رُوَيْدَhold back الليالِيthe nights كَمhow long تُصِرُّyou persist عَلَىin الغَدْرtreachery
رُوَيْدَ الليالِي كَم تُصِرُّ عَلَى الغَدْر
أتَجْهلُare you unaware of إتْلافَdestroying النّفائِسprecious things أمْor تَدرِيdo you know
أتَجْهلُ إتْلافَ النّفائِس أمْ تَدرِي
Hold back, O nights! How long will you persist in treachery?
How the nights insist on betrayal
Are you unaware that you destroy precious things, or do you know?
Do you not know the ruin of treasures or are you aware?
تَدبُّyou creep بِفَجْعِby bereaving الخِلِّa friend بالخِلِّof a friend دَائِباًunceasingly
تَدبُّ بِفَجْعِ الخِلِّ بالخِلِّ دَائِباً
وتَسرِيand you journey by night لشتِّto scatter الشَملِthe gathering فيin السِرِّsecret والجَهرِand openly
وتَسرِي لشتِّ الشَملِ في السِرِّ والجَهرِ
You creep on, unceasingly bereaving friend of friend,
You wander in the sadness of separation, constantly
And journey to scatter the gathering, in secret and openly.
And you spread the evil of discord, secretly and openly
وَماand never أَنْشَبَتْyou sank فيinto ضَيْغَمa lion الغَابthe forest نَابَهاyour fang
وَما أَنْشَبَتْ في ضَيْغَم الغَاب نَابَها
فأفْلَتَهاthen escaped you يَوْماًever; one day ولاnor ظَبْيَةa gazelle الخِدْرِthe secluded chamber
فأفْلَتَها يَوْماً ولا ظَبْيَة الخِدْرِ
No forest lion into whom you sank your fang
Her claws did not become embedded in the thicket of the forest
Ever escaped you, nor any gazelle of the secluded chamber.
So one day she escaped, not even a young gazelle could flee
فَياso, O لَيتَهاif only they والهَجْرُand parting مُودٍbringing ruin بِوصْلِهاto their union
فَيا لَيتَها والهَجْرُ مُودٍ بِوصْلِها
كَفَتْناthey spared us سُرُورَthe joy of الوَصْلunion أوْor حَزنَthe sorrow of الهجرِparting
كَفَتْنا سُرُورَ الوَصْل أوْ حَزنَ الهجرِ
If only—while parting destroys their union—
If only she and estrangement had an affectionate bond
The nights had spared us the joy of union or the sorrow of parting.
We would have enjoyed the joy of union or the sorrow of separation
وَياand O لَيتَهاif only they كانَتhad been كأَشْعَبَlike Ashʿab فيin الذيwhat
وَيا لَيتَها كانَت كأَشْعَبَ في الذي
تَعَلَّمَhe learned دونrather than الطَّيِّfolding مِنof صَنعَةِthe art of النَّشْرِunfolding
تَعَلَّمَ دون الطَّيِّ مِن صَنعَةِ النَّشْرِ
If only they had been like Ashʿab in what
If only she was like the diver who learned aside from diving
He learned of the art of unfolding, rather than folding.
The craft of spreading nets, he did not benefit from gentle coaxing or rely on harsh repulsion
فَلَمso he did not يَسْتَفِدacquire لُطفsubtle skill التهدِّيfinding one's way إلىto الأذىhurt
فَلَم يَسْتَفِد لُطف التهدِّي إلى الأذى
ولمand he did not يعْتَمدresort to عُنْفviolence التَصدِّيsetting oneself to إلىto الضُّرِّharm
ولم يعْتَمد عُنْف التَصدِّي إلى الضُّرِّ
So he acquired no subtle skill in finding a way to hurt,
She has certainly weakened me with a stab by which
Nor resorted to the violence of setting out to harm.
