فُؤاديmy heart مِلؤُهits fill لَهبُflame
فُؤادي مِلؤُه لَهبُ
وطَرفيand my eye كُحلُهits kohl العَطَبُruin
وطَرفي كُحلُه العَطَبُ
My heart is filled with flame,
My heart's aflame with passion's fire
And ruin is the kohl of my eye.
My eyelids stained with hot desire
وعَقليand my reason طارhas flown منfrom وَلَهٍpassionate longing
وعَقلي طار من وَلَهٍ
وَفِكريand my thought ضَمَّهُenfolded it التعَبُweariness
وَفِكري ضَمَّهُ التعَبُ
My reason has flown from passionate longing,
My mind escaped in frenzied flight
And weariness has enfolded my thought.
My thoughts corralled by sorrow's blight
ووَجْديand my passion ماnot لَهfor it طَرفٌan end
ووَجْدي ما لَه طَرفٌ
وهَجريand my being forsaken ماnot لهfor it سَببُa cause
وهَجري ما له سَببُ
My passion has no end,
My love knows neither bound nor end
And my being forsaken has no cause.
My exile no established trend
أمَاwill not يحنوshow tenderness الحبيبُthe beloved علىto
أمَا يحنو الحبيبُ على
مُعَنّىًa tormented one صارَhas become يكتئبُdejected
مُعَنّىً صارَ يكتئبُ
Will not the beloved show tenderness to
Why does not my beloved understand
A tormented man who has grown dejected,
A lover concealed in sorrow's band?
يقَضّيhe spends ليلَهhis night سَهراawake
يقَضّي ليلَه سَهرا
ولاand not يُقضىis fulfilled لهfor him أرَبُa desire
ولا يُقضى له أرَبُ
Who spends his night awake,
He spends the night in sleepless care
While no desire of his is fulfilled?
No peace for him, no rest found there
وَيَبكيand he weeps وهوَwhile he is ذوpossessed of طرَبٍrapture
وَيَبكي وهوَ ذو طرَبٍ
فَيُنميso deepens شَجوَهhis sorrow الطرَبُrapture
فَيُنمي شَجوَه الطرَبُ
And he weeps, full of rapture,
In melancholy wrapped he weeps
So rapture deepens his sorrow.
And more profoundly sorrow steeps
وَيَبدوand appears لَوحُthe tablet وجْنتِهِof his cheek
وَيَبدو لَوحُ وجْنتِهِ
بِحِبرِwith the ink of الدمعِtears يَكتَتبُwrites
بِحِبرِ الدمعِ يَكتَتبُ
And the tablet of his cheek appears
His cheek shows what his tears have penned
To write in the ink of tears.
In inky tattoos they portend
إِلىto مَنْwhom أَشتَكيI complain of وَلَهيmy passionate longing
إِلى مَنْ أَشتَكي وَلَهي
وَعَنهُand about it ضاقَتِhave proved too narrow الكتبُbooks
وَعَنهُ ضاقَتِ الكتبُ
To whom can I complain of my passionate longing,
To whom can I my grief make known?
When books are too narrow to contain it?
When all my books lie tattered, torn
وَماand not ليfor me غَيرother than ماemphatic particle بطلٍa hero
وَما لي غَير ما بطلٍ
إِلَيهِto him شُدَّتِwere saddled النجُبُnoble riding-camels
إِلَيهِ شُدَّتِ النجُبُ
And I have none but a hero,
I have no wings that I can spread
Toward whom noble riding-camels are saddled.
Except to him my hopes have fled
فَإِنّيfor indeed I اليومَtoday مُنتَسِبٌam affiliated
فَإِنّي اليومَ مُنتَسِبٌ
لَهُto him وَعَلَيهِand upon him أَحتَسِبُI rely
لَهُ وَعَلَيهِ أَحتَسِبُ
For today I belong
In him my fealty's focus dwells
To him, and on him I rely.
For he all other oaths excels
فَذلِكَfor that one سَيِّدٌa lord قَرِمٌa mighty chief
فَذلِكَ سَيِّدٌ قَرِمٌ
بِهِthrough him قَدindeed شُرِّفَhas been honored الحَسَبُancestral honor
بِهِ قَد شُرِّفَ الحَسَبُ
For that man is a lord, a mighty chief,
A lord of high and noble race
Through whom ancestral honor has been exalted,
Of lineage proud, esteemed of place
كَماjust as أَنَّthat العُلىlofty glory شَرُفَتhas been honored
كَما أَنَّ العُلى شَرُفَت
بِهِthrough him وسَمَتand have risen لهاfor it الرُّتَبُthe ranks
بِهِ وسَمَت لها الرُّتَبُ
Just as lofty glory has been honored
He's widely lauded, far and wide
Through him, and its ranks have risen.
