مَنwho لِأُذنيfor my ear بِعَذولِwith a reprover
مَن لِأُذني بِعَذولِ
وَلِكَفَّيand for my hands بِشُمولِwith wine
وَلِكَفَّي بِشُمولِ
Who will bring my ear a reprover,
Who will lend an ear to my complaining,
and my hands wine—
And a hand to my embracing?
قَهوَةٍwine تَذهَبُtakes away عَنّاfrom us
قَهوَةٍ تَذهَبُ عَنّا
بِهُمومٍwith cares وَعُقولِand wits
بِهُمومٍ وَعُقولِ
wine that takes away from us
Coffee to take my cares away
our cares and our wits?
And my worried thoughts effacing.
اِستَعِنseek help بِالراحِin wine ياO صا(beginning of 'friend')
اِستَعِن بِالراحِ يا صا
حِ(completion of 'friend') عَلىagainst اللَيلِthe night الطَويلِlong
حِ عَلى اللَيلِ الطَويلِ
Seek help in wine, O friend,
Take heart, my friend, through the long night,
against the long night.
Though help may be delaying.
قُلsay لِمَنto whoever يَبخَلُis stingy عَنّيtoward me
قُل لِمَن يَبخَلُ عَنّي
بِقَليلٍwith a little مِنof قَليلِa little
بِقَليلٍ مِن قَليلِ
Say to the one who begrudges me
Say to those who grudge to share with me
the merest little—
A little of their little:
بِسَلامٍwith a greeting مِنof كَلامٍwords
بِسَلامٍ مِن كَلامٍ
وَبِلَحظٍand with a glance مِنfrom رَسولِa messenger
وَبِلَحظٍ مِن رَسولِ
a greeting in words,
Greetings of peace, though words be brief
and a glance from a messenger:
And a glance from the messenger only.
هَلis there? إِلىto وَصلٍunion وَإِلّاand if not
هَل إِلى وَصلٍ وَإِلّا
فَسَلوthen forgetting هَلis there? مِنany سَبيلِway
فَسَلو هَل مِن سَبيلِ
"Is there a way to union? If not,
Is there hope of union or must I despair?
then is there a way to forget?"
Ask if there’s a way, some way to attain.
وَيحَwoe to نَفسيmy soul مِنbecause of حَبيبٍa beloved
وَيحَ نَفسي مِن حَبيبٍ
ناقِضِbreaking العَهدِthe pledge مَلولِeasily bored
ناقِضِ العَهدِ مَلولِ
Woe to my soul for a beloved,
My soul, beware a fickle lover
a pledge-breaker, easily bored:
Who breaks his vows, no constancy maintaining.
ظَبيُa gazelle إِنسٍhumankind فاتِرِlanguid الأَل(beginning of 'the glances')
ظَبيُ إِنسٍ فاتِرِ الأَل
حاظِ(completion of 'glances') ذيwith جَفنٍan eyelid كَحيلِkohl-dark
حاظِ ذي جَفنٍ كَحيلِ
a human gazelle with languid
A human gazelle, whose languid eyes
glances, with a kohl-dark eyelid.
Are lined with kohl, no ardour retaining.
عَيَّرواthey reproached عارِضَهُhis cheek-down بِالfor the
عَيَّروا عارِضَهُ بِال
مِسكِmusk فيon خَدٍّa cheek أَسيلِsmooth
مِسكِ في خَدٍّ أَسيلِ
They found fault with his cheek-down—
They chide his cheek for the musk concealed there
musk upon a smooth cheek,
Under that smooth surface vainly dissembling.
تَحتَbeneath صُدغَينِtwo sidelocks يُشيراthey both point (continued)
تَحتَ صُدغَينِ يُشيرا
نِ(dual-verb ending) إِلىtoward وَجهٍa face جَميلِbeautiful
نِ إِلى وَجهٍ جَميلِ
beneath two sidelocks pointing
His dimpled cheeks hint at a lovely face.
toward a beautiful face.
I pine for him yet he shows no pity for me.
عِندِيَwith me الشَوقُlonging إِلَيهِfor him
عِندِيَ الشَوقُ إِلَيهِ
وَالتَناسيand feigned forgetfulness عِندَهُwith him ليof me
وَالتَناسي عِندَهُ لي
I long for him,
To Yahya once, as night was falling,
and he pretends to forget me.
I said, as the burdens were lifted:
فَلَقَدfor indeed قُلتُI said لِيَحيىto Yahya
فَلَقَد قُلتُ لِيَحيى
عِندَwhen تَقريبِbringing near الحُمولِthe laden camels
عِندَ تَقريبِ الحُمولِ
For indeed I said to Yahya,
‘Tis I they blame, when they talk of leaving,
when the laden camels were brought near:
As they make plans for departing really.
إِنَّماonly يَنعَونَthey announce the death of نَفسيmy soul
إِنَّما يَنعَونَ نَفسي
إِذwhen تَداعَواthey called one another بِالرَحيلِfor departure
إِذ تَداعَوا بِالرَحيلِ
"They announce nothing but my death
as they call one another to depart."
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.