بَلَغَreached المُرَعَّثَal-Muraʿʿath فيat الرَحيdeparture (first part)
بَلَغَ المُرَعَّثَ في الرَحي
لِdeparture (final part) خَرائِدٌfair maidens مِنهُنَّamong them نَحبُهhis heart’s desire
لِ خَرائِدٌ مِنهُنَّ نَحبُه
As he departed, al-Muraʿʿath was approached
The distressed one reached the point of ruin
by fair maidens, among them his heart’s desire.
Seeking relief from the wailing women
فَجَفَتso drew away يَداهُhis two hands عَنِfrom النُسوthe leather straps (first part)
فَجَفَت يَداهُ عَنِ النُسو
عِleather straps (final part) وَشَدَّand fastened بِالأَنساعِwith leather straps صَحبُهhis companions
عِ وَشَدَّ بِالأَنساعِ صَحبُه
So his two hands drew away from the straps,
His hands grew weary of textiles
while his companions made fast with leather straps.
As his companions tightened their belts
وَثَناهُماand held them both back عَنfrom رَحلِهِhis saddle
وَثَناهُما عَن رَحلِهِ
دَمعٌtears يَبُلُّwets الجَيبَthe garment’s breast سَكبُهtheir pouring
دَمعٌ يَبُلُّ الجَيبَ سَكبُه
And both hands were held back from his saddle
And both were diverted from his supplies
by tears whose pouring soaked his breast,
By tears that soak the bosom when poured
وَنَحيبُand the sobbing of مَطروفِone stricken in الفُؤاthe heart (first part)
وَنَحيبُ مَطروفِ الفُؤا
دِheart (final part) ثَوىremained مَعَwith الأَحبابِthe loved ones لُبُّهhis mind
دِ ثَوى مَعَ الأَحبابِ لُبُّه
and the sobbing of one stricken in the heart,
And the moaning of the bereaved dove
whose mind remained with his loved ones.
Whose love nested with loved ones in its heart
فَالدَمعُso the tears مُنحَدِرُflowing downward النِظاthe string (first part)
فَالدَمعُ مُنحَدِرُ النِظا
مِstring (final part) إِذاwhen تَرَقرَقَwelled up فاضَoverflowed غَربُهtheir torrent
مِ إِذا تَرَقرَقَ فاضَ غَربُه
So the tears streamed in strings;
For tears flow down the cheeks
when they welled up, their torrent overflowed.
When they well up and overflow
وَعَقارِبُand the scorpions of الحُبِّlove الَّذيthat
وَعَقارِبُ الحُبِّ الَّذي
يُخفيconceals مِنَof الوَسواسِanxious whisperings قَلبُهhis heart
يُخفي مِنَ الوَسواسِ قَلبُه
And the scorpions of the love that
And the scorpions of love
his heart keeps hidden in anxious whisperings.
Which hide from obsessive thoughts in his heart
فَإِذاso when أَرادَhe sought النَومَsleep أَرkept him awake (first part)
فَإِذا أَرادَ النَومَ أَر
رَقَهُkept him awake (final part) وَساوِسُwhispering thoughts تَستَهِبُّهrouse him
رَقَهُ وَساوِسُ تَستَهِبُّه
So when he seeks sleep, he is kept
When he wants sleep, insomnia
awake by whispering thoughts that rouse him,
Harasses him and worries rob him
مِنfrom ذِكرِremembering مَنthe one who تَبَلَravaged الفُؤاthe heart (first part)
مِن ذِكرِ مَن تَبَلَ الفُؤا
دَheart (final part) فَحَسبُهُso enough for him مِنof ذاكَthat حَسبُهenough for him
دَ فَحَسبُهُ مِن ذاكَ حَسبُه
at the memory of one who ravaged his heart.
Of thoughts of one who shared the abode
Enough of that for him—enough!
