أَخُشّابَO Khushab حَقّاًtruly أَنَّthat دارَكِyour household تُزعِجُis uprooted
أَخُشّابَ حَقّاً أَنَّ دارَكِ تُزعِجُ
وَأَنَّand that الَّذيwhat بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكِand between you يَنهِجُwears thin
وَأَنَّ الَّذي بَيني وَبَينَكِ يَنهِجُ
Khushab, is it true that your household is being uprooted,
and that what lies between me and you is wearing thin?
إِلىto اللَهِGod أَشكوI complain أَنَّthat بِالقَلبِin the heart كُربَةًanguish
إِلى اللَهِ أَشكو أَنَّ بِالقَلبِ كُربَةً
مِنَfrom الشَوقِlonging لاnot تَبلىfades وَلاand not تَتَفَرَّجُfinds relief
مِنَ الشَوقِ لا تَبلى وَلا تَتَفَرَّجُ
To God I complain that in my heart is an anguish
born of longing, which neither fades nor finds relief.
أَقولُI say لِأَصحابيto my companions دَعونيleave me رَهينَةًa hostage
أَقولُ لِأَصحابي دَعوني رَهينَةً
لِبَحرِto the sea الهَوىof love لاno شَكَّdoubt أَنّيthat I مُلَجِّجُventuring into deep waters
لِبَحرِ الهَوى لا شَكَّ أَنّي مُلَجِّجُ
I tell my companions: leave me a hostage
to the sea of love—surely I am venturing into its depths.
لِخُشّابَةَfor Khushaba السُلوانُsolace وَالعِطرُand perfume وَالجَناand fruit
لِخُشّابَةَ السُلوانُ وَالعِطرُ وَالجَنا
وَليand for me حُرَقٌburning pains تَحتَbeneath الهَوىlove تَتَوَهَّجُglow
وَلي حُرَقٌ تَحتَ الهَوى تَتَوَهَّجُ
Khushaba has solace, perfume, and fruit,
while I have burning pains that glow beneath love.
تَقَطَّعُis torn apart نَفسيmy soul حَسرَةًin anguish بَعدَafter حَسرَةٍanguish
تَقَطَّعُ نَفسي حَسرَةً بَعدَ حَسرَةٍ
إِذاwhen قيلَit is said تَغدوshe sets out مِنfrom غَدٍtomorrow لاnot تُعَرِّجُshe stops along the way
إِذا قيلَ تَغدو مِن غَدٍ لا تُعَرِّجُ
My soul is torn apart, anguish after anguish,
when they say, 'Tomorrow she departs, without stopping along the way.'
وَمِنand among نَكَدِthe miseries الأَيّامِof the days سيقَتshe was led لِعانِسٍto an aging bachelor
وَمِن نَكَدِ الأَيّامِ سيقَت لِعانِسٍ
مِنَfrom اللُؤمِbaseness لاnot يَندىhe is generous وَلاand not يَتَبَلَّجُhe brightens
مِنَ اللُؤمِ لا يَندى وَلا يَتَبَلَّجُ
Among the miseries of these days, she was led to an aging bachelor
who, out of baseness, neither gives generously nor brightens.
وَلَمand not أُعطَI was given فيهاconcerning her حيلَةًa means غَيرَexcept أَنَّنيthat I
وَلَم أُعطَ فيها حيلَةً غَيرَ أَنَّني
أَحِنُّI yearn إِلىfor ماwhat فاتَwas lost مِنهاof her وَأَنشِجُand I sob
أَحِنُّ إِلى ما فاتَ مِنها وَأَنشِجُ
I was given no means concerning her, except that I
yearn for what I have lost of her and sob.
دَعَوتُI cried out بِوَيلٍwith woe يَومَon the day راحَdeparted عَتادُهاher belongings
دَعَوتُ بِوَيلٍ يَومَ راحَ عَتادُها
وَأَودَعَنيand left me with الزَفَزافَtrembling لَيلَةَon the night أَدلَجواthey set off by night
وَأَودَعَني الزَفَزافَ لَيلَةَ أَدلَجوا
I cried, 'Woe!' the day her belongings departed
and left me trembling the night they set off.
وَقَدand indeed زادَنيheightened in me وَجداًpassion عَلَيهاfor her وَماand not دَرَتshe knew
وَقَد زادَني وَجداً عَلَيها وَما دَرَت
مَجامِرُbraziers فيin أَيديthe hands الجَواريof the maidservants تَأَجَّجُblaze
مَجامِرُ في أَيدي الجَواري تَأَجَّجُ
And what deepened my passion for her, though she did not know,
was the braziers blazing in the maidservants' hands.
