أَقامَlingered كُلُّevery مُلِثِّunceasing in الوَدقِrain رَجّاسِthunderous
أَقامَ كُلُّ مُلِثِّ الوَدقِ رَجّاسِ
عَلىover دِيارٍdwellings بِعُلوِin the uplands of الشامِSyria أَدراسِtimeworn
عَلى دِيارٍ بِعُلوِ الشامِ أَدراسِ
Every thunderous cloud of unceasing rain has lingered
Every lover of the slender gazelle stationed himself
over timeworn dwellings in the Syrian uplands.
In the lofty lands of Syria which are difficult to ascend
فيهاin them لِعَلوَةِfor Alwah مُصطافٌa summer retreat وَمُرتَبَعٌand a spring retreat
فيها لِعَلوَةِ مُصطافٌ وَمُرتَبَعٌ
مِنamong بانَقوساBanaqusa وَبابِلّيand Babilli وَبِطياسِand Bityas
مِن بانَقوسا وَبابِلّي وَبِطياسِ
There are Alwah's summer and spring retreats,
In it are the dwellings of Mustafa and scattered about
in Banaqusa, Babilli, and Bityas.
Are the tents of the Banu Qays and Babylonians and Byzantines
مَنازِلٌdwellings أَنكَرَتناdid not recognize us بَعدَafter مَعرِفَةٍfamiliarity
مَنازِلٌ أَنكَرَتنا بَعدَ مَعرِفَةٍ
وَأَوحَشَتand grew desolate مِنof هَواناour love بَعدَafter إيناسِintimacy
وَأَوحَشَت مِن هَوانا بَعدَ إيناسِ
Dwellings that found us strangers after knowing us,
Abodes which became unfamiliar to us after acquaintance
and stood bereft of our love after intimacy.
And estranged us with disdain after intimacy
ياعَلوَO Alwah لَوif شِئتِyou wished أَبدَلتِyou would replace الصُدودَrejection لَناfor us
ياعَلوَ لَو شِئتِ أَبدَلتِ الصُدودَ لَنا
وَصلاًunion وَلانَand would soften لِصَبٍّtoward a lovesick man قَلبُكِyour heart القاسيhard
وَصلاً وَلانَ لِصَبٍّ قَلبُكِ القاسي
O Alwah, if you wished, you would replace your rejection of us
O Elevated one, if you wished you could change the aloofness towards us
with union, and your hard heart would soften toward a lovesick man.
To cordiality, and be for a passionate heart not harsh
هَلis there مِنany سَبيلٍa way إِلىto الظُهرانِal-Zuhran مِنfrom حَلَبٍAleppo
هَل مِن سَبيلٍ إِلى الظُهرانِ مِن حَلَبٍ
وَنَشوَةٍand intoxication بَينَamid ذاكَthat الوَردِroses وَالآسِand myrtle
وَنَشوَةٍ بَينَ ذاكَ الوَردِ وَالآسِ
Is there a way to al-Zuhran from Aleppo,
Is there a way to go out to the meadows from Aleppo
and to intoxication amid those roses and myrtle,
And enjoy ourselves amidst the roses and myrtles?
إِذwhen أَقبَلُI receive الراحَwine وَالأَيّامُand the days مُقبِلَةٌfavorable
إِذ أَقبَلُ الراحَ وَالأَيّامُ مُقبِلَةٌ
مِنfrom أَهيَفٍslender-waisted خَنِثِsupple العِطفَينِboth flanks مَيّاسِgracefully swaying
مِن أَهيَفٍ خَنِثِ العِطفَينِ مَيّاسِ
when I received the wine, while the days were favorable,
When the wind blew the days turned
from one slender of waist, supple of flank, gracefully swaying?
From a feeble, tender lullaby to a violent gale
أَمُدُّI extend كَفّيmy palm لِأَخذِto take الكَأسِthe cup مِنfrom رَشَأِa young gazelle
أَمُدُّ كَفّي لِأَخذِ الكَأسِ مِن رَشَأِ
وَحاجَتيand my desire كُلُّهاall of it فيin حامِلِthe bearer of الكاسِthe cup
وَحاجَتي كُلُّها في حامِلِ الكاسِ
I stretch out my hand to take the cup from a young gazelle,
I extend my palm to take the cup from the wine-pourer
and all my desire is for the bearer of the cup.
And all my need is with the bearer of the goblet
بِبَردِwith the coolness of أَنفاسِهِhis breath يَشفيhe quenches الغَليلَburning thirst إِذاwhen
بِبَردِ أَنفاسِهِ يَشفي الغَليلَ إِذا
دَناhe draws near فَقَرَّبَهاthen brings it close مِنto حَرِّthe heat of أَنفاسيmy breath
دَنا فَقَرَّبَها مِن حَرِّ أَنفاسي
With his cool breath he quenches my burning thirst when
With the coolness of his breath he heals the anguish when
he draws near, then brings it close to the heat of my breath.
