صَحاsobered تِربيmy companion وَماbut not قَلبيmy heart بِصاحِat all sober
صَحا تِربي وَما قَلبي بِصاحِ
وَأَصبَحَand it became عانِداًdefiant toward حَبلَthe cord of النِصاحِcounsel
وَأَصبَحَ عانِداً حَبلَ النِصاحِ
My companion has sobered, but my heart is not sober.
My companion rebukes me, though my heart is not to blame,
And now it defies the cord of counsel.
And has become stubborn against good counsel.
وَكُنتُand I was مِنَthrough المِزاجِthe mixture أَكادُI almost أَسلوfind solace
وَكُنتُ مِنَ المِزاجِ أَكادُ أَسلو
فَقَدfor indeed لاقَيتُI met قاطِعَةَher who ends المِزاحِjesting
فَقَد لاقَيتُ قاطِعَةَ المِزاحِ
And through the mixture I had almost found solace;
I used to be easygoing, almost frivolous,
For I have met her who puts an end to jesting.
But met one who ruined my fun.
أَبيتُI spend the night مُرَوَّعاًterrified وَأَظَلُّand spend the day صَبّاًlove-stricken
أَبيتُ مُرَوَّعاً وَأَظَلُّ صَبّاً
كَأَنَّas though القَلبَthe heart مِنّيof mine ذوpossessing جَناحِa wing
كَأَنَّ القَلبَ مِنّي ذو جَناحِ
I pass the night in terror and the day love-stricken,
I toss sleepless, remaining wakeful through the night,
As though this heart of mine were winged.
As if my heart wants to fly off from me.
وَمَنand whoever يَكُmay have ذاقَtasted مِنof عِشقيmy passion قَراحاًan unmixed draught
وَمَن يَكُ ذاقَ مِن عِشقي قَراحاً
فَإِنّيthen I indeed قَدalready شَرِبتُhave drunk مِنَof القَراحِthe unmixed draught
فَإِنّي قَد شَرِبتُ مِنَ القَراحِ
And whoever has tasted an unmixed draught of my passion,
And whoever tastes a bit of my love's agony,
Then I myself have drunk of the unmixed draught.
Know that I have drunk deep of anguish.
وَلَستُand I am not بِذاكِرٍone who mentions عَبّادَAbbad إِلّاexcept that
وَلَستُ بِذاكِرٍ عَبّادَ إِلّا
تَبادَرَتِrushed forth المَدامِعُthe tears بِاِنسِفاحِin an outpouring
تَبادَرَتِ المَدامِعُ بِاِنسِفاحِ
And I never mention Abbad without
When I remember the devout, tears pour forth unbidden,
The tears rushing forth in streams.
And I cannot forget that dawn when she wept and said:
وَلاnor أَنسىdo I forget غَداةَthe morning when بَكَتshe wept وَقالَتand she said
وَلا أَنسى غَداةَ بَكَت وَقالَت
أَتَغدوwill you go in the morning? أَمor تَروحُgo in the evening مِنَfrom الرَواحِthe evening departure
أَتَغدو أَم تَروحُ مِنَ الرَواحِ
Nor do I forget the morning when she wept and said,
"Do you wake at dawn or go roaming at first light?"
"Will you go in the morning, or depart in the evening?"
I said: "Roaming comes closer to a lover than dawn."
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her الرَواحُevening departure بِذاكِfor that أَحجىmore fitting
فَقُلتُ لَها الرَواحُ بِذاكِ أَحجى
وَأَقرَبُand closer بِالمُحِبِّto the lover مِنَthan الصَباحِthe morning
وَأَقرَبُ بِالمُحِبِّ مِنَ الصَباحِ
So I told her, "An evening departure is more fitting for that,
Sa'eed blames you for his affection,
And closer to the lover than the morning."
But there is no fault in loving Abda.
