عاتِباهُreproach him (you two) فيfor فَرطِexcess of ظُلميwronging me وَهَجريand forsaking me
عاتِباهُ في فَرطِ ظُلمي وَهَجري
واِسئلاهُand ask him (you two) عَساهُperhaps he will يَرحَمhave mercy on ضُرّيmy distress
واِسئلاهُ عَساهُ يَرحَم ضُرّي
Both of you, reproach him for wronging and forsaking me beyond measure,
And ask him; perhaps he will pity my distress.
والطفاand be gentle (you two) ماas far as قَدرتُماyou two are able فيin حَديثيspeaking of me
والطفا ما قَدرتُما في حَديثي
واِحرِصاand strive (you two) أَنto تُغنياهsing to him (you two) بِشِعريwith my poetry
واِحرِصا أَن تُغنياه بِشِعري
And be as gentle as you can when speaking of me,
And strive to sing my verses to him.
واذكُرانيand mention me (you two) فانthen if بَداappears لَكمامنهto you two from him
واذكُراني فان بَدا لَكمامنه
نُفورٌaversion فأجرياthen discuss (you two) غَيرَsomething other than ذِكريmentioning me
نُفورٌ فأجريا غَيرَ ذِكري
And mention me; but if he shows you
Aversion, speak of something other than me.
وَدَعانيand leave me (you two) وَشَقوَتيand my misery فيin هَواهُloving him
وَدَعاني وَشَقوَتي في هَواهُ
فَلِحَينيfor my ruin عَشقتI loved عاشِقَa lover of هَجريforsaking me
فَلِحَيني عَشقت عاشِقَ هَجري
And leave me with my misery in loving him,
For, to my ruin, I loved one who loves forsaking me.
وَهَواهُby my love for him لَوif كانَwas ذَنبيmy offense اليهagainst him
وَهَواهُ لَو كانَ ذَنبي اليه
غيرَother than حُبّيmy love لَهfor him لأوضَحتI would have explained عُذريmy excuse
غيرَ حُبّي لَه لأوضَحت عُذري
By my love for him, had my offense against him
Been anything but my love for him, I would have explained my excuse.
قَدindeed كَتَمتُI concealed الهَوىlove وانeven though نَمَّbetrayed the secret دَمعيmy tears
قَد كَتَمتُ الهَوى وان نَمَّ دَمعي
وَحَملتُand I bore الجَفاcoldness وانeven though عيلَwas exhausted صَبريmy patience
وَحَملتُ الجَفا وان عيلَ صَبري
I have concealed my love, though my tears betrayed it,
And borne his coldness, though my patience was exhausted.
ماnot (repeated) مادرىdid not know جِميَmy body (probable reading) المُعنّىtormented بِمَنfor whom
ما مادرى جِميَ المُعنّى بِمَن
يَضنىwastes away وَلاnor مَدمَعيmy tears لِمَنfor whom باتَspent the night يَجريflowing
يَضنى وَلا مَدمَعي لِمَن باتَ يَجري
My tormented [body?] knows not for whom
It wastes away, nor do my tears know for whom they flow all night.
سِرُّهُhis secret فيin الحَشاthe heart عَنfrom الخلقِpeople مَستورٌhidden
سِرُّهُ في الحَشا عَن الخلقِ مَستورٌ
مَستورٌhidden فَماذاso what عليهupon him فيin هَتكِtearing away سِتريmy veil
مَستورٌ فَماذا عليه في هَتكِ سِتري
His secret is hidden in my heart from all people—
Hidden; so what does it cost him to tear away my veil?
ليتwould that أَيامَناour days ببَرزةَat Barza فالتُربthen al-Turb مِنهاof them
ليت أَيامَنا ببَرزةَ فالتُرب مِنها
يَعودُreturns يَومٌa day بِعُمريat my lifetime's price
يَعودُ يَومٌ بِعُمري
Would that, of our days at Barza and then al-Turb,
One day would return at the price of my lifetime.
صِمتُI fasted مِنfrom بَعدِهاafter them برغميagainst my will عَنfrom اللَهوِpleasure
صِمتُ مِن بَعدِها برغمي عَن اللَهوِ
فَهَلso will ليto me يَعودreturn بِهاwith them عَيدُa feast فِطرِbreaking the fast
فَهَل لي يَعود بِها عَيدُ فِطرِ
Since those days I have fasted from pleasure against my will;
So will an Eid al-Fitr return to me with them?
