الطويل

الطويل

أجارِيتي دَمعي سَقَى مَحْمَلي جَرْياً

أجارِيتي دَمعي سَقَى مَحْمَلي جَرْياً

The Ṭawīl meter.

My tears flowed down my cheeks rapidly

O my maiden, my tears have watered my litter as they flow,

For missing you, and my eyes have become blind

لِفَقْدِكِ والعينانِ قد صَارتَا عُميا

لِفَقْدِكِ والعينانِ قد صَارتَا عُميا

يُثبِّتُ دمعي طِرْسَه فَوْقَ وجْنَتي

يُثبِّتُ دمعي طِرْسَه فَوْقَ وجْنَتي

Because I have lost you—and both my eyes have now gone blind.

My tears fix its bitterness above my cheeks

My tears set their parchment upon my cheek,

And the letters of my sleep in my eyelids came unwillingly

واحرفُ نومي في جفوني أتَتْ نَفْيا

واحرفُ نومي في جفوني أتَتْ نَفْيا

تحاربني العُذالُ فيكِ عنافة

تحاربني العُذالُ فيكِ عنافة

And the letters of my sleep upon my eyelids have become negation.

Suffering fights me violently about you

The reproachers assail me harshly over you,

And I, for the length of my life, do not hear prohibition

وإني مدى عمري فلا أسمعُ النَهْيَا

وإني مدى عمري فلا أسمعُ النَهْيَا

سليوةُ لا واللهِ أسلو من الهَوى

سليوةُ لا واللهِ أسلو من الهَوى

And indeed, throughout my life I shall heed no prohibition.

No, by God, I don’t find solace from passion

Sulaywa, no—by God, I shall not cease to love.

I wish my rationality in loving you was lost

ويا ليتَ رُشْدِي في مَحَبَّتِكم غَيَّا

ويا ليتَ رُشْدِي في مَحَبَّتِكم غَيَّا

ذوي غُصْنُ أزهاري لظىً من أضالعي

ذوي غُصْنُ أزهاري لظىً من أضالعي

And oh, would that my sound judgment in loving you were folly!

The branches of my flowers scorched my ribs

The bough of my blossoms has withered in a blaze from my ribs,

And the vessels of my eyes still water it

وآماق عيني ما تزالُ له سَقيا

وآماق عيني ما تزالُ له سَقيا

يَذُوبُ فؤاي من تَلَهُّفِ حَسْرَتي

يَذُوبُ فؤاي من تَلَهُّفِ حَسْرَتي

And the corners of my eyes still water it.

My inner self melts from the agony of my longing

My heart melts with the anguished yearning of my grief,

And after you, my body was shown emaciated

وجِسمي بَرَاه الشوقُ من بَعدِكُم بَرْيا

وجِسمي بَرَاه الشوقُ من بَعدِكُم بَرْيا

فويليَ إن طالَ التباعدُ بَيْننَا

فويليَ إن طالَ التباعدُ بَيْننَا

And since you left, longing has whittled my body away.

Woe to me if the separation between us lengthens

So woe to me if the separation between us lasts long,

And you fall short of me and striving for my union

وقَصَّرْتُمُ عني وعن وَصْليَ السَّعْيا

وقَصَّرْتُمُ عني وعن وَصْليَ السَّعْيا

حلالٌ دمي أما علي وِصَالكُم

حلالٌ دمي أما علي وِصَالكُم

And you curtail your efforts toward me and toward union with me.

My blood is permitted to you while united

My blood is lawful to shed; yet union with you, for me,

And forbidden are the days as long as I live

حَرَامٌ مدى الأيام ما دُمْتُ في الأحيا

حَرَامٌ مدى الأيام ما دُمْتُ في الأحيا

عَدِمْتُ سروري واصطباري ورَاحتي

عَدِمْتُ سروري واصطباري ورَاحتي

Is forbidden all my days, as long as I remain among the living.

I lost my joy, patience and comfort

I have lost my joy, my patient endurance, and my rest,

And your love twisted my inner self severely

وحُبِّكُم ألوى علي مُهْجَتي ليّا

وحُبِّكُم ألوى علي مُهْجَتي ليّا

تَلَجْلَجَ مِنّي كلُّ عُضْوٍ ومَفْصِلٍ

تَلَجْلَجَ مِنّي كلُّ عُضْوٍ ومَفْصِلٍ

And, by my love for you, my heart has been wrung within me.

Every limb and joint of mine convulsed

Every limb and joint of mine has trembled,

As if I was stung and cannot find a remedy

كأنّي ملسوع ولا أجد الرقيَا

كأنّي ملسوع ولا أجد الرقيَا

أيا سلوةَ المحزونِ رِفْقاً بمُغْرَمٍ

أيا سلوةَ المحزونِ رِفْقاً بمُغْرَمٍ

As though I had been stung, and I can find no healing incantation.

Oh comfort of the depressed, be gentle with a passionate lover

O solace of the sorrowful, be gentle with a lovesick lover,

Do not show him your hatred and enmity in his abandonment

فلا تُظْهِري في هَجْرِهِ الحِقْدَ والبَغْيا

فلا تُظْهِري في هَجْرِهِ الحِقْدَ والبَغْيا

So do not show rancor or injustice in forsaking him.