هَلdoes دَرىknow ظَبيُthe gazelle الحِمىthe sanctuary أَنthat قَدalready حَمىkindled
هَل دَرى ظَبيُ الحِمى أَن قَد حَمى
قَلبَheart صَبٍّa lovesick lover حَلَّهُhe inhabited it عَنinstead of مَكنَسِa gazelle's covert
قَلبَ صَبٍّ حَلَّهُ عَن مَكنَسِ
Does the gazelle of the sanctuary know that he has kindled
Does the doe of the sanctuary know that she has set ablaze
A lovesick heart he made his home instead of a thicket?
The heart of an ardent lover whom she has weaned from contentment?
فَهوَso it is فيin حَرٍّheat وَخَفقٍand throbbing مِثلَماjust as
فَهوَ في حَرٍّ وَخَفقٍ مِثلَما
لَعِبَتplayed ريحُwind الصَباthe east wind بِالقَبَسِwith the flame
لَعِبَت ريحُ الصَبا بِالقَبَسِ
It burns and flutters, just as
So he is in heat and tumult like
The east wind played with a flame.
The east wind playing with live coals.
ياO بُدوراًfull moons أَطلَعَتbrought forth يَومَthe day of النَوىparting
يا بُدوراً أَطلَعَت يَومَ النَوى
غُرَراًradiant faces تَسلُكُlead بيwith me نَهجَthe path of الغَرَرperil
غُرَراً تَسلُكُ بي نَهجَ الغَرَر
O full moons that, on the day of parting, revealed
O you whose cheek dawned on the day of parting
Radiant faces that lead me along the path of peril!
Deceiving me, following the ways of deceit!
ماnot لِنَفسيfor my soul وَحدَهاit alone ذَنبٌa fault سِوىexcept
ما لِنَفسي وَحدَها ذَنبٌ سِوى
مِنكُمُfrom you الحُسنُbeauty وَمِنand from عَينيmy eye النَظَرthe gaze
مِنكُمُ الحُسنُ وَمِن عَيني النَظَر
My soul alone bears no fault, except that
My soul alone is not at fault, except
Beauty comes from you, and the gaze from my eye.
For your beauty and my eyes which gazed.
أَجتَنيI gather اللَذّاتِpleasures مَكلومَwounded الجَوىlove's anguish
أَجتَني اللَذّاتِ مَكلومَ الجَوى
وَاِلتِذاذيand my delight مِنfrom حَبيبيmy beloved بِالفِكَرthrough thoughts
وَاِلتِذاذي مِن حَبيبي بِالفِكَر
I gather pleasures, wounded by longing,
Delights have come to me, though my innermost being is wounded,
And my delight in my beloved comes through thoughts of him.
And my pleasuring in thoughts of my beloved.
وَإِذاand when أَشكوI complain بِوَجديof my yearning بَسَماhe smiled
وَإِذا أَشكو بِوَجدي بَسَما
كَالرُبىlike the hills وَالعارِضِand the cloud المُنبَجِسِgushing with rain
كَالرُبى وَالعارِضِ المُنبَجِسِ
And when I complain of my yearning, he smiles,
And when I complain of my torment, I smile
Like the hills and the cloud bursting with rain:
Like someone tearful or frowning from a headache.
إِذwhen يُقيمُholds القَطرُthe rain فيهِwithin it مَأتَماa mourning gathering
إِذ يُقيمُ القَطرُ فيهِ مَأتَما
وَهيَand they are مِنfrom بَهجَتِهاtheir splendor فيat عُرُسِa wedding feast
وَهيَ مِن بَهجَتِها في عُرُسِ
When the rain holds a mourning rite within it,
When my passion is confided to him whose glances
While the hills, in their splendor, are at a wedding feast.
Make me fly, his eyelids leave of me
مَنhe who إِذاwhen أُمليI recite عَلَيهِto him حُرَقيmy burning sorrows
مَن إِذا أُملي عَلَيهِ حُرَقي
طارَحَتنيexchanged with me مُقلَتاهُhis two eyes الدَنَفاlovesickness
طارَحَتني مُقلَتاهُ الدَنَفا
When I recite my burning sorrows to that one,
A trace like the trail of ants on smooth rock.
His eyes exchange lovesickness with me.
And I thank him for what remains;
تَرَكَتleft أَجفانُهُhis eyelids مِنof رَمَقيmy last breath
تَرَكَت أَجفانُهُ مِن رَمَقي
أَثَرَthe trace of النَملِants عَلىupon صُمِّhard الصَفاsmooth rock
أَثَرَ النَملِ عَلى صُمِّ الصَفا
His eyelids have left of my life-breath
I do not upbraid him for what is ruined.
