كمhow often رامsought سَلْوَتَهhis forgetting of love العَذولُthe reproacher فماbut did not وَعَىheed
كم رام سَلْوَتَه العَذولُ فما وَعَى
ورجَاand hoped for إجابَتهhis response فلمbut did not يَرَsee مَطْمَعاany prospect
ورجَا إجابَته فلم يَرَ مَطْمَعا
How often the reproacher tried to make him forget, but he would not heed,
How often the loving one longed for union, but gained no understanding,
and hoped for his response, yet found no opening for hope.
And hoped for a response, but saw no possibility,
مذsince صارcame to be ذاكthat السرُّthe secret فيin أسماعهhis ears
مذ صار ذاك السرُّ في أسماعه
لمnot يُبْقِleave فيهin him للمَلامِةfor reproach موضعاa place
لم يُبْقِ فيه للمَلامِة موضعا
Since that secret reached his ears,
Since that secret was made known to him,
it left no room in him for reproach.
He left no room for blame.
قدindeed كانthere was ليfor me قلبٌa heart فصَيَّرهthen made it الهوىlove
قد كان لي قلبٌ فصَيَّره الهوى
هَدَفاa target لألحاظِfor the glances of الظِّباthe gazelles فتَقطَّعاso it was torn apart
هَدَفا لألحاظِ الظِّبا فتَقطَّعا
I once had a heart, and love made it
I once had a heart, but love made it
a target for gazelles' glances, so it was torn apart,
A target for the glances of does, so it was ripped to shreds
مِنfrom كلِّevery منone who جَعلmade النَّقاthe sand dune كَفَلالهa rump for himself
مِن كلِّ من جَعل النَّقا كَفَلاله
والغُصنand the branch قَدّاa stature والمَلاحةand loveliness بُرْقُعاa veil
والغُصن قَدّا والمَلاحة بُرْقُعا
by each one who made the sand dune his rump,
By all those who made coquetry their profession,
the branch his stature, and loveliness his veil.
The bough their tryst and flirtation their craft.
رَياَّنwell-watered منwith ماءthe water of النعيمbliss فلوso if دَناdrew near
رَياَّن من ماء النعيم فلو دَنا
منto جسِمهhis body الصَّخرthe rock الأَصمُّsolid لأَيْنَعاit would surely blossom
من جسِمه الصَّخر الأَصمُّ لأَيْنَعا
Suffused with the water of bliss—if there drew near
They are two meadows lush with the water of delight, so if
to his body a solid rock, it would blossom.
The deaf rock drew near their bodies, it would bloom.
كالبدرlike the full moon لماwhen أَنْthat (linking particle) بَداhe appeared كالَّظبْيlike a gazelle لمwhen (first fragment)
كالبدر لما أَنْ بَدا كالَّظبْي لم
اcompletion of 'when' أنْthat (linking particle) رَناhe gazed كالغُصْنlike a branch لماwhen أنthat (linking particle) سعىhe walked
ا أنْ رَنا كالغُصْن لما أن سعى
Like the full moon when he appeared, like a gazelle when
Like the full moon when it rose, like the gazelle when
he gazed, like a branch when he walked.
It glanced, like the bough when it swayed.
حلوsweet الحديثin speech فماso not يَروقكhe delights you منظراin appearance
حلو الحديث فما يَروقك منظرا
بِجمالهwith his beauty إلاexcept وراقكand he delights you مَسْمَعاin sound
بِجماله إلا وراقك مَسْمَعا
Sweet of speech: he never delights your eyes
Sweet is his talk, and nothing delights you more in his beauty
with his beauty without delighting your ears as well.
Than when his voice gives you pleasure.
يُبديreveals التبسمُthe smile منهfrom him عندat تَنهُّديmy sighing
يُبدي التبسمُ منه عند تَنهُّدي
دُرّاpearls لطيفاdelicate فيin العقيقِcarnelian مُرصَّعاinlaid
دُرّا لطيفا في العقيقِ مُرصَّعا
His smile reveals, as I sigh,
His smile reveals for you, when you sigh,
delicate pearls inlaid in carnelian.
Fine pearls set in carnelian.
تُنْبِيكtells you نَكْهَتُهhis breath بأنّthat رُضابَهhis saliva
تُنْبِيك نَكْهَتُه بأنّ رُضابَه
خمرٌwine يَشوبmingles with المِسْكَmusk حينwhen تَضوَّعاit releases fragrance
خمرٌ يَشوب المِسْكَ حين تَضوَّعا
His breath tells you that his saliva
Its delicacy tells you his saliva is
is wine that mingles with musk as its fragrance spreads.
