هذهthis سنّةُthe custom of أبناءِthe sons of النُّهىreason
هذه سنّةُ أبناءِ النُّهى
لستُI am not فيماin what جئتُهI have done it مبتدِعاan innovator
لستُ فيما جئتُه مبتدِعا
This is the custom of men of reason;
This is the way of the children of passion
I am no innovator in what I have done.
I am not the first in what I have come to
أيّwhat صبٍّlovesick lover لمdid not يؤرِّقkeep awake جفنَهُhis eyelid
أيّ صبٍّ لم يؤرِّق جفنَهُ
خفَقانflickering البرقِthe lightning لمّاwhen طلعَاit appeared
خفَقان البرقِ لمّا طلعَا
What lovesick lover’s eyelid has not been kept awake
What youth has not had his eyelids robbed of sleep
by the lightning’s flicker when it appeared?
By the flickering of lightning when it flashes?
أنشُداseek, you two قلبيmy heart بجرعاءِon the sandy ground of الحمِىthe preserve
أنشُدا قلبي بجرعاءِ الحمِى
فبهاfor in it خلّفتُهI left it behind منقطِعاstranded
فبها خلّفتُه منقطِعا
Seek my heart, you two, on the preserve’s sandy ground;
They wrung my heart with draughts of hot desire
for there I left it stranded.
Leaving it there distracted and forlorn
ضاعَit was lost بينamong الحَدَقِthe eyes النّجلwide وكمand how many
ضاعَ بين الحَدَقِ النّجل وكم
قلبِa heart of صبٍّa lovesick lover عندهاamong them قدindeed ضُيِّعاwas squandered
قلبِ صبٍّ عندها قد ضُيِّعا
It was lost among wide eyes—and how many
Many a flower of youth was lost to those eyes
a lovesick lover’s heart has been squandered there!
Where hearts of passionate youths were led astray
Sol 6.1