اكْفِنَاspare us يَاعَذُولُO reproacher شَرَّthe evil of لِسَانِكْyour tongue
اكْفِنَا يَاعَذُولُ شَرَّ لِسَانِكْ
وَالْهُand turn away عَنَّاfrom us فَشَانُنَاfor our concern غَيْرُother than شَانِكْyour concern
وَالْهُ عَنَّا فَشَانُنَا غَيْرُ شَانِكْ
Spare us, O reproacher, the evil of your tongue.
And leave us alone: our concern is not yours.
دَعْlet دُمُوعِيmy tears عَلَىover الأَحِبَّةِthe loved ones تَجْرِيflow
دَعْ دُمُوعِي عَلَى الأَحِبَّةِ تَجْرِي
وَاجْتَنِبْنِيand avoid me فَلَسْتُfor I am not مِنْamong أَخْدَانِكْyour intimates
وَاجْتَنِبْنِي فَلَسْتُ مِنْ أَخْدَانِكْ
Let my tears flow for the loved ones,
and keep away from me: I am no intimate of yours.
فَمَكَانُfor the place of الحَبِيْبِthe beloved أَكْبَرُgreater مِنْthan أَنْthat
فَمَكَانُ الحَبِيْبِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ أَنْ
أَتَسَلَّىI find solace عَنfrom حُبِّهِlove for him بِمَكَانِكْthrough your presence
أَتَسَلَّى عَن حُبِّهِ بِمَكَانِكْ
For the beloved holds too high a place
for me to forget my love for him in your company.
وَهَواهُby love for him المَصُونِcherished لَوْif ذُقْتَyou tasted
وَهَواهُ المَصُونِ لَوْ ذُقْتَ
مَاwhat ذُقْتُI tasted لَبَانَwould surely have departed الرُّقَادُsleep عَنْfrom أَجْفَانِكْyour eyelids
مَا ذُقْتُ لَبَانَ الرُّقَادُ عَنْ أَجْفَانِكْ
By my cherished love for him, had you tasted
what I have tasted, sleep would have fled your eyelids.
أَيُّهَاO الصَّبُّlovesick one بُحْspeak out فَقَدْfor indeed شَفَّكَhas wasted you الشَّوْقُlonging
أَيُّهَا الصَّبُّ بُحْ فَقَدْ شَفَّكَ الشَّوْقُ
وَمَلَّكْتَand you have given mastery to كَفَّهُits hand مِنْover عِنَانِكْyour reins
وَمَلَّكْتَ كَفَّهُ مِنْ عِنَانِكْ
O lovesick one, speak out: longing has wasted you,
and you have placed your reins in its hand.
أَيُّwhich of وَجْدَيْكَyour two griefs تَشْتَكِيdo you lament وَإِلَىand toward
أَيُّ وَجْدَيْكَ تَشْتَكِي وَإِلَى
أَيِّwhich خَلِيْلٍfriend تَحِنُّdo you yearn مِنْamong خِلاَّنِكْyour friends
أَيِّ خَلِيْلٍ تَحِنُّ مِنْ خِلاَّنِكْ
Which of your two griefs do you lament, and for
which friend among your companions do you yearn?
أَعَلَىis it for الفَذِّthe peerless one وَالمُسَاعِدِand the helper تَبْكِيyou weep
أَعَلَى الفَذِّ وَالمُسَاعِدِ تَبْكِي
أَمْor عَلَىover طِيْبِthe sweetness of مَاwhat مَضَىhas passed مِنْof زَمَانِكْyour time
أَمْ عَلَى طِيْبِ مَا مَضَى مِنْ زَمَانِكْ
Do you weep for the peerless one and the helper,
or for the sweetness of your bygone days?
رُبَّmany a رَاحٍwine بَاكَرْتُهَاI greeted it at dawn فِيin دَمَنْهُوDamanhur (beginning)
رُبَّ رَاحٍ بَاكَرْتُهَا فِي دَمَنْهُو
رِكَyour Damanhur (completion) مَعَwith مَنْsomeone whom تَوَدُّyou love أَوْor حُلْوَانِكْyour Hulwan
رِكَ مَعَ مَنْ تَوَدُّ أَوْ حُلْوَانِكْ
Many a wine I greeted at dawn in your Damanhur,
with someone you love, or in your Hulwan:
مِنْof عُقَارٍwine كَمِثْلِjust like ذِهْنِكَyour mind صَفْواًin clarity
مِنْ عُقَارٍ كَمِثْلِ ذِهْنِكَ صَفْواً
فِيin إِنَاءٍa vessel أَرَقَّmore delicate مِنْthan جُثْمَانِكْyour body
فِي إِنَاءٍ أَرَقَّ مِنْ جُثْمَانِكْ
wine as clear as your mind,
in a vessel more delicate than your body.
