لاmay not تَعُدreturn ليto me كَليلَةٍlike a night بِالجَمادِat al-Jamad
لا تَعُد لي كَليلَةٍ بِالجَمادِ
بِتُّهاI spent it خائِفاًafraid عَلىamid أَسهاديmy sleeplessness
بِتُّها خائِفاً عَلى أَسهادي
May a night like that at al-Jamad never return to me.
Do not promise me an easy night while I sleep
I spent it fearful in my sleeplessness.
Frightened for my pillows.
أَرهَبُI fear السَيفَthe sword إِنif وَرَدتُI come عَلىupon الحَيthe tribe (continued)
أَرهَبُ السَيفَ إِن وَرَدتُ عَلى الحَي
يِcompletes 'the tribe' وَأَطويand I fold away الهُمومَthe cares وَالقَلبُand the heart صادِthirsty
يِ وَأَطوي الهُمومَ وَالقَلبُ صادِ
I fear the sword if I come upon the tribe,
I fear the sword if I encounter the enemy,
and fold away my cares while my heart is parched.
And I fold up worries and a hurting heart.
ضَيعَةُsquandering النَفسِof the soul وَاِدِّلاجٌand night travel عَلىon القَصthe intended course (continued)
ضَيعَةُ النَفسِ وَاِدِّلاجٌ عَلى القَص
دِcompletes 'the intended course' وَماand what خَيرُgood مُدلِجٍa night traveler غَيرِnot هادِknowing the way
دِ وَما خَيرُ مُدلِجٍ غَيرِ هادِ
A squandering of the soul, and night travel on the intended course—
A wasting soul and leaning on purpose,
and what good is a night traveler who cannot find his way?
And what good leaner but a guide?
وَلَقَدand indeed أَصرِفُI turn away الفُؤادَthe heart عَنِfrom الشَيthe thing (continued)
وَلَقَد أَصرِفُ الفُؤادَ عَنِ الشَي
ءِcompletes 'the thing' حَياءًout of shame وَحُبُّهُand love for it فيin السَوادِthe heart's dark core
ءِ حَياءً وَحُبُّهُ في السَوادِ
And indeed I turn my heart away from a thing
And I had turned my heart from the thing
out of shame, though love for it dwells in my heart's dark core.
Out of shyness while its love is in blackness.
أَمسِكُI restrain النَفسَmyself بِالعَفافِwith chastity وَأُمسيand I pass the evening
أَمسِكُ النَفسَ بِالعَفافِ وَأُمسي
ذاكِراًremembering فيin غَدٍtomorrow حَديثَthe talk الأَعاديof the enemies
ذاكِراً في غَدٍ حَديثَ الأَعادي
I restrain myself through chastity, and at evening
I hold back the soul with chastity and I spend the night
think of what my enemies will say tomorrow.
Remembering the talk of enemies in the morning.
ذاكَthat إِذwhen لاnot تَزالُceases حُبّىHubba مِنَbecause of البَغinjustice (continued)
ذاكَ إِذ لا تَزالُ حُبّى مِنَ البَغ
يِcompletes 'injustice' خَيالاًa phantom يَزورُنيvisits me فيin الرُقادِsleep
يِ خَيالاً يَزورُني في الرُقادِ
That was when Hubba, through her cruelty, remained
That is when my love of the rebel
a phantom visiting me in sleep.
Is still an imagination that visits me in slumber.
ثُمَّthen قَدindeed قَصَّرَتshe slackened وَماand not قَصَّرَslackened الحُبlove (continued)
ثُمَّ قَد قَصَّرَت وَما قَصَّرَ الحُب
بُcompletes 'love' كَأَنّيas though I جَعَلتُهُhad made it مِنamong تِلاديmy long-held possessions
بُ كَأَنّي جَعَلتُهُ مِن تِلادي
Then she held back, but love did not slacken,
Then it fell short, and love does not fall short,
as though I had made it one of my long-held possessions.
As if I made it part of my lineage.
لِثَقالِfor one heavy of الأَعجازِhaunches تَمشيshe walks الهُوَينىslowly and gently
لِثَقالِ الأَعجازِ تَمشي الهُوَينى
مِثلَlike غُصنِa branch of الرَيحانَةِsweet basil المَيّادِswaying
مِثلَ غُصنِ الرَيحانَةِ المَيّادِ
For a heavy-hipped woman who walks gently,
Because legs are heavy, lovers walk
like a swaying sprig of sweet basil.
Like a swaying branch of basil.
