ياO قَلبُheart وَيحَكَalas for you لمwhy تُرِدْdo you seek
يا قَلبُ وَيحَكَ لم تُرِدْ
بِمَوَدَّةِwith affection مَنone who لاnot يُريدُكdesires you
بِمَوَدَّةِ مَن لا يُريدُك
O heart, alas for you! Why seek
O heart, woe to you, why did you want
The affection of one who does not desire you?
The love of one who does not want you?
يَزهوhe struts وَيغرقُand drowns فيin القلىloathing
يَزهو وَيغرقُ في القلى
وَإِذاand if مَرِضتَyou fall ill فَلاthen not يَعودُكhe visits you
وَإِذا مَرِضتَ فَلا يَعودُك
He struts and drowns in loathing,
He floats and drowns in fantasies
And if you fall ill, he does not visit you.
And when you fall ill, he does not visit you
حَتّىuntil مَتىwhen وَإِلىand until مَتىwhen
حَتّى مَتى وَإِلى مَتى
غَيُّfolly الفُؤادِof the heart لَهُto him يَقودُكleads you
غَيُّ الفُؤادِ لَهُ يَقودُك
How long, and until when,
How long, until when
Will the heart’s folly lead you to him?
Will the madness of passion mislead you?
أَمسىhas become لِغَيرِكَfor someone other than you جودُهhis generosity
أَمسى لِغَيرِكَ جودُه
وَلَهُand for him وَماand yet not يَهواكَhe loves you جودُكyour generosity
وَلَهُ وَما يَهواكَ جودُك
His generosity is now for someone other than you,
His generosity has become for others
And yours is for him, though he does not love you.
While for you, your generosity is his
دَعْهُleave him يَعومُto swim بِظَنِّهِin his supposition
دَعْهُ يَعومُ بِظَنِّهِ
إِذsince مَسَّtouched أَسفَلَهُhis bottom عَمودُكyour shaft
إِذ مَسَّ أَسفَلَهُ عَمودُك
Leave him to swim in his own supposition,
Let him float with his suspicions
Since your shaft has touched his bottom.
Since the pillar of your being has touched his depths
إِنif كانَhe was خافَafraid فَقَدthen indeed أَقاbegins the split verb ‘established’
إِن كانَ خافَ فَقَد أَقا
مَcompletes the split verb ‘established’ قَضاءَهُhis fate فيin البَيتِthe house عودُكyour stick
مَ قَضاءَهُ في البَيتِ عودُك
If he was afraid, it has indeed established
If he has feared, he has lived
His fate in the house—your stick.
The fate in your home is your return
أَوقَدkindle a fire عَلَيهِupon him وَخلِّهِand leave him
أَوقَد عَلَيهِ وَخلِّهِ
فَلَسَوفَso it surely will يُحرِقُهُburn him وَقودُكyour fuel
فَلَسَوفَ يُحرِقُهُ وَقودُك
Kindle a fire upon him and leave him be;
Kindle a fire upon him, and leave him
Your fuel will surely burn him.
For soon your firewood will burn him
لَولاwere it not for اليَمينُthe oath هَجَوتهyou would have lampooned him
لَولا اليَمينُ هَجَوته
وَأَشاعَand would have spread فَضحتَهُhis disgrace قَصيدُكyour verse
وَأَشاعَ فَضحتَهُ قَصيدُك
Were it not for the oath, you would have lampooned him,
If not for my oath, I would have insulted him
And your verse would have spread his disgrace.
And spread his disgrace in my ode
Sol 6.1