بِذِمَامِunder the protection of عَهْدِكَyour covenant فيin الهَوىlove أَتَذَمَّمُI seek protection
بِذِمَامِ عَهْدِكَ في الهَوى أَتَذَمَّمُ
ياO مَنْone who بِحُرْمَةِby the sanctity of وِدِّهِhis affection أَتَحَرَّمُI seek sanctuary
يا مَنْ بِحُرْمَةِ وِدِّهِ أَتَحَرَّمُ
I claim the protection of your covenant in love,
With the cord of your covenant in passion I grow anxious,
O you, in whose affection's sanctity I seek sanctuary.
O you, sacred to me for love's sake.
أَسْلَمْتَنِيyou abandoned me لِلْوَجْدِto longing فيin دَارِthe abode of الأَسىsorrow
أَسْلَمْتَنِي لِلْوَجْدِ في دَارِ الأَسى
لَمَّاwhen سَلِمْتَyou were safe وَخِلْتَand you supposed أَنِيthat I أَسْلَمُwould be safe
لَمَّا سَلِمْتَ وَخِلْتَ أَنِي أَسْلَمُ
You abandoned me to longing in the abode of sorrow,
You surrendered me to torment in the abode of woe
when you were safe and supposed I would be safe.
When you bade me farewell and I resigned myself.
كَمْhow many قَدْindeed شَرِقْتُI choked بِماءِon the water of ذِكْرِكَremembering you مَرَّةًa time
كَمْ قَدْ شَرِقْتُ بِماءِ ذِكْرِكَ مَرَّةً
فَنَسِيتُso I forgot مِنْof ذِكْرِthe remembrance of الهَوىlove مَاwhat أَفْهَمُI understand
فَنَسِيتُ مِنْ ذِكْرِ الهَوى مَا أَفْهَمُ
How many a time I choked on the water of remembering you,
How often have I been refreshed by the water of your memory,
so I forgot what I understood of love's remembrance.
Then forgot what I knew of passion's pain!
ياO دارُdwelling مَاwhat لِخَطِيبِwith the orator of رَبْعِكِyour precinct ساكِتاًsilent
يا دارُ مَا لِخَطِيبِ رَبْعِكِ ساكِتاً
فَكأَنَّهُfor it is as though he عَمَّاof what بِناafflicts us يَتَكلَّمُhe speaks
فَكأَنَّهُ عَمَّا بِنا يَتَكلَّمُ
O dwelling, why is your precinct's orator silent?
O dwelling, why is your spokesman silent?
For it is as though he speaks of our plight.
It is as if, concerning us, he does not speak.
هَاbehold نَحْنُwe أَبْناءُthe children of الغَرامِpassion وَهذِهِand these
هَا نَحْنُ أَبْناءُ الغَرامِ وَهذِهِ
أَجْسامُناour bodies بِرُسُومِهاby their outlines نَتَرَسَّمُwe trace
أَجْسامُنا بِرُسُومِها نَتَرَسَّمُ
Here we are, the children of passion, and these
Are our bodies, marked with its tracings.
are our bodies; we trace their outlines.
As though clothed in a cloak of decrepitude,
وَكأنَّماand as though اشْتَمَلَتْthey wrapped themselves in رِدَاءًa cloak مِنْof بِلىًdecay
وَكأنَّما اشْتَمَلَتْ رِدَاءً مِنْ بِلىً
وَكأَنَّهُand as though it مِنْfrom دَمْعِthe tears of عَيْنيmy eye مُعْلَمُmarked
وَكأَنَّهُ مِنْ دَمْعِ عَيْني مُعْلَمُ
And as though they had wrapped themselves in a cloak of decay,
And as if, with the tears from my eyes, dyed.
and as though it were marked with tears from my eye.
As though the down on your cheek, O home of passion,
وَكَأَنَّand as though وَشْيَthe embroidery of رُباكِyour hills ياO دَارَdwelling of الهَوىlove
وَكَأَنَّ وَشْيَ رُباكِ يا دَارَ الهَوى
مِنْfrom عَبْرَتيmy tears مُسْتَعْبِرٌmoved to tears مُسْتَعْلِمُseeking to know
مِنْ عَبْرَتي مُسْتَعْبِرٌ مُسْتَعْلِمُ
And as though the embroidery of your hills, O dwelling of love,
Were my flowing tears, questioning and knowing.
were moved by my tears to weep and seek understanding.
By God, none but the healed know my love for him
تَاللَهِby God لاnever عَلِمَknow السًّلُوُّforgetfulness بِحُبِّof the love of مَنْthe one whom
تَاللَهِ لا عَلِمَ السًّلُوُّ بِحُبِّ مَنْ
أَناI فيin هَواهُlove for him مُعَذَّلٌrepeatedly reproached وَمُلَوَّمُand repeatedly blamed
أَنا في هَواهُ مُعَذَّلٌ وَمُلَوَّمُ
By God, may forgetfulness never know my love for the one
For whose sake I am abased and blamed.
for whose love I am repeatedly reproached and blamed.