So his affliction with that is enough for him
سَقَطَfell النِقابُthe face-veil فَراقَنيthen charmed me
سَقَطَ النِقابُ فَراقَني
إِذwhen راحَswayed قُرطاهُhis two earrings وَقُلبُهand his bangle
إِذ راحَ قُرطاهُ وَقُلبُه
The veil fell, and I was enchanted
The veil dropped when he left
as his two earrings and his bangle swayed.
As his intestines and heart departed
وَمُؤَشَّرٌand a finely notched mouth أَلمىdark-tinted اللِثاthe gums (first part)
وَمُؤَشَّرٌ أَلمى اللِثا
تِgums (final part) شَهِيُّdelicious طَعمِtaste of الريقِthe saliva عَذبُهits sweet savor
تِ شَهِيُّ طَعمِ الريقِ عَذبُه
And a mouth with finely notched teeth and dusky gums,
And one indicating the sweet
delicious in flavor, its saliva sweet.
Taste of saliva on the gums
أَحبِبhow dear! إِلَيَّto me بِهِwith him (exclamatory) وَإِنand even if
أَحبِب إِلَيَّ بِهِ وَإِن
كانَwas الوِصالُunion لِمَنfor the one who يَرُبُّهhas charge of him
كانَ الوِصالُ لِمَن يَرُبُّه
How dear he is to me, even though
I loved him though attaining
union belongs to the one who has charge of him:
Union is for one who tends and cultivates it
مِنas a نازِحٍdistant one حَسَنِlovely in الدَلاcoyness (first part)
مِن نازِحٍ حَسَنِ الدَلا
لِcoyness (final part) أَبىrefused لَكَto you التَغميضَclosing the eyes حُبُّهlove for him
لِ أَبى لَكَ التَغميضَ حُبُّه
a far-off beloved, charmingly coy,
Of one who charms with grace
love for him forbade you to close your eyes.
Who refused to wink for love of you
شَحَطَgrew distant المَزارُthe visiting-place بِهِwith him وَلَوand if
شَحَطَ المَزارُ بِهِ وَلَو
يَدنوhe draws near إِلَيكَto you شَفاكَwould heal you قُربُهhis nearness
يَدنو إِلَيكَ شَفاكَ قُربُه
Far is the place where he may be visited; but if
Passion threw him down though
he drew near you, his nearness would heal you.
If he drew near your lips his closeness would heal
أَنكَرتَyou found strange عَيشَكَyour life بَعدَهُafter him
أَنكَرتَ عَيشَكَ بَعدَهُ
وَالدَهرُand time ضاقَgrew narrow عَلَيكَfor you رَحبُهits breadth
وَالدَهرُ ضاقَ عَلَيكَ رَحبُه
You found your life strange after him,
You denied your life after him
and time’s broad expanse grew narrow for you.
And time narrowed around you
وَكَذاكَand likewise دَهرُكَyour time لِلمُحِبfor the lover (first part)
وَكَذاكَ دَهرُكَ لِلمُحِب
بِfor the lover (final part) يَروحُcomes in the evening إِذwhen لَمhas not يَغدُcome in the morning شَغبُهits turmoil
بِ يَروحُ إِذ لَم يَغدُ شَغبُه
And such is your time as a lover:
Such is your time for a lover
its turmoil comes at evening if not in the morning.
It passes when his rebellion subsides
أَحبَبتَهُyou loved him وَنَأىand drew away بِهِwith him
أَحبَبتَهُ وَنَأى بِهِ
وِدٌّaffection لآخَرَfor another يُحِبُّهhe loves him
وِدٌّ لآخَرَ يُحِبُّه
You loved him, but he was drawn away
You loved him and affection
by affection for another whom he loves.
Turned to another he loves
وَمِنَand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أَنَّهُthat he
وَمِنَ العَجائِبِ أَنَّهُ
فيin غَيرِother than شِعبِكَyour valley كانَwas شِعبُهhis valley
في غَيرِ شِعبِكَ كانَ شِعبُه
And one of the wonders is that
And of wonders is
his valley was not your valley.
