لِمَنِwhose اللِحاظthe glances مَريضَةُlanguid الأَجفانِthe eyelids
لِمَنِ اللِحاظ مَريضَةُ الأَجفانِ
تَسطوassail بِسَيفٍwith a sword فيin القُلوبِthe hearts يَمانيYemeni
تَسطو بِسَيفٍ في القُلوبِ يَماني
Whose are the glances with languid eyelids,
that assail hearts with a Yemeni sword?
وَبِلَيلٍand by a night أسوَدَblack طرَّةٍa forelock وَبِعِزَّةٍand by pride
وَبِلَيلٍ أسوَدَ طرَّةٍ وَبِعِزَّةٍ
فَرطُexcess الغَرامِpassion أَظَلَّنيcast its shadow over me وَهَدانيand guided me
فَرطُ الغَرامِ أَظَلَّني وَهَداني
And by a forelock's black night, and by pride,
love's excess has cast its shadow over me and guided me.
لَولاbut for جَهالَةُthe ignorance of عاذِليmy reproacher ماnot لاblam- (fragment) مَني-ed me (fragment)
لَولا جَهالَةُ عاذِلي ما لا مَني
وَهوَand he الخَلِيُّthe untroubled one مِنَfree from الهَوىlove وَلَحانيand rebuked me
وَهوَ الخَلِيُّ مِنَ الهَوى وَلَحاني
But for my reproacher's ignorance, he would not have blamed me;
he himself is untouched by love, yet he rebuked me.
كَيفَhow التَعَرُّضُseeking لِلسُلُوِّforgetfulness وَلَيسَand there is no ليfor me
كَيفَ التَعَرُّضُ لِلسُلُوِّ وَلَيسَ لي
قَلبٌa heart يُوافِقُنيagrees with me عَلىon السِلوانِforgetting
قَلبٌ يُوافِقُني عَلى السِلوانِ
How can I seek forgetfulness when I have no
heart that agrees with me in forgetting?
ياO لِلرِجالِmen, come to my aid سَرىtravelled by night بِقَلبيinto my heart شادِنٌa young gazelle
يا لِلرِجالِ سَرى بِقَلبي شادِنٌ
حورِيُّhouri-like وَصفٍappearance يوسِفِيٌّYusuf-like مَعانيqualities
حورِيُّ وَصفٍ يوسِفِيٌّ مَعاني
O men! A young gazelle has slipped by night into my heart,
houri-like in appearance, Yusuf-like in qualities.
ماnot كُنتُI was أَعلَمُknowing أَنَّthat أَيّامَthe days of الصِباyouth
ما كُنتُ أَعلَمُ أَنَّ أَيّامَ الصِبا
مِمّاamong things that تُقاسُare compared بِرَقدَةِto a nap of الوَسنانِthe drowsy one
مِمّا تُقاسُ بِرَقدَةِ الوَسنانِ
I did not know that the days of youth
could be compared to a drowsy sleeper's nap.
وَلَقَدand indeed شَكَوتُI complained إِلىto النَسيمthe breeze صَبابَتيmy yearning
وَلَقَد شَكَوتُ إِلى النَسيم صَبابَتي
لَمّاwhen سَرَتdrifted by night مِسكِيَّةmusk-scented الأَردانِthe sleeves
لَمّا سَرَت مِسكِيَّة الأَردانِ
And I have indeed complained of my yearning to the breeze,
when it drifted past with musk-scented sleeves.
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher فيمَنover the one whom أُحِبُّI love جَهالَةًignorantly
يا عاذِلي فيمَن أُحِبُّ جَهالَةً
عَنّيaway from me إِلَيكَback to yourself فَلَيسَfor it is not شانَكَyour concern شانيmy concern
عَنّي إِلَيكَ فَلَيسَ شانَكَ شاني
O you who ignorantly reproach me for the one I love,
leave me alone; attend to yourself—your concern is not mine.
كَمhow great بَينَbetween مَلآنِone full الضُلوعُthe ribs ضَبابَةًyearning
كَم بَينَ مَلآنِ الضُلوعُ ضَبابَةً
وَخَلّيand carefree بالٍin mind مُطلِقُloosening الأَرسانِthe reins
وَخَلّي بالٍ مُطلِقُ الأَرسانِ
How great the gulf between one whose ribs brim with yearning
and one carefree, with the reins let loose!
بَينَbetween المَلامِreproach وَبَينَand between سَمعيmy hearing مِثلُthe like of ماwhat
بَينَ المَلامِ وَبَينَ سَمعي مِثلُ ما
بَينيbetween me وَبَينَand between الصَبرِpatience وَالسِلوانِand forgetting
بَيني وَبَينَ الصَبرِ وَالسِلوانِ
Between reproach and my hearing lies the same gulf
as between me and patience and forgetting.
لَمdid not يَعلُrise above ذاكَthat الخَدّcheek خالُa mole أَسوَدٌblack
لَم يَعلُ ذاكَ الخَدّ خالُ أَسوَدٌ
إلاexcept لِنكثِto undo شَقائِقِanemones النُعمانِNuʿman (part of the flower name)
إلا لِنكثِ شَقائِقِ النُعمانِ
No black mole rose upon that cheek
save to undo the anemones.
