منwho عذيريmy defender منagainst الذيthe one who يبكينيweeps for me
من عذيري من الذي يبكيني
قبلbefore يومthe day الردىof death بدمعٍwith tears هتونpouring
قبل يوم الردى بدمعٍ هتون
Who will defend me against the one who weeps for me
Who will cry for me before the day of loss with soft tears
before the day of death, with pouring tears?
Was it just playfulness that kept me up at night from that blood
لعبٌplay ماwhat أرقتyou shed منof ذلكthose الدمthe tears (beginning)
لعبٌ ما أرقت من ذلك الدم
عtears (ending) ودلand coquetry أمor أنتyou جدtruly حزينsorrowful
ع ودل أم أنت جد حزين
Are those tears you shed mere play
Or was it sincere sadness, O intimate friend
and coquetry, or are you truly sorrowful?
We cried as you cried, yet you did not see
كماas بكيناwe wept كماas بكيتI wept فلمyet you did not ترshow pity (beginning)
كما بكينا كما بكيت فلم تر
ثshow pity (ending) ولمand did not تكثرتheed (uncertain reading) لدمعيfor my tears السخينburning
ث ولم تكثرت لدمعي السخين
As we wept, as I wept, you showed no
Nor were you affected by my hot tears
pity, nor did you heed my burning tears.
My crying was not meaningless vanity
لمnot تكنwere عبرتيmy tears أفيكةa fabrication أفاa liar (beginning)
لم تكن عبرتي أفيكة أفا
كٍa liar (ending) ولاnor وجهthe face حبناof our love بظنينunder suspicion
كٍ ولا وجه حبنا بظنين
My tears were no fabrication by
Nor was the face of our love suspicious
a liar, nor was the face of our love suspect.
O brother of beauty and kindness, for God's sake
ياO أخاbrother of الحسنbeauty والملاحةand charm باللَby God (beginning)
يا أخا الحسن والملاحة باللَ
هGod (ending) ترفقbe gentle بجفنكwith your eyelid المحزونsorrowful
ه ترفق بجفنك المحزون
O brother of beauty and charm, by
Be gentle with your grieving eyelid
God, be gentle with your sorrowful eyelid.
Restrain your eye from its crying, for in it is peril
أرجزrestrain (uncertain reading) العينthe eye عنfrom بكاهاits weeping ففيهاfor in it انpoured forth (beginning)
أرجز العين عن بكاها ففيها ان
هلpoured forth (ending) منهاfrom it وفاءpayment of دينthe debt العيونof eyes
هل منها وفاء دين العيون
Restrain the eye from weeping; in what has poured
Is there in it the loyalty of eyes' religion?
from it lies payment of the debt of eyes.
The night of Thursday was beautiful and pleasant
حسنتwas beautiful ليلةthe night الخميسof Thursday وطابتand was pleasant
حسنت ليلة الخميس وطابت
فهيso it is حسبيenough for me منfrom الزمانtime الضنينmiserly
فهي حسبي من الزمان الضنين
Thursday night was lovely and pleasant;
It suffices me from the straitened times
so it is all I need from miserly time.
The foam of distance from the bosom flowed
صرحتrevealed رغوةthe foam البعادof separation عنconcerning القرcloseness (beginning)
صرحت رغوة البعاد عن القر
بcloseness (ending) وباحتand disclosed بودكyour affection المكنونhidden
ب وباحت بودك المكنون
The foam of separation revealed closeness
And your concealed love manifested
and disclosed your hidden affection.
We found in you happiness, as the beholder of the poor rejoices in provision
فوجدناso we found بكthrough you السرورjoy كماas يفrejoices (beginning)
فوجدنا بك السرور كما يف
رحrejoices (ending) بالزادat provisions ناظرthe eye المسكينof the poor man
رح بالزاد ناظر المسكين
So we found joy through you, as
How many dear ones, if they only knew
a poor man's eye rejoices at provisions.
The informers' news would not benefit them now
كمhow many معزa consoler عنيon my account ولوand if كانhe were يدريto know
كم معز عني ولو كان يدري
ماwhat أفادbrought النعاةthe death-announcers هنيwould congratulate (contextual reading) لحينيon my death
ما أفاد النعاة هني لحيني
How many have offered condolences for me! Had one known
The informers' news of the all-encompassing wound and connection from a loyal friend
what the death-announcers brought, he would have congratulated me on my death.
Will you return to friendship and overlook my agony and yearning?
عادreturned نعيthe death notice النعاةof the death-announcers بالقرحwith pain الشاall-encompassing (beginning)
عاد نعي النعاة بالقرح الشا
ملall-encompassing (ending) والوصلand reunion منfrom خليلٍa beloved أمينfaithful
مل والوصل من خليلٍ أمين
The death-announcers' tidings brought all-encompassing pain
Remain, and let me forget, for living is not sweet
and reunion with a faithful beloved.