بِعَمنِunclear as written مَنصورٍMansur المُغيريal-Mughiri جِمالَهُhis camels
بِعَمنِ مَنصورٍ المُغيري جِمالَهُ
وَقَلبيand my heart لَهُtoward him هَذاthis مِنَfrom الحِلمِreason أَعوَجُmore crooked
وَقَلبي لَهُ هَذا مِنَ الحِلمِ أَعوَجُ
[Opening word unclear] Mansur al-Mughiri's camels,
and this heart of mine, toward him, is crooked beyond reason.
وَماand not خَرَجَتshe came out فيهِنَّamong them حَتّىuntil عَذَلنَهاthey reproached her
وَما خَرَجَت فيهِنَّ حَتّى عَذَلنَها
قِياماًstanding وَحَتّىand until كادَتalmost الشَمسُthe sun تَخرُجُrose
قِياماً وَحَتّى كادَت الشَمسُ تَخرُجُ
She did not come out among them until they reproached her,
standing there, and until the sun was almost rising.
فَقامَتthen she rose عَلَيهاupon her نَظرَةٌa look وَاِستِكانَةٌand meekness
فَقامَت عَلَيها نَظرَةٌ وَاِستِكانَةٌ
تَساقَطُshe staggers كَالنَشوىlike a drunken woman حَياءًfrom shyness وَتَنهَجُand pants
تَساقَطُ كَالنَشوى حَياءً وَتَنهَجُ
Then she rose, with a look of meekness upon her,
staggering like a drunken woman from shyness, and panting.
وَماand not كانَcame مِنّيfrom me الدَمعُtears حَتّىuntil تَوَجَّهَتshe set off
وَما كانَ مِنّي الدَمعُ حَتّى تَوَجَّهَت
مَعَwith الصُبحِdawn يَقفوهاfollowing her الفَنيدُal-Fanid المُسَرَّجُthe saddled one
مَعَ الصُبحِ يَقفوها الفَنيدُ المُسَرَّجُ
No tears came from me until she set off
at dawn, with saddled al-Fanid following her.
فَياso, oh عِبَراًtears مِنfrom بَينِهاparting from her قَبلَbefore نَيلِهاwinning her
فَيا عِبَراً مِن بَينِها قَبلَ نَيلِها
وَمِنand from سَفَطٍa casket فيهِin it القَواريرُthe glass bottles تَحرَجُare tightly packed
وَمِن سَفَطٍ فيهِ القَواريرُ تَحرَجُ
Oh, the tears at parting from her before ever winning her,
and at a casket in which glass bottles were packed tight!
خَرَجنَthey came out بِهِwith it فيin حِجرِthe lap أُخرىof another woman كَأَنَّهُas though it
خَرَجنَ بِهِ في حِجرِ أُخرى كَأَنَّهُ
بُنَيُّa little son لَيالٍof a few nights فيin المَعاوِزِtattered cloths يُدرَجُis swaddled
بُنَيُّ لَيالٍ في المَعاوِزِ يُدرَجُ
They carried it out in another woman's lap, as though it were
a little boy, a few nights old, swaddled in tattered cloth.
وَقَرَّبنَand they brought near مَمهودَcushioned السَراةِthe back كَأَنَّماas though
وَقَرَّبنَ مَمهودَ السَراةِ كَأَنَّما
غَداit went forth فيin دَيايورِthe dark folds الكِساof the coverings يَتَرَجرَجُswaying
غَدا في دَيايورِ الكِسا يَتَرَجرَجُ
And they brought up a mount with its back cushioned, as though
it moved, swaying, in the dark folds of its coverings,
كَنَجمِlike a star الدُجىof the darkness إِذwhen لاحَit appeared لاno بَلrather كَأَنَّهُas though it
كَنَجمِ الدُجى إِذ لاحَ لا بَل كَأَنَّهُ
سَناthe glow نارِof a fire نَشوانٍof a drunken man تُشَبُّis kindled وَتَبلُجُand shines
سَنا نارِ نَشوانٍ تُشَبُّ وَتَبلُجُ
like a star appearing in the darkness—no, rather like
the glow of a drunken man's fire, kindled and shining.
فَلَمّاthen when دَناit drew near مِنهاto her بَكَتshe wept مِنat دُنُوِّهِits approach
فَلَمّا دَنا مِنها بَكَت مِن دُنُوِّهِ
وَقُلنَand they said لَهاto her قوميrise اِركَبيmount الصُبحُdawn أَبلَجُis bright
وَقُلنَ لَها قومي اِركَبي الصُبحُ أَبلَجُ
Then, when it drew near her, she wept at its approach,
and they said to her, 'Rise, mount; the dawn is bright.'
