لَمdid not يَدرِknow طَيفphantom خِيالِكِyour image المَتأوّبُreturning by night
لَم يَدرِ طَيف خِيالِكِ المَتأوّبُ
أَنّيthat I عَلىupon جَمرِembers الأَسىgrief اَتَقَلَّبُtoss and turn
أَنّي عَلى جَمرِ الأَسى اَتَقَلَّبُ
The night-returning phantom of your image did not know
The phantom of your image wandering past
that I toss upon the embers of grief.
Did not know that I toss on the embers of sorrow.
وَافىarrived يُعارِضُهُconfronts it رَقِيبيmy watcher لَمdid not يَدَعallow
وَافى يُعارِضُهُ رَقِيبي لَم يَدَع
نَومِيmy sleep يَجيءُcome وَلاnor سُهادِيَmy sleeplessness يَذهَبُdepart
نَومِي يَجيءُ وَلا سُهادِيَ يَذهَبُ
It came; my watcher confronted it and would not let
My vigilant critic gave me no respite -
my sleep come, nor my sleeplessness depart.
Sleep comes not, nor does slumber depart.
ياO أَمَّmother of طَلحَةَTalha وَالديارُand the dwellings قَريبَةٌnear
يا أَمَّ طَلحَةَ وَالديارُ قَريبَةٌ
وَالنَجمُand the star مِنthan غَفلاتِlapses of vigilance قَومِكyour people أَقرَبُnearer
وَالنَجمُ مِن غَفلاتِ قَومِك أَقرَبُ
O Umm Talha, though the dwellings are near,
O mother of Talha, though the abodes be near
the star is nearer than your people's lapses of vigilance.
And the star closer than the heedlessness of your people,
هَلdo تَذكُرِينَyou remember إِذwhen الأَعاِيfoes (apparent typo) نُزّحٌfar away
هَل تَذكُرِينَ إِذ الأَعاِي نُزّحٌ
وَالمُلتَقىand the meeting-place كَثَبٌnear وَدارِكand your home مُشغَبُa place of commotion
وَالمُلتَقى كَثَبٌ وَدارِك مُشغَبُ
Do you remember when the foes were far away,
Do you remember me when the camel litters were struck
and the meeting-place was near, and your home was full of commotion?
And the meeting place was active and your house bustling?
ياO سَرحَةًa spreading tree حَرُمَتwas forbidden عَلَيّto me وَإِنَّهاthough indeed it is
يا سَرحَةً حَرُمَت عَلَيّ وَإِنَّها
لَأَلَذّsurely more delicious مِنthan ماءِwater الحَياةِlife وَأَعذَبُand sweeter
لَأَلَذّ مِن ماءِ الحَياةِ وَأَعذَبُ
O spreading tree, forbidden to me, though it is
O Sara, you are forbidden to me, yet you are
surely more delicious than the water of life, and sweeter!
Sweeter than the water of life and more pleasurable.
ماno بَعدَbeyond ظِلِّكِyour shade لِيfor me مَقِيلٌa noonday resting-place فَاِعلَميso know
ما بَعدَ ظِلِّكِ لِي مَقِيلٌ فَاِعلَمي
كَلّاno indeed وَلاnor ليfor me بَعدَbeyond مائِكِyour water مَشرَبُa drinking-place
كَلّا وَلا لي بَعدَ مائِكِ مَشرَبُ
Beyond your shade I have no noonday resting-place—know this;
After your shade I have no resting place, so know
no indeed, nor any drinking-place beyond your water.
Indeed, without your water I have no drinking place.
ياO صاحِبيmy companion وَإِليكand to you شَكوىa complaint صاحِبٍa companion
يا صاحِبي وَإِليك شَكوى صاحِبٍ
عَجَزَتfailed محالتُهُhis resourcefulness وَضاقَand narrowed المذهَبُthe way forward
عَجَزَت محالتُهُ وَضاقَ المذهَبُ
O my companion, to you comes the complaint of a companion
O my friend, to you I complain of a friend
whose resourcefulness has failed and whose way has narrowed.
Whose stratagems failed and whose course grew narrow.
امرُرpass عَلىby هَدَفِthe knoll المَسِيلَةِal-Masila إِنّهُfor it is
امرُر عَلى هَدَفِ المَسِيلَةِ إِنّهُ
هَدَفٌa knoll إِليto me مَعat العَشيّevening مُحَبّبُdear
هَدَفٌ إِلي مَع العَشيّ مُحَبّبُ
Pass by the knoll of al-Masila, for it is
Pass by the object of desire; it is to me
a knoll dear to me at evening.
At evening a desired object and beloved.
تَتَجاذَبُtug to and fro الأَرواحُthe winds فيهِin it ذُؤابَتيmy tress
تَتَجاذَبُ الأَرواحُ فيهِ ذُؤابَتي
وَيَضُمُّand enfolds بُردَيّmy two cloaks الغَمامُthe cloud الطَيّبُfragrant
وَيَضُمُّ بُردَيّ الغَمامُ الطَيّبُ
The winds there tug my tress to and fro,
The spirits there engage my passions
and the fragrant cloud enfolds my two cloaks.
And the gentle south wind embraces my fragrance.
Sol 6.1