طالَhas grown long لَيليmy night مِنfrom حُبِّlove of
طالَ لَيلي مِن حُبِّ
مَنone whom لاnot أَراهُI see him مُقارِبيdrawing near to me
مَن لا أَراهُ مُقارِبي
My night has grown long from loving
one I do not see drawing near me,
أَبَداًever ماas long as بَداappeared
أَبَداً ما بَدا
لِعَينِكَbefore your eyes ضَوءُthe light of الكَواكِبِthe stars
لِعَينِكَ ضَوءُ الكَواكِبِ
ever, as long as there shines
before your eyes the light of the stars,
أَوor تَغَنَّتshe sang قَصيدَةًa poem
أَو تَغَنَّت قَصيدَةً
قَينَةٌa female slave singer عِندَbeside شارِبِa drinker
قَينَةٌ عِندَ شارِبِ
or a poem is sung
by a slave songstress beside a drinker.
فَتَعَزَّيتُso I sought solace عَنapart from عُبَيʿUbay- (name fragment)
فَتَعَزَّيتُ عَن عُبَي
دَةَ-da (completes ʿUbayda) وَالحُبُّand love غالِبيoverpowering me
دَةَ وَالحُبُّ غالِبي
So I sought solace without ʿUbayda,
though love overpowered me.
تِلكَthat woman لَوif بيعَwere sold حُبُّهاher love
تِلكَ لَو بيعَ حُبُّها
اِبتَعتُهُI would buy it بِالحَرائِبِwith precious possessions
اِبتَعتُهُ بِالحَرائِبِ
That woman—if her love were sold,
I would buy it with my precious possessions.
وَلَوِand if اِسطَعتُI could طائِعاًwillingly
وَلَوِ اِسطَعتُ طائِعاً
فيamid الأُمورِthe affairs النَوائِبِthe calamities
في الأُمورِ النَوائِبِ
And if I could, willingly,
amid calamitous events,
لَفَداهاwould surely ransom her مِنَfrom الرَدىdeath
لَفَداها مِنَ الرَدى
هارِبيmy far-off wealth بَعدَafter قارِبيmy wealth at hand
هارِبي بَعدَ قارِبي
she would surely be ransomed from death
by my far-off wealth, after my wealth at hand.
عَتَبَتshe reproached خُلَّتيmy beloved وَذوand one possessed of الthe
عَتَبَت خُلَّتي وَذو ال
حُبِّlove جَمُّfull of المَعاتِبِreproaches
حُبِّ جَمُّ المَعاتِبِ
My beloved reproached me—and a lover
is full of reproaches—
مِنbecause of حَديثٍa tale نَمىconveyed إِلَيto
مِن حَديثٍ نَمى إِلَي
هاher بِهِwith it قَولُwords of كاذِبِa liar
ها بِهِ قَولُ كاذِبِ
over a tale that reached
her through a liar's words.
فَتَقَلَّبتُso I tossed and turned ساهِراًsleepless
فَتَقَلَّبتُ ساهِراً
مُقشَعِرَّbristling الذَوائِبِthe locks of hair
مُقشَعِرَّ الذَوائِبِ
So I tossed and turned, sleepless,
my locks bristling.
عَجَباًhow astonishing مِنat صُدودِهاher turning away
عَجَباً مِن صُدودِها
وَالهَوىand love ذوpossessed of عَجائِبِmarvels
وَالهَوى ذو عَجائِبِ
How astonishing her turning away!
And love is full of marvels.
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said وَالدُموand the tears (fragment)
وَلَقَد قُلتُ وَالدُمو
عُcompletion of 'tears' لِباسُa garment for التَرائِبِthe upper chest
عُ لِباسُ التَرائِبِ
And indeed I said, while tears
were a garment over my breast:
لَوif بَداappeared اليَأسُdespair مِنof عُبَيʿUbay- (name fragment)
لَو بَدا اليَأسُ مِن عُبَي
دَةَ-da (completes ʿUbayda) قَدalready قامَrose نادِبيmy mourner
دَةَ قَد قامَ نادِبي
If despair of ʿUbayda arose,
my mourner would already have risen.
