سكَنَsettled in الحُبُّlove فؤاديmy heart وعَمَرْand inhabited it
سكَنَ الحُبُّ فؤادي وعَمَرْ
ونَهَىand forbade الشّوْقُlonging بقَلْبيin my heart وأمَرْand commanded
ونَهَى الشّوْقُ بقَلْبي وأمَرْ
Love settled in my heart and made it its home.
Love settled in my heart and took up residence
And longing forbade and commanded within my heart.
And yearning commanded my heart and gave orders
وغزَتْand invaded قلْبيmy heart ألْحاظُthe glances الظِّباof the gazelles
وغزَتْ قلْبي ألْحاظُ الظِّبا
بظُباهاwith their blades أيْنَwhere ياO قلْبُheart المَفَرْthe escape
بظُباها أيْنَ يا قلْبُ المَفَرْ
And the gazelles’ glances invaded my heart
The gazelles’ glances attacked my heart
with their blades—where, O heart, is escape?
With their beauty—where can my heart flee?
بأبيwith my father as ransom واللّهِby God لحْظٌa glance فاتِرٌlanguid
بأبي واللّهِ لحْظٌ فاتِرٌ
ماnot جَنىdid harm فيto مُهْجَةٍa heart إلاexcept اعْتَذَرْit sought pardon
ما جَنى في مُهْجَةٍ إلا اعْتَذَرْ
My father be ransom, by God, for a languid glance
By my father I swear, her languid glance
that never wronged a heart without asking pardon.
Reaped no harvest but made excuses
مَنْwho مُجيريis my protector مَنْwho نَصيريis my helper فيin الهَوىlove
مَنْ مُجيري مَنْ نَصيري في الهَوى
ضاعَwas lost بيْنَbetween الغُنْجِcoquetry ثأريmy vengeance والحَوَرْand dark-eyed beauty
ضاعَ بيْنَ الغُنْجِ ثأري والحَوَرْ
Who will shelter me, who will aid me in love?
Who will protect me, who will help me in passion?
My vengeance was lost amid coquetry and dark-eyed beauty.
My vengeance and desire were lost amid the branches
كنْتَyou were ياO قَلْبيmy heart علىover طولِthe length المَدىof time
كنْتَ يا قَلْبي على طولِ المَدى
تحْذَرُguarding against الحبَّlove وهلْand can يُنْجيsave الحَذَرْcaution
تحْذَرُ الحبَّ وهلْ يُنْجي الحَذَرْ
You, my heart, for so long had been
O my heart, you were wary of love your whole life
guarding against love—but can caution save?
Can wariness ever deliver?
وبنَفْسيand with my soul as ransom مَنْthe one who إذاwhen جنّfell الدُّجىthe darkness
وبنَفْسي مَنْ إذا جنّ الدُّجى
أمْسكَwithheld النوْمَsleep وأهْدانيand gifted me السّهَرْsleeplessness
أمْسكَ النوْمَ وأهْداني السّهَرْ
And my soul be ransom for him who, when darkness falls,
And by my soul! When night falls dark
withholds sleep and gifts me sleeplessness.
Who will grasp sleep and gift me wakefulness?
غُصْنُa bough بانٍof the bān tree وهِلالٌand a crescent moon ورَشاand a gazelle fawn
غُصْنُ بانٍ وهِلالٌ ورَشا
إنْif تفنّىsways (uncertain reading) أوor تبدّىappears أوor خطَرْsaunters
إنْ تفنّى أو تبدّى أو خطَرْ
A bān-tree bough, a crescent moon, a gazelle fawn,
A tender branch, a crescent moon, a sprinkle of rain
when he sways, appears, or saunters.
Whether they perish, appear or stir
لوْif بَداappeared للحُورِto the houris يوْماًone day وجْهُهُhis face
لوْ بَدا للحُورِ يوْماً وجْهُهُ
قُلْنَthey said جَلّexalted is اللهُGod ماnot هَذاthis بشَرْa human
قُلْنَ جَلّ اللهُ ما هَذا بشَرْ
Were his face to appear one day before the houris,
If he showed his face to the maidens one day
they would say, “Exalted is God! This is no mortal!”
They would say, “God is most great! This cannot be a man!”
زارَhe visited فيamid لَيْلَيْنِtwo nights ليْلٌa night للدُّجىof darkness
زارَ في لَيْلَيْنِ ليْلٌ للدُّجى
حالِكُblack الجُنْحِof wing وليْلٌand a night للسَّحَرْof dawn
حالِكُ الجُنْحِ وليْلٌ للسَّحَرْ
He visited amid two nights: one a night of darkness,
Two nights visited in my two nights—a night for the darkness
black-winged, and one a night of dawn.
To fold its wings and a night for the dawn
فضَمَمْتُso I embraced الغُصْنَthe bough منfrom ثوبِthe robe النّقاof the sand-dune
فضَمَمْتُ الغُصْنَ من ثوبِ النّقا
ولثَمْتُand I kissed الرّاحَthe wine منْfrom بيْنِbetween الدّرَرْthe pearls
ولثَمْتُ الرّاحَ منْ بيْنِ الدّرَرْ
So I clasped the bough in its robe of sand-dunes,
So I took the branch inside my cloak
and kissed the wine from between the pearls.
