أباO father of جعْفَرٍJaʿfar إنّindeed الثّقيلَthe tiresome fellow الذيwho ثَوىlodged
أبا جعْفَرٍ إنّ الثّقيلَ الذي ثَوى
بمَضْرِبِناin our tent قدْalready أعْجَلَتْهُhurried him away يدُthe hand النّوىseparation
بمَضْرِبِنا قدْ أعْجَلَتْهُ يدُ النّوى
O Abu Jaʿfar, indeed the tiresome fellow who lodged
O Abu Ja'far, indeed the dear one who stayed
in our tent has already been hurried away by the hand of separation.
In our dwelling, the hand of fate hastened him away
وكمْand how often كَذَبَتْproved false عنْدَat السُرَىnight travel عزَماتُهُhis resolutions
وكمْ كَذَبَتْ عنْدَ السُرَى عزَماتُهُ
كماjust as أحْدَثَbroke ritual purity الإنسانُa person منْfrom بعْدِafter ماhaving نَوىformed his intention
كما أحْدَثَ الإنسانُ منْ بعْدِ ما نَوى
And how often his resolutions proved false when setting out by night,
And how often his resolves lied when secrets were shared
as a man breaks his ritual purity after forming his intention.
As man makes new after he's prepared
وقدْand indeed أمْكَنَتْناbecame available to us خَلْوَةٌa private moment فابْتَدِرْso hasten لَهاto it
وقدْ أمْكَنَتْنا خَلْوَةٌ فابْتَدِرْ لَها
تَبثُّyou pour out بِهاin it شكْوَىthe complaint الصّبابةِardent longing والجَوىand love's anguish
تَبثُّ بِها شكْوَى الصّبابةِ والجَوى
And a private moment is now ours, so hasten to it,
And we've been granted a tryst, so seize the chance
to pour out there your complaint of ardent longing and love's anguish.
To vent the complaints of youth and romance
علىdespite أنّthat ظنّيmy suspicion فيكَabout you أنّthat رَفيقَهُhis companion
على أنّ ظنّي فيكَ أنّ رَفيقَهُ
تحمّلَcarried away منْكَfrom you القلْبَthe heart فيin شرَكِthe snare الهَوىlove
تحمّلَ منْكَ القلْبَ في شرَكِ الهَوى
Yet I suspect, in your case, that his companion
Though I suspect that his companion
has carried off your heart in the snare of love,
Bore from you a smitten heart in love's partition
ووالَىand poured successively علَيْهِupon it منْfrom فُتورِlanguor لحاظِهِhis glances
ووالَى علَيْهِ منْ فُتورِ لحاظِهِ
كُؤوسَcups الهوَىlove حتّىuntil تملأit filled up وارْتَوىand drank its fill
كُؤوسَ الهوَى حتّى تملأ وارْتَوى
and, from his languid glances, has poured upon it in succession
And succumbed to the languor in his gaze
cups of love, until it was full and drank its fill.
Until he drank deep of passion's ways
وكمْand how many a حيلةٍstratagem أضْمَرْتَyou concealed فيin غسَقِdeep darkness الدُجىnight
وكمْ حيلةٍ أضْمَرْتَ في غسَقِ الدُجى
زجَرْتَyou rebuked لَهاfor it داعيthe summons الغَرامِpassion فماbut did not ارْعَوَىdesist
زجَرْتَ لَها داعي الغَرامِ فما ارْعَوَى
And how many a stratagem you concealed in the deep darkness of night,
And how many tricks in the night's veil you'd dress
for which you rebuked love's summons, but it would not desist.
To curb love's caller, but he wouldn't recess
سمَوْتَyou advanced بِهاwith it بيْنَamong المضارِبِthe tents موْهِناًlate at night
سمَوْتَ بِها بيْنَ المضارِبِ موْهِناً
كماjust as انْسابَglided صِلُّa snake الماءِwater فيthrough الماءِthe water والتَوىand twisted
كما انْسابَ صِلُّ الماءِ في الماءِ والتَوى
You advanced with it among the tents late at night,
You'd float between the tents, humbled,
as a water-snake glided through the water and twisted.
