أَيَسُرُّهاdoes it please her أنّيthat I أموتُI die بدائيof my illness
أَيَسُرُّها أنّي أموتُ بدائي
منfrom بعدafter ماwhen علمتْshe learned مكانَthe location of دوائيmy cure
من بعد ما علمتْ مكانَ دوائي
Does it please her that I die of my illness
Is it easier that I die of my sickness
After she has learned where my cure lies?
After I've come to know where my remedy lies
جاءواthey came بخذّاقِwith the most skilled الأُساةِphysicians وَماand not دروْاthey knew
جاءوا بخذّاقِ الأُساةِ وَما دروْا
أنْthat ليسis not فيwithin طوقِthe power of الأُساةphysicians شفائيmy healing
أنْ ليس في طوقِ الأُساة شفائي
They brought the most skilled physicians, yet did not know
They brought the cunning healers, but they knew not
That my healing lay beyond the physicians' power.
That the cure for my love sickness wasn't in their grasp
ياO مَنْone who يجسُّpalpates النابضينthe two pulsing arteries ضلالةًmisguidedly
يا مَنْ يجسُّ النابضين ضلالةً
انظرْlook إذاif ما(emphatic particle) اسطعتْyou can فيinto أحشائيmy entrails
انظرْ إذا ما اسطعتْ في أحشائي
O you who misguidedly feel the two pulsing arteries,
Oh You who examines the hearts for misguidance
Look into my entrails, if you can.
Look and see, if you peer inside my chest
تجدyou will find الضلوعَthe ribs وقدand already تداعىhas collapsed صفُّهاtheir row
تجد الضلوعَ وقد تداعى صفُّها
مثلlike الطلولِruins بدتْappeared لعينto the eye of الرائيthe beholder
مثل الطلولِ بدتْ لعين الرائي
You will find my ribs, their row collapsed,
You'll find ribs fallen apart in disarray
Like ruins revealed to the beholder's eye.
Like the dunes that appear to the beholder's eye
وَكأنَّand as though نارَthe fire of الحبِّlove فيin أرجائهاtheir recesses
وَكأنَّ نارَ الحبِّ في أرجائها
نارُthe fire of الخليلِAbraham (God's friend) تلفعتْwrapped itself بأياءِin sunlight
نارُ الخليلِ تلفعتْ بأياءِ
And it is as though the fire of love within them
As if the fire of love burns through its quarters
Were Abraham's fire, cloaked in sunlight.
The flame that consumed Majnun at Layla's camp
ماnot كنتُI was أعلمI know أنَّthat منwhoever ذاقtasted الهوىpassion
ما كنتُ أعلم أنَّ من ذاق الهوى
مَيْتٌdead يعدُّis counted بزمرةِamong the company of الأَحياءِthe living
مَيْتٌ يعدُّ بزمرةِ الأَحياءِ
I never knew that one who has tasted passion
I knew not that one who tastes of love's anguish
Is a dead man counted among the living.
Is counted among the deceased, not the living
اللهGod! فيconcerning نفسٍa soul عليكِover you تقسَّمتْwas torn
الله في نفسٍ عليكِ تقسَّمتْ
ما(emphatic particle) بينbetween يأْسٍdespair مقنطٍdisheartening وَرجاءِand hope
ما بين يأْسٍ مقنطٍ وَرجاءِ
For God's sake, spare a soul torn over you
My God, in a soul split between despair and hope
Between crushing despair and hope.
In the blindness of your love, it lingers lost
وَقفتْit stood بمضطربِamid the turmoil of الشكوكdoubts وَلمand has not تزلْceased
وَقفتْ بمضطربِ الشكوك وَلم تزلْ
منconcerning أمرِthe state of نفسِكyour soul بعدstill فيin عمياءِblind confusion
من أمرِ نفسِك بعد في عمياءِ
It stood amid the turmoil of doubts, and still remains
I sent my eyes as a messenger, but they returned
In blind confusion about your own soul.
With tidings of joyfulness and moans
أَرسلتُI sent عينيَmy eye رائداًas a scout فأعدتهاso you sent it back
أَرسلتُ عينيَ رائداً فأعدتها
برسالةِwith a message of التسهادsleeplessness والأنواءِand storms
برسالةِ التسهاد والأنواءِ
I sent my eye as a scout; you sent it back
I knew not that when filled with your beauty
With a message of sleeplessness and storms.
It would fill too with tears and heartache
لمdid not أدرI know إذwhen ملئتit was filled بحسنِكwith your beauty أَنهاthat it
لم أدر إذ ملئت بحسنِك أَنها
ملئتْit was filled منwith العبراتِtears والأقذاءِand motes
ملئتْ من العبراتِ والأقذاءِ
I did not know, when it was filled with your beauty, that it
How strange your heart feels no tenderness for my state
Was filled with tears and motes.
