تَجافىdrew away مِرفَقايَmy two elbows عَنِfrom الوِسادِthe pillow
تَجافى مِرفَقايَ عَنِ الوِسادِ
كَأَنَّas though بِهِupon it مَنابِتَgrowing places لِلقَتادِfor thorny qatad
كَأَنَّ بِهِ مَنابِتَ لِلقَتادِ
My elbows drew away from the pillow,
My arms shun the pillow,
as though thorny qatad grew upon it.
As if thorns grow upon it.
فَياso, O مَنwho يَشتَريbuys أَرَقاًsleeplessness بِنَومٍwith sleep
فَيا مَن يَشتَري أَرَقاً بِنَومٍ
فَيَسلُبَand thus strip عَينَهُhis eye ثَوبَthe robe الرُقادِslumber
فَيَسلُبَ عَينَهُ ثَوبَ الرُقادِ
Ah, who will buy sleeplessness with sleep,
So sleep that robs the eyes,
and strip his eye of slumber's robe?
I'd purchase at any price!
تَطاوَلَdragged on بيfor me سُهادُsleeplessness اللَيلِthe night حَتّىuntil
تَطاوَلَ بي سُهادُ اللَيلِ حَتّى
رَسَتlay anchored عَينايَmy two eyes فيin بَحرِthe sea السُهادِsleeplessness
رَسَت عَينايَ في بَحرِ السُهادِ
The night's sleeplessness dragged on for me until
Night's slumber stretched so long,
my eyes lay anchored in the sea of sleeplessness.
My eyes sank in a sea of sleep.
وَباتَتand spent the night تُمطِرُrains العَبَراتِtears عَينيmy eye
وَباتَت تُمطِرُ العَبَراتِ عَيني
وَعينُand the spring الدَمعِtears تَنبُعُwells up مِنfrom فُؤاديmy heart
وَعينُ الدَمعِ تَنبُعُ مِن فُؤادي
And my eye spent the night raining tears,
And all night long my eyes rained tears,
and the spring of tears wells up from my heart.
As tears sprang from my heart's core.
كَأَنَّas though جُفونَeyelids عَينيmy eye قَدalready تَواصَتenjoined one another
كَأَنَّ جُفونَ عَيني قَد تَواصَت
بِأَنthat لاnot تَلتَقيmeet حَتّىuntil التَنادِthe Day of Calling
بِأَن لا تَلتَقي حَتّى التَنادِ
As though my eyelids had enjoined one another
My lids agreed they'd never meet,
not to meet until the Day of Calling.
Not even for a moment's greet.
فَلَوso if أَنَّthat الرُقادَslumber يُباعُis sold بَيعاًa sale
فَلَو أَنَّ الرُقادَ يُباعُ بَيعاً
لَأَغلَيتُI would make costly الرُقادَslumber عَلىfor العِبادِpeople
لَأَغلَيتُ الرُقادَ عَلى العِبادِ
So if slumber were offered for sale,
If sleep could be sold,
I would make slumber costly for everyone.
I'd buy it all from people untold!
لَعَمرُكَby your life ماnot هَناكَgladdened you قُدومُarrival فَوزٍFawz
لَعَمرُكَ ما هَناكَ قُدومُ فَوزٍ
وَلاand not جادَتwas generous عَلَيكَto you بِطيبِwith fine زادِprovisions
وَلا جادَت عَلَيكَ بِطيبِ زادِ
By your life, Fawz's arrival did not gladden you,
By your life, no fortune comes your way,
nor did she lavish fine provisions on you.
No kindness spreads provision your way.
يُجَدَّدُis renewed صَرمُهاher estrangement فيin كُلِّevery يَومٍday
يُجَدَّدُ صَرمُها في كُلِّ يَومٍ
وَلَكِنand yet لاnot يَطولُlasts long بِهِin it التَماديpersistence
وَلَكِن لا يَطولُ بِهِ التَمادي
Her estrangement is renewed every day,
Daily it's sting renews,
yet her persistence in it does not last long.
But endurance it won't subdue.
وَلَوand if جَدَّbecame serious القِلىaversion لَرَحلتُI would have departed عَنهاfrom her
وَلَو جَدَّ القِلى لَرَحلتُ عَنها
وَلَمand not نَسكُنwe dwell جَميعاًtogether فيin بِلادِa land
وَلَم نَسكُن جَميعاً في بِلادِ
And had her aversion been real, I would have left her,
If endurance sufficed, I'd leave this place,
and we would not have lived together in the same land,
And we'd never live together in one place.
