ياO قلبُheart ماwhat فَعلتْdid بكto you العينانِthe two eyes
يا قلبُ ما فَعلتْ بك العينانِ
عَنَّتْappeared فمَلَّكتِand gave mastery to الغرامَpassion عِنانيmy reins
عَنَّتْ فمَلَّكتِ الغرامَ عِناني
O heart, what have those two eyes done to you?
Oh my heart, what have the eyes done to you?
They appeared and gave passion mastery of my reins.
They have been cruel, so love has taken its reins.
ياO معقلَstronghold الحَسراتِsorrows قدindeed كَمُلbecame complete الضَّناwasting sickness
يا معقلَ الحَسراتِ قد كَمُل الضَّنا
كمhow long ذاthis وألسنةand the tongues of النُّهَىreason تَنْهانيadmonish me
كم ذا وألسنة النُّهَى تَنْهاني
O stronghold of sorrows, wasting sickness has reached its height.
Oh refuge of sorrows, grief has reached its peak,
How long will this go on, while reason's tongues admonish me?
Though tongues of advice dissuade me all along.
كمhow many فيin حَشاكyour depths جِراحةٌa wound عَبَثتْtoyed بهاwith it
كم في حَشاك جِراحةٌ عَبَثتْ بها
حَدَقُpupils الظِّباgazelles وسَوالفُand sides of necks الغِزلانgazelles
حَدَقُ الظِّبا وسَوالفُ الغِزلان
How many wounds in your depths have been toyed with by
In your love how many wounds recklessly were made,
Gazelles' pupils and the sides of gazelles' necks.
By the glances of the doe and the curls of the gazelle.
منof كلevery معتدلِwell-proportioned القَوامstature تَخالُهyou deem him
من كل معتدلِ القَوام تَخالُه
مُتهادِياswaying as he walks غُصْناa branch منof الريحانsweet basil
مُتهادِيا غُصْنا من الريحان
Of every well-proportioned one whom you would take,
He sways like a bending branch in the wind,
Swaying as he walks, for a branch of sweet basil.
Medium in stature, a twig of sweet basil.
يعنيattends to بمِسْواكwith a toothstick الأَراكthe arak tree بمثلِهwith one like him
يعني بمِسْواك الأَراك بمثلِه
ويُقابلand matches الكثبانَthe dunes بالكثبانwith the dunes
ويُقابل الكثبانَ بالكثبان
He busies himself with an arak toothstick, one like himself,
Meaning to him I’d sacrifice myself if need be,
And matches the dunes with dunes.
And would face the sand dunes with more sand dunes.
نَشوانintoxicated حُمِّلwas made to bear خَصْرُهhis waist منfrom رِدْفِهhis buttocks
نَشوان حُمِّل خَصْرُه من رِدْفِه
ماwhat قدalready تحملَhas borne منfrom هواهlove of him جَنانىmy heart
ما قد تحملَ من هواه جَنانى
Intoxicated, his waist is made to bear, from his buttocks,
Nashwan, his waist bears the burden of his love,
What my heart has borne from love of him.
Which has maddened this passionate lover of his.
يَفْتَرُّsmiles عنto reveal شَبِمcool الرضابsaliva كأنهas though it were
يَفْتَرُّ عن شَبِم الرضاب كأنه
دُرٌّpearls لهاfor them صدفa shell منَof المَرْجانcoral
دُرٌّ لها صدف منَ المَرْجان
He smiles, revealing teeth cool with saliva, as though they were
He smiles with such beauty as if he were
Pearls whose shell is coral.
A pearl with the shell of a coral reef.
لاnot تَطْرفُblink الألحاظُthe eyes عندupon لقائِهmeeting him
لا تَطْرفُ الألحاظُ عند لقائِه
فكأنهاso, as though they ليستare not منamong الحيوانliving creatures
فكأنها ليست من الحيوان
Eyes do not blink on meeting him,
Eyes don’t turn away when meeting his,
As though they were not among living things.
As if they weren’t from the human race at all.
