قَدْindeed كَانَcame to pass ماwhat عَلِمَknew اللَّاحِيthe reproacher وَمَاand what جَهِلاhe did not know
قَدْ كَانَ ما عَلِمَ اللَّاحِي وَمَا جَهِلا
وَصَارَand came to pass ماwhat كَتَمَconcealed الوَاشِيthe tale-bearer وَمَاand what نَقَلاhe reported
وَصَارَ ما كَتَمَ الوَاشِي وَمَا نَقَلا
What the reproacher knew, and what he did not know, has come to pass.
What the critic knew or was ignorant of has come to pass,
And what the tale-bearer concealed and what he reported has come to pass.
As have the secrets the slanderer kept or divulged.
كَانَwas التَّكَتُّمُsecrecy يُرْجَىhoped for قَبلَbefore بَيْنِكُمُyour departure
كَانَ التَّكَتُّمُ يُرْجَى قَبلَ بَيْنِكُمُ
أَمَّاbut وَقَدْand now that حَكَمَتْhave ruled أَيْدِيhands الفِرَاقِparting فَلاthen no
أَمَّا وَقَدْ حَكَمَتْ أَيْدِي الفِرَاقِ فَلا
Secrecy could be hoped for before your departure.
Before your estrangement, reserve might have been hoped for,
But now that the hands of parting have ruled, no longer.
But now that the hands of separation hold sway, no more.
وَفِيand in الرَّكَائِبِthe riding camels مَنْone whom زَوَّدتُهُI provisioned him نَظَراًa glance
وَفِي الرَّكَائِبِ مَنْ زَوَّدتُهُ نَظَراً
وَلَوْand if أَمِنْتُI felt safe from العِدَىthe enemies زَوَّدتُهُI provisioned him قُبَلاkisses
وَلَوْ أَمِنْتُ العِدَى زَوَّدتُهُ قُبَلا
And in the camel caravan is one I provisioned with a glance.
Among the departing visitors were some I gave a glance,
And had I felt safe from the enemies, I would have provisioned him with kisses.
Had I felt safe from blame, I would have given a kiss.
أَوْدَىbrought ruin بِقَلْبِيto my heart عِذارٌa line of facial down زَارَvisited وَجْنَتَهُhis cheek
أَوْدَى بِقَلْبِي عِذارٌ زَارَ وَجْنَتَهُ
حُسْناًas an adornment وَمِنْand among بَعْضِsome of نَبْتِthe growth of الرَّوْضِthe garden مَاthat which قَتَلاkilled
حُسْناً وَمِنْ بَعْضِ نَبْتِ الرَّوْضِ مَا قَتَلا
A line of down has slain my heart, visiting his cheek
A gentle reproach has stolen into my heart and ravaged it,
To adorn it—and among the garden's growth are things that kill.
Lovely as the fairest flowers in a garden he has cut down.