أَقْوَتْgrew desolate مَغانيهمtheir dwellings فأقوىso it grew desolate الجسَدُthe body
أَقْوَتْ مَغانيهم فأقوى الجسَدُ
رَبْعَانِtwo abodes كلٌّeach بعدafter سُكْنىhabitation فَدْفَدُa barren waste
رَبْعَانِ كلٌّ بعد سُكْنى فَدْفَدُ
Their dwellings grew desolate, and so did my body.
Two abodes—each, once inhabited, now a barren waste.
أسألُI ask عنabout قلبيmy heart وعنand about أحبابِهits beloveds
أسألُ عن قلبي وعن أحبابِه
ومنهمُand among them كلُّevery مُقِرٍّone who admits يَجْحَدُdenies
ومنهمُ كلُّ مُقِرٍّ يَجْحَدُ
I ask about my heart and its beloveds,
yet every one among them who admits denies.
وهلand can تُجيبُanswer أَعْظُمٌbones بالِيةٌmoldering
وهل تُجيبُ أَعْظُمٌ بالِيةٌ
أوor أَرْسُمٌtraces دارِسةٌeffaced مَنone who يَنْشُدُsearches
أو أَرْسُمٌ دارِسةٌ مَن يَنْشُدُ
Can moldering bones respond,
or faded traces, to one who searches?
ليسthere is not بهاin them إلاّexcept بقاياremnants مُهجَتيmy lifeblood
ليس بها إلاّ بقايا مُهجَتي
وذاكand that one إلاّonly حجَرٌa stone أوor وَتِدُa tent-peg
وذاك إلاّ حجَرٌ أو وَتِدُ
There is nothing in them but remnants of my lifeblood,
and that other is only a stone or a tent-peg.
كأننيas though I were بينamong الطُّلولthe ruins واقِفاًstanding
كأنني بين الطُّلول واقِفاً
أَنْدُبُهُنَّI lament them الأشعثُthe ruffled one المُقَلّدُthe ring-necked one
أَنْدُبُهُنَّ الأشعثُ المُقَلّدُ
I seem, standing among the ruins,
lamenting them, a ruffled, ring-necked dove.
كأنّماas though أنواؤهاits encircling trenches خَلاخِلٌanklets
كأنّما أنواؤها خَلاخِلٌ
والمُثَّلُand the upright stones السُّفْعُsoot-dark حَمامٌdoves رُكَّدُat rest
والمُثَّلُ السُّفْعُ حَمامٌ رُكَّدُ
Their encircling trenches seem like anklets,
and the soot-dark standing stones like doves at rest.
صاحَcried out الغُرابُthe crow فكماthen as soon as تحمَّلواthey departed
صاحَ الغُرابُ فكما تحمَّلوا
مَشىit walked بهاthere كأنهas though it were مُقَيَّدُshackled
مَشى بها كأنه مُقَيَّدُ
The crow cried out; as soon as they departed,
it walked there as though shackled.
يَحْجِلُit hops فيin آثارهمْtheir tracks بَعْدَهُمُafter them
يَحْجِلُ في آثارهمْ بَعْدَهُمُ
باديplainly showing السِّماتthe markings أَبْقَعٌpied وأسْوَدُand black
بادي السِّمات أَبْقَعٌ وأسْوَدُ
It hops along their tracks after them,
its markings plain, pied and black.
لبِئْسَtruly wretched is ماwhat اعْتاضَتْit took in exchange وكانتْand it was قبلَbefore ذاthis
لبِئْسَ ما اعْتاضَتْ وكانتْ قبلَ ذا
تَرْتَعُgrazed freely فيهاin it ظَبَيَاتٌgazelles خُرَّدُbashful
تَرْتَعُ فيها ظَبَيَاتٌ خُرَّدُ
What a wretched exchange they made! Before this,
bashful gazelles used to graze within them.
لَيْتَwould that المطاياriding-camels للنَّوىfor separation ماnot خُلِقَتْwere created
لَيْتَ المطايا للنَّوى ما خُلِقَتْ
ولاand not حَداchanted to drive camels منof الحُداةِthe camel-drivers أحَدُanyone
ولا حَدا من الحُداةِ أحَدُ
Would that riding-camels had not been created for parting,
and no camel-driver had ever sung!
رُغاؤُهاtheir bellowing وَحَدْوهمand their camel-driving chants ماnever اجتمعاthe two mingled
رُغاؤُها وَحَدْوهم ما اجتمعا
للصَّبِّfor the love-stricken إلاّexcept وَشَجَاهand it tormented him الكمَدُgrief
للصَّبِّ إلاّ وَشَجَاه الكمَدُ
Their bellowing and their drivers' chants never mingle
for a lover without grief tormenting him.