يَلومُكَhe reproaches you فيfor مَوَدَّتِهاaffection for her سَعيدٌSa'id
يَلومُكَ في مَوَدَّتِها سَعيدٌ
وَماand there is no فيin حُبِّlove for عَبدَةَAbda مِنany جُناحِsin
وَما في حُبِّ عَبدَةَ مِن جُناحِ
Sa'id reproaches you for your affection for her,
You were fooled that Sa'eed's blame, my dear,
Yet there is no sin in loving Abda.
Comes from stinginess - no, I am freer than the breeze.
فَغَرَّكَso it deluded you أَنَّthat لَومَكَyour reproach ياO سَعيدٌSa'id
فَغَرَّكَ أَنَّ لَومَكَ يا سَعيدٌ
بِتَمنَعَwould restrain (unclear form) بَلrather أَحَرُّhotter مِنَthan النَزاحِseparation
بِتَمنَعَ بَل أَحَرُّ مِنَ النَزاحِ
So you were deluded into thinking, Sa'id, that your reproach
Let the lover's blame subside when passion envelops him,
Would restrain me—rather, it is hotter than separation.
For women's love has spun such confusion.
فَدَعso cease لَومَreproaching المُحِبِّthe lover إِذاwhen تَهادىbore gently along
فَدَع لَومَ المُحِبِّ إِذا تَهادى
بِهِwith him حُبُّlove of النِساءِwomen لَحاكَmay he rebuke you لاحِa censurer
بِهِ حُبُّ النِساءِ لَحاكَ لاحِ
So cease reproaching the lover when he is borne along
You cannot dissuade love with blame,
By love of women—may a censurer rebuke you!
Nor calm the infatuated with rebuke.
فَإِنَّكَfor you indeed لاnot تَرُدُّturn back هَوىًpassion بِلَومٍwith reproach
فَإِنَّكَ لا تَرُدُّ هَوىً بِلَومٍ
وَلاnor طَرَبَthe rapture of المُتَيَّمِthe love-enslaved بِاِمِّصاحِwith counsel (unclear form)
وَلا طَرَبَ المُتَيَّمِ بِاِمِّصاحِ
For you cannot turn back passion with reproach,
When we beg a kiss from her, she teases,
Nor the rapture of the love-enslaved with counsel.
Coyly feigning reluctance and jest.
تُعَلِّلُshe keeps us hoping حينَwhen نَسأَلُهاwe ask her نَوالاًa gift
تُعَلِّلُ حينَ نَسأَلُها نَوالاً
حِراداًin refusal بِالتَدَلُّلِwith coquetry وَالمِزاحِand jesting
حِراداً بِالتَدَلُّلِ وَالمِزاحِ
She keeps us hoping when we ask her for a gift,
Her smile is honey flowing pure,
Withholding it with coquetry and jesting.
With the tang of ginger and scent of basil.
كَأَنَّas though بِريقِهاin her saliva عَسَلاًhoney جَنِيّاًfreshly gathered
كَأَنَّ بِريقِها عَسَلاً جَنِيّاً
وَطَعمَand the taste of الزَنجَبيلِginger وَريحَand the fragrance of راحِwine
وَطَعمَ الزَنجَبيلِ وَريحَ راحِ
As though her saliva held freshly gathered honey,
She was pampered in luxury, so the envious glances
And the taste of ginger and the fragrance of wine.
Of the blue-eyed could not touch her.
تَراخَتshe rested at ease فيin النَعيمِluxury فَلَمand did not تَنَلهاreach her
تَراخَت في النَعيمِ فَلَم تَنَلها
حَواسِدُenvious أَعيُنِeyes of الزُرقِthe blue-eyed القِباحِthe ugly
حَواسِدُ أَعيُنِ الزُرقِ القِباحِ
She rested at ease in luxury, untouched by
Yes, I am devoted to her; my life is her gift,
The envious eyes of the ugly blue-eyed.
Love's offering, on the breath of the winds.
