رسالةa letter واهاًah! لَهاfor it واهاah!
رسالة واهاً لَها واها
شَرقتI choked بِالدَمعon tears لفحواهاat its contents
شَرقت بِالدَمع لفحواها
A letter—ah, what a letter!
A message, alas for it, alas
I choked on tears at its contents,
It brought tears to my eyes with its yearning
مِنfrom غادةa graceful maiden عذبنيtormented me نأيهاher distance
مِن غادة عذبني نأيها
ماwhat ضَرَّharm لَوif كُنتُI were وَإِيّاهاtogether with her
ما ضَرَّ لَو كُنتُ وَإِيّاها
From a graceful maiden whose distance tormented me.
Ghadah's sweetness pained me with her distance
What harm would there be if I were with her?
It would not have harmed if I was with her
أَضراسهاher molars تُؤلِمُهاhurt her لَيتَنيif only I
أَضراسها تُؤلِمُها لَيتَني
أَشكوI complain of الَّذيthat which سَبّبcaused شَكواهاher complaint
أَشكو الَّذي سَبّب شَكواها
Her molars hurt her; if only I
Her teeth hurt her, if only
Could suffer what caused her complaint!
I could complain of what caused her pain
تِلكَthose ثَناياهاher front teeth الَّتيwhich نَضدتwere strung
تِلكَ ثَناياها الَّتي نَضدت
عَقدينtwo necklaces وَالمَكسورand the broken one إحداهاone of them
عَقدين وَالمَكسور إحداها
Those are her front teeth, strung
Those are her lips that were adorned
As two necklaces; one of those teeth is broken.
With two dimples, one of them broken
آثارَهاtheir marks فيon شَفَتيmy lip لَمhave not تَزَلdisappeared
آثارَها في شَفَتي لَم تَزَل
ياah! ضلَّhas gone astray مَنwhoever يَجهَلdoes not know مَعناهاtheir meaning
يا ضلَّ مَن يَجهَل مَعناها
Their marks still linger on my lip.
Traces of her on my lips have not ceased
Ah, astray is he who does not know their meaning!
Oh, the one who is ignorant of their meaning is lost
رَشفتI sipped مِنهاfrom her سَلسلاًa sweet, smooth draught بارِداًcool
رَشفت مِنها سَلسلاً بارِداً
صادفmet نِيرانيmy fires فَأَطفاهاand so quenched them
صادف نِيراني فَأَطفاها
I sipped from her a cool, sweet draught,
I took from her a cold chain
Which met my fires and quenched them,
That met my fires and extinguished them
فيin لَيلةa night لَمdid not أَدرِI know ساعاتهاits hours
في لَيلة لَم أَدرِ ساعاتها
أَضَعتI lost track of طولاهاthe longest of them وَقُصراهاand the shortest of them
أَضَعت طولاها وَقُصراها
On a night whose hours I could not tell;
On a night whose hours I did not know
I lost track of the longest of them and the shortest,
It lost its length and brevity
حَتّىuntil طَغىsurged الصُبحthe dawn بِأَنوارهwith its lights
حَتّى طَغى الصُبح بِأَنواره
عَلىover نُجومthe stars اللَيلof night يَغشاهاveiling them
عَلى نُجوم اللَيل يَغشاها
Until dawn surged with its light
Until the dawn overflowed with its lights
Over the stars of night, veiling them.
Covering the stars of the night
وَرَجَّعand trilled الطَيرthe birds أَغاريدهtheir songs
وَرَجَّع الطَير أَغاريده
شَجواًmournfully فَأَبكانيso made me weep وَأَبكاهاand made her weep
شَجواً فَأَبكاني وَأَبكاها
And the birds trilled their songs
And the birds returned their chirping
Mournfully, making me weep and her as well.
Mournfully, making me and her weep
فَقُلتso I said ياO طَيرbirds كَذاso عاجِلاًsoon
فَقُلت يا طَير كَذا عاجِلاً
قُمتyou rose عَلىover اللذاتthe pleasures تَنعاهاyou announce their death
قُمت عَلى اللذات تَنعاها
So I said, 'O birds, so soon
So I said: O birds, why so hastily
You have risen over pleasures to announce their death!'
Did you rise to spoil the pleasures?
وَقُلتand I said ياO طَيرbirds مَتىwhen نَلتَقيshall we meet
وَقُلت يا طَير مَتى نَلتَقي
ياO طَيرbirds هَلwhether أَحيىI shall live وَأَلقاهاand meet her
يا طَير هَل أَحيى وَأَلقاها
And I said, 'O birds, when shall we meet?
And I said: O birds, when will we meet?
O birds, shall I live to meet her?'
O birds, will I live to see her again?
ثُمthen تَعنانَقناwe embraced فللهand, by God! ماwhat
ثُم تَعنانَقنا فلله ما
تذرفshed عَينايmy eyes وَعَيناهاand her eyes
تذرف عَيناي وَعَيناها
Then we embraced—by God, what tears
Then we embraced and by God
My eyes and hers shed!
My eyes and her eyes shed tears
قَبَلتهاI kissed her فيon فَمهاher mouth قُبلةa kiss
قَبَلتها في فَمها قُبلة
ماhow كانَwas أَزكاهاhow fragrant it was وَأَحلاهاand how sweet it was
ما كانَ أَزكاها وَأَحلاها
I kissed her on the mouth—a kiss:
I kissed her mouth with a kiss
How fragrant and sweet it was!
That was the most virtuous and sweetest of them
وَقَبَلتنيand she kissed me مِثلَهاlike it قُبلةa kiss
وَقَبَلتني مِثلَها قُبلة
ماnot زِلتI have ceased اَستَنشقI inhale رَياهاits fragrance
ما زِلت اَستَنشق رَياها
And she kissed me with a kiss like it;
And she kissed me likewise with a kiss
I still breathe in its fragrance.
Whose scent I still breathe in
تِلكَthat هِيَit الزادthe sustenance غَداةَon the morning of النَوىparting
تِلكَ هِيَ الزاد غَداةَ النَوى
قَدmay يَهلكperish العاشقthe lover لَولاهاwere it not for it
قَد يَهلك العاشق لَولاها
That is the sustenance for the morning of parting;
That is the provision at the time of parting
The lover might perish without it.
A lover may perish without it
حَبيبَتيmy beloved عوديreturn إِلىto رَبوةa hill
حَبيبَتي عودي إِلى رَبوة
أَضحىhas become فُؤاديmy heart رَهنa hostage to مَغناهاits abode
أَضحى فُؤادي رَهن مَغناها
My beloved, return to a hill
My love, return to the hillside
My heart has become a hostage to its abode.
For my heart has become hostage to your singing
ياO مَنيتيmy heart's desire عوديreturn نُعِدlet us repeat لَيلةa night
يا مَنيتي عودي نُعِد لَيلة
ماnot زالَhas ceased قَلبيmy heart يَتَمناهاlonging for it
ما زالَ قَلبي يَتَمناها
O my heart's desire, return; let us relive a night
My wish, return and let us have a night
For which my heart still yearns.
My heart still longs for it
ذُقتI tasted بِهاin it مِنكِfrom you أَلَذthe sweetest الهَوىlove
ذُقت بِها مِنكِ أَلَذ الهَوى
فَكَيفَso how أَنساكcould I forget you وَأَنساهاand forget it
فَكَيفَ أَنساك وَأَنساها
That night, from you, I tasted the sweetest love;
I tasted the sweetest love with you
So how could I forget you and forget that night?
So how can I forget you and forget it?
Sol 6.1