لَهفيmy sorrowful longing عَلىfor الزَمَنِthe time القَصيرِthe brief
لَهفي عَلى الزَمَنِ القَصيرِ
بَينَbetween الخَوَرنَقِal-Khawarnaq وَالسَديرِand al-Sadir
بَينَ الخَوَرنَقِ وَالسَديرِ
Alas for that brief time
My yearning for the fleeting time
between al-Khawarnaq and al-Sadir,
Between Al-Khuwairnaq and As-Sadir
إِذwhen نَحنُwe فيin غُرَفِchambers الجِناthe gardens (start)
إِذ نَحنُ في غُرَفِ الجِنا
نِgardens (end) نَعومُwe swim فيin بَحرِa sea السُرورِjoy
نِ نَعومُ في بَحرِ السُرورِ
when we were in the chambers of the gardens,
When we were in the chambers of paradise
swimming in a sea of joy,
Floating in an ocean of delight
فيamong فِتيَةٍyoung men مَلَكواthey possessed عِناreins (start)
في فِتيَةٍ مَلَكوا عِنا
نَreins (end) الدَهرِTime أَمثالِlike الصُقورِthe falcons
نَ الدَهرِ أَمثالِ الصُقورِ
among young men who held the reins
With youths who possessed the qualities
of Time, like falcons;
Of eagles in defying fate's spite
ماnot مِنهُمُamong them إِلّاexcept الجَسوthe bold man (start)
ما مِنهُمُ إِلّا الجَسو
رُbold (end) عَلىin pursuing الهَوىdesire غَيرُnot الحَصورِthe abstainer from women
رُ عَلى الهَوى غَيرُ الحَصورِ
not one among them but was bold
Nothing but courageous hearts
in desire, no abstainer from women.
Unrestrained by passion's plight
يَتَعاوَرونَthey pass round مُدامَةًwine
يَتَعاوَرونَ مُدامَةً
صَهباءَtawny مِنfrom حَلَبِmilking العَصيرِthe pressed juice
صَهباءَ مِن حَلَبِ العَصيرِ
They pass round wine,
Passing around a silver goblet
tawny, milked from the pressed juice,
Of the purest grape juice bright
عَذراءَvirgin رَبّاهاnurtured it شُعاray (start)
عَذراءَ رَبّاها شُعا
عُray (end) الشَمسِthe sun فيin حَرِّheat الهَجيرِthe blazing noon
عُ الشَمسِ في حَرِّ الهَجيرِ
a virgin, nurtured by the rays
A maiden raised by the rays
of the sun in the heat of noon.
Of the sun in the heat of the Hijr
لَمdid not تُدنَbe brought near مِنto نارٍa fire وَلَمand did not
لَم تُدنَ مِن نارٍ وَلَم
يَعلَقcling بِهاto it وَضَرُgreasy residue القُدورِthe cooking pots
يَعلَق بِها وَضَرُ القُدورِ
It was never brought near fire, nor
Untouched by any fire, unstained
did the grime of cooking pots cling to it.
By the smoke of cooking pots
وَمُقَرطَقٍand a tunic-clad person يَمشيhe walks أَماbefore (start)
وَمُقَرطَقٍ يَمشي أَما
مَbefore (end) القَومِthe company كَالرَشاءِlike a fawn الغَريرِthe guileless
مَ القَومِ كَالرَشاءِ الغَريرِ
And one clad in a tunic walks before
And a server walking with grace
the company, like a guileless fawn,
Before the group proud in his attire
بِزُجاجَةٍwith a bottle تَستَخرِجُit draws out الthe
بِزُجاجَةٍ تَستَخرِجُ ال
سِرَّsecret الدَفينَthe buried مِنَfrom الضَميرِthe inmost heart
سِرَّ الدَفينَ مِنَ الضَميرِ
with a bottle that draws out the
With a bottle extracting the
buried secret from the inmost heart,
Secrets of the soul entire
زَهراءَradiant مِثلِlike الكَوكَبِthe star الدُرِّيpearly (start)
زَهراءَ مِثلِ الكَوكَبِ الدُرِّي
يِpearly (end) فيin كَفِّpalm المُديرِthe cupbearer
يِ في كَفِّ المُديرِ
radiant, like a pearly star,
A radiant flower like a starry pearl
in the cupbearer's palm.
In the hand of fate's player
تَدَعُit leaves الكَريمَthe noble man وَلَيسَand does not يَدhe knows (start)
تَدَعُ الكَريمَ وَلَيسَ يَد
ريknows (end) ماwhat قَبيلٌfront مِنfrom دَبيرِback
ري ما قَبيلٌ مِن دَبيرِ
It leaves the noble man unable
She leaves the noble and knows not
to tell front from back.
