أَتَحذَرُdo you fear وَشكَthe imminence of البَينِparting أَمor لَستَyou are not تَحذَرُyou fear
أَتَحذَرُ وَشكَ البَينِ أَم لَستَ تَحذَرُ
وَذوand one possessing الحَذَرِcaution النَحريرُthe discerning one قَدmay يَتَفَكَّرُreflect
وَذو الحَذَرِ النَحريرُ قَد يَتَفَكَّرُ
Do you fear imminent parting, or do you not fear it?
Do you fear the anguish of separation, or do you not fear?
And the wary, discerning man may well reflect.
Though the careful one takes heed, he may reflect.
وَلَستَand you are not مُوَقّىًprotected إِنif حَذِرتَyou fear قَضِيَّةًa decree
وَلَستَ مُوَقّىً إِن حَذِرتَ قَضِيَّةً
وَلَيسَand not مَعَwith المِقدارِdestiny يُكديbring failure التَهَوُّرُrecklessness
وَلَيسَ مَعَ المِقدارِ يُكدي التَهَوُّرُ
Nor are you protected if you fear a decree,
You will not be blamed if you fear destiny,
Nor does recklessness bring failure when destiny rules.
And recklessness does not benefit when fate is sealed.
تَذَكَّرتُI remembered إِذwhen بانَdeparted الخَليطُthe companions زَمانَهُtheir days
تَذَكَّرتُ إِذ بانَ الخَليطُ زَمانَهُ
وَقَدand may يُسقِمُsicken المَرءَa person الصَحيحَhealthy التَذَكُّرُremembrance
وَقَد يُسقِمُ المَرءَ الصَحيحَ التَذَكُّرُ
When the companions departed, I recalled their days;
I remembered when our bond was new,
And remembrance can sicken a healthy man.
Though remembering may sicken even the healthy.
وَكانَand was اِدِّكاريmy remembrance شادِناًa young gazelle قَدindeed هَوَيتُهُI loved it
وَكانَ اِدِّكاري شادِناً قَد هَوَيتُهُ
لَهُit has مُقلَةٌan eye حَوراءُdark against bright white فَالعَينُand so the eye تَسحَرُbewitches
لَهُ مُقلَةٌ حَوراءُ فَالعَينُ تَسحَرُ
And my remembrance was of a young gazelle I had loved,
My memory of her captivated me when I let it roam;
With an eye dark against bright white—an eye that bewitches.
She has a tempting glance, so the eye is bewitched.
كَأَنِّيَas though I لَمّاwhen أَنthat تَوَلَّتwent away بِهِwith it النَوىseparation
كَأَنِّيَ لَمّا أَن تَوَلَّت بِهِ النَوى
مِنَfrom الوَجدِlonging مَأمومُdeeply wounded الدِماغِin the brain مُحَيَّرُbewildered
مِنَ الوَجدِ مَأمومُ الدِماغِ مُحَيَّرُ
It was as though, when separation carried it away,
It was as if when my heart turned to her,
Longing had left me wounded to the brain, bewildered.
My love-crazed mind became confused.
إِذاwhenever رُمتُI wished عَينيmy eye أَنto تُفيقَrecover مِنَfrom البُكاweeping
إِذا رُمتُ عَيني أَن تُفيقَ مِنَ البُكا
تَبادَرَrushed forth دَمعيmy tears مُسبِلاًstreaming يَتَحَدَّرُflowing down
تَبادَرَ دَمعي مُسبِلاً يَتَحَدَّرُ
Whenever I wished my eye to recover from weeping,
When I try to make my eyes wake from crying,
My tears rushed forth, pouring down in streams.
My tears flow down unbidden.
لَقَدindeed ساقَنيled me حَينٌdoom إِلىto الشادِنِthe young gazelle الَّذيwhose
لَقَد ساقَني حَينٌ إِلى الشادِنِ الَّذي
أَضَرَّharmed بِنَفسيto my soul أَهلُهُits kin حينَwhen هَجَّرواthey set out at midday
أَضَرَّ بِنَفسي أَهلُهُ حينَ هَجَّروا
Doom indeed led me to the young gazelle whose
Indeed, a time led me to her who
Kin hurt my soul when they set out at midday.
Harmed my soul when her people shunned me.
وَلَوand if only أَنَّهُthat it لاnot يُبعِدُsets far away اللَهُGod دارَهُits home
وَلَو أَنَّهُ لا يُبعِدُ اللَهُ دارَهُ
وَلاand never زِلتُhave I ceased مِنهُnear it حَيثُwhere أَلقىI meet وَأُخبَرُand I receive news
وَلا زِلتُ مِنهُ حَيثُ أَلقى وَأُخبَرُ
And if only God would not set its home far away,
If only God would not distant her abode from me,
And may I always be near it, where I meet it and hear its news!
