind يَاO مَتْبُوعُpossessed one إنَّكَindeed you ذوpossessor of
أُفٍّ لِعَقْلِكَ يَا مَتْبُوعُ إنَّكَ ذو
رَأْسٍa head خَفِيفٍflighty وَذاكَand that one الطَّوْدُthe towering peak والجَبلُand the mountain
رَأْسٍ خَفِيفٍ وَذاكَ الطَّوْدُ والجَبلُ
Fie on your mind, you possessed one! You have
Shame on your mind, O follower! You have
A flighty head, while he is the towering peak and mountain.
A frivolous head, while he is massive and huge.
وَالوَيْلُand woe وَيْلُكَyour woe إنْif ذَاقَتْshe tastes عُسَيلَتَهُhis sweet honey
وَالوَيْلُ وَيْلُكَ إنْ ذَاقَتْ عُسَيلَتَهُ
وَباتَand spends the night يَجتمعانِthe two mingle الزُّبُدُthe butter والعَسَلُand the honey
وَباتَ يَجتمعانِ الزُّبُدُ والعَسَلُ
And woe, woe to you, if she tastes his sweet honey,
Woe, woe unto you, if his smooth steed tastes her
And butter and honey spend the night mingling.
And they spend the night mingling spittle and honey!
لأُنشدَنَّكَI shall surely recite to you إذْsince وَدَّعْتَهاyou bade her farewell سَفَهاًfoolishly
لأُنشدَنَّكَ إذْ وَدَّعْتَها سَفَهاً
وَدِّعْbid farewell to هُريرَةَHurayra إنَّfor الرَّكَبَthe caravan مُرتحِلdeparting
وَدِّعْ هُريرَةَ إنَّ الرَّكَبَ مُرتحِل
I shall surely recite to you, since you foolishly bade her farewell:
I shall recite to you when you foolishly left her,
"Bid farewell to Hurayra, for the caravan is departing."
"Farewell Hira, the caravan is leaving."
وإنْand if تَكنْbe ذاكَthat one أَعشىnight-blind (A‘sha) كنتَyou would be أَنتَyou yourself إذاًthen
وإنْ تَكنْ ذاكَ أَعشى كنتَ أَنتَ إذاً
أعمَىblind فلاso may ... not اتَّضَحَتْbecome clear يَوماًon any day لكَto you السُّبُلُthe paths
أعمَى فلا اتَّضَحَتْ يَوماً لكَ السُّبُلُ
And if that one is A‘sha, the night-blind, you yourself would then be
And if he is blind, you are thus also
Blind—may the paths never become clear to you!
Blind, never has the path been clear to you.
Sol 6.1