What destiny holds in its reins
وَمُخَصَّراتٍand slender-waisted women زُرنَناthey visited us
وَمُخَصَّراتٍ زُرنَنا
بَعدَafter الهُدّوِّthe stillness مِنَfrom الخُدورِthe secluded chambers
بَعدَ الهُدّوِّ مِنَ الخُدورِ
And slender-waisted women visited us
And singers after performed odes
after all grew still, from their secluded chambers:
Adorned with rings 'round their waist chains
رَيّاfull and plump رَوادِفُهُنَّtheir haunches يَلthey wear (start)
رَيّا رَوادِفُهُنَّ يَل
بَسنَthey wear (end) الخَواتِمَthe rings فيaround الخُصورِthe waists
بَسنَ الخَواتِمَ في الخُصورِ
their haunches full, they wear
Of shy gaze and cheeks aflame
rings around their waists;
Houries of paradise terrains
غُرِّbright الوُجوهِthe faces مُحَجِّباveiled (start)
غُرِّ الوُجوهِ مُحَجِّبا
تٍveiled (end) قاصِراتِrestraining الطَرفِthe gaze حورِbeauties with vivid black-and-white eyes
تٍ قاصِراتِ الطَرفِ حورِ
bright of face and veiled,
Reveling in bounty immersed
modest of gaze, with eyes of vivid black and white;
In perfumes of sweetest rains
مُتَنَعِّماتٍenjoying luxury فيin النَعيluxury (start)
مُتَنَعِّماتٍ في النَعي
مِluxury (end) مُضَمَّخاتٍlavishly perfumed بِالعَبيرِwith blended perfume
مِ مُضَمَّخاتٍ بِالعَبيرِ
reveling in luxury,
Swaying in robes of splendor
lavishly scented with perfume;
Silks and satins mundane
يَرفُلنَthey sweep along فيin حُلَلِrobes المَحاbeauty (start)
يَرفُلنَ في حُلَلِ المَحا
سِنِbeauty (end) وَالمَجاسِدِand saffron-dyed garments وَالحَريرِand silk
سِنِ وَالمَجاسِدِ وَالحَريرِ
they sweep along in robes of beauty,
Only seeing the sun through
and saffron-dyed garments and silk.
The shade of curtain terrains
ماnot إِنemphatic particle يَرَينَthey see الشَمسَthe sun إِلexcept (start)
ما إِن يَرَينَ الشَمسَ إِل
لاexcept (end) الفَرطَat rare intervals مِنthrough خَلَلِgaps السُتورِthe curtains
لا الفَرطَ مِن خَلَلِ السُتورِ
They never see the sun except
To God's honest trustee we fled
on rare occasions, through gaps in the curtains.
From fate's calamities and chains
وَإِلىand to أَمينِthe trusted one اللَهِGod مَهرَflight (start)
وَإِلى أَمينِ اللَهِ مَهرَ
بُناour flight (end) مِنَfrom الدَهرِTime العَثورِprone to stumbling
بُنا مِنَ الدَهرِ العَثورِ
And to God's trusted one we flee
And to Him we lamented our plight
from ever-stumbling Time;
At dawn and dusk complains
وَإِلَيهِand toward him أَتعَبناwe wearied المَطاthe mounts (start)
وَإِلَيهِ أَتعَبنا المَطا
ياmounts (end) بِالرَواحِwith evening travel وَبِالبُكورِand with early-morning travel
يا بِالرَواحِ وَبِالبُكورِ
and toward him we wearied our mounts
Cheeks shuddered as if they
with evening travel and journeys at dawn:
Were the wings of eagles in flight
صُعرَturned aside الخُدودِthe cheeks كَأَنَّماas though
صُعرَ الخُدودِ كَأَنَّما
جُنِّحنَthey were winged أَجنِحَةَwings النُسورِthe eagles
جُنِّحنَ أَجنِحَةَ النُسورِ
their cheeks turned aside, as though
Draped in shadows across
they had been given eagles' wings,
The easy and arduous terrains
مُتَسَربِلاتٍrobed بِالظَلاin darkness (start)
مُتَسَربِلاتٍ بِالظَلا
مِdarkness (end) عَلىover السُهولَةِsmooth ground وَالوُعورِand rugged terrain
مِ عَلى السُهولَةِ وَالوُعورِ
robed in darkness,
Until He brought us to
over smooth ground and rugged terrain,
The Lord of cities and domains
حَتّىuntil وَصَلنَthey arrived بِناwith us إِلىto
حَتّى وَصَلنَ بِنا إِلى
رَبِّlord المَدائِنِthe cities وَالقُصورِand the palaces
رَبِّ المَدائِنِ وَالقُصورِ
until they brought us to
Who was still an infant
the lord of cities and palaces.
In the days of yore temporal
ماnot زالَceased قَبلَbefore فِطامِهِhis weaning
ما زالَ قَبلَ فِطامِهِ
فيin سِنِّthe age of مُكتَهِلٍa mature man كَبيرِelderly
في سِنِّ مُكتَهِلٍ كَبيرِ
He was ever, even before his weaning,
of a mature elder's years.
Partial English translation: 44 of 46 Arabic lines translated.