ضَحِكَتshe smiled ليat me عَنrevealing بارِدِcool الطَعمِin taste عَذبٍsweet
ضَحِكَت لي عَن بارِدِ الطَعمِ عَذبٍ
مُستَنيرٍradiant كَالكَوكَبِlike the star الوَقّادِblazing
مُستَنيرٍ كَالكَوكَبِ الوَقّادِ
She smiled at me, revealing a mouth cool and sweet to taste,
She laughed at me with cool but sweet water,
radiant as a blazing star.
Radiant like a flaming star.
ثُمَّthen راقَتshe charmed بِاللَونِwith her complexion وَالعَينِand her eye حَتّىuntil
ثُمَّ راقَت بِاللَونِ وَالعَينِ حَتّى
كادَnearly حُبّيmy love يَطيرُflies بيwith me عَنaway from وِساديmy pillow
كادَ حُبّي يَطيرُ بي عَن وِسادي
Then her complexion and her eyes so enchanted me
Then she was pleasant in color and eye until
that my love nearly sent me flying from my pillow.
My love almost flew with me from my pillow.
هِيَshe بَدرُthe full moon of السَماءِthe sky لاnot بَلrather هِيَshe الشَمthe sun (continued)
هِيَ بَدرُ السَماءِ لا بَل هِيَ الشَم
سُcompletes 'the sun' تَدَلَّتshe descended فيin مُذهَبٍgold-embroidered cloth وَجِسادِand saffron dye
سُ تَدَلَّت في مُذهَبٍ وَجِسادِ
She is the full moon of the sky—no, rather she is the sun,
She is the full moon of the sky, no, she is the sun
descending in gold-embroidered and saffron-dyed robes.
Lowered in a sunset and bodies.
لاnot أَسُرُّI gladden الحُسّادَthe envious فيهاconcerning her وَتُمسيand she becomes
لا أَسُرُّ الحُسّادَ فيها وَتُمسي
نَدبَةًa lament فيamid مَسَرَّةِthe delight of الحُسّادِthe envious
نَدبَةً في مَسَرَّةِ الحُسّادِ
I do not gladden the envious over her, and she becomes
I do not make the enviers happy in her, and she spends the night
a lament amid the rejoicing of the envious.
A wailing in the joy of the enviers.
تَترُكُshe forsakes القُربَnearness ثُمَّthen تُعقِبُshe follows it بِالبُعwith distance (continued)
تَترُكُ القُربَ ثُمَّ تُعقِبُ بِالبُع
دِcompletes 'distance' فَوَيليso woe to me مِنfrom قُربِهاher nearness وَالبِعادِand separation
دِ فَوَيلي مِن قُربِها وَالبِعادِ
She forsakes nearness, then follows it with distance,
She leaves intimacy, then follows with distance,
so woe to me from her nearness and separation!
So woe to me from her nearness and farness.
وَجَوادٌand a generous one فيin النَومِsleep يُعطينِيَgives me النَفherself (continued)
وَجَوادٌ في النَومِ يُعطينِيَ النَف
سَcompletes 'herself' وَلَيسَتand she is not يَقظىawake لَناto us بِجَوادِgenerous
سَ وَلَيسَت يَقظى لَنا بِجَوادِ
And in sleep she is generous, giving me herself,
A generous one in sleep gives me the soul
but awake she is not generous to us.
But awake there is no generosity for us.
تُحسِنُshe does well المَشيَthe walking فيin المَنامِsleep وَلاand not تُحdoes well (continued)
تُحسِنُ المَشيَ في المَنامِ وَلا تُح
سِنُcompletes 'does well' يَقظىawake مَشيَthe gait of المُريبِthe suspicious one المُصاديthe coaxing one
سِنُ يَقظى مَشيَ المُريبِ المُصادي
She walks gracefully in dreams, but does not
She walks well in dreams but does not
walk awake with the gait of one furtive and coaxing.
Walk well awake the walk of the dubious deviator.
فَاِعذِرينيso forgive me ياO أُمَّUmm, mother of بَكرٍBakr فَإِنَّfor indeed الُthe (continued)
فَاِعذِريني يا أُمَّ بَكرٍ فَإِنَّ الُ
حُبَّlove فيin مَنطِقيmy speech وَعَينَيَّand my two eyes بادِapparent
حُبَّ في مَنطِقي وَعَينَيَّ بادِ
So forgive me, Umm Bakr, for
So forgive me, O mother of Bakr, for love
love is plain in my speech and my eyes.
In my speech and my eyes has flourished.
لَيسَis not يَخفىhidden طَرفُthe glance of المُحِبِّthe lover وَلاnor كَسthe lowering (continued)
لَيسَ يَخفى طَرفُ المُحِبِّ وَلا كَس
رَةُcompletes 'the lowering' عَينِthe eye of العَدُوِّthe enemy عَندَon اِعتِيادِa visit
رَةُ عَينِ العَدُوِّ عَندَ اِعتِيادِ
The lover's glance cannot be hidden, nor the lowering
The glance of a lover does not escape notice
of an enemy's eye on a visit.