As if it were made of deaf mute stone
عجباًhow strange! لقلبكat your heart لاnot يرقُّsoftens لحالتيtoward my plight
عجباً لقلبك لا يرقُّ لحالتي
فكأنهso it is as though it منof صخرةٍa rock صماءِsolid
فكأنه من صخرةٍ صماءِ
How strange that your heart feels no tenderness for my plight,
I've endured, but not for mere patience
As though it were made of solid rock.
Rather, like one staunchly abstaining from water
ولقدand indeed صبرتُI endured وماand not صبرتُI endured لسلوةٍbecause of solace
ولقد صبرتُ وما صبرتُ لسلوةٍ
بلrather صبرthe patience of صادٍa thirsty man عنaway from قراحِpure الماءِwater
بل صبر صادٍ عن قراحِ الماءِ
I have indeed endured, but not because I found solace,
No wrong have I done, known to you
Rather, with a thirsty man's patience in forgoing pure water.
So why this cruelty in how you punish me?
ماnot كانthere was ليfor me ذنبٌa fault عليكagainst you علمتهI knew of it
ما كان لي ذنبٌ عليك علمته
فلأَيso for what شيءٍreason قدindeed أسأْتِyou made harsh جزائيmy recompense
فلأَي شيءٍ قد أسأْتِ جزائي
I knew of no wrong I had done against you;
If my crime is loving you passionately
So why have you repaid me so badly?
Why then does your beauty tempt the onlooker?
إنif كانis ذنبيmy fault أننيthat I بكwith you مغرمٌenamored
إن كان ذنبي أنني بك مغرمٌ
فعلامَthen why حسنكyour beauty فتنةٌa temptation للرائيto the beholder
فعلامَ حسنك فتنةٌ للرائي
If my fault is that I am enamored of you,
Do you recall that day on Dummar's hillside
Then why is your beauty a temptation to the beholder?
When upon my hand your dress you laid?
هلdo تذكرينyou remember بسفحon the slope of (دمَّرDummar) ساعةًan hour
هل تذكرين بسفح (دمَّر) ساعةً
فيهاin it افترشتِyou used as bedding يديmy hand وفضلand the spare part of ردائيmy cloak
فيها افترشتِ يدي وفضل ردائي
Do you remember an hour on the slopes of Dummar,
When from the strain of our intimate talk
When you made a bed of my hand and the loose fold of my cloak,
The branches of the bent banana tree swayed
إذْwhen كانَwas منfrom شَجَنِthe melancholy of الحديثthe conversation وشجوهand its sorrow
إذْ كانَ من شَجَنِ الحديث وشجوه
تحنوbend غصونthe branches of البانةِthe ban tree الهيفاءِslender
تحنو غصون البانةِ الهيفاءِ
When, from the melancholy and sorrow of our talk,
Whispers I uttered as desire willed
The slender ban tree's boughs bent low?
When none were near us there to hear
نجوىconfidential talk كماas شاءَwilled الهيامُardent love أَذعتهاI revealed it
نجوى كما شاءَ الهيامُ أَذعتها
لماwhen أَمنتُI felt safe from مسامعَthe ears of الرقباءِthe watchers
لما أَمنتُ مسامعَ الرقباءِ
Whispered confidences I revealed as passion willed,
Reproaches the like of which none have told
When I felt safe from the watchers' ears;
Save Juhha when she complained and cried
وتعتُّبٍand reproach ماnot قالuttered (جحظةJahzah) مثلهits like
وتعتُّبٍ ما قال (جحظة) مثله
وتفجعِand lamentation كتفجّعِlike the lamentation of (الخنساءِal-Khansa)
وتفجعِ كتفجّعِ (الخنساءِ)
And reproaches whose like Jahzah never uttered,
And anguished laments kindled your tenderness
And lamentation like al-Khansa's lamentation,
After leaving the murmur of water, wailing aloud
وشكايةٍand a complaint بعثتْawakened حنانَكِyour tenderness بعدماafter
وشكايةٍ بعثتْ حنانَكِ بعدما
تركتْit left خريرَthe murmuring of الماءِwater صوتَa sound of بكاءِweeping
تركتْ خريرَ الماءِ صوتَ بكاءِ
And a complaint that awakened your tenderness after
My tears etched lines on your cheek
It had turned the water's murmur into the sound of weeping.
Sealed by a kiss, like mute Khursa's
رقمتْinscribed دموعيmy tears فوقupon خدكِyour cheek أَسطراًlines
رقمتْ دموعي فوق خدكِ أَسطراً
خُتِمَتْwere sealed بخاتمِwith the seal of قبلةa kiss (خرساءِsilent)
خُتِمَتْ بخاتمِ قبلة (خرساءِ)
My tears inscribed lines upon your cheek,
By your mouth's sweet nectar, that best of cures
Sealed with the seal of a silent kiss.
