أَذكَرتُI reminded نَفسيmyself عَشِيَّةَon the evening of الأَحَدِSunday
أَذكَرتُ نَفسي عَشِيَّةَ الأَحَدِ
مِنof زائِرٍa visitor صادَنيcaught me وَلَمand did not يَصِدِhunt
مِن زائِرٍ صادَني وَلَم يَصِدِ
I reminded myself on Sunday evening
I recalled myself on Sunday eve
Of a visitor who caught me without hunting:
From a visitor who drew near but did not draw close
أَحوَرَdark-eyed عَبّىreadied لَناfor us حَبائِلَهُhis snares
أَحوَرَ عَبّى لَنا حَبائِلَهُ
بِالحُسنِwith beauty لاnot بِالرُقىwith incantations وَلاnor العُقَدِknots
بِالحُسنِ لا بِالرُقى وَلا العُقَدِ
A dark-eyed one who readied his snares for us
She captivated my heart with her charms
With beauty, not incantations or knotted charms.
With beauty, not with spells or talismans
فَبِتُّso I spent the night أَبكيweeping مِنfrom حُبِّlove of جارِيَةٍa maiden
فَبِتُّ أَبكي مِن حُبِّ جارِيَةٍ
لَمdid not تَجزِنيreward me نائِلاًa favor وَلَمand did not تَكَدِcome close
لَم تَجزِني نائِلاً وَلَم تَكَدِ
So I spent the night weeping for love of a maiden
I spend the night weeping for love of a girl
Who granted me no favor, nor came close to doing so,
Who did not allow me to attain her and did not exert herself
إِلّاexcept حَديثاًconversation كَالخَمرِlike wine لَذَّتُهُits pleasure
إِلّا حَديثاً كَالخَمرِ لَذَّتُهُ
تَكونُbecomes سُكراًintoxication فيin الروحِthe soul وَالجَسَدِand the body
تَكونُ سُكراً في الروحِ وَالجَسَدِ
Except for conversation whose pleasure, like wine,
Except with words that in their pleasure are like wine
Becomes intoxication in the soul and body.
Inebriating spirit and body
ماnot ساقَbrought ليto me حُبُّهاlove for her وَأَتعَبَنيand exhausted me
ما ساقَ لي حُبُّها وَأَتعَبَني
وَهناًweakness وَلَكِنand yet خُلِقتُI was created مِنfrom كَبَدِsuffering
وَهناً وَلَكِن خُلِقتُ مِن كَبَدِ
My love for her did not bring me—nor weary me with—
Her love has wearied me and made me ill
Weakness; rather, I was created out of suffering.
With weakness, yet I was created with fortitude
إِنif أَترُكِI abandon القَصدَmoderation مِنin تَذَكُّرِهاremembering her
إِن أَترُكِ القَصدَ مِن تَذَكُّرِها
يَوماًone day فَماthen not حُبُّهاlove for her بِمُقتَصَدِmoderate
يَوماً فَما حُبُّها بِمُقتَصَدِ
If I abandon moderation in remembering her
If I refrain from remembering her
One day, my love for her knows no moderation.
For a day, her love is not with moderation
طابَتshe was delightful لَناfor us مَجلِساًas company عَلىin عَجَلِhaste
طابَت لَنا مَجلِساً عَلى عَجَلِ
ثُمَّthen اِنقَضىended يَومُناour day فَلَمand did not يَعُدِreturn
ثُمَّ اِنقَضى يَومُنا فَلَم يَعُدِ
She was delightful company for us, though hurried;
She graced us with a gathering hastily
Then our day ended and never returned.
Then our day elapsed and did not return
كَأَنَّماas though كانَit was حُلمَthe dream of نائِمَةٍa sleeping woman
كَأَنَّما كانَ حُلمَ نائِمَةٍ
سَرَتshe journeyed by night بِماwith what لَمdid not تَنَلattain وَلَمand did not تَكَدِcome close
سَرَت بِما لَم تَنَل وَلَم تَكَدِ
As though it had been a sleeping woman's dream:
As if it had been the dream of a sleeping woman
She journeyed by night with what she never attained, nor nearly attained.