By both the Arab and the Ajem tribe
وَفيهِand in him زُيِّنتwas adorned شرَفاًwith honor
وَفيهِ زُيِّنت شرَفاً
كماas زانَadorned السّماthe sky شُهُبُbright stars
كما زانَ السّما شُهُبُ
And in him it has been adorned with honor,
You say, resemblance there may be
As bright stars adorn the sky.
No doubt, deny, refute has he
إمامٌan imam جلَّis exalted عنbeyond شَبهٍa likeness
إمامٌ جلَّ عن شَبهٍ
فلازمَso accompanied فضلَهhis excellence العجَبُwonder
فلازمَ فضلَه العجَبُ
An imam exalted beyond any likeness,
The difference cannot be suppressed
So wonder attends his excellence.
Like the full moon when clouds have dressed
وَكَمand how often فيهِregarding it لَهُfor him شَهِدَتhave testified
وَكَم فيهِ لَهُ شَهِدَت
لَدَيناamong us العُجْمُnon-Arabs والعَربُand Arabs
لَدَينا العُجْمُ والعَربُ
And how often his excellence has been attested
The candy's meaning is but fleeting
Among us by non-Arabs and Arabs!
No sugar cane lasts in its greeting
فَإِنso if قُلتُمyou all say لَهُfor him شَبهٌa likeness
فَإِن قُلتُم لَهُ شَبهٌ
وَلاand no شكٌّdoubt ولاand no رِيَبُmisgivings
وَلا شكٌّ ولا رِيَبُ
And if you say he has a likeness,
The doe talked of her beauty rare
Without a doubt or any misgiving,
But nature left her without antlers there
فَإِنَّthen indeed الفَرقَthe difference لاnot يَخفَىis hidden
فَإِنَّ الفَرقَ لا يَخفَى
كَبَدرٍlike a full moon لَيسnot يحتجبُis veiled
كَبَدرٍ لَيس يحتجبُ
Then surely the difference is not hidden,
The wine is meaning beyond the grape
Like a full moon that is never veiled.
That accident of vine and shape
فَمَعنىso the essence of السكَّرsugar الحاليthe sweet
فَمَعنى السكَّر الحالي
غَداhas become لَمnot يَحوِهِcontained it القَصبُthe cane
غَدا لَم يَحوِهِ القَصبُ
For the essence of sweet sugar
Crescent that lit up Damascus' nights
Has become something the cane never held.
And made Aleppo beam in lights
وَكَمand many a ظَبيٍgazelle حَكىimitated حَسناًbeauty
وَكَم ظَبيٍ حَكى حَسناً
وَلَكِنbut فاتَهُeluded it الشّنَبُfresh sweetness of teeth
وَلَكِن فاتَهُ الشّنَبُ
And many a gazelle has mirrored beauty,
A noble one, kind overflowing
Yet lacked the fresh sweetness of teeth.
Who all the clouds' shy failings, glowing
وَإِنَّand indeed الخَمرَwine ذوpossessed of مَعنىan essence
وَإِنَّ الخَمرَ ذو مَعنى
خَلاis free عَنof صورةِthe form of العنَبgrapes
خَلا عَن صورةِ العنَب
And wine indeed possesses an essence
Delightful, knowledge graced so fine
Free of the form of grapes.
Whose cloak refinement made to shine
هِلالٌa crescent moon مُذْever since أضاءَilluminated بهthrough him
هِلالٌ مُذْ أضاءَ به
دِمَشقَDamascus نوّرَتshone حَلَبAleppo
دِمَشقَ نوّرَت حَلَب
A crescent—ever since his light illumined
A brave one, of ambition boundless
Damascus, Aleppo has shone.
A chief, his sire and grandsire stainless
كريمٌgenerous فَيضُthe bounty of راحَتِهِhis palm
كريمٌ فَيضُ راحَتِهِ
لَدَيهِbefore him تخجَلُare ashamed السّحبُthe clouds
لَدَيهِ تخجَلُ السّحبُ
A generous man—the bounty of his palm
This servant merciful and just
Makes the clouds blush before him.
Who merits what prayers raise, as trust
نَبيلٌnoble فاضِلٌvirtuous حَبْرa learned scholar
نَبيلٌ فاضِلٌ حَبْر
لَطيفٌgentle زانَهُadorned him الأدبُrefinement
لَطيفٌ زانَهُ الأدبُ
Noble, virtuous, a learned scholar,
The sun whose rising lifts night's veil
Gentle, adorned by refinement.
And all the curtains mounting pale
هُمامٌvaliant جَهبذٌa discerning expert نَدبeager to help
هُمامٌ جَهبذٌ نَدب
شريفٌnoble جدُّهhis grandfather وأبُوهُand his father
شريفٌ جدُّه وأبُوهُ
Valiant, discerning, eager to help,
The shooting star - my hopes ignite
Noble are his grandfather and father.
