ياO لَقَومٍpeople, to the rescue! لِلزائِرِagainst the visitor المُنتابِever-returning
يا لَقَومٍ لِلزائِرِ المُنتابِ
وَلِماand against what قَدindeed لَقيتُI suffered حينَat the time of المَتابِrepentance
وَلِما قَد لَقيتُ حينَ المَتابِ
O my people, aid me against this visitor who keeps returning,
O people, help me against the ever-returning visitor,
and against what I endured at the hour of return!
and against what I suffered in the hour of repentance!
أَزهَقَتshe took away مُهجَتيmy lifeblood وَلَمyet did not تَدنُdraw near إِلّاexcept
أَزهَقَت مُهجَتي وَلَم تَدنُ إِلّا
وَقعَةًa single alighting عِندَناamong us وُقوعَthe falling of القِرابِthe scabbard
وَقعَةً عِندَنا وُقوعَ القِرابِ
She snatched away my soul, yet drew near only
She took my lifeblood, yet drew near only
to stay with us the time a scabbard takes to fall.
once among us, like a scabbard falling.
يَومَthe day قامَتshe rose مُختالَةًstrutting proudly فيin حِقابٍgirdles
يَومَ قامَت مُختالَةً في حِقابٍ
لَيتَنيwould that I كُنتُI were بَعضَpart of تِلكَthose الحِقابِgirdles
لَيتَني كُنتُ بَعضَ تِلكَ الحِقابِ
That day she rose, swaying proudly in her girdles—
The day she rose, strutting in her girdles—
if only I had been one of those girdles.
would that I were part of those girdles!
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said لِلنَطاسِيِّto the skilled physician لَمّاwhen
وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِلنَطاسِيِّ لَمّا
جِئتُهُI came to him وَاِشتَكَيتُand complained of داءَthe sickness of الحِبابِlove
جِئتُهُ وَاِشتَكَيتُ داءَ الحِبابِ
Indeed, I said to the skilled physician, when
And indeed I said to the skilled physician, when
I came to him and complained of love’s malady:
I came to him and complained of love's sickness:
كَيفَhow ليfor me بِالسُلُوِّwith solace عَمَّنfrom one who جَفانيhas spurned me
كَيفَ لي بِالسُلُوِّ عَمَّن جَفاني
وَفُؤاديand my heart كَالطائِرِlike a bird المُستَجابِdrawn by a call
وَفُؤادي كَالطائِرِ المُستَجابِ
“How can I find solace from one who shuns me,
How can I forget the one who has spurned me,
when my heart, like a summoned bird, cannot but answer?
while my heart is like a bird drawn to a call?
أَناI مِنهُbecause of it وَمِنand because of جَوىthe burning ache of الحُبِّlove أُمسيI spend my evenings
أَنا مِنهُ وَمِن جَوى الحُبِّ أُمسي
فيin عَذابٍtorment قَدindeed ناءَhas risen فَوقَabove العَذابِtorment
في عَذابٍ قَد ناءَ فَوقَ العَذابِ
Because of that, and love’s consuming ache, I spend each evening
Because of it and love's burning ache, I spend my evenings
in torment grown heavier than torment itself.”
in torment that towers above torment itself.
قالَhe said هَجرُshunning الحَبيبِthe beloved يُسليكَhelps you forget عَنهاabout her
قالَ هَجرُ الحَبيبِ يُسليكَ عَنها
لَنwill not تَنالَyou attain السُلُوَّsolace قَبلَbefore اِجتِنابِkeeping away
لَن تَنالَ السُلُوَّ قَبلَ اِجتِنابِ
He said, “Forsaking your beloved will make you forget her;
He said: Shunning the beloved will help you forget her;
you will never find release until you keep away.”
you will not find solace until you keep away.
قُلتُI said يَأَبىrefuses الهَوىpassion عَلَيَّme وَنَفسيand my soul
قُلتُ يَأَبى الهَوى عَلَيَّ وَنَفسي
لاnot تُطيعُobeys العَدُوَّthe enemy فيconcerning الأَحبابِloved ones
لا تُطيعُ العَدُوَّ في الأَحبابِ
I said, “Passion will not let me—and my soul
I said: Passion will not let me, and my soul
will never obey a censor in matters of love.
will not obey the enemy concerning those it loves.
كَيفَhow يَسلوforgets عَنِabout الرَبابِal-Rabab فُؤاديmy heart
كَيفَ يَسلو عَنِ الرَبابِ فُؤادي
وَهَواهاand love for her يَنوبُstands in عَنfor كُلِّevery نابِfang
وَهَواها يَنوبُ عَن كُلِّ نابِ
How can my heart forget al-Rabab,
How can my heart forget al-Rabab,
when love of her stands in for every affliction?
when love for her does the work of every fang?
وَيَكُنَّand let them be النِساءُthe women بيضاًfair-skinned وَأُدماًand dark-skinned
وَيَكُنَّ النِساءُ بيضاً وَأُدماً
صيغَةًa form بَعدَafter صيغَةِthe form of الأَترابِage-mates
صيغَةً بَعدَ صيغَةِ الأَترابِ
Women may be fair-skinned or tawny,
And women, be they fair-skinned or dark,
all cast in the mold of their peers,
form following the form of their peers,
كَكُعوبِlike the joints of القَناةِthe reed مُشتَبِهاتٍresembling one another
كَكُعوبِ القَناةِ مُشتَبِهاتٍ
وَكَأَنَّand as though الرَبابَal-Rabab أُمُّthe Mother of الكِتابِthe Book
وَكَأَنَّ الرَبابَ أُمُّ الكِتابِ
indistinguishable as the nodes of a spear shaft;
are alike as the joints of a reed,
and it is as though al-Rabab were the mother of all nubile maidens.”
while al-Rabab is like the Mother of the Book.
Sol 6.1