عَفاmay pardon اللَهُGod عَمَّنfor the one who لَمdid not يَزُرنيvisit me مُوَدِّعاًbidding farewell
عَفا اللَهُ عَمَّن لَم يَزُرني مُوَدِّعاً
فَقَدfor indeed قَرِحَتgrew sore مِنهُof him لِذاكَbecause of that مَدامِعُهhis tear ducts
فَقَد قَرِحَت مِنهُ لِذاكَ مَدامِعُه
May God pardon the one who did not visit me to bid farewell;
May God pardon the one who did not visit me to bid farewell,
for because of him—on that account—my eyes have grown sore.
For his tear ducts had grown sore because of that.
غَزالٌa gazelle رَعىgrazed on نَبتَthe vegetation of العِراقِIraq وَطُرقُهُand his paths
غَزالٌ رَعى نَبتَ العِراقِ وَطُرقُهُ
رِحابٌbroad فَأَمسَتthen came to be فيin الحِجازِthe Hijaz مَراتِعُهhis pastures
رِحابٌ فَأَمسَت في الحِجازِ مَراتِعُه
A gazelle grazed Iraq’s herbage, and its roads
A gazelle grazed on Iraq's greenery, and his paths
were broad; then its grazing grounds came to lie in the Hijaz.
Were broad; then his pastures came to lie in the Hijaz.
وَكانَand he was أَميراًa prince لاnot يُشَفِّعُaccept intercession from شافِعاًan intercessor
وَكانَ أَميراً لا يُشَفِّعُ شافِعاً
وَلَمand did not يَرضَaccept مِنّيfrom me رُشوَةًa bribe فَأُصانِعُهso I might win his favor
وَلَم يَرضَ مِنّي رُشوَةً فَأُصانِعُه
He was a prince for whom no intercessor’s plea availed,
And he was a prince who would heed no intercessor,
and he accepted no bribe from me by which I might win his favor.
Nor would he accept a bribe from me by which I might win his favor.
طَرِبتُI yearned إِلىfor أَهلِthe people of الحِجازِthe Hijaz وَقَدand already بَداappeared
طَرِبتُ إِلى أَهلِ الحِجازِ وَقَد بَدا
سُهَيلُSuhayl اليَمانيthe Yemeni وَاِستَهَلَّتand shone forth مَطالِعُهits rising places
سُهَيلُ اليَماني وَاِستَهَلَّت مَطالِعُه
I yearned for the people of the Hijaz when there appeared
I yearned for the people of the Hijaz, as there appeared
Suhayl of Yemen, and its rising places came into view.
Suhayl the Yemeni, and the places of its rising shone forth.
أَتانيcame to me كِتابٌa letter مِنfrom خَلوبٍa charmer وَصَدرُهُand its opening
أَتاني كِتابٌ مِن خَلوبٍ وَصَدرُهُ
عَلَيكَupon you سَلامٌpeace ماas long as حَلاwas pleasing البَرقُthe lightning لامِعُهits gleam
عَلَيكَ سَلامٌ ما حَلا البَرقُ لامِعُه
A letter came to me from a beguiling beloved; its opening read:
A letter came to me from a charmer, and its opening read:
“Peace be upon you as long as lightning’s gleaming flash is lovely.”
Peace be upon you as long as lightning's gleam delights.
شَكاhe lamented ماwhat بِهِwithin him مِنof شَوقِهِhis longing فيin كِتابِهِhis letter
شَكا ما بِهِ مِن شَوقِهِ في كِتابِهِ
وَأَكثَرُand greater مِنهُthan that ماwhat تُجِنُّconceal أَضالِعُهhis ribs
وَأَكثَرُ مِنهُ ما تُجِنُّ أَضالِعُه
In his letter he lamented the longing that afflicted him,
He lamented in his letter the longing that afflicted him,
yet greater than that is what his breast conceals.
Yet what his ribs conceal is greater still.
فَظَلَّthen kept يُناجينيwhispering to me الكِتابُthe letter كَأَنَّماas though
فَظَلَّ يُناجيني الكِتابُ كَأَنَّما
تُحَرِّكُmove ليfor me حَرفَthe script of الكِتابِthe letter أَصابِعُهhis fingers
تُحَرِّكُ لي حَرفَ الكِتابِ أَصابِعُه
The letter kept speaking intimately to me, as though
Then the letter kept whispering to me, as though
his fingers were moving its very script before me.
His fingers were moving the letter's script for me.
فَبِتُّso I spent the night كَأَنّيas though I مُمسِكٌholding رَأسَthe head of حَيَّةٍa snake
فَبِتُّ كَأَنّي مُمسِكٌ رَأسَ حَيَّةٍ
يُخادِعُهاhe seeks to outwit it عَنaway from نَفسِهِhimself وَتُخادِعُهand it seeks to outwit him
يُخادِعُها عَن نَفسِهِ وَتُخادِعُه
I spent the night like one gripping a snake by the head,
So I spent the night like one holding a snake's head,
trying to coax it away from himself while it sought to outwit him.
Seeking to outwit it to protect himself, while it sought to outwit him.
