ياO ظَبيَةَgazelle البانِthe ban trees تَرعىgrazes فيin خَمائِلِهِits thickets
يا ظَبيَةَ البانِ تَرعى في خَمائِلِهِ
لِيَهنَكِmay it delight you اليَومَtoday أَنَّthat القَلبَthe heart مَرعاكِyour pasture
لِيَهنَكِ اليَومَ أَنَّ القَلبَ مَرعاكِ
O gazelle of the ban trees, grazing in their thickets,
O gazelle grazing in the meadows
May it delight you today that my heart is your pasture.
Let me delight today that my heart is your pasture
الماءُwater عِندَكِbeside you مَبذولٌfreely available لِشارِبِهِto whoever drinks it
الماءُ عِندَكِ مَبذولٌ لِشارِبِهِ
وَلَيسَand not يُرويكِquenches your thirst إِلّاexcept مَدمَعيmy tearful eye الباكيweeping
وَلَيسَ يُرويكِ إِلّا مَدمَعي الباكي
Water is freely available beside you to whoever drinks it,
Water is available to its drinker through you
Yet only my weeping eye can quench your thirst.
And only my crying tears can quench your thirst
هَبَّتwafted لَناto us مِنfrom رِياحِwinds الغَورِthe Ghawr lowlands رائِحَةٌa scent
هَبَّت لَنا مِن رِياحِ الغَورِ رائِحَةٌ
بَعدَafter الرُقادِslumber عَرَفناهاwe recognized it بِرَيّاكِby your fragrance
بَعدَ الرُقادِ عَرَفناها بِرَيّاكِ
A scent wafted to us on the winds of the Ghawr;
A breeze blew to us from the caves
After slumber, we recognized it by your fragrance.
After sleep, we recognized it through your scent
ثُمَّthen اِنثَنَيناwe leaned إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle هَزَّناstirred us طَرَبٌrapture
ثُمَّ اِنثَنَينا إِذا ما هَزَّنا طَرَبٌ
عَلىupon الرِحالِthe saddles تَعَلَّلناwe consoled ourselves بِذِكراكِwith your memory
عَلى الرِحالِ تَعَلَّلنا بِذِكراكِ
Then, whenever rapture stirred us, we leaned
Then we swayed whenever excitement shook us
Upon the saddles, consoling ourselves with your memory.
On the saddle, we pretended, remembering you
سَهمٌan arrow أَصابَstruck وَراميهِand its archer بِذيat Dhu سَلَمٍSalam
سَهمٌ أَصابَ وَراميهِ بِذي سَلَمٍ
مَنsomeone بِالعِراقِin Iraq لَقَدindeed أَبعَدتِyou sent far مَرماكِyour shot
مَن بِالعِراقِ لَقَد أَبعَدتِ مَرماكِ
An arrow struck, while its archer was at Dhu Salam,
An arrow hit its shooter at Salam
Someone in Iraq—far indeed you sent your shot!
From Iraq, indeed you have aimed well
وَعدٌa promise لِعَينَيكِfrom your eyes عِنديwith me ماnot وَفَيتِyou kept faith بِهِwith it
وَعدٌ لِعَينَيكِ عِندي ما وَفَيتِ بِهِ
ياO قُربَhow soon ماnominalizing particle كَذَبَتdeceived عَينيَّmy eyes عَيناكِyour eyes
يا قُربَ ما كَذَبَت عَينيَّ عَيناكِ
I hold a promise from your eyes that you have not kept;
A promise to your eyes I have with me that I fulfilled
Oh, how soon your eyes deceived mine!
My eyes did not lie about your eyes
حَكَتimitated لِحاظُكِyour glances ماwhat فيin الريمِthe gazelle مِنof مُلَحٍcharms
حَكَت لِحاظُكِ ما في الريمِ مِن مُلَحٍ
يَومَon the day of اللِقاءِmeeting فَكانَand so was الفَضلُthe superiority لِلحاكيthe imitator's
يَومَ اللِقاءِ فَكانَ الفَضلُ لِلحاكي
Your glances imitated the gazelle's charms
Your gaze narrated the wit in the spear
On the day we met, and the imitator excelled.
On the day of meeting, the narrator had the merit
كَأَنَّas though طَرفَكِyour gaze يَومَon the day of الجِزعِal-Jizʿ يُخبِرُناtells us
كَأَنَّ طَرفَكِ يَومَ الجِزعِ يُخبِرُنا
بِماof what طَوىit concealed عَنكِfrom you مِنof أَسماءِnames قَتلاكِyour slain
بِما طَوى عَنكِ مِن أَسماءِ قَتلاكِ
It was as though your gaze, that day at al-Jizʿ, told us
As if on the day of sadness, your gaze informs us
The names of your slain that it had hidden from you.
Of the names of your slain it has concealed from you
أَنتِyou النَعيمُbliss لِقَلبيfor my heart وَالعَذابُand torment لَهُfor it
أَنتِ النَعيمُ لِقَلبي وَالعَذابُ لَهُ
فَماso how أَمَرُّكِbitter you are فيin قَلبيmy heart وَأَحلاكِand how sweet you are
فَما أَمَرُّكِ في قَلبي وَأَحلاكِ
You are my heart's bliss, and its torment.
You are the bliss of my heart and its torment
How bitter you are in my heart, and how sweet!
So what is more bitter to my heart and sweeter?
