عُودِيreturn بِوَصْلٍwith reunion أَوْor خُذِيtake مَاwhat بَقِيremains
عُودِي بِوَصْلٍ أَوْ خُذِي مَا بَقِي
فَقَدْfor indeed تَدَاعَىhas crumbled الْقَلْبُthe heart مِمَّاfrom what لَقِيit endured
فَقَدْ تَدَاعَى الْقَلْبُ مِمَّا لَقِي
Return to loving union, or take what remains;
Return to me with union, or take what remains of me
For the heart has crumbled from what it has endured.
For my heart is worn from what it has endured
أَيُّwhich فُؤَادٍheart بِكِto you لَمْhas not يَعْلَقِbecome attached
أَيُّ فُؤَادٍ بِكِ لَمْ يَعْلَقِ
وَأَنْتِand you are صِنْوُthe twin of الْقَمَرِthe moon الْمُشْرِقِthe radiant
وَأَنْتِ صِنْوُ الْقَمَرِ الْمُشْرِقِ
What heart has not grown attached to you,
What heart has not clung to you?
When you are the radiant moon's twin?
You are like the crescent moon shining bright
عَلَّمْتِنِيyou taught me الذُّلَّabasement وَكُنْتُand I was امْرأًa man
عَلَّمْتِنِي الذُّلَّ وَكُنْتُ امْرأً
أَفْعَلُI do مَاwhatever شِئْتُI wished وَلاand do not أَتَّقِيtake precautions
أَفْعَلُ مَا شِئْتُ وَلا أَتَّقِي
You taught me abasement, though I was a man
You taught me humility though once I was a man
Who did as he pleased and feared nothing.
Who did as he pleased, with no fear
فَارْحَمْso have mercy on فُؤَاداًa heart أَنْتَyou أَبْلَيْتَهُyou have worn it out
فَارْحَمْ فُؤَاداً أَنْتَ أَبْلَيْتَهُ
وَمُقْلَةًand an eye لَوْلاكَbut for you لَمْwould not تَأْرَقِlie sleepless
وَمُقْلَةً لَوْلاكَ لَمْ تَأْرَقِ
So pity a heart that you have worn away,
So have mercy on a heart you have wasted away
And an eye that, but for you, would never have lain awake.
And on eyes that without you would not be sleepless
لَمْdo not أَدْرِI know حَتَّامَuntil when أُقَاسِيI endure الْجَوَىlove's burning anguish
لَمْ أَدْرِ حَتَّامَ أُقَاسِي الْجَوَى
يَاO وَيْحَalas for قَلْبِيmy heart مِنْكَfrom you مَاذَاwhat لَقِيit suffered
يَا وَيْحَ قَلْبِي مِنْكَ مَاذَا لَقِي
I do not know how long I must endure love's anguish;
I did not know I would suffer the pangs of love
Alas for my heart—what it has suffered from you!
Oh my heart, what have you endured because of her?
إِذَاwhenever تَذَكَّرْتُكَI remember you فِيin خَلْوَةٍsolitude
إِذَا تَذَكَّرْتُكَ فِي خَلْوَةٍ
هَوَتْfell بِدَمْعِيwith my tears زَفْرَةٌa sigh تَرْتَقِيrising
هَوَتْ بِدَمْعِي زَفْرَةٌ تَرْتَقِي
Whenever I remember you in solitude,
When I remember you in solitude
A rising sigh sends my tears falling.
A sigh rises up and escapes with my tears
تَاللَّهِby God مَاnot أَنْصَفَwas fair مَنْwhoever لامَنِيblamed me
تَاللَّهِ مَا أَنْصَفَ مَنْ لامَنِي
فِيكَover you وَهَلْand is there لَوْمٌblame عَلَىupon مُشْفِقِa tender-hearted lover
فِيكَ وَهَلْ لَوْمٌ عَلَى مُشْفِقِ
By God, whoever blamed me was unjust
By God, those who blame me were not fair
Over you—and can a tender-hearted lover be blamed?
Is there blame upon one who cares?
وَكَيْفَand how لاnot أَعْشَقُI love passionately مَنْsomeone حُسْنُهُhis beauty
وَكَيْفَ لا أَعْشَقُ مَنْ حُسْنُهُ
يَدْعُوcalls إِلَىto الصَّبْوَةِamorous longing قَلْبَthe heart of التَّقِيthe pious person
يَدْعُو إِلَى الصَّبْوَةِ قَلْبَ التَّقِي
And how could I not love one whose beauty
How could I not love she whose beauty
Calls a pious heart to amorous longing?
Calls the heart of the devout to passion?