How the lips of fair ladies were put to shame
وَبرشفِand by sipping ثغرِكyour lips وَهوand it is خيرُthe best علالةsolace
وَبرشفِ ثغرِك وَهو خيرُ علالة
كمْhow often قدindeed أسغتI swallowed easily حرافةَthe sharpness of الصهباءِtawny wine
كمْ قد أسغت حرافةَ الصهباءِ
And by sipping your lips—the finest solace—
It was as if we, the lovers from Quta
How often I swallowed the sharpness of tawny wine!
Were picnicking together in a meadow
فكأنناso it was as though we إذْat ذاكthat time زوجٌa pair منof قطاsandgrouse
فكأننا إذْ ذاك زوجٌ من قطا
يتطاعمانِthe two feed each other بروضةٍin a meadow غناءِlush
يتطاعمانِ بروضةٍ غناءِ
So we seemed, then, a pair of sandgrouse
I had hopes of attaining my desires
Feeding each other in a lush meadow.
If not for modesty's deterring rebukes
قدindeed كانwas فيwithin طوقيmy power بلوغattaining مآربيmy desires
قد كان في طوقي بلوغ مآربي
لولاbut for زواجرُthe restraints of عفَّةchastity وَحياءِand modesty
لولا زواجرُ عفَّة وَحياءِ
Attaining my desires was within my power,
Like a dove calling her beloved, surrounded
But for the restraints of chastity and modesty.
By swaying bamboo and vast empty plains
وَحمامةٍand a dove تدعوcalls to أَليفاًa mate دونهbetween her and him
وَحمامةٍ تدعو أَليفاً دونه
شطنُthe remoteness of النوىseparation وَفسيحةُand wide الأرجاءِexpanses
شطنُ النوى وَفسيحةُ الأرجاءِ
And a dove calls to her mate, separated by
Fate took him, and so she mourns his loss
Far-reaching separation and wide expanses.
Crying through the dawn and dusk
أودىdid away بهwith him المقدارُfate فهيso she لفقدِهfor his loss
أودى به المقدارُ فهي لفقدِه
نوَّاحةُa wailing mourner الإِصباحِmorning والإِمساءِand evening
نوَّاحةُ الإِصباحِ والإِمساءِ
Fate had carried him off; grieving his loss, she
As if she, having lost her only child
Wails morning and evening.
Appears grieving, dressed in black
فكأنهاso she is as though ثكلىa bereaved mother أُصيبَwas struck down وَحيدُهاher only child
فكأنها ثكلى أُصيبَ وَحيدُها
برزتْshe came forth تنوحwailing بحلَّةٍin a robe سوداءِblack
برزتْ تنوح بحلَّةٍ سوداءِ
She seems a bereaved mother whose only child was struck down,
Her tears seem turned to blood
Who came forth wailing in a black robe.
I see you with reddened, tearful eyes
وَكأنَّand as though مدمعَهاher tear-stream استحالturned إلىinto دمٍblood
وَكأنَّ مدمعَها استحال إلى دمٍ
فأراكso it showed you ذاتone with نواظرٍeyes حمراءِred
فأراك ذات نواظرٍ حمراءِ
And it was as though her tear-stream had turned to blood,
She let out an elegy upon our ears
Showing her to you with crimson eyes.
More poignant and moving than Tae'iy's laments
ألقتْshe cast عَلىupon أَسماعِناour ears مرثيةًan elegy
ألقتْ عَلى أَسماعِنا مرثيةً
أشجىmore sorrow-stirring وأَطربand more entrancing منthan رثاءِthe elegy of (الطائيal-Ta'i)
أشجى وأَطرب من رثاءِ (الطائي)
She cast an elegy upon our ears,
Until the sun descended into the west
More sorrow-stirring and more entrancing than al-Ta'i's elegy.
And the vanguard of the darkening army appeared
حتىuntil إذاwhen انحدرتْshe descended ذكاءُDhuka (the sun) لغربهاtoward her setting
حتى إذا انحدرتْ ذكاءُ لغربها
وَبدتْand appeared طلائعُthe vanguard of موكبِthe procession of الظلماءِdarkness
وَبدتْ طلائعُ موكبِ الظلماءِ
Until, when Dhuka, the sun, sank toward her setting,
You flew away with my heart, to where I know not
And the vanguard of darkness's procession appeared,
For who can restore to me that which is lost?
طارتْshe flew بقلبيwith my heart حيثwhere لاnot أَدريI know فمنْso who
طارتْ بقلبي حيث لا أَدري فمنْ
ليfor me أنْto يردَّbring back عليَّto me ذاكthat النائيdistant one
لي أنْ يردَّ عليَّ ذاك النائي
She flew off with my heart to where I know not—who, then,
Can bring that distant one back to me?
Partial English translation: 58 of 60 Arabic lines translated.