طابَتgrew sweet أوقاتيmy hours بمحبوبٍwith a beloved كlike [fragment]
طابَت أوقاتي بمحبوبٍ ك
حبّهhis love ذخريmy treasure
حبّه ذخري
My hours grew sweet with a beloved—like...
My time was blessed with a beloved like
His love is my treasure.
His love is my provision
ترغبyou seek منone whom لاno لناfor us عنهwithout him الفنىannihilation [uncertain form]
ترغب من لا لنا عنه الفنى
فيin صلاحsetting right أمريmy affairs
في صلاح أمري
You seek one without whom we have no annihilation [wording unclear],
Those who don't care for us wish
In setting my affairs right.
For my affairs to be corrected
أناI هوhe شيخmaster of الشرابwine ماnot فيamong الملاحthe beautiful ones
أنا هو شيخ الشراب ما في الملاح
لذbecame sweet ليto me التمزيقrending
لذ لي التمزيق
I am he, the master of wine—not among the fair [wording unclear].
I am the master of wine, there is no fault in delicacy
Rending became sweet to me.
Tearing me to pieces was enjoyable to me
ابسطواspread out سجّادتيmy prayer rug راحاًwine براحwith wine
ابسطوا سجّادتي راحاً براح
قربواbring close الإبريقthe ewer
قربوا الإبريق
Spread my prayer rug—wine with wine.
Spread my prayer rug out, going in comfort
Bring the ewer close.
Bring the pitcher nearer
احملواinterpret تغريديmy singing فيin الإصطلاحtechnical usage
احملوا تغريدي في الإصطلاح
ياO ذويpossessors of التحقيقrealization
يا ذوي التحقيق
Take my singing in its special sense,
Carry my singing in prose
O people of realization.
O you who investigate
ياO أناI منهfrom him أناI حتّىeven أناI
يا أنا منه أنا حتّى أنا
همتُI wandered فيin سكريmy drunkenness
همتُ في سكري
O I! From him am I—even I.
Either I am because of him or I am, even I am
I wandered in my drunkenness.
I intended in my intoxication
سمعونيlet me hear طيبَsweetness of ألحانِmelodies of الغِناsong
سمعوني طيبَ ألحانِ الغِنا
فعسىso perhaps ندريI know
فعسى ندري
Let me hear the sweet melodies of song,
Listen to me, the beautiful melodies of singing
So perhaps I may understand,
Perhaps we may wake up, O you who are poor, from my intoxication
كيso that نفيقI sober up ياO فقراpoor ones منfrom سكرتيmy drunkenness
كي نفيق يا فقرا من سكرتي
نقرواpluck فيupon العودthe lute
نقروا في العود
That I may sober up, O poor ones, from my drunkenness.
Strum the lute
Pluck upon the lute.
And carry me atop the throne of my generosity
واحملونيand carry me فوقabove عرشtrellis of كرمتيmy grapevine
واحملوني فوق عرش كرمتي
عاشقa lover مفقودlost
عاشق مفقود
And carry me above my vine's trellis,
A lover who is lost
A lost lover.
And make its water to be for my kiss
واجعلواand place منsome of مائهاits water فيin قبلتيmy direction of prayer
واجعلوا من مائها في قبلتي
واعصرُواand press العنقودthe grape cluster
واعصرُوا العنقود
And place some of its water where I face in prayer,
And squeeze the grapes
And press the cluster of grapes.
And make its leaves be for me a shroud
واجعلواand make أوراقَهاits leaves ليfor me كفناًa shroud
واجعلوا أوراقَها لي كفناً
ماؤهاits water طهريmy purification
ماؤها طهري
And make its leaves a shroud for me;
Its water my purity
Its water is my purification.
Above or below or on the right
فوقُabove أوor منfrom تحتُbelow أوor عنon ميمناthe right side
فوقُ أو من تحتُ أو عن ميمنا
احفرواdig قبريmy grave
احفروا قبري
Above, or below, or on the right,
Dig my grave
Dig my grave.
I died with my breath, my shirt, and my buttons
بمتُI [unclear verb] دنفاسيmy [unclear word] ودلفيand my [unclear word] والإزرارand the fastening
بمتُ دنفاسي ودلفي والإزرار
وبقيتand I remained عريانnaked
وبقيت عريان
I [unclear verb] my [unclear], and my [unclear], and the fastening,
And remained naked
And I remained naked.
