سَمِعَheard الْخَلِيُّthe carefree man تَأَوُّهِيmy sighing فَتَلَفَّتَاso he turned around
سَمِعَ الْخَلِيُّ تَأَوُّهِي فَتَلَفَّتَا
وأَصَابَهُand seized him عَجَبٌwonder فَقَالَso he said مَنِwho الْفَتَىthe youth
وأَصَابَهُ عَجَبٌ فَقَالَ مَنِ الْفَتَى
The carefree man heard my sighing and turned around.
The cheeky one heard my sighs and turned about,
And wonder seized him; he said: Who is this youth?
Struck with wonder he asked "Who is that lad?"
فَأَجَبْتُهُso I answered him إِنِّيindeed I am امْرُؤٌa man لَعِبَtoyed الأَسَىsorrow
فَأَجَبْتُهُ إِنِّي امْرُؤٌ لَعِبَ الأَسَى
بِفُؤادِهِwith his heart يَوْمَon the day of النَّوَىparting فَتَشَتَّتَاso it fell apart
بِفُؤادِهِ يَوْمَ النَّوَى فَتَشَتَّتَا
So I answered him: I am a man—sorrow toyed
I answered him "I am a man whom sorrow played
With his heart on the day of parting, and it fell apart.
With his heart the day desire scattered.
انْظُرْlook إِليَّat me تَجِدْyou will find خَيَالاًa phantom بَالِياًworn-out
انْظُرْ إِليَّ تَجِدْ خَيَالاً بَالِياً
تَحْتَbeneath الثِّيَابِthe clothes يَكادُalmost أَلَّاnot to يُنْعَتَاbe described
تَحْتَ الثِّيَابِ يَكادُ أَلَّا يُنْعَتَا
Look at me: you will find a worn-out phantom
Look at me, you'll find a fading shadow
Beneath the clothes, almost beyond description.
Beneath the clothes, barely to be made out.
قَدْindeed كَانَthere was لِيfor me قَلْبٌa heart أَصَابَstruck سَوادَهُits innermost core
قَدْ كَانَ لِي قَلْبٌ أَصَابَ سَوادَهُ
سَهْمٌan arrow لِطَرْفٍfrom a gaze فَاتِرٍlanguid فَتَفَتَّتَاso it crumbled
سَهْمٌ لِطَرْفٍ فَاتِرٍ فَتَفَتَّتَا
Once I had a heart; its innermost core was struck
My heart once had, hitting its core,
By an arrow from a languid gaze, and it crumbled.
An arrow from a languid eyelid shot.
تَبِعَfollowed الْهَوَىpassion قَلْبِيmy heart فَهَامَand grew mad with love وَلَيْتَهُand would that it
تَبِعَ الْهَوَى قَلْبِي فَهَامَ وَلَيْتَهُ
قَبْلَbefore التَّوَغُّلِplunging deeply فِيinto البَلاءِaffliction تَثَبَّتَاhad paused to reflect
قَبْلَ التَّوَغُّلِ فِي البَلاءِ تَثَبَّتَا
My heart followed passion and grew mad with love; if only it
My heart pursued passion so it wandered astray—
Had paused before plunging deep into affliction.
Would that, before trespassing into affliction, it had stood firm!
أَلْقَتْهُshe cast it فِيinto شَرَكِthe snare of الْمَحَبَّةlove غَادَةٌa graceful maiden
أَلْقَتْهُ فِي شَرَكِ الْمَحَبَّة غَادَةٌ
هَيْهَاتَimpossible لَيْسَit is not بِصاحِبيmy companion إِنْif أَفْلَتَاit escapes
هَيْهَاتَ لَيْسَ بِصاحِبي إِنْ أَفْلَتَا
A graceful maiden cast it into the snare of love.
A coquette cast it into the snare of love.
Impossible! It is no companion of mine if it escapes.
Alas! It is not my comrade if it slips away.
كَالْوَرْدِlike a rose خَدَّاًin cheek والْبَنَفْسَجِand a violet طُرَّةًin forelock
كَالْوَرْدِ خَدَّاً والْبَنَفْسَجِ طُرَّةً
والْغُصْنِand a branch قَدَّاًin stature والْغَزَالَةِand a gazelle مَلْفَتَاin the turn of her neck
والْغُصْنِ قَدَّاً والْغَزَالَةِ مَلْفَتَا
Like a rose in cheek, and a violet in forelock,
With cheeks like roses and violets his gaze,
And a branch in stature, and a gazelle in the turn of her neck.
Limbs like branches, hips like a fawn's so sleek,
نَظَرَتْshe gazed بِكَحْلاوَيْنِwith two dark-rimmed eyes أَوْدَعَتَاthey both instilled الْهَوَىpassion
نَظَرَتْ بِكَحْلاوَيْنِ أَوْدَعَتَا الْهَوَى
بِالْقَلْبِin the heart حَتَّىuntil هَامَit grew mad with love ثُمَّthen تَخَلَّتَاthey both withdrew
بِالْقَلْبِ حَتَّى هَامَ ثُمَّ تَخَلَّتَا
She gazed with two dark-rimmed eyes that instilled passion
He looked at me with dark brown eyes that evoked desire
In my heart, until it grew mad with love; then they withdrew.
And lodged it in my heart till I grew mad, then left me.
تاللهِby God لَوْif عَلِمَknew الْعَذُولُthe reproacher بِمَاof what جَنَىhad inflicted
تاللهِ لَوْ عَلِمَ الْعَذُولُ بِمَا جَنَى
طَرْفِيmy gaze عَليَّupon me لَساءَهُit would pain him أَنْto يَشْمَتَاgloat
طَرْفِي عَليَّ لَساءَهُ أَنْ يَشْمَتَا
By God, if the reproacher knew the harm wrought
By God! If the censurers but knew what
By my gaze against me, it would pain him to gloat.
His eyes gained from me, their spite would gloat.
طَرْفٌa gaze أَطَلْتُI lengthened عِنَانَهُits rein لِيُصِيبَso it might obtain ليfor me
طَرْفٌ أَطَلْتُ عِنَانَهُ لِيُصِيبَ لي
بَعْضَsome of الْمُنَىthe wishes فَأَصابَنِيbut it struck me لَمَّاwhen أَتَىit came
بَعْضَ الْمُنَى فَأَصابَنِي لَمَّا أَتَى
A gaze I gave free rein, that it might win for me
An eye whose rein I let go to gain for me
Some of my wishes; but it struck me when it came.
Some joy, but when it came, it wounded me.
ياO قَلْبُheart حَسْبُكَenough for you قَدْalready أَفاقَcame to their senses مَعَاشِرٌgroups of people
يا قَلْبُ حَسْبُكَ قَدْ أَفاقَ مَعَاشِرٌ
وَأَراكَand I see you تَدْأَبُyou persist فِيin الهَوَىpassion فَإِلَىso until مَتَىwhen
وَأَراكَ تَدْأَبُ فِي الهَوَى فَإِلَى مَتَى
O heart, enough! Many have already come to their senses,
O heart, enough! People are awake while you
And I see you persisting in passion—how much longer?
Still ply your love. How long will this go on?
Sol 6.1