كَرَّتْrevived سَوافِحُstreaming torrents عَبْرَتِيmy tears أَشْجَانِيmy sorrows
كَرَّتْ سَوافِحُ عَبْرَتِي أَشْجَانِي
فنُضُوبُso the drying up طَرْفِيmy eye لامْتِلاءbecause of fullness جَنَانِيmy heart
فنُضُوبُ طَرْفِي لامْتِلاء جَنَانِي
The torrents of my tears revived my sorrows.
My eyes overflow with tears of longing
So my eye runs dry because my heart is full.
for my heart is filled with sorrows untold
وَمِنand among العَجائِبِthe wonders أنthat يَدُلَّpoints علَىto الهَوىlove
وَمِن العَجائِبِ أن يَدُلَّ علَى الهَوى
مَاwhat يُسْتَدَلُّis used as evidence بِهِby it عَلَىfor السُّلْوَانِforgetting love
مَا يُسْتَدَلُّ بِهِ عَلَى السُّلْوَانِ
And among the wonders is that love is revealed
How strange that what betrays my love
by what is taken as a sign of forgetting.
is what innocence would withhold
عَكْسَreversal of الحَقائِقrealities فيin الهَوىlove مُتَعَارَفٌwell known
عَكْسَ الحَقائِق في الهَوى مُتَعَارَفٌ
فَتَرَىso you see الأُسُودَthe lions قَنَائِصَprey of الغِزْلانِthe gazelles
فَتَرَى الأُسُودَ قَنَائِصَ الغِزْلانِ
In love, the reversal of realities is well known;
In love, truth is reversed, well-known
so you see lions become the prey of gazelles.
to see the black, faults of does disown
ولَقَدْand indeed نَظَرْتُI looked فَلَمْand did not أَجِدْI find أقْوَىmore capable عَلَىof
ولَقَدْ نَظَرْتُ فَلَمْ أَجِدْ أقْوَى عَلَى
غَصْبِforcibly seizing النُّهَىreason مِنْthan فَاتِرِlanguid الأجْفَانِthe eyelids
غَصْبِ النُّهَى مِنْ فَاتِرِ الأجْفَانِ
Indeed, I looked and found none more capable of
And when I looked, I found none stronger
stealing reason than one with languid eyelids.
in claiming the forbidden, than one downcast in sight
ياO مَنْone who لَهاfor her خُلْفُbreaking المَوَاعِدِpromises عَادَةٌa habit
يا مَنْ لَها خُلْفُ المَوَاعِدِ عَادَةٌ
أمِنَis it part of الوَفاءِfidelity سُطاكَyour assault بِالهَيْمَانِon the love-crazed one
أمِنَ الوَفاءِ سُطاكَ بِالهَيْمَانِ
O you whose habit is to break promises,
O she who is fickle in keeping her word
is your assault on a love-crazed man an act of fidelity?
is your loyalty in promises slight?
أَرْدَفْتِyou added فيin هَجْرِيshunning me كَرِدْفِكِlike your hips غِلْظَةًharshness
أَرْدَفْتِ في هَجْرِي كَرِدْفِكِ غِلْظَةً
وشَبِيهُand like خِصْرِكَyour waist رِقَّةًin slenderness جُثْمَانِيmy body
وشَبِيهُ خِصْرِكَ رِقَّةً جُثْمَانِي
In shunning me, you added harshness as thick as your hips;
You've followed my estrangement with coldness
and my body is as slender as your waist.
while my body is soft like your form
باللَّهِby God قُولِيsay يَاO ابْنَةَdaughter of الأَقْيالthe kings مَاwhat
باللَّهِ قُولِي يَا ابْنَةَ الأَقْيال مَا
هَذَاthis العِقابُpunishment وَمَاand not أنَاI بِالجَانِيa wrongdoer at all
هَذَا العِقابُ وَمَا أنَا بِالجَانِي
By God, tell me, O daughter of kings, what
By God, speak! Daughter of the departed
is this punishment, when I am no wrongdoer?
what is this punishment, and my crime?
هَلاwhy not أَبَحْتِyou granted مِنَof الرِّضَىfavor مَمْنُوعَهits withheld portion
هَلا أَبَحْتِ مِنَ الرِّضَى مَمْنُوعَه
إنَّindeed الحِسَانَbeautiful women مظنَّةُa likely source of الإحْسَانِkindness
إنَّ الحِسَانَ مظنَّةُ الإحْسَانِ
Why not grant the favor you have withheld?