مَخافَةَfor fear أَنthat يَقولَwould say الناسُthe people إِنّاthat we
مَخافَةَ أَن يَقولَ الناسُ إِنّا
خَتَمناwe ended الوُدَّaffection مِنّاfrom us بِالفَسادِwith discord
خَتَمنا الوُدَّ مِنّا بِالفَسادِ
for fear that people would say we
Lest people say we sealed affection with hate,
had ended the affection between us in discord.
And ended our love with unworthy debate.
وَكانَتand she was بِالحِجازِin the Hijaz فَكُنتُso I was أَرجوhoping
وَكانَت بِالحِجازِ فَكُنتُ أَرجو
لِرَجعَتِهاfor her return مُحافَظَةَpreservation الوَدادِaffection
لِرَجعَتِها مُحافَظَةَ الوَدادِ
And she was in the Hijaz, so I hoped
When she left for Hejaz, I hoped
that affection would be preserved for her return.
Her return would keep our love intact.
وَلَوand if خِفتُI feared القَطيعَةَestrangement حَيثُwhere حَلَّتshe settled
وَلَو خِفتُ القَطيعَةَ حَيثُ حَلَّت
رَضيتُI was content بِأَنthat تُقيمَshe remain عَلىat البُعادِa distance
رَضيتُ بِأَن تُقيمَ عَلى البُعادِ
And had I feared estrangement where she settled,
Had I feared our bond would break,
I would have been content for her to remain far away.
I'd be content with distant heartache.
فَياso, O حَزَنيmy grief لِنَفسيfor myself بَعدَafter فَوزٍFawz
فَيا حَزَني لِنَفسي بَعدَ فَوزٍ
وَياand O طولَlength اِغتِرابيmy exile وَاِنفِراديand my solitude
وَيا طولَ اِغتِرابي وَاِنفِرادي
Ah, my grief for myself after Fawz,
What sorrow for me, after fortune smiled!
and how long my exile and my solitude!
How long my estrangement and solitude!
كَأَنّيas though I لَمnot أَخُضI plunged غَمَراتِdepths هَولٍterror
كَأَنّي لَم أَخُض غَمَراتِ هَولٍ
لِكالِئِهاfor her watcher مِنَfrom اللَحَظاتِglances هادِa guide
لِكالِئِها مِنَ اللَحَظاتِ هادِ
As though I had never plunged into the depths of terror,
As if I never braved moments of fear,
with glances serving as a guide for her watcher.
Calmed by the gentle hours sincere.
أُبادِرُI race دونَهاbefore reaching her عَجَانَʿAjān أَمشيI walk
أُبادِرُ دونَها عَجَانَ أَمشي
رُوَيدَslowly المَشيِwalking مُضطَرِبَswaying النِجادِthe sword-belt
رُوَيدَ المَشيِ مُضطَرِبَ النِجادِ
I race ʿAjān to reach her, walking
I rush ahead in haste, walking in anger,
slowly, my sword-belt swaying.
With a restless stride growing stranger.
وَكُنّاand we were عاشِقَينِtwo lovers ذَوَيpossessing صَفاءٍpure affection
وَكُنّا عاشِقَينِ ذَوَي صَفاءٍ
وَوَريٍand kindled fire فيin الجَوانِحِthe ribs ذيpossessing اِتِّقادِblazing heat
وَوَريٍ في الجَوانِحِ ذي اِتِّقادِ
And we were two lovers with pure affection,
Ours was a pure love, flaming within,
and a kindled fire blazing within our ribs.
Daily we were intimate, affection would win.
وَكُنّاand we were لاnot نَبيتُretire for the night الدَهرَever حَتّىuntil
وَكُنّا لا نَبيتُ الدَهرَ حَتّى
نَكونَwe are مِنَof اللِقاءِmeeting عَلىin اِتِّعادِa mutual pledge
نَكونَ مِنَ اللِقاءِ عَلى اِتِّعادِ
And we never retired for the night until
But time brought change, as all things expire,
we had made a pledge to meet.
Fading away as days retire.
فَغيَّرَهاso it changed her الزَمانُtime وَكُلُّand every شَيءٍthing
فَغيَّرَها الزَمانُ وَكُلُّ شَيءٍ
يَصيرُcomes إِلىto التَغيُّرِchange وَالنَفادِand depletion
يَصيرُ إِلى التَغيُّرِ وَالنَفادِ
Then time changed her, and everything
By the dancing girls of every ravine,
comes to change and an end.
Who gather to dwell in torn ruins unclean!