That he was of a different tribe
وَغَوِيِّand a wayward man قَومٍof a people هَرَّنيsnarled at me
وَغَوِيِّ قَومٍ هَرَّني
دونَbarring access to الَّذيthe one whom أَحبَبتُI loved كَلبُهhis dog
دونَ الَّذي أَحبَبتُ كَلبُه
And a wayward tribesman—I was snarled at
The seducer of a people who led me
by his dog, barring me from the one I loved.
Away from the one whose dog I loved
فَصَفَحتُso I forgave عَنهُhim لَعَلَّهُperhaps he
فَصَفَحتُ عَنهُ لَعَلَّهُ
فيماin what أُريدُI desire يَذِلُّyields صَعبُهhis stubbornness
فيما أُريدُ يَذِلُّ صَعبُه
So I forgave him, hoping that
So I pardoned him perhaps
his stubbornness would yield to my desire.
He will humble his mighty pride
وَأَخوand a companion of النِساءِwomen مُوارِبٌcrafty
وَأَخو النِساءِ مُوارِبٌ
يَوماًone day إِذاwhen لَمdoes not يَصفُrun clear شِربُهhis drink
يَوماً إِذا لَم يَصفُ شِربُه
And a man devoted to women uses guile
The brother of women is a deceiver
on a day when his drink is not clear.
One day when his drinking does not inebriate
وَسَلِand ask الَّتيthe woman whom أَحبَبتَهاyou loved her
وَسَلِ الَّتي أَحبَبتَها
إِنif كانَwas ذاكَthat one عَراكُhas beset you حَربُهhis warfare
إِن كانَ ذاكَ عَراكُ حَربُه
And ask the woman you loved,
Ask her whom you loved
if that one’s warfare has beset you:
If that was the battle of his war
ماwhat تَأمُرينَdo you prescribe بِعاشِقٍfor a lover
ما تَأمُرينَ بِعاشِقٍ
عَيَّwas baffled الطَبيبُthe physician بِهِby him وَطِبُّهand his medicine
عَيَّ الطَبيبُ بِهِ وَطِبُّه
What do you prescribe for a lover
What do you command of a lover
who has baffled physician and medicine?
Whose doctor despaired of him and his cure
قَدalready ماتَhas died أَوor هُوَhe مَيِّتٌdying
قَد ماتَ أَو هُوَ مَيِّتٌ
إِنif لَمdoes not يُعافِheal اللَهُGod رَبُّهhis Lord
إِن لَم يُعافِ اللَهُ رَبُّه
He has died, or else he is dying,
He died or is dying
unless God, his Lord, heals him.
If his Lord does not restore him to health
غَصَبَتshe seized by force عُبَيدَةُʿUbayda قَلبَهُhis heart
غَصَبَت عُبَيدَةُ قَلبَهُ
أَيَحِلُّis it lawful? فيin الإِسلامِIslam غَصبُهits forcible seizure
أَيَحِلُّ في الإِسلامِ غَصبُه
ʿUbayda forcibly seized his heart;
Ubaydah robbed his heart
is its seizure lawful in Islam?
Is its confiscation permitted in Islam?
صَبٌّlove-stricken إِلَيهاfor her لَوif تَنيis delayed
صَبٌّ إِلَيها لَو تَني
مِنهاfrom her الرِسالَةُthe message أَوor تُغِبُّهcomes to him intermittently
مِنها الرِسالَةُ أَو تُغِبُّه
He pines for her; if there were a delay
A pouring out to her - if only
in a message from her, or it came only at intervals,
A message or absence from her would come to him
لَغَدَتwould come عَلَيهِupon him مَنِيَّةٌdeath
لَغَدَت عَلَيهِ مَنِيَّةٌ
وَلَماتَand he would die أَوor لاَزدادَwould increase كَربُهhis anguish
وَلَماتَ أَو لاَزدادَ كَربُه
death would come upon him,
It would become his death
and he would die, or his anguish would increase.
Or he would die or his sorrows grow
Sol 6.1