ماnothing هَاجَstirred هذاthis الشوقَlonging غيرُexcept الذكْرِremembrance
ما هَاجَ هذا الشوقَ غيرُ الذكْرِ
وزَوْرةُand a visit الطيفِthe dream-phantom سَرَىtraveled by night منfrom مصْرِEgypt
وزَوْرةُ الطيفِ سَرَى من مصْرِ
Nothing stirred this longing but remembrance
and a visit from the dream-phantom that came by night from Egypt,
منfrom بعدafter طُولِthe long duration of جفوةٍestrangement وهَجرِand abandonment
من بعد طُولِ جفوةٍ وهَجرِ
كمhow many خاضَa sea بحراًand a wilderness وفَلاًlike a sea كبحرِline_5
كم خاضَ بحراً وفَلاً كبحرِ
after long estrangement and abandonment.
How many seas and sea-like wastes it crossed,
يَجوبُهit traverses it الليلَby night حليفَa companion of ذُعرِdread
يَجوبُه الليلَ حليفَ ذُعرِ
حتىuntil أتىit reached طَلائِحاًexhausted she-camels فيin قَفرِa wilderness
حتى أتى طَلائِحاً في قَفرِ
traversing them by night, a companion of dread,
until it reached weary she-camels in a wilderness,
قدalready انْطوَيْنَthey shrank منfrom سُرىًnight travel وضُمرِand emaciation
قد انْطوَيْنَ من سُرىً وضُمرِ
حتىuntil اغتدينَthey became كهلالِlike the crescent of الشهرِthe month
حتى اغتدينَ كهلالِ الشهرِ
already shriveled by night travel and wasting,
until they had become like the month's crescent,
يَحمِلنَthey carry كلَّevery ماجدٍnoble man كالصّقْرِlike a falcon
يَحمِلنَ كلَّ ماجدٍ كالصّقْرِ
كأَنّهas though he were مُهنّدٌan Indian-steel sword ذُوbearing أَثرِblade-patterning
كأَنّه مُهنّدٌ ذُو أَثرِ
bearing noble men, each like a falcon,
as though each were a patterned sword of Indian steel,
بعيدُfar-reaching مَهوَىthe reach of همّةٍambition وذِكرِand renown
بعيدُ مَهوَى همّةٍ وذِكرِ
للمجدِfor glory يَسعىhe strives لاnot لكسبِto acquire الوَفرِabundant wealth
للمجدِ يَسعى لا لكسبِ الوَفرِ
far-reaching in ambition and renown,
striving for glory, not to acquire wealth.
فأمَّthen it sought رَحلِيmy lodging دُونَrather than رَحلِthe lodging of السّفْرِthe travelers
فأمَّ رَحلِي دُونَ رَحلِ السّفْرِ
يُذكِرُنيit reminds me طيبَthe sweetness of الزَّمانthe time النَّضرِfresh and flourishing
يُذكِرُني طيبَ الزَّمان النَّضرِ
Then it sought my lodging, not the travelers' lodgings,
reminding me of the sweetness of those flourishing days.
واهاًah, how I long لَهُfor it مِنwhat a زَمنٍtime وعُمرِand life
واهاً لَهُ مِن زَمنٍ وعُمرِ
ماnot كانَit was إلاّbut غُرّةًa bright blaze فيin الدَّهرِtime
ما كانَ إلاّ غُرّةً في الدَّهرِ
Ah, how I long for that time and life!
It was but a bright blaze on the brow of time,
إذwhen الصِّباyouth عندduring التّصابيyouthful dalliance عُذريmy excuse
إذ الصِّبا عند التّصابي عُذري
وغايةُand the utmost of المُنيَةُdesire أمُّUmm (mother of) عَمرِوAmr
وغايةُ المُنيَةُ أمُّ عَمرِو
when youth was my excuse for youthful dalliance,
and Umm Amr was the utmost of my desire:
غَرّاءُradiant أبهىmore resplendent منthan ليالِيthe nights of البدرِthe full moon
غَرّاءُ أبهى من ليالِي البدرِ
بعيدةُfar القُرطthe earring هضيمُslender الخَصرِthe waist
بعيدةُ القُرط هضيمُ الخَصرِ
radiant, more resplendent than nights of the full moon,
her earring far above her shoulder, her waist slender,
أحسنُlovelier منthan شَمسٍthe sun بِغبِّafter قَطرِrainfall
أحسنُ من شَمسٍ بِغبِّ قَطرِ
تفعلُshe works بالألبابِupon minds فعلَthe effect of الخَمرِwine
تفعلُ بالألبابِ فعلَ الخَمرِ
lovelier than the sun after rain,
working upon minds as wine does.
