لَقَدindeed هَجَرَتshe forsook سُعدىSuʿdā وَطالَand has lasted long صُدودُهاher shunning
لَقَد هَجَرَت سُعدى وَطالَ صُدودُها
وَعاوَدَand returned عَينيmy eye دَمعُهاits tears وَسُهودُهاand its sleeplessness
وَعاوَدَ عَيني دَمعُها وَسُهودُها
Indeed, Suʿdā has forsaken me, and long has her shunning lasted.
Her absence has lasted long, and her aloofness persists,
And tears and sleeplessness have returned to my eye.
My tears have returned to me, and so has their pouring.
وَقَدand indeed أُصفيَتwas granted exclusively سُعدىSuʿdā طَريفَthe new portion موَدَّتيof my affection
وَقَد أُصفيَت سُعدى طَريفَ موَدَّتي
وَدامَand endured عَلىin fidelity to العَهدِthe pledge الكَريمِnoble تَليدُهاits longstanding portion
وَدامَ عَلى العَهدِ الكَريمِ تَليدُها
And Suʿdā has been granted my newfound affection,
Although she has purified my love for her,
While my longstanding love has remained true to the noble pledge.
Her covenant remains steadfast and binding.
نَظَرتُI looked إِليهاat her نَظرَةًa glance وَهيَwhile she was عاتقٍa young maiden
نَظَرتُ إِليها نَظرَةً وَهيَ عاتقٍ
علىat حينthe time أنthat شبّتshe came of age وبانand became apparent نهودهاher breasts
على حين أن شبّت وبان نهودها
I looked at her once, when she was a young maiden,
I looked at her once when she was still a child,
Just as she came of age and her breasts began to show.
As she grew into a young woman, her breasts appeared.
وقدand indeed درّعوهاthey dressed her in a woman's shift وهيَwhile she was ذاتpossessing مؤصدa child's tunic
وقد درّعوها وهيَ ذات مؤصد
مَجوبٍcut open وَلَماand not yet يَلبَسِhad worn الدِرعَthe woman's shift ريدُهاher age-mate
مَجوبٍ وَلَما يَلبَسِ الدِرعَ ريدُها
They had dressed her in a woman's shift, while she had a child's tunic,
They dressed her in chainmail when she was blossoming,
Cut open, and her age-mate had not yet donned a woman's shift.
Though it does not suit her graceful figure.
نَظَرتُI looked إِليهاat her نَظرةًa glance ماnot يَسُرُّنيwould please me
نَظَرتُ إِليها نَظرةً ما يَسُرُّني
بِهاin exchange for it حُمرُthe red ones أَنعامِof the livestock البِلادِof the land وَسودُهاand its black ones
بِها حُمرُ أَنعامِ البِلادِ وَسودُها
I looked at her once—a glance I would not trade
Another look I stole, but found no joy in it,
For the land's red livestock and its black.
Among the red camels and black sheep of this land.
وَكُنتُand I was إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) زُرتُI visited سُعدىSuʿdā بِأَرضِهاin her land
وَكُنتُ إِذا ما زُرتُ سُعدى بِأَرضِها
أَرىI see الأَرضَthe earth تُطوىis folded up ليfor me وَيَدنوand draws near بَعيدُهاits distant reaches
أَرى الأَرضَ تُطوى لي وَيَدنو بَعيدُها
And whenever I visited Suʿdā in her own land,
Whenever I visited her town in the past,
I saw the earth fold up for me, its far reaches drawing near.
The land would shrink before me, and the horizon drew near.
مِنَamong الخَفراتِthe modest women البيضِthe fair-skinned ones وَدَّwishes جَليسُهاher companion
مِنَ الخَفراتِ البيضِ وَدَّ جَليسُها
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) اِنقَضَتends أُحدوثَةٌa tale لَوthat تُعيدُهاshe would repeat it
إِذا ما اِنقَضَت أُحدوثَةٌ لَو تُعيدُها
She is among the fair, modest women; her companion wishes,
With robes white as chalk, her companions would come,
Whenever a tale is finished, that she would tell it again.
Renewing their youth, had they but means to restore it.
مُنَعَّمَةٌpampered لمhas not تَلقَexperienced بُؤسَhardship مَعيشَةٍof living
مُنَعَّمَةٌ لم تَلقَ بُؤسَ مَعيشَةٍ
هيshe الخُلدُeverlasting life فيin الدُنياthis world لِمَنfor whoever يَستفيدُهاwins her
هي الخُلدُ في الدُنيا لِمَن يَستفيدُها
Pampered, she has never known the hardship of making a living.
Blessed with comfort, knowing no misery in life,
She is everlasting life in this world for whoever wins her;
For one who enjoys it, such is immortality on earth.
