أَحارِثَO Harith عَلِّلنيcomfort me وَإِنand even if كُنتُI am مُسهَباlong-winded
أَحارِثَ عَلِّلني وَإِن كُنتُ مُسهَبا
وَلاand do not تَرجُhope for نَوميmy sleep قَدindeed أَجَدَّhas resolved لِيَذهَباto depart
وَلا تَرجُ نَومي قَد أَجَدَّ لِيَذهَبا
O Harith, comfort me, even if I am long-winded.
Oh Aharith, reproach me, though I ramble on,
And do not expect my sleep; it has resolved to flee.
And chide not my sleeplessness which makes me fade.
دَناdrew near بَيتُthe home مَنthe one whom أَهوىI love وَشَطَّand grew distant بِبَينِهِthrough his separation
دَنا بَيتُ مَن أَهوى وَشَطَّ بِبَينِهِ
حَبيبٌa beloved فَأَصبَحتُso I became الشَقِيَّthe wretched one المُعَذَّباthe tormented one
حَبيبٌ فَأَصبَحتُ الشَقِيَّ المُعَذَّبا
The home of the one I love is near, yet far away through parting
My beloved's house drew near and intervened between us,
Is my beloved; so I have become wretched and tormented.
So I awakened miserable and tormented.
إِذاwhenever شِئتُI wish غادانيvisits me in the morning وَخيمٌa vile man مُلَعَّنٌaccursed
إِذا شِئتُ غاداني وَخيمٌ مُلَعَّنٌ
وَجَنَّبتُand I withheld مِنsome of وُدّيmy affection لَهُfor him فَتَجَنَّباso he withdrew
وَجَنَّبتُ مِن وُدّي لَهُ فَتَجَنَّبا
Whenever I wish, a vile, accursed man visits me in the morning,
When I wanted to visit, there was a cursed tent,
And I withheld some of my affection for him, so he withdrew.
And I avoided giving him my love, so he avoided me.
أَحارِثَO Harith ماwhat طَعمُthe savor of الحَياةِlife إِذاwhen دَناdraws near
أَحارِثَ ما طَعمُ الحَياةِ إِذا دَنا
بَغيضٌa hateful person وَفارَقتُand I parted from الحَبيبَthe beloved المُقَرَّباthe cherished one
بَغيضٌ وَفارَقتُ الحَبيبَ المُقَرَّبا
O Harith, what savor has life when there draws near
Oh Aharith, life's taste is unpleasant when
Someone hateful, and I have parted from the cherished beloved?
My beloved draws near, though once he was intimate.
وَقائِلَةٍand a woman saying ماwhat ليis with me رَأَيتُكَI saw you خاشِعاًdowncast
وَقائِلَةٍ ما لي رَأَيتُكَ خاشِعاً
وَقَدand indeed كُنتَyou were مِمّاof the sort أَنto تَلَذَّtake pleasure وَتَطرَباand rejoice
وَقَد كُنتَ مِمّا أَن تَلَذَّ وَتَطرَبا
And a woman asked, “Why do I see you downcast,
A woman said, “Why do I see you downcast
When you used to take pleasure and rejoice?”
When you used to enjoy life and were joyous?”
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her مَشّىcrept الهَوىlove فيthrough مَفاصِليmy joints
فَقُلتُ لَها مَشّى الهَوى في مَفاصِلي
وَراميand the archer of فَتاةٍa maiden لَيتَهُwould that he كانَhad been أَصوَباtruer in aim
وَرامي فَتاةٍ لَيتَهُ كانَ أَصوَبا
So I told her, “Love has crept through my joints,
I said, “Passion walked through my joints,
And a maiden's archer—would that his aim had been truer!”
And I desired a girl—would that she were more proper!
تَرَقَّبُshe watches warily فيناconcerning us العاذِلينَthe reproachers عَلىfor الهَوىlove
تَرَقَّبُ فينا العاذِلينَ عَلى الهَوى
وَماand not نالَattained عَيشاًan enjoyable life قَبلَناbefore us مَنwhoever تَرَقَّباwatched warily
وَما نالَ عَيشاً قَبلَنا مَن تَرَقَّبا
She watches those who reproach us for love,
Those who censure passionate love watch over us,
And none before us who watched so warily ever enjoyed life.
And none lived happily before us who watched.
إِذاif نَحنُwe لَمdid not نَنعَمenjoy ourselves شَباباًwhile young فَإِنَّماthen only
إِذا نَحنُ لَم نَنعَم شَباباً فَإِنَّما
شَقيناwe suffered وَلَمand did not يَحزَنgrieve لَناfor us مَنwhoever تَشَبَّباwooed
شَقينا وَلَم يَحزَن لَنا مَن تَشَبَّبا
If we do not enjoy our youth, then all we do
If we don’t enjoy our youth, then we are miserable,
Is suffer; and no one who woos will grieve for us.
