صَحاsobered القَلبthe heart عَنfrom أمّUmm (mother of) الخُنَيفِal-Khunayf وَلَمand did not يَكُنbe
صَحا القَلب عَن أمّ الخُنَيفِ وَلَم يَكُن
لِيَصحُوَto sober إِلّاexcept بَعدَafter عَنيٍsuffering مُماطِلِlong-drawn-out
لِيَصحُوَ إِلّا بَعدَ عَنيٍ مُماطِلِ
The heart sobered from its love for Umm al-Khunayf, and would not
My heart recovered from Umm Al-Khunaif, and it would not
have sobered except after long-drawn-out suffering.
Have recovered except after a procrastinating eye.
فَأَصبَحتُso I became مَصرُوفَturned away اللُبانَةِlonging وَالهَوىand passion
فَأَصبَحتُ مَصرُوفَ اللُبانَةِ وَالهَوى
قَليلَlittle given to التَصابيyouthful dalliance مُستَريحَat rest العَواذِلِthe reproving women
قَليلَ التَصابي مُستَريحَ العَواذِلِ
So I was turned away from longing and passion,
So I became turned away from passion and love,
little given to youthful dalliance, with my reprovers at rest,
Rarely inclining, resting from obstacles.
سِوىexcept for عَبرَةٍa tear مَسفوحَةٍshed كُلّماwhenever بَدَتappeared
سِوى عَبرَةٍ مَسفوحَةٍ كُلّما بَدَت
لَهُto it دِمنَةٌa ruined campsite أَوor شاقَهُmade it yearn بَينَparting راحِلِa departing traveler
لَهُ دِمنَةٌ أَو شاقَهُ بَينَ راحِلِ
save for a tear shed whenever there appears
Except for pouring tears whenever
to it a ruined campsite, or a traveler's departure stirs its longing.
A tear appeared to me or saddened me between mounts.
أَرُكبانَO riders أَنضاءِworn-out camels السِفارjourneys أَلاpray قِفُواhalt
أَرُكبانَ أَنضاءِ السِفار أَلا قِفُوا
رُسُومَworn remnants المَطاياthe mounts فيamong رُسومِremnants المَنازِلِthe dwellings
رُسُومَ المَطايا في رُسومِ المَنازِلِ
O riders of travel-worn camels, pray, halt
O riders of the noble horses, stop
the worn remnants of your mounts amid the remnants of the dwellings.
The features of the steeds at the features of the abodes.
نُسائِلwe ask مَتىwhen عَهدُlast acquaintance الديارِthe dwellings بِسَكنِهاwith their inhabitants
نُسائِل مَتى عَهدُ الديارِ بِسَكنِها
وَإِنand though كُنَّthey are خُرساًmute ماnot يُبِنَّthey reveal لِسائِلِto an inquirer
وَإِن كُنَّ خُرساً ما يُبِنَّ لِسائِلِ
We ask when the dwellings last knew their inhabitants,
I ask when the homes were accustomed to settlement
though they are mute and reveal nothing to an inquirer.
Though they be mute, they inform the questioner.
أَلاAh لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether تَعُودُreturn كَعَهدِناas we knew them
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري هَل تَعُودُ كَعَهدِنا
لَيالٍnights طَوَيناهُنّwe folded them away طَيَّthe folding of المَراحِلِthe journey-stages
لَيالٍ طَوَيناهُنّ طَيَّ المَراحِلِ
Ah, would that I knew: will there return, as we once knew them,
Oh, would that I knew, will it return as we were accustomed
nights we folded away as one folds the stages of a journey?
To nights we folded, folding the miles?
إِذاwhen ذَكَرَتهاrecalled them النَفسُthe soul كادَتit almost did مِنfrom الأَسىsorrow
إِذا ذَكَرَتها النَفسُ كادَت مِن الأَسى
تَسَرَّبُflows away فيin أَولىthe first of الدُمُوعthe tears الهَوامِلِstreaming
تَسَرَّبُ في أَولى الدُمُوع الهَوامِلِ
When the soul recalls them, grief nearly makes it
When the soul remembers it, it nearly
flow away in the first of the streaming tears.
