علقclung الفؤادthe heart هوىًin passion بحبٍّwith a love صادقsincere
علق الفؤاد هوىً بحبٍّ صادق
واتحادand union بعدكfar be you عنfrom هوىًa love وسواسof whispering doubts
واتحاد بعدك عن هوىً وسواس
The heart clung in passion to a sincere love,
My heart fell in love with a sincere affection
And union—far be you from a love of whispering doubts.
And unity after you from my obsession and evil thoughts
صنمan idol رساanchored فيin القلبthe heart خالصpure حبهlove for him
صنم رسا في القلب خالص حبه
وهواهand passion for him دبّcrept دبيبهits creeping فيinto الراسthe head
وهواه دبّ دبيبه في الراس
An idol: pure love for him has anchored in the heart,
An idol settled in my heart with pure love
And passion for him crept its way into the head.
And his love crept slowly into my head
فلقدfor indeed قساhe was hard قلباًof heart ورقَّand was tender معاطفاin bodily curves
فلقد قسا قلباً ورقَّ معاطفا
واحرَّand oh, the burning! قلبيmy heart منfrom رقيقa tender one قاسيcruel
واحرَّ قلبي من رقيق قاسي
For he was hard of heart, yet supple of frame.
He hardened a soft heart and softened a hard coat
Oh, how my heart burns from one so tender, yet cruel!
And made my heart tender from a harsh cruel person
قاسٍa cruel one اقاسيI endure منfrom اليمpainful عذابهhis torment
قاسٍ اقاسي من اليم عذابه
مالاwhat ... do not تقاسيsuffer الناسthe people منfrom وناسa friendly companion
مالا تقاسي الناس من وناس
A cruel one: from his painful torment I endure
Cruel, so cruel from the pain of his torment
What people never suffer from a friendly companion.
Not torment that people suffer from caprice
ماnot زلتI ceased اكتمI conceal فيin هواهlove for him صبابتيmy yearning
ما زلت اكتم في هواه صبابتي
حتىuntil اذاعhe made public هوايmy love بينamong الناسthe people
حتى اذاع هواي بين الناس
I kept concealing, in my love for him, my yearning,
I kept hiding in his love my youth
Until he proclaimed my love among the people.
Until my love spread among people
مصقولpolished وردthe rose الخدof the cheek زيَّنadorned خدهhis cheek
مصقول ورد الخد زيَّن خده
صقلٌa sheen يشينputs to shame صقالةthe smooth polish القرطاسof paper
صقلٌ يشين صقالة القرطاس
His cheek's rose is polished; his cheek was graced
The polished rose of his cheek adorned his cheek
By a sheen that puts the smoothness of paper to shame.
A polish that adorns the gloss of paper
بدرٌa full moon يطوفhe circulates علىamong الرفاقthe companions بكوكبwith a star
بدرٌ يطوف على الرفاق بكوكب
كالشمسlike the sun يشرقit shines فيin سماءthe sky الكاسof the cup
كالشمس يشرق في سماء الكاس
A full moon, he circles among companions bearing a star,
A full moon that circles around friends like a planet
Which shines like the sun in the sky of the cup.
Like the sun shining in the sky of a goblet
بكرٌa virgin اذاwhen انكحتهاyou give her in marriage ابنa son of غمامةa cloud
بكرٌ اذا انكحتها ابن غمامة
ولدتshe bore بناتdaughters الدرّof pearl كالاعراسlike brides
ولدت بنات الدرّ كالاعراس
A virgin: when you wed her to a cloud's son,
A young camel if the son of clouds mounts her
She bears daughters of pearl, like brides.
She gives birth to pearls like weddings
صهباءtawny wine انif قعدتsit down سقاةthe cupbearers كؤوسهاof her cups
صهباء ان قعدت سقاة كؤوسها
قامتrose تعاطيهاpasses her round يدthe hand الجلاسof the seated drinkers
قامت تعاطيها يد الجلاس
Tawny wine: if the servers of her cups sit down,
A blond, if she sits serving her cups
The hands of the seated drinkers rise to pass her round.
Her pouring hand stands serving the sitters
راحٌwine هيshe الرُّوحthe spirit الخليصةpure جوهراin substance
راحٌ هي الرُّوح الخليصة جوهرا
خلصتshe was freed منfrom الاعراضaccidental qualities والادناسand impurities
خلصت من الاعراض والادناس
Wine: she is the spirit, pure in substance,
A gazelle, she is the pure ethereal soul
Freed of accidental qualities and impurities.
Free from defects and blemishes
لمdid not انسَI forget اذwhen جدَّwas earnest الحبيبthe beloved بهزلهin his jest
لم انسَ اذ جدَّ الحبيب بهزله
فيin ليلةٍa night ليلاءpitch-dark جدَّutterly عماسmurky
في ليلةٍ ليلاء جدَّ عماس
I have not forgotten when the beloved was earnest in his jest,
I did not forget when my beloved jested
On a pitch-dark night, utterly murky.
