ياO للهوىfor love مَنwho لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick lover لَمnot يَنَلattain أَرَباa desire
يا للهوى مَن لِصَبٍّ لَم يَنَل أَرَبا
عانيcaptive of المهاthe oryx مستهلّwelling forth الدَمعtears هاطِلُهits pouring flow
عاني المها مستهلّ الدَمع هاطِلُه
Ah, love! Who will aid a lovesick lover who has not attained his desire?
O love, who has tasted passion unrequited?
A captive of the oryx, his tears welling up and pouring down.
I suffer much, my tears flowing unrestrained,
باديshowing الضَنىwasting sickness ذوpossessed of غَرامpassion سامهُinflicted on him شَجَناgrief
بادي الضَنى ذو غَرام سامهُ شَجَنا
يَهوىloves الظِباthe gazelles وَهوىand love of الآرامthe white gazelles قاتلُهhis slayer
يَهوى الظِبا وَهوى الآرام قاتلُه
His wasting plain to see, he bears a passion that inflicts grief upon him.
Bearing sorrow openly, consumed with love so extreme,
He loves the gazelles, and love of the white gazelles is his slayer.
Yearning for the deer though it was his killer.
وَيحwoe to العِداthe foes وَاللَواحيand the reproaching women حَمّلتهburdened him عَناsuffering
وَيح العِدا وَاللَواحي حَمّلته عَنا
جَمرembers الأَسىsorrow لَمnot يَزَلcease دَوماًalways يُواصلُهkeeps assailing him
جَمر الأَسى لَم يَزَل دَوماً يُواصلُه
Woe to the foes and the reproaching women: they have burdened him with suffering.
Woe to my enemies! Burdens they made me carry.
The embers of sorrow keep assailing him without cease.
Embers of grief relentlessly burning within.
ماذاwhat حَوىgained وَيحalas for قَلبيmy heart ظَلَّremained مُرتَهناheld in pledge
ماذا حَوى وَيح قَلبي ظَلَّ مُرتَهنا
يَرجوhopes for اللقاthe meeting وَالظباand the gazelles تيهاout of pride تُماطِلُهkeep it waiting
يَرجو اللقا وَالظبا تيها تُماطِلُه
What has it gained? Alas for my heart, still held in pledge.
What has my wretched heart contained but subservience?
It hopes for a meeting, while the gazelles haughtily keep it waiting.
Yearning for union though the deer eludes me.
كَمhow many مِنof رَشاa fawn وَغَزالand a gazelle هَزَّswayed قَدّa figure قَناspear shafts
كَم مِن رَشا وَغَزال هَزَّ قَدّ قَنا
إِذاwhen رَناhe gazes فتنَbewitched الأَلبابminds ناحِلُهhis slender form
إِذا رَنا فتنَ الأَلباب ناحِلُه
How many a fawn and gazelle has swayed a spear-slender figure!
How many does and gazelles, their necks so slender,
When he gazes, his slender form bewitches minds.
Tempt hearts when they glance. Their eyes so beguiling.
نَجمٌa star هَوىfell بِأَبيmy father be his ransom مِنهُfrom him بَديعwondrous سَناradiance
نَجمٌ هَوى بِأَبي مِنهُ بَديع سَنا
تَحتbeneath الدُجىnight's darkness قَمرa moon تَزهوshine in splendor مَنازِلُهhis lunar mansions
تَحت الدُجى قَمر تَزهو مَنازِلُه
A star has fallen—my father be his ransom!—from him shines wondrous radiance.
A star fell for my father, his beauty so rare,
Beneath the darkness, a moon whose mansions shine in splendor.
Under the darkness a moon, its phases worshipped.
ذاكيintense الشَذاfragrance خَدّهُhis cheek الوَرديّrose-like طابwas sweet جَنىripe fruit
ذاكي الشَذا خَدّهُ الوَرديّ طاب جَنى
بَينamong المَلاthe throng جلّrose above عَنbeyond رَيبdoubt يُنازلُهchallenges him
بَين المَلا جلّ عَن رَيب يُنازلُه
Richly fragrant, his rosy cheek is sweet as ripe fruit.
That cheek, rosy as the blossom, its fruit so sweet,
Among the throng, he stands above any doubt that might challenge him.
Among the chiefs without doubt, a rank unequalled.