لَكَyours الْجَمَالُbeauty التِّمُّperfect دُونَto the exclusion of الْوَرَىhumankind
لَكَ الْجَمَالُ التِّمُّ دُونَ الْوَرَى
وَلَيْسَand there is not لِلْبَدْرِfor the full moon سِوَىanything but رَوْنَقِradiance
وَلَيْسَ لِلْبَدْرِ سِوَى رَوْنَقِ
Perfect beauty is yours alone among humankind,
For you is perfect beauty beyond all others
And the full moon has nothing but radiance.
The full moon has no splendor but you
فَاعْطِفْso show compassion عَلَىto قَلْبٍa heart بِهِwithin it لَوْعَةٌburning anguish
فَاعْطِفْ عَلَى قَلْبٍ بِهِ لَوْعَةٌ
يَنْزُوleaps لَهَاbecause of it فِيin الصَّدْرِthe breast كَالزِّئْبَقِlike quicksilver
يَنْزُو لَهَا فِي الصَّدْرِ كَالزِّئْبَقِ
So show compassion to a heart filled with burning anguish;
So turn with kindness upon a heart harboring anguish
It leaps from that pain in the breast like quicksilver.
That flows in my chest like quicksilver
يَكَادُalmost يَرْفَضُّfalls apart هَوىًwith passion كُلَّمَاwhenever
يَكَادُ يَرْفَضُّ هَوىً كُلَّمَا
لاحَflashed لَهُbefore it الْبَرْقُthe lightning مِنَfrom الأَبْرَقِal-Abraq
لاحَ لَهُ الْبَرْقُ مِنَ الأَبْرَقِ
It nearly falls apart with passion whenever
Nearly rejecting passion each time
Lightning flashes before it from al-Abraq.
Lightning flashes from the clouds
حِمىًa sanctuary بِهِwithin it مَاwhatever شِئْتَyou wished مِنْof صَبْوَةٍamorous longing
حِمىً بِهِ مَا شِئْتَ مِنْ صَبْوَةٍ
لَوْif only كَانَthere were فِيهِwithin it مَنْsomeone who يَفِيkeeps faith أَوْor يَقِيprotects
لَوْ كَانَ فِيهِ مَنْ يَفِي أَوْ يَقِي
A sanctuary holding all the longing you could wish for,
Protect it from whatever passion you wish
If only someone there would keep faith or protect.
If there was in it one who could shelter or protect
حَاطَتْguarded بِهِthere الْفُرْسانُthe horsemen حُورَthe dark-eyed ones of الْمَهاthe oryx
حَاطَتْ بِهِ الْفُرْسانُ حُورَ الْمَها
يَاO مَنْyou who رَأَىhave seen الرَّبْرَبَthe oryx herd فِيamid الفَيْلَقِthe army
يَا مَنْ رَأَى الرَّبْرَبَ فِي الفَيْلَقِ
Horsemen guarded the dark-eyed oryx there;
The horsemen surround it, houris of the tents
O you who have seen an oryx herd amid an army!
O you who saw the lovely one moving rhythmically
مِنْof كُلِّevery هَيْفَاءَslender-waisted maiden كَخُوطِlike a slender stem of الْقَنَاspear-reeds
مِنْ كُلِّ هَيْفَاءَ كَخُوطِ الْقَنَا
بِلَحْظَةٍwith a glance كَاللَّهْذَمِlike a keen spear الأَزْرَقِblue
بِلَحْظَةٍ كَاللَّهْذَمِ الأَزْرَقِ
Each slender-waisted maiden, like a spear-reed's stem,
Each coquette sways like the blue shimmering mirage
With a glance like a keen blue-steel spear.
Darting in the meadows from her boughs
تَخْطِرُwalks swaying فِيamid الْفَيْنَانِthe luxuriant growth مِنْof فَرْعِهَاher hair
تَخْطِرُ فِي الْفَيْنَانِ مِنْ فَرْعِهَا
فَهْيَso she is عَلَىby التَّمْثِيلِcomparison كَالْبَيْرَقِlike a banner
فَهْيَ عَلَى التَّمْثِيلِ كَالْبَيْرَقِ
She walks swaying amid her luxuriant tresses;
She moves elegantly as a banner in the wind
So, by comparison, she is like a banner.
I glance at her while she is occupied
أَرْنُوI gaze إِلَيْهَاat her وَهْيَwhile she فِيin شَأْنِهَاher own affairs
أَرْنُو إِلَيْهَا وَهْيَ فِي شَأْنِهَا
كَنَظْرَةِlike the gaze of الْعَانِيthe captive إِلَىat الْمُطْلَقِthe one set free
كَنَظْرَةِ الْعَانِي إِلَى الْمُطْلَقِ
I gaze at her while she minds her own affairs,
Like the prisoner looking toward the freed
Like a captive gazing at one set free.
