جَعَلتshe imposed علىupon الطَّرفِthe eye السهورِsleepless
جَعَلت على الطَّرفِ السهورِ
رَعيwatching الكَواكبِthe stars للبدورِfor the full moons
رَعي الكَواكبِ للبدورِ
She laid upon the sleepless eye
I made the planets graze at the edge of the horizon
the watching of stars for the full moons—
For the bedouins' huts
مَطبوعَةُforged اللَّحظاتِthe glances طَبforging (start)
مَطبوعَةُ اللَّحظاتِ طَب
عَforging (end) المشرَفيَّاتthe Mashrafi swords الذكورِhard-steeled
عَ المشرَفيَّات الذكورِ
she whose glances are forged
The moments imprinted on the watching-places of the adult males
like hard-steeled Mashrafi swords.
If not for reaching the watering places
لولاwere it not for الوصولُreaching إلىto الأُصوthe roots (start)
لولا الوصولُ إلى الأُصو
لِthe roots (end) بِغَيرِwithout إيلامcausing pain to الصدورِthe breasts
لِ بِغَيرِ إيلام الصدورِ
Were it not for their reaching the roots
Without hurting the chests
without causing pain to the breasts,
Their crime appeared
ظهرَتwould be revealed جنايتُهاher crime عَلَيagainst
ظهرَت جنايتُها عَلَي
ناus للولاةِto the governors علىover الأمورِaffairs
نا للولاةِ على الأمورِ
her crime against us would be revealed
To the governors of affairs
to those who govern affairs.
Give me patience from the slender bodies
هَبنيsuppose that I صَبرتheld out عَنِagainst النحاthinness (start)
هَبني صَبرت عَنِ النحا
فَةِthinness (end) للنَّحيفاتِfor the slender ones الخُصورِthe waists
فَةِ للنَّحيفاتِ الخُصورِ
Suppose I resisted wasting away
What is with them when
over those with slender waists:
They are covered, they laugh through the curtains
ماwhat بالُهنَّthe matter with them إذاwhen طَرَقcame by night
ما بالُهنَّ إذا طَرَق
تُI (verb ending) ضَحِكنَthey laughed منthrough خَللِthe gaps in السُّتورِthe curtains
تُ ضَحِكنَ من خَللِ السُّتورِ
why, when I visit by night,
A laugh that lengthens my hopes in them
do they laugh through gaps in the curtains—
Of lies and falsehood
ضَحِكاًa laughter يُطيلُprolongs مَطامِعيmy hopes
ضَحِكاً يُطيلُ مَطامِعي
فيهنَّin them منthrough كَذِبٍlies وزورِand falsehood
فيهنَّ من كَذِبٍ وزورِ
a laughter that prolongs my hopes
While my eyelid continues crying
in them through lies and falsehood?
Blood throughout the ages
وتظلُّand continues تَبكيweeping مُقلَتيmy eye
وتظلُّ تَبكي مُقلَتي
بدمٍwith blood علىthrough مرِّthe passage of الدُّهورِthe ages
بدمٍ على مرِّ الدُّهورِ
And my eye keeps weeping
As if my tears' clouds
blood as the ages pass.
Emerge from the horizons' lightning
وكأنَّand as though سُحبَthe clouds of مَدامعيmy tears
وكأنَّ سُحبَ مَدامعي
يطلعنَrise منfrom بَرقِthe lightning of الثغورِthe mouths
يطلعنَ من بَرقِ الثغورِ
And it is as though the clouds of my tears
As if they tied for me
rise from the lightning of their mouths.
The rope of bliss upon bliss
وكأنهنَّand as though they رَبطنَhad tied ليfor me
وكأنهنَّ رَبطنَ لي
حبلَthe cord of السرورِjoy عَلىupon السرورِjoy
حبلَ السرورِ عَلى السرورِ
And as though they had tied for me
Until when I harbored them
the cord of joy upon joy,
I carried them in my conscience
حتىuntil إذاwhen ضمَّرتهنI concealed them (start)
حتى إذا ضمَّرتهن
نَthem (ending) حملتهنَّI carried them علىupon ضَميريmy inner self
نَ حملتهنَّ على ضَميري
until, when I had concealed them,
Do not belie, for the most
I bore them in my innermost thoughts.
