آبreturned ليلىmy night بهمومwith cares وفكرand thoughts
آب ليلى بهموم وفكر
منbecause of حبيبa beloved هاجstirred حزنيmy grief والسهرand sleeplessness
من حبيب هاج حزني والسهر
My night returned with cares and thoughts,
My love Laila is worried and pensive
Because of a beloved who stirred my grief and sleeplessness,
From a passionate lover, my sadness and sleeplessness
يومthe day أبصرتI saw غراباًa raven واقعاًperched
يوم أبصرت غراباً واقعاً
شرthe worst of ماwhat طارflew علىupon شرthe worst of الشجرthe trees
شر ما طار على شر الشجر
The day I saw a raven perched—
The day I saw a raven fallen
The worst of all that fly, upon the worst of trees—
The worst that flew over the worst tree
ينتفplucking الريشthe feathers علىon عبريةa large riverside tree
ينتف الريش على عبرية
مرّةbitter المقضمthe bite منfrom among دوحlarge spreading trees العشرthe ‘ushar shrub (milkweed)
مرّة المقضم من دوح العشر
Plucking its feathers on a large riverside tree,
Plucking feathers over my crying
Bitter to the bite, one of the spreading ‘ushar trees.
Once clipped from the palm grove
وجرتand ran ليbefore me ظبيةa gazelle يتبعهاfollows her
وجرت لي ظبية يتبعها
ليّنsoft الأظلافthe cloven hooves منfrom among حورones with contrasting black-and-white eyes البقرthe wild cattle
ليّن الأظلاف من حور البقر
And a gazelle crossed my path, followed by
And a gazelle ran by me chasing her
A tender-hoofed one of the dark-eyed wild cattle.
With soft eyelids from thecow-eyed ladies
خلفهاbehind her أطلسa dusky wolf عسالloping الضحىthe forenoon
خلفها أطلس عسال الضحى
صادفتهI encountered it يومa day طلdrizzle وخصرand chill
صادفته يوم طل وخصر
Behind her, a dusky wolf, loping in the forenoon;
Behind her a young male gazelle at dawn
I encountered it on a day of drizzle and chill.
I met him once wearing a belt
انindeed عينيهاher two eyes لعيناsurely the two eyes of جؤذرa wild-ox calf
ان عينيها لعينا جؤذر
أهدبlong-lashed الأشفارthe eyelashes منfrom among حورones with contrasting black-and-white eyes البقرthe wild cattle
أهدب الأشفار من حور البقر
Indeed, her eyes are those of a wild-ox calf,
Her eyes are hurting my eyes
Long-lashed, from among the dark-eyed wild cattle.
With the most beautiful eyelashes of the cow-eyed ladies
تنكرshe does not recognize الأثمدantimony kohl لاnot تعرفهshe knows it
تنكر الأثمد لا تعرفه
غيرexcept أنthat تسمعshe hears عنهabout it بخيرwith praise
غير أن تسمع عنه بخير
She does not recognize antimony kohl; she does not know it,
She does not recognize her lover
Except that she hears it spoken of with praise.
Unless she hears good about him
كلماwhenever كفكفتI wiped away منيfrom me عبرةa tear
كلما كفكفت مني عبرة
فاضتoverflowed العينthe eye بمنهلّwith a pouring stream درَرcopious
فاضت العين بمنهلّ درَر
Whenever I wiped away a tear of mine,
Whenever I wipe a tear from my eye
My eye overflowed with tears pouring abundantly.
My eyes overflow with a stream of pearls