عِنديwith me رَسائِلُmessages شَوقٍlonging لَستُI do not أَذكُرُهاmention them
عِندي رَسائِلُ شَوقٍ لَستُ أَذكُرُها
لَولاwere it not for الرَقيبُthe watcher لَقَدsurely بَلَّغتُهاI delivered them فاكِyour mouth
لَولا الرَقيبُ لَقَد بَلَّغتُها فاكِ
I have messages of longing that I do not utter;
I have messages of longing I do not mention
But for the watcher, I would surely have delivered them to your mouth.
If not for the watcher, I would have delivered them to you
سَقىmay it water مِنىًMina وَلَياليand the nights of الخَيفِal-Khayf ماwhat شَرِبَتthey drank
سَقى مِنىً وَلَيالي الخَيفِ ما شَرِبَت
مِنَfrom الغَمامِthe clouds وَحَيّاهاand greet them وَحَيّاكِand greet you
مِنَ الغَمامِ وَحَيّاها وَحَيّاكِ
May Mina and the nights of al-Khayf be watered by what they drank
It quenched from me the nights of fear what it drank
From the clouds; may it greet them and greet you.
From the clouds, greeting them and greeting you
إِذwhen يَلتَقيmeets كُلُّevery ذيholder of دَينٍa debt وَماطِلَهُand the one stalling him
إِذ يَلتَقي كُلُّ ذي دَينٍ وَماطِلَهُ
مِنّاamong us وَيَجتَمِعُand come together المَشكوُّthe complained-of وَالشاكيand the complainer
مِنّا وَيَجتَمِعُ المَشكوُّ وَالشاكي
When every creditor met the one who put him off
When each owing soul and its postponer meet
Among us, and the complained-of and the complainer came together.
Among us and the complainer and the complaining gather
لَمّاwhen غَداwent forth السَربُthe herd يَعطوbrowsing بَينَamong أَرحُلِناour saddles
لَمّا غَدا السَربُ يَعطو بَينَ أَرحُلِنا
ماnot كانَwas فيهِin it غَريمُcreditor القَلبِthe heart إِلّاكِexcept you
ما كانَ فيهِ غَريمُ القَلبِ إِلّاكِ
When the herd went forth, browsing among our saddles,
When the flock began pacing between our saddlebags
None among them was my heart's creditor but you.
The heartache in it was none but you
هامَتwas lovestruck بِكِwith you العَينُthe eye لَمdid not تَتبَعfollow سِواكِanyone but you هَوىًin love
هامَت بِكِ العَينُ لَم تَتبَع سِواكِ هَوىً
مَنwho عَلَّمَtaught البَينَseparation أَنَّthat القَلبَthe heart يَهواكِloves you
مَن عَلَّمَ البَينَ أَنَّ القَلبَ يَهواكِ
My eye was lovestruck with you; in love it followed no one else.
The eye roamed lusting none but you
Who told separation that my heart loves you?
Who taught separation that the heart lusts for you?
حَتّىeven when دَناdrew near السَربُthe herd ماnot أَحيَيتِyou revived مِنfrom كَمَدٍgrief
حَتّى دَنا السَربُ ما أَحيَيتِ مِن كَمَدٍ
قَتلىthose slain هَواكِyour love وَلاnor فادَيتِyou ransomed أَسراكِyour captives
قَتلى هَواكِ وَلا فادَيتِ أَسراكِ
Even when the herd drew near, you did not revive from grief
Until the flock drew near, you did not revive
Those slain by your love, nor ransom your captives.
The slain of your love, nor ransom your captives
ياO حَبَّذاhow lovely نَفحَةٌa fragrant breath مَرَّتpassed بِفيكِthrough your mouth لَناto us
يا حَبَّذا نَفحَةٌ مَرَّت بِفيكِ لَنا
وَنُطفَةٌand a drop غُمِسَتwere dipped فيهاin it ثَناياكِyour front teeth
وَنُطفَةٌ غُمِسَت فيها ثَناياكِ
Oh, how lovely a breath that passed through your mouth to us,
Oh, excellent would have been a breeze passing by your mouth to us
And a drop in which your front teeth were dipped!
And a teardrop dipped into your eyelids
وَحَبَّذاand how lovely وَقفَةٌa pause وَالرَكبُand the caravan مُغتَفِلٌunaware
وَحَبَّذا وَقفَةٌ وَالرَكبُ مُغتَفِلٌ
عَلىon ثَرىًmoist earth وَخَدَتtrotted فيهِover it مَطاياكِyour mounts
عَلى ثَرىً وَخَدَت فيهِ مَطاياكِ
And how lovely a pause, while the caravan was unaware,
Excellent too a stance while the caravan was heedless
On moist earth where your mounts had trotted!
On a land, your staff settled on it
لَوif كانَتِhad been اللِمَّةُthe tresses السَوداءُblack مِنamong عُدَديmy weapons
لَو كانَتِ اللِمَّةُ السَوداءُ مِن عُدَدي
يَومَon the day of الغَميمِal-Ghamim لَماthen not أَفلَتِّyou escaped أَشراكيmy snares
يَومَ الغَميمِ لَما أَفلَتِّ أَشراكي
Had black tresses been among my weapons,
If the black banner were among my assets
That day at al-Ghamim, you would not have escaped my snares.
On the gloomy day, my shackles would not have missed you
Sol 6.1