Truthful of what I threw with spears
لاdo not تُكذبَنَّdeny فإنَّfor indeed أَقdeadliest (start)
لا تُكذبَنَّ فإنَّ أَق
صَدَdeadliest (end) ماwhat رميتyou were struck with منfrom الخدورِthe secluded chambers
صَدَ ما رميت من الخدورِ
Do not deny it: the deadliest shots
And more piercing than the bite of
you have received come from secluded chambers.
The languorous winking
وأشدُّand harsher منthan وَخزِthe prick of القناthe spears
وأشدُّ من وَخزِ القنا
غمزُthe winking of اللواحِظِthe glancing eyes بالفتورِwith languor
غمزُ اللواحِظِ بالفتورِ
And sharper than the prick of spears
And the looseness of the roving
is the winking of languid eyes,
Gazes' trails upon looseness
وفجورُand the wantonness of أحداقِthe eyes of المَصوthe guarded women (start)
وفجورُ أحداقِ المَصو
ناتِthe guarded women (end) الذُّيولِthe skirts عَنfrom الفُجورِwantonness
ناتِ الذُّيولِ عَن الفُجورِ
and the wantonness of the eyes of women
I am not prevented by the panic of panic
whose skirts are guarded from wantonness.
From the patience of the patient
لاmay not صدَّنيturn me away جزعُthe anguish of الجزوthe impatient (start)
لا صدَّني جزعُ الجزو
عthe impatient (end) لهنَّover them عنfrom صَبرthe patience of الصبورِthe patient
ع لهنَّ عن صَبر الصبورِ
May no impatient man's anguish
I shall determine upon enduring
over them turn me from a patient man's patience.
Time with determination arousing
فلأعزمنَّso I shall surely resolve علىagainst صُروthe reversals (start)
فلأعزمنَّ على صُرو
فِthe reversals (end) الدَّهرfate عزمةَa resolve مُستثيرِone who rouses
فِ الدَّهر عزمةَ مُستثيرِ
So I shall surely confront the reversals
He becomes my prisoner in the evening
of fate with a challenger's resolve,
With a glance from my eyelid
يُمسيbecomes by evening لهاthrough it مُستَأسِريmy captor
يُمسي لها مُستَأسِري
بلحاظِwith the glances of مُقلتِهِhis eye أسيريmy captive
بلحاظِ مُقلتِهِ أسيري
through which, by evening, my captor
Crazed he reckons it
with the glances of his eye shall become my captive.
Borrowed from the supreme commander of the army
هوجاءُheadlong يَحسَبُهاhe thinks it استعيwas borrowed (start)
هوجاءُ يَحسَبُها استعي
رَتwas borrowed (end) منfrom أبيAbu (father of) الجيشِal-Jaysh (the army) الأميرِthe emir
رَت من أبي الجيشِ الأميرِ
A headlong resolve, which he thinks was borrowed
With incisors and canines in the gullets
from Abu al-Jaysh, the emir—
Not with cheeks, necks, horizons or hair
منfrom مُستهامٍone passionately enamored بالأعِنwith the reins (start)
من مُستهامٍ بالأعِن
نَةِthe reins (end) والأسنَّةand the spearheads فيin النحورِthe throats
نَةِ والأسنَّة في النحورِ
from one enamored of reins
He meets it the day of horror, it takes out
and spearheads in throats,
The lions from the eagles
لاnot بالخدودِwith the cheeks ولاnor النُّهوthe breasts (start)
لا بالخدودِ ولا النُّهو
دِthe breasts (end) ولاnor الثغورِthe mouths ولاnor الشعورِthe hair
دِ ولا الثغورِ ولا الشعورِ
not of cheeks or breasts,
And counts the days of glorious
nor of mouths or hair.
War, long as months
تلقاهُyou find him يومَon the day of الروعterror يَقhe wrenches out (start)
تلقاهُ يومَ الروع يَق
تَلِعُhe wrenches out (end) الأسودَthe lions عنfrom الصقورِthe falcons
تَلِعُ الأسودَ عن الصقورِ
You find him on the day of terror, wrenching
And protects, if time passed by
the lions from the falcons.
And its people, with asylum
ويعدُّand he reckons أيامَthe days of اعتزاwithdrawal (start)
ويعدُّ أيامَ اعتزا
لِwithdrawal (end) الحربwar طولاًin length كالشهورِlike the months
لِ الحرب طولاً كالشهورِ
And he reckons days spent away
Serene, his name signifies it
from war as long as months.
