هَجَعتَyou slept ياO طَيرُbird وَلَمand did not أَهجَعِI sleep
هَجَعتَ يا طَيرُ وَلَم أَهجَعِ
ماnot أَنتَyou إِلّاbut عاشِقٌa lover مُدَّعيpretending
ما أَنتَ إِلّا عاشِقٌ مُدَّعي
You slept, O bird, but I did not sleep.
You slept, O bird, but I did not sleep
You are nothing but a pretender to love.
You are but a pretentious lover
لَوif كُنتَyou were مِمَّنamong those who يَعرِفونَknow الجَوىlove’s anguish
لَو كُنتَ مِمَّن يَعرِفونَ الجَوى
قَضَيتَyou spent هَذاthis اللَيلَnight سُهداًsleepless مَعيwith me
قَضَيتَ هَذا اللَيلَ سُهداً مَعي
Had you been among those who know love’s anguish,
Had you known true love's pain
you would have spent this night sleepless with me.
You would have spent this night awake with me
ياO مَنthose who تَحامَيتُمyou have shunned سَبيلَthe path of الهَوىlove
يا مَن تَحامَيتُم سَبيلَ الهَوى
أُعيذُكُمI seek protection for you مِنfrom قَلَقِrestlessness of المَضجَعِthe bed
أُعيذُكُم مِن قَلَقِ المَضجَعِ
O you who have shunned the path of love,
O you who avoid love's path
I pray you be spared a restless bed,
I protect you from a restless bed
وَحَسرَةٍand anguish فيin النَفسِthe soul لَوif قُسِّمَتit were divided
وَحَسرَةٍ في النَفسِ لَو قُسِّمَت
عَلىamong ذَواتِthose bearing الطَوقِthe collar لَمnot تَسجَعِthey coo
عَلى ذَواتِ الطَوقِ لَم تَسجَعِ
and anguish in the soul that, if shared
And from regrets that, if divided
among the collared doves, would silence their cooing.
Among those in shackles, would not make them sleep
وَياand O بَنيchildren of الشَوقِlonging وَأَهلَand people of الأَسىsorrow
وَيا بَني الشَوقِ وَأَهلَ الأَسى
وَمَنand those who قَضَواdied فيin هَذِهِthese الأَربُعِabodes
وَمَن قَضَوا في هَذِهِ الأَربُعِ
And O children of longing and people of sorrow,
O people of longing and sorrow
and those who have died in these abodes,
Who spent this night in misery
عَلَيكُمupon you مِنfrom واجِدٍa yearning lover مُغرَمٍlove-stricken
عَلَيكُم مِن واجِدٍ مُغرَمٍ
تَحِيَّةُa greeting الموجَعِthe sufferer لِلموجَعِto the sufferer
تَحِيَّةُ الموجَعِ لِلموجَعِ
to you, from one yearning and love-stricken,
To you from a passionate lover
a sufferer’s greeting to a sufferer.
The greeting of the suffering to the suffering
لِلَّهِfor God, in exclamation ماhow أَقسىcruel فُؤادَthe heart of الدُجىnight’s darkness
لِلَّهِ ما أَقسى فُؤادَ الدُجى
عَلىtoward فُؤادِthe heart of العاشِقِthe lover المولَعِenthralled
عَلى فُؤادِ العاشِقِ المولَعِ
God, how cruel is the heart of night
By God, how harsh is the heart of one in anguish
to the heart of the enthralled lover!
To the heart of the passionate lover
هَذاthis one غَليظٌhard لَمnot يَرُضهُhas tamed it الهَوىlove
هَذا غَليظٌ لَم يَرُضهُ الهَوى
ماthat which lies بَينَbetween جَنبَيthe two flanks of أَسوَدٍa black one أَسفَعِdusky
ما بَينَ جَنبَي أَسوَدٍ أَسفَعِ
This one is hard; love has never tamed it,
This one is rough, dissatisfied with love
between the flanks of one black and dusky;
Not gentler than a rugged black rock
وَذاكَand that one فيwithin جَنبَيthe two flanks of فَتىًa young man مُدنَفٍlovesick
وَذاكَ في جَنبَي فَتىً مُدنَفٍ
عَلىfor سِوىanything other than الرِقَّةِtenderness لَمnot يُطبَعِwas fashioned
عَلى سِوى الرِقَّةِ لَم يُطبَعِ
while that lies within a lovesick youth’s flanks,
That one has the sides of an unkempt lad
fashioned for nothing but tenderness.