تبسِمُshe smiles عنrevealing مثلِthe like of نظيمِa string of الدُّرِpearls
تبسِمُ عن مثلِ نظيمِ الدُّرِ
كأنّهُas though it were لآليءٌpearls فيupon نَحْرِa throat
كأنّهُ لآليءٌ في نَحْرِ
She smiles, revealing the like of a string of pearls,
as though they were pearls upon a throat.
إذاwhen انْثَنَتshe turned قبلَbefore نَمُومtale-bearing الفجرِdawn
إذا انْثَنَت قبلَ نَمُوم الفجرِ
تَنَفَّستshe breathed عنforth مثلِthe like of رَيّاthe fragrance of الزّهرِflowers
تَنَفَّست عن مثلِ رَيّا الزّهرِ
When she turned before the telltale dawn,
she breathed forth a fragrance like that of flowers,
كأنّas though فَاهَاher mouth جُونَةٌa casket لِعطرِfor perfume
كأنّ فَاهَا جُونَةٌ لِعطرِ
وإنand if مَشَتshe walked مثقلةًweighed down بِالبُهرِby breathlessness
وإن مَشَت مثقلةً بِالبُهرِ
as though her mouth were a casket for perfume.
And if she walked, weighed down by breathlessness,
مَشْيَwith the gait of النسيمthe breeze بمِياهِover the waters of الغُدْرthe pools
مَشْيَ النسيم بمِياهِ الغُدْر
رأيتَyou would see سِحراًmagic أوor شَبيهَthe like of سحْرِmagic
رأيتَ سِحراً أو شَبيهَ سحْرِ
as a breeze moves over the waters of pools,
you would see magic, or the like of magic:
رَاكِدَmotionless ليلٍnight تحتَbeneath شمسٍa sun تَسريmoving along
رَاكِدَ ليلٍ تحتَ شمسٍ تَسري
ضِدّانtwo opposites فيهاin her اتّفقاthey united لأمرِfor a purpose
ضِدّان فيها اتّفقا لأمرِ
still night beneath a moving sun—
two opposites united in her for some purpose.
ياO لائِميmy reproacher إنّindeed الملامَreproach يُغريincites desire
يا لائِمي إنّ الملامَ يُغري
هيّجتَyou stirred أشواقِيmy longings ولستَand you do not تَدرِيknow
هيّجتَ أشواقِي ولستَ تَدرِي
O my reproacher, reproach incites desire;
you have stirred my longings, yet you do not know.
لاmay not بكَbefall you ماwhat بِيis within me منof جَوىًburning grief وفكرِand brooding
لا بكَ ما بِي من جَوىً وفكرِ
إذاwhen أراحَbrings home at evening الليلُthe night همَّthe sorrow of صدرِيmy breast
إذا أراحَ الليلُ همَّ صدرِي
May you never suffer my burning grief and brooding.
When night brings home the sorrow of my breast,
أَبيتُI spend the night أرعَىI watch over كلevery نجمٍstar يَسرِيtraveling by night
أَبيتُ أرعَى كل نجمٍ يَسرِي
كأنَّماas though حَشِيَّتيmy mattress منof جَمْرِembers
كأنَّما حَشِيَّتي من جَمْرِ
I spend the night watching every passing star,
as though my mattress were made of embers.
كيفَhow العزاءُsolace وصروفُand the vicissitudes of الدّهرِtime
كيفَ العزاءُ وصروفُ الدّهرِ
تقرِفُscrape the scab from قَرحِيmy wound وتَهيضُand break anew كَسرِيmy fracture
تقرِفُ قَرحِي وتَهيضُ كَسرِي
How can there be solace, when time's vicissitudes
scrape my wound raw and break my healed bone anew,
كأنّهاas though they تطلُبُنيthey pursue me بِوَترِfor a blood-debt
كأنّها تطلُبُني بِوَترِ
والصّبرُand patience لوif خبِرتَهُyou experienced it كالصّبرِlike bitter aloes
والصّبرُ لو خبِرتَهُ كالصّبرِ
as though they hunted me for a blood-debt?
And patience, if you tried it, is as bitter as aloes.
Sol 6.1