صبa lovesick man صباباتهhis ardent longings شهودwitnesses
صب صباباته شهود
وقتلهand killing him فيكمfor your sake مباحlawful
وقتله فيكم مباح
A lovesick man—his longings bear witness;
His affection pours cups of witnessing
and killing him for your sake is lawful.
And killing you is permissible to him
مناهhis wish لوif أسعفgave aid التمنىwishing
مناه لو أسعف التمنى
منfrom كاسريهthose who break him جيرmending (probable correction) الجناحthe wing
من كاسريه جير الجناح
His wish, if wishing would come to his aid,
If wishes were horses, he would have helped me
is for those who broke him to mend his wing.
From my breakers of wings
قدindeed فاقsurpassed فيin وجدهhis ardor الوجوداexistence
قد فاق في وجده الوجودا
ولجhe entered فيinto لجةthe depths الغرامpassion
ولج في لجة الغرام
In his ardor he has surpassed all existence;
He has surpassed existence in his passion
he has plunged into the depths of passion.
And plunged into the depths of love
فصارso he became فيin حبهhis love فريداًpeerless
فصار في حبه فريداً
وقامand rose فيهwithin it أعلىthe highest مقامstation
وقام فيه أعلى مقام
Thus he became peerless in his love
So he became unique in his love
and rose within it to the highest station.
And attained the highest status in it
بنفسهwith his own soul جدhe strove earnestly أنto يجوداgive generously
بنفسه جد أن يجودا
فلاso no اعتراضobjection ولاand no ملامblame
فلا اعتراض ولا ملام
He strove to give his very soul,
He strives to be generous
so let there be neither objection nor blame.
So no objection or blame
دعوهleave him فالنومfor sleep لاdoes not يفيدhelp
دعوه فالنوم لا يفيد
ماnot أنthat علىupon مغرمone stricken with love جناحblame
ما أن على مغرم جناح
Leave him be, for sleep does not help.
Let him be, for sleep does no good
There is no blame upon one stricken with love.
For one who has a winged passion
جنانهhis heart باتhe spent the night فيهin it يجنىgathering
جنانه بات فيه يجنى
فنونvarieties افنانboughs الافتضاحdisgrace
فنون افنان الافتضاح
In his heart he spent the night gathering
He collects in it the arts of the shameless lovers
the varied boughs of disgrace.
Do not distance me, for in separation
لاdo not تبعدونيdrive me away ففيfor in البعادseparation
لا تبعدوني ففي البعاد
والصدand rejection ماwhat يصدعcleaves الفؤادthe heart
والصد ما يصدع الفؤاد
Do not drive me away, for in separation
And disconnection, the heart shatters
and rejection lies what cleaves the heart.
I call out to you by the right of passion
بكمfor you وحقand by the sanctity of الهوىlove أنادىI cry out
بكم وحق الهوى أنادى
إذfor ليسthere is no ليfor me غيركمother than you مرادdesired aim
إذ ليس لي غيركم مراد
For you, by love's sanctity, I cry out,
As I have no wish but you
for I have no desire but you.
And in every valley I complain
ولهانdistraught with love أشكوI lament بكلin every وادvalley
ولهان أشكو بكل واد
مضناكمyour languishing lover بالبعادthrough separation بادhas perished
مضناكم بالبعاد باد
Distraught with love, I lament in every valley.
Of your troublesome distance
Your languishing lover has perished through separation.
If the Saud family had aided my wishes
لوif ساعدتhad aided بالمنىwith wishes السعودgood fortune
لو ساعدت بالمنى السعود
ماnot كانwould have been ليfor me عنكمfrom you براحdeparture
ما كان لي عنكم براح
Had good fortune helped fulfill my wishes,
I would have had no relief from you
I would never have parted from you.
But whatever you desire of me
لكنbut ماwhatever شئتمونyou wish me to do منىfrom me
لكن ما شئتمون منى
هوit is المنىwishes والاقتراحand the request
هو المنى والاقتراح
But whatever you wish of me
Is my wish and proposal
is my desire and my request.
The breaths of my comfort
أنفاسbreaths ريحانةsweet basil ارتياحيmy delight
أنفاس ريحانة ارتياحي
نمتbetrayed بماof what بيwithin me منof الولوعardent attachment
نمت بما بي من الولوع
The breaths of the sweet basil of my delight
Slept with what was in me of agony
have betrayed the ardor within me.
My shame in loving you is exposed
قدindeed حانhas come فيin حبكlove for you افتضاحيmy exposure
قد حان في حبك افتضاحي
وخددتand furrowed خدىmy cheek الدموعtears
وخددت خدى الدموع
The hour has come for my love of you to be laid bare,
And my tearful cheeks are worn
and tears have furrowed my cheek.
