أباO father of غازيGhazi اباO father of الفضلِal-Fadl
أبا غازي ابا الفضلِ
كريمnoble الفرعthe branch والاصلِand the root
كريم الفرع والاصلِ
O Abu Ghazi, Abu al-Fadl,
O Abu Ghazi, O epitome of nobility
Noble in branch and root,
The cream of pedigree and ancestry
ومنand you whose عزّتwas dear صداقتهhis friendship
ومن عزّت صداقته
عليto me وباءand won بالفضلdistinction
علي وباء بالفضل
And you whose friendship is dear
And for your honorable friendship
To me, and who has won distinction.
I was blessed abundantly
ألمdo you not تذكرremember لياليناour nights
ألم تذكر ليالينا
لياليnights of الفصلparting والوصلand union
ليالي الفصل والوصل
Do you not remember our nights,
Do you not recall our nights
Nights of parting and union,
The nights of union and separation
لياليnights of الانسcompanionship اذwhen كناwe were
ليالي الانس اذ كنا
نناجيwe commune with البدرthe full moon فيin الليلthe night
نناجي البدر في الليل
Nights of companionship, when we would
The nights of intimacy when we were
Commune with the full moon at night,
Conversing with the moon at night
نناجيwe commune with الاملhope الذاويwithering
نناجي الامل الذاوي
وشغلكand your preoccupation فيin الهوىlove شغليmy preoccupation
وشغلك في الهوى شغلي
Commune with withering hope,
Conversing with vanishing hope
And your preoccupation with love was mine?
While you were occupied with love so was I
وفيand in القلبينthe two hearts زفراتsighs
وفي القلبين زفرات
كنيرانlike the fires of الجوىlonging تغليboil
كنيران الجوى تغلي
And in our two hearts were sighs,
And in both our hearts sighs
Boiling like the fires of longing.
Like embers stoking up passion's fire
اباO father of غازيGhazi وساعاتand hours
ابا غازي وساعات
مضتpassed كالسهمlike an arrow والنصلand a blade
مضت كالسهم والنصل
O Abu Ghazi—and hours
Abu Ghazi, those hours
Passed like an arrow and a blade.
That flew by like arrows and spears
وقدand indeed كناwe were بلاwithout a قلبheart
وقد كنا بلا قلب
وقدand indeed كناwe were بلاwithout a عقلmind
وقد كنا بلا عقل
And we were without a heart,
When we had no heart
And we were without a mind.
When we had no mind
أجلyes ياO صاحبpossessor of التاجthe crown
أجل يا صاحب التاج
أجلyes ياO جامعreuniter of الشملthe scattered company
أجل يا جامع الشمل
Yes, O wearer of the crown,
Indeed, O wearer of the crown
Yes, O reuniter of the scattered.
Indeed, O unifier of the tribe
وأنعمand how splendid بالهوىlove تاجاًas a crown
وأنعم بالهوى تاجاً
وتيجانand the crowns of الهوىlove تعليraise high
وتيجان الهوى تعلي
And what a splendid crown love is!
And adorn yourself with love’s crown
And love's crowns lift one high.
And raise love’s turban high
اتذكرdo you remember هندHind اذwhen مرتshe passed
اتذكر هند اذ مرت
بذاكin that الزيّattire والشكلand appearance
بذاك الزيّ والشكل
Do you remember Hind when she passed,
Do you remember Hind when she passed
In that attire and appearance,
In that attire and beauty
وأذand when كانتshe was مزينةadorned
وأذ كانت مزينة
منfrom الرأسthe head إلىto النعلthe sandal
من الرأس إلى النعل
And when she was adorned
When she was adorned
From head to sandal,
From head to toe
واذand when غلتshe fettered فلمyet did not تنقذfree
واذ غلت فلم تنقذ
فؤاديناour two hearts منfrom الغلthe fetters
فؤادينا من الغل
And when she fettered us, yet did not free
And when she disappeared without saving
Our two hearts from their chains,
Our hearts from anguish
واذand when ناديتyou called out ملتاعاًanguished
واذ ناديت ملتاعاً
قفيstop هندHind علىat مهلleisure
قفي هند على مهل
And when you cried out in anguish,
And when I called "wait a bit, O delight"
'Stop, Hind—take your time!'
