قضىdecreed حُبُّهhis love ألاthat ... not تُطَاعَbe obeyed عواذلهhis reproachers
قضى حُبُّه ألا تُطَاعَ عواذله
وهلand would ...? يَرعوىdesist للعَذلat reproach والحبُّwhile love شاغلُهengrosses him
وهل يَرعوى للعَذل والحبُّ شاغلُه
His love decreed that his reproachers go unheeded.
And would he yield to reproach while love engrosses him?
محبٌّa lover يَحُلُّunties الوَجدyearning عقدَthe knot of اصطبَارِهhis endurance
محبٌّ يَحُلُّ الوَجد عقدَ اصطبَارِه
إذاwhen البَينُseparation شُدَّتwere saddled للفراقِfor departure رواحلُهits riding camels
إذا البَينُ شُدَّت للفراقِ رواحلُه
A lover whose longing unravels the knot of his endurance
when separation's mounts are saddled for departure.
أأحبابَناO our beloved ones إنif ألَّفreunited الدهرُtime شَملَناour company
أأحبابَنا إن ألَّف الدهرُ شَملَنا
تحلىwould be adorned بلُقياكمby meeting you منof العيشlife عاطلُهits unadorned part
تحلى بلُقياكم من العيش عاطلُه
O our beloved ones, if time reunites us,
what is bare in life would be adorned by meeting you.
نأيتُمyou went far away فلولاbut were it not for ماwhat تُقَرِّرُهُaffirm it المُنىhopes
نأيتُم فلولا ما تُقَرِّرُهُ المُنى
بقلبيin my heart عليكمconcerning you ماnot استقَرَّتsettled بلابلُهits anxieties
بقلبي عليكم ما استقَرَّت بلابلُه
You have gone far away; but for what hopes affirm
in my heart about you, its anxieties would never have settled.
وأهيفُand a slender-waisted youth يحكيimitates الغصنُthe bough لينَthe suppleness of قوامهِhis figure
وأهيفُ يحكي الغصنُ لينَ قوامهِ
وتفعَلُand perform أفعالَthe deeds of الشَّمُولِwine شَمائَلُهhis graces
وتفعَلُ أفعالَ الشَّمُولِ شَمائَلُه
And a slender-waisted youth—a bough mimics his supple figure,
and his graces do what wine does.
يَلينُis tender إلىto the point أنthat يَجرَحَmight wound الوهمُimagination جسمَهhis body
يَلينُ إلى أن يَجرَحَ الوهمُ جسمَه
وتَغرَقَand drown فيin ماءthe water of النعيمbliss غَلائِلُهhis thin inner robes
وتَغرَقَ في ماء النعيم غَلائِلُه
He is so delicate that imagination could wound his body,
and his fine robes drown in the water of bliss.
إذاwhen ماemphatic particle بداhe appears منfrom شعرِهِhis hair فيamid ذوائبٍtresses
إذا ما بدا من شعرِهِ في ذوائبٍ
رأيتَyou see غزالاًa gazelle لمdid not ترُعهُfrighten it حبائِلُهits snares
رأيتَ غزالاً لم ترُعهُ حبائِلُه
When he appears amid the tresses of his hair,
you see a gazelle unfrightened by its own snares.
رَمَىhe shot فانتضىthen he unsheathed منfrom لحظthe glance of عينيهِhis eyes صارماًa keen sword
رَمَى فانتضى من لحظ عينيهِ صارماً
عذارَهُhis cheek-down عندin the eyes of الناظرينonlookers حمائَلُهits baldrics
عذارَهُ عند الناظرين حمائَلُه
He shot, then drew a keen sword from his eyes' glance;
its baldrics, to onlookers, are the down along his cheeks.
وسدَّدَand he aimed منfrom عطفَيهِhis two flanks لَدناًsupple مُثَقَّفاًstraightened
وسدَّدَ من عطفَيهِ لَدناً مُثَقَّفاً
وناظُرهُand his eye الفَّتانُbewitching بالسِّحرwith magic عاملُهits spearpoint
وناظُرهُ الفَّتانُ بالسِّحر عاملُه
And from his flanks he leveled a supple, straightened spear;
and his eye, bewitching with magic, is its spearpoint.
أرىI see خصرهhis waist أهدىhas gifted لجسميto my body تحولَهits transformation
أرى خصره أهدى لجسمي تحولَه
فهاso here أناI فيهbecause of him مدنفailing in الجسمthe body ناحِلُهlean in it
فها أنا فيه مدنف الجسم ناحِلُه
I see his waist has bestowed its transformation on my body;
so here I am, because of him, sick in body and gaunt.
رمانيhe shot me فأصمىand struck dead نُبلُthe arrows of عينيهhis eyes مُقلتيmy eye
رماني فأصمى نُبلُ عينيه مُقلتي
فواهاًso, alas لصبٍّfor a love-stricken man قدalready أُصيبَتwere struck مَقائَلُهhis resting places
فواهاً لصبٍّ قد أُصيبَت مَقائَلُه
He shot me; his eyes' arrows dealt my eye a mortal blow.
Ah, for a lover whose resting places have been struck!
أأرجوcan I hope? حياةًlife عِندِwith منone who ماسَswayed أوor رناgazed
أأرجو حياةً عِندِ من ماسَ أو رنا
ورامِحُهُand his lancer يَسطوassails علىupon ونابلهand his archer
ورامِحُهُ يَسطو على ونابله
Can I hope for life beside one who sways or gazes,
while his lancer and his archer assail me?
وإنيand indeed I لمعتادٌam certainly accustomed بحملِto bearing خُطُوبهِhis trials
وإني لمعتادٌ بحملِ خُطُوبهِ
إذاwhen كلَّgrew weary أوor أعيىbecame exhausted منfrom الهمِّsorrow حاملُهits bearer
إذا كلَّ أو أعيى من الهمِّ حاملُه
And I am indeed accustomed to bearing his trials,
when sorrow's bearer grows weary or exhausted.
أقولI say لفقريto my poverty مرحباwelcome لتيقنيbecause of my certainty
أقول لفقري مرحبا لتيقني
بأنof the fact that عليّاًAli بالمكارمthrough noble deeds قائِلُهthe one who says it
بأن عليّاً بالمكارم قائِلُه
I say to my poverty, "Welcome!" for I am certain
that Ali says it through acts of generosity.