مَهْلاًbe gentle أُمَامَةُUmamah كَمْhow long تَطُولُlasts نَوَاكِyour absence
مَهْلاً أُمَامَةُ كَمْ تَطُولُ نَوَاكِ
والقَلْبُand the heart قَدْalready هَجَرhas forsaken الحِسانَbeautiful women سِوَاكِexcept you
والقَلْبُ قَدْ هَجَر الحِسانَ سِوَاكِ
Be gentle, Umamah—how long will your absence last?
And the heart has forsaken the beauties, save you.
يَهْوَاكِloves you دُونَrather than الغَانِياتِbeautiful women وعِنْدَهُand in its view
يَهْوَاكِ دُونَ الغَانِياتِ وعِنْدَهُ
أنَّthat المُوَفَّقthe fortunate one مَنْwhoever غَدَاhas become يَهْوَاكِloves you
أنَّ المُوَفَّق مَنْ غَدَا يَهْوَاكِ
It loves you rather than other beauties, and holds
that the fortunate one is whoever has come to love you.
وَيَراكِand sees you مَاثِلَةًpresent لَهُbefore it بِضَمِيرِهِin its inner thoughts
وَيَراكِ مَاثِلَةً لَهُ بِضَمِيرِهِ
وإنeven though اللَّياليthe nights بَاعَدَتْhave made distant مَثْوَاكِyour dwelling
وإن اللَّيالي بَاعَدَتْ مَثْوَاكِ
And sees you present before it within its thoughts,
even though the nights have set your dwelling far away.
يَاO هَذِهyou there نَفْسِيmy soul لَدَيكِin your keeping رَهِينَةٌcaptive
يَا هَذِه نَفْسِي لَدَيكِ رَهِينَةٌ
فَهَبِيso grant لَهَاto it يَاO هَذهyou there رُحْمَاكِyour mercy
فَهَبِي لَهَا يَا هَذه رُحْمَاكِ
O you, my soul lies captive in your keeping;
so grant it, O you, your mercy.
مُنِّيbestow عَلَيَّupon me بِرَشْفَةٍa sip تَشْفيthat quenches الصَّدَىthirst
مُنِّي عَلَيَّ بِرَشْفَةٍ تَشْفي الصَّدَى
إنَّindeed الصَّدَىthirst يَشْفِيهِquenches it رَشْفُsipping لَمَاكِyour lips’ dusky hue
إنَّ الصَّدَى يَشْفِيهِ رَشْفُ لَمَاكِ
Grant me a sip that quenches thirst;
for thirst is quenched by sipping your dusky lips.
إياكbeware أنْto تَدعِيyou let الضَّنىwasting sickness يَعْتَالُنيassail me
إياك أنْ تَدعِي الضَّنى يَعْتَالُني
ومِنَand among الجَفَاءِunkindness مَقَالَتيmy saying إيّاكِ'Beware!'
ومِنَ الجَفَاءِ مَقَالَتي إيّاكِ
Beware of letting wasting sickness assail me;
yet it is unkind of me to say 'Beware!' to you.
هذِيthis الشَّمَالُnorth wind عَلَيْكto you وارِدَةٌcoming بِماwith what
هذِي الشَّمَالُ عَلَيْك وارِدَةٌ بِما
حَمَّلْتُI entrusted هَبَّتهاits gust فأينَso where صَبَاكِyour east wind
حَمَّلْتُ هَبَّتها فأينَ صَبَاكِ
This north wind comes to you with what
I entrusted to its gust—where, then, is your east wind?
واللَّهِand by God لوif أبْصَرْتِنِيyou saw me تحْتَbeneath الدُّجَىthe darkness
واللَّهِ لو أبْصَرْتِنِي تحْتَ الدُّجَى
مُتَمَلْمِلاًtossing restlessly أَشْكوI lament أليمَthe pain of نَوَاكِyour absence
مُتَمَلْمِلاً أَشْكو أليمَ نَوَاكِ
By God, if you saw me beneath the darkness,
tossing restlessly, lamenting your painful absence,
لَصَباwould surely yearn فُؤادُكyour heart ليfor me ورَقَّand soften فَمَاand would not قَسَاharden
لَصَبا فُؤادُك لي ورَقَّ فَمَا قَسَا
وَسَخَتْand would give freely بِمَاءwith the water of شُؤونِهاtheir tear ducts عَيْناكِyour eyes
وَسَخَتْ بِمَاء شُؤونِها عَيْناكِ
your heart would surely yearn for me and soften, not be hard,
and your eyes would freely shed the water of their tear ducts.
لَمnot أسْلُI have forgotten حُبّكlove for you فاعلمِيso know بَعدafter النّوىseparation
لَم أسْلُ حُبّك فاعلمِي بَعد النّوى
ياO لَيْتَif only شِعْرِيَmy knowledge ماwhat الذيthat which أسْلاكِmade you forget
يا لَيْتَ شِعْرِيَ ما الذي أسْلاكِ
I have not ceased loving you since our parting—know this.
Oh, if only I knew what made you forget!
وَلَقَدْand indeed يُذَكِّرُنيreminds me وإنْeven though لَمْnot أَنْسَهI have forgotten it
وَلَقَدْ يُذَكِّرُني وإنْ لَمْ أَنْسَه
الغُصْنُthe bough قَدُّكyour figure والصّباحُand morning سَنَاكِyour radiance
الغُصْنُ قَدُّك والصّباحُ سَنَاكِ
And indeed, though I have not forgotten it, I am reminded
of your figure by the bough, and of your radiance by morning.
سَهِرstayed awake الكَئيبُthe sorrowful one وَنِمْتand you slept عنهُaway from him خَلِيّةًcarefree
سَهِر الكَئيبُ وَنِمْت عنهُ خَلِيّةً
فَهنَاكso may it delight you فيin لَيْلِthe night of التَّمامِfullest length كَرَاكِyour slumber
فَهنَاك في لَيْلِ التَّمامِ كَرَاكِ
The sorrowful one lay sleepless, while you slept, untroubled by him;
so may your slumber be sweet through the longest night.
Sol 6.1