نَعَمyes عُلِّقتُهاI was smitten with her فَلَهاso hers is حَياتيmy life
نَعَم عُلِّقتُها فَلَها حَياتي
هَداياgifts الحُبِّof love فيin نَفَسِthe breath of الرِياحِthe winds
هَدايا الحُبِّ في نَفَسِ الرِياحِ
Yes, I was smitten with her; my life is hers—
And if it destroys me, may my ruin last,
Love's gifts in the breath of the winds.
So her wellbeing and virtue remain intact.
وَإِنand if أَهلِكI perish فَدامَthen may it endure عَلَيَّupon me هُلكيmy ruin
وَإِن أَهلِك فَدامَ عَلَيَّ هُلكي
لَهاfor her طولُlong duration of السَلامَةِsafety وَالصَلاحِand well-being
لَها طولُ السَلامَةِ وَالصَلاحِ
And if I perish, may my ruin abide with me;
You cast off my love and broke my rope,
Hers be lasting safety and well-being.
But I did not care to discard your affection.
طَرَحتِyou cast away مَوَدَّتيmy affection وَصَرَمتِand you severed حَبليmy cord
طَرَحتِ مَوَدَّتي وَصَرَمتِ حَبلي
وَلَمand I did not أَهمِمcontemplate لِوُدِّكِfor your love بِاِطِّراحِany casting aside
وَلَم أَهمِم لِوُدِّكِ بِاِطِّراحِ
You cast away my affection and severed my cord,
My generosity in union is for one impassioned
Yet I never thought of casting your love aside.
By your memory, in the evening and at dawn.
فَجوديso be generous بِالوِصالِwith union لِمُستَهامٍto one maddened by love
فَجودي بِالوِصالِ لِمُستَهامٍ
بِذِكرِكِby remembering you فيin المَساءِthe evening وَفيand in الصَباحِthe morning
بِذِكرِكِ في المَساءِ وَفي الصَباحِ
So grant union to one maddened
He is sick with love for you, though legions
By remembrance of you, in evening and in morning.
Of love's death have marched against him.
يَهيمُhe pines بِكُمfor you (plural) وَقَدand already دَلَفَتhave advanced إِلَيهِtoward him
يَهيمُ بِكُم وَقَد دَلَفَت إِلَيهِ
جُيوشُthe armies of الحُبِّlove بِالمَوتِwith death الصُراحِstark
جُيوشُ الحُبِّ بِالمَوتِ الصُراحِ
He pines for you, and toward him have already marched
Heal me, doctor, and gently cure my illness -
The armies of love, bearing stark death.
Today is your birthday, congratulations!
طَبيبيmy physician داوِنيtreat me وَتَأَنَّand be patient with سُقميmy sickness
طَبيبي داوِني وَتَأَنَّ سُقمي
لَكَyours is اليَومَtoday التِلادُthe long-held wealth عَلىupon النَجاحِsuccess
لَكَ اليَومَ التِلادُ عَلى النَجاحِ
My physician, treat me, and tend my sickness patiently;
When you ask after me, it kindles a heart
Today my long-held wealth is yours if you succeed.
That does not multiply in comfort.
إِذاwhenever سَلَّيتَنيyou console me أَوهَجتَyou inflame مِنهاbecause of her
إِذا سَلَّيتَني أَوهَجتَ مِنها
فُؤاداًa heart لاnot يُساعِفُresponds favorably بِاِرتِياحِwith relief
فُؤاداً لا يُساعِفُ بِاِرتِياحِ
Whenever you console me, you inflame, because of her,
How can one sick, melancholy, starving,
A heart that will not yield to solace.
Be cured by loaves that cannot satisfy?
وَكَيفَand how شِفاءُhealing of مُختَبِلٍone crazed حَزينٍsorrowful
وَكَيفَ شِفاءُ مُختَبِلٍ حَزينٍ
بِشَبعىfor the sated woman الحَجلِthe anklet جائِعَةِhungry الوِشاحِthe sash
بِشَبعى الحَجلِ جائِعَةِ الوِشاحِ
And how can one be healed, crazed and grieving
For her whose anklet is sated and whose sash is hungry?
Partial English translation: 42 of 44 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1