صارِخاًcrying out فيon رُبىthe hills of نجدٍNajd بواديهاin its valley
صارِخاً في رُبى نجدٍ بواديها
ماذاwhat نِدآؤُكyour call فارحلso depart عنfrom بواديهاits wildernesses
ماذا نِدآؤُك فارحل عن بواديها
You who cry out on Najd’s hills, in its valley,
Screaming in the meadows of Najd and its valleys
what does your cry avail? Depart from its wilderness.
What is your call? So depart from its valleys
أوطانُthe homes of ميّMayy تمرُّpass السُحبُthe clouds باكيةًweeping
أوطانُ ميّ تمرُّ السُحبُ باكيةً
رُبوعَهنَّtheir dwellings أَحتىّdo even السُحبُthe clouds تَبكيهاweep for them
رُبوعَهنَّ أَحتىّ السُحبُ تَبكيها
The homes of Mayy: clouds pass, weeping,
My homelands where clouds pass by weeping
over their dwellings—do even the clouds mourn them?
Do the clouds weep for their meadows?
مأهولةٌinhabited منby قلوبthe hearts of العاشقينthe lovers جوىًin burning sorrow
مأهولةٌ من قلوب العاشقين جوىً
لكنَّهاbut they خالياتٌare empty منof اهاليهاtheir inhabitants
لكنَّها خالياتٌ من اهاليها
Inhabited by anguished lovers’ hearts,
Populated with the passion of lovers
yet empty of their own inhabitants.
Yet devoid of its people
ظلَّremained الهوىlove حاكِماًruling قَلبيmy heart يَميلُinclines بِهِit
ظلَّ الهوى حاكِماً قَلبي يَميلُ بِهِ
نحوtoward الأُلىthose who فيin القِلاaversion توليهِgive it تَوليهاtheir turning away
نحو الأُلى في القِلا توليهِ تَوليها
Love has remained ruler of my heart, inclining it
Passion ruled my heart leading it
toward those who, in aversion, offer it their turning away.
Towards the routes in the night, following its ways
هنَّthey المُحِبَّاتare loving إلّاexcept العاشقينthe lovers فلنso never
هنَّ المُحِبَّات إلّا العاشقين فلن
تُرىbe seen عُداةُthe enemies of المَهاthe oryxes الّاexcept المحبيهاthose who love them
تُرى عُداةُ المَها الّا المحبيها
They love all but lovers; never, then,
They are the beloved except for the lovers, so never
are the oryxes’ enemies seen except among their lovers.
Can the enemies of passion be but those who love it
ربائبٌtame gazelles بتراقيناat our collarbones أقمنَthey have settled فَماso how
ربائبٌ بتراقينا أقمنَ فَما
اقصىdistant واقربَand near انthat نرجوwe hope for تَدانيهاtheir drawing near
اقصى واقربَ ان نرجو تَدانيها
Tame gazelles have settled at our collarbones—how
Maidens with chastity we approached so what is
far, and how near, is our hope that they will draw close!
The farthest and nearest that we wish to be near to
أفديI would ransom بديعَwondrous ظَبىًgazelles اجفانهُنَّtheir eyelids بهاin them
أفدي بديعَ ظَبىً اجفانهُنَّ بها
ظُبىًsword edges فويلَso woe to دِمآءِيmy blood منfrom امانيهاtheir wishes
ظُبىً فويلَ دِمآءِي من امانيها
I would ransom wondrous gazelles; their eyelids hold
I sacrifice the beauty of a gazelle whose eyelids injure me
sword edges—woe to my blood from their wishes!
Oh gazelle, so woe to my blood from my wishes
لاno سَيفَsword واللَهِby God الأَلحظُهنَّexcept their glances وَواand oh
لا سَيفَ واللَهِ الأَلحظُهنَّ وَوا
شوقَthe longing of القَتيلthe slain الىfor حربٍa war يواليهاhe keeps waging it
شوقَ القَتيل الى حربٍ يواليها
No sword, by God, but their glances—and oh,
No, by God, their glances are more deadly than
the slain man’s longing for a war he keeps waging!
A slain man’s craving for battle he persists in
عبدٌa slave لهنَّto them الحَشىthe heart والعينُand the eye جاريَةٌflowing
عبدٌ لهنَّ الحَشى والعينُ جاريَةٌ
وحبذاand how welcome جريُthe flowing of دمعٍtears منfrom مآقيهاits eye-corners
وحبذا جريُ دمعٍ من مآقيها
My heart is their slave, and my eye flows;
A slave whose feelings and eyes are captivated
and how welcome the stream of tears from its corners!