Whose nature lacks gentleness
وَأَغيَدٍand a graceful youth أَسكَنتُهُI lodged him فيin الحَشاthe breast
وَأَغيَدٍ أَسكَنتُهُ في الحَشا
وَقُلتُand I said ياO نَفسُsoul بِهِwith him فَاِقنَعيso be content
وَقُلتُ يا نَفسُ بِهِ فَاِقنَعي
And a graceful youth I lodged within my breast,
I housed a songbird in the courtyard
and said, “O soul, be content with him.”
And said O soul, be content with it
نِفارُهُhis flight أَسرَعُswifter مِنthan خاطِريmy thought
نِفارُهُ أَسرَعُ مِن خاطِري
وَصَدُّهُand his rejection أَقرَبُnearer مِنthan مَدمَعيmy tear duct
وَصَدُّهُ أَقرَبُ مِن مَدمَعي
His flight is swifter than my thought,
Its cooing faster than my thoughts
and his rejection is nearer than my tear duct.
Its rejection closer than my tears
وَخَدُّهُand his cheek لاnot تَنطَفيis extinguished نارُهُits fire
وَخَدُّهُ لا تَنطَفي نارُهُ
كَأَنَّماas though يَقبِسُit takes fire مِنfrom أَضلُعيmy ribs
كَأَنَّما يَقبِسُ مِن أَضلُعي
And his cheek—its fire never goes out,
Its cheek whose fire is not extinguished
as though it takes its flame from my ribs.
As if it kindles from my ribs
تَساءَلَتasked one another عَنّيabout me نُجومُthe stars of الدُجىnight’s darkness
تَساءَلَت عَنّي نُجومُ الدُجى
لَمّاwhen رَأَتنيthey saw me دانِيَnear المَصرَعِdeath
لَمّا رَأَتني دانِيَ المَصرَعِ
The stars of night asked one another about me
The stars of nightfall asked about me
when they saw me close to death.
When they saw me close to death
قالَتthey said نَرىwe see فيon الأَرضِthe earth ذاone with لَوعَةٍanguish
قالَت نَرى في الأَرضِ ذا لَوعَةٍ
قَدindeed باتَhe spent the night بَينَbetween اليَأسِdespair وَالمَطمَعِand hope
قَد باتَ بَينَ اليَأسِ وَالمَطمَعِ
They said, “We see upon the earth one anguished,
They said: We see one in agony on earth
who has spent the night between despair and hope,
Who spent the night between despair and hope
يَئِنُّhe moans كَالمَفؤودِlike one heart-stricken أَوor كَالَّذيlike one who
يَئِنُّ كَالمَفؤودِ أَو كَالَّذي
أَصابَهُstruck him سَهمٌan arrow وَلَمand was not يُنزَعِdrawn out
أَصابَهُ سَهمٌ وَلَم يُنزَعِ
moaning like one stricken in the heart, or one
Moaning like one abandoned or one
struck by an arrow that has not been drawn out.
Struck by an arrow that wasn't pulled out
إِنif كانَhe is فيin بَدرِthe full moon of الدُجىthe night هائِماًlost in love
إِن كانَ في بَدرِ الدُجى هائِماً
أَماis there not لِهَذاfor this البَدرِfull moon مِنany مَطلَعِplace of rising
أَما لِهَذا البَدرِ مِن مَطلَعِ
If he is lost in love with night’s full moon,
If he pined for the full moon at night
has this moon no place to rise?
Does this moon have no rising?
أَوor كانَhe is فيin ظَبيِthe gazelle of الحِمىthe protected pasture مُغرَماًenamored
أَو كانَ في ظَبيِ الحِمى مُغرَماً
أَماis there not لِهَذاfor this الظَبيِgazelle مِنany مَرتَعِgrazing ground
أَما لِهَذا الظَبيِ مِن مَرتَعِ
Or if he loves the gazelle of the protected pasture,
If he loved a gazelle in the sanctuary
has this gazelle no grazing ground?”
