غَضِبَgrew angry الحَبيبُthe beloved فَهاجَso stirred ليin me اِستِعبارُweeping
غَضِبَ الحَبيبُ فَهاجَ لي اِستِعبارُ
وَاللَهُand God ليfor me مِمّاagainst what أُحاذِرُI fear جارُa protector
وَاللَهُ لي مِمّا أُحاذِرُ جارُ
The beloved grew angry, stirring me to tears;
The beloved was angry and wrath rose against me,
and God is my protector against what I fear.
By Allah, what I fear most is the neighbor,
كُنّاwe used to نُغايِظُvex بِالوِصالِwith our union مَعاشِراًsome people
كُنّا نُغايِظُ بِالوِصالِ مَعاشِراً
لَهُمُfor them الغَداةَthis morning بِصَرمِناat our parting اِستِبشارُrejoicing
لَهُمُ الغَداةَ بِصَرمِنا اِستِبشارُ
We used to vex some people with our union;
We used to provoke with union a group
this morning they rejoice at our parting.
Who in the morning rejoiced at the sight of us,
إِذfor لاnot أَرىI see شِكلاًa pair يَكونُthat is كَشِكلِناlike our pair
إِذ لا أَرى شِكلاً يَكونُ كَشِكلِنا
حُسناًin beauty ويَجمَعُناand unites us هُناكَthere جِوارُneighborly proximity
حُسناً ويَجمَعُنا هُناكَ جِوارُ
For I see no pair that can match us
Since I do not see a shape that is like ours,
in beauty, and there our closeness as neighbors unites us.
Beautiful, and join us there, neighborhood,
وَكَأَنَّناand as though we لَمdid not نَجتَمِعmeet فيin مَجلِسٍa gathering
وَكَأَنَّنا لَم نَجتَمِع في مَجلِسٍ
فيهِin it الغِناءُsinging وَنَرجِسٌand narcissi وَبَهارُand oxeye daisies
فيهِ الغِناءُ وَنَرجِسٌ وَبَهارُ
And it is as though we never met in a gathering
It is as if we did not meet in a session
with singing, narcissi, and oxeye daisies.
In which there was singing, narcissus, and blossoms,
مَاhow كانَwas أَشأَمَill-omened مَجلِساًa gathering كُنّاwe were بِهِat it
مَا كانَ أَشأَمَ مَجلِساً كُنّا بِهِ
تِلكَthat العَشِيَّةَevening وَالعِداand the enemies حُضّارُpresent
تِلكَ العَشِيَّةَ وَالعِدا حُضّارُ
How ill-omened was the gathering we attended
How ominous was the session we were in
that evening, with our enemies present!
That evening, and the enemies were present,
مَدَنِيَّةٌa woman of Medina أَمسىhas become العِراقُIraq مَحَلَّهاher abode
مَدَنِيَّةٌ أَمسى العِراقُ مَحَلَّها
وَلَهاand she has بِزَوراءِin Zawra المَدينَةِthe city دارُa house
وَلَها بِزَوراءِ المَدينَةِ دارُ
She is a woman of Medina; Iraq has become her abode,
Urbanity which Iraq has become its abode
and she has a house in the city's Zawra.
And for it in Zawra’a Al Madina home,
أَدنىclosest قَرابَتِناour kinship إِليهاwith her أَنَّناthat we
أَدنى قَرابَتِنا إِليها أَنَّنا
شَخصانِtwo people يَجمَعُناunites us إِلَيهِto him نِزارُNizar
شَخصانِ يَجمَعُنا إِلَيهِ نِزارُ
Our closest kinship with her is that we are
The closest kinship to it that we
two people united by descent from Nizar.
Are two persons united to it by affinity,
ياO أَيُّهاyou الرَجُلُthe man المُعَذِّبُwho torments قَلبَهُhis heart
يا أَيُّها الرَجُلُ المُعَذِّبُ قَلبَهُ
أَقصِرdesist فَإِنَّfor indeed شِفاءَكَyour cure الإِقصارُdesisting
أَقصِر فَإِنَّ شِفاءَكَ الإِقصارُ
O man who torments his own heart,
O you, man, whose heart is tortured,
desist, for your cure lies in desisting.