How excellent the tears that flow from her suffering
دمعٌtears بصبرwith the patience of فؤاديmy heart صارbecame ممتزجاًmingled
دمعٌ بصبر فؤادي صار ممتزجاً
لماwhen نَزَفتُI bled دماًblood ليof mine فيin تصَبيهاyearning for her
لما نَزَفتُ دماً لي في تصَبيها
Tears became mingled with my heart’s patience,
My patience mixed tears with the blood I bled
when I bled my own blood in yearning for her.
When she shed blood from my passion for her
ليI have بينهنَّamong them مَهاةٌan oryx مُشبهٌresembling قمراًa moon
لي بينهنَّ مَهاةٌ مُشبهٌ قمراً
وجهٌa face لَهاhers وثريّاand the Pleiades of الشُهبthe stars فيin فيهاher mouth
وجهٌ لَها وثريّا الشُهب في فيها
Among them I have an oryx; like a moon
Among them is a beauty likened to the moon
is her face, and the stars’ Pleiades lie in her mouth.
A face whose youth's down began to appear
راعتshe took heed of رَقيباًa watcher فَلَمّاthen when دَبَّhe crept مطلِعاًpeering
راعت رَقيباً فَلَمّا دَبَّ مطلِعاً
وَبينناand between us قامarose عتبٌreproach منfrom تجنيهاher unjust accusations
وَبيننا قام عتبٌ من تجنيها
She took heed of a watcher; when he crept up to spy,
She noticed a spy so when dawn broke
and reproach arose between us from her unjust accusations.
Reproach stood between us for her doubt
بَدَتshe appeared بِلونَينin two colors لونِthe color of الشمسthe sun فيin فَلكٍa celestial sphere
بَدَت بِلونَين لونِ الشمس في فَلكٍ
وَلونِهاand its color حينwhen تَبدوit appears فيduring تواريهاits disappearance
وَلونِها حين تَبدو في تواريها
She appeared in two hues: the sun’s hue in its sphere,
She appeared in two colors, the sun's orb color
and its hue as it appears while passing out of sight.
And its color when it begins to disappear
عليلةailing الجفنof eyelid وَسنىdrowsy العينof eye منfrom سَقَميmy sickness
عليلة الجفن وَسنى العين من سَقَمي
سقامُهاher sickness وَضنائيand my wasting منfrom هوىlove فيهاfor her
سقامُها وَضنائي من هوى فيها
Languid-lidded and drowsy-eyed; from my sickness
Sick eyelids and sleepy eyes from my illness
comes her sickness, while my wasting comes from love of her.
Her sickness and my emaciation from passion for her
تُريكshe shows you منalong عِطفهاher side سِمطاًa necklace فَفيfor in فمهاher mouth
تُريك من عِطفها سِمطاً فَفي فمها
درٌّpearls يَكونare كعقدٍlike a necklace فيon تَراقيهاher collarbones
درٌّ يَكون كعقدٍ في تَراقيها
She shows you a necklace along her side; in her mouth
She shows you a fruit from her affection so her mouth
are pearls like a necklace upon her collarbones.
Holds a pearl as if a necklace in her elegance
فماso not شُفيناwere we healed بطيبٍby sweetness منfrom تجاورهاher nearness
فما شُفينا بطيبٍ من تجاورها
كَماas شَقيناwe suffered بسُقمٍfrom sickness منcaused by تنآئيهاher remoteness
كَما شَقينا بسُقمٍ من تنآئيها
We were not so healed by the sweetness of her nearness
We were not healed by her presence’s perfume
as we were afflicted by the sickness of her distance.
As we were harmed by her absence and separation
طالَgrew long النوىseparation بضنىwith wasting صالcharged الهوىlove حَسَناًbeautifully
طالَ النوى بضنى صال الهوى حَسَناً
غالravaged الجوىburning anguish بدناًa body أَعناهُwore it down حيهاher tribe
غال الجوى بدناً أَعناهُ حيها
Separation dragged on with wasting; love made a splendid assault;
Longing persisted, the beloved's affection was good
anguish ravaged a body worn down by her tribe.
The atmosphere was heavy with grief that tired me
يَحلوis sweet علىdespite النَزحdistance منهاfrom her السُهدُsleeplessness عنديَto me اذsince
يَحلو على النَزح منها السُهدُ عنديَ اذ
يلَذُّis delightful ليto me انto اراعيwatch النجمَthe star يَحكيهاit resembles her
يلَذُّ لي ان اراعي النجمَ يَحكيها
Despite my distance from her, sleeplessness is sweet to me, since
Her estrangement is sweet when I
I delight in watching the star that resembles her.
