أَأَرِقتَhave you lain awake بَعدَafter رُقادِكَyour slumber الأَوّابِthe oft-returning
أَأَرِقتَ بَعدَ رُقادِكَ الأَوّابِ
بِهَواكَfrom your love أَمor بِخَيالِهِfrom its phantom المُنتابِthe recurring visitor
بِهَواكَ أَم بِخَيالِهِ المُنتابِ
Have you lain awake after your oft-returning slumber,
From your love, or from its recurring phantom?
نَعَقَcawed الغُرابُthe crow فَخَنَّقَتنيthen choked me عَبرَةٌa tear
نَعَقَ الغُرابُ فَخَنَّقَتني عَبرَةٌ
وَبَكَيتُand I wept مِنfrom جَزعٍanguish عَلىfor الأَحبابِthe loved ones
وَبَكَيتُ مِن جَزعٍ عَلى الأَحبابِ
The crow cawed, and a tear choked me,
And I wept in anguish for my loved ones.
يارُبَّah, many a قائِلَةٍwoman saying وَغُيِّبَwhile concealed was عِلمُهاher knowledge
يارُبَّ قائِلَةٍ وَغُيِّبَ عِلمُها
ماذاwhat يَهيجُكَagitates you مِنfrom نَعيقِthe cawing of غُرابِa crow
ماذا يَهيجُكَ مِن نَعيقِ غُرابِ
Ah, many a woman has said, her understanding veiled,
“What in a crow’s cawing so agitates you?”
كاتَمتُهاI concealed from her أَمريmy affair وَماand not شَعَرَتshe was aware بِهِof it
كاتَمتُها أَمري وَما شَعَرَت بِهِ
وَكَذاكَand likewise قَدindeed كاتَمتُهُI concealed it from أَصحابيmy companions
وَكَذاكَ قَد كاتَمتُهُ أَصحابي
I concealed my plight from her, and she knew nothing of it;
And likewise I kept it hidden from my companions.
وَدَواءُand the cure عَينيof my eye قَدindeed عَلِمتُI know وَداؤُهاand its illness
وَدَواءُ عَيني قَد عَلِمتُ وَداؤُها
رَيّاfull-fleshed البَنانِthe fingers كَدُميَةِlike a statue المِحرابِof the sanctuary
رَيّا البَنانِ كَدُميَةِ المِحرابِ
And I know my eye’s cure—and its affliction:
A plump-fingered beauty, like a statue in a sanctuary.
فيin نَأيِهاher distance وَصَبٌsickness عَلَيَّupon me مُبَرِّحٌagonizing
في نَأيِها وَصَبٌ عَلَيَّ مُبَرِّحٌ
وَدُنُوُّهاand her nearness شافٍhealing مِنَfrom الأَوصابِthe ailments
وَدُنُوُّها شافٍ مِنَ الأَوصابِ
Her distance brings me agonizing sickness,
And her nearness is a cure for ailments.
تَمشيshe walks إِذاwhen خَرَجَتshe goes out إِلىto جاراتِهاher female neighbors
تَمشي إِذا خَرَجَت إِلى جاراتِها
مَشيَthe gait of الحُبابِthe serpent مُعارِضاًcrossing paths لِحُبابِwith a serpent
مَشيَ الحُبابِ مُعارِضاً لِحُبابِ
When she goes out to her women neighbors, she walks
Like a serpent crossing another serpent’s path.
خَودٌa tender young woman إِذاwhen اِنتَقَبَتshe veils her face سَبَتكَshe captivates you بِنَظرَةٍwith a glance
خَودٌ إِذا اِنتَقَبَت سَبَتكَ بِنَظرَةٍ
وَأَغَرَّand a fair face أَبلَجَclear-browed غَيرَnot ذاتِwearing نِقابِa face veil
وَأَغَرَّ أَبلَجَ غَيرَ ذاتِ نِقابِ
A tender maiden: veiled, she captivates you with a glance,
And unveiled, with a fair, radiant face.
تَعتَلُّshe makes excuses إِنif شَهِدَis present الأَميرُthe emir بِقُربِهِbecause of his nearness
تَعتَلُّ إِن شَهِدَ الأَميرُ بِقُربِهِ
وَإِذاand when نَأىhe is distant وَجِلَتshe is afraid مِنَof الحُجّابِthe chamberlains
وَإِذا نَأى وَجِلَت مِنَ الحُجّابِ
If the emir is present, she pleads his nearness as an excuse;
And when he is away, she fears the chamberlains.
وَعِتابِand many a reproach يَومٍof a day لَوif أَجَبتُكَI answered you طائِعاًwillingly
وَعِتابِ يَومٍ لَو أَجَبتُكَ طائِعاً
قَصُرَwould be shortened الوِصالُthe union بِهِby it وَطالَand would lengthen عِتابيmy reproach
قَصُرَ الوِصالُ بِهِ وَطالَ عِتابي
And many a day’s reproach—had I willingly answered you—
Would have cut our union short and prolonged my reproaches.
لَكِنbut رَأَيتُI saw مِنَin السُكوتِsilence بَديهَةًa ready response
لَكِن رَأَيتُ مِنَ السُكوتِ بَديهَةً
فَشَدَدتُso I strengthened وَصلَكُمُmy bond with you بِتَركِby withholding جَوابيmy reply
فَشَدَدتُ وَصلَكُمُ بِتَركِ جَوابي
But I found in silence a ready answer,
So I strengthened my bond with you by withholding my reply.
إِنّيindeed I am عَلىdespite خُلفِthe breaking of المَواعِدِpromises مِنكُمُon your part
إِنّي عَلى خُلفِ المَواعِدِ مِنكُمُ
صابٍyearning إِلَيكِfor you وَلَستُand I am not بِالمُتَصابيone feigning youthful passion
صابٍ إِلَيكِ وَلَستُ بِالمُتَصابي
Indeed, despite your broken promises, I am
Longing for you, not feigning youthful passion.
Sol 6.1