لَوْنُهَاits color الوَرْدُthe rose رِيْحُهَاits fragrance النَّدُّaromatic incense تُغْنِيْit frees
لَوْنُهَا الوَرْدُ رِيْحُهَا النَّدُّ تُغْنِيْ
كَyou بِطِيْبِwith the sweetness of النَّسِيْمِthe breeze عَنْfrom رَيْحَانِكْyour basil
كَ بِطِيْبِ النَّسِيْمِ عَنْ رَيْحَانِكْ
Its color is the rose, its scent incense; it frees
you, with its fragrant breath, from needing your basil.
وَغَزَالٍand a gazelle كَأَنَّas though فِيin مُقْلَتَيْهِhis two eyes
وَغَزَالٍ كَأَنَّ فِي مُقْلَتَيْهِ
سَيْفَكَyour sword العَضْبَkeen-edged أَوْor شَبَاهُits sharp point سِنَانِكْyour spearhead
سَيْفَكَ العَضْبَ أَوْ شَبَاهُ سِنَانِكْ
And a gazelle, as though within his eyes lay
your keen sword, or the sharp point of your spear.
قُرْطُقِيٌّclad in a short tunic يَحَارُis bewildered ذِهْنُكَyour mind فِيin وَصْdescription (beginning)
قُرْطُقِيٌّ يَحَارُ ذِهْنُكَ فِي وَصْ
فِdescription (completion) مَلاَحَاتِهِhis charms بِحُسْنِwith the beauty of بَيَانِكْyour eloquence
فِ مَلاَحَاتِهِ بِحُسْنِ بَيَانِكْ
Tunic-clad, he leaves your mind at a loss to describe
his charms, for all the eloquence of your speech.
قَدْsometimes أَرَاهُI see him يُطِيْعُobeying أَمْرَكَyour command فِيin اللَّهْrevelry (beginning)
قَدْ أَرَاهُ يُطِيْعُ أَمْرَكَ فِي اللَّهْ
وِrevelry (completion) وَيَعْصِand he defies العَذُولَthe reproacher فِيin عِصْيَانِكْyour defiance
وِ وَيَعْصِ العَذُولَ فِي عِصْيَانِكْ
I would see him obey your command in
revelry, and join you in defying the reproacher.
فَلَعَمْرِيfor, by my life لَئِنْeven if رَمَتْكَhave struck you اللَّيَالِيthe nights
فَلَعَمْرِي لَئِنْ رَمَتْكَ اللَّيَالِي
بِنَؤًىwith distance أَزْعَجَتْكَhas driven you away عَنْfrom أَوْطَانِكْyour homelands
بِنَؤًى أَزْعَجَتْكَ عَنْ أَوْطَانِكْ
For, by my life, though the nights have struck you
with distance that drove you from your homelands,
فَبِمَاyet how often قَدْindeed تَرُوحُyou go forth فِيin الغَيِّwaywardness نَشْوَاdrunk (beginning)
فَبِمَا قَدْ تَرُوحُ فِي الغَيِّ نَشْوَا
نَdrunk (completion) يَفُوحُwafts العَبِيْرُperfume منْfrom أَرْدَانِكْyour sleeves
نَ يَفُوحُ العَبِيْرُ منْ أَرْدَانِكْ
yet how often you went forth, drunk with wayward pleasure,
perfume wafting from your sleeves.