هيَshe الخُلدُeverlasting life ماas long as دامَتshe remains لِأهلِكَto your family جارَةًa neighbor
هيَ الخُلدُ ما دامَت لِأهلِكَ جارَةً
وَهلand has دامَendured فيin الدُنياthis world لِنَفسٍfor any soul خُلودهاits immortality
وَهل دامَ في الدُنيا لِنَفسٍ خُلودها
She is everlasting life so long as she is your family's neighbor—
Immortal he remains, so long as for your people,
But has any soul's everlasting life endured in this world?
He proves a neighbor, but does any soul last forever?
فَتِلكَso that is she الَّتيwhom أَصفيتُهابِمَوَدَّتيI singled her out with my affection
فَتِلكَ الَّتي أَصفيتُهابِمَوَدَّتي
وَليدًاas a boy وَلمّاand not yet يَستَبِنbecame apparent ليto me نُهودُهاher breasts
وَليدًا وَلمّا يَستَبِن لي نُهودُها
She, then, is the one I singled out for my affection,
The one I gave my love to since she was a child,
When I was a boy, before her breasts had become apparent to me.
Before her breasts made themselves known.
وَقَدand indeed قَتَلَتshe slew نَفسًاa soul بِغيرِwithout جَريرَةٍan offense
وَقَد قَتَلَت نَفسًا بِغيرِ جَريرَةٍ
وَليسَand there is no لهاfor her عَقلٌblood-money وَلاnor مَنanyone who يُقيدُهاexecutes her in retaliation
وَليسَ لها عَقلٌ وَلا مَن يُقيدُها
And she has slain a soul guilty of no offense,
Yet she has slain a soul though free of guilt,
Yet no blood-money is exacted from her, nor does anyone take her life in return.
For she is mindless, with none to restrain her.
تُحَلِّلُshe dissolves أَحقاديmy grudges إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) لَقِيتُهاI meet her
تُحَلِّلُ أَحقادي إِذا ما لَقِيتُها
وَتَبقىand remain بِلاwithout ذَنبٍa fault عَليَّagainst me حُقودُهاher grudges
وَتَبقى بِلا ذَنبٍ عَليَّ حُقودُها
She dissolves my grudges whenever I meet her,
She absolves my deep grudges when we meet,
While her grudges against me remain, though I am without fault.
While hers remain unjustly harbored against me.
وَيَعذُبُand is sweet ليto me مِنfrom غَيرِهاother than her فَأَعافُهاyet I spurn them
وَيَعذُبُ لي مِن غَيرِها فَأَعافُها
مَشارِبُdrinking-places فيهاin them مَقنَعٌsufficiency لوif أُريدُهاI desired them
مَشارِبُ فيها مَقنَعٌ لو أُريدُها
And sweet to me, apart from her—yet I spurn them—
When others torment me, I pardon them,
Are drinking-places with enough to satisfy, if I desired them.
Though that would quench her burning thirst for revenge.
وَأَمنَحُهاand I grant her أَقصىthe utmost هَوَايَof my passion وَإِنَّنيthough indeed I
وَأَمنَحُها أَقصى هَوَايَ وَإِنَّني
عَلىin ثِقَةٍcertainty مِنof أَنَّthat حَظّيmy lot صُدودُهاher shunning
عَلى ثِقَةٍ مِن أَنَّ حَظّي صُدودُها
And I give her the utmost of my passion, though I am
I give her my deepest passion, though I know,
Certain that my lot is her rejection.
Rejection is my destined fate from her hands.
أَلاah! لَيتَwould that شِعريmy knowledge بَعدَناafter our parting هَلwhether تَغَيَّرَتshe has changed
أَلا لَيتَ شِعري بَعدَنا هَل تَغَيَّرَت
عَنِaway from العَهدِthe pledge أَمor أَمسَتhave become كَعَهديas I knew them عُهودُهاher pledges
عَنِ العَهدِ أَم أَمسَت كَعَهدي عُهودُها
Ah, would that I knew: since we parted, has she turned
Ah, would that I knew, after us, if she will remain
From the pledge, or are her pledges still as I knew them?
True to her covenant, or break her vows like mine!
إِذاwhen ذَكَرَتهاit remembers her النَفسُthe soul جُنَّتgoes mad بِذِكرِهاat remembering her
إِذا ذَكَرَتها النَفسُ جُنَّت بِذِكرِها
وَريعَتand is startled وَحَنَّتand yearns وَاِستَخَفَّand grows unsteady جَليدُهاits fortitude
وَريعَت وَحَنَّت وَاِستَخَفَّ جَليدُها
When my soul remembers her, it goes mad at remembering her,
When my soul recalls her, it shakes and softens,
And is startled and yearns, its fortitude shaken.
Melting away everything solid within me.
