ورقdoves فيin الدجىthe darkness أرقنthey kept awake جفنيmy eyelid
ورق في الدجى أرقن جفني
وأحرمنيand deprived me of المنامsleep
وأحرمني المنام
Doves in the darkness kept my eyelids sleepless,
Sleep evaded me as leaves rustled in the night,
And deprived me of sleep.
And dreams eluded me,
ذكرنيreminded me of لقاmeeting منthe one who غابwas absent عنيfrom me
ذكرني لقا من غاب عني
معسولhoney-sweet الوشامthe tattoo marks
معسول الوشام
They reminded me of meeting the one absent from me,
Reminding me of one I love who's been absent,
Whose tattoo marks are honey-sweet.
With lips sweet as wine.
روحيmy soul فداa ransom for منthe one who هجرنيforsook me
روحي فدا من هجرني
ومنand the one who بحسنهthrough his beauty ملكنيpossessed me
ومن بحسنه ملكني
My soul be ransom for the one who forsook me,
My soul I'd sacrifice for one who abandoned me,
And who possessed me through his beauty,
And whose beauty enthralled me,
عنfrom كلّevery شاغلdistraction شغلنيdistracted me
عن كلّ شاغل شغلني
ماhow لذّsweet is هذاthis التجنيcruelty
ما لذّ هذا التجني
Distracting me from every other concern.
Distracting me from all distractions,
How sweet this cruelty is!
Oh, the bliss of this longing!
مذهبيmy creed الهوىlove ياO منyou who عذلنيreproached me
مذهبي الهوى يا من عذلني
ماnot أسمعI heed لكfrom you ملامreproach
ما أسمع لك ملام
Love is my creed, O you who reproached me;
My way is love, though you blame me.
I heed no reproach from you.
I hear no reproach.
لوeven if ساجيlanguid الرناthe gaze حبهlove for him قتلنيkilled me
لو ساجي الرنا حبه قتلني
ماnot هوit لهfor him حرامforbidden
ما هو له حرام
Even if love for the one with the languid gaze killed me,
If the doe were to perish from her love,
It would not be forbidden to him.
No sin would she bear.
آهيmy lament منfrom هوىlove of غزلانgazelles حاجرHajir
آهي من هوى غزلان حاجر
كمhow long أطلنthey prolonged الصدودrejection
كم أطلن الصدود
Ah, my grief for love of Hajir's gazelles!
Alas for the passion of the graceful gazelle!
How long they have prolonged their rejection!
How long have I yearned!
ماwhat هذاthis العجبwonder سودdark النواظرthe eyes
ما هذا العجب سود النواظر
يصطدنthey hunt الأسودthe lions
يصطدن الأسود
What a marvel: the dark-eyed ones
What wonder is this that dark-eyed ones
Hunt lions.
ensnare the lion?
كمhow many a عاقلwise man أدهشbewildered عقلهhis reason
كم عاقل أدهش عقله
وبحنand they permitted فيin الحبّlove قتلهhis slaying
وبحن في الحبّ قتله
How many a wise man has had his reason bewildered,
How many a wise one's mind was perplexed,
And they have deemed his slaying in love lawful!
And he perished in love,
ولذّand grew sweet ليto me فيهin it ذلهhis abasement
ولذّ لي فيه ذله
قولواtell لمنthe one whose طالgrew prolonged عذلهhis reproach
قولوا لمن طال عذله
And his abasement in it has grown sweet to me.
Finding delight in such disgrace!
Tell the one whose reproach has gone on so long:
Tell those who blame me long,
يكفينيsuffices me الهوىlove كمhow much تمتحنيyou test me
يكفيني الهوى كم تمتحني
لاmay ... not نلتyou attain المرامthe aim
لا نلت المرام
Love is enough for me—how much you test me!
My love tries me enough, I'll get no rest.
May you never attain your aim!
Leave me to love the fair one,
دعنيleave me فيin هوىlove for زينbeautiful الثنىthe swaying form
دعني في هوى زين الثنى
انيindeed I لهto him غلامa servant
اني له غلام
Leave me in love with the one of graceful sway;
For to him I'm a slave.
I am his servant.
I swear by the guiding Prophet Muhammad,
أقسمI swear بالنبيby the Prophet الهاديthe guiding one محمدMuhammad
أقسم بالنبي الهادي محمد
ماnot استمعI listen to العذولthe reproacher
ما استمع العذول
I swear by the guiding Prophet, Muhammad:
No heed I pay to censures.
I do not listen to the reproacher.
By the righteous, merciful, glorious
البرّthe benevolent الرحيمthe merciful الندبthe magnanimous الأمجدthe most glorious
البرّ الرحيم الندب الأمجد
النورthe light الرسولthe Messenger
النور الرسول
The benevolent, the merciful, the magnanimous, the most glorious,
Messenger of light,
The light, the Messenger,
The pure son of the pure,
الطيبthe pure one ابنson of الأطايبthe purest ones
الطيب ابن الأطايب
سيدmaster of بنيthe sons of آلthe family of غالبGhalib
سيد بني آل غالب
The pure one, son of the purest,
Master of the Family of the Victorious,
Master of the sons of the house of Ghalib.
I ask him for success in my hopes,
أسالهI ask him for نجحfulfillment of المطالبthe wishes
أساله نجح المطالب
وسترand concealment of كلّevery المثالبfault
وستر كلّ المثالب
I ask him for the fulfillment of my wishes,
And to veil all my faults.
And the concealment of every fault.
O Prophet, my sin prevented me,
اننيindeed I ياO نبيProphet ذنبيmy sin منعنيbarred me
انني يا نبي ذنبي منعني
عنfrom عاليthe lofty المقامstation
عن عالي المقام
Indeed, O Prophet, my sin has barred me
From the lofty stations.
From the lofty station.
Help me, O succor of creation, revive me,
قمstand بيby me ياO غياثsuccor of الخلقcreation غثنيcome to my aid
قم بي يا غياث الخلق غثني
ياO مسكmusk of الختامthe ending
يا مسك الختام
Stand by me, O succor of creation; come to my aid,
O seal of prophets!
O musk of the ending!
Partial English translation: 35 of 36 Arabic lines translated.