By my life, passion remains not in my flesh
وَحَيَاةِand by the life of مَاwhat أَبْقىhas spared الهَوىlove مِنْof مُهْجَتيmy soul
وَحَيَاةِ مَا أَبْقى الهَوى مِنْ مُهْجَتي
لاَnever قُلْتُI said إِنِّيthat I فِيin هَواهُlove for him مُسَلَّمُsafe
لاَ قُلْتُ إِنِّي فِي هَواهُ مُسَلَّمُ
And by the life of what love has spared of my soul,
Unless I say I am resigned to its dominion.
I shall never say that I am safe in loving him.
If he shut his eyes to me, destiny would not
لَوْif بَيْنَbetween أَجْفَانيmy eyelids تَجَافاهُshunned him الكَرىslumber
لَوْ بَيْنَ أَجْفَاني تَجَافاهُ الكَرى
مَاnot كَانَhe would يَحْلُمُdream أَنَّهُthat he بِيَof me يَحْلُمُdreams
مَا كَانَ يَحْلُمُ أَنَّهُ بِيَ يَحْلُمُ
Had sleep shunned him between my eyelids,
Dream he was dreaming of me.
he would not have dreamed that he could dream of me.
O you who have left, passion has played with your promises.
ياO نازِحاًdistant one لَعِبَtoyed القِلىaversion بِعُهُودِهِwith his covenants
يا نازِحاً لَعِبَ القِلى بِعُهُودِهِ
مَاnot الصَّبْرُpatience عَنْكَapart from you أَقَلُّless مِمَّاthan what تَعْلَمُyou know
مَا الصَّبْرُ عَنْكَ أَقَلُّ مِمَّا تَعْلَمُ
O distant one, whose covenants aversion has toyed with,
Patience where you are concerned I know too little of.
my patience apart from you is no less than you know.
For me and passion, what lies between the wings of destiny -
لِيfor me وَالهَوىand love مَاwhat lies بَيْنَbetween أَجْنِحَةِthe wings of الكَرىslumber
لِي وَالهَوى مَا بَيْنَ أَجْنِحَةِ الكَرى
لَيْلانِtwo nights نَوْمُهُماtheir sleep عَلَيَّto me مُحَرَّمُforbidden
لَيْلانِ نَوْمُهُما عَلَيَّ مُحَرَّمُ
Love and I have, between the wings of slumber,
Their night's sleep is forbidden me.
two nights whose sleep is forbidden to me.
No night has been prolonged for me but for the passionate,
مَاnot الليْلُthe night طَالَgrew long عَلَيَّfor me دُونَto the exclusion of ذَويthose possessed of الهَوىlove
مَا الليْلُ طَالَ عَلَيَّ دُونَ ذَوي الهَوى
لكِنbut بَعُدْتَyou grew distant فَكُلُّso all دَهْرِيmy lifetime مُظْلِمُdark
لكِن بَعُدْتَ فَكُلُّ دَهْرِي مُظْلِمُ
Night has not grown long for me alone among lovers,
For you are gone, so all my days are dark.
but you have grown distant, and all my life is dark.
Alas for my days whose shadows have ruled over us,
وَاهاًah لأَيَّامِيfor my days الَّتيwhich فيin ظِلِّهاtheir shade
وَاهاً لأَيَّامِي الَّتي في ظِلِّها
ظَلَّتْcontinued صُرُوفُthe vicissitudes of الدَّهْرِtime فينَاover us تَحكُمُto rule
ظَلَّتْ صُرُوفُ الدَّهْرِ فينَا تَحكُمُ
Ah, for my days, in whose shade
The turns of fate revolving and decreeing!
the vicissitudes of time went on ruling over us.
Days passion awakened us for stations
أَيَّامَdays when أيقَظَناawakened us الهَوىlove لمَواقِفٍfor encounters
أَيَّامَ أيقَظَنا الهَوى لمَواقِفٍ
فيهاin which عُيونُthe eyes of الدَّهرِtime عَنَّاaway from us نُوَّمُasleep
فيها عُيونُ الدَّهرِ عَنَّا نُوَّمُ
Days when love awakened us for encounters
At which the days' eyes slept, looking on us.
where Time's eyes were asleep, heedless of us.
They passed, nor did we pass from their condition,
حالَتshe changed وَمَاand not حُلْناwe changed لَهاtoward her عَنْfrom حَالِهاher state
حالَت وَمَا حُلْنا لَها عَنْ حَالِها
فَكأَنَّهاso as though she بِشَقَائِناin our misery تَتَنَعَّمُtakes pleasure
فَكأَنَّها بِشَقَائِنا تَتَنَعَّمُ
She changed, yet we did not turn away from her former state,
As though, by our misery, luxuriating.
as though she took pleasure in our misery.