She established afterwards the agony of my chest
لَقدindeed أَثْكلَتْنيthey bereaved me خُلّةًa dear companion طَعَنَتْthey stabbed بِهاthrough her
لَقد أَثْكلَتْني خُلّةً طَعَنَتْ بِها
ولَكِنand yet أَقامَتْthey established بعدَهاafter her لَوْعَةburning anguish الصّدْرِthe breast
ولَكِن أَقامَتْ بعدَها لَوْعَة الصّدْرِ
Indeed, they bereaved me of a dear companion, piercing me through her,
The branch of blissful water bent it
Yet left, after her, a burning anguish in my breast.
With ample promises, pledges and burning embers
ذَوَتْthey withered غُصناًa bough مَاءُthe water of النّعيمbliss يُميلُهmakes it sway
ذَوَتْ غُصناً مَاءُ النّعيم يُميلُه
بِملْءwith the fullness of الحَشاياthe cushions والحَشاand the breast وَقدةa blaze الجَمرِembers
بِملْء الحَشايا والحَشا وَقدة الجَمرِ
They withered a bough that the water of bliss made sway,
And the vast army handed her over to perdition
With full cushions, and the breast a blaze of embers.
As if she was not more protective than the bright star
وأَسْلمَهاand surrendered her الجيشُthe army العَرَمرَمُvast للرَّدىto death
وأَسْلمَها الجيشُ العَرَمرَمُ للرَّدى
كأنas though لَمnot تكُنshe had been أحْمَىbetter protected مِنthan النجمِthe stars الزُّهرِradiant
كأن لَم تكُن أحْمَى مِن النجمِ الزُّهرِ
And the vast army surrendered her to death,
The sun and moon remind me of her whenever
As though she had not been better protected than the radiant stars.
I glance at the rising of the sun and the moon
يُذَكِّرُbrings to mind فيهاconcerning her الشَّمْسthe sun والبَدْرand the full moon كُلّماwhenever
يُذَكِّرُ فيها الشَّمْس والبَدْر كُلّما
رَميْتُI cast بلَحْظيwith my glance طلْعةthe face of الشَّمسthe sun والبَدْرِand the full moon
رَميْتُ بلَحْظي طلْعة الشَّمس والبَدْرِ
The sun and full moon bring her to mind whenever
She fell into the earth and it was her burial place
I cast my glance at the face of the sun and full moon.
So my sorrow for what saddened love makes me find
هَوَتْshe fell فيinto الثَّرىthe dust وَهْيwhile she was الثرَياthe Pleiades مكانةًin rank
هَوَتْ في الثَّرى وَهْي الثرَيا مكانةً
فَلَهفيso, alas for me لمَاfor what ساءgrieved الهَوىتَجِدْنِيَlove—you find me (fused text) منfrom مِيقاتِهاher appointed time يَاO لِيَوْمِهاfor her day
فَلَهفي لمَا ساء الهَوىتَجِدْنِيَ من مِيقاتِها يَا لِيَوْمِها
She fell into the dust, though in rank she was the Pleiades.
At her appointed time, oh her day
Alas for what grieved love—you find me from her appointed time—alas for her day! [Wording unclear.]
Stop, but with elegies of poetry
مهلاًchanting the pilgrim's call (contextual reading) ولكِنْand yet بالمَراثِيwith elegies مِنof الشِّعرِverse
مهلاً ولكِنْ بالمَراثِي مِن الشِّعرِ
وَقاذِفَand casting دَمْعٍtears كالجِمارِlike the ritual pebbles مُورَّداًrose-red
وَقاذِفَ دَمْعٍ كالجِمارِ مُورَّداً
Chanting the pilgrim's call, but with elegies in verse,
And tears flowing like embers when people overflow with weeping at the slaughter
And flinging rose-red tears like the ritual pebbles,
Do not blame me for neglecting
إذاwhen ماever (emphatic) أفاضَstreamed forth الناسُthe people فاضَflowed عَلىover النَّحْرِthe upper chest
إذا ما أفاضَ الناسُ فاضَ عَلى النَّحْرِ
وَلاand do not تَلُمَنِّيblame me أنthat حَلَلْتُI ended pilgrim consecration مُقَضِّياًfulfilling
وَلا تَلُمَنِّي أن حَلَلْتُ مُقَضِّياً
When the people stream forth, the tears flow over my breast.