تقاسَمواthey shared among themselves يومَon the day of الوداعfarewell كَبِديmy liver
تقاسَموا يومَ الوداع كَبِدي
فليسso there is no ليfor me منذsince توَلَّوْاthey departed كَبِدُliver
فليس لي منذ توَلَّوْا كَبِدُ
On the day of farewell they shared my liver among themselves;
since they departed, I have had no liver.
عنaway from الجُفونِthe eyelids رحلواthey journeyed وفيand in الحَشاthe breast
عن الجُفونِ رحلوا وفي الحَشا
تقَيَّلواthey rested at noon وماءَand the water of عَيْنِيmy eye ورَدواthey came to drink
تقَيَّلوا وماءَ عَيْنِي ورَدوا
They journeyed from my eyelids, and in my breast
they rested at noon and came to drink the water of my eye.
فَأَدْمُعيso my tears مَسْفُوحةٌpoured out وكَبِديand my liver
فَأَدْمُعي مَسْفُوحةٌ وكَبِدي
مَقْرُوحةٌulcerated وغُلَّتيand my burning thirst لاdoes not تَبْرُدُcool
مَقْرُوحةٌ وغُلَّتي لا تَبْرُدُ
So my tears are poured out, and my liver
is ulcerated, while my burning thirst never cools.
وَصَبْوَتيand my yearning دائمةunceasing ومُقلتيand my eye
وَصَبْوَتي دائمة ومُقلتي
دامِيةbleeding وَنَوْمُهاand its sleep مُشَرَّدُdriven away
دامِية وَنَوْمُها مُشَرَّدُ
My longing is unending, and my eye
bleeds, its sleep driven away.
أَرْعَىI watch السُّهاSuha والفَرْقَدَيْنِand the two Farqad stars قائِلاًsaying
أَرْعَى السُّها والفَرْقَدَيْنِ قائِلاً
ليتَwould that السُّهاSuha عَنَّappeared عليهabove it الفَرْقَدُFarqad
ليتَ السُّها عَنَّ عليه الفَرْقَدُ
I watch Suha and the two Farqad stars, saying:
'If only Farqad would appear above Suha!'
تلكthose بدورٌfull moons فيin خُدورٍcurtained chambers غَرَبَتْhave set
تلك بدورٌ في خُدورٍ غَرَبَتْ
لاno بلrather شُموسٌsuns فالظلامso the darkness سَرْمَدُeverlasting
لا بل شُموسٌ فالظلام سَرْمَدُ
Those are full moons that have set within curtained chambers—
no, rather suns, and the darkness is everlasting.
تيَمَّنيenslaved me with love منهمamong them غزالٌa gazelle أَغْيَدُsupple-necked
تيَمَّني منهم غزالٌ أَغْيَدُ
ياoh حبّذاhow lovely ذاكthat الغزالgazelle الأغْيَدُthe supple-necked
يا حبّذا ذاك الغزال الأغْيَدُ
A supple-necked gazelle among them enslaved me with love.
Ah, how lovely that supple-necked gazelle!
حُسامهhis sword مُجَرَّدٌunsheathed وَصَرْحُهُand his palace
حُسامه مُجَرَّدٌ وَصَرْحُهُ
مُمَرَّدٌpolished smooth وخَدُّهand his cheek مُوَرَّدُrose-tinted
مُمَرَّدٌ وخَدُّه مُوَرَّدُ
His sword is unsheathed, and his palace
is polished smooth, and his cheek is rose-tinted.
وصُدْغهand his temple-lock فوقabove احمرارthe redness of خَدِّهhis cheek
وصُدْغه فوق احمرار خَدِّه
مُعَقْرَبscorpion-curled مُبَلْبلٌtousled مُجَعَّدcurly
مُعَقْرَب مُبَلْبلٌ مُجَعَّد
His temple-lock, above the redness of his cheek,
is scorpion-curled, tousled, and crimped.
كأنّماas though نَكْهَتُهhis breath وَريقُهand his saliva
كأنّما نَكْهَتُه وَريقُه
مِسكٌmusk وخَمرٌand wine والثناياand the front teeth بَرَدُhailstones
مِسكٌ وخَمرٌ والثنايا بَرَدُ
His breath and saliva seem like
musk and wine; his front teeth are hailstones.
