سارَhe departed بِصَبريwith my patience وَبِاِحتِماليand with my endurance
سارَ بِصَبري وَبِاِحتِمالي
سَيرَthe journey of حَمولa laden caravan
سَيرَ حَمول
He bore away my patience and endurance
as a laden caravan departs.
يَحمِلُcarries عَنهاfrom it شَذاfragrance الشَمالِthe north wind
يَحمِلُ عَنها شَذا الشَمالِ
عَرفَthe scent of الشَمولwine
عَرفَ الشَمول
The fragrant north wind carries from it
the scent of wine.
فيin فاضِحِone who puts to shame الدُرِّpearls وَالدَراريand shining stars
في فاضِحِ الدُرِّ وَالدَراري
ثَغرٌa mouth وَنورand radiance
ثَغرٌ وَنور
In him who puts pearls and stars to shame
are a mouth and radiance.
ذوpossessed of غَنَجٍcoquetry أَعينُthe eyes of الصِوارِthe wild-ox herd
ذو غَنَجٍ أَعينُ الصِوارِ
إِليهِtoward him صورinclined
إِليهِ صور
A coy one—the wild oxen's eyes
are drawn toward him.
فَرَّhe fled مِنَfrom السِربِthe herd وَالقِفارِand the barren wilds
فَرَّ مِنَ السِربِ وَالقِفارِ
إِلىinto الصُدورbreasts
إِلى الصُدور
He fled the herd and the barren wilds
into our breasts.
سَطاhe assailed فَأَعدَدتُso I readied لِلدَلالِfor coyness
سَطا فَأَعدَدتُ لِلدَلالِ
حِلمَthe forbearance of الذَليلthe humbled one
حِلمَ الذَليل
He assailed me; for his coyness I readied
the forbearance of the humbled.
وَحَسَّنَتand made fair فِتنَةُthe enchantment of الجَمالِbeauty
وَحَسَّنَت فِتنَةُ الجَمالِ
حُبَّlove for البَخيلthe miserly one
حُبَّ البَخيل
And beauty's enchantment made fair
loving the miserly one.
مَلَأتَyou filled بِالشَوقِwith longing صَدرَthe breast of مُعَمَّدa love-stricken man
مَلَأتَ بِالشَوقِ صَدرَ مُعَمَّد
صِفرَempty اليَدَينthe two hands
صِفرَ اليَدَين
You filled with longing a love-stricken man's breast,
empty-handed as he is.
فَدَمعُso the tears of عَينيmy eye اِنثَنىturned مُوَرَّدrose-red
فَدَمعُ عَيني اِنثَنى مُوَرَّد
بِغَيرِwithout عَينan eye
بِغَيرِ عَين
So my eye's tears turned rose-red,
without an eye.
أَظُنُّI think روحيmy soul لِلَحظِto the glance of أَحمَدAhmad
أَظُنُّ روحي لِلَحظِ أَحمَد
عَلَيَّupon me دَينa debt
عَلَيَّ دَين
I think my soul, to Ahmad's glance,
is a debt I owe.
لاdo not تَخشَfear لَيَّيmy stalling وَلاnor مِطاليmy delaying payment
لا تَخشَ لَيَّي وَلا مِطالي
لَستُI do not أَحولturn aside
لَستُ أَحول
Fear neither my stalling nor my delay;
I will not evade.
نَفسِيَmy soul فيin ذِمَّةِthe keeping of الخَبالِmadness
نَفسِيَ في ذِمَّةِ الخَبالِ
عَلىupon الحُلولfalling due
عَلى الحُلول
My soul is in madness's keeping,
with payment due.
كَمhow often أَشتَكيI lament رَوعَةَthe terror of الشُجونِsorrows
كَم أَشتَكي رَوعَةَ الشُجونِ
بِلاwithout فُؤادa heart
بِلا فُؤاد
How often I lament the terror of sorrows,
without a heart.
