بَرَّحsorely tormented الشَّوقُlonging أُصيْحابيَmy dear companions بيme
بَرَّح الشَّوقُ أُصيْحابيَ بي
وبماand through what برَّحtormented بيme قدindeed فتكاslew
وبما برَّح بي قد فتكا
Longing has sorely tormented me, my dear companions.
Longing has sorely tormented me, my dear companions,
And through its tormenting me, it has struck with deadly force.
And through that torment it has indeed slain me.
هيit نفسٌa soul لاnot بذنبfor a sin قُتِلَتْwas slain
هي نفسٌ لا بذنب قُتِلَتْ
ودَمٌand blood فيin غيرabsence of جرمa crime سُفِكاwas shed
ودَمٌ في غير جرم سُفِكا
It is a soul killed for no sin,
It is a soul slain for no sin,
and blood shed without any crime.
And blood shed without a crime.
آنساتٌwinsome maidens منfrom among ظباءgazelles المنحنىthe bend
آنساتٌ من ظباء المنحنى
نَصَبَتْset up ليfor me منfrom هواهاlove for them شركاa snare
نَصَبَتْ لي من هواها شركا
Gentle maidens—gazelles of the river bend—
Winsome maidens among the gazelles of the bend
have set for me, out of their love, a snare.
Have set for me a snare of love for them.
ياO ظباءَgazelles المنحنىthe bend أنْقِذْنَهsave him
يا ظباءَ المنحنى أنْقِذْنَه
منfrom هواكنَّlove for you وإلاّor else هلكاhe will perish
من هواكنَّ وإلاّ هلكا
O gazelles of the river bend, save him
O gazelles of the bend, save him
from your love, or else he will perish.
From love for you, or else he will perish.
وصباباتand ardent longings جوىًheartache ماnot وَجَدتْfound
وصبابات جوىً ما وَجَدتْ
بسوىin anything but قلبيmy heart لهاfor them معتركاa battleground
بسوى قلبي لها معتركا
And pangs of consuming passion found
And the ardent longings of heartache did not find
no battleground for themselves but my heart.
A battleground for themselves anywhere but in my heart.
ولأنتمand you indeed ساكنيdwellers of واديthe valley of الغضاghada trees
ولأنتم ساكني وادي الغضا
فيكمconcerning you الشكوىthe complaint ومنكمand from you ماwhat شكاhe lamented
فيكم الشكوى ومنكم ما شكا
Indeed, you who dwell in the Valley of the Ghada Trees:
And you indeed, dwellers of Wadi al-Ghada,
the complaint is of you, and from you comes what it laments.
The complaint is of you, and from you comes what he laments.
كنتُمyou were أقمارَهاits moons طالعةًrising
كنتُم أقمارَها طالعةً
فيin مغانيهاits dwellings وكانتand it was فَلَكاa celestial sphere
في مغانيها وكانت فَلَكا
You were its rising moons
You were its rising moons
within its dwellings, while it was a celestial sphere.
In its dwellings, while it was a celestial sphere.
فأثرتُمْthen you set in motion بعدهاafter that وخَّادَةًa swift-striding she-camel
فأثرتُمْ بعدها وخَّادَةً
لَطَمتْslapped وجهthe face الفيافيthe wastelands رتكاat a swift trot
لَطَمتْ وجه الفيافي رتكا
Then, after leaving it, you drove a swift-trotting she-camel
Then, after that, you set a swift-striding she-camel in motion,
that struck the face of the deserts with quick, close-set strides.
That slapped the face of the wastelands at a swift trot.
ليتif only شعريmy knowing يومَon the day ولّىdeparted ركبكمyour caravan
ليت شعري يومَ ولّى ركبكم
للنوىinto the distance أيَّwhich طريقroad سلكاit took
للنوى أيَّ طريق سلكا
Would that I knew, when your caravan turned away,
If only I knew, the day your caravan departed,
bound for separation, which road it took.
Which road it took into the distance.
وأحاديثُand the tales المنىhopes ماnot صَدَقتْproved true
وأحاديثُ المنى ما صَدَقتْ
بتدانيكمabout your drawing near وأضحتand became أفكاfalsehood
بتدانيكم وأضحت أفكا
The tales of hope did not come true
And the tales of hope did not prove true
about your drawing near, but proved a lie.
About your drawing near, and became falsehood.
فسقاكمso may it water you وسقىand may it water عهدكمyour days
فسقاكم وسقى عهدكم
عارضa raincloud إنif ضحكlaughs البرقthe lightning بكىweeps
عارض إن ضحك البرق بكى
So may you, and the time of fellowship with you, be watered by
So may it water you, and water your days—
a rain cloud that weeps whenever the lightning laughs.
A raincloud that weeps when the lightning laughs.
