مَاwhat لِيis with me عَلَىdespite شَرَفِيmy nobility وَرِفْعَةِand the loftiness of شَانِيmy station
مَا لِي عَلَى شَرَفِي وَرِفْعَةِ شَانِي
وَعَظِيمِand the grandeur of أَمْصَارِيmy cities وَعِزِّand the glory of مَكَانِيmy standing
وَعَظِيمِ أَمْصَارِي وَعِزِّ مَكَانِي
What ails me, despite my nobility and exalted station,
the grandeur of my cities and the glory of my standing,
لَعِبَmade sport الْغَرَامُpassion بِمُهْجَتِيwith my lifeblood وَجَنَانِيand my heart
لَعِبَ الْغَرَامُ بِمُهْجَتِي وَجَنَانِي
عَجَباًhow strange يَهَابُfears اللَّيْثُthe lion حَدَّthe edge of سِنَانِmy spearhead
عَجَباً يَهَابُ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّ سِنَانِ
that passion has made sport of my lifeblood and my heart?
How strange! The lion fears my spear's point,
وَأَهَابُand I fear لَحْظَthe glance of فَوَاتِرِlanguid الأَجْفَانِeyelids
وَأَهَابُ لَحْظَ فَوَاتِرِ الأَجْفَانِ
أَصْبَحْتُI have become فِيconcerning أَمْرِthe matter of الْهَوَىlove مُتَعَجِّباًastonished
أَصْبَحْتُ فِي أَمْرِ الْهَوَى مُتَعَجِّباً
while I fear the glance of languid eyelids.
I have come to marvel at the ways of love:
أُهْدِيI send إِلَىto الأَعْدَاءِthe enemies بَأْساًmartial fury صَيِّبَاpouring down
أُهْدِي إِلَى الأَعْدَاءِ بَأْساً صَيِّبَا
وَأَرَىand I find الرَّدَىdeath فِيin الْحَرْبِwar عَذْباًsweet طَيِّباpleasant
وَأَرَى الرَّدَى فِي الْحَرْبِ عَذْباً طَيِّبا
I send my enemies a downpour of martial fury,
and find death in battle sweet and pleasant;
وَأُقَارِعُand I confront الأَهْوَالَterrors لاَnot مُتَهَيِّبَاfearful
وَأُقَارِعُ الأَهْوَالَ لاَ مُتَهَيِّبَا
مِنْهَاof them سِوَىexcept الإِعْرَاضِrejection وَالْهِجْرَانِand abandonment
مِنْهَا سِوَى الإِعْرَاضِ وَالْهِجْرَانِ
and I confront terrors, fearing none
of them except rejection and abandonment.
أَخْفَيْتُI hid سِرِّيmy secret فِيwithin الضُّلُوعِthe ribs مُكَتَّماًclosely concealed
أَخْفَيْتُ سِرِّي فِي الضُّلُوعِ مُكَتَّماً
حَتَّىuntil وَشَىbetrayed دَمْعِيmy tears بِهِit وَتَكَلَّمًاand spoke
حَتَّى وَشَى دَمْعِي بِهِ وَتَكَلَّمًا
I hid my secret within my ribs, tightly concealed,
until my tears betrayed it and spoke.
وَأَصَابَand struck سَهْمُthe arrow of اللَّحْظِthe glance قَلْبِيmy heart إِذْwhen رَمَىit shot
وَأَصَابَ سَهْمُ اللَّحْظِ قَلْبِي إِذْ رَمَى
وَتَمَلَّكَتْand possessed نَفْسِيmy soul ثَلاَثٌthree women كَالدُّمَىlike sculpted figures
وَتَمَلَّكَتْ نَفْسِي ثَلاَثٌ كَالدُّمَى
And the glance's arrow struck my heart when loosed,
and three women, like sculpted figures, possessed my soul:
بِيضُfair الْوُجُوهِfaces نَوَاعِمُsoft الأَبْدَانِbodies
بِيضُ الْوُجُوهِ نَوَاعِمُ الأَبْدَانِ
أَطْلَعْنَthey brought forth مِنْfrom غُرَرِthe bright fronts of الْحِجَالِcurtained chambers الْبَاهِرِradiant
أَطْلَعْنَ مِنْ غُرَرِ الْحِجَالِ الْبَاهِرِ
fair of face and soft of body.
