بَينَbetween الحَشاthe inmost heart وَالعُيونِand the eyes النُجلِwide حَربُa war هَوىًof love
بَينَ الحَشا وَالعُيونِ النُجلِ حَربُ هَوىً
وَالقَلبُand the heart مِنfor أَجلِthe sake of ذاكَthat الحَربِthe war فيin حَرَبِanguish
وَالقَلبُ مِن أَجلِ ذاكَ الحَربِ في حَرَبِ
Between the heart’s core and the wide eyes rages a war of love;
Between the inmost heart and wide eyes is a war of love.
and because of that war, the heart lies despoiled.
And because of that war, the heart is in anguish.
لَمياءُdark-lipped لَعساءُdusky-lipped مَعسولٌhoney-sweet مُقَبَّلُهاher lips
لَمياءُ لَعساءُ مَعسولٌ مُقَبَّلُها
شَهادَةُtestimony النَحلِof the bees ماwhat يَلقىone finds مِنَof الضَرَبِthick white honey
شَهادَةُ النَحلِ ما يَلقى مِنَ الضَرَبِ
A dark-lipped, dusky-lipped beauty—honey-sweet is her mouth;
Dark-lipped, dusky-lipped, honey-sweet are her lips.
the bees bear witness by the blows they undergo.
The bees' testimony is the thick white honey one finds.
رَيّاfull-fleshed المُخَلخَلِthe anklet-place ديجورٌpitch-dark night عَلىupon قَمَرٍa moon
رَيّا المُخَلخَلِ ديجورٌ عَلى قَمَرٍ
فيupon خَدِّهاher cheek شَفَقٌtwilight glow غُصنٌa bough عَلىupon كُثُبِdunes
في خَدِّها شَفَقٌ غُصنٌ عَلى كُثُبِ
Full-fleshed at the anklet, she is deep darkness over a moon;
Full-fleshed at the anklet, a pitch-dark night upon a moon;
in her cheek is twilight, a bough rising over dunes.
Twilight upon her cheek, a bough upon dunes.
حَسناءُbeautiful حالِيَةٌadorned لَيسَتshe is not بِغانِيَةٍone needing no adornment
حَسناءُ حالِيَةٌ لَيسَت بِغانِيَةٍ
تَفتَرَّshe smiles عَنrevealing بَرَدٍhailstones ظَلمٍmoist sheen وَعَنand revealing شَنَبِcool sweetness
تَفتَرَّ عَن بَرَدٍ ظَلمٍ وَعَن شَنَبِ
A beauty adorned with jewels—not one who can dispense with them;
Beautiful and adorned, not beyond the need for adornment,
she smiles, revealing hail-white teeth, lustrous with fresh, cool sweetness.
She smiles, revealing hail-white teeth, moist sheen and cool sweetness.
تَصُدُّshe turns away جِدّاًin earnest وَتَلهوand she toys بِالهَوىwith love لَعِباًplayfully
تَصُدُّ جِدّاً وَتَلهو بِالهَوى لَعِباً
وَالمَوتُand death ماwhat lies بَينَbetween ذاكَthat الجِدِّearnestness وَاللَعبِand play
وَالمَوتُ ما بَينَ ذاكَ الجِدِّ وَاللَعبِ
She turns away in earnest, yet dallies playfully with love;
She turns away in earnest and toys playfully with love.
and death lies between that earnestness and play.
And death lies between that earnestness and play.
ماnever عَسعَسَwithdraws اللَيلُthe night إِلّاexcept that جاءَcomes يَعقُبُهُfollowing it
ما عَسعَسَ اللَيلُ إِلّا جاءَ يَعقُبُهُ
تَنَفُّسُthe breathing الصُبحِof dawn مَعلومٌknown مِنَsince الحِقَبِages past
تَنَفُّسُ الصُبحِ مَعلومٌ مِنَ الحِقَبِ
Whenever night draws dark, there comes behind it
Whenever night withdraws, there follows it
the breath of dawn, as surely known through the ages.
The breathing of dawn, known since ages past.