وَبِمَاand how often تَقْسِمُyou divide النَّهَارَthe day فَصَدْرٌthen its first part
وَبِمَا تَقْسِمُ النَّهَارَ فَصَدْرٌ
لِنَفَاذِfor carrying out الأُمُورِaffairs فِيin دِيْوَانِكْyour bureau
لِنَفَاذِ الأُمُورِ فِي دِيْوَانِكْ
And how often you would divide the day: its first hours
for carrying out affairs in your bureau,
وَعَشِيَّاand at evening تُرَاوِحُyou pass around الرَّاحَthe wine بِالشَّطْon the bank (beginning)
وَعَشِيَّا تُرَاوِحُ الرَّاحَ بِالشَّطْ
طِbank (completion) عَلَىon النِّيْلِthe Nile فِيin بُيُوتِthe houses of قِيَانِكْyour singing girls
طِ عَلَى النِّيْلِ فِي بُيُوتِ قِيَانِكْ
and at evening pass the wine along the bank,
by the Nile, in the houses of your singing girls,
مَعَwith نَدِيْمٍa boon companion حُلْوِsweet in الحَدِيْثِconversation يُجَارِيْhe keeps pace with
مَعَ نَدِيْمٍ حُلْوِ الحَدِيْثِ يُجَارِيْ
كَyou الَّذِيthat which تَشْتَهِيْهِyou desire it فِيin مَيْدَانِكْyour arena
كَ الَّذِي تَشْتَهِيْهِ فِي مَيْدَانِكْ
with a boon companion, sweet in speech, who kept pace
with you in whatever you desired in your arena.
أَرْيَحِيٌّlarge-hearted كَأَنَّas though قَلْبَكَyour heart فيwithin أضْribs (beginning)
أَرْيَحِيٌّ كَأَنَّ قَلْبَكَ في أضْ
لاعِهِhis ribs (completion) أوor كلامَهُhis speech بِلِسَانِكْwith your tongue
لاعِهِ أو كلامَهُ بِلِسَانِكْ
Large-hearted, as though your heart were within
his ribs, or his words were on your tongue.
وَإِذَاand when مَاever شَكَوْتَyou complained of شَجْوَكَyour sorrow فِيin الحُlove (beginning)
وَإِذَا مَا شَكَوْتَ شَجْوَكَ فِي الحُ
بِّlove (completion) أَلْهَاكَhe distracted you عَنْfrom أشْجَانِكْyour griefs
بِّ أَلْهَاكَ عَنْ أشْجَانِكْ
And whenever you complained of your sorrow in
love, he distracted you from your griefs.
وَمِنَand among الغَبْنِunfair losses أَنْthat تُبَاعِدَكَshould distance you الأَthe days (beginning)
وَمِنَ الغَبْنِ أَنْ تُبَاعِدَكَ الأَ
يَامُdays (completion) بَعْدَafter الدُّنُوِّcloseness مِنْto نَدْمَانِكْyour boon companion
يَامُ بَعْدَ الدُّنُوِّ مِنْ نَدْمَانِكْ
And it is bitter loss that you should be parted
by the days from your boon companion after such closeness.
وَمِنَand among الضَّيْمِinjustices أَنْthat تُشَيِّبَكَshould turn you gray الأَحْmisfortunes (beginning)
وَمِنَ الضَّيْمِ أَنْ تُشَيِّبَكَ الأَحْ
دَاثُmisfortunes (completion) وَابْنُwhile a man of العِشْرِيْنَtwenty مِنْamong أَقْرَانِكْyour peers
دَاثُ وَابْنُ العِشْرِيْنَ مِنْ أَقْرَانِكْ
And it is unjust to be turned gray by
misfortunes, while a man of twenty is among your peers.
عَلَّperhaps دَهْرَاًtime يُدِيْلُwill bring a change مِنْfrom لَوْعَةِthe anguish of البَيْseparation (beginning)
عَلَّ دَهْرَاً يُدِيْلُ مِنْ لَوْعَةِ البَيْ
نِseparation (completion) بِحَالٍwith a state تُدْنِيْكَthat brings you near مِنْto إِخْوَانِكْyour brothers
نِ بِحَالٍ تُدْنِيْكَ مِنْ إِخْوَانِكْ
Perhaps time will replace the anguish of
separation with a state that brings you near your brothers,
فَيُوَاتِيْكَthen will favor you مَنْthe one whom تُحِبُّyou love وَتَشْفِيand you will heal
فَيُوَاتِيْكَ مَنْ تُحِبُّ وَتَشْفِي
مَاwhat تُجِنُّconceal الضُّلُوعُthe ribs مِنْof أَحْزَانِكْyour sorrows
مَا تُجِنُّ الضُّلُوعُ مِنْ أَحْزَانِكْ
so the one you love will favor you, and you will heal
the sorrows your ribs conceal.
Sol 6.1