هبَّblew النسيمُthe breeze هُبوبَthe blowing of ذيone with إشفاقِtender concern
هبَّ النسيمُ هُبوبَ ذي إشفاقِ
يُزهىis elated الهَوىlove بِجَناحِهِby its wing الخَفَّاقِfluttering
يُزهى الهَوى بِجَناحِهِ الخَفَّاقِ
The breeze blew like one moved by tender concern;
The breeze blew gently with tender care,
Love is elated by its fluttering wing.
Beautifying passion with its fluttering wing,
وكأنّماand as though صَبحَgave a morning draught to الغُصُونَthe boughs بِنَشوَةٍwith rapture
وكأنّما صَبحَ الغُصُونَ بِنَشوَةٍ
باحَتspoke openly لَهاto them بِسرائرof the secrets of العُشّاقِlovers
باحَت لَها بِسرائر العُشّاقِ
As though it had given the boughs a morning draught of rapture
As if the branches blossomed with delight,
That revealed to them the secrets of lovers.
Gleeful in the secrets of lovers.
وإذاand when تلاعَبتtoyed الرِّياحُthe winds ببانِهِwith its moringa trees
وإذا تلاعَبت الرِّياحُ ببانِهِ
لعبَplayed الغَرامُpassion بِمُهجَةِwith the heart of المُشتاقِthe yearning lover
لعبَ الغَرامُ بِمُهجَةِ المُشتاقِ
And when the winds play with its bān trees,
When the winds toyed with its branches,
Passion plays with the yearning lover's heart.
Passion played in the heart of the longing one.
مَهcease ياO نَسِيمُbreeze فقدfor indeed كَبِرتُI have grown too old عَنfor الصِّباyouth
مَه يا نَسِيمُ فقد كَبِرتُ عَن الصِّبا
لمnot يَبقَremains مِنof تِلكَthat الصَّبابةِardent longing باقِa remnant
لم يَبقَ مِن تِلكَ الصَّبابةِ باقِ
Enough, O breeze: I have outgrown youth;
Gently, oh breeze! For I’ve outgrown my youth,
Nothing remains of that ardent longing.
Nothing remains of that boyhood.
إنif كُنتُI was ذاكَthat man فَلَستthen I am not ذاكَthat man وهاand here أناI am
إن كُنتُ ذاكَ فَلَست ذاكَ وها أنا
قَدalready آذَنَتكَhave warned you مَفارِقيthe partings of my hair بِفِراقِof parting
قَد آذَنَتكَ مَفارِقي بِفِراقِ
If I once was that man, I am no longer he—and here I am:
If once I was that, I'm not anymore,
My hair's partings have already warned you of parting.
My departure has announced our separation.
ولقَدand indeed عَهِدتُI once knew سُراكyour nightly passage منamong عُدَدِthe resources of الهَوىlove
ولقَد عَهِدتُ سُراك من عُدَدِ الهَوى
والموتand death فيin نظريmy gaze وفيand in استنشاقيmy breathing
والموت في نظري وفي استنشاقي
And I once counted your nightly passage among love's resources,
I knew your secret during passionate days,
And death was in my gaze and in my breathing.
Death in my eyes and with every breath.
أيّامin the days when لوif عَنَّoccurred السُّلُوّforgetting love لخاطِريto my mind
أيّام لو عَنَّ السُّلُوّ لخاطِري
قرَّبتُهُI would have offered it هَدياًas a sacrifice إلىto أشواقيmy longings
قرَّبتُهُ هَدياً إلى أشواقي
In days when, had forgetting love crossed my mind,
If days of negligence preoccupied my thoughts,
I would have offered it as a sacrifice to my longings.
I'd offer them as a gift to my longing.
اللهوُpleasure إلفيmy companion والبَطالَةُand idleness مَركبيmy mount
اللهوُ إلفي والبَطالَةُ مَركبي
والأَمنand security ظِلّيmy shade والشَّبَابُand youth رواقِيmy canopy
والأَمن ظِلّي والشَّبَابُ رواقِي
Pleasure was my companion, and idleness my mount;
Leisure is my habit, idleness my mount,
And security was my shade, and youth my canopy.
Security my shade, and youth my porch.
فيin حيثُthe place where قُسِّمتwas apportioned المُدامَةُthe wine قِسمَةًan apportionment
في حيثُ قُسِّمت المُدامَةُ قِسمَةً
ضِيزىunfair لأنَّbecause السُّكرَdrunkenness مِنamong أخلاقيmy character traits
ضِيزى لأنَّ السُّكرَ مِن أخلاقي
There, where the wine was shared out
Where the wine was served in portions,
Unfairly, for drunkenness was part of my nature.
A bit, for drunkenness is my nature.
لاno ذَنبَblame للصَّهباءِfor the tawny wine أَنّيthat I am غاصِبٌa usurper
لا ذَنبَ للصَّهباءِ أَنّي غاصِبٌ
ولِذاكand therefore قامَstood up السُّكرُdrunkenness باستِحقَاقيfor my entitlement
ولِذاك قامَ السُّكرُ باستِحقَاقي
The tawny wine was blameless: I was the usurper;
The pale beauty is not to blame,
And so drunkenness upheld my rightful claim.