وَفَدَّينَهاand they offered themselves as her ransom كَيماso that تَخِفَّshe would hurry فَأَعرَضَتthen she turned away
وَفَدَّينَها كَيما تَخِفَّ فَأَعرَضَت
تَحَشَّمُshe feels bashful مِمّاat what سُمنَهاthey demanded of her وَتَغَنَّجُand acts coy
تَحَشَّمُ مِمّا سُمنَها وَتَغَنَّجُ
They said, 'We are your ransom,' to hurry her, but she turned away,
bashful at what they asked of her, and acting coy.
وَماand not زِلنَthey stopped حَتّىuntil أَشرَفَتshe came into view لِعُيونِهِمto their eyes
وَما زِلنَ حَتّى أَشرَفَت لِعُيونِهِم
وَغَنّىand sang المُغَنّيthe singer وَاليَراعُand the reed-flute المُفلَّجُthe pierced one
وَغَنّى المُغَنّي وَاليَراعُ المُفلَّجُ
And they did not stop until she appeared before their eyes,
and the singer sang, and the pierced reed-flute too.
وَلَمّاand when جَلاهاrevealed her الشَمعُthe candlelight سَبَّحَglorified God ناظِرٌan onlooker
وَلَمّا جَلاها الشَمعُ سَبَّحَ ناظِرٌ
وَكَبَّرَand proclaimed God's greatness رَفّافٌRaffaf وَسارواand they set off فَأَرهَجواand so raised dust
وَكَبَّرَ رَفّافٌ وَساروا فَأَرهَجوا
And when the candlelight revealed her, an onlooker glorified God,
and Raffaf proclaimed God's greatness; they set off, raising dust.
وَماand not صَدَقَتcame true رُؤيايَmy dream يَحفُفنَthey surround مَركَباًa conveyance
وَما صَدَقَت رُؤيايَ يَحفُفنَ مَركَباً
وَفيand in المَركَبِthe conveyance المَحفوفِthe surrounded one بَدرٌa full moon مُتَوَّجُcrowned
وَفي المَركَبِ المَحفوفِ بَدرٌ مُتَوَّجُ
And my dream did not come true: they surrounded a conveyance,
and in that encircled conveyance was a crowned full moon.
وَياand oh كَبِداًa liver قَدalready أَنضَجَhas cooked الشَوقُlonging نِصفَهاhalf of it
وَيا كَبِداً قَد أَنضَجَ الشَوقُ نِصفَها
وَنِصفٌand a half عَلىon نارِthe fire الصَبابَةِof yearning يُنضَجُis being cooked
وَنِصفٌ عَلى نارِ الصَبابَةِ يُنضَجُ
And oh, a liver—longing has roasted half of it,
and the other half is roasting on the fire of yearning.
إِذاif رَكِبَتshe rides away مِنّاfrom us بِلَيلٍby night فَقُلthen say لَهاto her
إِذا رَكِبَت مِنّا بِلَيلٍ فَقُل لَها
عَلَيكِupon you سَلامٌpeace ماتَhas died مَنthe one who يَتَزَوَّجُwould marry
عَلَيكِ سَلامٌ ماتَ مَن يَتَزَوَّجُ
If she rides away from us by night, tell her,
'Peace be upon you; the man who would marry you has died.'
بَكَيتُI wept وَماand not فيin العَينِthe eye مِنّيfrom me خَليفَةٌa succeeding tear
بَكَيتُ وَما في العَينِ مِنّي خَليفَةٌ
وَلَكِنَّand yet أَحزاناًsorrows عَلَيَّupon me تَوَلَّجُforce their way in
وَلَكِنَّ أَحزاناً عَلَيَّ تَوَلَّجُ
I wept, though no fresh tear remained in my eye,
but sorrows forced their way into me.
وَلَوand if مُتُّI died كانَwould be المَوتُdeath خَيراًbetter مِنَthan الشَقاmisery
وَلَو مُتُّ كانَ المَوتُ خَيراً مِنَ الشَقا
وَماand not لِلفَتىfor a young man مِمّاfrom what قَضىhas decreed اللَهُGod مَخرَجُan escape
وَما لِلفَتى مِمّا قَضى اللَهُ مَخرَجُ
Were I to die, death would be better than misery,
and a young man has no escape from what God has decreed.
Sol 6.1