It's the serenity of the helpless indigent
ويُجيرُand he grants refuge إنif قَعدَfailed الزَّماtime (start)
ويُجيرُ إن قَعدَ الزَّما
نُtime (end) وأهلُهand its people بالمستَجيرِwith the refuge-seeker
نُ وأهلُه بالمستَجيرِ
And he grants refuge if time
O granter of the world its vision the sight
and its people fail the seeker of refuge.
Of the insignificant thing
ذوpossessor of راحةٍa palm (also 'relief') صَدَقproved true اسمُهاits name
ذو راحةٍ صَدَق اسمُها
هيَit راحةُthe relief of العانيthe captive الفقيرِthe poor
هيَ راحةُ العاني الفقيرِ
His palm bears a name that proves true:
Inform of hearing merely
it is the relief of the poor captive.
That it's the home of delusion
ياO واهبَgiver of الدنياthe world يراhe sees
يا واهبَ الدنيا يرا
هاit رؤيةَas one sees الشيءِthe thing الحقيرِpaltry
ها رؤيةَ الشيءِ الحقيرِ
O giver of the world, who sees it
How often it deceived for ghazwas
as one sees a paltry thing,
A raider wherein residing
أقصِرdesist ألمhas ... not? يَسمَعheard سواother than
أقصِر ألم يَسمَع سوا
كَyou بأنَّهاthat it is دارُthe abode of الغُرورِdelusion
كَ بأنَّها دارُ الغُرورِ
desist! Has no one besides you heard
And provided you with lasting
that it is the abode of delusion?
Hope, so it returned with the short term
كمhow many غرتَit lured للغاراتِto raids منof
كم غرتَ للغاراتِ من
متهجِّمٍa headlong assailant فيهاwithin it مُغيرِa raider
متهجِّمٍ فيها مُغيرِ
How many it has lured into raids—
When I saw you, my onlooking eye finds not
headlong assailants raiding within it!
For you a peer
وافاكhe came to you بالأَمَلwith hope الطَّويlong (start)
وافاك بالأَمَل الطَّوي
لِlong (end) فعادَthen he returned بالأجلِwith a lifespan القصيرِshort
لِ فعادَ بالأجلِ القصيرِ
Each came to you with long hope,
And I found your blessings busy
then returned with a short span of life.
With spreading them to the resurrection
لماwhen رأيتُكI saw you ليسَdoes not يَطhope (start)
لما رأيتُك ليسَ يَط
مَعُhope (end) ناظريmy gaze لكَto you فيfor نظيرِan equal
مَعُ ناظري لكَ في نظيرِ
When I saw you, my gaze could not hope
And they came in the verses of my poetry
to find anyone to match you,
As the bracelets in the wrists
ووجدتُand I found أنعمكyour favors اشتَغلbecame occupied
ووجدتُ أنعمك اشتَغل
تُI (verb ending) بنشرهنَّwith proclaiming them إلىuntil النشورِthe Resurrection
تُ بنشرهنَّ إلى النشورِ
and found your favors, I busied myself
And I sung of the perfected
with proclaiming them until the Resurrection.
Goodness in the account, without fractions
وحصلنَand they were lodged فيin أبياتِthe verses of شِعpoetry (start)
وحصلنَ في أبياتِ شِع
ريmy poetry (end) كالقصائِرlike secluded women فيin القصورِthe palaces
ري كالقصائِر في القصورِ
And they were lodged in the verses
You were a man who gathered much
of my poetry, like secluded maidens in palaces.
Of tribes in ease
وغنيتُand I had enough بالخَيرthrough bounty المتمmade complete (start)
وغنيتُ بالخَير المتم
مَمِmade complete (end) فيin الحسابِthe reckoning عنwithout needing الكُسورِfractions
مَمِ في الحسابِ عن الكُسورِ
And I was enriched by bounty made whole
in the reckoning, needing no fractions.
كنتَyou were امرأًa man جمعَwho gathered الكَثيmuch (start)
كنتَ امرأً جمعَ الكَثي
رَmuch (end) مِنfrom القَبائِلthe tribes فيwithin اليَسيرِlittle
رَ مِن القَبائِل في اليَسيرِ
You were a man who gathered so much
from the tribes within so little.
Partial English translation: 62 of 66 Arabic lines translated.