ياO لِقَوْميto my people مَنْwho لمكتَئِبِfor a sorrowful man
يا لِقَوْمي مَنْ لمكتَئِبِ
دَمْعُهُhis tears فيon الخَدّthe cheek مُنْسَفِحُstreaming
دَمْعُهُ في الخَدّ مُنْسَفِحُ
O my people—behold a grief-stricken man,
O my people, who will help a sorrowing man
his tears streaming down the cheek.
Whose tears stream down his cheek?
لامَهُblamed him العُذَّالُthe reproachers فيover رَشَأa young gazelle
لامَهُ العُذَّالُ في رَشَأ
عُذْرُهُhis excuse فيfor مِثْلِهone like him يَضِحُis clear
عُذْرُهُ في مِثْلِه يَضِحُ
The censurers blamed him for loving a gazelle-fawn;
The reproachers blamed him over a young gazelle,
for loving one such as he, his excuse is clear.
Though his excuse for one like him is plain.
وادَّعَوْاand they claimed نُصْحيadvising me وَأَخْوَنُand most treacherous ماwhen
وادَّعَوْا نُصْحي وَأَخْوَنُ ما
كانwere عُذَّاليmy reproachers إذاwhen نَصَحُواthey advised
كان عُذَّالي إذا نَصَحُوا
They claimed to counsel me—yet most treacherous
They claimed to counsel me; yet most treacherous
were my censurers whenever they counseled.
Were my reproachers when they gave advice.
خَوّفُونيthey frightened me منof فَضِيحتِهِdisgrace through him
خَوّفُوني من فَضِيحتِهِ
ليْتَهif only he وَاتَىyielded وافْتَضَحُand I be disgraced
ليْتَه وَاتَى وافْتَضَحُ
They frightened me with disgrace on his account;
They warned me of disgrace through him;
would that he consented, though I be disgraced!
If only he yielded, and I were disgraced!
كيفhow يَسْلُوceases yearning القَلْبُthe heart عنfor غُصُنٍa bough
كيف يَسْلُو القَلْبُ عن غُصُنٍ
علَّهُwatered it منfrom مائِهِits water المَرَحُmirth
علَّهُ من مائِهِ المَرَحُ
How can the heart forget him—a supple bough
How can the heart cease longing for a bough
whom gaiety waters from its own water?
That mirth has watered with its own water?
ذَهَبِيُّgolden الخَدِّof cheek تَحْسَبُyou think مِنْfrom
ذَهَبِيُّ الخَدِّ تَحْسَبُ مِنْ
وَجْنَتَيْهِhis two cheeks النّارُfire تَنْقَدِحُis kindled
وَجْنَتَيْهِ النّارُ تَنْقَدِحُ
Golden-cheeked—you would think that from
Golden-cheeked, you would think that from
his two cheeks fire flashes forth.
His cheeks fire is kindled.
وَكَأَنّand as though الشَّمْسَthe sun نِيطَwas fastened بهاto it
وَكَأَنّ الشَّمْسَ نِيطَ بها
قَمَرٌa moon يُمْنَاهُhis right hand والقَدَحُand the goblet
قَمَرٌ يُمْنَاهُ والقَدَحُ
As though to the sun there had been fastened
And as though to the sun were fastened
a moon: his right hand together with the goblet.
A moon—his right hand and the goblet.
صَدَّhe turned away إذْwhen مازَحْتُهI teased him غَضَباًin anger
صَدَّ إذْ مازَحْتُه غَضَباً
ماwhat علىupon الأحْبَابِthe lovers إنif مَزَحُواthey jested
ما على الأحْبَابِ إن مَزَحُوا
He turned away in anger when I teased him;
He turned away in anger when I teased him;
yet lovers are not to blame if they jest.
What blame falls on lovers if they jest?
وَهْوَand he لاnot يدريhe knows لِنَخْوَتِهِbecause of his pride
وَهْوَ لا يدري لِنَخْوَتِهِ
أنّناthat we فيin النّومِsleep نَصْطَلِحُwe make peace
أنّنا في النّومِ نَصْطَلِحُ
In his pride, he does not know
And in his pride he does not know
that in sleep we make our peace.
That in sleep we make peace.
ثُمَّthen لاnot أَنْسَىI forget مَقَالَتَهُhis remark
ثُمَّ لا أَنْسَى مَقَالَتَهُ
أَطُفَيْلِيٌّan uninvited guest? ومُقْتَرِحُand making demands
أَطُفَيْلِيٌّ ومُقْتَرِحُ
And never shall I forget his words:
And I do not forget his words:
“A gate-crasher—and making demands too?”
“An uninvited guest, and making demands too?”
Sol 6.1