فَلوso if كانَwere ماwhat بيafflicts me بِالجِبالِin the mountains لَهَدَّهاit would shatter them
فَلو كانَ ما بي بِالجِبالِ لَهَدَّها
وَإِنeven though كانَis فيin الدُّنياthis world شَديداًhard هُدودُهاtheir shattering
وَإِن كانَ في الدُّنيا شَديداً هُدودُها
If what afflicts me were in the mountains, it would shatter them,
If what lies in me were mountains, it would crumble them,
Though shattering them is hard in this world.
However unyielding her harshness is in this world.
وَلَستُand I am not وَإِنeven if أُوعِدتُI am threatened فيهاover her بِمُنتَهٍdesisting
وَلَستُ وَإِن أُوعِدتُ فيها بِمُنتَهٍ
وَإِنand even if أُقِدَتis lit نارٌa fire فَشُبَّand then is kindled وَقودُهاits fuel
وَإِن أُقِدَت نارٌ فَشُبَّ وَقودُها
And I will not desist, even if threatened over her,
Even if she threatens utter destruction,
Even if a fire is lit and its fuel set ablaze.
Or lights a fire whose fuel is my corpse,
أَبيتُI spend the night نَجِيًّاin secret converse لِلهُمومِwith sorrows مُسَهَّداًkept sleepless
أَبيتُ نَجِيًّا لِلهُمومِ مُسَهَّداً
إِذاwhen أُوقِدَتis kindled نَحويtoward me بِليلٍby night وُقودُهاtheir blaze
إِذا أُوقِدَت نَحوي بِليلٍ وُقودُها
I pass the night in intimate converse with sorrows, sleepless,
I refuse escape from my sorrows, remaining
When their blaze is kindled toward me by night.
Sleepless throughout the night, as the flames rise toward me.
فَأَصبَحتُso I have become ذاpossessed of نفسينِtwo souls نَفسٍa soul مَريضَةٍsick
فَأَصبَحتُ ذا نفسينِ نَفسٍ مَريضَةٍ
مِنfrom اليأسِdespair ماnot يَنفَكُّceases هَمٌّa grief يَعودُهاrevisits it
مِن اليأسِ ما يَنفَكُّ هَمٌّ يَعودُها
So I have come to have two souls: one soul sick
Thus I greet the dawn torn in two,
From despair, with grief that never ceases to revisit it;
One soul sick with despair from which no respite comes,
وَنَفسٍand a soul تُرجّىhopes for وَصلَهاunion with her بَعدَafter صَرمِهاher estrangement
وَنَفسٍ تُرجّى وَصلَها بَعدَ صَرمِها
تَجَمَّلُkeeps its composure كيso that يَزدادَmay increase غَيظًاin anger حَسودُهاits envier
تَجَمَّلُ كي يَزدادَ غَيظًا حَسودُها
And one soul hopes for union with her after her estrangement,
One still hoping for reunion after our estrangement,
Keeping its composure, so that its envier grows angrier.
So it beautifies itself to further enrage her envious rivals.
وَنَفسيand my soul إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) كُنتُI am وَحديalone تَقَطَّعِتbreaks apart
وَنَفسي إِذا ما كُنتُ وَحدي تَقَطَّعِت
كَماas اِنسَلَّslips out مِنfrom ذاتِthat which has النِظامِa string فَريدُهاits choice pearl
كَما اِنسَلَّ مِن ذاتِ النِظامِ فَريدُها
And my soul, whenever I am alone, breaks apart,
When alone, my soul falls to pieces,
As a necklace's choice pearl slips out from its string.
Like a string of pearls scattering, each one cut off.
فَلَمyet has not تُبدِshown ليto me يأساًdespair فَفيfor in اليَأسِdespair راحَةٌrelief
فَلَم تُبدِ لي يأساً فَفي اليَأسِ راحَةٌ
وَلَمand has not تُبدِshown ليto me جوداًgenerosity فَينفَعَso might benefit جودُهاher generosity
وَلَم تُبدِ لي جوداً فَينفَعَ جودُها
Yet she has shown me no despair—for in despair there is relief—
Her despair never grieved me, so comfort comes with despair,
Nor shown me generosity, so that her generosity might help me.
Her kindness never helped me, so kindness is useless.
كَذاكَthus أُذوذُI drive away النَفسَthe soul ياO عَزَّʿAzza عَنكُمُfrom you all
كَذاكَ أُذوذُ النَفسَ يا عَزَّ عَنكُمُ
وَقَدand indeed أعوَرَتhave become exposed أَسرارُthe secrets مَنof whoever لاdoes not يَذودُهاguard them
وَقَد أعوَرَت أَسرارُ مَن لا يَذودُها
Thus I drive my soul away from you all, O ʿAzza,
Thus I subdue my soul - oh, you are beyond reach!
And indeed, the secrets of whoever does not guard them lie exposed.
While the secrets of one untouched remain obscured.
Sol 6.1