عوجاturn aside, you two بلبنانto Lebanon الخَصيبِfertile وآلِهِand its people
عوجا بلبنان الخَصيبِ وآلِهِ
فَهناكfor there حسنُbeauty مقامِabode قَلبيmy heart الوالِهِlovesick
فَهناك حسنُ مقامِ قَلبي الوالِهِ
Turn aside, you two, to fertile Lebanon and its people;
O stopover in fertile Lebanon and its people,
For there is a lovely abode for my lovesick heart.
For there lies the beauty of my heart's dwelling.
وصفاand describe, you two بذاكَin that الربعِabode حالthe plight of حشاشَتيmy last spark of life
وصفا بذاكَ الربعِ حال حشاشَتي
فَعَسىso perhaps الحَبيبthe beloved يَجودُwill be generous ليto me بوصالِهِwith union with him
فَعَسى الحَبيب يَجودُ لي بوصالِهِ
And in that abode describe the plight of my last spark of life,
Describing that land revived my joy,
So perhaps the beloved will grant me union with him.
Perhaps my love will favor me with his union.
ربعٌan abode وردتُI came to drink بِهِin it زُلالَthe clear water of صفائِهِits serenity
ربعٌ وردتُ بِهِ زُلالَ صفائِهِ
حيناًfor a time فحالthen intervened الجمرُthe embers دونَbefore زلالهِits clear water
حيناً فحال الجمرُ دونَ زلالهِ
An abode where I drank the limpid water of its serenity
A land I returned to, sipping its limpid purity,
For a time; then embers barred the way to its clear water.
Though at times embers blocked the way to its springs.
حمرٌred ones (embers) توقَّدblazed فيin فؤاديmy heart بعدafter ماthat
حمرٌ توقَّد في فؤادي بعد ما
لعبplayed الهوىpassion بيمينهِwith its right hand وَشمالِهِand its left hand
لعب الهوى بيمينهِ وَشمالِهِ
Red embers blazed in my heart after
Fires blazed in my heart after love
Passion played with its right hand and its left.
Played with his right hand and left.
ياO دارَdwelling منthe one whom اهواهُI love him حيّاكِmay it greet you الحياrain
يا دارَ من اهواهُ حيّاكِ الحيا
ووقيتِand may you be protected منfrom الحاظِهِhis glances وَنبالِهِand his arrows
ووقيتِ من الحاظِهِ وَنبالِهِ
O dwelling of the one I love, may rain greet you,
O abode of those I love, I greet you,
And may you be protected from his glances and his arrows.
Safeguarded from harm and malice's arrows.
دارٌa dwelling لظبيٍfor a gazelle قدindeed تملَّكنيhas possessed me فامso not (apparent typo)
دارٌ لظبيٍ قد تملَّكني فام
ابرحI cease رَهينَa captive of جمالِهِhis beauty وَدَلالِهِand his coquetry
ابرح رَهينَ جمالِهِ وَدَلالِهِ
A dwelling for a gazelle who has possessed me; I have not
An abode where a gazelle has possessed me, so I
Ceased to be captive to his beauty and his coquetry.
Remain captive to his beauty and charm.
وَلَقَدand indeed تَركتُI left بهاin it فؤاديmy heart هائماًwandering in love
وَلَقَد تَركتُ بها فؤادي هائماً
متلوّعاًtormented by longing فَعَسىso perhaps يرقُّhe will soften لحالِهِat its plight
متلوّعاً فَعَسى يرقُّ لحالِهِ
And indeed I left my heart there, wandering in love,
I left my heart there, wandering,
Torn by longing; perhaps he will take pity on its plight.
Yearning - perhaps it will ease its plight.
ياO صاحبيmy friend انif زرتَyou visit ذيّاكthat الحمىsanctuary
يا صاحبي ان زرتَ ذيّاك الحمى
وَوَقفتُand I stood فيهِin it فنادِthen call out فيamong اطلالِهits ruins
وَوَقفتُ فيهِ فنادِ في اطلالِه
O my friend, if you visit that sanctuary,
My friend, if you visit that sanctuary,
And I stand there, then call out among its ruins:
And stand among its ruins, call out:
وقلand say السلامpeace عليكupon you منas ربعٍan abode بِهِin it
وقل السلام عليك من ربعٍ بِهِ
قمرٌa moon تمامُthe perfection of البدرthe full moon مثلُlike هلالِهhis crescent
قمرٌ تمامُ البدر مثلُ هلالِه
And say, 'Peace be upon you, O abode wherein
Greetings upon you from a land that contains
Dwells a moon: the full moon's perfection is like his crescent.'
A full moon, its crescent like a new moon.