On a dark night, he jested intensely
فعسىso may يعودhe return علىto المحبthe lover بعطفهwith his tenderness
فعسى يعود على المحب بعطفه
عُودٌa bough علىthrough مرّthe passage of اللياليthe nights عاسيunyielding
عُودٌ على مرّ الليالي عاسي
So may he turn to his lover with tenderness—
I hope he will return to the lover with kindness
A bough unyielding through the passing nights.
A return to the bitter nights has passed
كمhow many مسلكa path فيin الحبlove فيهfor him سلكتهI followed it
كم مسلك في الحب فيه سلكته
يلدُit begets العناhardship وفراستيand my discernment افراسيmy steeds
يلدُ العنا وفراستي افراسي
How many a path in love for him have I followed,
How many paths in love I took with him
Breeding hardship, with my discernment for my steeds.
Bearing spite and my insight is piercing
ماfirst fragment of 'I grappled' رستُsecond fragment of 'I grappled' كلevery ممنَّعunassailable one فجلبتُهُso I won him
ما رستُ كل ممنَّع فجلبتُهُ
وبجلبهand in winning him اعيىfailed عليّfor me مراسيmy grappling
وبجلبه اعيى عليّ مراسي
I grappled with every unassailable one and won him,
I have not rested, all forbidden I obtained
Yet, in winning this one, my grappling failed me.
And by obtaining it blinded my own insight
فأيستso I despaired منهof him بعدafter علميmy knowing انَّهthat he
فأيست منه بعد علمي انَّه
بذكاهthrough his wit يُعربُhe gives expression عنto ذكاءthe intelligence of اياسIyas
بذكاه يُعربُ عن ذكاء اياس
So I despaired of him after knowing that he
So I despaired of him after knowing that
Through his wit reveals the intelligence of Iyas.
With his intelligence he surpasses the intelligent Iyas
وطفقتand I began اقرعI gnash فيهover him ضرسيmy molar آسفاًregretfully
وطفقت اقرع فيه ضرسي آسفاً
اللَهGod! لوif only علقتcaught hold بهof him اضراسيmy molars
اللَه لو علقت به اضراسي
And I began gnashing my teeth over him in regret:
And I began to bite my teeth at him regretfully
God! If only my molars had caught hold of him!
By God, if only I had attached my molars to him
كيفhow اغتياليmy ambushing منهin him ليثاًa lion اكيساmost cunning
كيف اغتيالي منه ليثاً اكيسا
لكنyet تراهُsees him العينthe eye ظبيَa gazelle كناسof a covert
لكن تراهُ العين ظبيَ كناس
How could I ambush so cunning a lion in him?
How could I assassinate him, a wise lion
Yet the eye sees him as a gazelle in its covert.
Yet my eyes see him a weak rabbit
فلقدfor indeed نفضتI shook empty كنانتيmy quiver منof نبلهاits arrows
فلقد نفضت كنانتي من نبلها
يأساًin despair بهof him وكسرتُand I broke منsome of اقواسيmy bows
يأساً به وكسرتُ من اقواسي
For I have emptied my quiver of its arrows
So I shook off my arrow’s nobility in despair of him
In despair of him, and broken some of my bows.
And broke some of my bows
كمhow often قلتI said للمشتوّto the scorched one (uncertain reading) فاتكeluded you مورديmy watering place
كم قلت للمشتوّ فاتك موردي
ماnot انتyou منof درّيmy milk yield ومنnor of ابساسيmy milking-call
ما انت من درّي ومن ابساسي
How often I told the scorched one: my watering place eludes you.
How much I said to the aloof, you missed my waters
You have no share in my milk or my milking-call.
You are not of my pearls or silk
اربعgo gently علىwith ضلعa rib (likely 'limp' intended) فلستfor you are not كواحدlike one
اربع على ضلع فلست كواحد
ضربتI multiplied بهfor him الاخماسthe fifths بالاسداسby the sixths
ضربت به الاخماس بالاسداس
Tread gently with your limp; you are not like the one
Four over a rib so you are not like one
For whom I multiplied fifths by sixths.
I hit the fifth with the clubs and sticks
خذهاtake her اليكfor yourself فريسةa prey النظمof verse التيwhose
خذها اليك فريسة النظم التي
اعيتdefeated مصارعهاher wrestling bouts اباAbu فراسFiras
اعيت مصارعها ابا فراس
Take her for yourself, this prey of verse,
Take them to you, the prey of poetry
Whose wrestling bouts defeated Abu Firas.
Which my father, knight Futrus, blinded its wrestlers
انif يطَّببكacts as your physician الشعرpoetry فهيthen she is طبيعةa constitution
ان يطَّببك الشعر فهي طبيعة
جسَّتfelt انامللإهاher fingertips (corrupt spelling) يديmy hand جساسJassas
جسَّت انامللإها يدي جساس
If poetry acts as your physician, she is a constitution
If poetry heals you, it is a medicine
Whose fingertips my hand—Jassas—has felt.
Whose vials my hands poured, hands of a callous old hag
Sol 6.1