أَماindeed وَالراقِصاتِby the dancing she-camels بِكُلِّthrough every فَجٍّmountain pass
أَما وَالراقِصاتِ بِكُلِّ فَجٍّ
تَؤُمُّhead for البَيتَthe House فيthrough خَرقٍwasteland وَوادِand valley
تَؤُمُّ البَيتَ في خَرقٍ وَوادِ
Indeed, by the she-camels dancing through every pass,
You've won my heart, dwelling in its cover,
bound for the House through wasteland and valley,
Penetrating organ and soul with your lover.
لَقَدcertainly ظَفِرَتtriumphed مَوَدَّتُكُمyour love بِقَلبيover my heart
لَقَد ظَفِرَت مَوَدَّتُكُم بِقَلبي
فَحَلَّتso it settled فيin الشَغافِthe heart's sheath وَفيand in الفُؤاديmy heart
فَحَلَّت في الشَغافِ وَفي الفُؤادي
your love has surely captured my heart,
If I wished, your peers would join me,
so it lodged in my heart's sheath and in my heart.
Pure women seeking my company.
وَلَوand if أَنّيthat I أَشاءُwish لَواصَلَتنيthey would unite with me
وَلَو أَنّي أَشاءُ لَواصَلَتني
ذَواتُwomen possessing حِجىًgood sense إِلىfor وَصليunion with me صَوادِthirsting
ذَواتُ حِجىً إِلى وَصلي صَوادِ
And if I wished, I would be joined in love by
Daughters of your father in beauty arrayed,
women of good sense, thirsty for union with me:
Kind and compliant, affection displayed.
عَقائِلُnoble women مِنamong بَناتِdaughters أَبيكِyour father صُوَرٌّinclined
عَقائِلُ مِن بَناتِ أَبيكِ صُوَرٌّ
إِليَّtoward me ذَواتُpossessing عَطفٍaffection وَاِنقيادِand yielding
إِليَّ ذَواتُ عَطفٍ وَاِنقيادِ
noble women among your father's daughters, inclined
Thirsty I came to drink and sate,
toward me, affectionate and yielding.
But no fresh water you donate.
فَجِئتُكُمُso I came to you عَلىin ظَمَإٍthirst لِأَروىto quench my thirst
فَجِئتُكُمُ عَلى ظَمَإٍ لِأَروى
فَلَمbut not يَكُthere was عِندَكُمwith you بَلَلٌmoisture لِصادِfor one thirsty
فَلَم يَكُ عِندَكُم بَلَلٌ لِصادِ
So I came to you thirsty, to quench my thirst,
No ignorance was it, leaving the sea behind,
but you had no moisture for one athirst.
Coming to suckle milk long dried!
وَماand not جَهلاًout of ignorance تَرَكتُI left البَحرَthe sea خَلفيbehind me
وَما جَهلاً تَرَكتُ البَحرَ خَلفي
وَجِئتُكُمُand I came to you إِلىto مَصِّsucking الثِمادِscant pools of water
وَجِئتُكُمُ إِلى مَصِّ الثِمادِ
And it was not through ignorance that I left the sea behind me,
Time turned favor upon me,
and came to you to suck at scant pools.
In her intercession my pillar would be.
وَقَدand indeed قَلَبَturned الزَمانُtime عَلَيَّagainst me يُمناًYumn
وَقَد قَلَبَ الزَمانُ عَلَيَّ يُمناً
وَكانَand was إِلىon شَفاعَتِهاher intercession عِماديmy reliance
وَكانَ إِلى شَفاعَتِها عِمادي
And time has indeed turned Yumn against me,
Jesus betrayed my hidden tale,
and I had relied on her intercession.
And became my foe in the morn unveiled.
وَباحَand spoke openly بِسِرِّيَof my secret المَكنونِhidden عيسىIsa
وَباحَ بِسِرِّيَ المَكنونِ عيسى
فَأَصبَحَso he became وَهوَand he مِنamong حَدَثِnew ones الأَعاديthe enemies
فَأَصبَحَ وَهوَ مِن حَدَثِ الأَعادي
And Isa divulged my hidden secret,
Now all lovers look on me in delight,
so he became one of my new enemies.
When I was embroiled in love's fight.
وَأَصبَحتِand became العَواشِقُthe women in love شامِتاتٍgloating
وَأَصبَحتِ العَواشِقُ شامِتاتٍ
وَكُنتُand I was مِنbecause of العَواشِقِthe women in love فيin جِهادِa struggle
وَكُنتُ مِن العَواشِقِ في جِهادِ
And the women in love began to gloat,
and I had been struggling with those women in love.
Partial English translation: 52 of 54 Arabic lines translated.