If you are not my companion
أتراكI wonder whether you الغادةthe graceful maiden ترجعwill return للصدto shunning (beginning)
أتراك الغادة ترجع للصد
دshunning (ending) وتغضيand turn a blind eye عنto لوعتيmy anguish وحنينيand my longing
د وتغضي عن لوعتي وحنيني
Will you, fair maiden, return to shunning me
Leave the brotherhood of a people who ignorantly excused you
and turn a blind eye to my anguish and longing?
And reckon this perceptive one as foolish
ابقstay أنسىmy solace فليسfor it is not يحلوsweet ليto me العيشlife
ابق أنسى فليس يحلو لي العيش
إذاif لمnot تكنyou are عليهin it قرينيmy companion
إذا لم تكن عليه قريني
Stay, my solace; life is not sweet to me
I seek refuge in your kindness, so lower unto me
if you are not my companion in it.
A wing of mercy to shelter me
دعleave مؤاخاةthe fellowship of معشرٍa company of people وسعوthey encompassed أحyour beauty (beginning; uncertain reading)
دع مؤاخاة معشرٍ وسعو أح
سنكyour beauty (ending) جهلاًwith ignorance وعدand return لهذاto this الفطينdiscerning man
سنك جهلاً وعد لهذا الفطين
Leave the company of those who envelop your beauty
Good evening! No, wait a little while
in ignorance; return to this discerning man.
The hour of cruel separation has made me miserable
أننيthat I عائذٌseeking refuge بعطفكin your tenderness فاخفضso lower
أنني عائذٌ بعطفك فاخفض
ليfor me جناحاًa wing رحمةًin mercy يؤوينيshelters me
لي جناحاً رحمةً يؤويني
I seek refuge in your tenderness, so lower
We have parted with one who revives and passes
a wing for me in mercy, to shelter me.
With an empty heart that feels not my agony
عمfare well مساءًin the evening لاno بلrather تمهلlinger قليلاًa little
عم مساءً لا بل تمهل قليلاً
تعستaccursed be ساعةthe hour الفراقof parting الطحونcrushing
تعست ساعة الفراق الطحون
Good evening—no, linger a little!
You have increased my tribulation, and it is not good
Accursed be the crushing hour of parting!
To abandon and forget a passionate lover
لشجيناwe are indeed grieved بمنby one who يحيىlives ويمضيand goes on
لشجينا بمن يحيى ويمضي
فارغempty القلبthe heart لاnot يحسfeels شجونيmy sorrows
فارغ القلب لا يحس شجوني
We are indeed grieved by one who lives and goes on
My soul's entire need, and from me the soul
with an empty heart, feeling none of my sorrows.
Altogether is enchanted by this eyelid
زدتنيyou increased my فتنةًenchantment وليسand it is not جميلاًfair
زدتني فتنةً وليس جميلاً
منin هجرانabandoning والهٍa lovesick one مفتونspellbound
من هجران والهٍ مفتون
You have deepened my enchantment; there is nothing fair
Do you think I enjoy anything when
in abandoning a lovesick, spellbound lover.
You are absent from my sight and my sad heart?
حاجةthe need النفسof the soul كلهاall of it ومنيand the wishes النفthe soul (beginning)
حاجة النفس كلها ومني النف
سsoul (ending) جميعاًall فيin سحرthe spell هذيthese الجفونeyelids
س جميعاً في سحر هذي الجفون
All the soul's need, and all its wishes,
The evening is only beautiful and sweet with you
lie in the spell of these eyelids.
So sit first, and this is my right hand
أترانيdo you think I ألذenjoy شيئاًanything إذاwhen ماemphatic particle
أتراني ألذ شيئاً إذا ما
غبتyou are absent عنfrom ناظريmy sight وقلبيand my heart الحزينsorrowful
غبت عن ناظري وقلبي الحزين
Do you think I can enjoy anything when
We have gained from the meeting a share
you are absent from my sight and my sorrowful heart?
So fulfill my share of the painful separation
إنماonly يحسنgrows beautiful المساءthe evening ويحلوand grows sweet
إنما يحسن المساء ويحلو
بكthrough you فاقعدso stay seated أولاor not وهذيand this is يمينيmy right hand
بك فاقعد أولا وهذي يميني
Evening grows lovely and sweet only
God suffices me in providing what comes at me from you
through you; stay—or do not—and here is my right hand.
And He is the best guardian
قدindeed ظفرناwe have gained منfrom اللقاءmeeting بحظٍّa share
قد ظفرنا من اللقاء بحظٍّ
فاقضso grant حظيmy share منof الفراقparting الشطونfar-distant
فاقض حظي من الفراق الشطون
We have indeed gained a share of meeting;
so grant me my share of far-distant parting.
حسبيenough for me اللَهGod فيin كفايةwarding off ماwhatever يعrepeatedly visits me (beginning)
حسبي اللَه في كفاية ما يع
تادنيrepeatedly visits me (ending) منكfrom you وهوand He خيرthe best معينhelper
تادني منك وهو خير معين
God is enough to shield me from whatever
keeps coming upon me from you; He is the best helper.
Partial English translation: 42 of 46 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1