أَهَدِيلَO cooing وَرْقاءِof the gray dove الأَراكِof the arak tree أَرَاكاI see you
أَهَدِيلَ وَرْقاءِ الأَراكِ أَرَاكا
أَشْجَيْتَنيyou have saddened me للهِby God ماhow أَشْجاكَplaintive you are
أَشْجَيْتَني للهِ ما أَشْجاكَ
O cooing of the gray dove of the arak tree, I see you
have saddened me—by God, how plaintive you are!
أذْكَرْتَنيyou reminded me عَهْداًa bygone time وَلَمْand not أَكُI was ناسِياًforgetful
أذْكَرْتَني عَهْداً وَلَمْ أَكُ ناسِياً
أَنَّىhow لِمِثْلِيfor one like me ذاكَthat أَنَّىhow ذَاكاthat
أَنَّى لِمِثْلِي ذاكَ أَنَّى ذَاكا
You have reminded me of a bygone time, though I had not forgotten;
How could one like me forget? How could that be?
وَأَنَاand I الّذِيthe one who ماnot زِلْتُI have ceased فيin رَقِّbondage to الَهَوىlove
وَأَنَا الّذِي ما زِلْتُ في رَقِّ الَهَوى
أُمْسِيI pass the evening وأُصْبِحُand enter morning لاnot أَرُومُI seek فَكَاكاrelease
أُمْسِي وأُصْبِحُ لا أَرُومُ فَكَاكا
And I am one who has ever remained in love's bondage;
I pass evening and morning seeking no release.
وَإذَاand if شَكَكْتَyou doubt فَسَلْthen ask فؤاديmy heart فَهْوَfor it فِيin
وَإذَا شَكَكْتَ فَسَلْ فؤادي فَهْوَ فِي
نادِيكَyour gathering place باقٍremaining هَلْwhether يَوَدُّit loves سِواكاanyone but you
نادِيكَ باقٍ هَلْ يَوَدُّ سِواكا
And if you doubt, ask my heart, for it is in
your gathering place still—does it love anyone but you?
يَأْبَىit refuses الرُّجُوعَto return إليّto me إنْif طَالَبْتُهI demand it back
يَأْبَى الرُّجُوعَ إليّ إنْ طَالَبْتُه
لاnot أَسْتَطِيعُI can لِقَلْبِيَof my heart الإمْسَاكاkeeping hold
لا أَسْتَطِيعُ لِقَلْبِيَ الإمْسَاكا
It refuses to return to me if I demand it back;
I cannot keep hold of my heart.
لَمnot أَدْرِI knew هَلْwhether بالقَهْرِby force قَدْindeed أَخَذُوهُthey took it أَمْor
لَم أَدْرِ هَلْ بالقَهْرِ قَدْ أَخَذُوهُ أَمْ
قَدْindeed حَرَّرَتْhas drawn up كَفّيmy hand بذاكَto that effect صِكَاكاdeeds
قَدْ حَرَّرَتْ كَفّي بذاكَ صِكَاكا
I know not whether they took it by force, or
my own hand drew up deeds to that effect.
عَجَباًhow strange! يُقِيمُremains الجِسْمُthe body فيin أَوْطانِهِits homelands
عَجَباً يُقِيمُ الجِسْمُ في أَوْطانِهِ
والقَلْبُand the heart مِنْfrom بُعْدِthe remoteness of الدّيارthe dwellings أَتَاكاhas come to you
والقَلْبُ مِنْ بُعْدِ الدّيار أَتَاكا
How strange! The body remains in its homeland,
while the heart has come to you from far-off lands.
ياO مَنْone who رَأىsaw جِسْمِيmy body بأرْضٍin a land قَلْبُهُits heart
يا مَنْ رَأى جِسْمِي بأرْضٍ قَلْبُهُ
فيin غَيْرهاother than it هَلْwhether قَدْalready سَمِعْتَyou heard بِذاكاof that
في غَيْرها هَلْ قَدْ سَمِعْتَ بِذاكا
O you who have seen my body in one land, its heart
in another—have you ever heard of that?
قَلْبِيmy heart يُعِينُhelps عَلَيَّagainst me مَنْthe one whom أَحْبَبْتُهُI have loved
قَلْبِي يُعِينُ عَلَيَّ مَنْ أَحْبَبْتُهُ
ياO قَلْبُheart ماذَاwhat لِلْخِلافِto opposition دَعاكاcalled you
يا قَلْبُ ماذَا لِلْخِلافِ دَعاكا
My heart helps the one I love against me;
O heart, what called you to defiance?
وَالطَّرْفُand the eye نَمّامٌa talebearer عَلَيَّagainst me فكُلَّماfor whenever
وَالطَّرْفُ نَمّامٌ عَلَيَّ فكُلَّما
كَتَّمْتُI concealed وَجْدِيmy longing والغَرامَand passion تَباكىmade itself weep
كَتَّمْتُ وَجْدِي والغَرامَ تَباكى
And my eye tells tales against me, for whenever
I concealed my longing and passion, it made itself weep.
دَعْleave عَنْكَaway from you تَذْكارَremembrance of الَهَوىlove فَعَنِfor from الَهَوىlove
دَعْ عَنْكَ تَذْكارَ الَهَوى فَعَنِ الَهَوى
إنif كُنْتَyou are تَعْقِلُyou understand قَدْindeed نَهَاكَhas forbidden you نُهاكاyour reason
إن كُنْتَ تَعْقِلُ قَدْ نَهَاكَ نُهاكا
Set aside remembrance of love, for love is what
your reason has forbidden you, if you have sense.
وَالعِلْمُand learning قَدْindeed أَعْلاكَhas raised you عنabove دَنَسِthe stain of الصِّباyouth
وَالعِلْمُ قَدْ أَعْلاكَ عن دَنَسِ الصِّبا
وكَذاكand likewise شَيْبُكَyour gray hair فيin عُلاكَyour eminence عَلاكاhas crowned you
وكَذاك شَيْبُكَ في عُلاكَ عَلاكا
And learning has raised you above the stain of youth;
and likewise your gray hair has crowned you in your eminence.
واقْصدْand seek إلىto لُقْياmeeting رِجالِmen of العِلْمِlearning والand the
واقْصدْ إلى لُقْيا رِجالِ العِلْمِ وال
آدابletters فاللُّقْياfor the meeting أَجَلُّthe loftiest of مُناكاyour wishes
آداب فاللُّقْيا أَجَلُّ مُناكا
And seek to meet men of learning and
letters, for meeting them is your loftiest wish.
يَاO بنَson of الكِرامِthe noble إذَاif جَمَعْتُI used the plural تَجَوُّزاًfiguratively
يَا بنَ الكِرامِ إذَا جَمَعْتُ تَجَوُّزاً
فاعْلَمْthen know بِأَنِّيthat I ماnot قَصَدْتُI meant سِواكاanyone but you
فاعْلَمْ بِأَنِّي ما قَصَدْتُ سِواكا
O son of noble men, if I have used the plural figuratively,
then know that I meant no one but you.
Sol 6.1