Take pleasure in gazing at the stars narrating it
فَياoh, then لِطولِwhat length لَيالِthe nights of الهَجرِseparation قدindeed أَرِقَتhas become sleepless
فَيا لِطولِ لَيالِ الهَجرِ قد أَرِقَت
عينيmy eye بهاduring them وَلَهاًin yearning ترعىwatches دراريهاtheir brilliant stars
عيني بها وَلَهاً ترعى دراريها
Oh, how long the nights of separation! Sleepless
Oh how long were the nights of separation that deprived
is my eye through them, watching their bright stars in yearning.
My eyes rest, wandering in their slumber
قدindeed كنتI used to أُطمعencourage hope in نَفسيmy soul فيfor اللقاthe meeting قِدَماformerly
قد كنت أُطمع نَفسي في اللقا قِدَما
تضمادياًas a balm وأَمانيand the wishes of النفسthe soul تمنيهاfeed it hopes
تضمادياً وأَماني النفس تمنيها
Once I encouraged my soul to hope for a meeting,
I used to hope to meet her steps
as a balm; the soul’s wishes keep it hoping.
As solace and the soul’s wishes desire her
هَيهاتfar from possible يَسلوfind solace فؤاديmy heart حيثsince عيلَwas exhausted لَهُfor it
هَيهات يَسلو فؤادي حيث عيلَ لَهُ
صبرٌpatience وكمand how often بتُّI spent the night يُسقىbeing made to drink الصبرَbitter aloes هاويهاher lover
صبرٌ وكم بتُّ يُسقى الصبرَ هاويها
My heart can never find solace, for exhausted is
Alas! My heart finds no comfort when it ails
its patience; how often I, her lover, spent the night being given bitter aloes!
How much has patience been watered with its abyss?
هاجَsurged الهوىlove بيwithin me فذكّىand so stoked النارَthe fire فيin كبديmy liver
هاجَ الهوى بي فذكّى النارَ في كبدي
يشبُّهاkindles it دآؤُهُits malady اذsince لَيسَdoes not يُفنيهاput an end to it
يشبُّها دآؤُهُ اذ لَيسَ يُفنيها
Love surged within me and stoked the fire in my liver;
Passion inflamed me so it lit the fire in my liver
its sickness stokes it, for it does not put it out.
Its pain resembles fuel when there is none to extinguish it
شبَّتkindled عليناagainst us العِدىthe foes حرباًa war واطفأَهُand extinguished it
شبَّت علينا العِدى حرباً واطفأَهُ
دمٌblood عداexcept حربَهاher war اذsince ليسَnot نُطفيهاwe extinguish it
دمٌ عدا حربَها اذ ليسَ نُطفيها
The foes kindled war against us, and it was quenched
Hatred kindled war against us but it was extinguished
by blood—except her war, which we do not quench.
With blood other than its blood, for there is none to put it out
ياoh طولَthe length of ليلِa night of تَصَبٍّyearning بتُّI spent the night اسهرهُawake through it
يا طولَ ليلِ تَصَبٍّ بتُّ اسهرهُ
وأَنشُدand I seek الشمسَthe sun شجواًin grief ماnot الاقيهاI meet it
وأَنشُد الشمسَ شجواً ما الاقيها
Oh, the length of a night of yearning I spent awake,
Oh long night of wakefulness that I have spent
and seeking the sun in grief, yet never finding it!
And seeking the sun with laments but not finding it
راقبتُI watched اوجthe height of نجومٍstars بتُّI spent the night احسبهاthinking them
راقبتُ اوج نجومٍ بتُّ احسبها
ثوابِتاًfixed عندduring مَلّيmy weariness منof لياليهاtheir nights
ثوابِتاً عند مَلّي من لياليها
I watched the stars’ heights, spending the night thinking them
I observed the position of the stars, reckoning
fixed in place, in my weariness of their nights.
Them as fixed from my nightly contemplation
انindeed الدُمىthe doll-like beauties بدِماناwith our blood حُلّيتwere adorned وجرتand rushed
ان الدُمى بدِمانا حُلّيت وجرت
جَريَthe rush of العِدىthe foes بالمُدىwith knives تُشقيtorment محبيهاtheir lovers
جَريَ العِدى بالمُدى تُشقي محبيها
The doll-like beauties are adorned with our blood and rush
That bloodshed adorned our abodes and the enmity flowed
like foes with knives, making their lovers suffer.
Afflicting the lovers in the homelands with misery
لَولاwere it not for المَهاماthe oryxes, no همىflowed دَمعٌtears يَفيضoverflowing ولاnor
لَولا المَهاما همى دَمعٌ يَفيض ولا
هامwandered الفؤادthe heart لدىamid خضطبunclear; possibly ordeals الهوىof love تيهاin bewilderment
هام الفؤاد لدى خضطب الهوى تيها
But for the oryxes, no overflowing tears would fall, nor
Were it not for noble goals, a tear would pour forth and no
would the heart wander bewildered amid love’s ordeals [reading uncertain].