Pleased with what she did not attain and did not exert herself for
لِلَّهِfor God, in admiration عَجزاءُfull-hipped كُلَّماwhenever اِنصَرَفَتshe departed
لِلَّهِ عَجزاءُ كُلَّما اِنصَرَفَت
خَلَّتshe left عَلَيهِupon him أَجَلَّgreater مِنthan أُحُدِUhud
خَلَّت عَلَيهِ أَجَلَّ مِن أُحُدِ
God, what a full-hipped woman! Whenever she departed,
Forlorn are all women, whenever she leaves
She left him something mightier than Uhud:
She is more sublime to me than the acme of glory
ضَيفٌa guest إِذاwhen ماever اِنتَظَرتُI awaited جَيئَتَهُhis arrival
ضَيفٌ إِذا ما اِنتَظَرتُ جَيئَتَهُ
يَوماًone day فُواقاًfor a moment أَقامَhe stayed كَالوَتِدِlike a stake
يَوماً فُواقاً أَقامَ كَالوَتِدِ
A guest who, when I awaited his arrival
A guest, if I await his coming
One day, for a moment, stayed fixed like a stake.
For a prolonged day, he stays like a tent-peg
أَقولُI say إِذwhen وَدَّعَتshe bade farewell وَوَدَّعَنيand bade me farewell
أَقولُ إِذ وَدَّعَت وَوَدَّعَني
نَوميmy sleep وَلاand no صَبرَpatience ليfor me عَلىfor السُهُدِsleeplessness
نَومي وَلا صَبرَ لي عَلى السُهُدِ
I say, when she bade farewell and I was forsaken
I say, when she bade farewell and I bade her farewell
By my sleep, with no patience for sleeplessness:
Sleep left me and I have no patience for slumber
ياO رَبِّmy Lord إِنّيindeed I عَشِقتُfell in love with رُؤيَتَهاseeing her
يا رَبِّ إِنّي عَشِقتُ رُؤيَتَها
عِشقَwith the love of المُصَلّينَthose who pray جَنَّةَthe Garden of الخُلُدِeternity
عِشقَ المُصَلّينَ جَنَّةَ الخُلُدِ
O my Lord, I have fallen in love with seeing her
O Lord, I loved the sight of her
As those who pray love the Garden of Eternity.
With the love of those desiring the Garden of Eternity
عَجزاءُfull-hipped مِنamong نِسوَةٍwomen مُنَعَّمَةٍpampered
عَجزاءُ مِن نِسوَةٍ مُنَعَّمَةٍ
هيفٍslender-waisted ثِقالٍheavy أَردافُهاtheir buttocks خُرُدِbashful maidens
هيفٍ ثِقالٍ أَردافُها خُرُدِ
A full-hipped woman, one among pampered women,
Of plump women, her thighs a mound
Slender-waisted, heavy in their buttocks, bashful maidens.
She saw an image befitting her
رَأَتshe saw لَهاbelonging to her صورَةًa figure تَروقُshe enchants بِهاwith it
رَأَت لَها صورَةً تَروقُ بِها
فَأَقبَلَتso she approached فَردَةًalone لِمُنفَرِدِto a solitary man
فَأَقبَلَت فَردَةً لِمُنفَرِدِ
She saw she had a figure with which to enchant,
So she came to me alone
So she came alone to a solitary man,
Increasing his temptation and sustaining him
تَزيدُهُshe heightens his فِتنَةًinfatuation وَتُطعِمُهُand feeds him
تَزيدُهُ فِتنَةً وَتُطعِمُهُ
بِوَعدِهاwith her promise فيon غَدٍtomorrow وَبَعدَand after غَدِtomorrow
بِوَعدِها في غَدٍ وَبَعدَ غَدِ
Increasing his infatuation and feeding him
With her promise tomorrow and after tomorrow
With her promise of tomorrow and the day after.