ياO سالماunscathed one وهَواهand love of him بينbetween جَوانحِيmy ribs
يا سالما وهَواه بين جَوانحِي
يَجرِيflows مَجاريthe pathways of الروحِthe soul منthrough جثمانيmy body
يَجرِي مَجاري الروحِ من جثماني
O unscathed one, love of you within my ribs
Oh Salim, his love flows through my soul,
Flows along the soul's pathways through my body.
Like the spirit flows in the body of man.
كمhow many ليلةٍa night أَطْلعْتُI ushered in فيهاin it فجَرهاits dawn
كم ليلةٍ أَطْلعْتُ فيها فجَرها
ويديand my hand علىon كبديmy liver منَbecause of الخَفَقانthe throbbing
ويدي على كبدي منَ الخَفَقان
How many a night have I ushered in its dawn,
How many nights have I stayed up until dawn,
With my hand upon my liver because of its throbbing.
With my hands clutching my heart in its throbbing.
أخلوI am alone بذكرِكwith your remembrance ثمthen يُقلقنيtroubles me ألأسىsorrow
أخلو بذكرِك ثم يُقلقني ألأسى
فأَعَضُّso I bite منfrom أسفٍgrief عليكover you بنانيmy fingertips
فأَعَضُّ من أسفٍ عليك بناني
I am alone with your memory; then sorrow troubles me,
I reminisce about you, then sorrow disquiets me,
So, in grief over you, I bite my fingertips.
So I gnaw my fingers in regret over you.
خذtake جانباa place aside ياO صاحِfriend عنfrom لَحظاتِهhis glances
خذ جانبا يا صاحِ عن لَحظاتِه
حَذَراbeware فهنfor they are حَبائلُsnares الشيطانSatan
حَذَرا فهن حَبائلُ الشيطان
Keep clear, my friend, of his glances,
Stay away, my friend, from his glances,
Beware, for they are Satan's snares.
Beware, for they are the snares of the devil.
كالسيفlike a sword يَخْترِمsnatches away النفوسsouls غرارُهits edge
كالسيف يَخْترِم النفوس غرارُه
ورُواهُand its splendor يُعجِبdelights ناظرَthe eye of الإنسانa human being
ورُواهُ يُعجِب ناظرَ الإنسان
Like a sword whose edge cuts lives short,
Like a sword, the deception of his love slashes souls,
And whose splendor delights the human eye.
Yet his face appeals to the beholder.
لاnot أستميحُI solicit الوصلَunion منكfrom you لأنهbecause it
لا أستميحُ الوصلَ منك لأنه
لوif نالهobtained it غيرِيsomeone other than me لكنتُthen I would be الثانيthe second
لو ناله غيرِي لكنتُ الثاني
I do not beg union from you, because
I don’t seek union with you so another can be first,
If another obtained it, I would be second.
If another attained it, I’d be the next.
لوif أنthat ماwhat أرجوهI hope for it منكfrom you وجدتُهI obtained it
لو أن ما أرجوه منك وجدتُه
وأرادهand wanted it غيرِيsomeone other than me لكانthen he would be مكانيin my place
وأراده غيرِي لكان مكاني
If I obtained what I hope for from you,
If I found your acceptance and another sought it,
And another wanted it, he would stand in my place.
He’d be in my place if that came about.
لوif جدتَyou were generous ليto me بالوصلwith union ثمthen بعثتَyou sent ليto me
لو جدتَ لي بالوصل ثم بعثتَ لي
منكfrom you الخيالthe dream-image مُواصِلاmaintaining contact لَكفانِيit would suffice me
منك الخيال مُواصِلا لَكفانِي
If you bestowed union on me, then sent me
If you allowed me to reunite then sent an apparition,
A phantom of you to keep me company, it would suffice me.
That would suffice me and be enough for me.
زدنيgive me more قِلىًaversion واهجرْand forsake فذلكfor that is بُغْيَتيmy desire
زدني قِلىً واهجرْ فذلك بُغْيَتي
منfrom بعدِafter كونِىmy being والورىand mankind سِيّانequal
من بعدِ كونِى والورى سِيّان
Hate me more and forsake me—that is my desire,
Increase my agony and shun me, for that is my goal,
Now that I and all mankind are alike.
After having been your equal among all mankind.
Sol 6.1