قسماًI swear باللوحby the Tablet والقلمand the Pen
قسماً باللوح والقلم
مالكيmy master افتىissued a ruling بسفكfor the shedding of دميmy blood
مالكي افتى بسفك دمي
I swear by the Tablet and the Pen:
I swear by the tablet and the pen
My master has decreed the shedding of my blood.
My angel gave judgment to shed my blood
جلّexalted is منHe who فيin الحسنbeauty صوّرهfashioned him
جلّ من في الحسن صوّره
فتنةa temptation للعُربfor the Arabs والعجمand non-Arabs
فتنة للعُرب والعجم
Exalted is He who fashioned him in beauty,
He who is most handsome in appearance
a temptation for Arabs and non-Arabs.
Temptation for both Arabs and non-Arabs
وغريرand a guileless youth ضوءradiance غرَّتهhis brow
وغرير ضوء غرَّته
قدhas indeed حكاهاmirrored it البدرthe full moon فيin الظلمdarkness
قد حكاها البدر في الظلم
And a guileless youth, whose radiant brow
And the reflection of a light that has deceived him
the full moon has mirrored in the darkness.
The full moon told of it in the darkness
فانعطفso turn يوماًone day لمرتقبٍtoward one waiting
فانعطف يوماً لمرتقبٍ
كادnearly أنto يقضيdie منfrom الالمpain
كاد أن يقضي من الالم
So turn one day toward one who waits,
So one day he turned to the awaited one
who nearly dies of pain.
He almost ended the pain
قصرتfell short عنof وكفthe streaming of ادمعهhis tears
قصرت عن وكف ادمعه
معصراتrain-laden masses المزنrain clouds والديمand steady rains
معصرات المزن والديم
Too scant to match his streaming tears
His tears were insufficient to express the crushing sorrows
are the rain-laden clouds and the steady rains.
The presses of grapes and blood
يشتكيhe complains منof ودّthe love of ذيone endowed with غنجcoquetry
يشتكي من ودّ ذي غنج
ودُّهhis love كالظلlike a shadow لمdid not يدمlast
ودُّه كالظل لم يدم
He laments the love of a coquettish one;
He complains of the love of the one with gentle voice
his love, like a shadow, did not last.
His love is like a fleeting shadow
فتكتwrought deadly havoc فيناamong us لواحظهhis glances
فتكت فينا لواحظه
فتكاتthe deadly strokes of الصارمthe sharp sword الخذمkeen-cutting
فتكات الصارم الخذم
His glances wrought deadly havoc among us,
So her glances murdered us
the deadly strokes of a sharp, cleaving sword.
The murderous blows of a sharp sword
افهلso, does...? يدريhe knows غداةthe morning of نأيdeparture
افهل يدري غداة نأي
اودعhe left الاحشاءthe entrails فيin ضرمa blaze
اودع الاحشاء في ضرم
Does he know that, on the morning of departure,
Does he know the next morning when I move away
he left my entrails in a blaze?
I entrusted my inner self in agony
سلبَrobbed الارواحsouls راحتهاof their repose
سلبَ الارواح راحتها
رشأٌa young gazelle فيin راحتيهhis two palms دميmy blood
رشأٌ في راحتيه دمي
He robbed souls of their repose—
Depriving the souls of their comfort
a young gazelle, my blood in his two palms.
My blood spilt into his comfort
كنتُI was ثبتsteadfast الجاشof heart ذاpossessed of هممhigh aspirations
كنتُ ثبت الجاش ذا همم
لمdid not يدعleave ليfor me البينparting منany هممaspirations
لم يدع لي البين من همم
I was steadfast of heart, full of high aspirations;
I was one of strong determination
parting has left me no aspirations.
Worry left me no determination
ناعسdrowsy الاجفانeyelids صلcome to دنفاًa lovesick man
ناعس الاجفان صل دنفاً
ساهرwakeful الاجفانeyelids لمdid not ينمsleep
ساهر الاجفان لم ينم
O drowsy-eyed one, come to a lovesick man,
With tired eyelids, he prayed humbly
wakeful-eyed, who has not slept.
With sleepless eyelids, he did not sleep
صلcome to معنَّىtormented القلبat heart مكتئباًgrieving
صل معنَّى القلب مكتئباً
زدتهyou added to him سقماsickness علىupon سقمsickness
زدته سقما على سقم
Come to one tormented at heart, grieving;
The core of my heart prayed depressed
you have added sickness to his sickness.
Increasing its illnesses upon illnesses
كيفhow يصغيlisten to العذلreproach ذوone afflicted with أرقsleeplessness
كيف يصغي العذل ذو أرق
قلقٌrestless اذناهhis two ears فيin صممdeafness
قلقٌ اذناه في صمم
How can a sleepless man listen to reproach,
How can the sleepless lover listen
restless, with his ears deaf?
His ears blocked in deafness
يالقوميO my people! منwho لمحتكمٍfor an arbiter
يالقومي من لمحتكمٍ
جائرunjust فيin الحكمjudgment منsince قدمlong ago
جائر في الحكم من قدم
O my people, who will confront an arbiter
Oh my people, from the injustice
long unjust in his judgments?
Of one unfair in his rule from the beginning
ربmany a ذيone with قرنa horn يلومrebukes فتىa youth
رب ذي قرن يلوم فتى
واذاand when ماever لامhe rebukes لمnot يلمis rebuked
واذا ما لام لم يلم
Many a horned man rebukes a youth,
One with horns blames a young man
and when he rebukes, he is not rebuked.
And if he blames, he is not blamed
انif يشمhe scents منfrom مغرمa lover طمعاhope of gain
ان يشم من مغرم طمعا
شابتاboth turned gray قرناهhis two horns فيamid اللممlocks of hair
شابتا قرناه في اللمم
If he scents hope of gain from a lover,
If he smells greed from a lover
his two horns turn gray amid his locks.
His horns whiten in covetousness
وبنفسيand with my life افتديI would ransom عرباًArabs
وبنفسي افتدي عرباً
نزلواthey settled اكنافthe environs of ذيDhu سلمSalam
نزلوا اكناف ذي سلم
And with my life I would ransom Arabs
And I ransom Arabs with my soul
who settled in the environs of Dhu Salam.
Who descended under peaceful protection
هبsuppose نأواthey went far away عنfrom ناظريmy sight فلكمyet how many
هب نأوا عن ناظري فلكم
ضربواthey pitched فيin القلبthe heart منof خيمtents
ضربوا في القلب من خيم
Suppose they are far from my sight—yet how many
Go away from my sight for you
tents they have pitched within my heart!
Have struck at the heart from the tents
ليَI have قلبa heart ظلّremained اثرهمin their wake
ليَ قلب ظلّ اثرهم
بينamong تلكthose الكثبsand dunes والاكمand hills
بين تلك الكثب والاكم
I have a heart that lingered in their wake
For me is a heart imprinted with their traces
among those sand dunes and hills.
Among those hills and sorrows
حكمdecreed الباريthe Creator بفرقتناthat we part
حكم الباري بفرقتنا
ولكمand for you اللهGod منas a حكمjudge
ولكم الله من حكم
The Creator decreed our separation;
The judgment of God dictated our separation
and what a judge God is for you!
And for you is God’s judgment
Sol 6.1