Why not show some pleasure allowed
Surely from beautiful women one expects kindness.
goodness expects only what's kind
أمّاas for هَوَاكِlove for you فَعَنْthen from سِوَاكanyone but you مُكَتَّمٌkept secret
أمّا هَوَاكِ فَعَنْ سِوَاك مُكَتَّمٌ
والسِّرُّand the secret عِنْدَwith الحُرِّthe noble man فِيin كِتْمَانِconcealment
والسِّرُّ عِنْدَ الحُرِّ فِي كِتْمَانِ
As for my love for you, it is hidden from all but you;
Your love for me is secret to all but you
and with a noble man, a secret stays concealed.
a free man keeps his passions confined
لاdo not تَحْسَبِيthink أنِّيthat I جَنَحْتُI inclined لِسَلْوَةٍtoward forgetting love
لا تَحْسَبِي أنِّي جَنَحْتُ لِسَلْوَةٍ
أنَّيhow? وَماand what بِيwithin me جَلَّis too great عَنْfor حُسْبَانِreckoning
أنَّي وَما بِي جَلَّ عَنْ حُسْبَانِ
Do not think I have turned toward forgetting you;
Think not I'm tempted by a mere delight
how could I, when what ails me is beyond reckoning?
I'm not one to be led astray in mind
هَذاthis عِنانِيmy rein فيin يدَيْكِyour two hands وإنَّماand only
هَذا عِنانِي في يدَيْكِ وإنَّما
فازَتْtriumphed يَدَايَmy two hands بأَنْbecause مَلَكْتِyou possessed عنَانِيmy rein
فازَتْ يَدَايَ بأَنْ مَلَكْتِ عنَانِي
Here is my rein in your hands, and only
My reins are in your hands but my hands
because you possess my rein have my hands triumphed.
have gained that they hold my reins
بِأبِيwith my father as ransom التِيshe who قَرَنَتْjoined مَحاسِنُthe charms of خدِّهَاher cheek
بِأبِي التِي قَرَنَتْ مَحاسِنُ خدِّهَا
باليَاسَمِينِwith jasmine شَقَائِقَanemones النُّعْمَانِal-Nuʿman (flower-name element)
باليَاسَمِينِ شَقَائِقَ النُّعْمَانِ
May my father be ransom for her whose cheek's charms united
By my father whose cheeks and jasmine
anemones with jasmine.
like partridge roses sweetly combine
وَتَبَسَّمَتْand she smiled عَنto reveal وَاِضحاتِgleaming لآلِئٍpearls
وَتَبَسَّمَتْ عَن وَاِضحاتِ لآلِئٍ
مَغْرُوزَةٍset فيin فَائِقِthe finest المَرْجانِcoral
مَغْرُوزَةٍ في فَائِقِ المَرْجانِ
And she smiled, revealing gleaming pearls
Smiling with teeth like pearls
set in the finest coral.
embedded in the finest coral line
ولَئِنْand if indeed رَنَتْshe gazed بِلَوَاحِظٍwith glancing eyes منof نَرْجسٍnarcissus
ولَئِنْ رَنَتْ بِلَوَاحِظٍ من نَرْجسٍ
فَلَقَدْthen indeed عَطَتْshe reached out بأَنَامِلِwith fingertips السُّوسانِthe lilies
فَلَقَدْ عَطَتْ بأَنَامِلِ السُّوسانِ
And if she gazed with eyes of narcissus,
Though she glances coquettishly like a narcissus
then surely she reached out with fingers of lilies.
she captivates with fingers soft and fine
ماnot عابَهاmarred her إِلاexcept قَسَاوَةُthe hardness of قَلْبهَاher heart
ما عابَها إِلا قَسَاوَةُ قَلْبهَا
مَعَdespite أَنَّهَاthat she لِيناًin suppleness كغُصْنِlike a branch of البَانِthe bān tree
مَعَ أَنَّهَا لِيناً كغُصْنِ البَانِ
Nothing marred her but her heart's hardness,
None reproach her but the harshness of her heart
though she is as supple as a branch of the bān tree.