He approaches and brings it near the heat of my breath
إِذاwhenever تَعاظَمَنيoverwhelms me أَمرٌa matter فَزَعتُI take refuge إِلىin
إِذا تَعاظَمَني أَمرٌ فَزَعتُ إِلى
شِعريmy poetry وَوَجَّهتُand I send forth أَجماليmy camels وَأَفراسيand my horses
شِعري وَوَجَّهتُ أَجمالي وَأَفراسي
Whenever a matter overwhelms me, I take refuge in
When a matter becomes grave I take refuge in
my poetry, and send forth my camels and my horses.
My poetry and aim my beauty and my steeds
هَلis there مِنany رَسولٍa messenger يُؤَدّيwill deliver ماwhat أُحَمِّلُهُI entrust to him
هَل مِن رَسولٍ يُؤَدّي ما أُحَمِّلُهُ
إِلىto الأَميرِthe emir أَبيAbu موسىMusa بنِson of عَبّاسِAbbas
إِلى الأَميرِ أَبي موسى بنِ عَبّاسِ
Is there a messenger to deliver what I entrust to him
Is there a messenger who will convey what I instruct him
to the emir, Abu Musa ibn Abbas?
To the Emir Abu Musa ibn ‘Abbas?
عَبّاسٌAbbas بنُson of سَعيدٍSa'id فيin أَرومَتِهِhis ancestral stock
عَبّاسٌ بنُ سَعيدٍ في أَرومَتِهِ
يَحكيresembles أَرومَةَthe ancestral stock of عَبّاسِAbbas بنِson of مِرداسِMirdas
يَحكي أَرومَةَ عَبّاسِ بنِ مِرداسِ
Abbas ibn Sa'id, in his ancestral stock,
‘Abbas the son of Sa‘eed in his mansion
resembles the stock of Abbas ibn Mirdas.
Tells the tale of ‘Abbas the son of Mirdas
أَيهاتِfar away! مِنكَfrom you لَقَدindeed أُعطيتَyou were granted مَأثُرَةًa noble distinction
أَيهاتِ مِنكَ لَقَد أُعطيتَ مَأثُرَةً
مَأثورَةًhanded down عَنfrom جُدودٍforebears غَيرِnot أَنكاسِweaklings
مَأثورَةً عَن جُدودٍ غَيرِ أَنكاسِ
How far removed from you! You have indeed been granted a noble distinction,
Alas! From you were given glorious deeds
handed down from forebears who were no weaklings.
Handed down from ancestors, not worthless folk
آباؤُكَyour forefathers الصيدُthe lordly تَحميهِمshelter them وَتَجمَعُهُمand gather them
آباؤُكَ الصيدُ تَحميهِم وَتَجمَعُهُم
مَنازِلُabodes of العِزِّglory مِنof غَيلٍthickets وَأَخياسِand lairs
مَنازِلُ العِزِّ مِن غَيلٍ وَأَخياسِ
Your lordly forefathers are sheltered and gathered together
Your forefathers, the hunt was their protection and brought them together
by the abodes of glory—thickets and lairs:
Abodes of honor whether barren or fertile
المُقعِصونَthose who struck dead زُهَيراًZuhayr عَنin defense of غَنِيِّهِمِtheir Ghani
المُقعِصونَ زُهَيراً عَن غَنِيِّهِمِ
وَقَدand already سَقاهاhe made it drink كُؤوسَcups of المَوتِdeath فيon account of شاسِShas
وَقَد سَقاها كُؤوسَ المَوتِ في شاسِ
those who struck Zuhayr dead in defense of their Ghani,
Those who cry over the loss of their wealth from Zuheir
when he had made it drink death's cups on account of Shas.
After he had given them goblets of death to drink in a marsh
وَأَنتَand you مُنهَرِتُwide الشِدقَينِboth sides of the mouth تَلحَظُنيyou glance at me
وَأَنتَ مُنهَرِتُ الشِدقَينِ تَلحَظُني
إيماضَthe flashing of بارِقَةٍlightning أَوor ضَوءَthe light of مِقباسِa firebrand
إيماضَ بارِقَةٍ أَو ضَوءَ مِقباسِ
And you, wide-mouthed, cast me a sidelong glance
While you glance at me, your cheeks streaming
like lightning's flash or a firebrand's light.
Like the flash of lightning or the glow of an ember