لهhe has قَوامٌa figure كقَضيبِlike a branch of بانَةٍa ban-tree
له قَوامٌ كقَضيبِ بانَةٍ
يهتزُّit sways نَضْرَاًfresh ليسthere is no فيهin it أَوَدُcrookedness
يهتزُّ نَضْرَاً ليس فيه أَوَدُ
His figure is like a branch of a ban-tree,
swaying fresh, with no crookedness in it.
يُقعِدهmakes him sit عندwhen القيامrising رِدفُهhis rump
يُقعِده عند القيام رِدفُه
وفيand in الحَشاthe breast منهbecause of him المُقيمُwhat makes one rise المُقعِدُwhat makes one sit
وفي الحَشا منه المُقيمُ المُقعِدُ
His rump makes him sit when he rises,
and in my breast, because of him, is what makes me rise and sit.
أَيْقَنْتُI knew for certain لمّاwhen أنْthat حَداchanted الحاديthe camel-driver بهمwith them
أَيْقَنْتُ لمّا أنْ حَدا الحادي بهم
ولمand did not أمُتْI die أنَّthat فؤاديmy heart جَلْمَدُsolid rock
ولم أمُتْ أنَّ فؤادي جَلْمَدُ
I knew, when the camel-driver sang them onward,
and I did not die, that my heart was solid rock.
كنتُI was علىdespite القُرْبِnearness كئيباًsorrowful مُغْرَماًenamored
كنتُ على القُرْبِ كئيباً مُغْرَماً
صَبّاًlove-stricken فماso what ظنُّكَyour thought بيof me إنْif بَعُدواthey grew distant
صَبّاً فما ظنُّكَ بي إنْ بَعُدوا
Even when they were near, I was sorrowful, enamored,
love-stricken—what do you think of me if they are far away?
لولاwere it not for الضَّناwasting sickness جَحَدْتُI would deny وَجْدِيmy passion بهِمُfor them
لولا الضَّنا جَحَدْتُ وَجْدِي بهِمُ
لكنْbut نُحوليmy emaciation بالغَرامto passionate love يَشْهَدُbears witness
لكنْ نُحولي بالغَرام يَشْهَدُ
Were it not for wasting sickness, I would deny my passion for them,
but my emaciation bears witness to love.
همُthey توَلَّوْاdeparted بالفؤادِwith the heart والحَشاand the vitals
همُ توَلَّوْا بالفؤادِ والحَشا
فأينso where صَبْرِيmy patience بَعْدَهمْafter them والجلَدُand endurance
فأين صَبْرِي بَعْدَهمْ والجلَدُ
They departed with my heart and my vitals;
where, after them, are my patience and endurance?
همُthey الحياةlife أَعْرَقواthey went to Iraq أمor أَشْأَمواthey went to al-Sham
همُ الحياة أَعْرَقوا أم أَشْأَموا
أمor أَتْهَمواthey went to Tihama أمor أَيْمَنواthey went to Yemen أمor أَنْجَدواthey went to Najd
أم أَتْهَموا أم أَيْمَنوا أم أَنْجَدوا
They are life, whether they journey to Iraq or al-Sham,
to Tihama, to Yemen, or to Najd.
ليَهْنِهِمْmay it delight them طِيبُthe sweetness of الكَرىsleep فإنّهfor it
ليَهْنِهِمْ طِيبُ الكَرى فإنّه
حظُّهمُtheir lot وحظُّand the lot of عَيْنِيmy eye السَّهَدُsleeplessness
حظُّهمُ وحظُّ عَيْنِي السَّهَدُ
May they enjoy the sweetness of sleep, for it
is their lot, while my eye's lot is sleeplessness.
للهِto God ماhow أَجْوَرَunjust حُكّامَthe judges of الهوىlove
للهِ ما أَجْوَرَ حُكّامَ الهوى
ليسthere is no لمنfor whoever يُظلَمُis wronged فيهمamong them مُسْعِدُhelper
ليس لمن يُظلَمُ فيهم مُسْعِدُ
God, how unjust are love's judges!
No one wronged among them has a helper.
ولاnor علىincumbent upon المُتلِفِthe destroyer غُرْماًcompensation بينهمamong them
ولا على المُتلِفِ غُرْماً بينهم
ولاnor علىincumbent upon القاتلthe killer عَمْدَاًdeliberately قَوَدُretaliatory execution
ولا على القاتل عَمْدَاً قَوَدُ
Nor, among them, does the destroyer owe compensation,
nor does the deliberate killer face death in retribution.
Translation model: Sol 6.1