لُحنthey appeared حتىuntil أمرنthey made pass طرفاًa glance بقلبيover my heart
لُحن حتى أمرن طرفاً بقلبي
وتوارينand they hid themselves فيin سحائبclouds نُقبِface veils
وتوارين في سحائب نُقبِ
They appeared, till they passed a glance over my heart,
A melody that commanded my heart to turn away
and hid themselves in clouds of face veils.
And hide in passing clouds of drizzle
فاعلاتٌproducing فعلthe effect of الشرابwine وماand how أبfar (first part)
فاعلاتٌ فعل الشراب وما أب
عدَcompletion of 'far' فيin اللطفsubtlety بينbetween لحظٍa glance وشربِand a draught
عدَ في اللطف بين لحظٍ وشربِ
Working wine's effect—and how far
Doing the deed of drink, though I've not reckoned
apart in subtlety are a glance and a draught!
Among the gentle deeds a moment and a sip
تاركاتيleaving me أستخبرُI inquire of الناسpeople عماabout what
تاركاتي أستخبرُ الناس عما
يحسنُknow well الناسُpeople منof نجومastrology وطبِّand medicine
يحسنُ الناسُ من نجوم وطبِّ
Leaving me to ask people about
Leaving me to ask people what is best
what they know of astrology and medicine,
Of stars and medicines for people
مستدِلاًseeking indications علىof عواقبoutcomes أمريmy affairs
مستدِلاً على عواقب أمري
مستعيناًseeking help بمنfrom whoever يُعالجtreats كَربيmy anguish
مستعيناً بمن يُعالج كَربي
seeking signs of the outcome of my affairs,
Seeking the outcome of my affair
seeking help from whoever treats my anguish,
Aiding me is he who can cure my worries
مستعيذاًseeking refuge منfrom الهوىpassion بالتعاويwith incantations (first part)
مستعيذاً من الهوى بالتعاوي
ذcompletion of 'incantations' علوقاًclinging بكلto every صاحبpossessor of كتبِbooks
ذ علوقاً بكل صاحب كتبِ
seeking refuge from passion through incantations,
Seeking refuge from love in vows
clinging to every man of books.
Clinging to every friend with books
فإذاso if كانتِare التمائمthe amulets للحبِّfor love
فإذا كانتِ التمائم للحبِّ
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle أتمهاhe completes them تمَّis complete حبيmy love
إذا ما أتمها تمَّ حبي
So if the amulets are for love,
If talismans are for love
when he completes them, my love is complete.
When I complete them, my love will be complete
فانظراthen look, you two بيتَhouse صَبوتيmy infatuation هلquestion particle تحسyou two discern (first part)
فانظرا بيتَ صَبوتي هل تحس
سانِcompletion of 'you two discern' طريقاًa path منهfrom it إلىto بيتhouse عَتبيmy reproach
سانِ طريقاً منه إلى بيت عَتبي
Then look, you two, at the house of my infatuation: can you discern
Look, O house of my passion, can you feel
a path from it to the house of my reproach?
A way there, from it to the house of my beloved?
واسِقيانيand you two, give me drink حمراءَred wine كالنارlike fire فيin أبwhite (first part)
واسِقياني حمراءَ كالنار في أب
يضَcompletion of 'white' كالنوّرlike blossoms منof جمادٍsolid substance وسكبِand poured liquid
يضَ كالنوّر من جمادٍ وسكبِ
And give me wine, red as fire, in what is
Serve me a red drink like fire in water
white as blossoms, both solid substance and poured liquid.
Pure like light from solid and poured
وإذاand when ماemphatic particle مزجتُماهاyou two mix it احذَراهاyou two, beware of it
وإذا ما مزجتُماها احذَراها
فهيfor it تَرميhurls منfrom الحبابthe bubbles بشُهبِwith shooting stars
فهي تَرمي من الحباب بشُهبِ
And when you two mix it, beware of it,
And if you mix it, beware
for it flings shooting stars from its bubbles.
It casts sparks of love's embers
واعلَماand know, you two أنهاthat it is الكميتُthe dark-red wine التيwhich تسoutruns (first part)
واعلَما أنها الكميتُ التي تس
بقُcompletion of 'outruns' هميmy grief دونrather than الكميتthe bay horse الأقبِّthe lean-bellied
بقُ همي دون الكميت الأقبِّ
And know it is the bay-colored wine that outruns
Know it is the draft that makes my cares
my grief, not the lean-bellied bay horse.
