ياO برقُlightning بالأبراقِat al-Abraq, the stony tracts عرِّجturn aside وَحَيand greet
يا برقُ بالأبراقِ عرِّج وَحَي
عَنَّيon my behalf بهاتيكَamong those الأُثيلاتِlittle tamarisks حَيa clan
عَنَّي بهاتيكَ الأُثيلاتِ حَي
O lightning, turn aside at al-Abraq and greet
O lightning, zigzag and flash
on my behalf, a clan among those little tamarisks.
away from me, with those slender maidens, flash!
واستسقِand seek rain منfrom تلكَthose الرُّبَاhills عارِضاًa rain cloud
واستسقِ من تلكَ الرُّبَا عارِضاً
يروىrelates حديثَthe tale الشَّيحشwormwood (uncertain reading) عنfrom مُقَلتيmy two eyes
يروى حديثَ الشَّيحش عن مُقَلتي
And seek from those hills a rain-bearing cloud
And beg those gentle hills for rain,
that relates the tale of wormwood [uncertain reading] from my eyes.
that quenches the tale of love from my eyelids.
إنif ظَمئتbecame thirsty منof دِمنَةٍan abandoned campsite أَرضُهَاits soil
إن ظَمئت من دِمنَةٍ أَرضُهَا
قَالتsaid جُفونيmy eyelids رِيُّthe watering هذاof this عليfalls to me
قَالت جُفوني رِيُّ هذا علي
If the soil of an abandoned campsite thirsts,
If you are thirsty in a land whose soil
my eyelids say, “Watering this falls to me.”
my eyelids said: This is plentiful for me.
قفstop ناشداًseeking قلبيَmy heart فيin رَبعهاits encampment
قف ناشداً قلبيَ في رَبعها
وُمنشداًand reciting ماwhat قُلتُهُI said it ياO أُخيmy little brother
وُمنشداً ما قُلتُهُ يا أُخي
Stop and seek my heart in that encampment,
Stop, asking my heart in her land,
reciting what I have said, my little brother.
and repeating what I said, O brother!
فَليfor I have بهاin it أَهيفُa slender-waisted one عَذبُsweet اللَّمَىthe lips’ dark hue
فَلي بها أَهيفُ عَذبُ اللَّمَى
أيُّwhat a رشيقِgraceful القدِّof figure أَحوىdark-lipped وأيand what a one
أيُّ رشيقِ القدِّ أَحوى وأي
For there I have a slender-waisted one, sweet of dusky lips—
In it I crave the sweetest water,
what a graceful figure, dark of lip—what a one!
O slender, delicate, and beautiful one.
إنif سرَّهُpleased him أنِّيthat I منfrom بعدهِafter him
إن سرَّهُ أنِّي من بعدهِ
منthrough سقميِmy sickness قدindeed صرتُI have become فيin الثَّوبِthe robe فيa shadow (poetic form)
من سقميِ قد صرتُ في الثَّوبِ في
If it delights him that, since he left,
Though it pleases him that after him
through sickness I have become a shadow in my robe,
I have become emaciated in my robe.
فوَاbut, by الذيthe One who يُدنيهِbrings him near ماnot سرَّنيpleased me
فوَا الذي يُدنيهِ ما سرَّني
أنَّيthat I وقدand indeed شَطتhas grown far away بيَwith me الدَّارُthe dwelling حَيalive
أنَّي وقد شَطت بيَ الدَّارُ حَي
yet, by the One who brings him near, I take no joy
Woe to him who brings him what pleased me
in being alive, when my dwelling has taken me far away.
when the house pulled me far from him.
وَجديmy passion بهِfor him وجدٌa passion غَدَاhas become هازئاًmocking
وَجدي بهِ وجدٌ غَدَا هازئاً
بقيسِat Qays لُبنَىof Lubna وبغَيلانِand at Ghaylan مَيof Mayy
بقيسِ لُبنَى وبغَيلانِ مَي
My passion for him is a passion that now mocks
My love for him has become mocking
Qays of Lubna and Ghaylan of Mayy.
for Qays and Ghaylan of Mayya.
جَفَاhe turned cold فكلُّso all الأرضِthe earth بيaround me بَعدهُafter him
جَفَا فكلُّ الأرضِ بي بَعدهُ
ضاقتhas narrowed وضاعتand was lost حيلتيmy resourcefulness منfrom يدَيmy two hands
ضاقت وضاعت حيلتي من يدَي
He turned cold; since he left, all the earth around me
He was unfaithful, so all the land after him
has narrowed, and my resourcefulness has slipped from my hands.
became constricted, and my stratagems failed me.
عسَاكُماmay you two لاnot بتُّماyou two spend the night فيin الهَوَىlove
عسَاكُما لا بتُّما في الهَوَى
مثليlike me مهجُورينِforsaken, both of you ياO صَاحبِيmy two companions
مثلي مهجُورينِ يا صَاحبِي
Might you two—may you never spend a night in love
May you two never despair in love
forsaken like me, my two companions—
like me, abandoned, O friends!
إنif تَحبساyou two halt عيسَكُماthe pale camels of you both ساعَةًfor an hour
إن تَحبسا عيسَكُما ساعَةً
بهضبِat the rocky hills of حُزوىَHuzwa أوor بواديin the valley of أُشَيUshayy
بهضبِ حُزوىَ أو بوادي أُشَي
halt your pale camels for an hour
If you detain your two companions for an hour
at the rocky hills of Huzwa, or in the valley of Ushayy,
at the slope of Huzwa or in the valley of Usha.
وَتنشُراand you two unfold منof خَبرِيmy story ماwhat انطوَىhas been folded away
وَتنشُرا من خَبرِي ما انطوَى
بينَamong خِيَامِtents طُويَتwere folded up عندَbeside طَيTayy
بينَ خِيَامِ طُويَت عندَ طَي
and unfold what has lain folded of my story
And spread the news I have concealed
among tents folded up beside Tayy?
among tents folded at Tay.
ماwhat لِلِّوىwith al-Liwa لاmay not كانَhave been يَومَthe day اللِّوَىof al-Liwa
ما لِلِّوى لا كانَ يَومَ اللِّوَى
ظَبيٌa gazelle لَوَىtwisted دِينَthe faith محبيِّهِof his lovers لَيa twisting
ظَبيٌ لَوَى دِينَ محبيِّهِ لَي
What ails al-Liwa—may the day of al-Liwa never have been!
Blame is not for love when love
A gazelle has twisted his lovers’ faith awry.
twisting the faith of its lover.
قَلبِيmy heart وَقَدand already أَضحَىhe has become مُقِيماًa resident بهِin it
قَلبِي وَقَد أَضحَى مُقِيماً بهِ
ماwhat بَالُهُails him يِكويهِhe sears it بالهَجرِwith estrangement كَيa searing
ما بَالُهُ يِكويهِ بالهَجرِ كَي
My heart—now that he has made his home in it—
My heart, though it has come to stay with him,
why does he sear it so with estrangement?
why does it torment me with estrangement?
أَضلَّled astray رُشداًsound judgment فَرطُthe excess عِشقِيof my passionate love لَهُfor him
أَضلَّ رُشداً فَرطُ عِشقِي لَهُ
إنif قلتُI say ماnot ذلكَthat غيٌّerror فَغيthen it is error
إن قلتُ ما ذلكَ غيٌّ فَغي
My excessive love for him has led sound judgment astray;
My excessive love for him has led me astray.
if I say, “That is not error,” that itself is error.
If I say it is not that, then what misguidance!
Sol 6.1