ياO صاحِبَيَّmy two friends أَقِلّاboth lessen اللَومَthe blame وَاِحتَسِباand seek reward
يا صاحِبَيَّ أَقِلّا اللَومَ وَاِحتَسِبا
فيin مُستَهامٍa love-distraught man رَماهُstruck him الشَوقُlonging بِالذِكَرِwith memories
في مُستَهامٍ رَماهُ الشَوقُ بِالذِكَرِ
O my two friends, lessen your blame and seek reward
My friend, blame me less and be forbearing
In kindness to a love-distraught man whom longing has struck with memories
In passionate longing has love cast me into remembrance
بِبَيضَةٍof a fair-skinned woman كَمَهاةِlike an oryx doe الرَملِof the sands آنِسَةٍcompanionable
بِبَيضَةٍ كَمَهاةِ الرَملِ آنِسَةٍ
مِفتانَةِenchanting الدَلِّin coquetry رَيّاfull-fleshed الخَلقِin form كَالقَمَرِlike the moon
مِفتانَةِ الدَلِّ رَيّا الخَلقِ كَالقَمَرِ
Of a fair-skinned woman, like an oryx doe of the sands, gentle,
Of a fair one, pleasing as the curved sand-hill,
Enchanting in her coyness, full of form, like the moon,
A moon-like beauty, lovely in form and face.
سَيفانَةٍtall and slender فُنُقٍpampered جَمٍّfull-fleshed مَرافِقُهاher elbows
سَيفانَةٍ فُنُقٍ جَمٍّ مَرافِقُها
مِثلِlike المَهاةِthe oryx doe تُراعىwatches ناعِمَtender الزَهَرِblossoms
مِثلِ المَهاةِ تُراعى ناعِمَ الزَهَرِ
Tall and slender, pampered, her elbows richly fleshed,
Slender-waisted, a delicate branch, her companions
Like an oryx doe watching the tender blossoms,
Like the sand-hill, pastured upon by the soft-scented herbs,
مَمكورَةِrounded الساقِof calf غَرثانٍslender مُوَشَّحُهاher sash-place
مَمكورَةِ الساقِ غَرثانٍ مُوَشَّحُها
حُسّانَةِvery lovely الجيدِof neck وَاللَباتِand the throat hollows وَالشَعَرِand the hair
حُسّانَةِ الجيدِ وَاللَباتِ وَالشَعَرِ
Rounded of calf, slender where her sash is worn,
Her leg, as it were, wrapped in the long yellow worms of the sand-heaps,
Lovely of neck, of throat hollows, and of hair.
Fair of cheek and chin and hair.
لَوif دَبَّcrept ذَرٌّtiny ants رُوَيداslowly فَوقَover قَرقَرِهاher tunic
لَو دَبَّ ذَرٌّ رُوَيدا فَوقَ قَرقَرِها
لَأَثَّرَwould surely leave marks الذَرُّthe tiny ants فَوقَon top of الثَوبِthe garment فيon البَشَرِthe skin
لَأَثَّرَ الذَرُّ فَوقَ الثَوبِ في البَشَرِ
If tiny ants crept slowly over her tunic,
If a mote fell down slantwise upon her breast,
The ants, though on the cloth, would leave marks upon her skin.
It would slide off her robe upon the folds of her flesh.
قالَتshe said قَريبَةِQariba لَمّاwhen طالَlasted long بيin me سَقَميmy illness
قالَت قَريبَةِ لَمّا طالَ بي سَقَمي
وَأَنكَرَتand she found alarming بيin me اِنتَقاصَthe decline of السَمعِhearing وَالبَصَرِand sight
وَأَنكَرَت بي اِنتَقاصَ السَمعِ وَالبَصَرِ
Qariba said, when my sickness had long endured,
To her kinswoman she complained, when my sickness was prolonged,
And she noticed with alarm my failing hearing and sight:
And chid her for the failing of my hearing and of sight.
ياoh لَيتَنيwould that I أَفتَديI ransom ماwhat قَدindeed تَهيمُyou are infatuated بِهِwith it
يا لَيتَني أَفتَدي ما قَد تَهيمُ بِهِ
بِبَعضِwith some of لَحميmy flesh وَبَعضِand some النَقصِshortening عَنfrom عُمُريmy life span
بِبَعضِ لَحمي وَبَعضِ النَقصِ عَن عُمُري
“Oh, would that I could ransom what so enthralls you,
"Would," she cried, "that I might ransom what he is distraught withal
With some of my flesh and a portion cut from my life.
By some of my flesh and some lopping off of my life!"
قَدmay يَعلَقُbecome attached القَلبُthe heart حُبّاًto a love ثُمَّthen يَترُكُهُabandon it
قَد يَعلَقُ القَلبُ حُبّاً ثُمَّ يَترُكُهُ
خَوفَfor fear of المَقالِgossip وَخَوفَand fear of الكاشِحِthe spiteful foe الأَشَرِinsolent
خَوفَ المَقالِ وَخَوفَ الكاشِحِ الأَشَرِ
The heart may cling to a love and then forsake it,
The heart may keep faith for love awhile, then leave it
For fear of gossip and fear of a spiteful, insolent foe.
