قالواthey said قضيبُslender bough البانthe ban tree قدalready بَاناhas departed
قالوا قضيبُ البان قد بَانا
فقُلْتُso I said إِنَّindeed الحَيْنdoom قدalready حاناhas come
فقُلْتُ إِنَّ الحَيْن قد حانا
They said, "The ban-tree's slender bough has departed."
They said the toothpick of youth has appeared,
So I said, "Indeed, the hour of doom has come."
So I said: Now is the time, it has come.
يَعِزَّis grievous ماwhat قدalready هَانgrew cheap منof مُهْجَتيmy lifeblood
يَعِزَّ ما قد هَان من مُهْجَتي
منfrom بَعْدafter ماthat عزَّit was precious وماand never هاناwas cheap
من بَعْد ما عزَّ وما هانا
It grieves me that my lifeblood has been cheapened,
Dearer grows what of my love was once cheap
after being precious and never cheap.
After esteem and humbleness.
بانhe departed فقدso indeed أَشْكلbecame perplexing أَمريmy plight بهbecause of him
بان فقد أَشْكل أَمري به
جدَّاgreatly ولوand if طَوَّعْتُI made him yield ماnot باناhe departed
جدَّا ولو طَوَّعْتُ ما بانا
He has gone, and because of him my plight has become
It appeared, so my affair with it grew complex -
deeply perplexing; had I made him yield, he would not have gone.
Very complex, though I wished to make it pliant.
سأَملأُI shall fill الدَارَthe house دموعاًtears كماjust as
سأَملأُ الدَارَ دموعاً كما
ملأْتُI filled دارَthe house of القلبِthe heart أَحْزاناsorrows
ملأْتُ دارَ القلبِ أَحْزانا
I shall fill the house with tears, just as
I will fill the house with tears as
I filled the house of my heart with sorrows.
I filled the home of my heart with sorrows.
ماnot الدّارُthe house داراًa house بَعْدafter مَنْone who قدalready نأَىhas gone far away
ما الدّارُ داراً بَعْد مَنْ قد نأَى
عنهاfrom it ولاnor الجِيرَانُthe neighbors جيراناneighbors
عنها ولا الجِيرَانُ جيرانا
The house is no house after one has gone far
The house is no home when one who dwelt there
from it, nor are the neighbors neighbors.
Has gone from it and the neighbors no neighbors.
دارٌa house جَنيْتُI gathered اللهوَpleasure غضّاًfresh بهاin it
دارٌ جَنيْتُ اللهوَ غضّاً بها
منfrom غُصُنٍa bough يحملُit bears بستاناa garden
من غُصُنٍ يحملُ بستانا
A house where I gathered pleasure, still fresh,
A house where I plucked the fruits of pleasure
from a bough that bears a garden.
From a branch bearing an orchard.
وكمand how often غدتbecame شمسُthe sun of الضُّحىmidmorning ليfor me بهاin it
وكم غدت شمسُ الضُّحى لي بها
ضجيعةًa female bedfellow والبدرُand the full moon نُدْماناa drinking companion
ضجيعةً والبدرُ نُدْمانا
And how often the midmorning sun became for me there
How often has dawn's sun within it
a bedfellow, and the full moon a drinking companion.
Lain with me, and the full moon kept me company!
أَيَّامُdays وصلٍunion أَعقبتْleft behind حسرةًheartache
أَيَّامُ وصلٍ أَعقبتْ حسرةً
فليْتso if only ماwhat قدalready كانwas لاnot كاناwas
فليْت ما قد كان لا كانا
Days of union left heartache in their wake;
Days of union followed by sorrow -
if only what had been had never been!
Would they had never been!
ذاthis خُلُقnature الدنياthe world فكمand how often قَطعَتْit cut off
ذا خُلُق الدنيا فكم قَطعَتْ
قرائباًkinsfolk منَّاfrom us وأَقْرَاناand peers
قرائباً منَّا وأَقْرَانا
Such is the world's nature: how often it has severed
Such is the way of life - how it has severed
kinsfolk and peers from us.
Ties of kinship and brotherhood from us.