Does this gazelle have no pasture?
هَيهاتَfar beyond reach ياO أَنجُمُstars أَنthat تَعلَميyou should know
هَيهاتَ يا أَنجُمُ أَن تَعلَمي
مُثيرَthe one stirring أَشجانيmy sorrows أَوor تَطمَعيyou hope
مُثيرَ أَشجاني أَو تَطمَعي
Never, O stars, shall you know
Alas O stars you cannot know
who stirs my sorrows—or hope to know!
What stirs my sorrows or gives me hope
إِنّيindeed I am لَضَنّانٌtruly sparing بِذِكرِwith mentioning اِسمِهِhis name
إِنّي لَضَنّانٌ بِذِكرِ اِسمِهِ
ضَنّيmy jealous guarding بِوُدِّof the friendship of الكاتِبِthe writer الأَلمَعيthe brilliant one
ضَنّي بِوُدِّ الكاتِبِ الأَلمَعي
I jealously withhold the mention of his name,
I am stingy in mentioning his name
as I guard the friendship of the brilliant writer,
My friend, the brilliant writer
الضارِبِthe imposer of الجِزيَةِtribute مُنذُsince اِنتَشىhe grew elated
الضارِبِ الجِزيَةِ مُنذُ اِنتَشى
عَلىupon يَراعِthe reed pen of الشاعِرِthe poet المُبدِعِthe inventive one
عَلى يَراعِ الشاعِرِ المُبدِعِ
who has levied tribute ever since he grew elated
Who has taxed the mind of the poet
upon the reed pen of the inventive poet;
Since he began to grow
وَالحامِلِand the bearer of الأَقلامَthe pens مَشروعَةًleveled
وَالحامِلِ الأَقلامَ مَشروعَةً
كَأَنَّهاas though they were بَعضُsome of القَناthe lances الشُرَّعِthe leveled ones
كَأَنَّها بَعضُ القَنا الشُرَّعِ
and who carries his pens leveled,
And carries the pens legitimately
as though they were so many leveled lances.
As if they are some unfurled spears
إِذاwhen دَعاcalls القَولُspeech أَتىhe comes طائِعاًwillingly
إِذا دَعا القَولُ أَتى طائِعاً
وَإِنand if دَعاهُcalls him العِيُّinarticulacy لَمnot يَسمَعِhe listens
وَإِن دَعاهُ العِيُّ لَم يَسمَعِ
When speech calls, he comes willingly,
If words call him he comes willingly
and if inarticulacy calls him, he does not listen.
And if the blind call he does not hear
صَحِبتُهُI kept his company دَهراًfor an age فَأَلفَيتُهُand so I found him
صَحِبتُهُ دَهراً فَأَلفَيتُهُ
فَتىًa young man كَريمَnoble in الأَصلِlineage وَالمَنزِعِand disposition
فَتىً كَريمَ الأَصلِ وَالمَنزِعِ
I kept his company for an age, and found him
I accompanied him for a time and knew him
a young man noble in lineage and disposition:
A noble and excellent man
مَوَدَّةٌfriendship كَالخَمرِlike wine إِنif عُتِّقَتit is aged
مَوَدَّةٌ كَالخَمرِ إِن عُتِّقَت
جادَتit grows finer وَفَضلٌand generosity باسِمُsmiling المَشرَعِthe watering-place
جادَت وَفَضلٌ باسِمُ المَشرَعِ
friendship like wine: if aged,
A friendship like wine, if set free
it grows finer; and generosity whose watering-place smiles;
Flows generously in the name of the lawful
وَعَزمَةٌand resolve لَوif قُسِّمَتit were shared فيamong الوَرىmankind
وَعَزمَةٌ لَو قُسِّمَت في الوَرى
باتواthey would be مِنَfrom الشِعرىSirius عَلىwithin مَسمَعِearshot
باتوا مِنَ الشِعرى عَلى مَسمَعِ
and resolve that, if shared among mankind,
And a resolve that if divided among the people
would set them within earshot of Sirius.
They would fall asleep hearing poetry
Sol 6.1