سفرتْshe unveiled herself والليلُand the night داجٍdark فأناراso it grew bright
سفرتْ والليلُ داجٍ فأنارا
وأعادتْand she turned حندسَthe deep darkness الجنحِof nightfall نهاراinto day
وأعادتْ حندسَ الجنحِ نهارا
She unveiled herself while night was dark, and it grew bright,
She traveled while the night was still dark, so she illuminated and made the wings of the morning shine again.
and turned the blackness of nightfall into day.
The young gazelle stood tall with a delicate gait, the doe of the valley concealing herself with shyness.
بانةُa bān-tree الناديof the gathering قواماًin stature أهيفاًslender-waisted
بانةُ النادي قواماً أهيفاً
ظببيةُa female gazelle الواديof the valley لحاظاًin glances ونفاراand in shying away
ظببيةُ الوادي لحاظاً ونفارا
The gathering's bān-tree, slender of figure,
Are those the eyelids of a gazelle or another gazelle? Or is it a blade, or has it become sharp this evening?
the valley's gazelle in her glances and her shying away.
She dwelled near my heart and possessed grace. May Allah protect her, she does not graze near others.
جفنُan eyelid ظبيٍof a gazelle ذاكthat أمor جفنُa sheath ظبىof sword-blades
جفنُ ظبيٍ ذاك أم جفنُ ظبى
أوor شفرٌan eyelid's edge هوit أمor أمسىhas become شفاراblades
أو شفرٌ هو أم أمسى شفارا
Is that a gazelle's eyelid, or a sheath for sword-blades?
And if she who is like the full moon were to become my neighbor, that would be little for one like me.
Or is it an eyelid's edge—or has it become blades?
Did that star shout a farewell and forget? Or did you see her ignite a fire among the thorns?
جاورتْshe became a neighbor to قلبيmy heart وحازتand acquired صلفاًhaughtiness
جاورتْ قلبي وحازت صلفاً
ياO رعاهاmay He protect her اللهGod ماnot ترعىshe respects جواراneighborliness
يا رعاها الله ما ترعى جوارا
She dwelt beside my heart and took on haughtiness.
My patience was lost in the misguidance of love, and my sadness in the darkness, oh how hot it became!
O, may God keep her! She honors no neighborly bond.
The day of wishes passed me by, and she cast hot coals into my heart, yet no embers.
وقليلand a small thing عندin the eyes of مثليone like me لوif غدتit became
وقليل عند مثلي لو غدت
دارةُthe halo البدرof the full moon لتلكfor that الشمسsun داراa home
دارةُ البدر لتلك الشمس دارا
And it would be a small thing to one like me, were
And she came to me while Al-Thurayya (star cluster) was circling, wearing a bracelet from the crescent horizon.
the full moon's halo to become that sun's home.
What visitation circumambulated humbly? The night took its gown when it came to visit.
صاحِO friend ذاكthat النجمُthe star بعداًin remoteness وسنىand radiance
صاحِ ذاك النجمُ بعداً وسنى
أوor تراهاyou see her أوقدتshe kindled فيin الحيّthe encampment ناراa fire
أو تراها أوقدت في الحيّ نارا
Friend, is that the star, distant and radiant,
Where is Greater Syria from the Hejaz that weakened it? The mind's insight draws near to the sanctuary.
or do you think she has kindled a fire in the camp?
If we had the power when destinies converge, we would have made the stars of the night disperse.
إنَّindeed صبريmy patience ضلَّwent astray فيamong ضالwild lote trees الحمىof the preserve
إنَّ صبري ضلَّ في ضال الحمى
وهجوعيand my slumber فيin الدجىthe darkness ياO حارِHarith (shortened vocative) حاراlost its way
وهجوعي في الدجى يا حارِ حارا
Indeed, my patience has strayed among the wild lote trees of the preserve,
How excellent is an abode whose shade we wore, and whose blossoms we picked as adornments!
and my slumber has lost its way in the dark, O Harith.
While the cheeks of the tender gazelle blushed from shyness, and the wild cows dazzled with beauty and blossoms.
فاتنيeluded me يومَon the day of منىMina منهاfrom her المنىthe wishes
فاتني يومَ منى منها المنى
ورمتْand she cast فيinto القلبthe heart جمراًembers ولاand not جماراstoning-pebbles
ورمتْ في القلب جمراً ولا جمارا
On the day at Mina, my hopes of her eluded me,
And desire asked about their curves, while devotion bent the stalks of palms laden with fruit.
and she cast embers into my heart, not pebbles.
How my pouring tears have loved her, showering down in streams from the rain!
وأتتنيand she came to me والثرياwhile the Pleiades معصمa wrist
وأتتني والثريا معصم
منfrom هلالthe crescent الأفقof the horizon يحتلtakes its place سواراas a bracelet
من هلال الأفق يحتل سوارا
And she came to me, the Pleiades a wrist
Ask the rain clouds about my tears of anguish, and ask the lightning about my sighs that ignited.
wearing the horizon's crescent as a bracelet.