which is pliant as the boughs of banana
لَوْif أنَّthat سُودَdark جُفونِهاher eyelids بِيضٌwhite swords إذَنْthen
لَوْ أنَّ سُودَ جُفونِها بِيضٌ إذَنْ
زَحَفَتْwould have advanced بِهَاwith them الفُرْسَانُthe horsemen لِلْفُرْسانِagainst the horsemen
زَحَفَتْ بِهَا الفُرْسَانُ لِلْفُرْسانِ
Had her dark eyelids been bright swords, then
If her kohl-rimmed eyes were white
horsemen would have advanced with them against horsemen.
horsemen would spur their steeds to vie
عَمِدَتْshe set out إِلىto أَخْذِيpunishing me وياand oh عَجَباًwhat a wonder لهاat her
عَمِدَتْ إِلى أَخْذِي ويا عَجَباً لها
أَيُؤَاخَذُis he held to account? المَفْتُونُthe bewitched one بالفَتَّانِfor the bewitcher
أَيُؤَاخَذُ المَفْتُونُ بالفَتَّانِ
She set out to punish me—how strange of her!
She proceeded to capture me, and how strange
Is the bewitched to be held to account for the bewitcher?
to punish the one made crazed by her eyes
لَجَّتْshe persisted فَتُعْرِضُso she turns away عنfrom يَقينِthe certainty of صَبابَتيmy ardent love
لَجَّتْ فَتُعْرِضُ عن يَقينِ صَبابَتي
لِلعاذِلاتِfor the reproachful women يَجِئْنَthey come بالبُهْتَانِwith slander
لِلعاذِلاتِ يَجِئْنَ بالبُهْتَانِ
She persists, turning away from the certainty of my longing,
She ignores the certainty of my passion
in deference to reproachful women who come with slander.
turning to blamers, denying my cries
ولَرُبَّماand often حَظِيَwas favored الرَّسولُthe messenger بِوَصْلِهاwith her company
ولَرُبَّما حَظِيَ الرَّسولُ بِوَصْلِها
ولِقائِهاand meeting her وحَظِيتُand I was favored بالحِرْمانِwith deprivation
ولِقائِها وحَظِيتُ بالحِرْمانِ
And often the messenger was favored with her company
While her messenger at times is received
and a meeting with her, while I was favored with deprivation.
I'm left to suffer in lonely demise
أنَاI فيin هَواهاlove for her مِثلُهاlike her فيin حُسنِهاher beauty
أنَا في هَواها مِثلُها في حُسنِها
تاللَّهِby God ماnot ليfor me فِيin العلاقَةِlove ثانِيan equal
تاللَّهِ ما لي فِي العلاقَةِ ثانِي
I am in my love for her as she is in her beauty;
In her beauty and my love we are equal
by God, I have no equal in love.
by God, none other can compare, her equal am I
فَإِذاso when تُعَدِّدcounts عذْرَةٌʿUdhra عُشَّاقَهاits lovers
فَإِذا تُعَدِّد عذْرَةٌ عُشَّاقَها
كُنْتُI would be المُقَدَّمَthe foremost فيin أخيرِthe latter زَمَانِage
كُنْتُ المُقَدَّمَ في أخيرِ زَمَانِ
So when ʿUdhra counts its lovers,
When multitudes profess their love to her
I would be foremost in this latter age.
I'm the first, though in times gone by
لاdo not تَشْمَتُواgloat بِيَover me إنْif ذَلَلْتُI am humbled لِعِزِّهاbefore her might
لا تَشْمَتُوا بِيَ إنْ ذَلَلْتُ لِعِزِّها
فَهَوىfor love of الغَوانيbeautiful women أَصْلُthe root of كُلِّall هَوانِhumiliation
فَهَوى الغَواني أَصْلُ كُلِّ هَوانِ
Do not gloat over me if I bow to her might;
Don't gloat if I'm humbled by her glory
for love of beautiful women is the root of all humiliation.
love of the beautiful is cause for self-deny
ولَقَدand indeed أتِيهُI exalt myself عَلىabove المُلوكِthe kings بأَنَّنِيbecause I
ولَقَد أتِيهُ عَلى المُلوكِ بأَنَّنِي
لِلْمُرْتَضَىof al-Murtaḍā يَحْيَىYaḥyā مِنَamong العِبْدانِthe slaves
لِلْمُرْتَضَى يَحْيَى مِنَ العِبْدانِ
Indeed, I exalt myself above kings because I
Yet I put kings to shame in that I
am among the slaves of al-Murtaḍā Yaḥyā.
for the beloved, am a slave till I die
Sol 6.1