عَنof لَذَّةِthe delight of النَومِsleep حَدِّثونيtell me
عَن لَذَّةِ النَومِ حَدِّثوني
طالَhas lasted long السُهادsleeplessness
طالَ السُهاد
Tell me of the delight of sleep;
sleeplessness has lasted long.
صامَتhave fasted بِشَرعِby the law of الهَوىlove جُفونيmy eyelids
صامَت بِشَرعِ الهَوى جُفوني
عَنِfrom الرُقادslumber
عَنِ الرُقاد
By love's law my eyelids have fasted
from slumber.
لَوif only حَلَّلَmade lawful الفِطرَbreaking the fast بِالهِلالِby the crescent
لَو حَلَّلَ الفِطرَ بِالهِلالِ
وَجهٌa face جَميلbeautiful
وَجهٌ جَميل
If only breaking the fast by the crescent were permitted
by a lovely face!
مَتىwhen أَرىshall I see لَيلَةَthe night of الوِصالِunion
مَتى أَرى لَيلَةَ الوِصالِ
يالَيلَO night صولwield your might
يالَيلَ صول
When shall I see the night of union?
O night, wield your might!
مَحَقتَyou eclipsed بِالسُقمِthrough sickness فيin ضِياءِradiance
مَحَقتَ بِالسُقمِ في ضِياءِ
بَدرَa full moon تَمامfullness
بَدرَ تَمام
Through sickness you eclipsed, in its radiance,
a moon at its full.
ماnot عِشتُI would have lived حيناًa moment لَولاbut for خَفائيmy being hidden
ما عِشتُ حيناً لَولا خَفائي
عَنِfrom الحِمامdeath
عَنِ الحِمام
I would not have lived a moment, had I not been hidden
from death.
مَحاerased سَقامُthe sickness of البُكاweeping ذَمائيmy last spark of life
مَحا سَقامُ البُكا ذَمائي
وَلاand no سَقامsickness
وَلا سَقام
Weeping's sickness erased my last spark of life,
and no sickness remains.
أَأَنسُبُshall I ascribe السُقمَsickness لِلخَيالِto the phantom
أَأَنسُبُ السُقمَ لِلخَيالِ
ماذاwhat أَقولshall I say
ماذا أَقول
Shall I ascribe sickness to the phantom?
What can I say?
غالَطتُI deceived myself وَاللَهِby God فيin اِنتِحاليmy claiming
غالَطتُ وَاللَهِ في اِنتِحالي
ثَوبَthe robe of النُحولemaciation
ثَوبَ النُحول
I deceived myself, by God, in claiming
the robe of emaciation.
قَدَّمتُI put forward ذِكرَmention of النَوىseparation وَأَعنيand I mean
قَدَّمتُ ذِكرَ النَوى وَأَعني
بُخلَthe miserliness of الحَبيبthe beloved
بُخلَ الحَبيب
I first spoke of separation, though I mean
the beloved's miserliness.
هُوَit is الهَوىlove وَالمَزارُand the dwelling مِنّيfrom me
هُوَ الهَوى وَالمَزارُ مِنّي
دانٍnear قَريبclose
دانٍ قَريب
Such is love; and his dwelling, from where I am,
is near, close at hand.
أَظَلُّI keep فيin قُربِهِhis nearness أُغَنّيsinging
أَظَلُّ في قُربِهِ أُغَنّي
غِناa song كَئيبmournful
غِنا كَئيب
I keep singing in his nearness
a mournful song.
ياحادِيَO driver of العيسِpale camels وَالجِمالِand camels
ياحادِيَ العيسِ وَالجِمالِ
عَرِّجturn aside قَليلa little
عَرِّج قَليل
O driver of pale camels and camel herds,
turn aside a little.
عَسىmay تَرىsee مُقلَتيmy eye غَزاليmy gazelle
عَسى تَرى مُقلَتي غَزالي
قَبلَbefore الرَحيلdeparture
قَبلَ الرَحيل
May my eye behold my gazelle
before departure.