She does not see me, though I
فَمَاso what تَرَانِيdo you see me صَانِعاًdoing وَهْيَwhile she لاdoes not
فَمَا تَرَانِي صَانِعاً وَهْيَ لا
تَسْمَعُhear مَاwhat أَسْرُدُI recount مِنْof مَنْطِقِيmy speech
تَسْمَعُ مَا أَسْرُدُ مِنْ مَنْطِقِي
So what do you think I can do, when she does not
Recite what my words express
Hear the words I pour forth?
O lady of the anklets, would a glance
يَاO رَبَّةَlady of الْقُرْطَقِthe tunic هَلْis there نَظْرَةٌa glance
يَا رَبَّةَ الْقُرْطَقِ هَلْ نَظْرَةٌ
أَحْيَاI may live بِهَاby it يَاO رَبَّةَlady of الْقُرْطَقِthe tunic
أَحْيَا بِهَا يَا رَبَّةَ الْقُرْطَقِ
O lady of the tunic, is there a glance
Revive me, o lady of the anklets?
By which I might live, O lady of the tunic?
If you wish to take what remains of me
إِنْif كَانَwere يُرْضِيكِpleasing to you ذَهَابُthe loss of الَّذِيwhat
إِنْ كَانَ يُرْضِيكِ ذَهَابُ الَّذِي
أَبْقَيْتِyou left مِنِّيof me فَخُذِيthen take مَاwhat بَقِيremains
أَبْقَيْتِ مِنِّي فَخُذِي مَا بَقِي
If you delight in the loss of what
Then do so and be done
You have left of me, then take what remains.
The blows of love have left me
لَمْhave not تُبْقِleft مِنِّيof me صَدَمَاتُthe blows of الْهَوَىpassion
لَمْ تُبْقِ مِنِّي صَدَمَاتُ الْهَوَى
غَيْرَother than صَدىًan echo بَيْنَamong حَشاًentrails مُحْرَقِscorched
غَيْرَ صَدىً بَيْنَ حَشاً مُحْرَقِ
Love's blows have left nothing of me
Nothing but an echo between scorched encampments
But an echo within scorched entrails.
Once before love I could withstand fears
قَدْindeed كُنْتُI was قَبْلَbefore الْحُبِّlove ذَاpossessing تُدْرَأmight
قَدْ كُنْتُ قَبْلَ الْحُبِّ ذَا تُدْرَأ
أَقْتَحِمُI brave الْهَوْلَterror وَلَمْand did not أَفْرَقِfear
أَقْتَحِمُ الْهَوْلَ وَلَمْ أَفْرَقِ
Before love, I was a man of might;
And plunge into danger, never hesitating
I braved terror and knew no fear.
But today I have become powerless
فَالْيَوْمَso today أَصْبَحْتُI have become عَدِيمَdevoid of الْقُوَىstrength
فَالْيَوْمَ أَصْبَحْتُ عَدِيمَ الْقُوَى
يَسْبِقُنِيoutpaces me الذَّرُّtiny ants وَلَمْand have not أَلْحَقِcaught up
يَسْبِقُنِي الذَّرُّ وَلَمْ أَلْحَقِ
But today I have become devoid of strength;
Outpaced even by the humble ant
Tiny ants outpace me, and I cannot catch up.
Love is a penetrating sovereign, its rule
وَالْحُبُّand love مَلْكٌa king نافِذٌprevailing حُكْمُهُhis decree
وَالْحُبُّ مَلْكٌ نافِذٌ حُكْمُهُ
مِنْfrom مَغْرِبِthe west of الأَرْضِthe earth إِلَىto الْمَشْرِقِthe east
مِنْ مَغْرِبِ الأَرْضِ إِلَى الْمَشْرِقِ
And love is a king whose decree prevails
Extends from the west of the earth to the east
From earth's west to its east.
So let the critic say what he wishes
فَلْيَقُلِso let him say الْعَاذِلُthe reproacher مَاwhatever شَاءَهُhe wishes it
فَلْيَقُلِ الْعَاذِلُ مَا شَاءَهُ
فَالْعِشْقُfor passionate love دَأْبُthe habit of الشَّاعِرِthe poet الْمُفْلِقِthe masterful
فَالْعِشْقُ دَأْبُ الشَّاعِرِ الْمُفْلِقِ
So let the reproacher say whatever he pleases;
For passion is the wont of the split-lipped poet
For passionate love is the masterful poet's wont.
If I were not of noble and free character
لَوْif لَمْnot أَكُنْI were ذَاpossessing شِيمَةٍa character حُرَّةٍnoble
لَوْ لَمْ أَكُنْ ذَا شِيمَةٍ حُرَّةٍ
لَمْwould not أَقْرِضِI compose الشِّعْرَpoetry وَلَمْnor أَعْشَقِI love passionately
لَمْ أَقْرِضِ الشِّعْرَ وَلَمْ أَعْشَقِ
Had I not possessed a noble character,
I would not have courted poetry or passion
I would not have composed verse, nor fallen in love.
Partial English translation: 49 of 50 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1