I would still encounter her wherever I went and asked.
لَقَدindeed كانَwas حَتفيmy doom يَومَthe day بانواthey departed بِجُؤذَرٍthrough an oryx calf
لَقَد كانَ حَتفي يَومَ بانوا بِجُؤذَرٍ
عَلَيهِon it سِخابٌa scented necklace فيهِin it دُرٌّpearls وَعَنبَرُand ambergris
عَلَيهِ سِخابٌ فيهِ دُرٌّ وَعَنبَرُ
Indeed, the day they left, a young oryx was my undoing,
On the day they left hatefully, she was my destruction.
Wearing a scented necklace with pearls and ambergris.
Upon her was a perfumed cloak with pearls and ambergris.
فَقُلتُso I said أَلاlisten أَيُّهاO الرَكبُriders إِنَّنيindeed I
فَقُلتُ أَلا أَيُّها الرَكبُ إِنَّني
بِكُمfor you مُستَهامُlove-crazed القَلبِat heart عانٍa captive مُشَهَّرُexposed to all
بِكُم مُستَهامُ القَلبِ عانٍ مُشَهَّرُ
So I said, “Listen, O riders: I am
I said, “O people! My heart is enthralled with you,
Crazed at heart with love for you, a captive exposed to all.
Yearning, complaining, with my wounds exposed.”
بَلىhas faded كُلُّevery وُدٍّlove كانَexisted فيamong الناسِpeople قَبلَناbefore us
بَلى كُلُّ وُدٍّ كانَ في الناسِ قَبلَنا
وَوُدِّيَbut my love لاdoes not يَبلىfade وَلاnor يَتَغَيَّرُchange
وَوُدِّيَ لا يَبلى وَلا يَتَغَيَّرُ
Every love among people before us has faded,
“Indeed, every affection among people before us decays,
But my love neither fades nor changes.”
But my love will not wear out or change.”
فَقالواso they said لَعَمريby my life قَدindeed عَهِدناكَwe have known you حِقبَةًfor a long time
فَقالوا لَعَمري قَد عَهِدناكَ حِقبَةً
وَأَنتَand you اِمرُؤٌa man مِنfrom دونِshort of ماwhat جِئتَyou have come تَخطِرُswaggering
وَأَنتَ اِمرُؤٌ مِن دونِ ما جِئتَ تَخطِرُ
Then they said, “By my life, we have known you a long time,
They said, “By my life! We've known you for a time,
And you are a man who falls short of what you come flaunting.”
While you are a man who speaks beyond his worth.”
وَقالَتand she said لِأَترابٍto peers لَهاof hers حينَwhen عَرَّجواthey stopped
وَقالَت لِأَترابٍ لَها حينَ عَرَّجوا
عَلَيَّby me قَليلاًbriefly إِنَّindeed ذاthis man بِيَat me يَسخَرُhe mocks
عَلَيَّ قَليلاً إِنَّ ذا بِيَ يَسخَرُ
And she said to her companions of the same age, when they stopped
And she said to her camel-drivers when they turned
Briefly by me, “This man is mocking me.”
Away from me for a bit, “He makes fun of me.”
وَقالَتand she said أَخافُI fear الغَدرَbetrayal مِنهُfrom him وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
وَقالَت أَخافُ الغَدرَ مِنهُ وَإِنَّني
لَأَعلَمُI certainly know أَيضاًalso أَنَّهُthat he لَيسَdoes not يَشكُرُshow gratitude
لَأَعلَمُ أَيضاً أَنَّهُ لَيسَ يَشكُرُ
And she said, “I fear betrayal from him, and I
She said, “I fear his betrayal, and I know
Know full well, too, that he shows no gratitude.”
He is ungrateful too.”
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her ياO هَمَّconcern of نَفسيmy soul وَمُنيَتيand my desire
فَقُلتُ لَها يا هَمَّ نَفسي وَمُنيَتي
أَلاindeed لاno وَبَيتِby the House of اللَهِGod إِنّيindeed I am مُهَبَّرُcut to pieces
أَلا لا وَبَيتِ اللَهِ إِنّي مُهَبَّرُ
So I said to her, “O care of my soul and my desire,
I said, “O you who are my soul and my purpose,
No indeed, by God's House! I am cut to pieces,
No, by God's house! I am true to you.”
مُصابٌstricken عَميدُsorely afflicted القَلبِat heart أَعلَمُI know أَنَّنيthat I
مُصابٌ عَميدُ القَلبِ أَعلَمُ أَنَّني
إِذاif أَناI لَمdo not أَلقاكُمُI meet you سَوفَwill أَدمُرُI perish
إِذا أَنا لَم أَلقاكُمُ سَوفَ أَدمُرُ
Stricken and heartsick; I know that I
“My steadfast heart knows well that if
Will perish if I do not meet you.
