فماso what لكماails you two منas حادِيَيْنِtwo camel-drivers رُمِيتُماmay you two be stricken
فما لكما من حادِيَيْنِ رُمِيتُما
بِحُمّىwith fever وطاعونٍand plague أَلاwill you not تَقِفانِyou two stop
بِحُمّى وطاعونٍ أَلا تَقِفانِ
So what ails you two camel-drivers? May you be stricken
What ails you two, struck down
with fever and plague! Will you not stop?
By fever and plague, do you not stop?
فماso what لكماails you two منas حادِيَيْنِtwo camel-drivers كُسِيتُماmay you two be clothed
فما لكما من حادِيَيْنِ كُسِيتُما
سرابيلَgarments مُغْلاةًboiling-hot منof القَطِرانِtar
سرابيلَ مُغْلاةً من القَطِرانِ
So what ails you two camel-drivers? May you be clothed
What ails you two, clothed
in garments of boiling-hot tar!
In tarred gowns dripping wet?
فَوَيْليso, my woe علىover عفراءَAfra وَيْلٌa woe كأَنَّهُas though it were
فَوَيْلي على عفراءَ وَيْلٌ كأَنَّهُ
علىagainst النَّحْرِthe throat والأحشاءand the entrails حَدُّthe edge of سِنانِa spearhead
على النَّحْرِ والأحشاء حَدُّ سِنانِ
My woe for Afra—a woe as though it were
Woe is me for Afra’a, woe like
a spearhead's edge against my throat and entrails.
A blade cutting my throat and guts!
أَلاah! حَبَّذاhow delightful مِنْfrom حُبِّlove of عفراءَAfra مُلْتقىa meeting
أَلا حَبَّذا مِنْ حُبِّ عفراءَ مُلْتقى
نَعَمْyes وألاand ah! لاno حيثwhere يَلْتَقِيانِthe two meet
نَعَمْ وألا لا حيث يَلْتَقِيانِ
Ah, how sweet, in loving Afra, is the meeting
Would that the trystplace of Afra'a's love
of 'yes' and—ah!—'no,' where the two meet.
Were bliss - but no, where they meet is cursed.
أَحَقّاًis it true? عِبادَO servants of اللهِGod أَنْthat لستُI am not زائراًvisiting
أَحَقّاً عِبادَ اللهِ أَنْ لستُ زائراً
عُفَيْراءَUfayra إلاّexcept والوليدُwhile al-Walid يَرانيsees me
عُفَيْراءَ إلاّ والوليدُ يَراني
Is it true, servants of God, that I never visit
Truly, people of God, I visit
Ufayra without al-Walid seeing me?
Ufayra not unless al-Walid sees me there
كَأَنّيas though I وإِيّاهُand he علىon ظَهْرِthe back of موعِدٍan appointed meeting
كَأَنّي وإِيّاهُ على ظَهْرِ موعِدٍ
فقدfor indeed كِدْتُI nearly أَقْليloathe شَأْنَهhis ways وقَلانيand he loathed me
فقد كِدْتُ أَقْلي شَأْنَه وقَلاني
As though he and I were meeting by appointment;
As though she and I by promise stand
for I nearly came to loathe his ways, and he loathed me.
So that I almost burnt her affair and she mine.
لَوَif أَنَّthat أَشَدَّthe most intense of النّاسِpeople وَجْداًin longing ومِثْلَهُand his equal
لَوَ أَنَّ أَشَدَّ النّاسِ وَجْداً ومِثْلَهُ
مِنَamong الجِنِّthe jinn بعدafter الإِنْسhumankind يَلْتَقِيانِthe two meet
مِنَ الجِنِّ بعد الإِنْس يَلْتَقِيانِ
If the most love-tormented of men and his equal
If the most passionate of men and his like
among the jinn, besides humankind, were to meet,
Of jinn and men were to meet
فَيَشْتَكِيانِand the two lament الوجْدَlonging ثُمَّتَthen أَشْتكيI lament
فَيَشْتَكِيانِ الوجْدَ ثُمَّتَ أَشْتكي
لأَضْعَفَwould double وَجْديmy longing فوقَbeyond ماwhat يَجِدانِthe two feel
لأَضْعَفَ وَجْدي فوقَ ما يَجِدانِ
and lament their longing, and then I lamented mine,
To complain of passion, then I would complain
my longing would surpass what they felt twofold.
Of a passion feebler than what they feel.
وماand what تَرَكَتْshe has left عفراءُAfra مِنْof دَنَفٍa wasting invalid دوىًgravely ill
وما تَرَكَتْ عفراءُ مِنْ دَنَفٍ دوىً
بِدَوْمَةَin Dawma مَطْوِيٌّfolded لهfor him كَفَنانِtwo shrouds
بِدَوْمَةَ مَطْوِيٌّ له كَفَنانِ
And the sick, wasting man whom Afra has left
Afra’ left no weeping speculum-dove
in Dawma has two shrouds folded for him.
Whose throat-apple in Dumat al-Jandal has not echoed,
فقدfor indeed تَرَكَتْنيshe has left me ماnot أَعيI understand لمحدِّثٍfrom a speaker
فقد تَرَكَتْني ما أَعي لمحدِّثٍ
حديثاًspeech وإِنْeven if ناجَيْتُهُI spoke privately with him ونَجانيand he spoke privately with me
حديثاً وإِنْ ناجَيْتُهُ ونَجاني
For she has left me unable to understand a speaker's
She left me not knowing what to say
words, even if I speak privately with him and he with me.
To a confidant, even were I to confide and he to answer me,
وقدand indeed تَرَكَتْshe has left عفراءُAfra قلبيmy heart كَأَنَّهُas though it were
وقد تَرَكَتْ عفراءُ قلبي كَأَنَّهُ
جَناحُa wing of غُرابٍa raven دائمُunceasing الخَفَقانِfluttering
جَناحُ غُرابٍ دائمُ الخَفَقانِ
And Afra has left my heart as though it were
She left my heart as if it were
a raven's wing, forever fluttering.
The wing of a raven forever fluttering.
Sol 6.1