أَلاlisten قُلsay لِعَبدَةَto ʿAbdah إِنif جِئتَهاyou come to her
أَلا قُل لِعَبدَةَ إِن جِئتَها
وَقَدand perhaps يُبلُغُconveys word to الأَقرَبُthe nearer one الباعِداthe distant one
وَقَد يُبلُغُ الأَقرَبُ الباعِدا
Listen, tell ʿAbdah, if you come to her—
Oh say to Abda if you come to her,
And the nearer may convey word to the distant—
Though kin may travel far apart.
أَجِدَّكِare you in earnest? لاnot أَنتِyou تُدنينَنيyou draw me near
أَجِدَّكِ لا أَنتِ تُدنينَني
وَلاand not الصَيدُthe quarry مُتَّبِعٌfollowing صائِداa hunter
وَلا الصَيدُ مُتَّبِعٌ صائِدا
Are you in earnest? Neither do you draw me near,
I'll never be the one to visit you,
Nor does the quarry follow a hunter.
Nor game pursues the hunter's art.
وَطارِفُand a newfound حُبٍّlove أَصابَstruck الفُؤادَthe heart
وَطارِفُ حُبٍّ أَصابَ الفُؤادَ
وَجَدتُI found تَباريحَهُits torments زائِداincreasing
وَجَدتُ تَباريحَهُ زائِدا
And a newfound love struck the heart;
When love's caprice assailed my heart,
I found its torments growing.
I found its throbs increased each day.
إِذاwhen نَقَصَdiminished النَأيُdistance حُبَّthe love اِمرِئٍof a man
إِذا نَقَصَ النَأيُ حُبَّ اِمرِئٍ
وَجَدتُI found تَباريحَهُits torments زائِداincreasing
وَجَدتُ تَباريحَهُ زائِدا
When distance diminishes a man's love,
If absence lessened one man's love,
I found its torments growing.
I found my loving gained in sway.
يَجوزُhe goes beyond bounds إِذاwhen هِيَshe جارَتshe turned aside بِهِwith him
يَجوزُ إِذا هِيَ جارَت بِهِ
وَيُصبِحُand he becomes إِنif قَصَدَتshe takes a straight course قاصِداon a straight course
وَيُصبِحُ إِن قَصَدَت قاصِدا
He strays when she leads him astray,
My neighbor I may see or shun,
And follows a straight course if she takes one.
And visit her or stay beside.
قَطَعتِyou spent اللَيالِيَthe nights فيin هَجرِهِshunning him
قَطَعتِ اللَيالِيَ في هَجرِهِ
رُقاداًsleeping وَيَقطَعُهاand he spends them ساهِداsleepless
رُقاداً وَيَقطَعُها ساهِدا
You spent the nights in shunning him,
You've passed the nights in leaving me,
Asleep, while he spends them sleepless.
While I them wakeful must abide.
وَشَربُand a band of drinkers بِهاليلَnoble, cheerful men فيon لَيلَةٍa night
وَشَربُ بِهاليلَ في لَيلَةٍ
مِنَof الشَهرِthe month حَلّواthey alighted بِهاin it صاعِداascending
مِنَ الشَهرِ حَلّوا بِها صاعِدا
And a band of noble drinkers, on a night
I sip my wine throughout the night
Of the month, alighted there on their way up.
Of each month as it dawns anew,
تَخالُyou would think جَنىthe gathered blooms الوَردِof roses وَالرازِقِيand jasmine
تَخالُ جَنى الوَردِ وَالرازِقِي
يword-ending letter with no independent meaning بَينَهُمُamong them رَوضَةًa garden فارِداstanding apart
ي بَينَهُمُ رَوضَةً فارِدا
You would think the gathered roses and jasmine
While rose and vine seem to suppose
Among them a garden all its own.
Some garden lies between the two.
لَهُمthey have زَجَلٌa clamour بَعدَafter نَومِthe sleep العُيونof eyes
لَهُم زَجَلٌ بَعدَ نَومِ العُيون
وَصَفراءُand a fair-skinned woman تَستَألِفُwins the affection of الفاقِداthe bereft one
وَصَفراءُ تَستَألِفُ الفاقِدا
Their voices ring out after eyes fall asleep,
The wakeful, after eyes' repose,
And a fair-skinned woman wins the bereft's affection.
Have music ere the red cock crows,
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ثَنَتturned جيدَهاher neck نَظرَةٌa glance
إِذا ما ثَنَت جيدَها نَظرَةٌ
حَسِبتَyou would imagine الغَزالَthe gazelle بِهاin her عاقِداturning its neck
حَسِبتَ الغَزالَ بِها عاقِدا
Whenever a glance makes her turn her neck,
And she, to lonely one who grieves,
You would imagine in her a gazelle turning its neck.
A glance that binds the wild gazelle's.
وَذَلِكَand that دَهرٌa time مَضىhas passed صَفوُهُits untroubled joy
وَذَلِكَ دَهرٌ مَضى صَفوُهُ
وَعَيشُand the life اِمرِئٍof a man لَمnot يَكُنwas خالِداeverlasting
وَعَيشُ اِمرِئٍ لَم يَكُن خالِدا
And that was a time whose untroubled joy has passed,
Such days have passed and never more
And a man's life was never everlasting.
Shall life for me unchanged abide.
Sol 6.1