سَيفُthe sword of اللِّحاظِglances وَرُمحُand the spear of القَدِّstature قَدindeed فَتَكاboth wrought havoc
سَيفُ اللِّحاظِ وَرُمحُ القَدِّ قَد فَتَكا
فيناamong us وَلَمand did not يَخشَياboth fear بَأساًmight وَلاnor دَرَكاretribution
فينا وَلَم يَخشَيا بَأساً وَلا دَرَكا
The sword of glances and the spear of stature have wrought havoc
The sword of affection and the spear of stature have wreaked havoc upon us
among us, fearing neither might nor retribution.
Yet they feared no calamity and realized no limit
تَبارَكَblessed be اللَهُGod كَمhow many مِنof أَدمُعٍtears سَفَحاboth poured out
تَبارَكَ اللَهُ كَم مِن أَدمُعٍ سَفَحا
حُزناًin sorrow وَكَمand how much مِنof دَمٍblood مِنfrom عاشِقٍa lover سَفَكاboth shed
حُزناً وَكَم مِن دَمٍ مِن عاشِقٍ سَفَكا
Blessed be God! How many tears they have poured out
Blessed is Allah - how many tears were shed
in sorrow, and how much of a lover's blood they have shed!
In sorrow, and how much blood of lovers was spilled
وَأَيُّand what قَلبٍheart ثَوىdwelt ما(emphatic particle) بَينَbetween ضَربِblows of ظُبىًsword-edges
وَأَيُّ قَلبٍ ثَوى ما بَينَ ضَربِ ظُبىً
وَطَعنِand thrusts of سُمرِdusky قَناًlances يَوماًfor a day وَماand not هَلَكاperished
وَطَعنِ سُمرِ قَناً يَوماً وَما هَلَكا
And what heart has dwelt amid the blows of sword-edges
And which heart has harbored what was between the striking of lightning
and the thrusts of dusky lances, even for a day, without perishing?
And the stabbing of a slim spear one day, and did not perish?
ياO مُنبِتاًyou who make sprout سَمهَرِيّاًa stout lance فيin كَثيبِa sand mound نَقاًa sand-dune
يا مُنبِتاً سَمهَرِيّاً في كَثيبِ نَقاً
لِواؤُهُits banner لَيلُthe night of صَبٍّa lovesick lover وَالسِنانُand the spearhead ذَكاDhukā (the sun)
لِواؤُهُ لَيلُ صَبٍّ وَالسِنانُ ذَكا
O you who make a stout lance sprout in a mound of sand,
O fragrant plant in the sandhill of Naqâ
its banner a lovesick lover's night, its spearhead Dhukā, the sun.
Its night is a pouring rain and its teeth are sparkling
يُقِرُّconcedes يَعقوبُJacob ليto me بِالحُزنِin sorrow فيكَover you كَماjust as
يُقِرُّ يَعقوبُ لي بِالحُزنِ فيكَ كَما
يُقِرُّconcedes يوسُفُJoseph بِالحُسنِin beauty البَديعِwondrous لَكاto you
يُقِرُّ يوسُفُ بِالحُسنِ البَديعِ لَكا
Jacob yields to me in sorrow over you, just as
Jacob loves me with sorrow in you as
Joseph yields to you in wondrous beauty.
Joseph loved perfect beauty in you
ماwhat ضَرَّwould harm مالِكَthe owner of قَلبِthe heart of المُستَهامِthe lovesick one بِهِwith him
ما ضَرَّ مالِكَ قَلبِ المُستَهامِ بِهِ
لَوif كانَhe were يَعدِلُacting justly يَوماًfor a day فيtoward الَّذيwhat مَلَكاhe owned
لَو كانَ يَعدِلُ يَوماً في الَّذي مَلَكا
What harm would it do the owner of the heart of one besotted with him
The possession of the heart of the obsessed did not harm Mâlik
if, for one day, he dealt justly with what he owned?
If one day it could equal what he possessed
لَمdid not يَترُكِleave السُقمُillness مِنّيof me غَيرَother than ما(emphatic particle) شَبَحٍa phantom
لَم يَترُكِ السُقمُ مِنّي غَيرَ ما شَبَحٍ
وَلَيتَهُand would that it كانَwere يَرثيshowing pity لِلَّذيfor what تَرَكاit left
وَلَيتَهُ كانَ يَرثي لِلَّذي تَرَكا
Illness has left nothing of me but a mere phantom;
Sickness left me no less than a specter
and would that it had pity on what it has left!
I wish it would mourn for the one it abandoned
وَلاand never شَكَوتُI complained الَّذيwhat فيهِfor him أُكابِدُهُI endure it
وَلا شَكَوتُ الَّذي فيهِ أُكابِدُهُ
إِلىto عَذولِيَmy reproacher إِلّاexcept that رَقَّhe felt compassion ليfor me وَبَكىand wept
إِلى عَذولِيَ إِلّا رَقَّ لي وَبَكى
And never have I complained of what I endure for him
I did not complain about what I suffer with it
to my reproacher without his pitying me and weeping.
Except to the one who abandoned me, so he was moved and cried
وَإِنand if بَكَيتُI wept لَدىbefore مَنthe one whom قَدalready كَلِفتُI became enamored بِهِwith him
وَإِن بَكَيتُ لَدى مَن قَد كَلِفتُ بِهِ
لِماbecause of what أُعانيهِI suffer it مِنof وَجدٍpassionate longing بِهِfor him ضَحِكاhe laughed
لِما أُعانيهِ مِن وَجدٍ بِهِ ضَحِكا
Yet if I weep before the one I have grown enamored of,
And if I cried before the one I was burdened with
because of the longing I suffer for him, he laughs.
Because of the passion I suffer with him, he laughed
Sol 6.1