هيفاءa slender-waisted beauty لهاtoward her الوجدpassionate longing بالمُتيّمwith the lovelorn lover قدhas مالinclined
هيفاء لها الوجد بالمُتيّم قد مال
بالأنفسwith souls إنif بدتshe appears تجودyou give freely وبالمالand with wealth
بالأنفس إن بدت تجود وبالمال
A slender-waisted beauty: longing has swayed the lovelorn toward her.
Her charm captivates the ardent lover's heart
If she appears, you give freely of souls and wealth.
Whether generous with soul or wealth when put to test
بالمُهجةagainst the heart أغرتshe incited لواحظاًglances وقواماand a figure
بالمُهجة أغرت لواحظاً وقواما
هَذيكthat one وهذيand this one بصارمwith a keen sword وبعسّالand with a swaying spear
هَذيك وهذي بصارم وبعسّال
She set her glances and figure against the heart—
With joyous spirit she entices glance and form
The former with a keen sword, the latter with a swaying spear.
Such beauty in solemn air or lively jest
فيin ظلمةdarkness شعرhair وفيand in ضياءradiance جبينa brow
في ظلمة شعر وفي ضياء جبين
كمhow often أضللled astray كمhow often واهتدىand found the way المتيمthe lovelorn lover فيin الحالthe instant
كم أضلل كم واهتدى المتيم في الحال
In the darkness of hair and the radiance of a brow,
Amid dark tresses and brow's light she leads astray
How often the lovelorn was led astray, and how often found his way in the same instant!
So many misled, while in good time others are blessed
ياO منyou who جعلتyou made فيin الهوىlove الوصالunion حراماًforbidden
يا من جعلت في الهوى الوصال حراماً
مَنwho قالdeclared بحلّas lawful الجفاestrangement فديتكmay I be your ransom منwho قالsaid so
مَن قال بحلّ الجفا فديتك من قال
O you who made union in love forbidden,
You who made union in love unlawful
Who declared estrangement lawful? May I be your ransom—who said so?
Who proclaimed separation's lawfulness? For them my life I'd detest
سلسلتI strung into chains طليقاًfreely flowing منof الدموعtears بطرفيat my eye
سلسلت طليقاً من الدموع بطرفي
مُذsince خَصّsingled out عمومthe pervasiveness النوىseparation بقلبيin my heart إشعالkindling
مُذ خَصّ عموم النوى بقلبي إشعال
I strung free-flowing tears into a chain at my eye,
I let flow a prisoner of tears from my eyes
Since all-pervading separation singled out my heart for burning.
Since the hearth of my being was set aflame
رفقاًbe gentle بفتىwith a youth مُذsince بَخلتyou begrudged أنto تصليهyou grant him union
رفقاً بفتى مُذ بَخلت أن تصليه
قدindeed جادgave generously بدمعwith tears منfrom المحاجرthe eye sockets هطّالcopiously streaming
قد جاد بدمع من المحاجر هطّال
Be gentle with a youth who, since you refused him union,
Gently with a lad whom you refused to visit
Has lavishly shed torrents of tears from his eyes.
Down poured tears like rain from swollen eyes of shame
كمhow often كدّرclouded صفوserenity الحياةlife قطعthe severing of وصالunion
كم كدّر صفو الحياة قطع وصال
كمhow often ذوّبmelted مُهجةa heart وقطّعand tore apart أوصالlimbs
كم ذوّب مُهجة وقطّع أوصال
How often the severing of union has clouded life's serenity;
How separation's break disturbed life's calm
How often it has melted a heart and torn limbs apart.
Melting, wounding the spirit in vital acclaim
النومsleep جفاforsook الجفنthe eyelid بكرةin the morning وعشياand in the evening
النوم جفا الجفن بكرة وعشيا
والصبرand patience غُدواًin the mornings جفاforsook الفؤادthe heart وآصالand late afternoons
والصبر غُدواً جفا الفؤاد وآصال
Sleep has forsaken the eyelid, morning and evening,
Sleep shuns the eyes night and day
And patience has forsaken the heart in mornings and evenings.
Patience by morn shuns the heart, life left lame
فالعيشfor life معwith الهجرestrangement لاnot يطيبis sweet لصبto a lovesick lover
فالعيش مع الهجر لا يطيب لصب
قدhas عُوّدbeen accustomed to وصلاًunion منfrom الحبيبthe beloved وإقبالand favor
قد عُوّد وصلاً من الحبيب وإقبال
For life amid estrangement is not sweet to a lovesick lover
Living with separation cannot please a lover
Who has been accustomed to union and favor from the beloved.
Used to union with the beloved and open acclaim
لمdid not يلقَfind لهfor himself مخلصاًan escape سوىexcept بمديحthrough praise
لم يلقَ له مخلصاً سوى بمديح
فيمنof the one who بشفاعاتهon his intercessions تُعلّقare hung الآمالhopes
فيمن بشفاعاته تُعلّق الآمال
He found no escape for himself except through praise
None can save him but praising the one
Of him upon whose intercessions hopes are hung—
In whom all hopes are placed without blame
مَنhe who سادwas supreme علىover كلevery سيّدlord ولهand to him
مَن ساد على كل سيّد وله
قدindeed جاءتcame شجرtrees فيin الفلاthe wilderness ترفلtrailing their robes إرفالwith a proud gait
قد جاءت شجر في الفلا ترفل إرفال
He who surpassed every lord, and to whom
He who excels over all lords and has
Trees came through the wilderness, proudly trailing their robes.
Date palms swaying gently in the glade
والضّبّand the spiny-tailed lizard كذاlikewise الظبيthe gazelle أبلغهconveyed to him سلاماًa greeting
والضّبّ كذا الظبي أبلغه سلاماً
والماءand water زلالاًclear and sweet بإصبعيهthrough his two fingers لقدcertainly سالflowed
والماء زلالاً بإصبعيه لقد سال
And the spiny-tailed lizard, and likewise the gazelle, conveyed greetings to him.
Say to the wolf and doe greetings from me
And clear, sweet water indeed flowed through his two fingers.
And the brook flows with water pure as I bade
والصخرand rock لنعليهfor his two sandals لانsoftened وهوwhile it was جمادlifeless
والصخر لنعليه لان وهو جماد
فالقلبso the heart لهtoward him كيفhow لاnot يلينsoften بإدلالwith fond familiarity
فالقلب له كيف لا يلين بإدلال
And rock softened beneath his two sandals, though it was lifeless;
The boulder though inanimate for his sandal
So how could the heart not soften toward him in fond familiarity?
Has softened. How can a heart not melt and be swayed?
فيin راحتيهhis two palms سبّحglorified God الحصىthe pebbles عياناًin plain sight
في راحتيه سبّح الحصى عياناً
والبدرand the full moon لهfor him شُقّwas split ثمthen عادreturned بإكمالto wholeness
والبدر له شُقّ ثم عاد بإكمال
In his two palms, pebbles glorified God in plain sight,
The pebbles in his rest extolled him plainly
And the full moon was split for him, then returned to wholeness.
The moon then returned after cleaving in two as he bade
صلىmay He bless كرماًin generosity ربناour Lord عليهupon him دواماًforever
صلى كرماً ربنا عليه دواماً
أزكىthe purest صلواتblessings معalong with الصحابةthe Companions والآلand the family
أزكى صلوات مع الصحابة والآل
May our Lord, in His generosity, bless him forever
May our Lord bless him eternally
With the purest blessings, along with his Companions and family.
The choicest salutations with his companions arrayed