أَلِفgrew accustomed to الاصابةَhitting the mark لحظُهُhis glance فكأَنَّهُso it is as though it were
أَلِف الاصابةَ لحظُهُ فكأَنَّهُ
رأَيٌa judgment لِفاقدof one lacking نِدِّهِhis peer وَمِثالِهِand his equal
رأَيٌ لِفاقد نِدِّهِ وَمِثالِهِ
His glance is accustomed to striking true, as though it were
Seeing him is familiar as if he were
The judgment of one without peer or equal.
A vision for one missing his counterpart.
رجلٌa man إِذاwhen وَصَفdescribes الرجالmen كمالُهمtheir perfection
رجلٌ إِذا وَصَف الرجال كمالُهم
وَصفَhe describes الكَمالَperfection بِكَونِهِby its being لِخلالِهِamong his virtues
وَصفَ الكَمالَ بِكَونِهِ لِخلالِهِ
A man: when men's perfection serves to describe them,
A man, when describing the perfection of men,
He describes perfection as belonging to his virtues.
Described perfection as being his essence.
نالَhe attained الكَمالَperfection علىdespite حداثةthe youthfulness of سنِّهِhis age
نالَ الكَمالَ على حداثة سنِّهِ
فَطِلابُهso his quest ابداًalways كمالُthe perfection of كمالِهِhis perfection
فَطِلابُه ابداً كمالُ كمالِهِ
He attained perfection despite his tender age;
He attained perfection despite his youth,
So his quest is always to perfect his perfection.
So seeking his perfection is endless.
فيin كُلِّevery بَحرٍsea جوهَرٌa jewel لكنَّماbut
في كُلِّ بَحرٍ جوهَرٌ لكنَّما
مِنon دونِthis side of ذاكthat مخاطرٌdangers كرِمالِهِlike its sands
مِن دونِ ذاك مخاطرٌ كرِمالِهِ
In every sea there is a jewel, but
In every sea there is a jewel, but
Before it lie dangers as numerous as the sea's sands.
Without it dangers like its waves.
وَبصدرهِand in his breast بحرٌa sea نَفوزُwe win بجوهرٍwith a jewel
وَبصدرهِ بحرٌ نَفوزُ بجوهرٍ
منهُfrom it وَلَيسَand not نخافُwe fear منof أَهوالِهِits terrors
منهُ وَلَيسَ نخافُ من أَهوالِهِ
And in his breast is a sea; we win a jewel
His breast contains a sea in which we gain jewels
From it, yet do not fear its terrors.
With no fear of its terrors.
وَهُوَand he الأَميرُthe emir وكمand how many أَميرٍan emir عبدُهُhis slave
وَهُوَ الأَميرُ وكم أَميرٍ عبدُهُ
لَولاwere it not for تواضعهُhis humility بعظمamid the greatness of جَلالِهِhis majesty
لَولا تواضعهُ بعظم جَلالِهِ
He is the emir; many an emir would be his slave,
He is the prince, and how many princes are his servants -
Were it not for his humility amid the greatness of his majesty.
If not for his humility despite his mighty grandeur.
ياO منone whom اشوقُI yearn الىfor لقاهُmeeting him وَرسمُهand his likeness
يا من اشوقُ الى لقاهُ وَرسمُه
ابداًalways يعلّلنيconsoles me بقربwith the nearness of مَنالِهِreaching him
ابداً يعلّلني بقرب مَنالِهِ
O one whom I yearn to meet, and whose likeness
O you I yearn to meet, your image
Ever consoles me with the prospect of reaching him soon:
ever ails me by making your attainment near.
رَسمٌa likeness لوif انَّكَyou were بينناamong us لوجدتُهُI would find it
رَسمٌ لو انَّكَ بيننا لوجدتُهُ
أَدنىnearer اليناto us منكthan you طيفُthe phantom of خيالِهِhis image
أَدنى الينا منك طيفُ خيالِهِ
A likeness—were you among us, I would find it
An image - if you were among us, you would find it
Nearer to us than you—the phantom of his image.
Closer to us than your mirage.
قصَّرتُI fell short فيin صوغfashioning الثناءِpraise وانماbut only
قصَّرتُ في صوغ الثناءِ وانما
عذرُthe excuse of المُقِلُّone with little يكونُis منfrom إِقلالِهِhis scant means
عذرُ المُقِلُّ يكونُ من إِقلالِهِ
I fell short in fashioning praise; but the only
I fell short in praising you, but
Excuse of one with little lies in his scant means.
A timid one's excuse lies in his reticence.
فاذاso if عذرتَyou excuse فانتَthen you are أَوَّلthe first عاذِرٍone who excuses
فاذا عذرتَ فانتَ أَوَّل عاذِرٍ
وإِذاand if عذلتَyou reproach فانتthen you are منamong عذّالِهِhis reproachers
وإِذا عذلتَ فانت من عذّالِهِ
So if you excuse him, you are the first to excuse;
So if you pardon, you are foremost in pardoning,
And if you reproach him, you are among his reproachers.
And if you blame, you are among the judicious.