As if she intends to wrong him
كَأَنَّهاas though she تَبتَغيseeks إِساءَتَهُto hurt him
كَأَنَّها تَبتَغي إِساءَتَهُ
بِالقُربِby nearness مِنin فِعلِهاher conduct وَبِالبُعُدِand by distance
بِالقُربِ مِن فِعلِها وَبِالبُعُدِ
As though she seeks to hurt him
With the nearness of her deeds and remoteness
By drawing near in her conduct, and by keeping distant.
He who brags of a sallow woman in her forms
مَنwhoever بَزَّstrips صَفراءَa golden-skinned girl فيin مَجاسِدِهاher body-clothes
مَن بَزَّ صَفراءَ في مَجاسِدِها
وَاللَهِand by God يَوماًone day يَقعُدhe falls short عَنِof الرَشَدِsound judgment
وَاللَهِ يَوماً يَقعُد عَنِ الرَشَدِ
Whoever strips a golden-skinned girl of her body-clothes
By God, one day he will sit astray from the right path
Will, by God, one day forsake sound judgment.
An anointed blonde laughing through
مَأدومَةٌanointed بِالعَبيرِwith perfume تَضحَكُshe laughs عَنrevealing
مَأدومَةٌ بِالعَبيرِ تَضحَكُ عَن
مِثلِthe likeness of وِشاحِa sash of الجُمانِpearls أَوor بَرَدِhailstones
مِثلِ وِشاحِ الجُمانِ أَو بَرَدِ
Anointed with perfume, she laughs to reveal
A wrap like a double cloak or a fur coat
The like of a sash of pearls, or hailstones—
Of a good aftertaste like the scent
مُؤَشَّرٍfinely serrated طَيِّبِpleasant المَذاقَةِin taste كَالlike the
مُؤَشَّرٍ طَيِّبِ المَذاقَةِ كَال
راحِwine بِطَعمِwith the flavor of التُفّاحِapples مُنجَرِدِsmooth
راحِ بِطَعمِ التُفّاحِ مُنجَرِدِ
Finely serrated, sweet to taste, like
Of apples, pure and unmixed
Wine flavored with apples, smooth.
Would that her saliva were my drink
ياO لَيتَwould that ليI had مَشرَباًa draught بِريقَتِهاof her saliva
يا لَيتَ لي مَشرَباً بِريقَتِها
أَشفيI cure بِهِwith it غُلَّةًa burning thirst عَلىupon كَبِديmy liver
أَشفي بِهِ غُلَّةً عَلى كَبِدي
If only I had a draught of her saliva,
To heal with it the bile in my liver
To ease with it the burning thirst upon my liver.
O blonde, do not judge a man
صَفراءُgolden-skinned girl ماwhat تَحكُمينَdo you decree فيconcerning رَجُلٍa man
صَفراءُ ما تَحكُمينَ في رَجُلٍ
يَفريhe rends مِنَfrom الشَوقِlonging جُهدَthe utmost effort of مُجتَهِدِa striver
يَفري مِنَ الشَوقِ جُهدَ مُجتَهِدِ
Golden-skinned girl, what do you decree concerning a man
Who flees from passion despite his utmost effort
Who tears himself apart with longing, striving to his utmost?
He died of sorrow, and longing for you revived him
قَدindeed ماتَhe has died غَمّاًof grief وَشَفَّهُand has wasted him كَمَدٌanguish
قَد ماتَ غَمّاً وَشَفَّهُ كَمَدٌ
عَلَيكِover you فَاِرِثيso take pity لَهُon him مِنَbecause of الكَمَدِanguish
عَلَيكِ فَاِرِثي لَهُ مِنَ الكَمَدِ
He has died of grief, and anguish has wasted him
Be his heir, for you inherit his longing
Over you; so pity him for his anguish.
Partial English translation: 43 of 44 Arabic lines translated.