May it reveal care's mask of blight
فَذاكَso that one العابِدُthe worshipper الرّحمَthe All-Merciful (first part)
فَذاكَ العابِدُ الرّحمَ
نُcompletion of 'the All-Merciful' حَقّاًtruly مِثلَماjust as يَجِبُis fitting
نُ حَقّاً مِثلَما يَجِبُ
He is the worshipper of the All-Merciful,
Reproach not one who's steeped in woe
Truly, as is fitting.
Or passion's arrow pierced his bow
هُوَhe الشَّمسُthe sun الّتيthat ظَهَرَتhas appeared
هُوَ الشَّمسُ الّتي ظَهَرَت
فمنهاso from it ولَّتhave fled الحُجُبُthe veils
فمنها ولَّت الحُجُبُ
He is the sun that has appeared,
O sea of hope, a flood surging!
And from it the veils have fled.
To you my quest and voyaging
هُوَhe الشّهمُthe gallant man الَّذيwhom أَرجوI hope
هُوَ الشّهمُ الَّذي أَرجو
بِهِthrough him أَنthat تُكشفَmay be dispelled الكُرَبُafflictions
بِهِ أَن تُكشفَ الكُرَبُ
He is the gallant man—I hope
My thoughts to you flown, bridal clad
That through him afflictions may be dispelled.
Though in perplexity they're had
فَحاشاهُso far be it from him مِنfrom الإِغضاdisregard (first part)
فَحاشاهُ مِن الإِغضا
ءِcompletion of 'disregard' عَنof مَنْone who نالَهbefell him العطَبruin
ءِ عَن مَنْ نالَه العطَب
So far be it from him to disregard
And fantastical stories come
One whom ruin has struck.
But cannot find escape succumb
فَياso O بَحرَsea of الرّجاhope الطّاميoverflowing
فَيا بَحرَ الرّجا الطّامي
وَأَنتَand you القصْدُthe aim وَالطّلبُand what is sought
وَأَنتَ القصْدُ وَالطّلبُ
O overflowing sea of hope,
Fearful they come and weep in dread
You are my aim and what I seek.
Of your reproach, wailings thread
إِلَيكَto you الفِكرُthe thought قَدindeed أَهدىhas offered
إِلَيكَ الفِكرُ قَد أَهدى
عَروساًa bride وهوwhile it is مضطرِبُtroubled
عَروساً وهو مضطرِبُ
To you my thought has offered
I've guaranteed their kind reception
A bride, while that thought is troubled.
No falseness taints that direction
وَقَدand indeed جاءَتhave come خرافاتٌfanciful tales
وَقَد جاءَت خرافاتٌ
وَلَمand not يُقدَرْwas decreed لَهاfor them الهَربُescape
وَلَم يُقدَرْ لَها الهَربُ
And fanciful tales have come,
With gentleness make unseen welcome
And escape was not ordained for them.
Your breast is generous, ample
وَجاءَتand they came وَهيَwhile they were خائِفةٌafraid
وَجاءَت وَهيَ خائِفةٌ
مِنَfrom الإِغضاءِbeing ignored تَنتحبُsobbing
مِنَ الإِغضاءِ تَنتحبُ
And they came afraid,
Live as your Lord has you maintain
Sobbing for fear of being ignored.
While canes dance on the earthly plain
وَإِنّيand indeed I قَدindeed كَفِلتُhave guaranteed لَهاfor them
وَإِنّي قَد كَفِلتُ لَها
قَبولاًacceptance ماno بهin it كَذِبُfalsehood
قَبولاً ما به كَذِبُ
And I have indeed guaranteed them
And say no more what the lover said
Acceptance, with no falsehood in it.
My heart's aflame with passion's fire
فَقَابِلْso meet غَيبَهاtheir hidden side بِالسّتwith concealment (first part)
فَقَابِلْ غَيبَها بِالسّت
رِcompletion of 'concealment' ياO منone who صدرُهhis breast رَحبُspacious
رِ يا من صدرُه رَحبُ
So meet their hidden side with a covering,
O you whose breast is spacious.
وَدُمْand remain فيin حِفظِthe protection of ربِّكَyour Lord ماas long as
وَدُمْ في حِفظِ ربِّكَ ما
تراقصَdance فيin الدّنىthe earthly realms قصَبُreeds
تراقصَ في الدّنى قصَبُ
And remain in your Lord's protection as long as
Reeds dance in the earthly realms,
وَماand as long as قالَsays المُحبّthe lover شَجىًin sorrow
وَما قالَ المُحبّ شَجىً
فُؤاديmy heart مِلؤُهُits fill لَهَبُflame
فُؤادي مِلؤُهُ لَهَبُ
And as long as the lover says in sorrow:
My heart is filled with flame.
Partial English translation: 66 of 72 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1