سقيتshe was given to drink بكأسٍfrom a cup للمنُونِof death دِهَاقِbrimful
سقيت بكأسٍ للمنُونِ دِهَاقِ
فكأنهاso, as though she عَلمتknew بيَومof the day فِرَاقيof parting from me
فكأنها عَلمت بيَوم فِرَاقي
She was given a brimful cup of death to drink,
I gave a cup to the afflicted ones in grief
as though she had known the day of parting from me.
As if it knew of the day of my departure
أهُرَيرتِيO my little cat أوَand (introducing a question) مَأnot عِلمتِyou knew بأنَّthat سهarrow (first fragment)
أهُرَيرتِي أوَ مَأ عِلمتِ بأنَّ سه
مَarrow (final fragment) البينِof separation يُضنِيwears down مُهجَةَthe heart المشتَاقof the yearning one
مَ البينِ يُضنِي مُهجَةَ المشتَاق
O my little cat, did you not know that the arrow
My thrush, or did you know that separation
of separation wears down the yearning heart?
From the beloved afflicts the heart of the ardent lover
للهِto God (in admiration) ذيَاكَthat العُنَيقُlittle neck المُلتوِيcurving
للهِ ذيَاكَ العُنَيقُ المُلتوِي
سُبحانَglory be to ربِّيmy Lord الحُسنbeauty فيin الأعنَاقِnecks
سُبحانَ ربِّي الحُسن في الأعنَاقِ
God be praised for that little curving neck!
By God, that twisting neck
Glory be to my Lord: beauty lies in necks.
Glory be to my Lord, beautiful are the necks
قدindeed زادَhas grown حُسنكyour beauty فتنةًin allure وحلاوةًand sweetness
قد زادَ حُسنك فتنةً وحلاوةً
أوand (introducing a question) ليسَis not سِرُّthe secret الحُسنof beauty فيin الأعناقِnecks
أو ليسَ سِرُّ الحُسن في الأعناقِ
Your beauty has grown in allure and sweetness.
Your beauty has increased allure and sweetness
And is not the secret of beauty in necks?
Or isn't the secret of beauty in the necks?
هيهَاتfar beyond hope بَعدafterward آرَاكِI see you مُقبلةًapproaching علىَّtoward me
هيهَات بَعد آرَاكِ مُقبلةً علىَّ
بهِwith it فمَاfor there is no بعدَafter الحمَامdeath تلاَقِreunion
بهِ فمَا بعدَ الحمَام تلاَقِ
Never again shall I see you approaching me
Alas, after seeing you turning to me
with it; for after death there is no reunion.
With it, nothing comes after pigeons billing
كَمhow many غَضبِةٍoutburst of anger منِّيfrom me رأيتِyou saw ونَهَرةٍand a rebuke
كَم غَضبِةٍ منِّي رأيتِ ونَهَرةٍ
فَيعُودُso it would return منكِof yours الرأسُthe head فيin إطرَاقِa bowed posture
فَيعُودُ منكِ الرأسُ في إطرَاقِ
How many an angry outburst and rebuke you saw from me,
How many angry looks I saw from you and rebukes
so your head would bow down again.
Then your head would sway in apathy
وتُرَدِّدينَهand you move it to and fro مِنfrom مُواءٍa meow ناطقٍeloquent
وتُرَدِّدينَه مِن مُواءٍ ناطقٍ
بنَغائِمwith melodies التَّحنَانِof tenderness والأشوَاقِand longings
بنَغائِم التَّحنَانِ والأشوَاقِ
And you would move it to and fro with an eloquent meow,
And you echo it with an eloquent cooing
in melodies of tenderness and longing.
With the melodies of affection and passions
والأُمُّand the mother أُمُّكِyour mother ياO هُريرُHurayr (little cat) حزينةٌgrieving
والأُمُّ أُمُّكِ يا هُريرُ حزينةٌ
تَرنُوgazes إليكِat you بنَظرَةِwith a look الإشفَاقِof tender concern
تَرنُو إليكِ بنَظرَةِ الإشفَاقِ
And the mother—your mother, O Hurayr—is grieving,
And mother, your mother is sad
gazing at you with a look of tender concern.
Yearning for you with a look of compassion
ماnot ضَرَّنِيhurt me إلاexcept ابتعادُكyour absence حِقبةًfor a time
ما ضَرَّنِي إلا ابتعادُك حِقبةً
عنِّيfrom me لسُقمٍbecause of an illness ماthere is no لَهfor it مِنany وَاقِprotector
عنِّي لسُقمٍ ما لَه مِن وَاقِ
Nothing hurt me but your absence for a time
Nothing hurt me but your long absence from me
from me, through an illness against which there is no protection.
For an illness that has no cure
Sol 6.1