أَرِقْتُI lay sleepless لبرقٍfor lightning لاحshone عنِّيaway from me وميضُهits gleam
أَرِقْتُ لبرقٍ لاح عنِّي وميضُه
وإنسانُand the pupil of عينيmy eye فيin صَرَىthe pooled water of الدمعِtears سابحُswimming
وإنسانُ عيني في صَرَى الدمعِ سابحُ
I lay sleepless for lightning whose gleam shone far from me,
I was kept awake by a flash of lightning that illuminated far from me,
And the pupil of my eye swims in pooled tears.
While my human nature was swimming in the pool of tears.
وماand never لاحَit flashed ليbefore me إلّاexcept وبينَwhile between جوانِحيmy ribs
وما لاحَ لي إلّا وبينَ جوانِحي
جوَىًa burning ache مثلُlike سِرِّthe hidden fire of الزَنْدِthe fire-stick أوراهُkindled it قادِحُa fire-striker
جوَىً مثلُ سِرِّ الزَنْدِ أوراهُ قادِحُ
And never did it flash before me but there lay between my ribs
Nothing shone for me except what lay between my ribs,
A burning ache, like a fire-stick's hidden fire, kindled by a striker.
A burning like the secret of flint, concealed by its striker.
فياso, oh لكَfor you منof شوقٍlonging أروضُI tame جِماحَهُits wildness
فيا لكَ من شوقٍ أروضُ جِماحَهُ
ويأبَىand refuse سِوىanything but عضِّbiting الشكيمِthe bit الجوامحُthe headstrong steeds
ويأبَى سِوى عضِّ الشكيمِ الجوامحُ
Oh, what longing! I strive to tame its wildness,
Oh what yearning I tame whose wings refuse
Yet the headstrong steeds will do nothing but bite the bit.
Except to alight on the breasts of the passionate!
وعازبِand a far-roaming flock of أشجانٍsorrows أُريحَwas brought home at dusk علىupon الحَشَاthe heart
وعازبِ أشجانٍ أُريحَ على الحَشَا
ولوand if كانit were مالاًlivestock ضاقَwould be too narrow عنهfor it المسارحُthe pastures
ولو كان مالاً ضاقَ عنه المسارحُ
And a far-roaming flock of sorrows was brought home to my heart;
On the cheeks of those who complain I calm endless sorrows,
Were it livestock, the pastures would be too narrow to hold it.
As if it were wealth too abundant for the open spaces.
وكمand how many حَنَّةٍa yearning cry ليof mine نحوَtoward نَجْدٍNajd وأنَّةٍand a groan
وكم حَنَّةٍ لي نحوَ نَجْدٍ وأنَّةٍ
كماas حَنَّmoaned مرقوعُone with patched الأظلَّينِtwo footpads رازِحُexhausted
كما حَنَّ مرقوعُ الأظلَّينِ رازِحُ
And how many a yearning cry and groan I utter toward Najd,
How I yearn for Nejd and the water-holes there
As an exhausted camel with patched footpads moans.
Like the love-mad camel bellowing with want!
أألْوِيshall I twist حيازيميmy ribs إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) ترنَّمتْsang melodiously
أألْوِي حيازيمي إِذا ما ترنَّمتْ
علىon عَذَباتِthe branch-tips of الأيكِthe woodland وُرْقٌgray doves صَوادحُsinging loudly
على عَذَباتِ الأيكِ وُرْقٌ صَوادحُ
Shall I wrench my ribs whenever song rings out
Shall I intone my songs when the boughs murmur
From gray doves calling on the woodland's branch-tips,
Over the soft-voiced, graceful, slender branches?
وأمسحُand wipe عينيmy eye وهيwhile it تَحْفِزُdrives forth أدمعيmy tears
وأمسحُ عيني وهي تَحْفِزُ أدمعي
وكيفand how رُقوءُthe ceasing of الدمعِtears والقلبُwhile the heart طافحُoverflowing
وكيف رُقوءُ الدمعِ والقلبُ طافحُ
And wipe my eye while it keeps driving out my tears?
I wipe my eyes though tears provoke them
And how can tears cease when the heart is overflowing?
And how copious are the tears while the heart overflows!
وعاذلةٍand a reproving woman هَبَّتْrose up ترومُseeking نصيحتِيto counsel me
وعاذلةٍ هَبَّتْ ترومُ نصيحتِي
وأعوزُand the most elusive شيءٍthing ماwhat يرومseek النَّواصحُthe counseling women
وأعوزُ شيءٍ ما يروم النَّواصحُ
And a reproving woman arose, seeking to counsel me,
A counselor whispered, seeking to advise me,
Yet what counseling women seek is hardest of all to attain.
But I lack the means to take advice.
تقولُshe says ألاwill not يصحُوcome to its senses فؤادُكyour heart بعدماafter
تقولُ ألا يصحُو فؤادُك بعدما
تردَّتْhave robed themselves بأفوافِin the striped cloths of المشيبِgray hair المسابحُthe temples
تردَّتْ بأفوافِ المشيبِ المسابحُ
She says: “Will your heart not come to its senses, now that
She said, “Will not your heart recover,
The temples have donned the striped cloth of gray hair?”