And kissed the wind from between the pearls
قلتُI said مهْلاًgently لاdo not تُروَّعُbe alarmed إنّماonly
قلتُ مهْلاً لا تُروَّعُ إنّما
هيَthey are منْof دمْعٍtears لَلالِئٌpearls أخَرْother
هيَ منْ دمْعٍ لَلالِئٌ أخَرْ
I said, “Gently, do not be alarmed; these are only
I said, “Gently! Do not startle,
other pearls, made of tears.”
These are but tears, more shimmers”
فاعْتَراهُthen overcame him منْfrom كَلاميmy words خَجَلٌshyness
فاعْتَراهُ منْ كَلامي خَجَلٌ
خلَطَmingled الوَرْدَthe roses بسوسانِwith the lilies الخَفَرْof modesty
خلَطَ الوَرْدَ بسوسانِ الخَفَرْ
Then shyness at my words came over him,
My words embarrassed him
mingling roses with the lilies of modesty.
Mixing roses with blades of grass
حبّذاhow lovely ليْلٌa night نَعِمْناهُwe enjoyed it وقدْand already
حبّذا ليْلٌ نَعِمْناهُ وقدْ
حلّتِhad alighted الزّهْرَةُVenus فيin بيْتِthe house القَمَرْof the Moon
حلّتِ الزّهْرَةُ في بيْتِ القَمَرْ
How lovely the night we enjoyed, when
Blessed is the night we enjoyed when
Venus had entered the Moon’s house.
The flowers bloomed in the house of the moon
وحَمِدْناand we praised الصّبْرَpatience فيin الأمْرِthe matter وكمْand how many
وحَمِدْنا الصّبْرَ في الأمْرِ وكمْ
حمدَpraised العُقْبَىthe outcome محِبٌّa lover قدhad صَبَرْbeen patient
حمدَ العُقْبَى محِبٌّ قد صَبَرْ
And we praised patience in the matter; how often
And we praised patience in passion, and how often
has a patient lover praised the outcome!
Has a lover praised patience after he showed strength
خُضْتَyou plunged into بحْرَthe sea الحُبِّof love والدّمْعِand tears وهلْand can
خُضْتَ بحْرَ الحُبِّ والدّمْعِ وهلْ
تُدْرَكُbe attained الآمالُhopes إلاexcept بالغَرَرْthrough risk
تُدْرَكُ الآمالُ إلا بالغَرَرْ
You plunged into the sea of love and tears—but can
You braved the sea of love and tears—can hopes
hopes be attained except through risk?
Be attained save by diving?
فسَطاso pounced الوصْلُunion علىupon الهجْرِestrangement كمَنْlike one who
فسَطا الوصْلُ على الهجْرِ كمَنْ
ببَنيthrough the sons of نصْرNasr علىover الدّهْرِTime انْتَصَرْtriumphed
ببَني نصْر على الدّهْرِ انْتَصَرْ
So union pounced upon estrangement, like one
So union spread over separation like the triumph
who, through the sons of Nasr, triumphed over Time.
Of the people of Beni Nasr over fate
أبْحُرُseas الجودِof generosity وأمْلاكُand kings الوَرىof humankind
أبْحُرُ الجودِ وأمْلاكُ الوَرى
وسُيوفُand swords اللهِof God تُرْديlay low مَنْwhoever كَفَرْdisbelieves
وسُيوفُ اللهِ تُرْدي مَنْ كَفَرْ
Seas of generosity and sovereigns of humankind,
I am the sea of generosity and sovereign of people
and swords of God that lay low whoever disbelieves.
And God’s swords strike down the unbeliever
لهُمُtheirs is الفخْرُglory بحقٍّby right وكَفىand sufficient is
لهُمُ الفخْرُ بحقٍّ وكَفى
بأبيin Abu الحَجّاجِal-Hajjaj اسْماas a name مُفْتَخَرْto boast of
بأبي الحَجّاجِ اسْما مُفْتَخَرْ
Theirs is glory by right; and sufficient
The pride is theirs by right, and enough
as a name to boast of is Abu al-Hajjaj.
That my father Al-Hajjaj is a name for pride
أيُّwhat مجْدٍglory أُحْكِمَتْhave been perfected آياتُهُits verses
أيُّ مجْدٍ أُحْكِمَتْ آياتُهُ
فهْيَso they تُتْلىare recited مثْلَماjust as تُتْليare recited السُّوَرْthe surahs
فهْيَ تُتْلى مثْلَما تُتْلي السُّوَرْ
What glory, whose verses have been perfected,
What glory has its signs so secured
so they are recited as the surahs are recited!
That it is recited just like the suras?
دامَmay he endure فيin سعْدٍgood fortune جَديدٍrenewed ومُنىًand hopes
دامَ في سعْدٍ جَديدٍ ومُنىً
تصِلُyou join الآصالَthe evenings فيهاwithin them بالبُكَرْto the mornings
تصِلُ الآصالَ فيها بالبُكَرْ
May he endure in renewed good fortune and hopes,
May it last in continual joy and wish
wherein you join evenings to mornings,
Fulfilment, prayers joining the innocent
ماas long as ارْتَدىrobed itself بالغيْثِin rain روْضٌa garden فرَوَتْand then related
ما ارْتَدى بالغيْثِ روْضٌ فرَوَتْ
نسْمَةُa breath الرّيحِof wind عنِabout الزّهْرِthe flowers خبَرْtidings
نسْمَةُ الرّيحِ عنِ الزّهْرِ خبَرْ
as long as a garden robes itself in rain, and
No garden blossomed, made verdant
a breath of wind brings tidings of the flowers.
By rain, without the breeze telling the flowers about it
Sol 6.1