The trace of ants upon hard, smooth rock.
To me he is just though he wrongs,
وَأَناand I أَشكُرُهُthank him فيماfor what بَقيremains
وَأَنا أَشكُرُهُ فيما بَقي
لَستُI do not أَلحاهُreproach him عَلىfor ماwhat أَتلَفاhe destroyed
لَستُ أَلحاهُ عَلى ما أَتلَفا
And I thank him for what remains;
And his words though silent are my advocate.
I do not reproach him for what he destroyed.
I have no power over the matter after
فَهوَso he is عِنديto me عادِلٌjust إِنeven if ظَلَماhe was unjust
فَهوَ عِندي عادِلٌ إِن ظَلَما
وَعَذوليand my reproacher نُطقُهُhis speech كَالخَرَسِlike muteness
وَعَذولي نُطقُهُ كَالخَرَسِ
For to me he is just, even if he is unjust,
My breath has given place in my being to my breath.
And my reproacher's speech is as though he were mute.
He has overcome me, overcome me completely
لَيسَthere is not ليfor me فيin الأَمرِthe matter حُكمٌa say بَعدَماafter
لَيسَ لي في الأَمرِ حُكمٌ بَعدَما
حَلَّhe settled مِنwithin نَفسيmy soul مَحَلَّthe place of النَفَسِbreath
حَلَّ مِن نَفسي مَحَلَّ النَفَسِ
I have no say in the matter, now that
With languor. I ransom him with my father from one who is unyielding and harsh!
He has taken breath's place within my soul.
We knew of no lips that glistened
غالِبٌconquering ليover me غالِبٌconquering بِالتُؤَدَهwithout haste
غالِبٌ لي غالِبٌ بِالتُؤَدَه
بِأَبيwith my father أَفديهِI ransom him مِنsuch an جافٍaloof one رَقيقtender
بِأَبي أَفديهِ مِن جافٍ رَقيق
He conquers me, conquers without haste;
Until they were sweetened by his musky wine.
I would ransom him with my father—aloof yet tender.
His glances imbibed their intoxication from them
ماnot عَلِمناwe knew قَبلَbefore ثَغرٍa mouth نَضَّدَهhe arrayed it
ما عَلِمنا قَبلَ ثَغرٍ نَضَّدَه
أُقحُواناًdaisies عُصِرَتwas pressed مِنهُfrom it رَحيقpure wine
أُقحُواناً عُصِرَت مِنهُ رَحيق
Before his well-arrayed mouth, we had never known
While my heart is drunk with what will not pass.
Daisies from which pure wine was pressed.
Delicate of the rope, honeyed of taste,
أَخَذَتtook عَيناهُhis two eyes مِنهاfrom it العَربَدَهdrunken rowdiness
أَخَذَت عَيناهُ مِنها العَربَدَه
وَفُؤاديand my heart سُكرُهُits drunkenness ماnot إِنat all (emphasis) يُفيقsobers up
وَفُؤادي سُكرُهُ ما إِن يُفيق
His eyes took their drunken wildness from it,
Sorcerer of the vine, glorious in smiling,
And my heart never sobers from its drunkenness.
His beauty follows the dawn smiling
فاحِمُcoal-black اللِمَّةِshoulder-length hair مَعسولُhoney-sweet اللَمىdarkness of the lips
فاحِمُ اللِمَّةِ مَعسولُ اللَمى
ساحِرُbewitching الغُنجِcoquetry شَهِيُّdelectable اللَعَسِdusky lip color
ساحِرُ الغُنجِ شَهِيُّ اللَعَسِ
His locks are coal-black, his dusky lips honey-sweet;
Though he is aloof in his aloofness.
His coquetry is bewitching, his dark lips delectable.
O questioner about my crime in his regard,
حُسنُهُhis beauty يَتلوrecites الضُحىmorning brightness مُبتَسِماًsmiling
حُسنُهُ يَتلو الضُحى مُبتَسِماً
وَهوَand he is مِنfrom إِعراضِهِhis turning away فيin عَبَسِfrowning
وَهوَ مِن إِعراضِهِ في عَبَسِ
His beauty, smiling, recites 'Morning Brightness',
I get punishment for the sin while he is the sinner.
Yet, turning away, he dwells in 'He Frowned'.
The dawn sun has taken from his cheeks and freshness
أَيُّهاO you السائِلُwho asks عَنabout جُرميmy offense لَدَيهin his eyes
أَيُّها السائِلُ عَن جُرمي لَدَيه
ليmine is جَزاءُthe punishment for الذَنبِthe sin وَهوَwhile he is المُذنِبُthe sinner
لي جَزاءُ الذَنبِ وَهوَ المُذنِبُ
O you who ask about my offense in his eyes:
A radiant light against which the sun has radiance.
