ذَهَبتَyou departed وَلَمand did not تُلمِمvisit بِبَيتِat the house of الحَبائِبِthe beloved women
ذَهَبتَ وَلَم تُلمِم بِبَيتِ الحَبائِبِ
وَلَمand did not تَشفِheal قَلباًa heart مِنof طِلابِpursuing الكَواعِبِthe full-breasted maidens
وَلَم تَشفِ قَلباً مِن طِلابِ الكَواعِبِ
You left without calling at the house of the beloved women,
nor gave a heart relief from pursuing full-breasted maidens.
نَعَمyes إِنَّindeed فيin الإِبعادِgoing far away لِلقَلبِfor the heart رَاحَةًrest
نَعَم إِنَّ في الإِبعادِ لِلقَلبِ رَاحَةً
إِذاwhen غُلِبَis defeated المَجهودُthe utmost effort مِنof كُلِّevery طالِبِseeker
إِذا غُلِبَ المَجهودُ مِن كُلِّ طالِبِ
Yes, in going far away there is rest for the heart,
when every seeker's utmost effort has been defeated.
وَإِنّيand I لَصَرّافٌindeed an adept diverter لِقَلبيof my heart عَنِfrom الهَوىpassion
وَإِنّي لَصَرّافٌ لِقَلبي عَنِ الهَوى
وَإِنand even if حَنَّit moans تَحنانَwith the yearning of المَخاضِthe pregnant she-camels الضَوارِبِroaming
وَإِن حَنَّ تَحنانَ المَخاضِ الضَوارِبِ
And I am indeed adept at turning my heart away from passion,
even if it moans like roaming pregnant she-camels.
تَكَلَّفَنيhas burdened me مِنfrom حُبِّlove of عَبدَةَʿAbda زَفرَةٌa sigh
تَكَلَّفَني مِن حُبِّ عَبدَةَ زَفرَةٌ
وَفيand in زَفَراتِthe sighs of الحُبِّlove كَربٌanguish لِكارِبِfor one in anguish
وَفي زَفَراتِ الحُبِّ كَربٌ لِكارِبِ
A sigh from love of ʿAbda has burdened me,
and in love's sighs is anguish for the anguished.
وَلِلحُبِّand love has حُمّىa fever تَعتَرينيthat seizes me بِزَفرَةٍwith a sigh
وَلِلحُبِّ حُمّى تَعتَريني بِزَفرَةٍ
لَهاit has فيin عِظاميmy bones نافِضٌa shivering fit بَعدَafter صالِبِa burning fever
لَها في عِظامي نافِضٌ بَعدَ صالِبِ
And love has a fever that seizes me with a sigh,
bringing shivering to my bones after a burning fit.
فَوَيليso woe to me مِنَfrom الحُمّىthe fever وَوَيليand woe to me مِنَfrom الهَوىpassion
فَوَيلي مِنَ الحُمّى وَوَيلي مِنَ الهَوى
لِأَيِّهِماfor which of the two أَبغيshould I seek دَواءَthe remedy of الطَبائِبِthe women healers
لِأَيِّهِما أَبغي دَواءَ الطَبائِبِ
So woe to me from fever, and woe to me from passion!
For which of the two should I seek the women healers' remedy?
لَقَدindeed شَرِقَتbrimmed with tears عَينيmy eye بِعَبدَةَfor ʿAbda غادِياًgoing out in the morning
لَقَد شَرِقَت عَيني بِعَبدَةَ غادِياً
وَدَبَّتand crept لِقَتليto kill me مِنfrom هَواهاlove of her عَقارِبيmy scorpions
وَدَبَّت لِقَتلي مِن هَواها عَقارِبي
Indeed, my eye brimmed with tears for ʿAbda as I went out in the morning,
and, from love of her, my scorpions crept forth to kill me.
فَوَاللَهِso by God ماnot أَدريI know أَبيis there in me مِنfrom طِلابِهاpursuing her
فَوَاللَهِ ما أَدري أَبي مِن طِلابِها
جُنونٌmadness أَمor اِستَحدَثتُhave I brought into being إِحدىone of العَجائِبِthe wonders
جُنونٌ أَم اِستَحدَثتُ إِحدى العَجائِبِ
So by God, I do not know: has pursuing her brought me
madness, or have I brought forth one of the wonders?
إِذاwhen ذُكِرَتshe is mentioned دارَswirls الهَوىpassion بِمَسامِعيthrough my ears
إِذا ذُكِرَت دارَ الهَوى بِمَسامِعي
كَماjust as دارَتswirls الصَهباءُtawny wine فيin رَأسِthe head of شارِبِa drinker
كَما دارَت الصَهباءُ في رَأسِ شارِبِ
When she is mentioned, passion swirls through my ears,
as tawny wine swirls in a drinker's head.
هِيَshe الروحُthe spirit مِنof نَفسيmy being وَلِلعَينِand to the eye قُرَّةٌcool comfort
هِيَ الروحُ مِن نَفسي وَلِلعَينِ قُرَّةٌ
فِداءٌa ransom لَهاfor her نَفسيmy soul وَعَينيand my eye وَحاجِبيand my eyebrow
فِداءٌ لَها نَفسي وَعَيني وَحاجِبي
She is the spirit of my being, and cool comfort to the eye;
may my soul, my eye, and my eyebrow be her ransom.
فَإِنso if يَكُis عَنّيfrom me وَجهُهاher face اليَومَtoday غائِباًabsent
فَإِن يَكُ عَنّي وَجهُها اليَومَ غائِباً
فَلَيسَthen is not فُؤاديmy heart مِنfrom هَواهاlove of her بِغائِبِat all absent
فَلَيسَ فُؤادي مِن هَواها بِغائِبِ
So if her face is absent from me today,
then my heart is not absent from loving her.