For fear of reproach and fear of the spy's shame.
دَعabandon حُبَّهاlove for her وَتَناسَand feign forgetting الحُبَّthe love تُلقَyou are cast down بِهِby it
دَع حُبَّها وَتَناسَ الحُبَّ تُلقَ بِهِ
وَاِصبِرand be patient وَكُنand be كَصَريعِlike one laid low قامَrose مِنfrom سَكَرِintoxication
وَاِصبِر وَكُن كَصَريعِ قامَ مِن سَكَرِ
Forsake her love, and feign forgetting the love that casts you down;
Leave thy love and forget love steals on thee
Be patient, and be like one laid low who rises from drunkenness.”
And have patience and be as one drunken waking from his drunkenness.
فَقُلتُso I said قَولاًwords مُصيباapt غَيرَnot ذيpossessing خَطَلٍfoolish error
فَقُلتُ قَولاً مُصيبا غَيرَ ذي خَطَلٍ
أَتىcame بِهِwith it حُبُّهاlove for her فيin فِطنَةِthe keenness of الفِكَرِthoughts
أَتى بِهِ حُبُّها في فِطنَةِ الفِكَرِ
Then I uttered fitting words, free of foolish error,
So I spoke reasonably without error,
Which love of her brought forth through keen reflection:
Led by my love for her to an understanding heart.
سَمعيmy hearing وَطَرفيand my gaze حَليفاهاher two allies عَلىagainst جَسَديmy body
سَمعي وَطَرفي حَليفاها عَلى جَسَدي
فَكَيفَso how أَصبِرُcan I endure عَنwithout سَمعيmy hearing وَعَنand without بَصَريmy sight
فَكَيفَ أَصبِرُ عَن سَمعي وَعَن بَصَري
“My hearing and my gaze are her allies against my body;
Mine ear and mine eye pledged troth with my body concerning her,
How, then, can I endure without my hearing and my sight?
How then could I have patience with my ear and my eye?
لَوif تابَعانيthey both agreed with me عَلىon أَنthat لاnot أُكَلِّمَهاI speak to her
لَو تابَعاني عَلى أَن لا أُكَلِّمَها
إِذاًthen لَقَضَّيتُI would surely have fulfilled مِنamong أَوطارِهاher desires وَطَريmy desire
إِذاً لَقَضَّيتُ مِن أَوطارِها وَطَري
If they both agreed with me not to speak to her,
Were they to follow me in forbidding converse with her,
Then I would have fulfilled my own desire among her desires.”
Then would my limbs and fragments charged me with treachery.
دَلَّguided الفُؤادَthe heart عَلَيهاto her بَعضُsome of نِسوَتِهاher women
دَلَّ الفُؤادَ عَلَيها بَعضُ نِسوَتِها
وَنَظرَةٌand a glance عَرَضَتchanced to occur كانَتwas مِنَfrom القَدَرِfate
وَنَظرَةٌ عَرَضَت كانَت مِنَ القَدَرِ
Some of her women guided my heart to her,
It was my lady kinswoman dropped me a hint,
As did a passing glance that was the work of fate,
And a glance from her was a decree of Destiny.
وَقولُand the words of بَكرٍBakr أَلَمhave you not تُلمِمpaid a brief visit لِنَسأَلَهُمso we may ask them
وَقولُ بَكرٍ أَلَم تُلمِم لِنَسأَلَهُم
وَاِنظُرand look فَلاfor there is no بَأسَharm بِالتَسليمِin greeting وَالنَظَرِand looking
وَاِنظُر فَلا بَأسَ بِالتَسليمِ وَالنَظَرِ
And Bakr’s words: “Why not stop by, so we may ask them?
Bukair said, "Wilt thou not go, and we will ask of them,
And look—there is no harm in greeting and looking.”
And look thou well—there's no harm in looking and surrender."
لاnever أَنسَI forget مَوقِفَناwhere we stood وَهناًlate at night وَمَوقِفَهاand where she stood
لا أَنسَ مَوقِفَنا وَهناً وَمَوقِفَها
وَتِربُهاand her same-aged companion بِتُراباناat Turabana عَلىin خَطَرِdanger
وَتِربُها بِتُرابانا عَلى خَطَرِ
Never shall I forget where we stood late at night, and where she stood,
I forget not our unveiling and all our discourse,
And her companion of like age at Turabana, in peril,
Her sand is mingled with our dust in peril.
وَقَولَهاand her words وَدُموعُand the tears of العَينِthe eye تَسبِقُهاprecede her
وَقَولَها وَدُموعُ العَينِ تَسبِقُها
فيonto نَحرِهاher upper chest دَينُthe debt of هَذاthis القَلبِheart مِنfrom عُمرِUmar
في نَحرِها دَينُ هَذا القَلبِ مِن عُمرِ
And her words, as tears from her eyes outran her speech
Her words preceded her tears that outran them,
Onto her bosom: “This heart’s debt comes from Umar.”
The burden of this heart of mine from life's remainder.
Sol 6.1