Now that your temples are furrowed by aging?”
فقلتُso I said دعينيleave me والهَوىand love فجوانحِيfor my ribs
فقلتُ دعيني والهَوى فجوانحِي
إليهِtoward it علىdespite طولِthe length of العَنَاءِthe suffering جوانحُinclining
إليهِ على طولِ العَنَاءِ جوانحُ
So I said: “Leave me and love alone, for my ribs
I said, “Leave me! For my passions in my breast
Lean toward it despite the long suffering.
Will remain with sorrow however long.”
ولاand do not تذكريmention نَجْداًNajd وطِيبَand the sweetness of هوائِهِits air
ولا تذكري نَجْداً وطِيبَ هوائِهِ
وقدand already ضَاعَgave off fragrance وَهْنَاًlate at night رنْدُهُits aromatic rand trees المتفاوِحُwafting scent
وقد ضَاعَ وَهْنَاً رنْدُهُ المتفاوِحُ
And do not mention Najd or the sweetness of its air,
“Do not mention Nejd and its balmy air!
When, late at night, its fragrant rand trees have spread their scent.
For its beloved verdure is ruined and perished.”
فبِيfor within me is طَرَبٌrapture لوif أنَّthat بالعِيسِin the pale camels مثلَهُits like
فبِي طَرَبٌ لو أنَّ بالعِيسِ مثلَهُ
أطارwould send flying البُرىthe nose-rings أنضاؤُهنَّtheir emaciated ones الطلايحُutterly exhausted
أطار البُرى أنضاؤُهنَّ الطلايحُ
For I feel a rapture that, if the pale camels felt its like,
In me is an agitation - if the virgins knew it,
Their emaciated, exhausted ones would send their nose-rings flying.
Their fluttering sleeves would startle the gazelles.
وبيand within me is شَجَنٌa grief لوif كنتُI were ممَّنْamong those who يُذيعُهُdivulge it
وبي شَجَنٌ لو كنتُ ممَّنْ يُذيعُهُ
قليلاًa little لسالتْwould surely flow بالشُّجونِwith sorrows الأباطِحُthe gravelly valley beds
قليلاً لسالتْ بالشُّجونِ الأباطِحُ
And I bear a grief that, were I one to divulge it
In me is a yearning - were I one who divulged it
Even a little, the gravelly valley beds would flow with sorrows.
The desolate places would flow with those who grieve.
وفيand among الجيرةthe neighbors الأدنَيْنَthe nearest هِيْفٌslender خصُورُهاtheir waists
وفي الجيرة الأدنَيْنَ هِيْفٌ خصُورُها
ثقيلاتُheavy ماin what is تحتَbeneath الخُصورِthe waists رواجحُweighty
ثقيلاتُ ما تحتَ الخُصورِ رواجحُ
And among the nearest neighbors are women with slender waists,
In the nearby encampments are lonely maidens
Heavy beneath those waists, full and weighty.
Whose heavy anklets beneath their gowns sound gently,
برزنَthey emerged بألحاظِwith the glances of العيونthe eyes نواشِبَاًlodging like arrows
برزنَ بألحاظِ العيون نواشِبَاً
وهنّwhile they لأطرافِat the hems of المروطِthe cloaks روامحُthrusting up like lances
وهنّ لأطرافِ المروطِ روامحُ
They emerged with eye-glances that lodged like arrows,
Who glance with eyes like antelopes, wild, dark-eyed,
While their forms thrust up their cloak-hems like lances.
Veiling themselves so those eyes give no occasion for blame.
جلونَthey drew aside شفوفاًgauzy veils عنfrom شُنوفearrings ونَقَّبتْand pierced
جلونَ شفوفاً عن شُنوف ونَقَّبتْ
براقعَهاtheir face-veils تلكthose العيونُeyes اللوامحُflashing
براقعَها تلك العيونُ اللوامحُ
They drew gauzy veils away from their earrings, and pierced
The ambitious eye possessed no means of bold unseemly staring,
Their face-veils with those flashing eyes.
Nor the chaste spirit any way to be wholesome.
فلمso did not يملِكِmaster العينَthe eye الطموحَthe roving مُجاهرٌone openly flaunting
فلم يملِكِ العينَ الطموحَ مُجاهرٌ
بفِسْقٍin sin ولاnor النفسَthe soul النقيةَthe pure صالحُa righteous man
بفِسْقٍ ولا النفسَ النقيةَ صالحُ
So the roving eye could not be mastered by one brazen
Small wonder that a hunter finds repose in hunting
In sin, nor the pure soul by a righteous man.
When a wild deer wanders gracefully into view.
ولاand no غَروَwonder أنthat يرتاحَfeels delight للصيدِin the chase قانِصٌa hunter
ولا غَروَ أن يرتاحَ للصيدِ قانِصٌ
إِذاwhen عَنَّappears ظبيٌa gazelle بالصَّريمةِin the thicket جانِحُleaning aside
إِذا عَنَّ ظبيٌ بالصَّريمةِ جانِحُ
Nor is it strange that a hunter delights in the chase
When a gazelle appears in the thicket, leaning aside.”
Partial English translation: 34 of 36 Arabic lines translated.