Heart's zeal would remain in the confusion of passion
سودُblack العيونeyes بهاwithin them بيضwhite السيوفswords وَماand not
سودُ العيون بها بيض السيوف وَما
سُمرُbrown الوشيجspear-shafts بهيجآءِin battle تُجاريهاrival them
سُمرُ الوشيج بهيجآءِ تُجاريها
Black eyes contain white swords, and no
Their black eyes with swords whitened and what
brown spear-shafts can match them in battle.
Is the redness of blood compared to their whiteness?
روحيmy soul فِدآءُa ransom for جفونٍeyelids قدindeed خلَبنَthey bewitched وانand if
روحي فِدآءُ جفونٍ قد خلَبنَ وان
يكنbe بهاwithin it الحبُّlove اصلاًa root ظلَّcontinues يَفديهاto ransom them
يكن بها الحبُّ اصلاً ظلَّ يَفديها
My soul is ransom for eyelids that have bewitched me; and if
My soul is the ransom for eyelids that allure though
love takes root there, it keeps ransoming them.
If passion is the origin, it remains the ransom
داعيthe caller of الهوىlove أَولَعenraptured العشاقَthe lovers فاِنتَبَهواso they awoke
داعي الهوى أَولَع العشاقَ فاِنتَبَهوا
لسُكرto the intoxication of طاساتهاher goblets السَكرىdrunken سواقيهاtheir cupbearers
لسُكر طاساتها السَكرى سواقيها
Love’s caller enraptured the lovers, and they awoke
The caller of passion set the lovers ablaze so they awoke
to the intoxication of her goblets, whose cupbearers are drunk.
To the intoxication of its sweet cups that intoxicate
تحلوare sweet لواردهاto whoever approaches them تلكthose الكؤسcups بلاwithout
تحلو لواردها تلك الكؤس بلا
شُربٍdrinking ويًسكرand intoxicates ساقيthe pourer of الصفوpure wine صاحيهاtheir sober drinker
شُربٍ ويًسكر ساقي الصفو صاحيها
Those cups are sweet to whoever approaches them, without
The arrivals to her find that cup sweet without
drinking; the pourer of pure wine intoxicates their sober drinker.
Drinking and the sober cupbearer gets drunk from it
ياoh ويلwoe to أهلthe people of الهوىlove العُذريّchaste; ‘Udhri كمhow many لهمُthey have
يا ويل أهل الهوى العُذريّ كم لهمُ
فيهِin it جميلٌJamil; also beautiful قبيحُugly النقصimperfection تشويهاas disfigurement
فيهِ جميلٌ قبيحُ النقص تشويها
Woe to the people of chaste love! How many a lover they have—
Oh woe to the people of innocent passion, how much
a Jamil therein, made ugly by disfiguring flaws!
Beauty and ugly flaws diminish and ruin it
كرمthe vineyard of الهوىlove فيهِin it حبّاتُthe berries of القلوبشجاًthe hearts, in sorrow
كرم الهوى فيهِ حبّاتُ القلوبشجاً
تُسقىare watered with دموعاًtears فيجنيso harvests الشؤمَill fortune جانيهاtheir harvester
تُسقى دموعاً فيجني الشؤمَ جانيها
In love’s vineyard, the hearts’ berries, in sorrow,
The generosity of passion, shards of hearts
are watered with tears; their harvester reaps ill fortune.
Are watered with tears, misfortune reaps its sower
سقيتُI watered دمعَtears of دِماًblood كرمَthe vineyard of الهوىlove فَسَقىthen poured
سقيتُ دمعَ دِماً كرمَ الهوى فَسَقى
خمراًwine باجفُنهاthrough her eyelids الساقيthe cupbearer يُعاطيهاhe offers it
خمراً باجفُنها الساقي يُعاطيها
I watered love’s vineyard with tears of blood; then was poured
I watered the blood of tears with the passion’s generosity, so it irrigated
wine through her eyelids by the cupbearer who offers it.
Wine through her intoxicating cups its bearer shares
غداcame to be بأَكبدُin the livers of أَهلthe people of الحبlove يصدَعهاit cleaves them
غدا بأَكبدُ أَهل الحب يصدَعها
دآءٌa sickness بمَرضىfrom ailing عيونٍeyes وهيَyet they آسبهاunclear; possibly their healer
دآءٌ بمَرضى عيونٍ وهيَ آسبها
In the livers of lovers there arose, cleaving them,
Tomorrow the hearts of lovers will grieve
a sickness from ailing eyes—yet those eyes are their healer [reading uncertain].
With an illness from the sickness of eyes they doctor
Sol 6.1