Recede, not the draft most potent
واجعلاand make, you two ماwhat تُغنيانيyou two sing to me بهwith it اليوtoday (first part)
واجعلا ما تُغنياني به اليو
مَcompletion of 'today' حديثاًa tale عنabout الحُسينal-Husayn بنson of وَهبِWahb
مَ حديثاً عن الحُسين بن وَهبِ
And make what you two sing to me today
And make your talk today about Al-Hussein bin Wahb
a tale of al-Husayn ibn Wahb:
Who calls the dew and is called to it
كيفَhow يدعوhe summons الندىbounty ويُدعىand he is summoned إليهto it
كيفَ يدعو الندى ويُدعى إليه
فيُلبَّىso is answered دُعاؤهhis call ويلبِّيand he answers
فيُلبَّى دُعاؤه ويلبِّي
how he summons bounty and is summoned to it,
His call is answered and he answers too
so his call is answered, and he answers.
Unlike words, as his love grows constantly
خالفَdefied القولَthe saying وهوwhile he يزدادُgrows in حباًlove
خالفَ القولَ وهو يزدادُ حباً
زائرٌa visitor منfrom نداهُhis bounty غيرُnot مغبِّvisiting at intervals
زائرٌ من نداهُ غيرُ مغبِّ
He defies the saying, yet grows ever more beloved—
A visitor, from his rain no fugitive
a visitor from his bounty who never spaces his visits.
What stubborn nature, all easy
أيُّwhat a خلقٍcharacter مستصعبٍdeeming difficult كلَّevery سهلٍeasy thing
أيُّ خلقٍ مستصعبٍ كلَّ سهلٍ
تحتbeneath عزمٍresolve مستسِهلٍdeeming easy كلَّevery صعبِhard thing
تحت عزمٍ مستسِهلٍ كلَّ صعبِ
What a character, finding every easy thing hard,
With steady will, each hardship simple
beneath a resolve that finds every hard thing easy!
And the heights between deed and word
والمعاليand noble attainments ماwhat lies بينbetween فعلٍdeed وقَولٍand word
والمعالي ما بين فعلٍ وقَولٍ
بينَbetween مُستَكرهٍthe unwelcome إلىto مستحبِّthe cherished
بينَ مُستَكرهٍ إلى مستحبِّ
And noble attainments lie between deed and word,
Between disliked and desirable
ranging from the unwelcome to the cherished.
You craved honors out of love, and craved me
همتَyou were lovestruck بالمكرُماتِwith noble deeds حبّاًin love وهامتand they were lovestruck
همتَ بالمكرُماتِ حبّاً وهامت
بكَwith you كمhow often لاnot تزالyou cease تصبوyou yearn وتُصبيand you inspire yearning
بكَ كم لا تزال تصبو وتُصبي
You fell in love with noble deeds, and they fell in love
How long you blaze and blaze!
with you; how often you keep yearning and inspiring yearning!
Naught but good came of your turning away
لمdid not يردintend بانصرافِكَby your departure الدهرtime سوءاًharm
لم يرد بانصرافِكَ الدهر سوءاً
ليسnot تخفىis hidden مداعباتplayful teasing المحبِّthe lover
ليس تخفى مداعبات المحبِّ
Time meant no harm by your departure;
A lover's play cannot be hidden
the lover's playful teasing is not hidden.
How many a beloved turned from me
كمhow many حبيبٍa loved one تقلَّبتturned about بيwith me صُروفvicissitudes الدtime (first part)
كم حبيبٍ تقلَّبت بي صُروف الد
دَهرِcompletion of 'time' عنهaway from him وماyet not تقلَّبَchanged قلبيmy heart
دَهرِ عنه وما تقلَّبَ قلبي
How many loved ones have time's vicissitudes turned me
Yet my heart never turned away
away from, yet my heart has not turned!
O Abu Talib, take my love with yours
ياO أباAbu (father of) طالبٍTalib خُذtake الودَّlove بالودِّin exchange for love
يا أبا طالبٍ خُذ الودَّ بالودِّ
وزِدنيand give me more شيئاًsomething فقدfor indeed صرتُI have become أُربيI charge interest
وزِدني شيئاً فقد صرتُ أُربي
O Abu Talib, take love in exchange for love,
And add to me, for I'm growing up
and give me something extra, for I now charge interest.
I'll give you only what you have
لستُI do not أعطيكgive you غيرَother than ماwhat فيكis in you منof
لستُ أعطيك غيرَ ما فيك من
فضلٍexcellence وياand O ليتَنيif only I بلغتُI attained وحسبيand enough for me
فضلٍ ويا ليتَني بلغتُ وحسبي
I give you nothing beyond your own
Of virtue, would that I'd fully reached my fill!
excellence; would that I reached it—that would suffice me.
Partial English translation: 39 of 40 Arabic lines translated.