ياO رَفيقيَّmy two companions قِفاhalt, both of you نِضوَيكُماyour two travel-worn mounts
يا رَفيقيَّ قِفا نِضوَيكُما
بَينَbetween أَعلامِlandmarks النَقاthe dunes وَالمُنحَنىand the bend
بَينَ أَعلامِ النَقا وَالمُنحَنى
O my two companions, halt your travel-worn mounts
O my companion, stop, let us both incline
between the landmarks of the dunes and the bend.
Between the flags of coquetry and bending grace.
وَاِنشُداand seek قَلبيmy heart فَقَدfor indeed ضَيَّعتُهُI have lost it
وَاِنشُدا قَلبي فَقَد ضَيَّعتُهُ
بِاِختِياريby my own choice بَينَbetween جَمعٍJamʿ وَمِنىand Minā
بِاِختِياري بَينَ جَمعٍ وَمِنى
And seek my heart, for I have lost it
And call out to my heart, for I have lost it
by my own choice, between Jamʿ and Minā.
By my own choice, between a horde and an enclosure.
عارِضاapproach, both of you السِربِthe gazelle-herd فَإِنfor if كانَthere is فَتىًa youth
عارِضا السِربِ فَإِن كانَ فَتىً
بِالعُيونِby the eyes الجُلِّlarge يَقضيdies فَأَناthen it is I
بِالعُيونِ الجُلِّ يَقضي فَأَنا
Approach the gazelle-herd; if any youth
Confronting the flock, so if he is a gallant
dies by those large eyes, it is I.
With the plump eyes, he will ransom me, and I will be.
إِنَّindeed مَنthose who شاطَperished عَلىby أَلحاظِهاtheir glances
إِنَّ مَن شاطَ عَلى أَلحاظِها
ضِعفُtwice as many مَنthose who شاطَperished عَلىupon طَولِthe length of القَناthe spears
ضِعفُ مَن شاطَ عَلى طَولِ القَنا
Indeed, those slain by their glances
Verily, whoever passed by their glances
are twice as many as those slain by long spears.
Is weaker than whoever passed the length of the spear.
تَجرَحُwound الأَعيُنُthe eyes فيناamong us وَالطُلىand the necks
تَجرَحُ الأَعيُنُ فينا وَالطُلى
قاتَلَmay smite اللَهُGod الطُلىthe necks وَالأَعيُناand the eyes
قاتَلَ اللَهُ الطُلى وَالأَعيُنا
Eyes and necks wound us—
Eyes injure us and the visiting,
may God smite those necks and eyes!
May God destroy visiting and eyes.
ثُمَّthen كانَتthere was بِقُباءٍat Qubāʾ وَقفَةٌa halt
ثُمَّ كانَت بِقُباءٍ وَقفَةٌ
ضَمِنَتpledged لِلشَوقِto longing قَلباًa heart ضَمِناailing
ضَمِنَت لِلشَوقِ قَلباً ضَمِنا
Then there was a halt at Qubāʾ
Then there was in Qubbah a stance,
that pledged an ailing heart to longing.
That secured for longing an insured heart,
وَحَديثٍand a conversation كانَwas مِنfrom لَذَّتِهِits delight
وَحَديثٍ كانَ مِن لَذَّتِهِ
أُحُدٌUḥud يُصغيinclines إِلَيناtoward us أُذُناan ear
أُحُدٌ يُصغي إِلَينا أُذُنا
And a conversation so delightful
And a conversation that was from its sweetness
that Uḥud inclined an ear toward us.
A lover listening to us, an ear.
غادَرونيthey left me جَسَداًa body تُظهِرُهُreveals it
غادَروني جَسَداً تُظهِرُهُ
لَهُمُto them الشَكوىlament وَيُخفيهِand hides it الضَنىwasting sickness
لَهُمُ الشَكوى وَيُخفيهِ الضَنى
They left me a body, made visible
They left me a body that complaining shows it
to them by lament, and hidden by wasting sickness.
To them, and deprivation hides it.
حَبَّذاhow lovely مِنكُمfrom you خَيالٌa phantom طارِقٌvisiting by night
حَبَّذا مِنكُم خَيالٌ طارِقٌ
مَرَّpassed بِالحَيِّby the camp وَلَمand did not يُلمِمcall briefly بِناon us
مَرَّ بِالحَيِّ وَلَم يُلمِم بِنا
How lovely a phantom from you, visiting by night,
Good imaginings of you visited,
that passed by the camp but did not call on us.
Passing by the neighborhood, and did not greet us.
باخِلٌstingy بُخلَwith the stinginess of الَّذيthe one who أَرسَلَهُsent it
باخِلٌ بُخلَ الَّذي أَرسَلَهُ
سُئِلَwas asked النَيلَfor a gift وَماand did not جادَgive generously لَناto us
سُئِلَ النَيلَ وَما جادَ لَنا
Stingy as the one who sent it,
Miserly, the stinginess of the one who sent him.
it was asked for a gift, yet gave us none.
Asked of the Nile, and it did not flow to us.
سَرحَةٌa spreading tree أَعجَلَهاhurried it away البَينُparting وَماand never
سَرحَةٌ أَعجَلَها البَينُ وَما
لُبِسَwas worn الظَلُّthe shade وَلاnor ذيقَwas tasted الجَنىthe fruit
لُبِسَ الظَلُّ وَلا ذيقَ الجَنى
A spreading tree, hurried away by parting; never
An excursion cut short by separation, and neither
was its shade worn, nor its fruit tasted.
Was shade worn, nor delight tasted.
ماnot رَأَتhas seen عَينِيَmy eye مُذsince فارَقتُكُمI parted from you
ما رَأَت عَينِيَ مُذ فارَقتُكُم
ياO نُزولَdwellers الحَيِّof the camp شَيئاًanything حَسَناbeautiful
يا نُزولَ الحَيِّ شَيئاً حَسَنا
My eye has not seen, since I parted from you,
My eyes have not seen, since I left you,
O dwellers of the camp, anything beautiful.
In the dwellings of the living, anything beautiful.