ياO طالَماhow often صنتI guarded عَمَّنfrom whoever لامَنيreproached me أذناan ear
يا طالَما صنت عَمَّن لامَني أذنا
رُمتI sought القلىaversion رَيثَماwhile أنّيthat I أُجادِلُهI argue with him
رُمت القلى رَيثَما أنّي أُجادِلُه
Ah, how often I have shielded my ear from whoever reproached me!
O how often I defended, from the one who blamed me,
I sought aversion while I argued with him.
My heart railing until I could argue no more.
هَلis there منanyone who لحاreproached وَمدامand the wine of الثَغرthe mouth كَأسa cup هَناbliss
هَل من لحا وَمدام الثَغر كَأس هَنا
ياO ذاpossessor of النُهىreason أترىdo you see نِدّاًa peer يُماثلُهmatches him
يا ذا النُهى أترى نِدّاً يُماثلُه
Can anyone reproach, when the wine of the lips is a cup of bliss?
Is there pleasure and wine from those lips like a cup?
O man of reason, do you see a peer to match him?
O confidant, do you see one who equals him?
ماnot إِنat all أَرىI see غَيرother than ماwhat أملتI hoped for فيهِin him مُنىhopes
ما إِن أَرى غَير ما أملت فيهِ مُنى
إِلّاexcept النَدىgenerosity وَأَمينand the guardian of المَجدglory باذلُهits bestower
إِلّا النَدى وَأَمين المَجد باذلُه
I see nothing beyond what I hoped to find in him,
I see none but the beloved I wish for,
Save generosity and glory's faithful guardian, who bestows it.
Except the moisture and the noble rain clouds.
بَدرfull moon التُقىpiety مَنhe who إِذاwhen أَتلوI recite لَديهِbefore him ثَناpraise
بَدر التُقى مَن إِذا أَتلو لَديهِ ثَنا
ساميlofty الذرىthe summits رَتّلتchanted مَدحيmy praise شَمائلُهhis virtues
سامي الذرى رَتّلت مَدحي شَمائلُه
The full moon of piety: when I recite praise before him,
Full moon of piety! When I recite poetry to him,
Lofty of summit, he has virtues that chant my song of praise.
His sublime features make my praises exalted.
وافيabounding in السَخاgenerosity أَريحيّopenhanded كَمhow many حَباbestowed منناfavors
وافي السَخا أَريحيّ كَم حَبا مننا
سَحّprofuse in العَطاgiving مِنfrom نَدىًgenerosity جادَتpoured abundantly هَواطلُهits showers
سَحّ العَطا مِن نَدىً جادَت هَواطلُه
Full of generosity, openhanded—how many favors he has bestowed!
Generous giver! How much affection you have shown us!
His gifts pour in torrents from bounty whose showers rain freely.
Your open hand has rained countless gifts.
شَهمٌa gallant man سَماrose high كُلّevery مَعنىquality حازَهُhe acquired it حَسناin beauty
شَهمٌ سَما كُلّ مَعنى حازَهُ حَسنا
حَتّىuntil رَقىascended عِندَماwhen باهَتvied in glory فَضائلُهhis virtues
حَتّى رَقى عِندَما باهَت فَضائلُه
A gallant man: every quality he gained soared in beauty,
Valiant and lofty! Every good trait adorned him
Till he rose aloft as his virtues vied in glory.
Until he ascended when his merits paled.
لاnot يختشىfears فَهوَfor he is غَيثrain البرِّbenevolence إِنif هتناpoured down
لا يختشى فَهوَ غَيث البرِّ إِن هتنا
إِذاwhen سَطاattacks لمَعتflashed بِطشاًwith might عَواملُهhis spear points
إِذا سَطا لمَعت بِطشاً عَواملُه
He fears nothing, for he is a rain of kindness when it pours.
He fears no one, he is rain in drought if we despair,
When he attacks, his spear points flash with might.
When his arm strikes, his powers flash like lightning.
نالmay he attain المُنىhis wishes لاmay he not اِنبَرىbe worn down يَلقىfind هَناbliss وَمُنىand wishes
نال المُنى لا اِنبَرى يَلقى هَنا وَمُنى
حَتّىuntil حَوىgained ظافِراًvictorious فيماin what يُحاولُهhe attempts it
حَتّى حَوى ظافِراً فيما يُحاولُه
May he attain his wishes, never be worn down, and find bliss and hopes fulfilled,
He attained his wishes, did not flinch, and here obtained
Until he wins, triumphant in whatever he attempts.
All he sought, prevailing, embracing every trial.
Sol 6.1