تَذَكَّرتُI remembered بَينَbetween المَأزِمَينِthe two passes (al-Maʾzimayn) إِلىtoward مِنىًMina
تَذَكَّرتُ بَينَ المَأزِمَينِ إِلى مِنىً
غَزالاًa gazelle رَمىshot قَلبيmy heart وَراحَand went away سَليماunharmed
غَزالاً رَمى قَلبي وَراحَ سَليما
Between al-Maʾzimayn and Mina, I remembered
a gazelle who shot my heart and went away unharmed.
لَئِنeven if كُنتُI have been أَستَحليI find sweet مَواقِعَthe impacts of نَبلِهِhis arrows
لَئِن كُنتُ أَستَحلي مَواقِعَ نَبلِهِ
فَإِنّيyet I أُلاقيencounter غِبَّهُنَّtheir aftermath أَليماpainful
فَإِنّي أُلاقي غِبَّهُنَّ أَليما
Though I have found his arrows’ strikes sweet,
I find their aftermath painful.
أَصابَhe struck حَراماًa pilgrim in ihram يَنشُدُseeking الأَجرَthe reward غُدوَةًat dawn
أَصابَ حَراماً يَنشُدُ الأَجرَ غُدوَةً
فَماعادَso he did not return مَأجوراًrewarded وَعادَand he returned أَثيماa sinner
فَماعادَ مَأجوراً وَعادَ أَثيما
He struck a pilgrim in ihram seeking reward at dawn,
who returned unrewarded, a sinner instead.
فَلَوso if كانَwas قَلبيmy heart بارِئاًhealthy ماnot أَلِمتُهُI ached for it
فَلَو كانَ قَلبي بارِئاً ما أَلِمتُهُ
وَلَكِنَّand yet أَسقاماًillnesses أَصَبنَthey struck سَقيماone already ill
وَلَكِنَّ أَسقاماً أَصَبنَ سَقيما
Had my heart been sound, I would not have ached for it;
but illnesses struck one already ill.
إِذاwhenever بَلَّit recovers مِنfrom داءٍan illness أَعادَتthey bring back لَهُto it المَهاthe oryx
إِذا بَلَّ مِن داءٍ أَعادَت لَهُ المَها
نُكاساًa relapse إِذاwhenever ماan emphatic particle عادَit returns عادَit returns مُقيماto stay
نُكاساً إِذا ما عادَ عادَ مُقيما
Whenever it recovers from an illness, the oryx bring it
a relapse that, whenever it returns, returns to stay.
يَظُنّونَنيthey think that I اِستَطرَفتُI have newly acquired داءًan illness مِنَfrom الهَوىpassion
يَظُنّونَني اِستَطرَفتُ داءً مِنَ الهَوى
وَهَيهاتَbut far from it! داءُthe illness of الحُبِّlove كانَhas been قَديماlong-standing
وَهَيهاتَ داءُ الحُبِّ كانَ قَديما
They think I have newly acquired an illness from passion;
but far from it! Love’s illness is of long standing.
قَنَصتُI caught بِجَمعٍat Jamʿ شادِناًa young gazelle فَرَحَمتُهُthen I pitied him
قَنَصتُ بِجَمعٍ شادِناً فَرَحَمتُهُ
وَأَخفَقَand comes back empty-handed قَنّاصٌa hunter يَكونُwho is رَحيماmerciful
وَأَخفَقَ قَنّاصٌ يَكونُ رَحيما
At Jamʿ I caught a young gazelle, then pitied him;
and a merciful hunter comes back empty-handed.
أَأَغدوshall I go forth? مُهيناًhumiliating بِالحَبائِلِwith the snares ساعَةًfor an hour
أَأَغدو مُهيناً بِالحَبائِلِ ساعَةً
غَزالاًa gazelle عَلىto قَلبيmy heart الغَداةَthis morning كَريماdear
غَزالاً عَلى قَلبي الغَداةَ كَريما
Shall I go forth to abase with snares, even for an hour,
a gazelle so dear to my heart this morning?
تَراءَتappeared لَناto us بِالخَيفِat al-Khayf نَفحُthe scent of لَطيمَةٍa perfume caravan
تَراءَت لَنا بِالخَيفِ نَفحُ لَطيمَةٍ
سَرَتit traveled by night عَنكَaway from you إِلّاexcept for عَبقَةًa lingering fragrance وَنَسيماand a breeze
سَرَت عَنكَ إِلّا عَبقَةً وَنَسيما
A perfume caravan’s scent appeared to us at al-Khayf;
it had journeyed away from you by night, leaving only fragrance and a breeze.
وَلَمand did not أَرَI see مِثلَthe like of الماطِلاتِwomen who defer payment عَشِيَّةًat evening
وَلَم أَرَ مِثلَ الماطِلاتِ عَشِيَّةً
ذَواتِwomen possessing يَسارٍwealth ماnot قَضَينَthey repaid غَريماa creditor
ذَواتِ يَسارٍ ما قَضَينَ غَريما
And never have I seen such women deferring payment at evening—
women of means, yet they repaid no creditor.
فَلاso may not يُبعِدُbanish اللَهُGod الَّذيthat which كانَwas بَينَناbetween us
فَلا يُبعِدُ اللَهُ الَّذي كانَ بَينَنا
مِنَof العَهدِthe covenant إِلّاunless أَنthat يَكونَit be ذَميماblameworthy
مِنَ العَهدِ إِلّا أَن يَكونَ ذَميما
So may God not banish what once lay between us—
our covenant—unless it be blameworthy.
Sol 6.1