From the shining fronts of curtained chambers they brought forth
أَقْمَارَmoons حُسْنٍbeauty تَحْتَbeneath سُودِblack غَدَائِرِtresses
أَقْمَارَ حُسْنٍ تَحْتَ سُودِ غَدَائِرِ
وًسَفَرْنَand they unveiled عَنْfrom مِثْلِthe likeness of الصَّبَاحِthe dawn السَّافِرِunveiled
وًسَفَرْنَ عَنْ مِثْلِ الصَّبَاحِ السَّافِرِ
moons of beauty beneath black tresses,
and unveiled faces like the unveiled dawn.
ككَوَاكِبِlike stars of الظَّلْمَاءِthe dark night لُحْنَthey appeared لِنَاظِرٍto an onlooker
ككَوَاكِبِ الظَّلْمَاءِ لُحْنَ لِنَاظِرٍ
مِنْfrom فَوْقِabove أَغْصَانٍbranches عَلَىupon كُثْبَانِsand dunes
مِنْ فَوْقِ أَغْصَانٍ عَلَى كُثْبَانِ
Like stars in the dark night, they appeared to an onlooker,
from above branches atop sand dunes.
مِنْfrom كُلِّeach نَاظِرِةٍone gazing بِعَيْنَيْwith the two eyes of جُؤْذَرٍan oryx calf
مِنْ كُلِّ نَاظِرِةٍ بِعَيْنَيْ جُؤْذَرٍ
مُخْتَالَةٍstrutting proudly فِيin الْحِلْيِjewelry ذَاتِpossessing تَبَخْتُرِa swaggering gait
مُخْتَالَةٍ فِي الْحِلْيِ ذَاتِ تَبَخْتُرِ
Each one gazes with the eyes of an oryx calf,
strutting in her jewels, with a proud, swaying gait,
تَعْطُوshe reaches out بِخُوطِwith a slender shoot of الْبَانَةِthe bān tree الْمُتَأَطِّرِbending
تَعْطُو بِخُوطِ الْبَانَةِ الْمُتَأَطِّرِ
هَذِيthis one الْهِلاَلthe crescent moon وَتِلْكَand that one بِنْتُdaughter of الْمُشْتَرِيJupiter
هَذِي الْهِلاَل وَتِلْكَ بِنْتُ الْمُشْتَرِي
reaching out with a bending shoot of the bān tree.
This one is the crescent moon, and that one Jupiter's daughter
حُسْناًin beauty وَهَذِيand this one أُخْتُsister of غُصْنِa bough of الْبَانِthe bān tree
حُسْناً وَهَذِي أُخْتُ غُصْنِ الْبَانِ
لَمَّاwhen غَدَوْتُI became بِحُبِّهِنَّthrough love for them مُعَذَّباًtormented
لَمَّا غَدَوْتُ بِحُبِّهِنَّ مُعَذَّباً
in beauty; and this one is sister to a bān-tree bough.
When I became tormented by love for them,
وَعَلِمْتُand I knew أَنِّيthat I لَمْdid not أُصَادِفْfind مَهْرَبَاan escape
وَعَلِمْتُ أَنِّي لَمْ أُصَادِفْ مَهْرَبَا
فَإِذَاso whenever دَعَوْتُI called لِسَلْوَةٍto forgetfulness قَلْبِيmy heart أَبَىrefused
فَإِذَا دَعَوْتُ لِسَلْوَةٍ قَلْبِي أَبَى
and knew that I had found no escape,
whenever I called my heart to forget, it refused.
حَاَكَمْتُI brought to judgment فِيهِنَّconcerning them السُّلُوَّforgetfulness إِلَىbefore الصِّبَاyouthful ardor
حَاَكَمْتُ فِيهِنَّ السُّلُوَّ إِلَى الصِّبَا
فَقَضَىso it ruled بِسُلْطَانٍwith sovereign power عَلَىagainst سُلْطَانِa sovereign
فَقَضَى بِسُلْطَانٍ عَلَى سُلْطَانِ
Over them, I brought forgetfulness before youthful ardor for judgment,
so it ruled with sovereign power against a sovereign.