Leaks at the beginning of the pouring tears.
وَإِنّيand indeed I وَتَركيand my forsaking أُمَّUmm (mother of) طَلحَةَTalha بَعدَماafter
وَإِنّي وَتَركي أُمَّ طَلحَةَ بَعدَما
تَسَلسَلَcoursed مِنّيfrom me حُبُّهاlove for her فيin المَفاصِلِthe joints
تَسَلسَلَ مِنّي حُبُّها في المَفاصِلِ
And I, in forsaking Umm Talha after
And I left Umm Talha after
my love for her had coursed through my joints,
My love for her chained my joints.
لَظَمآنُsurely a thirsty man قَفرٍa wasteland أَبصَرsaw الماءَthe water حَسرَةًin anguish
لَظَمآنُ قَفرٍ أَبصَر الماءَ حَسرَةً
وَقَدand already ذيدَwas driven away عَنfrom أَطرافِهِits edges بِالمَناصِلِby sword blades
وَقَد ذيدَ عَن أَطرافِهِ بِالمَناصِلِ
am a thirsty man in a wasteland who saw water in anguish,
I am thirsty in a barren desert when I saw water yearning
having been driven from its edges by sword blades.
While it was forbidden from its edges with barriers.
وَلَولاand were it not for رَجائيmy hope عَطفةa kindly turn الدَهرِtime لَمnot أُبَلI care
وَلَولا رَجائي عَطفة الدَهرِ لَم أُبَل
مَتىwhen نَزَلَتdescended بِالنَفسِupon the soul إِحدىone of النَوازِلِthe calamities
مَتى نَزَلَت بِالنَفسِ إِحدى النَوازِلِ
And were it not for my hope of a kinder turn of time, I would not care
Were it not for my hope in the time's kindness I would not
when any calamity descended upon my soul.
When one of the calamities befell my soul.
عَنِabout النَومsleep سَلask عَيناًan eye بِهِwith it طالَgrew long عَهدُهاits last acquaintance
عَنِ النَوم سَل عَيناً بِهِ طالَ عَهدُها
وَكانَand it was قَليلاًscant فيin لَيالٍnights قَلائِلِfew
وَكانَ قَليلاً في لَيالٍ قَلائِلِ
Ask about sleep an eye that has long been a stranger to it,
Ask the eye from which sleep is long absent
and it was scant, on nights that were few.
Though it was little during a few nights.
أَبيتُI spend the night بِمُستَأنىat the waiting-place for الخَيالthe dream-phantom وَدُونَهُand before it
أَبيتُ بِمُستَأنى الخَيال وَدُونَهُ
طُرُوقُnight-visits سُهادٍsleeplessness وَاعتيادُand recurrence of بَلابِلِanxieties
طُرُوقُ سُهادٍ وَاعتيادُ بَلابِلِ
I spend the night awaiting the dream-phantom; between us stand
I spent the night in the refuge of imagination, and beneath it
night-visits of sleeplessness and recurring anxieties.
Are mattresses of rest and habit of night birds.
إِذاwhen ظَنّtook for وَكراًa nest مُقلَتيmy eye طائرُthe bird الكَرىslumber
إِذا ظَنّ وَكراً مُقلَتي طائرُ الكَرى
رَأىsaw هُدبَهاits lashes فَاِرتاعَso it took fright خَوفَfor fear of الحَبائِلِthe snares
رَأى هُدبَها فَاِرتاعَ خَوفَ الحَبائِلِ
When the bird of slumber takes my eye for a nest,
When the bird of worries saw the den of my eyelids,
it sees the eye's lashes and takes fright, fearing snares.
It thought it a trap, fearing the snares.
Sol 6.1