I do not meet with you, I will be destroyed.”
وَشِكرِيَand my gratitude أَنthat لاnot أَبتَغيI seek بِكِin your place خُلَّةًan intimate companion
وَشِكرِيَ أَن لا أَبتَغي بِكِ خُلَّةً
وَكَيفَand how وَقَدand already عَذَّبتِyou tormented قَلبيmy heart أَغدُرُcould I betray
وَكَيفَ وَقَد عَذَّبتِ قَلبي أَغدُرُ
And my gratitude is to seek no other beloved in your place.
“My thanks are that I do not seek privacy with you.
And how could I betray you, when you have tormented my heart?
How could I when you have tormented my heart so cruelly?”
وَإِنّيand indeed I هَداكِmay He guide you اللَهُGod صَرميcutting me off سَفاهَةٌfolly
وَإِنّي هَداكِ اللَهُ صَرمي سَفاهَةٌ
وَفيمَand why بِلاwithout ذَنبٍa wrong أَتَيتُهُI committed it أُهجَرُam I shunned
وَفيمَ بِلا ذَنبٍ أَتَيتُهُ أُهجَرُ
And surely—may God guide you—casting me off is folly.
“By God, I was wrong. It was foolish of me.
And why am I shunned when I have committed no wrong?
Why was I shunned though I did no wrong?”
وَقَدand indeed حالَhas barred دونَfrom الكُفرِingratitude وَالغَدرِand betrayal أَنَّنيthat I
وَقَد حالَ دونَ الكُفرِ وَالغَدرِ أَنَّني
أُعالِجُI struggle with نَفساًa soul هَلwill it? تُفيقُrecover وَتَصبِرُand endure
أُعالِجُ نَفساً هَل تُفيقُ وَتَصبِرُ
And what bars me from ingratitude and betrayal is that I
“My struggle against ingratitude and betrayal
Wrestle with my soul—will it recover and endure?”
Has kept me from disbelief, if my soul will just be patient.”
فَقالَتso she said فَإِنّاthen indeed we قَدindeed بَذَلناwe offered لَكَto you الهَوىlove
فَقالَت فَإِنّا قَد بَذَلنا لَكَ الهَوى
فَبِالطائِرِso with the bird's omen المَيمونِauspicious تُلقىyou are greeted وَتُحبَرُand made glad
فَبِالطائِرِ المَيمونِ تُلقى وَتُحبَرُ
So she said, “Then we have indeed offered you love;
She said, “We have given our love to you,
So may you be greeted with a lucky bird's omen and made glad.”
So you will meet good fortune and be brought together.”
فَقُلتُso I said لَهاto her إِنif كُنتِyou are أَهلَinclined to مَوَدَّةٍaffection
فَقُلتُ لَها إِن كُنتِ أَهلَ مَوَدَّةٍ
فَميعادُthen the rendezvous of ماwhat بَينيbetween me وَبَينَكِand between you عَزوَرُʿAzwar
فَميعادُ ما بَيني وَبَينَكِ عَزوَرُ
So I said to her, “If you are inclined to love,
I said, “If you are one for affection,
Then our rendezvous is ʿAzwar.”
Then the tryst between you and I is inevitable.”
فَقالَتso she said فَإِنّاthen indeed we قَدindeed فَعَلناwe have done so وَقَدand already بَداappeared
فَقالَت فَإِنّا قَد فَعَلنا وَقَد بَدا
لَناto us عِندَat the time ماwhen قالَتshe spoke بَنانٌfingertips وَمِحجَرُand an eye's rim
لَنا عِندَ ما قالَت بَنانٌ وَمِحجَرُ
Then she said, “We have agreed,” and there appeared
She said, “We have done so, as Banan and Mihjar
To us, as she spoke, her fingertips and the rim of an eye.
Have told us when they spoke.”
فَرُنِّحَthen was made to reel قَلبيmy heart فَهوَso it يَزعَمُclaims أَنَّهُthat it
فَرُنِّحَ قَلبي فَهوَ يَزعَمُ أَنَّهُ
سَيَهلِكُit will perish قَبلَbefore الوَعدِthe appointed meeting أَوor سَوفَwill يَفتُرُgrow faint
سَيَهلِكُ قَبلَ الوَعدِ أَو سَوفَ يَفتُرُ
Then my heart reeled, and it claims that it
So my heart was comforted, though it supposes
Will perish before the rendezvous, or else grow faint.
It will perish before the promised time or weaken.
Sol 6.1