عَجَباًhow strange لأَجْفَانٍat eyelids ضَعِيفَاتِweak الْقُوَىin strength
عَجَباً لأَجْفَانٍ ضَعِيفَاتِ الْقُوَى
تَرَكَتْنِيthey left me رَهْنَhostage to السَّقَامِsickness بِلاَwithout دَوَاa remedy
تَرَكَتْنِي رَهْنَ السَّقَامِ بِلاَ دَوَا
How strange that eyelids so feeble in strength
have left me hostage to sickness, without a cure!
وَلَوand had ألْهَوَىlove أَنْحَىborne down عَلَىupon جَبَلٍa mountain هَوَىit would have fallen
وَلَو ألْهَوَى أَنْحَى عَلَى جَبَلٍ هَوَى
لاَdo not تَعْذِلُواblame مَلِكاًa king تَذَلَّلَhumbled himself لِلْهَوَىto love
لاَ تَعْذِلُوا مَلِكاً تَذَلَّلَ لِلْهَوَى
And had love assailed a mountain, it would have fallen.
Do not blame a king who humbled himself to love:
ذُلُّabasement الْهَوَىlove عِزٌّglory وَمُلْكٌand a kingdom ثَانِsecond
ذُلُّ الْهَوَى عِزٌّ وَمُلْكٌ ثَانِ
مَاwhat لِيis with me وَغُصْنُwhile the bough of الْعُمْرِlife غَضٌّis fresh مَاnot ذَوَىwithered
مَا لِي وَغُصْنُ الْعُمْرِ غَضٌّ مَا ذَوَى
abasement in love is glory and a second kingdom.
What ails me, while life's bough is fresh and has not withered,
وَالشَّمْلُand togetherness لاَnot تَدْنُوdraws near إِلَيْهِto it يَدُthe hand of النَّوَىseparation
وَالشَّمْلُ لاَ تَدْنُو إِلَيْهِ يَدُ النَّوَى
أَطْوِيI fold الضُّلُوعَthe ribs عَلَىaround الصَّبَابَةِyearning وَالْجَوَىand burning grief
أَطْوِي الضُّلُوعَ عَلَى الصَّبَابَةِ وَالْجَوَى
and separation's hand does not draw near our union,
that I fold my ribs around yearning and burning grief?
إِنْif لَمْnot أُطِعْI obey فِيهِنَّconcerning them سُلْطَانَthe sovereign power of الْهَوَىlove
إِنْ لَمْ أُطِعْ فِيهِنَّ سُلْطَانَ الْهَوَى
كَلَفاًout of ardor بِهِنَّfor them فَلَسْتُthen I am not مِنْof مَرْوَانِMarwan
كَلَفاً بِهِنَّ فَلَسْتُ مِنْ مَرْوَانِ
If I do not obey love's sovereign power for their sake,
out of ardor for them, then I am not of Marwan's line.
أَخْلَدْتُI yielded طَوْعاًwillingly لِلْهَوَىto love وَإِنَابَهْand in submission
أَخْلَدْتُ طَوْعاً لِلْهَوَى وَإِنَابَهْ
وَلَئِنْand even if نَحِلتُI grew thin ضَنىًfrom wasting sickness وَذُبْتُand I melted كَآبَهْfrom sorrow
وَلَئِنْ نَحِلتُ ضَنىً وَذُبْتُ كَآبَهْ
I yielded willingly and submissively to love,
though I have grown thin from sickness and melted with sorrow;
فَلَقَبْلُfor previously مَاindeed علِقَfell in love with الْوَلِيدُal-Walid حَبَابَةًHababa
فَلَقَبْلُ مَا علِقَ الْوَلِيدُ حَبَابَةً
مَاwhat ضَرَّharm is there أَنِّيthat I am عَبْدُهُنَّtheir slave صَبَابَهْout of longing
مَا ضَرَّ أَنِّي عَبْدُهُنَّ صَبَابَهْ
for al-Walid had already fallen in love with Hababa.
What harm is there if I am their slave through longing,
وَبَنُوwhile the sons of الزَّمَانِthe age وَهُنَّand they (the women) فِيamong عبْدَانِmy slaves
وَبَنُو الزَّمَانِ وَهُنَّ فِي عبْدَانِ
while the sons of the age—and they too—are among my slaves?
Sol 6.1