ماemphatic particle بَيْنَbetween ضَالِwild lote trees المُنْحَنىthe bend وظِلاَلِهand their shadows
ما بَيْنَ ضَالِ المُنْحَنى وظِلاَلِه
ضَلّstrayed المُتَيَّمُthe love-enthralled one واهتدىand found guidance بضلالِهِthrough his straying
ضَلّ المُتَيَّمُ واهتدى بضلالِهِ
Between the wild lote trees at the bend and their shadows,
the love-enthralled one strayed, and found guidance in his straying.
وبذلِكَand in that الشِّعبِravine اليَمانيYemeni مُنْيةٌa cherished desire
وبذلِكَ الشِّعبِ اليَماني مُنْيةٌ
للصبّfor the lovesick one قدalready بَعُدَتْhas grown distant علىbeyond آمالِهِhis hopes
للصبّ قد بَعُدَتْ على آمالِهِ
And in that Yemeni ravine lies a heart's desire,
for the lovesick one, far beyond his hopes.
ياO صاحبيmy companion هذاthis العقيقُal-ʿAqīq فقِفْso stop بهat it
يا صاحبي هذا العقيقُ فقِفْ به
مُتَوالِهاًfeigning love's bewilderment إنif كُنْتَyou are لستَyou are not بوالِهlove-bewildered
مُتَوالِهاً إن كُنْتَ لستَ بوالِه
My friend, this is al-ʿAqīq; stop here,
feigning love's bewilderment, if you are not bewildered by love.
وانظُرْهُand look upon it عنّيon my behalf إنّindeed طرْفيmy eye عاقنيhas hindered me
وانظُرْهُ عنّي إنّ طرْفي عاقني
إرسالُthe shedding of دمعيmy tears فيهwithin it عنfrom إرْسالهsending it forth
إرسالُ دمعي فيه عن إرْساله
And look upon it for me, for my eye is prevented
by the tears I shed within it from casting its gaze.
واسْأَلْand ask غزالَthe gazelle كِنَاسِهِof its covert هلwhether عندهُhe has
واسْأَلْ غزالَ كِنَاسِهِ هل عندهُ
عِلْمٌknowledge بقَلبيof my heart فيin هواهُlove for him وحالهand its state
عِلْمٌ بقَلبي في هواهُ وحاله
And ask the gazelle of its covert whether he has
knowledge of my heart, in its love for him, and of its state.
وأظُنّهُand I think he لمhas not يدْرِknown ذُلّthe abasement of صَبابتيmy ardent yearning
وأظُنّهُ لم يدْرِ ذُلّ صَبابتي
إذsince ظَلّhe remained مُلْتَهِياًengrossed بعِزّin the glory of جَمالهhis beauty
إذ ظَلّ مُلْتَهِياً بعِزّ جَماله
And I think he has not known the abasement of my yearning,
for he has remained engrossed in the glory of his beauty.
تَفْدِيهِransoms him مُهْجَتيَmy soul التيwhich تلِفَتْhas perished ولاand no
تَفْدِيهِ مُهْجَتيَ التي تلِفَتْ ولا
مَنٌّclaim of favor عليهover him لأنّهاbecause it مِنْis part of مالهhis property
مَنٌّ عليه لأنّها مِنْ ماله
My soul, which has perished, ransoms him—and no
favor is held over him, for it is his own property.
أَتُرىdo you suppose? درىhe knows أنّيthat I أحِنّI yearn لهَجْرِهِfor his estrangement
أَتُرى درى أنّي أحِنّ لهَجْرِهِ
إذsince كنتُI was مُشْتَاقاًyearning لهُfor it كوِصالهas for union with him
إذ كنتُ مُشْتَاقاً لهُ كوِصاله
Does he, I wonder, know that I yearn for his estrangement,
since I have longed for it as for union with him?
وأَبِيتُand I spend the night سَهراناًsleepless أُمَثّلُI conjure up طَيفَهhis apparition
وأَبِيتُ سَهراناً أُمَثّلُ طَيفَه
للطّرْفfor the eye كيso that ألقىI may behold خَيالَthe image of خَيالهhis image
للطّرْف كي ألقى خَيالَ خَياله
And I spend the night sleepless, conjuring his apparition
before my eye, to behold the image of his image.
لاmay ... not ذُقْتُI taste يوماًa day راحةًrespite منfrom عاذلٍa reproacher
لا ذُقْتُ يوماً راحةً من عاذلٍ
إنْif كنتُI was مِلْتُI inclined لقِيلهِtoward his talk ولِقالهand toward his chatter
إنْ كنتُ مِلْتُ لقِيلهِ ولِقاله
May I never taste a day's respite from a reproacher,
if I have inclined toward his talk and chatter.
فَوَحَقّso, by the sanctity of طيبِthe sweetness of رضَىthe favor of الحبيبthe beloved ووَصلِهِand union with him
فَوَحَقّ طيبِ رضَى الحبيب ووَصلِهِ
ماnot مَلّgrew weary قلبيmy heart حُبّهُof loving him لمَلالهbecause of his weariness
ما مَلّ قلبي حُبّهُ لمَلاله
So, by the sanctity of the beloved's sweet favor and union with him,
his weariness has not made my heart weary of loving him.
واهاًah, how I yearn! إلىfor ماءthe water of العُذَيْبal-ʿUdhayb وكيفَand how ليfor me
واهاً إلى ماء العُذَيْب وكيفَ لي
بحَشَايَwith my heart لوif يُطْفَىit were quenched بِبَرْدِby the coolness of زُلالهits limpid water
بحَشَايَ لو يُطْفَى بِبَرْدِ زُلاله
Ah, for the water of al-ʿUdhayb! And how would I fare
with my heart, were it quenched by the coolness of its limpid water?
ولقدْand surely يَجِلّis exalted عنbeyond اشتياقيmy yearning ماؤهits water
ولقدْ يَجِلّ عن اشتياقي ماؤه
شَرَفاًin nobility فَوَاظَمِئيso, ah, my thirst! لِلامعِfor the gleam of آلهits mirage
شَرَفاً فَوَاظَمِئي لِلامعِ آله
And surely its water is exalted beyond my yearning
in nobility—so, ah, my thirst for the gleam of its mirage!