Be brief, for healing is in brevity,
نَزَفَdrained البُكاءُweeping دُموعَthe tears عَينِكَof your eye فَاِستَعِرso borrow
نَزَفَ البُكاءُ دُموعَ عَينِكَ فَاِستَعِر
عَيناًan eye لِغَيرِكَbelonging to someone other than you دَمعُهاits tears مِدرارُflowing abundantly
عَيناً لِغَيرِكَ دَمعُها مِدرارُ
Weeping has drained your eye of tears; borrow
Tears flowed from your eyes, so borrow
someone else's eye, whose tears flow freely.
An eye from another whose tears flow,
مَنwho ذاis it that يُعيرُكَlends you عَينَهُhis eye تَبكيyou weep بِهاwith it
مَن ذا يُعيرُكَ عَينَهُ تَبكي بِها
أَرَأَيتَhave you seen عَيناًan eye لِلبُكاءِfor weeping تُعارُlent out
أَرَأَيتَ عَيناً لِلبُكاءِ تُعارُ
Who will lend you his eye to weep with?
Who will lend you an eye to cry with it?
Have you ever seen an eye lent for weeping?
Have you seen an eye lent for crying?
الحُبُّlove أَوَّلُat the beginning ماwhen يَكونُit comes to be لِجاجَةًobstinacy
الحُبُّ أَوَّلُ ما يَكونُ لِجاجَةً
تَأتيcome بِهِwith it وَتَسوقُهُand drive it onward الأَقدارُthe fates
تَأتي بِهِ وَتَسوقُهُ الأَقدارُ
Love, when it first arises, is obstinacy,
Love is first immaturity
which the fates bring forth and drive onward.
Brought about by destiny,
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen اِقتَحَمَplunges into الفَتىthe young man لُجَجَdeep waters الهَوىof love
حَتّى إِذا اِقتَحَمَ الفَتى لُجَجَ الهَوى
جاءَتcome أُمورٌtroubles لاnot تُطاقُcan be borne كِبارُgreat
جاءَت أُمورٌ لا تُطاقُ كِبارُ
until, when a youth plunges into love's deep waters,
Until the youth plunges into the pitfalls of passion,
great troubles come that cannot be borne.
Matters come that cannot be endured,
وَإِذاand when نَظَرتَyou look إِلىat المُحِبِّthe lover عَرَفتَهُyou recognize him
وَإِذا نَظَرتَ إِلى المُحِبِّ عَرَفتَهُ
وَبَدَتand appear عَلَيهِupon him مِنَfrom الهَوىlove آثارُmarks
وَبَدَت عَلَيهِ مِنَ الهَوى آثارُ
And when you look at a lover, you recognize him,
And when you look at the lover, you recognize him
and the marks of love appear upon him.
And the traces of passion appear on him,
قُلsay ماwhatever بَداoccurs لَكَto you أَنto تَقولَsay فَرُبَّماfor often
قُل ما بَدا لَكَ أَن تَقولَ فَرُبَّما
ساقَdrives البلاءَaffliction إِلىto الفَتىthe young man المِقدارُfate
ساقَ البلاءَ إِلى الفَتى المِقدارُ
Say whatever you wish to say, for often
Say what you wanted to say, for perhaps
fate drives affliction toward a young man.
Destiny brought affliction upon the youth,
ياO فَوزُFawz هَلwould لَكِfor you أَنto تَعوديreturn لِلَّذيto what
يا فَوزُ هَل لَكِ أَن تَعودي لِلَّذي
كُناwe were عَلَيهِin it مُنذُsince نَحنُwe صِغارُwere children
كُنا عَلَيهِ مُنذُ نَحنُ صِغارُ
O Fawz, would you return to what
O Fawz, can you come back to what
we shared from the time we were children?
We were when we were young?
فَلَقَدfor indeed خَصَصتُكِI singled you out بِالهَوىfor love وَصَرَفتُهُand turned it away
فَلَقَد خَصَصتُكِ بِالهَوى وَصَرَفتُهُ
عَمَّنfrom whoever يُحَدَّثُis told عَنكُمُabout you فَيَغارُand so grows jealous
عَمَّن يُحَدَّثُ عَنكُمُ فَيَغارُ
For I singled you out for love and turned it away
For I singled you out with passion and diverted it
from anyone told of you who then grows jealous.
