ماnot كَلامُwords الوُشاةِthe slanderers إِلّاexcept كِلامُwounds
ما كَلامُ الوُشاةِ إِلّا كِلامُ
وَحَمامُand the doves الأَراكِthe arak trees إِلّاexcept حِمامُdeath
وَحَمامُ الأَراكِ إِلّا حِمامُ
The slanderers’ words are nothing but wounds,
and the doves of the arak trees are nothing but death.
كُلَّevery يَومٍday لِلصَبِّfor the lovesick one شَهرٌa month إِذاif لَمnot
كُلَّ يَومٍ لِلصَبِّ شَهرٌ إِذا لَم
يَرَhe sees فيهِin it الحَبيبَthe beloved وَالشَهرَand the month عامُa year
يَرَ فيهِ الحَبيبَ وَالشَهرَ عامُ
Each day is a month to the lovesick, if he does not
see his beloved that day; and a month is a year.
لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge أَحبابَناour loved ones ذاكِروناremembering us
لَيتَ شِعري أَحبابَنا ذاكِرونا
لاno لَعَمريby my life ماnot لِلظِباءِfor the gazelles ذِمامُloyalty
لا لَعَمري ما لِلظِباءِ ذِمامُ
Would that I knew: do our loved ones remember us?
No, by my life, gazelles have no loyalty.
عَذَّبونيthey tormented me وَذاكَand that فيin الحُبِّlove عَذبٌsweet
عَذَّبوني وَذاكَ في الحُبِّ عَذبٌ
اِسهَرواthey kept awake مُقلَتَيَّmy two eyes عَلَيهِمُover them وَنامواand they slept
اِسهَروا مُقلَتَيَّ عَلَيهِمُ وَناموا
They tormented me—and that, in love, is sweet.
They kept my two eyes sleepless over them, and slept.
حَبَّذاhow lovely حَبَّذاhow lovely زَمانٌa time تَقَضّىhas passed
حَبَّذا حَبَّذا زَمانٌ تَقَضّى
وَاللَياليand the nights كَأَنَّهاas though they were أَيّامُdays
وَاللَيالي كَأَنَّها أَيّامُ
How lovely, how lovely, was a time now past,
when nights seemed like days.
ذُبتُI melted شَوقاًwith longing فَماso not لِجِسميfor my body خَيّالٌa shadow
ذُبتُ شَوقاً فَما لِجِسمي خَيّالٌ
طَمَعاًin hope فيof حَديثِthe speech of مَنone who لاnot يُرامُis attainable
طَمَعاً في حَديثِ مَن لا يُرامُ
I melted with longing; my body has no shadow,
hoping for words from one beyond reach.
صاحِmy friend قَدindeed كَثَّرَhave grown numerous الحَواسِدُthe envious فيin
صاحِ قَد كَثَّرَ الحَواسِدُ في
الحُبِّlove لَناfor us وَالوُشاةُand the slanderers وَاللُوَّمُand the reproachers
الحُبِّ لَنا وَالوُشاةُ وَاللُوَّمُ
My friend, the envious have grown many in
our love, as have the slanderers and reproachers.
شَبَّهواthey likened مَنthe one whom هوبَتُunclear; probably ‘I loved’ بِالبَدرِto the full moon جَهلاًin ignorance
شَبَّهوا مَن هوبَتُ بِالبَدرِ جَهلاً
كَذَبواthey lied ماnot تَساوَتِwere equal الأَقدامُfeet; figuratively, standings
كَذَبوا ما تَساوَتِ الأَقدامُ
In ignorance they likened the one I loved to the full moon.
They lied: the two are not on an equal footing.
لَيسَthere is not لِلبَدرِfor the full moon طُرَّةٌa forelock وَجَبينٌand a forehead
لَيسَ لِلبَدرِ طُرَّةٌ وَجَبينٌ
وَعَذارٌand cheek-down وَمَبسِمٌand a smiling mouth وَقَوامُand a figure
وَعَذارٌ وَمَبسِمٌ وَقَوامُ
The full moon has no forelock or forehead,
nor cheek-down, nor a smiling mouth, nor a figure.
قَمَرٌa moon سُحبُهُhis clouds الغَلائِلُthe sheer robes وَالشَعرُand the hair
قَمَرٌ سُحبُهُ الغَلائِلُ وَالشَعرُ
دُجاهُhis darkness وَضَوءُهُand his light الاِبتِسامُthe smile
دُجاهُ وَضَوءُهُ الاِبتِسامُ
A moon whose clouds are sheer robes; his hair
is his darkness, and his light is a smile.
بابِلِيُّBabylonian اللِحاظِthe glances فيin كُلِّevery عُضوٍlimb
بابِلِيُّ اللِحاظِ في كُلِّ عُضوٍ
فِيَّin me مِنfrom قَوسِthe bow of حاجِبَيهِhis two eyebrows سِهامُarrows
فِيَّ مِن قَوسِ حاجِبَيهِ سِهامُ
Babylonian in his glances; in every limb
of mine are arrows from the bow of his eyebrows.
حَرَّمواthey forbade ريقَهُhis saliva عَلَيَّto me وَلَكِنbut
حَرَّموا ريقَهُ عَلَيَّ وَلَكِن
صَدَقَspoke truly الشَرعُthe sacred law ماnot تَحِلُّis lawful المُدامُwine
صَدَقَ الشَرعُ ما تَحِلُّ المُدامُ
They forbade me his saliva; but
the sacred law spoke truly: wine is not lawful.
ماnot حَرامٌforbidden إِحياءُreviving صَبٍّa lovesick one وَلَكِنbut
ما حَرامٌ إِحياءُ صَبٍّ وَلَكِن
قَتلُkilling نَفسٍa soul بِغَيرِwithout جُرمٍa crime حَرامُforbidden
قَتلُ نَفسٍ بِغَيرِ جُرمٍ حَرامُ
Reviving a lovesick one is not forbidden; but
killing an innocent soul is forbidden.
Sol 6.1