لوif كمِثلِlike الذيwhat أُجنُّI conceal within أَجنَّاhe harbored
لو كمِثلِ الذي أُجنُّ أَجنَّا
مِنof غرامِpassion لماwould not have جفَىhe spurned وتجنَّىand wronged
مِن غرامِ لما جفَى وتجنَّى
Had he harbored the like of what I conceal
Had he who pines away pined like me
of passion, he would not have spurned me and wronged me.
For love, he would have shriveled and faded.
لكنِbut الوجدُyearning مُذsince عداbypassed قلبَهhis heart هاbecame slight (first part)
لكنِ الوجدُ مُذ عدا قلبَه ها
نَbecame slight (last part) عليهِto him وجدُthe yearning الكئيبِof the sorrowful one المعنَّىthe tormented one
نَ عليهِ وجدُ الكئيبِ المعنَّى
But since yearning passed his heart by,
But ever since passion left his heart,
the sad, tormented lover's yearning meant little to him.
He feels but insipid longing.
ياO مُعيرَlender to الغَزالِthe gazelle والغُصنِand the bough لحظاًa glance
يا مُعيرَ الغَزالِ والغُصنِ لحظاً
وقواماًand a stature إذاwhen رناhe gazes وتثنَّىand sways
وقواماً إذا رنا وتثنَّى
O you who lend the gazelle its glance, and the bough
Censurer of the gazelle and the bough for momentary
its stature, whenever you gaze and sway,
Glance and gait, when it sways and bends!
ومُعيرَand lender to الدُّرِّthe pearls المنظَّمstrung ثغراًa mouth
ومُعيرَ الدُّرِّ المنظَّم ثغراً
وحديثاًand speech والبدرِand the full moon نُوراًradiance وحُسناand beauty
وحديثاً والبدرِ نُوراً وحُسنا
and lend strung pearls your mouth
And censurer of the strung pearls smiles
and speech, and the full moon your radiance and beauty:
And talk and moonlight, beauty and delight!
نَمsleep هنيئاًpeacefully فلمfor it did not يزَلcease مُنكِراًrejecting جَفmy eyelid (first part)
نَم هنيئاً فلم يزَل مُنكِراً جَف
نِيَmy eyelid (last part) فيكَover you السُّهادَsleeplessness حتَّىuntil اطمأنَّاgrew tranquil
نِيَ فيكَ السُّهادَ حتَّى اطمأنَّا
Sleep peacefully, for my eyelid kept resenting
Sleep soundly now the censurer lies still.
sleeplessness over you, until it found peace.
Pining for you has left me devastated, till I attained tranquility.
علَّمتنيtaught me أيَّامُthe days هجرِكof your estrangement صبراًpatience
علَّمتني أيَّامُ هجرِك صبراً
لمnot أكنI was قبلَهاbefore them لهfor it أتمنَّىwishing
لم أكن قبلَها له أتمنَّى
The days of your estrangement taught me patience
The days of your estrangement have taught me patience -
I had never wished for before.
I never thought to wish for it before.
فلكَso to you الشُّكرُthanks بالفَعالِfor the deed الذيthat كاwas (first part)
فلكَ الشُّكرُ بالفَعالِ الذي كا
نَwas (last part) مَنوناًdeath وإنَّماand instead صارbecame مَنّاa favor
نَ مَنوناً وإنَّما صار مَنّا
So thanks to you for the deed that was
So you deserve thanks for what has become
death, but has become a boon.
A gift, though it was suffering first.
صاحِfriend شِمَّwatch for برقَthe lightning برقةٍof Barqa إنif تراءَىit appears
صاحِ شِمَّ برقَ برقةٍ إن تراءَى
وحَمامَand the doves الحِمىof the protected grounds إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تغنَّىsing
وحَمامَ الحِمى إِذا ما تغنَّى
Friend, watch Barqa's lightning if it appears,
My friend, scent the lightning’s flash, if it appears,
and the doves of the protected grounds whenever they sing.
And the dove of the sanctuary if it sings!
