أرَدَّhe held back الدموعَthe tears بأردانهِwith his sleeves
أرَدَّ الدموعَ بأردانهِ
وكَفْكَفَand wiped away عَبْرَةa tear أجفانِهhis eyelids
وكَفْكَفَ عَبْرَة أجفانِه
He held back the tears with his sleeves,
And wiped away the tear from his eyelids,
صيانةto safeguard سرّthe secret of الهوىlove ياO هذيمHudhaym
صيانة سرّ الهوى يا هذيم
فباحso revealed البكاءُweeping بكتمانهof his concealment
فباح البكاءُ بكتمانه
To guard love’s secret, O Hudhaym;
Yet weeping revealed what he concealed.
ولوand even if أنكرَdenied الصبُّthe lovesick lover أمرthe matter of الغرامpassion
ولو أنكرَ الصبُّ أمر الغرام
لجاءَwould surely come الغرامpassion ببرهانهwith its proof
لجاءَ الغرام ببرهانه
And even if the lovesick lover denied his passion,
Passion would surely come with its proof.
وإرسالُand the shedding of عبرتِهhis tears فيin الديارthe dwellings
وإرسالُ عبرتِه في الديار
تُعبِّرُexpresses عنabout فرطِthe intensity of أشجانهhis sorrows
تُعبِّرُ عن فرطِ أشجانه
And his shedding of tears among the dwellings
Expresses the intensity of his sorrows.
يحنُّhe yearns إلىfor أثلاثِthirds الغُوَيرal-Ghuwayr
يحنُّ إلى أثلاثِ الغُوَير
حنينَwith the yearning of الغريبthe stranger لأوطانهfor his homelands
حنينَ الغريب لأوطانه
He yearns for the thirds of al-Ghuwayr,
With a stranger’s yearning for his homelands.
وهامَand loved passionately بسلعٍwith Salʿ هيامthe ardor of المشوقthe yearning lover
وهامَ بسلعٍ هيام المشوق
وماand not هامhe loved passionately إلاَّexcept لسكّانهfor its inhabitants
وما هام إلاَّ لسكّانه
And he adored Salʿ with a longing lover’s ardor,
And loved it only for its inhabitants.
وقدand indeed قالsaid سعدSaʿd بذاكat that الحمىsanctuary
وقد قال سعد بذاك الحمى
شَجَتْهُgrieved him ملاعبُthe playing grounds of غِزلانهits gazelles
شَجَتْهُ ملاعبُ غِزلانه
And Saʿd spoke at that sanctuary;
Its gazelles’ playing grounds grieved him.
وذَلَّand submitted لسلطانto the authority of حكمthe rule of الهوىlove
وذَلَّ لسلطان حكم الهوى
وماand not ذلَّhe submitted إلاَّexcept لسلطانهto his sovereign
وما ذلَّ إلاَّ لسلطانه
And he bowed to the authority of love’s rule,
And bowed to none but his sovereign.
وعَرَّفنيand taught me البرقُlightning شأنَthe nature of الغرامpassion
وعَرَّفني البرقُ شأنَ الغرام
وماand how أعْرَفَknowledgeable المرءَa man فيin شانهhis own affairs
وما أعْرَفَ المرءَ في شانه
And lightning taught me the nature of passion;
And how well a man knows his own affairs!
وأوْقَدَand kindled فيin القلبthe heart نيرانَهُits fires
وأوْقَدَ في القلب نيرانَهُ
فماذاso what تقولdo you say بنيرانهof its fires
فماذا تقول بنيرانه
And it kindled its fires in the heart;
So what do you say of its fires?
رأىsaw صاحبيmy companion آيةًa sign للفؤادfor the heart
رأى صاحبي آيةً للفؤاد
تدلُّindicates علىtoward ضدthe opposite of سُلْوانهits forgetting love
تدلُّ على ضد سُلْوانه
My companion saw a sign for the heart
That showed it had not forgotten love.
وكادand nearly يصدقُbelieved لولاwere it not for الضّنىwasting sickness
وكاد يصدقُ لولا الضّنى
بِزورِin the falsehood of السُّلُوِّforgetting love وبهتانِهand its fabrication
بِزورِ السُّلُوِّ وبهتانِه
And, but for wasting sickness, he would almost have believed
In the false pretense of forgetting love and its fabrication.
فآمَنَso he believed فيin مرسلاتِthe messengers of الدّموعtears
فآمَنَ في مرسلاتِ الدّموع
ولستُand I am not أشكّdoubting بإيمانهin his faith
ولستُ أشكّ بإيمانه
So he believed in the messengers of tears,
And I do not doubt his faith.