If we slaughtered ourselves in her plains, it would have been our aim, or we would have watered it with our blood.
أيwhat a زورvisitor طافpassed by تدنيهbrings him near النّوىseparation
أي زور طاف تدنيه النّوى
تخذَhe took الليلthe night إزاراًas a wrap حينwhen زاراhe visited
تخذَ الليل إزاراً حين زارا
What a visitor passed by, whom separation brought near—
You ignited a fire within my breast, oh kindler of tears, and lit the wicks.
he took the night for a wrap when he came!
Hearing blame is painful for them. I do not like vowing or being too harsh.
أينhow far is شامٌSham منfrom حجازٍthe Hijaz موهناًlate at night
أين شامٌ من حجازٍ موهناً
إنَّindeed عيسَthe pale camels الفكرof thought يدنينbring near المزاراthe place of visitation
إنَّ عيسَ الفكر يدنين المزارا
How far is Sham from the Hijaz, late at night!
Rather, I only ask for a gentle downpour, the plot of the noble one being smooth and cascading.
Indeed, thought's pale camels bring the place of visitation near.
لوif قدرناwe were able حينwhen يجلوهit reveals him الكرىslumber
لو قدرنا حين يجلوه الكرى
لجعلناwe would make أنجمَthe stars الليلof night نثاراscattered offerings
لجعلنا أنجمَ الليل نثارا
If we had the power, when slumber reveals him,
we would scatter the stars of night in welcome.
حبَّذاhow lovely is دارٌa dwelling لبسناwe wore ظلَّهاits shade
حبَّذا دارٌ لبسنا ظلَّها
وخلعناand we cast off فيin عذاريهاits two sides العذاراthe bridle
وخلعنا في عذاريها العذارا
How lovely the dwelling whose shade we wore,
and at whose sides we cast off the bridle!
وخودُand the tender maiden الغيدof the graceful women تدمىbleeds خجلاًwith bashfulness
وخودُ الغيد تدمى خجلاً
والرُّبىand the hills تبهرdazzle زنداًa firestick وبهاراand yellow blossoms
والرُّبى تبهر زنداً وبهارا
And the tender maiden among the graceful women bleeds with bashfulness,
and the hills dazzle with firesticks and yellow blossoms.
والهوىand love يسألasks عنabout أعطافهمtheir flanks
والهوى يسأل عن أعطافهم
والتثنيand swaying قضبَthe boughs البانof the bān-tree الغيارىthe jealous
والتثني قضبَ البان الغيارى
And love asks—about their flanks
and their swaying—the jealous boughs of the bān.
كمhow often حباهاbestowed on her فيضُthe flood دمعيof my tears هجمةa herd of camels
كم حباها فيضُ دمعي هجمة
صافحتshook hands with فيهاtherein منof القطرrain قطاراa camel-caravan
صافحت فيها من القطر قطارا
How often the flood of my tears bestowed on her a herd,
which shook hands there with a caravan of rain.
فسلواso ask عنabout أدمعيmy tears الغيثّthe rain همىpoured down
فسلوا عن أدمعي الغيثّ همى
وسلواand ask عنabout زفرتيmy sigh البرقthe lightning استطاراflashed forth
وسلوا عن زفرتي البرق استطارا
So ask the rain, as it pours, about my tears,
and ask the lightning, as it flashes forth, about my sigh.
لوif عقرناwe slaughtered البدنthe sacrificial camels فيin ساحاتهاher courtyards
لو عقرنا البدن في ساحاتها
كانit would be قصداًmoderate أوor سقيناهاwe watered her العقاراwith wine
كان قصداً أو سقيناها العقارا
If we slaughtered the sacrificial camels in her courtyards,
it would be modest—or were we to water her with wine.
ولقدand indeed أذكيتِyou kindled ناراًa fire فيin الحشىthe innermost breast
ولقد أذكيتِ ناراً في الحشى
ياO مذاكيswift mature steeds الدمعof tears وقيتmay you be spared العثاراstumbling
يا مذاكي الدمع وقيت العثارا
And indeed you have kindled a fire within my breast,
O swift steeds of tears—may you be spared stumbling!
وسماعُand hearing اللَّومreproach لؤمٌis baseness فيهمconcerning them
وسماعُ اللَّوم لؤمٌ فيهم
لاnot أحبُّI love النذرthe vow أوليهI bestow it نزاراupon Nizar
لا أحبُّ النذر أوليه نزارا
And hearing reproach about them is baseness;
I do not love the vow I bestow upon Nizar.
لاno ولاnor أسألI ask for إلاَّexcept ديمةًa steady rain
لا ولا أسأل إلاَّ ديمةً
كيدِlike the hand of الفاضلal-Fadil سحاًpouring abundantly وانهماراand streaming down
كيدِ الفاضل سحاً وانهمارا
No, nor do I ask for anything but a steady rain,
like al-Fadil's hand, pouring and streaming.
Partial English translation: 21 of 42 Arabic lines translated.