So cry out, for in you the passionate one calls out
فياso, O! السكرانthe intoxicated one فيكon you صاحsober
فيا السكران فيك صاح
أشواقهhis longings تلهبset aflame الضلوعthe ribs
أشواقه تلهب الضلوع
Ah, the one drunk on you, yet sober!
Whose passions inflame the ribs
His longings set his ribs aflame.
And no union or visit
ولاand no وصولunion ولاand no ورودarrival
ولا وصول ولا ورود
يعيدturns back ليلىmy night بكمthrough you صباحmorning
يعيد ليلى بكم صباح
There is neither union nor arrival
Returns Layla's morning with you
to turn my night, through you, to morning.
O cryer, leave me be
ياO صاحfriend دعنىleave me وخلand keep away عنىfrom me
يا صاح دعنى وخل عنى
فلستfor I am not أصغىI listen لقولto the words of لاحa reprover
فلست أصغى لقول لاح
O friend, leave me and let me be,
For I do not listen to useless words
for I heed no reprover's words.
Oh what a loss, my life passed
ياO حسرتاmy sorrow! قدindeed مضىhas passed وولىand gone
يا حسرتا قد مضى وولى
عمرىmy life وماand no منكمof you نصيبshare
عمرى وما منكم نصيب
Alas! It has passed and gone—
And I had no share of you
my life, with no share of you.
Your abandonment left me crazy
أورثنيbequeathed me الهجرestrangement منكfrom you خبلاًmadness
أورثني الهجر منك خبلاً
فصرتso I became أدعىI am called ولاand do not أجيبI answer
فصرت أدعى ولا أجيب
Estrangement from you has bequeathed me madness,
So I supplicate without response
so I am called, but do not answer.
Hello O sickness, hello
أهلاwelcome بذاكto that السقامsickness أهلاwelcome
أهلا بذاك السقام أهلا
إذfor أنتyou ياO ممرضىyou who sicken me الطبيبthe physician
إذ أنت يا ممرضى الطبيب
Welcome to that sickness, welcome,
Since you are my healer
for you, O you who sicken me, are the physician.
Return with the fragrance of union, return
عودواreturn بطيبwith the sweetness of الوصالunion عودواreturn
عودوا بطيب الوصال عودوا
فلىfor me علىin ذلكthat ارتياحdelight
فلى على ذلك ارتياح
Return with the sweetness of union, return,
For I am pleased with that
for in that I find delight.
Draw near me
قربcloseness منكto you يدنىdraws nearer
قرب منك يدنى
منone who باتspends the night يضنيهwears him down الإنتزاحdistance
من بات يضنيه الإنتزاح
Closeness to you draws nearer
For one who is deprived of intimacy by night
one who spends the night worn down by distance.
I am pleased with what you deny me
أناI بماwith whatever ترتصيهyou approve of (probable correction) راضcontent
أنا بما ترتصيه راض
إنif كنتyou are ليfor me العونhelp والرضىand contentment
إن كنت لي العون والرضى
I am content with whatever you approve,
If you are my ally and acceptance
if you are my help and my contentment.
And if you are the judge of beauty
فإنand if تكنyou are فيin الجمالbeauty قاضa judge
فإن تكن في الجمال قاض
فالطفthen be gentle بماin whatever شئتyou choose فيin القضاjudgment
فالطف بما شئت في القضا
And if you are a judge in beauty,
Then be kind in your ruling
then be gentle in whatever judgment you choose.
And grant your beseecher all past
وهبand forgive لراجيكfor the one who hopes in you كلall ماضthat is past
وهب لراجيك كل ماض
فلاfor not يعادis brought back الذيwhat مضىhas passed
فلا يعاد الذي مضى
And forgive all the past for the one who hopes in you,
For the past cannot be restored
for what has passed cannot be brought back.
O cryer, you have renewed promises
ياO صاحfriend قدindeed جددتhave been renewed عهودpledges
يا صاح قد جددت عهود
للوصلfor union تفضىleading بالاصطباحto morning drinking
للوصل تفضى بالاصطباح
O friend, pledges have been renewed
Of union leading to the morning
for union, leading to the morning draught.
So sip cups of wishes and chant
فارشفso sip كؤوسcups المنىdesires وغنand sing
فارشف كؤوس المنى وغن
حيcome! علىto الشربdrinking ياO ملاحfair ones
حي على الشرب يا ملاح
So sip the cups of desire, and sing:
Welcome drinking, O sailor!
'Come to drinking, O fair ones!'
Partial English translation: 53 of 54 Arabic lines translated.