عَرَفَrecognized الْهَوَىlove فِيin نَظْرَتِيmy glance فَنَهَانِيand cautioned me
عَرَفَ الْهَوَى فِي نَظْرَتِي فَنَهَانِي
خِلٌّa dear friend رَعَيْتُI cherished وِدَادَهُhis affection فَرَعَانِيand so cared for me
خِلٌّ رَعَيْتُ وِدَادَهُ فَرَعَانِي
He recognized love in my glance and cautioned me—
Love saw the look in my eyes, so it warned me away,
A friend whose affection I cherished, and who cared for me.
I tended its affection like a young gazelle, so it galloped me along,
أَخْفَيْتُI concealed عَنْهُfrom him سَرِيرَتِيmy innermost secret فَوَشَىand so told tales بِهَاof it
أَخْفَيْتُ عَنْهُ سَرِيرَتِي فَوَشَى بِهَا
دَمْعٌtears أَبَاحَlaid open لَهُto him حِمَىthe sanctuary of كِتْمَانِيmy secrecy
دَمْعٌ أَبَاحَ لَهُ حِمَى كِتْمَانِي
I hid my secret from him, but it was betrayed
I hid my secret from it, but a tear betrayed it -
By tears that opened to him the sanctuary of my secrecy.
My tear allowed access to the sanctuary of my concealment.
فَبِأَيِّso with what مَعْذِرَةٍexcuse أُكَذِّبُI deny لَوْعَةًa burning anguish
فَبِأَيِّ مَعْذِرَةٍ أُكَذِّبُ لَوْعَةً
شَهِدَتْbore witness بِهَاto it الْعَبَرَاتُthe tears مِنْfrom أَجْفَانِيmy eyelids
شَهِدَتْ بِهَا الْعَبَرَاتُ مِنْ أَجْفَانِي
With what excuse, then, can I deny a burning anguish
What excuse can deny the burning now
To which tears from my eyelids have borne witness?
That my own tears have witnessed it from my eyelids?
يَاO صَاحِfriend لاmay not أَبْصَرْتَyou see مَاwhat صَنَعَdid الْهَوَىlove
يَا صَاحِ لا أَبْصَرْتَ مَا صَنَعَ الْهَوَى
بِأَخِيكَto your brother يَوْمَon the day of تَفَرُّقِthe parting of الأَظْعَانِthe camel-litters
بِأَخِيكَ يَوْمَ تَفَرُّقِ الأَظْعَانِ
O friend, may you never see what love did
Oh companion, did you not see what love has done
To your brother on the day the camel-litters parted.
To your brother the day the companions parted?
يَوْمٌa day فَقَدْتُI lost الْحِلْمَcomposure فِيهِduring it وَشَفَّنِيand wasted me
يَوْمٌ فَقَدْتُ الْحِلْمَ فِيهِ وَشَفَّنِي
وَلَهٌdistraught longing أَصَابَstruck جَوَانِحِيmy ribs فَرَمَانِيand laid me low
وَلَهٌ أَصَابَ جَوَانِحِي فَرَمَانِي
A day when I lost my composure and was worn away
A day when I lost my patience - it stripped me bare
By longing that struck my ribs and laid me low.
And a burning consumed my very soul - it threw me down.
فَعَلَيْكَso to you مِنْfrom قَلْبِيmy heart السَّلامُpeace فَإِنَّهُfor it
فَعَلَيْكَ مِنْ قَلْبِي السَّلامُ فَإِنَّهُ
تَبِعَfollowed الْهَوَىlove فَمَضَىand so went on بِغَيْرِwithout عِنَانِa rein
تَبِعَ الْهَوَى فَمَضَى بِغَيْرِ عِنَانِ
So peace to you from my heart, for it
So my heart bids you peace - for it
Followed love and went on without a rein.
Followed its love and left with no restraint.
هَيْهَاتَfar from possible يَرْجِعُit returns بَعْدَماafter عَلِقَتْclung بِهِto it
هَيْهَاتَ يَرْجِعُ بَعْدَما عَلِقَتْ بِهِ
لَحَظَاتُthe glances of ذَاكَthat الشَّادِنِyoung gazelle الْفَتَّانِthe bewitching one
لَحَظَاتُ ذَاكَ الشَّادِنِ الْفَتَّانِ
It will never return, now that it is held by
Alas, will it return after
The glances of that bewitching young gazelle.
The glances of that enchanting charmer have captured it?
وَعَلَىand upon الرَّحَائِلِthe mounts نِسْوَةٌwomen عَرَبِيَّةٌArab
وَعَلَى الرَّحَائِلِ نِسْوَةٌ عَرَبِيَّةٌ
يَخْدَعْنَthey beguile لُبَّthe mind of الْحَازِمِthe prudent man الْيَقْظَانِthe vigilant one
يَخْدَعْنَ لُبَّ الْحَازِمِ الْيَقْظَانِ
And upon the mounts are Arab women
The traveling women, Arabian beauties
Who beguile the mind of the prudent, vigilant man.