And none who enjoyed their youth grieved for us.
وَماand not اِستَفرَغَexhausted اللَذّاتِpleasures إِلّاexcept مُقابِلٌa bold challenger
وَما اِستَفرَغَ اللَذّاتِ إِلّا مُقابِلٌ
إِذاwhen هَمَّhe resolves لَمdid not يَذكُرconsider رِضىthe approval of مَنwhoever تَشَبَّباwooed
إِذا هَمَّ لَم يَذكُر رِضى مَن تَشَبَّبا
None has drained pleasures to the dregs but a bold challenger
None exhausted pleasures except a worthy man,
Who, once resolved, heeds not the approval of those who woo.
Who, when he desired, did not remember those who enjoyed their youth.
فَلاso do not تَرقُبيheed فيconcerning عاشِقٍa lover أَنتِyou هَمُّهُhis concern
فَلا تَرقُبي في عاشِقٍ أَنتِ هَمُّهُ
قَريباًa kinsman وَلاand do not تَستَأذِنيseek permission فيهِconcerning him أَجنَباa stranger
قَريباً وَلا تَستَأذِني فيهِ أَجنَبا
So, concerning a lover whose heart is set on you, do not heed
So do not watch for a lover whose only care is
A kinsman, nor seek a stranger's permission about him.
His loved one; do not ask me about strangers.
لِعَلَّكُماperhaps you two تَستَعهِدانِrenew acquaintance مِنَsome of الهَوىlove
لِعَلَّكُما تَستَعهِدانِ مِنَ الهَوى
بِنَظرَةِwith a glance of عَينٍan eye أَوor تُريدانِyou two desire مَلعَباa place for play
بِنَظرَةِ عَينٍ أَو تُريدانِ مَلعَبا
Perhaps you two will renew a bond of love
Maybe you both underestimate passion
With a glance of an eye, or seek a place for play.
With a glance of the eye, or you both want amusement.
يَلومُكِblames you فيfor الحُبِّlove الخَلِيُّthe man free of love وَلَوand even if غَداbecame
يَلومُكِ في الحُبِّ الخَلِيُّ وَلَو غَدا
بِداءِwith the sickness of الهَوىlove لَمdid not يَرعَheed أُمّاًa mother وَلاnor أَباa father
بِداءِ الهَوى لَم يَرعَ أُمّاً وَلا أَبا
The man free of love blames you for loving; yet if he were afflicted
The emaciated man blames you for love—and if tomorrow
With love's sickness, he would heed neither mother nor father.
He fell ill with love’s malady, he would not mind mother or father.
أَخُشّابَO Khushshab قَدindeed طالَhas grown long اِنتِظاريmy waiting فَأَنعِميso show kindness
أَخُشّابَ قَد طالَ اِنتِظاري فَأَنعِمي
عَلىto رَجُلٍa man يَدعوcalls for الأَطِبّاءَthe physicians مُتعَباexhausted
عَلى رَجُلٍ يَدعو الأَطِبّاءَ مُتعَبا
O Khushshab, my waiting has been long; show kindness
Oh Khushshab, my waiting has been long, so show kindness
To an exhausted man who calls for physicians.
To a man who calls doctors, utterly exhausted.
أُصيبَhe was afflicted بِشَوقٍwith longing فَاِستُخِفَّتso was shaken حَصاتُهُhis reason
أُصيبَ بِشَوقٍ فَاِستُخِفَّت حَصاتُهُ
وَلاand does not يَعرِفُhe knows التَغميضَclosing the eyes إِلّاexcept تَقَلُّباtossing and turning
وَلا يَعرِفُ التَغميضَ إِلّا تَقَلُّبا
He was stricken with longing, and his reason was shaken;
He is smitten with yearning, so his eyelids have thinned,
And he knows only tossing and turning when he closes his eyes.
And he knows no sleep but tossing and turning.
يَرىhe sees الهَجرَestrangement أَحياناًat times مِنَfrom الهَمِّgrief عارِضاًas a passing thought
يَرى الهَجرَ أَحياناً مِنَ الهَمِّ عارِضاً
وَإِنand if هَمَّhe resolves بِالهِجرانِon separation هابَhe fears وَكَذَّباand disavows it
وَإِن هَمَّ بِالهِجرانِ هابَ وَكَذَّبا
He sometimes considers parting, a passing thought born of grief;
He sometimes sees estrangement in his worry,
And if he resolves on separation, he fears it and disavows it.
And if he considers estrangement, he refuses and denies it.