And I walked among the panels of the houses
ومشيتand I walked بينamong دوحاتِspreading trees of الديارthe dwellings
ومشيت بين دوحاتِ الديار
وأناand I نشوانintoxicated
وأنا نشوان
And I walked among the dwellings' spreading trees,
While I was happy
And I was intoxicated,
Among vinegars and cups that were passed around
بينamong خلّانclose companions وأكواسٍand cups تدارpassed around
بين خلّان وأكواسٍ تدار
تسحرُbewitch الأدهانthe oils [perhaps 'minds']
تسحرُ الأدهان
Among companions and cups passed round,
Bewitching the oils
That bewitch the oils [perhaps 'minds'].
I have no wealth at all for drinking wine
ليسthere is not ليfor me أصلاًat all علىconcerning الشربdrinking غنىfreedom from need
ليس لي أصلاً على الشرب غنى
والهوىand love سكريmy drunkenness
والهوى سكري
I cannot do without drinking at all,
And passion is my intoxication
And love is my drunkenness.
And you, O you who are poor, O you who are our mother
وانتمواand affiliate yourselves ياO ففراpoor ones [probable correction] ياO أمناtrusted ones [uncertain form]
وانتموا يا ففرا يا أمنا
أكتمواconceal سريmy secret
أكتموا سري
And affiliate yourselves, O [poor ones?], O trusted ones,
Conceal my secret
Keep my secret.
My belief was that I loved him
كانwas ظنيmy belief أنَّنيthat I نعشقهُI love him
كان ظني أنَّني نعشقهُ
وهوand he ليme يعشقloves
وهو لي يعشق
I thought that I loved him,
And he loved me
Yet he loves me.
I distance myself and he draws near to me
أناI نبعدُdraw away وهوwhile he يقربُdraws near ليto me
أنا نبعدُ وهو يقربُ لي
صرbecome بيwith me أرفقgentler
صر بي أرفق
I draw away, while he comes near to me.
He was gentle with me
Be gentler with me.
Love was revealed, it hung low, so my hanging was low
تجلىrevealed itself الحبlove تدلىdescended فدليthen was lowered [uncertain]
تجلى الحب تدلى فدلي
ساعةat the hour of الذكرremembrance
ساعة الذكر
Love revealed itself, descended, then was lowered [reading uncertain],
At the moment of remembrance
At the hour of remembrance.
So smile, one of you, our sorrows
فحتI gave off fragrance أحداك[unclear word] احزانناour sorrows
فحت أحداك احزاننا
واختفىand vanished سريmy secret
واختفى سري
I gave off fragrance—[unclear word]—our sorrows.
And my secret disappeared
And my secret vanished.
So the separation became long, allow me to be sprinkled
فهام[unclear; perhaps 'arrows'] البينseparation دعlet ترشُقنيpelt me
فهام البين دع ترشُقني
سلمواhand over ماليmy wealth
سلموا مالي
Let the [arrows?] of separation pelt me.
Hand over my belongings
Hand over my wealth.
I love him and he burdens me
أناI نهواهُlove him وهوwhile he بمشقنيlashes me [uncertain reading]
أنا نهواهُ وهو بمشقني
سلّمواaccept حاليmy state
سلّموا حالي
I love him, while he [lashes me?].
Hand over my condition
Accept my state.
He took me when it appeared he would split me
ساقنيhe led me لمّاwhen بدىhe appeared أنشقنيhe made me inhale
ساقني لمّا بدى أنشقني
نشدَهُhis chant [uncertain reading] الغاليprecious
نشدَهُ الغالي
He led me; when he appeared, he made me inhale
The precious one pulled me
His precious chant [reading uncertain].
And he is a spirit that erected my body
وهوَand he ليfor me روحٌa spirit أقامsustained البدناthe body
وهوَ لي روحٌ أقام البدنا
هوhe فيin سريmy secret
هو في سري
And he is my spirit, which has sustained the body.
He is my secret
He is within my secret.
Do not be blind, do not separate in our sea
لاdo not تعُمswim تفرقyou scatter فيin بحرناour sea
لا تعُم تفرق في بحرنا
ذاكthat هوit بحريmy sea
ذاك هو بحري
Do not swim—you will be scattered in our sea.
That is my sea
That is my sea.
Partial English translation: 51 of 52 Arabic lines translated.