لزَفيريto my sigh شُواظُthe blaze ذلكَof that one إذwhen عappeared (first part)
لزَفيري شُواظُ ذلكَ إذ ع
نَّappeared (last part) ونَوحيand my lament ترجيعُthe refrain ذاof this one حينَwhen حنَّاcooed plaintively
نَّ ونَوحي ترجيعُ ذا حينَ حنَّا
My sigh has that one's blaze when it
My wheezing is that lightning’s thunder
appears; my lament is this one's refrain when it coos.
When it flashes, my moaning this dove’s cooing when it grieves.
كلَّماwhenever ناحَlamented ذاthis one ولاحand flashed مجدَّاًintensely
كلَّما ناحَ ذا ولاح مجدَّاً
ذاكَthat one وهناًlate at night شكتcomplained of ضُلوعيَmy ribs وَهناweakness
ذاكَ وهناً شكت ضُلوعيَ وَهنا
Whenever this one laments and that one flashes fiercely,
Whenever it laments, glory appears fresh again;
late at night, my ribs complain of weakness.
At that weakness here my ribs complain and here they sigh.
سَلهُماask them both والسُّؤالُand asking ليسَis not بمُجدٍof any use
سَلهُما والسُّؤالُ ليسَ بمُجدٍ
مُستهاماًa lovesick man يبكيhe weeps إذاwhen اللَّيلُnight جَنَّاfell
مُستهاماً يبكي إذا اللَّيلُ جَنَّا
Ask them both—though asking is no help
Question them - questioning brings no glory -
to a lovesick man who weeps when night falls—
Like one calling desperately if the night grows dark.
أَعلىis there on أيمنِthe right side الكثيبِof the dune فريقٌa company
أَعلى أيمنِ الكثيبِ فريقٌ
أودَعوناdeposited with us مذsince فارقواthey departed الحَزنَthe rugged ground حُزناsorrow
أودَعونا مذ فارقوا الحَزنَ حُزنا
is there on the dune's right side a company
On the hill to the right a band
who left us sorrow when they left the rugged ground?
Bade us farewell when they left sorrow for sorrow.
غيَّبواthey concealed فيin هوادجِthe howdahs العيسِof the pale camels بدراًa full moon
غيَّبوا في هوادجِ العيسِ بدراً
كالحُميَّاlike strong wine ريقاًin saliva وخداًand cheek وجفناand eyelid
كالحُميَّا ريقاً وخداً وجفنا
They hid a full moon in the pale camels' howdahs,
They vanished into the folds of the winding valley,
like wine in his saliva, cheek, and eyelid.
Hiding therein a full moon, cheeks and eyelids.
لوif رآهُsaw him منfrom قبلُbefore قيسٌQays وقَيسٌand Qays
لو رآهُ من قبلُ قيسٌ وقَيسٌ
ماnot استهاماthey both became lovesick بُحبِّwith love for ليلىLayla ولُبناand Lubna
ما استهاما بُحبِّ ليلى ولُبنا
Had Qays and Qays seen him before,
Had Qays and Qays seen him before
they would not have been maddened by love for Layla and Lubna.
They had never pined for Layla or Lubna.
عجَبيmy wonder منهat him والتَّعجُّبُand wonder منهat him
عجَبي منه والتَّعجُّبُ منه
مثلُlike وجديmy yearning فيin حبِّهlove for him ليسnot يفنَىfade
مثلُ وجدي في حبِّه ليس يفنَى
How I marvel at him! And wonder at him,
My wonder at him! But to wonder is no glory.
like my yearning in love for him, never fades.
My passion for him is without end.
كيفَhow يسطُوhe attacks عليَّupon me ليثاًas a lion هصوراًmauling
كيفَ يسطُو عليَّ ليثاً هصوراً
ثمَّthen يعطوhe reaches out إليَّtoward me ظبياًas a gazelle أغنَّاsoft, nasal-voiced
ثمَّ يعطو إليَّ ظبياً أغنَّا
How can he assail me as a mauling lion,
How can he who is painted as a fearsome lion
then reach toward me as a soft-voiced gazelle?
Then be given to me as a submissive gazelle?
Sol 6.1