From those talked about you, so they envied,
هَلdo تَذكُرينَyou remember بِدارِin the house of بَكرٍBakr لَهوَناour revelry
هَل تَذكُرينَ بِدارِ بَكرٍ لَهوَنا
وَلَناand for us بِذاكَabout that مَخافَةٌfear وَحِذارُand caution
وَلَنا بِذاكَ مَخافَةٌ وَحِذارُ
Do you remember our revelry in Bakr's house,
Do you remember the Bakr’s house and our amusement
while we felt fear and caution about it?
And for that we had fear and caution?
مُتَطاعِمَينِfeeding one another بِريقِناwith our saliva فيin خَلوَةٍseclusion
مُتَطاعِمَينِ بِريقِنا في خَلوَةٍ
مِثلَlike الفِراخِthe chicks تَزُقُّهاfeed them from their beaks الأَطيارُthe birds
مِثلَ الفِراخِ تَزُقُّها الأَطيارُ
Feeding each other with our saliva in seclusion,
Or do you remember my visiting you disguised
like chicks that birds feed from their beaks.
Wearing a fur coat and veil?
أَمor تَذكُرينَyou remember لِدُلجَتيmy night journey مُتَنَكِّراًin disguise
أَم تَذكُرينَ لِدُلجَتي مُتَنَكِّراً
وَعَلَيَّand upon me فَرواtwo fur cloaks عاتِقٍof a maiden وَخِمارُand a veil
وَعَلَيَّ فَروا عاتِقٍ وَخِمارُ
Or do you remember my night journey in disguise,
I wished the night would last and
with a maiden's two fur cloaks and a veil upon me?
The day would be gone and there would be no day,
فَودِدتُso I wished أَنَّthat اللَيلَthe night دامَwould last وَأَنَّهُand that it
فَودِدتُ أَنَّ اللَيلَ دامَ وَأَنَّهُ
ذَهَبَwould depart النَهارُthe day فَلاand no يَكونُthere would be نَهارُday
ذَهَبَ النَهارُ فَلا يَكونُ نَهارُ
So I wished that night would last, and that
Is there no preserved sanctity for that?
day would depart, and there would be no day.
Shame on whoever cuts relations treacherously,
أَفَماis there then no لِذَلِكَfor that حُرمَةٌsanctity مَحفوظَةٌpreserved
أَفَما لِذَلِكَ حُرمَةٌ مَحفوظَةٌ
أُفٍّfie لِمَنon whoever هُوَhe قاطِعٌa breaker of ties غَدّارُtreacherous
أُفٍّ لِمَن هُوَ قاطِعٌ غَدّارُ
Does that, then, have no sanctity to be upheld?
I will admit to the sin I did not commit
Fie on whoever breaks ties and betrays!
If admitting benefits you,
سَأُقِرُّI will confess بِالذَنبِto the offense الَّذيwhich لَمdid not أَجنِهِI commit it
سَأُقِرُّ بِالذَنبِ الَّذي لَم أَجنِهِ
إِنif كانَis يَنفَعُuseful عِندَكِwith you الإِقرارُconfession
إِن كانَ يَنفَعُ عِندَكِ الإِقرارُ
I will confess to the offense I did not commit,
What do you order, may I sacrifice myself for you, about a man
if confession is of any use with you.
Whose eyelids do not meet eyelashes?
ماwhat تَأمُرينَdo you command فَدَتكِmay it ransom you نَفسيmy soul فيconcerning فَتىًa young man
ما تَأمُرينَ فَدَتكِ نَفسي في فَتىً
ماnever تَلتَقيmeet لِجُفونِهِof his eyelids أَشفارُeyelashes
ما تَلتَقي لِجُفونِهِ أَشفارُ
What do you command—may my soul ransom you—for a young man
Whoever hated you and spent his night
whose eyelids' lashes never meet?
Passion is surely harmful to passionate lovers,
مَنwhoever كانَis يُبغِضُكُمhates you فَباتَthen may he pass the night مَبيتَهُhis manner of passing the night
مَن كانَ يُبغِضُكُم فَباتَ مَبيتَهُ
إِنَّindeed الهَوىlove لِذَويto those with الهَوىlove ضَرّارُvery harmful
إِنَّ الهَوى لِذَوي الهَوى ضَرّارُ
May whoever hates you spend the night as that young man does!
The loved ones severed his rope, so it is as if
Indeed, love sorely harms those who love.
