أفيis it on? كلevery يومday أنتyou منfrom بُرحِtorment الهوىlove
أفي كل يوم أنت من بُرحِ الهوى
الىtoward الشمthe lofty heights منamong أعلامlandmarks ميلاءMaylā ناظرُgazing
الى الشم من أعلام ميلاء ناظرُ
Is it every day that you, from love’s torment,
In every day are you from the wounds of passion
gaze toward the lofty landmarks of Maylā—
To the sun, from the flags of Mila yearning eyes
طوامِسَobscured يَعلوهاrises over them القتامُthe dust haze كأنهاas though they were
طوامِسَ يَعلوها القتامُ كأنها
قطارُa caravan نَبيطٍNabataeans منfrom خراسانKhurasan صادرُdeparting
قطارُ نَبيطٍ من خراسان صادرُ
obscured, with dust rising over them, as though they were
Twilights that darkness rises over them as if they are
a caravan of Nabataeans departing Khurasan—
A train of textiles from Khurasan departing
بِعَينٍwith an eye مُعَنَّاةٍtormented بميلاءby Maylā لمnot يَزَلcease
بِعَينٍ مُعَنَّاةٍ بميلاء لم يَزَل
لهاfor it مُنذُsince نَاءَتshe went far away منof قَذَىgrit العَينِthe eye عائرُan irritant
لها مُنذُ نَاءَت من قَذَى العَينِ عائرُ
with an eye tormented by Maylā, never free
With an eye laden with yearning for Mila it did not cease
of an irritating mote since she went far away?
For it since it was cleared of the mote a wanderer
مراهاdrew tears from it القَذَىthe grit والشَّوقُand longing حتىuntil كأنماas though
مراها القَذَى والشَّوقُ حتى كأنما
بهاin it كمنan eye ailment أوor طرفهاits gaze متخازرsquinting
بها كمن أو طرفها متخازر
The grit and longing wring tears from it, until it seems
Its mote and longing saw it until it was as if
to suffer an eye ailment, or to have a squinting gaze.
In it was an eyelash or its edges intertwined
تمنىwishes for المنىhopes حتىuntil إذاwhen أفنتexhausted المنىthe hopes
تمنى المنى حتى إذا أفنت المنى
جرىflowed هَلَلٌfirst drops منof دمعهاits tears متبادرrushing forth
جرى هَلَلٌ من دمعها متبادر
It cherishes hopes until, once those hopes are spent,
It wished the wished until when it exhausted the wished
the first drops of its tears rush forth,
There flowed from its tear a crescent rushing forth
كماjust as أرفضَّscattered هُلكاًto ruin بعدماafter ضُمَّwas gathered ضمةًa tight gathering
كما أرفضَّ هُلكاً بعدما ضُمَّ ضمةً
بحبلupon a cord الفتيلِthe twisted thread اللُؤلُؤُthe pearls المتناثرُscattered
بحبل الفتيلِ اللُؤلُؤُ المتناثرُ
as they scattered and were lost, after being bound tightly
As it shed tears after being gathered in an embrace
upon a twisted cord—the scattered pearls.
By the wick's rope the scattered pearls
وباكٍand weeping علىfor منone whose لاnot تواتيكis accessible to you دارُهُhis home
وباكٍ على من لا تواتيك دارُهُ
ورامٍand casting بعينيكwith your eyes الفجاجَthe broad passes فزَافرُthen sighing
ورامٍ بعينيك الفجاجَ فزَافرُ
And do you weep for one whose home you cannot reach,
And weeping over one whose abode you do not visit
and scan the broad passes with your eyes, then sigh?
And aiming at your eyes the wide plain wandering
نعمyes ليسthere is not ليfor me منfrom ذاكthat بُدٌّan escape وإنَّنيand indeed I
نعم ليس لي من ذاك بُدٌّ وإنَّني
علىthrough ذاكthat إلاexcept جَولَةَa surge الدَمعَof tears صابرenduring
على ذاك إلا جَولَةَ الدَمعَ صابر
Yes, I have no escape from that, and indeed I
Yes, I have no alternative to that though I
am patient through it, save for a surge of tears.
Over that am only enduring the flooding of tears
دَعاcalled القَلبَthe heart منfrom ميلاءَMaylā فانقادَand so it yielded نحوهاtoward her
دَعا القَلبَ من ميلاءَ فانقادَ نحوها
كماjust as انقادfollowed obediently فيon الحبلthe rope الجنيبthe led mount
كما انقاد في الحبل الجنيب
Something from Maylā called the heart, and it yielded toward her,
It called the heart from Mila so it inclined toward her
as a led mount follows its tether:
As the rope inclined in love the young camel
نَسيمٌa breeze كإيماضِlike the flashing الصبيرthe cloudbank ومنطقٌand speech
نَسيمٌ كإيماضِ الصبير ومنطقٌ
خَفيضٌsoft ومكسورand lowered منof الطرفthe gaze فاترlanguid
خَفيضٌ ومكسور من الطرف فاتر
a breeze like a cloudbank’s flash, and speech
A breeze like the blinking of the eyes, and speech
soft, and a lowered, languid gaze.
Hushed and broken from the languid eyelid
إذاwhen ناشهاhe reached for her نوشَplucking الخلاfresh grass وتساقطتand she fell
إذا ناشها نوشَ الخلا وتساقطت
علىupon ساعديهhis two forearms والبنانand the fingertips
على ساعديه والبنان
When he reaches for her as one plucks fresh grass, and she falls
When she nurses from the wine and the pendant
upon his forearms and fingertips.
Falls upon her forearms and fingers
اذاwhen ناشhe reached for عرنيناa nose أشمhigh-bridged يزينهadorns it
اذا ناش عرنينا أشم يزينه
جميلbeautiful المحياthe countenance بالصفيحينat both cheeks فاunclear fragment; possibly “mouth”
جميل المحيا بالصفيحين فا
When he reaches for a high-bridged nose, adorned
When she nurses the bubbling wine I smell the scent
by a fair countenance at both cheeks—[unclear fragment].
Of the beautiful down on her cheek
غفاdozed مثلَlike طرفthe eye الحرthe falcon ليسَnot بِمُجهِزٍdealing a deathblow
غفا مثلَ طرف الحر ليسَ بِمُجهِزٍ
عليكto you ولاnor عقبانهits eagles عنكaway from you
عليك ولا عقبانه عنك
It dozed like a falcon’s eye, not dealing a deathblow
Drowsy like the eyelash of a free woman, no guard
to you; nor its eagles away from you [fragmentary].
Over you nor any spying on you
أفِقawake أيهاO القلبheart المُعَنَّىtormented فقدfor indeed بداappeared
أفِق أيها القلب المُعَنَّى فقد بدا
بجسمكin your body منbecause of ميلاءMaylā سُقمٌsickness
بجسمك من ميلاء سُقمٌ
Awake, O tormented heart, for there has appeared
Awaken, O laden heart, for in your body
in your body, because of Maylā, a sickness.
From Mila an illness has appeared
قضىdecreed اللَهGod حُبِّيهاmy love for her عليَّupon me كماjust as قضىHe decreed
قضى اللَه حُبِّيها عليَّ كما قضى
عليَّupon me بِأَنّيthat I مَيِّتdestined to die ثُمَّthen ناشِرُrising again
عليَّ بِأَنّي مَيِّت ثُمَّ ناشِرُ
God decreed my love for her upon me, just as He decreed
God decreed my love for her over me just as He decreed
for me that I shall die and then rise again.
Over me that I am dead then revived