عَبدَʿAbda (vocative) بِاللَهِby God أَطلِقيrelease (feminine imperative)
عَبدَ بِاللَهِ أَطلِقي
مِنfrom عَذابٍtorment مُواصِبِunceasing
مِن عَذابٍ مُواصِبِ
ʿAbda, by God, release
from ceaseless torment
رَجُلاًa man كانَwas قَبلَكُمbefore you (plural)
رَجُلاً كانَ قَبلَكُم
راهِباًa monk أَوor كَراهِبِlike a monk
راهِباً أَو كَراهِبِ
a man who, before you, was
a monk, or like a monk.
يَسهَرُhe stays awake اللَيلَthe night كُلَّهُall of it
يَسهَرُ اللَيلَ كُلَّهُ
نَظَراًreflection فيon العَواقِبِthe consequences
نَظَراً في العَواقِبِ
He would stay awake the whole night,
pondering the consequences.
فَثَناهُso it turned him away عَنِfrom العِباworship (fragment)
فَثَناهُ عَنِ العِبا
دَةِcompletion of 'worship' وَجدٌpassion بِكاعِبِfor a budding-breasted maiden
دَةِ وَجدٌ بِكاعِبِ
Then he was turned away from worship
by passion for a budding-breasted maiden.
شَغَلَتهُshe distracted him بِحُبِّهاwith love for her
شَغَلَتهُ بِحُبِّها
عَنfrom حِسابِthe reckoning of المُحاسِبِthe Reckoner
عَن حِسابِ المُحاسِبِ
She distracted him through love for her
from the Reckoner's reckoning.
عاشِقٌa lover لَيسَis not قَلبُهُhis heart
عاشِقٌ لَيسَ قَلبُهُ
مِنof هَواهاpassion for her بِتائِبِrepentant (emphatic)
مِن هَواها بِتائِبِ
A lover whose heart is not
repentant of its passion for her
يَشتَكيhe complains مِنfrom فُؤادِهِhis heart
يَشتَكي مِن فُؤادِهِ
مِثلَlike لَسعِthe stinging of العَقارِبِthe scorpions
مِثلَ لَسعِ العَقارِبِ
complains of pain within his heart
like the stinging of scorpions.
وَكَذاكَand likewise المُحِبُّthe lover يَلhe suffers (fragment)
وَكَذاكَ المُحِبُّ يَل
قىcompletion of 'he suffers' بِذِكرِat the mention of الحَبائِبِthe beloved women
قى بِذِكرِ الحَبائِبِ
And likewise the lover suffers
at the mention of beloved women.
وَلَقَدand indeed خِفتُI feared أَنthat يَروwould depart (fragment)
وَلَقَد خِفتُ أَن يَرو
حَcompletion of 'depart' بِنَعشيwith my bier أَقارِبيmy relatives
حَ بِنَعشي أَقارِبي
And indeed I feared that
my kin would depart with my bier,
عاجِلاًsoon قَبلَbefore أَنthat أَرىI see
عاجِلاً قَبلَ أَن أَرى
فيكُمُin you (plural) لينَgentleness of جانِبِside
فيكُمُ لينَ جانِبِ
soon, before I could see
a gentle side in you.
فَإِذاso if ماever (emphatic) سَمِعتُI heard باa weeping woman (fragment)
فَإِذا ما سَمِعتُ با
كِيَةًcompletion of 'a weeping woman' مِنfrom among قَرائِبيmy kinswomen
كِيَةً مِن قَرائِبي
So if ever I hear a woman weeping
from among my kinswomen,
نَدَبَتshe lamented فيamong المُسَلِّباthe mourning-clad women (fragment)
نَدَبَت في المُسَلِّبا
تِcompletion of 'mourning-clad women' قَتيلَone slain by الكَواعِبِthe budding-breasted maidens
تِ قَتيلَ الكَواعِبِ
lamenting among mourning-clad women
one slain by budding-breasted maidens,
فَاِعلَميthen know (feminine imperative) أَنَّthat حُبَّكُمlove for you (plural)
فَاِعلَمي أَنَّ حُبَّكُم
قادَنيled me لِلمَعاطِبِto deadly perils
قادَني لِلمَعاطِبِ
then know that love for you
has led me into deadly perils.