Then they bent back in a slant of tenderness toward us,
ثُمَّthen انْثَنَتْshe turned back تَثْنِيbending إِلَيْناtoward us عِطْفَهاher flank
ثُمَّ انْثَنَتْ تَثْنِي إِلَيْنا عِطْفَها
فَكَأَنَّهُso as though it مِنْof ظُلْمِهاher injustice يَتَظَلَّمُcomplains
فَكَأَنَّهُ مِنْ ظُلْمِها يَتَظَلَّمُ
Then she turned back, bending her flank toward us,
As if, for their darkness, apologizing.
as though it complained of her injustice.
So I taxed their heedlessness with mention of parting,
فَرَمَيْتُso I struck غَفْلَتَهاher heedlessness بِذِكْرِwith the mention of تَفَرُّقٍparting
فَرَمَيْتُ غَفْلَتَها بِذِكْرِ تَفَرُّقٍ
فَابْيَضَّso turned white مِنْfrom خَوْفِfear of الفِراقِseparation لَهُfor it الدَّمُthe blood
فَابْيَضَّ مِنْ خَوْفِ الفِراقِ لَهُ الدَّمُ
So I struck her heedlessness with the mention of parting,
Whereupon, fearing separation, the blood turned white.
and its blood turned white with fear of separation.
And she, having drunk the wine of her heavy eyelids,
قَالتْshe said وَقَدْand already شَرِبتI drank مُدامَthe wine of جُفُونِهاher eyelids
قَالتْ وَقَدْ شَرِبت مُدامَ جُفُونِها
وَلِسانُهاand her tongue مِنْهاfrom it فَصِيحٌeloquent أَعْجَمُinarticulate
وَلِسانُها مِنْها فَصِيحٌ أَعْجَمُ
She said, while I had drunk the wine of her eyelids,
Her tongue thick with it, incomprehensibly cried:
and her tongue, through it, was eloquent yet speechless:
"O you who call my soul to return from the distance between us -
يَاO ناعِياًyou who announce the death of رُوحيmy soul إِلَيَّto me بِبَيْنِهِthrough his departure
يَا ناعِياً رُوحي إِلَيَّ بِبَيْنِهِ
بانَتْit departed وَلَمْand did not تَعْلَمْknow بِأَنِّيَthat I أَعْلَمُknow
بانَتْ وَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ بِأَنِّيَ أَعْلَمُ
O you who announce my soul's death to me through his departure,
It has appeared, but you knew not that I knew!
it departed, not knowing that I knew.
Preoccupation with passion has blinded your heart to him
أَشَغَلْتَhave you distracted قَلْبَكَyour heart بِالغَرامِwith passion عَنِfrom الَّذيthe one who
أَشَغَلْتَ قَلْبَكَ بِالغَرامِ عَنِ الَّذي
فيin كلِّevery عُضْوٍlimb مِنْهُof him قَلْبٌa heart مُغْرَمُenamored
في كلِّ عُضْوٍ مِنْهُ قَلْبٌ مُغْرَمُ
Have you distracted your heart with passion from the one
In every limb of whom is a passionate heart.
in whose every limb there is an enamored heart?
We struggle to complain though our tongues are silenced by it
جَهْدُthe strain of الشِّكايَةِlament أَنَّthat أَلْسُنَناour tongues بِهاthrough it
جَهْدُ الشِّكايَةِ أَنَّ أَلْسُنَنا بِها
خَرِسَتْfell mute وَأَنَّand that جُفُونَناour eyelids تَتَكَلَّمُspeak
خَرِسَتْ وَأَنَّ جُفُونَنا تَتَكَلَّمُ
Such is the strain of lament that our tongues, through it,
And our eyelids, instead, speak.
have fallen mute, while our eyelids speak.
Had I owned the secret, that day of love's beginning,
لَوْif كُنْتُI were أَمْلِكُI possess سِرَّthe secret of مَنْone who كَتَمَconcealed الهَوىlove
لَوْ كُنْتُ أَمْلِكُ سِرَّ مَنْ كَتَمَ الهَوى
يَوْمَon the day of النَّوىseparation لَكَتَمْتُI would have concealed مَاwhat لاnot يُكْتَمُis concealed
يَوْمَ النَّوى لَكَتَمْتُ مَا لا يُكْتَمُ
Had I possessed the secret of one who concealed love,
I would have kept what cannot be kept concealed."
on the day of separation I would have concealed what cannot be concealed.
Partial English translation: 45 of 46 Arabic lines translated.