بِهِin him جِنَّةٌmadness مِنfrom صَبوَةٍinfatuation لَعِبَتtoyed بِهِwith him
بِهِ جِنَّةٌ مِن صَبوَةٍ لَعِبَت بِهِ
وَقَدand indeed كانَhe was لاnot يَصبوfeel amorous yearning غُلاماًas a youth مُشَبَّباin youthful bloom
وَقَد كانَ لا يَصبو غُلاماً مُشَبَّبا
In him is madness from an infatuation that has toyed with him,
He is possessed by madness from youth that played with him,
Though once he felt no passion as a youth in full bloom.
And he had not acted madly as a passionate youth.
تَمَنّاكِhe longed for you حَتّىuntil صِرتِyou became وَسواسَthe obsession of قَلبِهِhis heart
تَمَنّاكِ حَتّى صِرتِ وَسواسَ قَلبِهِ
وَعاصىand defied إِلَيكِtoward you الصالِحينَthe righteous تَجَنُّباin avoidance
وَعاصى إِلَيكِ الصالِحينَ تَجَنُّبا
He longed for you until you became his heart's obsession,
He desired you until you became the obsession of his heart,
And for you he defied the righteous, shunning them.
And he disobeyed the righteous by avoiding you.
وَبَيضاءَand a fair-skinned woman مِعطارٍrichly perfumed يَروقُis pleasing بِعَينِهاto her eye
وَبَيضاءَ مِعطارٍ يَروقُ بِعَينِها
And a fair, richly perfumed woman, to whose eye it is pleasing—
A sweet-scented white girl pleased his eye,
She saw great passion for you in me and gasped—
رَأَتshe saw بيin me كَبيراًsomething great مِنof هَواكِlove for you فَسَبَّحَتso she glorified God
رَأَت بي كَبيراً مِن هَواكِ فَسَبَّحَت
وَأَكبَرُand greater مِمّاthan what قَدindeed رَأَتshe saw ماwhat تَغَيَّباlay hidden
وَأَكبَرُ مِمّا قَد رَأَت ما تَغَيَّبا
She saw in me great love for you and exclaimed, “Glory be to God!”
What she did not see is even greater than what disappeared.
Yet what remained hidden was greater than what she saw.
Oh Khushshab, my heart once had a wound
أَخُشّابَO Khushshab قَدindeed كانَتthere was عَلىupon القَلبِthe heart قُرحَةٌan ulcer
أَخُشّابَ قَد كانَت عَلى القَلبِ قُرحَةٌ
مِنَfrom الشَوقِlonging لاnot يَسطيعُهاcan master it مَنwhoever تَطَيَّباperfumed himself
مِنَ الشَوقِ لا يَسطيعُها مَن تَطَيَّبا
O Khushshab, there has been an ulcer upon my heart,
Of longing that no one who enjoys life could heal.
From longing, which no one wearing perfume can overcome.
When its pus was pierced, out crept
إِذاwhenever قُدِحَتwas sparked مِنهاfrom it الصَبابَةُyearning نَتَّجَتgave birth
إِذا قُدِحَت مِنها الصَبابَةُ نَتَّجَت
عَقارِبُscorpions فيهاwithin it عَقرَباًa scorpion ثُمَّthen عَقرَباa scorpion
عَقارِبُ فيها عَقرَباً ثُمَّ عَقرَبا
Whenever yearning is sparked from it, there breed
Scorpions, and then more scorpions.
Scorpions within it, scorpion after scorpion.
How long until we meet and speak
وَحَتّىand until مَتىwhen لاnot نَلتَقيwe meet لِحَديثِناfor our conversation
وَحَتّى مَتى لا نَلتَقي لِحَديثِنا
وَمَكنونِand the hidden store of حُبِّlove فيin الحَشاthe inner breast قَدindeed تَشَعَّباbranched out
وَمَكنونِ حُبِّ في الحَشا قَد تَشَعَّبا
And how long shall we not meet for our conversation
Of our secret love that branched out in the thickets?
And for hidden love that has branched within the breast?
My soul is torn every day and night,
تَقَطَّعُis torn apart نَفسيmy soul كُلَّevery يَومٍday وَلَيلَةٍand night
تَقَطَّعُ نَفسي كُلَّ يَومٍ وَلَيلَةٍ
إِلَيكِtoward you مَنوطاًtethered بَالأَمانِيِّto hopes خُلَّباdelusive
إِلَيكِ مَنوطاً بَالأَمانِيِّ خُلَّبا
My soul tears itself apart every day and night,
Hopeful of you, adorned with trinkets.
Toward you, tethered to delusive hopes.
Partial English translation: 44 of 45 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1