وَلاand never تَمُرُّpass عَلىover رَوضٍgardens رِياحُwinds صَباًeast wind
وَلا تَمُرُّ عَلى رَوضٍ رِياحُ صَباً
تَحويcontaining عَلىwithin كاعِباتٍfull-breasted maidens خُرَّدٍbashful عُرُبِloving
تَحوي عَلى كاعِباتٍ خُرَّدٍ عُرُبِ
Nor does the east wind pass over a garden
Nor do east winds pass over gardens
sheltering nubile, secluded, loving maidens
Containing full-breasted maidens, bashful and loving,
إِلّاexcept that أَمالَتmade sway وَنَمَّتand disclosed فيin تَنَسُّمِهاtheir gentle breathing
إِلّا أَمالَت وَنَمَّت في تَنَسُّمِها
بِماof what حَمَلنَthey bore مِنَof الأَزهارِthe flowers وَالقُضُبِand the boughs
بِما حَمَلنَ مِنَ الأَزهارِ وَالقُضُبِ
without swaying them and, in its gentle breathing, disclosing
Without swaying them and whispering, in their gentle breath,
the blossoms and tender boughs they bear.
Of the flowers and boughs they have borne.
سَأَلتُI asked ريحَthe wind الصَباthe east wind عَنهُمabout them لِتُخبِرَنيso it might inform me
سَأَلتُ ريحَ الصَبا عَنهُم لِتُخبِرَني
قالَتit said وَماand what لَكَfor you فيin الأَخبارِthe news مِنany أَرَبِneed
قالَت وَما لَكَ في الأَخبارِ مِن أَرَبِ
I asked the east wind about them, that she might bring me word.
I asked the east wind about them, that it might inform me.
She said, “What need have you of tidings?
It said: And what need have you of news?
فيat الأَبرَقَينِal-Abraqayn وَفيand at بَركِBark العِمادِal-ʿImad وَفيand at
في الأَبرَقَينِ وَفي بَركِ العِمادِ وَفي
بَركِBark العَميمِal-ʿAmim تَرَكتُI left الحَيَّthe tribe عَنat كَثَبِclose range
بَركِ العَميمِ تَرَكتُ الحَيَّ عَن كَثَبِ
At al-Abraqayn, at Bark al-ʿImād, and at
At al-Abraqayn, and at Bark al-ʿImad, and at
Bark al-Ghamim, I left the tribe close at hand.
Bark al-ʿAmim, I left the tribe nearby.
لاnot تَستَقِلُّcan bear بِهِمthem أَرضُland فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto it
لا تَستَقِلُّ بِهِم أَرضُ فَقُلتُ لَها
أَينَwhere المَفَرَّescape وَخَيلُand the steeds الشَوقِof longing فيin الطَلَبِpursuit
أَينَ المَفَرَّ وَخَيلُ الشَوقِ في الطَلَبِ
No land can contain them.” So I said to her,
No land can bear them; so I said to it:
“Where is escape, when longing’s cavalry is in pursuit?”
Where is escape, with the steeds of longing in pursuit?
هَيهاتَimpossible! لَيسَthere is not لَهُمfor them مَعنىًmeaning سِوother than خَلَديmy mind
هَيهاتَ لَيسَ لَهُم مَعنىً سِو خَلَدي
فَحَيثُso wherever كُنتُI am يَكونُis البَدرُthe full moon فَاِرتَقِبِso watch
فَحَيثُ كُنتُ يَكونُ البَدرُ فَاِرتَقِبِ
Far from it! They have no being save within my soul;
Impossible! They have no meaning apart from my mind.
wherever I am, there the full moon will be—so watch.
So wherever I am, the full moon is—watch, then.
أَلَيسَis it not? مَطلَعُهاher rising-place وَهميmy imagination وَمَغرِبُهاand her setting-place
أَلَيسَ مَطلَعُها وَهمي وَمَغرِبُها
قَلبيmy heart فَقَدso indeed زالَhas gone شُؤمُthe ill omen البانِof the ban-tree وَالغَرَبِand the gharab-tree
قَلبي فَقَد زالَ شُؤمُ البانِ وَالغَرَبِ
Are not her rising place, her very self, and her setting place
Is not her rising-place my imagination, and her setting-place
my heart? Then gone is the evil omen of the bān tree—departure—and the gharab tree—estrangement.
My heart? Gone, then, is the ill omen of the ban-tree and gharab-tree.
ماnot لِلغُرابِfor the raven نَعيقٌcroaking فيin مَنازِلُناour dwellings
ما لِلغُرابِ نَعيقٌ في مَنازِلُنا
وَماand not لَهُfor it فيin نِظامِthe bond الشَملِof reunion مِنany نَدَبِscar
وَما لَهُ في نِظامِ الشَملِ مِن نَدَبِ
The raven has no croak within our dwellings,
The raven does not croak in our dwellings,
nor any lament amid the harmonious union of our company.
Nor does it leave a scar upon the bond of reunion.
Sol 6.1