Nor the frown of an enemy’s eye in habit.
حَشرُnarrowing of عَينٍan eye يَلقىmeets البَغيضَthe hated one وَلاand not يَلmeets (continued)
حَشرُ عَينٍ يَلقى البَغيضَ وَلا يَل
قىcompletes 'meets' مُحِبّاًa loving one عَينانِtwo eyes دونَwithout اِزدِيادِincrease
قى مُحِبّاً عَينانِ دونَ اِزدِيادِ
A narrowed eye meets the hated one, but
A meeting of an eye with a hated one without meeting
two eyes cannot greet a loving one without wanting more.
A lover - two eyes without increase.
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said إِذwhen جُفيتُI was shunned وَلَمand not أَجI shun (continued)
وَلَقَد قُلتُ إِذ جُفيتُ وَلَم أَج
فُcompletes 'I shun' وَكانَتand was بَلِيَّتيmy affliction مِنfrom وِداديmy affection
فُ وَكانَت بَلِيَّتي مِن وِدادي
And indeed I said, when I was shunned though I had not shunned,
And I said when I was spurned and did not spurn
and my affliction sprang from my affection:
And my affliction was from affection:
لَيتَwould that حَظّيmy portion مِنَfrom العِبادِpeople وَمِمّاand from what
لَيتَ حَظّي مِنَ العِبادِ وَمِمّا
خَلَقَcreated اللَهُGod لَذَّةًa pleasure لِلعِبادِfor people
خَلَقَ اللَهُ لَذَّةً لِلعِبادِ
Would that my portion from people, and from all
Would that my fortune were from servants and from
God created as pleasure for people,
What Allah created as pleasures for servants!
ريقُthe saliva of حُبّىHubba أَحسوهُI sip it سَبعَةَseven أَيّاdays (continued)
ريقُ حُبّى أَحسوهُ سَبعَةَ أَيّا
مٍcompletes 'days' شِفاءًas a cure لِقُرحَةٍfor a sore بِالفُؤادِin the heart
مٍ شِفاءً لِقُرحَةٍ بِالفُؤادِ
were Hubba's saliva, which I would sip for seven days,
The path of my love, I feel it is seven days
as a cure for a sore in my heart.
A cure for a wound in the heart.
إِنَّهاindeed she مُنيَتيmy wish وَحاجَتِيَand my need الكُبgreatest (continued)
إِنَّها مُنيَتي وَحاجَتِيَ الكُب
رىcompletes 'greatest' وَنَفسيand my soul لَوif only مَتَّعَتنيshe granted me enjoyment بِزادِwith sustenance
رى وَنَفسي لَو مَتَّعَتني بِزادِ
She is my wish and my greatest need,
It is my death and my great need,
and my very soul—if only she would grant me sustenance.
And my soul if it provided me with provision.
أَشتَهيI crave قُربَهاher nearness عَلىin العُسرِhardship وَاليُسand ease (continued)
أَشتَهي قُربَها عَلى العُسرِ وَاليُس
رِcompletes 'ease' وَعِندَand at الضِياthe light وَيَومَand on the day of التَناديmutual calling
رِ وَعِندَ الضِيا وَيَومَ التَنادي
I crave her nearness in hardship and ease,
I desire her nearness in ease and hardship,
in daylight and on the Day of Calling.
In light and on the day of calling.
قُلsay لَهاto her ياO فَريرُFarir إِنّيindeed I مِنَbecause of الشَوlonging (continued)
قُل لَها يا فَريرُ إِنّي مِنَ الشَو
قِcompletes 'longing' إِلَيهاfor her وَحِدَّتيand my ardor فيin جِهادِstruggle
قِ إِلَيها وَحِدَّتي في جِهادِ
Tell her, Farir, that through my longing
Say to her, O chirping one, I am
for her and my ardor, I am locked in struggle.
Of longing for her and my uniqueness is in strife.
كَيفَhow صَبريmy endurance فَرداًalone عَلىwith غَيرِno نَيلٍattainment
كَيفَ صَبري فَرداً عَلى غَيرِ نَيلٍ
طالَhas lasted long هَذاthis بُخلاًin stinginess وَطالَand has lasted long اِنفِراديmy solitude
طالَ هَذا بُخلاً وَطالَ اِنفِرادي
How can I endure alone, with nothing granted?
How is my patience alone without attaining?
This withholding has lasted long, and so has my solitude.
This has been long in stinginess and loneliness.
Sol 6.1