Who seduce the minds of even the most prudent men -
أَغْوَيْنَنِيthey led me astray فَتَبِعْتُso I followed شَيْطَانَthe devil of الْهَوَىlove
أَغْوَيْنَنِي فَتَبِعْتُ شَيْطَانَ الْهَوَى
إِنَّindeed النِّسَاءَwomen حَبَائِلُthe snares of الشَّيْطَانِthe devil
إِنَّ النِّسَاءَ حَبَائِلُ الشَّيْطَانِ
They led me astray, so I followed the devil of love;
They tempted me and I followed the devil of desire
Indeed, women are the devil's snares.
Women are the snares of Satan.
مَاnot كُنْتُI was أَعْلَمُknowing قَبْلَbefore بَادِرَةِthe onset of النَّوَىseparation
مَا كُنْتُ أَعْلَمُ قَبْلَ بَادِرَةِ النَّوَى
أَنَّthat الأُسُودَthe lions فَرَائِسُthe prey of الْغِزْلانِthe gazelles
أَنَّ الأُسُودَ فَرَائِسُ الْغِزْلانِ
I did not know, before the onset of separation,
I did not know, before the early days of passion,
That lions are the prey of gazelles.
That lions are the prey of does.
رَحَلُواthey departed فَأَيَّةُthen what a عَبْرَةٍtear مَسْفُوحَةٍshed
رَحَلُوا فَأَيَّةُ عَبْرَةٍ مَسْفُوحَةٍ
وَيَدٍand a hand تَضُمُّclasps حَشَاًa breast مِنَfrom الْخَفَقَانِthrobbing
وَيَدٍ تَضُمُّ حَشَاً مِنَ الْخَفَقَانِ
They departed—what tears were shed,
They departed - so what use is a pouring tear
And a hand clasping a breast to still its throbbing!
And a hand clasping an empty lap?
وَلَقَدْand indeed حَنَنْتُI yearned لِبَارِقٍfor a lightning flash شَخَصَتْgazed fixedly لَهُat it
وَلَقَدْ حَنَنْتُ لِبَارِقٍ شَخَصَتْ لَهُ
مِنَّاof ours الْعُيُونُthe eyes بِأَبْرَقِat Abraq الْحَنَّانِal-Hannan
مِنَّا الْعُيُونُ بِأَبْرَقِ الْحَنَّانِ
And indeed I yearned for a lightning flash, on which were fixed
Indeed I longed for the lightning whose flash
Our eyes at Abraq al-Hannan.
Our eyes greeted with the rain of affection.
يَسْتَنُّit races فِيthrough عُرْضِthe expanse of الْغَمَامِthe clouds كَأَنَّهُas though it were
يَسْتَنُّ فِي عُرْضِ الْغَمَامِ كَأَنَّهُ
لَهَبٌa flame تَرَدَّدَwavered فِيin سَمَاءِa sky of دُخَانِsmoke
لَهَبٌ تَرَدَّدَ فِي سَمَاءِ دُخَانِ
It races through the expanse of the clouds, as though it were
It lingers in the bosom of the clouds as if
A flame wavering in a sky of smoke.
It were a flame wavering in a smoke-filled sky.
فَانْظُرْso look لَعَلَّكَperhaps you تَسْتَبِينُcan discern رِكَابَهُits riding-camels
فَانْظُرْ لَعَلَّكَ تَسْتَبِينُ رِكَابَهُ
طَوْعَobedient to الرِّيَاحِthe winds يُصِيبُit reaches أَيَّany مَكَانِplace
طَوْعَ الرِّيَاحِ يُصِيبُ أَيَّ مَكَانِ
So look—perhaps you can discern its riding-camels;
So look - perhaps you will discern its motion
At the winds' command, it reaches any place.
Borne by the winds - striking wherever it wishes.
فَهُنَاكَso there تَجْتَمِعُgather الشُّعْوبُthe tribes وَتَلْتَقِيand meet
فَهُنَاكَ تَجْتَمِعُ الشُّعْوبُ وَتَلْتَقِي
هُدْبُthe fringes of الْخُدُورِthe curtained chambers عَلَىupon غُصُونِthe boughs of الْبَانِthe ban-tree
هُدْبُ الْخُدُورِ عَلَى غُصُونِ الْبَانِ
So there the tribes gather, and there meet
For there the nations gather and meet -
The fringes of the curtained chambers upon the ban-tree boughs.
The bosoms of the lovely maidens on the branches of acacia.
فَاخْلَعْso cast off عِذَارَكَyour bridle وَاغْتَنِمْand seize زَمَنَthe season of الصِّبَاyouth
فَاخْلَعْ عِذَارَكَ وَاغْتَنِمْ زَمَنَ الصِّبَا
قَبْلَbefore الْمَشِيبِgraying hair فَكُلُّfor every شَيءٍthing فَانِيis passing away
قَبْلَ الْمَشِيبِ فَكُلُّ شَيءٍ فَانِي
So cast off your bridle and seize the season of youth
Take off your excuse and seize the days of youth
Before gray hair comes, for everything passes away.
Before old age comes and all things perish.
Sol 6.1