وَساجِعٍand a cooing bird فيin فُروعِbranches الأَيكِthe grove هَيَّجَنيstirred me
وَساجِعٍ في فُروعِ الأَيكِ هَيَّجَني
لَمnot أَدرِI knew لِمwhy ناحَhe wailed مِمّاbecause of what بيafflicts me وَلِمand why سَجَعاhe cooed
لَم أَدرِ لِم ناحَ مِمّا بي وَلِم سَجَعا
A cooing bird among the branches of the grove stirred me;
And a cooing bird in the grove's branches stirred me;
I knew not why he wailed at my affliction, nor why he sang—
In my distress, I knew not why he wailed or why he cooed:
أَباكِياًwas he weeping for إِلفَهُhis mate مِنfrom بَعدِafter فَرقَتِهِhis separation
أَباكِياً إِلفَهُ مِن بَعدِ فَرقَتِهِ
أَمor جازِعاًdistressed لِلنَوىover separation مِنfrom قَبلِbefore أَنthat تَقعاit should occur
أَم جازِعاً لِلنَوى مِن قَبلِ أَن تَقعا
Was he weeping for his beloved after their parting,
Was he weeping for his mate after their parting,
Or grieving at separation before it had come to pass?
Or dreading separation before it came to pass?
يَدعوhe calls حَمامَتَهُhis dove وَالطَيرُand the birds هاجِعَةٌasleep
يَدعو حَمامَتَهُ وَالطَيرُ هاجِعَةٌ
فَماso not هَجَعتُI slept لَهُbecause of him لَيلاًat night وَلاand not هَجعاhe slept
فَما هَجَعتُ لَهُ لَيلاً وَلا هَجعا
He called to his mate while all the birds were sleeping,
He calls to his dove while the birds lie sleeping;
And for his sake I slept not at night—not a wink.
So I did not sleep at night because of him, nor did he.
مُوَشَّحٌdraped سُندُساًfine silk خُضرٌgreen مناكِبُهُhis shoulders
مُوَشَّحٌ سُندُساً خُضرٌ مناكِبُهُ
تَرىyou see مِنَof المِسكِmusk فيin أَذيالِهِhis trailing feathers لُمَعاpatches
تَرى مِنَ المِسكِ في أَذيالِهِ لُمَعا
Clad in fine silk, his shoulders green,
He is draped in fine silk, his shoulders green;
You see glints of musk upon the skirts of his plumage.
You see patches of musk in his trailing feathers.
لَهُhe has مِنَof الآسmyrtle طَوقٌa collar فَوقَabove لَبَّتِهِhis upper breast
لَهُ مِنَ الآس طَوقٌ فَوقَ لَبَّتِهِ
مِنَof البَنَفسَجِviolet وَالخيريِّand wallflower قَدalready جُمِعاwere combined
مِنَ البَنَفسَجِ وَالخيريِّ قَد جُمِعا
Around his throat he wears a collar of myrtle,
He has a collar of myrtle above his breast,
Woven together of violets and wallflowers.
Of violet and wallflower joined together.
كَأَنَّماas though عَبَّhe drank deeply فيin مُسوَدِّthe blackened part of غاليَةٍghāliyah perfume
كَأَنَّما عَبَّ في مُسوَدِّ غاليَةٍ
وَحَلَّand settled مِنfrom تَحتِهِbeneath him الكافورُcamphor فانتَقَعاso he turned pale
وَحَلَّ مِن تَحتِهِ الكافورُ فانتَقَعا
It is as though he had drunk deep of a dark perfume,
As though he had drunk deep from black ghāliyah perfume,
While camphor spread beneath it and turned ashen-white.
And camphor settled beneath him, turning him pale.
كَأَنَّas though عَينَيهِhis two eyes مِنbecause of حُسنِthe beauty of اِصفِرارِهِماtheir yellowness
كَأَنَّ عَينَيهِ مِن حُسنِ اِصفِرارِهِما
فَصّانِtwo gems مِنfrom حَجَرِstone الياقوتِsapphire قَدalready قُطِعاwere cut
فَصّانِ مِن حَجَرِ الياقوتِ قَد قُطِعا
His eyes, so lovely in their yellowness, seem
As though his eyes, so beautifully yellow,
Two gems cut from sapphire stone.
Were two gems cut from sapphire.
كَأَنَّas though رِجلَيهِhis two legs مِنbecause of حُسنِthe beauty of اِحمِرارِهِماtheir redness
كَأَنَّ رِجلَيهِ مِن حُسنِ اِحمِرارِهِما
ماwhat رَقَّwas slender مِنof شُعَبِbranches المَرجانِcoral فاِتَّسَعاthen spread wide
ما رَقَّ مِن شُعَبِ المَرجانِ فاِتَّسَعا
His feet, so lovely in their redness, seem
As though his legs, so beautifully red,
The finest spreading branches of coral.
Were slender coral branches that had spread wide.
شَكاhe lamented النَوىseparation فَبَكىso he wept خَوفَfor fear of الأَسىgrief فَرَمىthen he cast
شَكا النَوى فَبَكى خَوفَ الأَسى فَرَمى
بَينَbetween الجَوانِحِthe ribs مِنfrom أَوجاعِهِhis pains وَجَعاa pang
بَينَ الجَوانِحِ مِن أَوجاعِهِ وَجَعا
He lamented separation and wept for fear of sorrow, casting
He lamented separation, wept for fear of grief, and cast
Between my ribs an ache born of his own pains.
A pang of his own pain between my ribs.
وَالريحُand the wind تَخفِضُهُlowers him طوراًat times وَتَرفَعُهُand raises him
وَالريحُ تَخفِضُهُ طوراً وَتَرفَعُهُ
طوراًat times فمُنخَفِضاًthus lowered يَدعوhe calls وَمُرتَفِعاand raised
طوراً فمُنخَفِضاً يَدعو وَمُرتَفِعا
The wind lowers him awhile, then lifts him,
And the wind lowers him at times and lifts him
And now low, now high, he calls.
At others; so he calls, now low, now aloft.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were راهِبٌa monk فيat رأَسِthe top of صَومَعَةٍa hermitage
كَأَنَّهُ راهِبٌ في رأَسِ صَومَعَةٍ
يَتلوhe recites الزَبورَthe Psalms وَنَجمُand the star الصُبحِof dawn قَدalready طَلَعاhas risen
يَتلو الزَبورَ وَنَجمُ الصُبحِ قَد طَلَعا
He is like a monk atop a hermitage,
As though he were a monk atop a hermitage,
Reciting the Psalms as the morning star rises.
Reciting the Psalms, with the morning star already risen.