Mine is the punishment for the sin, though he is the sinner.
My flowing tears, my longing for him, have gone,
أَخَذَتtook شَمسُthe sun الضُحىmorning brightness مِنfrom وَجنَتَيهِhis two cheeks
أَخَذَت شَمسُ الضُحى مِن وَجنَتَيهِ
مَشرِقاًa rising-place لِلشَمسِfor the sun فيهِwithin it مَغرِبُa setting-place
مَشرِقاً لِلشَمسِ فيهِ مَغرِبُ
The morning sun has taken from his cheeks
While his cheek by my yearning is made to shine.
A place to rise, where the sun has its setting.
Whenever my eyelids glance at him
ذَهَّبَتgilded دَمعِيَmy tears أَشواقيmy longings إِلَيهfor him
ذَهَّبَت دَمعِيَ أَشواقي إِلَيه
ولَهُand he has خَدٌّa cheek بِلَحظيby my gaze مُذهَبُgilded
ولَهُ خَدٌّ بِلَحظي مُذهَبُ
My longings for him have gilded my tears,
My gaze plants roses in his cheek.
And his cheek is gilded by my gaze.
Would that I knew what thing has forbidden
يُنبِتُmakes grow الوَردَroses بِغَرسيthrough my planting كُلَّماwhenever
يُنبِتُ الوَردَ بِغَرسي كُلَّما
لَحَظَتهُglanced at it مُقلَتيmy eye فيin الخُلَسِstolen glances
لَحَظَتهُ مُقلَتي في الخُلَسِ
It grows roses through my planting whenever
Those roses to the one who planted them!
My eye glances at it furtively.
My flowing tears have set in my breast a fire
لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge أَيُّwhat شَيءٍthing حَرّماforbade
لَيتَ شِعري أَيُّ شَيءٍ حَرّما
ذَلِكَthat الوَردَrose عَلىto المُغتَرِسِthe planter
ذَلِكَ الوَردَ عَلى المُغتَرِسِ
If only I knew what has forbidden
That flames up in any manner it desires.
That rose to the one who planted it.
It is coolness and peace in his cheek,
أَنفَذَتsent forth دَمعِيَmy tears نارٌa fire فيin ضِرامa blaze
أَنفَذَت دَمعِيَ نارٌ في ضِرام
تَلتَظيblazes فيat كُلِّevery حينٍmoment ماas يَشاhe wills
تَلتَظي في كُلِّ حينٍ ما يَشا
A blazing fire has sent my tears flowing,
While it is harm and burning in my inner being.
Flaring at every moment, as he wills.
I fear him according to the rule of love--
هِيَit is فيon خَدَّيهِhis two cheeks بَردٌcoolness وَسَلامand peace
هِيَ في خَدَّيهِ بَردٌ وَسَلام
وَهيَand it is ضُرٌّharm وَحَريقٌand burning فيin الحَشاthe inner breast
وَهيَ ضُرٌّ وَحَريقٌ في الحَشا
On his cheeks it is coolness and peace,
A lion, a fawn, and I love him as a fawn.
Yet in my breast it is harm and burning.
When his landmarks appeared, and he in his haughtiness
أَتَّقيI guard myself مِنهُagainst him عَلىunder حُكمِthe decree of الغَرامpassionate love
أَتَّقي مِنهُ عَلى حُكمِ الغَرام
أَسَداًa lion وَرداًtawny وَأَهواهُand I love him رَشاa young gazelle
أَسَداً وَرداً وَأَهواهُ رَشا
Under love's decree, I guard against him as
Turned aside, I said to him, "You who have taken my heart by force,
A tawny lion, yet love him as a young gazelle.
Make union in place of the one-fifth!"
قُلتُI said لَمّاwhen أَنthat تَبَدّىhe appeared مُعلَماwearing insignia
قُلتُ لَمّا أَن تَبَدّى مُعلَما
وَهوَwhile he is مِنof أَلحاظِهِhis glances فيin حَرَسِa guard
وَهوَ مِن أَلحاظِهِ في حَرَسِ
I said, when he appeared wearing his insignia,
While he stood guarded by his glances:
أَيُّهاO you الآخِذُwho takes قَلبيmy heart مَغنَماas booty
أَيُّها الآخِذُ قَلبي مَغنَما
اِجعَلِmake الوَصلَunion مَكانَin place of الخُمُسِthe one-fifth share
اِجعَلِ الوَصلَ مَكانَ الخُمُسِ
O you who take my heart as booty,
Let union stand in place of the one-fifth share.
Partial English translation: 50 of 54 Arabic lines translated.