Wine mixed with musk when it is pure.
قدindeed كانwas يَعْذُبtastes sweet ليto me العذابُtorment وسِنُّهand his age
قد كان يَعْذُب لي العذابُ وسِنُّه
عَشْرٌten وكيفand how وقدand already تَزايدَincreased أربعاby four
عَشْرٌ وكيف وقد تَزايدَ أربعا
Torment once tasted sweet to me when his age was
Though torment was sweet with him, now that
ten—how much more now that it has increased by four,
He is sixteen, how much sweeter!
حينwhen استتمَّbecame complete جمالُهhis beauty وأضاءand shone فيin
حين استتمَّ جمالُه وأضاء في
وَجَناتِهhis cheeks نورُthe light of الشبابِyouth مشعشعاshining brightly
وَجَناتِه نورُ الشبابِ مشعشعا
when his beauty reached its fullness and there shone in
Now that his beauty has reached perfection, and the light of youth
his cheeks the radiant light of youth.
Shines radiant from his cheeks.
ماwhat بالis the matter with حظىmy fortune والزمانُand time يَحُطُّهlowers it
ما بال حظى والزمانُ يَحُطُّه
باعاan armspan لأَسْفَلَdownward حينwhen يرقَىit rises إصبعاa finger's breadth
باعا لأَسْفَلَ حين يرقَى إصبعا
What ails my fortune, when time lowers it
Why is fate so harsh with him, humbling him
an armspan downward whenever it rises a finger's breadth?
To the lowest when he climbs highest?
أبداًalways يُقابلنيit confronts me بضِدِّwith the opposite of إرادتيmy wish
أبداً يُقابلني بضِدِّ إرادتي
قَصْداdeliberately فلوso if أهوىI desire المَشيبgray hair لأَقْشَعاit would surely vanish
قَصْدا فلو أهوى المَشيب لأَقْشَعا
It always confronts me with the opposite of my wish,
He always opposes my will intentionally -
deliberately: were I to desire gray hair, it would vanish.
If I loved gray hair, he would go bald!
لماwhen رأىit saw قلبيmy heart بَوفْدَfor the troop of صُروفِهits reversals
لما رأى قلبي بَوفْدَ صُروفِه
رَحْباspacious أصارit made لهنfor them فيهin it مَرْبَعاa dwelling
رَحْبا أصار لهن فيه مَرْبَعا
When it found my heart, for its troop of reversals,
When he saw my heart was open to his caprice,
spacious, it made a dwelling for them there:
He made it a square for them to race their steeds.
منof كلِّevery كالحةٍa grim-faced calamity إذاif أَنْحَتْit bore down علىupon
من كلِّ كالحةٍ إذا أَنْحَتْ على
رَضْوىRadwa بكَلْكَلهاwith its breast وَهَىit weakened وتَضَعْضَعاand it tottered
رَضْوى بكَلْكَلها وَهَى وتَضَعْضَعا
each a grim-faced calamity—if it bore down upon
For every flirt who showed off with her anklets as she swayed,
Radwa with its breast, the mountain would weaken and totter.
Breaking my endurance with her overbold ways.
أفنتْdestroyed كنانُتهits quiver دروعَthe coats of armor of تَصبُّرىmy endurance
أفنتْ كنانُته دروعَ تَصبُّرى
ورَمىand it shot فلمbut did not يتركْleave لقوسٍfor any bow مَنْزَعاscope to draw
ورَمى فلم يتركْ لقوسٍ مَنْزَعا
Its quiver destroyed the armor of my endurance,
His coquetry broke down the armor of my patience
and it shot, leaving no scope for any bow to draw.
And left no escape for my bow.
حاليmy plight كممدودِlike the lengthened form of اسْمِهاits name فيin هَمِّهِits grief
حالي كممدودِ اسْمِها في هَمِّهِ
يستغرِقengulfs الثَّقَلَيْنhumankind and jinn فيat وقتٍa time معاtogether
يستغرِق الثَّقَلَيْن في وقتٍ معا
My plight, like its name's lengthened form, in its grief
My state is like the lengthening of her name in his cares -
engulfs both humankind and jinn at once.
It takes up both worlds, leaving no time between.
Sol 6.1