Stop, Hind, not so fast
وعدتand you resumed فصحتthen you cried out ياO وطنيmy homeland
وعدت فصحت يا وطني
وعدتand you resumed فصحتthen you cried out ياO أهليmy family
وعدت فصحت يا أهلي
And again you cried, 'O my homeland!'
But neither homeland nor family
And again you cried, 'O my family!'
Saved you from slaughter
فلمyet did not تنقذكsave you اوطانhomelands
فلم تنقذك اوطان
ولاnor اهلkin منfrom القتلbeing slain
ولا اهل من القتل
Yet no homelands saved you,
Remember that, O disgrace
Nor kin, from being slain.
Do you remember what I wished?
اتذكرdo you remember ذاكthat ياO عارArif (name fragment)
اتذكر ذاك يا عار
فfinal letter of Arif هلdo you تذكرremember ماwhat أمليI dictate
ف هل تذكر ما أملي
Do you remember that, O Arif?
Tell me now, what is the matter
Do you remember what I dictate?
That you show and guide naught
فقلso tell ليme الانnow ماwhat is خطبthe matter
فقل لي الان ما خطب
كyour (suffix) لاyou do not تبديdisclose ولاnor تدليspeak out
ك لا تبدي ولا تدلي
So tell me now, what is the matter
The beauties pass before you
With you? You neither disclose nor speak out.
In coyness and charm
تمرpass امامكbefore you الغاداthe maidens (word fragment)
تمر امامك الغادا
تplural ending of 'maidens' فيwith غنجcoquetry وفيand with دلّcoyness
ت في غنج وفي دلّ
The maidens pass before you
With Hind, beauty's queen, between them
With coquetry and coyness.
Yet you pay them no attention
وبينand among لدانهاtheir supple ones هندHind
وبين لدانها هند
وهندand Hind ربةmistress of الكلthem all
وهند ربة الكل
And among their supple figures is Hind,
As if you were occupied
And Hind is mistress of them all.
Now I know what ails you
فلاyet you do not تلقيpay لهاto her بالاheed
فلا تلقي لها بالا
كأنas though لمnot تكyou were فيin شغلpreoccupation
كأن لم تك في شغل
Yet you pay her no heed,
You are now in a trance
As though you had not been preoccupied.
Far from awareness, far from words
عرفتI have learned الانnow ماwhat is خطبthe matter
عرفت الان ما خطب
كyour (suffix) أنتyou الانnow فيin حلfreedom
ك أنت الان في حل
Now I know what is the matter
I profess my love to you
With you: you are now free,
Melting in ardour
وفيand in بعدdistance عنfrom الشكdoubt
وفي بعد عن الشك
وفيand in بعدdistance عنfrom القولtalk
وفي بعد عن القول
And far from doubt,
But disgrace, have the nights of union and separation melted away?
And far from gossip.
Has the memory of Hind melted away?
خطبتhas been betrothed اليكto you غانيةa beautiful woman
خطبت اليك غانية
تكادshe almost تذوبmelts منfrom دلcoyness
تكاد تذوب من دل
A beautiful woman has been betrothed to you,
Then let me melt away entirely
Who almost melts with coyness.
ولكنعارbut, Arif (shortened name) هلhave ذابتmelted away
ولكنعار هل ذابت
لياليnights of الفصلparting والوصلand union
ليالي الفصل والوصل
But, Arif, have they melted away—
The nights of parting and union?
وذكرىand the memory of هندHind هلhas it ذابتmelted away
وذكرى هند هل ذابت
اذنthen دعنيlet me اذبmelt كليall of me
اذن دعني اذب كلي
And the memory of Hind—has it melted away?
Then let me melt away, all of me.
Partial English translation: 47 of 52 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1