ياO بَرقlightning نُعمانِNuʿman الأَراكِthe arak trees سَقىmay water الحَياthe rain
يا بَرق نُعمانِ الأَراكِ سَقى الحَيا
زَمَناًa time نَعِمتَyou found delight بِهِin it عَلىover نَعمانِNuʿman
زَمَناً نَعِمتَ بِهِ عَلى نَعمانِ
O lightning of Nuʿman al-Arak, may the rain water
a time when you found delight over Nuʿman.
لكَyours أَنto تُشَوِّقُنيyou make me yearn إِلىfor الأَوطانِthe native lands
لكَ أَن تُشَوِّقُني إِلى الأَوطانِ
وَعَلَيَّand upon me أَنto أَبكيI weep بِدَمعٍwith tears قانِcrimson
وَعَلَيَّ أَن أَبكي بِدَمعٍ قانِ
Yours is to stir my longing for my native lands,
and mine is to weep with crimson tears.
وَأَناand I الكَفيلُthe guarantor لِواصِفيكَto those describing you بشَهقَةٍwith a gasp
وَأَنا الكَفيلُ لِواصِفيكَ بشَهقَةٍ
تُغريentices الفُؤادَthe heart بِصارِمِwith a keen blade of اللَمَعانِflashing light
تُغري الفُؤادَ بِصارِمِ اللَمَعانِ
And I guarantee those who describe you a gasp
that entices the heart with a sword of flashing light.
إِذاwhen الفَتىthe young man عَدَمَhas lost الشَبيبَةyouth وَالصِباand boyhood
إِذا الفَتى عَدَمَ الشَبيبَة وَالصِبا
فَفِناؤُهُthen his death وَبَقاؤُهُand his survival سِيّانِare alike
فَفِناؤُهُ وَبَقاؤُهُ سِيّانِ
When a man has lost youth and boyhood,
then his death and his survival are alike.
قِفstop بيwith me عَلىat تِلكَthose المَعاهِدِthe old haunts وَقفَةًa pause
قِف بي عَلى تِلكَ المَعاهِدِ وَقفَةً
تَشفىheal الجَوىlove's anguish وَتَفوزُand you win بِالإِحسانِthrough kindness
تَشفى الجَوى وَتَفوزُ بِالإِحسانِ
Pause with me awhile at those old haunts;
you will heal love's anguish and earn the reward of kindness.
نَزَلواthey settled بِرامَةin Rama قاطِنينَresiding فَلاso do not تَسَلask
نَزَلوا بِرامَة قاطِنينَ فَلا تَسَل
ماwhat حَلَّbefell بِالأَغصانِthe branches وَالغِزلانِand the gazelles
ما حَلَّ بِالأَغصانِ وَالغِزلانِ
They settled in Rama as residents; do not ask
what befell the branches and the gazelles.
فَلأبعَثَنَّso I shall surely send مَعَwith النَسيمthe breeze اليَهِمُto them
فَلأبعَثَنَّ مَعَ النَسيم اليَهِمُ
شَكوىa lament تَميلُincline لَهاtoward it غُصونُthe boughs of البانِthe ban trees
شَكوى تَميلُ لَها غُصونُ البانِ
So I shall surely send them, with the breeze,
a lament to which the ban-tree boughs incline.
وَأَغَنَّand a dulcet-voiced one لوif شَهدَsaw العَذولُthe reproacher جَمالَهhis beauty
وَأَغَنَّ لو شَهدَ العَذولُ جَمالَه
نَبَذَhe cast aside المَلامَreproach وَلِلغَرامِand to passion دَعانيhe called me
نَبَذَ المَلامَ وَلِلغَرامِ دَعاني
And a dulcet-voiced one—if the reproacher saw his beauty,
he would abandon reproach and call me to love.
مُتَيَقِّظٌwakeful لِلقَتلِfor killing ناعِسُdrowsy طَرفِهِhis gaze
مُتَيَقِّظٌ لِلقَتلِ ناعِسُ طَرفِهِ
وَيلاهُwoe to me مِنfrom مُتَيَقِّظٍa wakeful one نَعسانِdrowsy
وَيلاهُ مِن مُتَيَقِّظٍ نَعسانِ
Alert for killing, drowsy in his gaze—
woe to me from one both wakeful and drowsy!
لِمَwhy لاnot أَحِنُّI yearn إِلىfor الحِجازِthe Hijaz صَبابَةًwith passionate longing
لِمَ لا أَحِنُّ إِلى الحِجازِ صَبابَةً
وَيَجودُand pours generously دمعَthe tears of العَينِthe eye بِالهَملانِin streams
وَيَجودُ دمعَ العَينِ بِالهَملانِ
Why should I not yearn for the Hijaz with passionate longing,
and the eye's tears pour down in streams?
وَرِضابُهُand his saliva الخَمرُwine العَذيبُsweet وَخَدُّهُand his cheek النthe… (word fragment)
وَرِضابُهُ الخَمرُ العَذيبُ وَخَدُّهُ الن
نَضرfresh الحِمىthe sanctuary وَعِذارِهِand his cheek-down العَلمانِthe twin landmarks
نَضر الحِمى وَعِذارِهِ العَلمانِ
And his saliva is sweet wine; his cheek, the
fresh one, is the sanctuary, and his cheek-down the twin landmarks.
Sol 6.1