Like water flows in water, melded and swirled
فلَوْلاًbut were it not for عُيونٌeyes فيin الخِيامِthe tents سَواهِرٌwakeful
فلَوْلاً عُيونٌ في الخِيامِ سَواهِرٌ
دبَبْتَyou crept فسُدَّتْso were shut منْfrom مَضارِبِهاtheir tents الكُوَىthe openings
دبَبْتَ فسُدَّتْ منْ مَضارِبِها الكُوَى
But for wakeful eyes within the tents—
Else wakeful eyes in the tents would've spied
you crept, so the openings of their tents were shut—
And you'd slip, and their cover be ripped and pried
لقضّيْتَyou would have satisfied منْهُfrom him حاجةًa desire لوْذَعيّةًshrewd
لقضّيْتَ منْهُ حاجةً لوْذَعيّةً
وبرّدْتَand you would have cooled منْfrom نارِthe fire الحَشاthe breast لاعِجاًa scorching flame كَوىseared
وبرّدْتَ منْ نارِ الحَشا لاعِجاً كَوى
you would have satisfied a shrewd desire through him,
You'd have met a wanton need
and cooled the scorching flame that seared your breast.
And cooled the fires of love, so passionate and keyed
لَوىhe put off fulfilling وعْدَهُhis promise لمّاwhen طمِعْتَyou hoped بوصْلِهِfor union with him
لَوى وعْدَهُ لمّا طمِعْتَ بوصْلِهِ
وكمْand how many a موْعِدٍtryst منْfrom قبْلِbefore ذلِكَthat قدalready لَوَىhe put off
وكمْ موْعِدٍ منْ قبْلِ ذلِكَ قد لَوَى
He put off fulfilling his promise when you hoped for union with him,
He broke his promise when you hoped to connect
and how many a tryst before that he had put off!
And how many meetings before this he did negate
فأصْبحْتَso you came to be فيin هَذاthis المحَصَّبِal-Muḥaṣṣab ثاوِياًstaying
فأصْبحْتَ في هَذا المحَصَّبِ ثاوِياً
وسارَand he departed فكَمْso how far بيْنَbetween المحَصَّبِal-Muḥaṣṣab واللِّوىand al-Liwā
وسارَ فكَمْ بيْنَ المحَصَّبِ واللِّوى
So you remained here in al-Muḥaṣṣab,
So you woke in this camp, sprawled and lonely
while he departed—what a distance between al-Muḥaṣṣab and al-Liwā!
While far is the camp from where he's homed only
فصَبْراًso be patient لعلّperhaps الدّهْرَtime يعْدِلُwill become just حُكْمُهُits judgment
فصَبْراً لعلّ الدّهْرَ يعْدِلُ حُكْمُهُ
وقدْand indeed ذُقْتَyou have tasted هذاthis الصّدَّrejection فانْتَظِرِso await الدّواthe cure
وقدْ ذُقْتَ هذا الصّدَّ فانْتَظِرِ الدّوا
Patience, then; perhaps time's judgment will grow just,
Have patience, maybe fate will make right
and, having tasted this rejection, await the cure.
You've tasted this hurt, so wait for the light
بَقيتَmay you remain رِياضاًgardens للمَحاسِنِfor beauty والنُّهَىand wisdom
بَقيتَ رِياضاً للمَحاسِنِ والنُّهَى
إذاwhen صوّحَdried up الرّوْضُthe garden المؤرَّجُfragrant أوor ذَوَىwithered
إذا صوّحَ الرّوْضُ المؤرَّجُ أو ذَوَى
May you remain gardens of beauty and wisdom,
You remain a garden of beauty and grace
when the fragrant garden dries up or withers.
When the verdant meadow rings or fades
Sol 6.1