The rituals of my anguish and sacrificing patience
And do not blame me for ending my consecration, fulfilling
If my heart wanted to incline away
مَناسِكَthe rites of أشْجانِيmy sorrows وضَحَّيتُand I sacrificed بالصَّبرِpatience as an offering
مَناسِكَ أشْجانِي وضَحَّيتُ بالصَّبرِ
فَقَلْبِيَfor my heart لَوif رَامَsought السلُوَّforgetfulness ثَنيَتُهI would turn it back
فَقَلْبِيَ لَو رَامَ السلُوَّ ثَنيَتُه
The rites of my sorrows, and sacrificing patience.
From the tomb between ribs to the gullet
For if my heart sought forgetfulness, I would turn it
Out of loyalty to a pact I do not break
عَنaway from القَرِّrest ماthe space بينَbetween الضُّلوعِthe ribs إلىtoward النَّفْرِdeparture
عَن القَرِّ ما بينَ الضُّلوعِ إلى النَّفْرِ
وفاءًin fidelity بِعَهْدٍto a pledge لاnot أُخِلُّI fail بِحِفْظِهin keeping it
وفاءً بِعَهْدٍ لا أُخِلُّ بِحِفْظِه
From rest between the ribs toward departure,
Until the exposure of the dead at the place of resurrection
In fidelity to a pledge whose keeping I will not neglect,
My yearning for events that circled
إلىuntil عرْضَةthe presentation of الأمواتِthe dead فيin عرْصةthe open ground of الحَشرِthe Resurrection gathering
إلى عرْضَة الأمواتِ في عرْصة الحَشرِ
آخرthe end of الدَّهْرِtime
آخر الدَّهْرِ
Until the dead are presented on the plain of Resurrection,
At the end of time in their depictions like sea shells that did not toss upon the beach shore
At the end of time.
And my pilgrimage to them I made
حَنينِيmy longing لأحْداثٍfor events أَطافَتْcircled بِرَسْمِهاaround her traces
حَنينِي لأحْداثٍ أَطافَتْ بِرَسْمِها
كأَصْدافِlike shells of دُرّpearls لَمnot تَرِمْleave ساحِلَthe shore of البَحْرِthe sea
كأَصْدافِ دُرّ لَم تَرِمْ ساحِلَ البَحْرِ
My longing is for events that circled her traces,
That is indeed the pinnacle of an honorable life
Like pearl-shells that never left the shore of the sea.
Take another look at what led me to agony
وحَجِّيand my pilgrimage إلَيْهاto her واعْتِمارِيand my lesser pilgrimage جَعَلتهI have made it
وحَجِّي إلَيْها واعْتِمارِي جَعَلته
وَذاكand that لَعَمريby my life مُنتَهىthe utmost شَرَفhonor of العُمْرِa lifetime
وَذاك لَعَمري مُنتَهى شَرَف العُمْرِ
And I have made my pilgrimage and lesser pilgrimage to her,
And what brought me back on my Eid of Fitr and Eid of Sacrifice.
And that, by my life, is the utmost honor of a lifetime.
أعِدْrepeat نَظَراًa look فيماat what دَعانِيcalled me إِلىto الأسىsorrow
أعِدْ نَظَراً فيما دَعانِي إِلى الأسى
وَماand what عادَنِيrevisited me فيat عِيديthe two feasts of الفِطرbreaking the fast والنَّحْرِand sacrifice
وَما عادَنِي في عِيدي الفِطر والنَّحْرِ
Look again at what called me to sorrow,
And what revisited me at the two feasts of Breaking the Fast and Sacrifice.
Partial English translation: 35 of 38 Arabic lines translated.