لَستُI am not أَنفكَceasing مِنfrom تذكرremembering قَومpeople
لَستُ أَنفكَ مِن تذكر قَوم
لَيسَdoes not يَجريpass بِبالِهمthrough their minds قَطُّever ذِكريthought of me
لَيسَ يَجري بِبالِهم قَطُّ ذِكري
I never cease remembering people
Through whose minds no thought of me ever passes.
ياO غَزالاًgazelle قَدindeed لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيin الهَجرِestrangement عَمداًdeliberately
يا غَزالاً قَد لَجَّ في الهَجرِ عَمداً
كَمhow much دَماًblood قَدindeed سَفكتَyou have shed لَوif only كنتyou were تَدريaware
كَم دَماً قَد سَفكتَ لَو كنت تَدري
O gazelle, who has deliberately persisted in forsaking me,
How much blood you have shed, if only you knew!
كُلُّevery رَدفٍrump مِثلُlike الكَثيبِthe dune مِنof
كُلُّ رَدفٍ مِثلُ الكَثيبِ مِن
الرَملِsand مَهيلloosely heaped يَميسُsways gracefully زَهواًproudly
الرَملِ مَهيل يَميسُ زَهواً
Every rump, like a dune of
Loose-piled sand, sways proudly.
قَدindeed حَمىhe guarded ثَغرهhis mouth بِناعِسwith a languid طَرفeye
قَد حَمى ثَغره بِناعِس طَرف
يالَهwhat a one he is! ناعِساًdrowsy يُحاذِرُis wary of ثَغريmy mouth
يالَه ناعِساً يُحاذِرُ ثَغري
He has guarded his lips with a languid eye—
What a drowsy one, wary of my lips!
وَبِفيهِand in his mouth مُدامَةٌwine كُلَّماwhenever حليتُI was barred (probable reading) عَنfrom شُربِdrinking
وَبِفيهِ مُدامَةٌ كُلَّما حليتُ عَن شُربِ
كأسهِادامhis cup; he prolonged سُكريmy drunkenness
كأسهِادام سُكري
And in his mouth is wine; whenever I am barred from drinking
From his cup, he prolongs my drunkenness.
أَبَداًforever ظامىءٌthirsty إِلىfor خَمرِwine فيهِhis mouth
أَبَداً ظامىءٌ إِلى خَمرِ فيهِ
وَكأَنّيand as though I لِلسُكرِbecause of intoxication شارِبa drinker of خَمرِwine
وَكأَنّي لِلسُكرِ شارِب خَمرِ
I am forever thirsty for the wine of his mouth,
And in my intoxication I seem a drinker of wine.
ظالِمٌa cruel one لَجَّpersisted stubbornly فيin القَطيعَةestrangement حَتّىuntil
ظالِمٌ لَجَّ في القَطيعَة حَتّى
لاno مَزارٌvisit يَدنوdraws near وَلاnor الطيفthe phantom يَسريtravels by night
لا مَزارٌ يَدنو وَلا الطيف يَسري
A cruel one, he has persisted in estrangement until
No visit draws near, nor does his phantom pass by night.
كانَhe used to لاnot يَستَطيعُbe able to عَنّيَapart from me صَبراًendurance
كانَ لا يَستَطيعُ عَنّيَ صَبراً
لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing لمwhy يَلحنيhe reproaches me لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowing
لَيتَ شِعري لم يَلحني لَيتَ شِعري
He once could not bear to be apart from me.
If only I knew why he reproaches me—if only I knew!
رَشأٌa young gazelle مِنfrom صُدودِهِhis aversion كُلُّall شَكوىcomplaint
رَشأٌ مِن صُدودِهِ كُلُّ شَكوى
وَلِنُعمىand for the bounty of مُحَمَّدٍMuhammad كُلُّall شُكريmy thanks
وَلِنُعمى مُحَمَّدٍ كُلُّ شُكري
A young gazelle: all my complaint springs from his aversion,
And all my thanks are for Muhammad's bounty.
كَمhow many حَوىhe possessed واِستَباحَand seized بيضاًfair ones وَسُمراًand dark ones
كَم حَوى واِستَباحَ بيضاً وَسُمراً
وَحَمىand he guarded مثلهاtheir like بيضٍwhite blades وَسُمرِand tawny spears
وَحَمى مثلها بيضٍ وَسُمرِ
How many fair and dark ones he has possessed and seized,
And guarded their like with white blades and tawny spears.