وكمand how many أَضلَّled astray العشقُlove منof أَهْلِهاits people
وكم أَضلَّ العشقُ من أَهْلِها
بعدafter الهُدَىguidance شِيباًgray-haired people وشُبَّاناًand youths
بعد الهُدَى شِيباً وشُبَّاناً
And how many of its people love has led astray,
How many past and present has love of it
after guidance—gray-haired and young alike!
Misguided after maturity and youth!
داءٌa sickness قديمancient فيamong بنيthe children of آدمٍAdam
داءٌ قديم في بني آدمٍ
أَنthat يَعْشِقshould love passionately الإِنسانُa human being إِنساناa human being
أَن يَعْشِق الإِنسانُ إِنسانا
An ancient sickness among the children of Adam:
An old malady in the sons of Adam -
for one human being to fall in love with another.
That man should love man.
قبليbefore me جريرٌJarir لمdid not يَزْلcease قلبُهhis heart
قبلي جريرٌ لم يَزْل قلبُه
لساكِنfor the dweller of الريَّانِal-Rayyan عَطْشاناthirsty
لساكِن الريَّانِ عَطْشانا
Before me, Jarir's heart was always
Before me Jarir's heart was ever
thirsty for the dweller of al-Rayyan.
Thirsty for the dweller in the thickets.
وهامand fell madly in love قلبيmy heart بغلاميّةٍwith a boyish girl
وهام قلبي بغلاميّةٍ
تشدّshe fastens فوقabove الخصْرthe waist هِمْيَاناa purse-belt
تشدّ فوق الخصْر هِمْيَانا
And my heart fell madly in love with a boyish girl
And my heart pines for a sweet damsel
who fastens a purse-belt above her waist.
Who ties her girdle high at the waist.
قدalready مثَّرtalked at length العذَّالُthe reproachers فيconcerning شأْنِهاher affair
قد مثَّر العذَّالُ في شأْنِها
أَظُنُّI think عذَّالِيَmy reproachers عُمْياناblind
أَظُنُّ عذَّالِيَ عُمْيانا
The reproachers have talked at length about her;
The reproacher found fault with her affair -
I think my reproachers blind.
I think my reproacher blind.
آمنتُI believed بالمعجزِin the miraculous منof حسنهاher beauty
آمنتُ بالمعجزِ من حسنها
لأَنَّنيbecause I أَبصرْتُbeheld برهاناa proof
لأَنَّني أَبصرْتُ برهانا
I believed in the miracle of her beauty,
Her beauty made me believe in miracles,
because I beheld a proof.
For I saw clear proof.
فيat كُلِّevery وقْتٍmoment وجْهُهَاher face مُشْرقٌradiant
في كُلِّ وقْتٍ وجْهُهَا مُشْرقٌ
كأَنماas though أُلْبِسَit was clothed إِيماناfaith
كأَنما أُلْبِسَ إِيمانا
At every moment her face is radiant,
At every time her face shines
as though it had been clothed in faith.
As if clothed in faith.
واتَّفقَتْand harmonized فيin الحسنbeauty أَعضاؤُهاher body's parts
واتَّفقَتْ في الحسن أَعضاؤُها
فأَصبَحتْso they became فيin الحسنِbeauty إِخواناbrothers
فأَصبَحتْ في الحسنِ إِخوانا
And the parts of her body agreed in beauty,
Her limbs concur in beauty
and so became brothers in beauty.
And are equal in loveliness.
تبْريَّةُgolden الخدّthe cheek علىdespite أَنَّهthat it
تبْريَّةُ الخدّ على أَنَّه
يبديit displays منof التفَّاحapples أَلواناcolors
يبدي من التفَّاح أَلوانا
Her cheek is golden, although it
The down on her cheek proclaims
displays the colors of apples.
It shows apples' hues.
ماnot كنتI was أَدْرِيI know قبلbefore تفَّاحِهits apples
ما كنت أَدْرِي قبل تفَّاحِه
بأَنَّof the fact that فيin عانةAnah لبناناLebanon
بأَنَّ في عانة لبنانا
Before seeing its apples, I had not known
I did not know before her apples
that in Anah there was a Lebanon.
That fragrance was in Lebanon.
Sol 6.1