When they abandoned him and harmed him,
صَرَمَsevered الأَحِبَّةُthe loved ones حَبلَهُhis cord فَكأَنَّهُso he is like
صَرَمَ الأَحِبَّةُ حَبلَهُ فَكأَنَّهُ
إِذwhen غادَروهُthey deserted him وَضَرَّهُand hurt him الإِضرارُill-treatment
إِذ غادَروهُ وَضَرَّهُ الإِضرارُ
His loved ones severed his cord, so he was like—
A man whose illness dragged on in loneliness
when they deserted him and ill-treatment hurt him—
Travel took him away from his family,
رَجُلٌa man تَطاوَلَgrew prolonged سُقمُهُhis illness فيin غُربَةٍa foreign land
رَجُلٌ تَطاوَلَ سُقمُهُ في غُربَةٍ
نَزَحَتwent far away بِهِwith him عَنfrom أَهلِهِhis family الأَسفارُthe journeys
نَزَحَت بِهِ عَن أَهلِهِ الأَسفارُ
a man whose illness lingered in a foreign land,
He cannot devise a solution out of necessity
whom journeys carried far from his family.
He spent his evening with rumors about him circulated,
لاnot يَستَطيعُhe can مِنَbecause of الضَرورَةِhis desperate plight حيلَةًa way out
لا يَستَطيعُ مِنَ الضَرورَةِ حيلَةً
أَمسىhad become تُرَجَّمُconjectured دونَهُin his absence الأَخبارُthe reports
أَمسى تُرَجَّمُ دونَهُ الأَخبارُ
He could find no way out of his desperate plight;
Until an opportunity was made possible for him at that time
reports of him were now mere conjecture.
A caravan which trader riders cast lots over,
حَتّىuntil أُتيحَwas granted لَهُto him وَذاكَand that لِحَينِهِto his doom
حَتّى أُتيحَ لَهُ وَذاكَ لِحَينِهِ
رَكبٌa caravan رَمَتcast forth بِهِمُthem الفِجاجُthe mountain passes تِجارُmerchants
رَكبٌ رَمَت بِهِمُ الفِجاجُ تِجارُ
Until there was granted him—and that was to his doom—
They carried him thin between them
a caravan of merchants, cast his way by the mountain passes.
His clothes in rags, his bones visible,
حَمَلوهُthey carried him بَينَهُمُamong them نَحيلاًwasted جِسمُهُhis body
حَمَلوهُ بَينَهُمُ نَحيلاً جِسمُهُ
عاريbare العِظامِthe bones ثيابُهُhis clothes أَطمارُrags
عاري العِظامِ ثيابُهُ أَطمارُ
They carried him among them, his body wasted,
He lies tossed by palms, taken in
his bones bare, his clothes mere rags.
As pouches are fastened and placed under him,
فثَوىso he lay تُقَلِّبُهُturn him over الأَكُفُّthe hands مُلَقَّفاًpassed from hand to hand
فثَوى تُقَلِّبُهُ الأَكُفُّ مُلَقَّفاً
وَلَهُand for him تُشَدُّare strapped on وَتوضَعُand set down الأَكوارُthe camel saddles
وَلَهُ تُشَدُّ وَتوضَعُ الأَكوارُ
So he lay, turned by hands and passed from one to another,
Until an opportunity was made possible for him at that time
and for him camel saddles were strapped on and set down.
A caravan which trader riders cast lots over,
حَتّىuntil أُتيحَwas granted لَهُto him وَذاكَand that لِحَينِهِto his doom
حَتّى أُتيحَ لَهُ وَذاكَ لِحَينِهِ
رَكبٌa caravan رَمَتcast forth بِهِمُthem الفِجاجُthe mountain passes تِجارُmerchants
رَكبٌ رَمَت بِهِمُ الفِجاجُ تِجارُ
Until there was granted him—and that was to his doom—
They aimed to incapacitate the sick man, so they
a caravan of merchants, cast his way by the mountain passes.
Prevented him from boarding and left him behind and departed,
غَرِضواthey grew weary مِنَof النِضوِthe wasted man العَليلِailing فَعَطَّلواso they unburdened
غَرِضوا مِنَ النِضوِ العَليلِ فَعَطَّلوا
مِنهُof him الرِكابَthe riding camels وَخَلَّفوهُand left him behind وَسارواand went on
مِنهُ الرِكابَ وَخَلَّفوهُ وَساروا
They wearied of the wasted invalid, so they unburdened
their camels of him, left him behind, and went on.
Partial English translation: 62 of 64 Arabic lines translated.