For it was I who seized her unjustly.
ولقدand indeed صَددتI refused الكأسَthe cup فانقَبضَتso it drew back بِهاwith it
ولقد صَددت الكأسَ فانقَبضَت بِها
منfrom بَعدِafter ماthat انبسَطتstretched out يمينُthe right hand of السّاقيthe cupbearer
من بَعدِ ما انبسَطت يمينُ السّاقي
And indeed I refused the cup; with it withdrew
I brandished the cup until she yielded,
The cupbearer's right hand, after it had stretched out.
After defiantly stretching her hand to the cupbearer.
وتَركتُand I left فيin وسَطthe midst of النَّدامىthe drinking companions خلّةًa gap
وتَركتُ في وسَط النَّدامى خلّةً
هامَتyearned passionately بهاfor it الوُسطىthe central jewel منamong الأَعلاقِprecious things
هامَت بها الوُسطى من الأَعلاقِ
And I left a gap amid the drinking companions,
I left a gap among the revelers,
For which the central jewel among treasures yearned.
As the slender one swayed tipsily among them.
فاستشرَفُونيso they looked expectantly toward me مُذكِرينَreminding me وعِندَهمand in their view
فاستشرَفُوني مُذكِرينَ وعِندَهم
أَنّيthat I أدينُI profess devotion to اللّهوَpleasure دِينَthe faith of نِفَاقِhypocrisy
أَنّي أدينُ اللّهوَ دِينَ نِفَاقِ
So they looked expectantly toward me, reminding me, and believing
They glared at me reproachfully,
That I professed devotion to pleasure with a hypocrite's faith.
Deeming my hedonism a hypocritical guise.
وحَبابُهاand its bubbles نَفَثُthe spittle of الحُبَابِthe serpent ورُبَّماand sometimes
وحَبابُها نَفَثُ الحُبَابِ ورُبَّما
سَدِكَتclung يَدُthe hand of الملسوعِthe stung person منهُby it بِرَاقِto a charm-healer
سَدِكَت يَدُ الملسوعِ منهُ بِرَاقِ
And its bubbles are the serpent's spittle, and sometimes
Her love is like a breath of powder,
The hand of one stung by it clings to a reciter of healing charms.
That stains the hand of the caresser.
وكأنّهُand as though it لماwhen تَرقرقَshimmered فَوقَهاabove it
وكأنّهُ لما تَرقرقَ فَوقَها
نُورٌa light تَجَسَّمَtook bodily form مِنfrom نَدىthe dew of الأَحداقِthe eyes
نُورٌ تَجَسَّمَ مِن نَدى الأَحداقِ
And when it shimmered above the wine, it seemed
As if a gleaming light quivered over her,
A light that took bodily form from the dew of eyes.
Embodying itself from the dew of eyelids.
أَوor بارحٌa hot wind نضحَsprinkled النَّدىthe dew فيin رَوضِةٍa garden
أَو بارحٌ نضحَ النَّدى في رَوضِةٍ
فأثارَهاthen stirred it وسَرىand slipped away عنfrom الأَحدَاقِthe eyes
فأثارَها وسَرى عن الأَحدَاقِ
Or a hot wind that sprinkled dew in a garden,
Or a sprinkling of dew in the garden
Then stirred it and slipped away from sight.
Stirring it, having flowed from the eyes.
ولقدand indeed جَلوthey unveiled واللَهand God يُدرَأُwards off كَيدَهُمtheir guile
ولقد جَلو واللَه يُدرَأُ كَيدَهُم
فَتَّانَةَa temptress الأَوصافِqualities والأَعراقِand lineage
فَتَّانَةَ الأَوصافِ والأَعراقِ
And indeed they unveiled—may God ward off their guile—
By God, they are tempting with their character and lineage,
A temptress in her qualities and her lineage.
Eve made Satan stumble with such charms.
أغوىled astray بهاthrough her إبليسُIblis قِدماًlong ago آدَماًAdam
أغوى بها إبليسُ قِدماً آدَماً
وهيand she السَّريرةthe inner secret فيwithin هواهاlove for her الباقيenduring
وهي السَّريرة في هواها الباقي
Through her, Iblis long ago led Adam astray;
It is the smoldering ember in her passion,
And she is the secret within the enduring love for her.
By God, I turn my face of consent to her,
تاللَهby God أصرِفُI would turn نحوَهاtoward her وَجهَthe face of الرِّضاapproval
تاللَه أصرِفُ نحوَها وَجهَ الرِّضا
لوif شُعشَعتshe were diluted بِرِضَاwith the approval of أَبيAbu (father of) إسحاقIshaq
لو شُعشَعت بِرِضَا أَبي إسحاق
By God, I would turn an approving face toward her
Even if it displeased my father Isaac.
If she were diluted with Abu Ishaq's approval.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.