اراكَI see you نسيتَyou have forgotten ياO ظبيgazelle الصريمthe thicket
اراكَ نسيتَ يا ظبي الصريم
لياليthe nights ذلكَthat الأنسِintimacy القديمِold
ليالي ذلكَ الأنسِ القديمِ
I see you have forgotten, O gazelle of the lonely sand-tract,
I see you have forgotten, O gazelle of the thicket,
the nights of that old intimacy.
the nights of that old intimacy.
ولجَّand persisted بكَin you الجفاءُcoldness فماso not تباليyou care
ولجَّ بكَ الجفاءُ فما تبالي
بماfor what ألقىI suffer منof الوجدِlonging الأليمِpainful
بما ألقى من الوجدِ الأليمِ
Estrangement has taken hold within you, and you pay no heed
And coldness has taken stubborn hold of you, so you care nothing
to the painful ardor of longing that I endure.
for the painful longing I endure.
وطالَand grew prolonged عليَّupon me همُّthe sorrow الهجرِof abandonment حتىuntil
وطالَ عليَّ همُّ الهجرِ حتى
لقدءindeed سئمتْhave grown weary ملازمتيkeeping me company هموميmy sorrows
لقدء سئمتْ ملازمتي همومي
The anguish of abandonment dragged on so long for me
And the sorrow of abandonment has burdened me so long that
that my cares themselves grew tired of reproaching me.
indeed, my sorrows have tired of keeping me company.
وكنتُand I used to أرىsee لهذاfor this الدهرِage حلماًforbearance
وكنتُ أرى لهذا الدهرِ حلماً
ولكنand yet ضاقَgrew narrow بيwith me صدرُthe breast الحليمِof the forbearing one
ولكن ضاقَ بي صدرُ الحليمِ
I used to think that Time showed forbearance toward this,
And I used to see forbearance in this age,
but even the forbearing heart has grown too narrow for me.
but the forbearing one's breast grew narrow with me.
وعهديand my recollection بالهوىof love ملكاًa king رحيماًmerciful
وعهدي بالهوى ملكاً رحيماً
فأينَso where تعطفُthe tenderness الملكِof the king الرحيمِmerciful
فأينَ تعطفُ الملكِ الرحيمِ
I had known Love as a merciful king—
And I knew love as a merciful king;
where, then, is the merciful king’s tenderness?
so where is the merciful king's tenderness?
لياليnights والصباand youth غصنٌa branch رطيبٌfresh and supple
ليالي والصبا غصنٌ رطيبٌ
يكادُalmost يمجُّspouts منfrom ماءِthe water النعيمِof bliss
يكادُ يمجُّ من ماءِ النعيمِ
In nights when youth was a tender bough,
Nights when youth was a fresh, tender branch,
almost welling with the water of bliss—
almost spouting the water of bliss.
فكمso how many منof ليلةٍa night بتناwe spent the night نشاوىintoxicated
فكم من ليلةٍ بتنا نشاوى
كماas شاءتْshe willed لناfor us بنتُthe daughter الكرومِof the vines
كما شاءتْ لنا بنتُ الكرومِ
how many a night we passed intoxicated,
How many a night we spent intoxicated,
as the daughter of the vine willed for us.
as the daughter of the vines willed for us.
وقدand indeed أوحتْshe inspired إليَّto me بكلِّwith every معنىًmeaning
وقد أوحتْ إليَّ بكلِّ معنىً
أخفَّlighter عليكَupon you منthan مرِّthe passing النسيمِof the breeze
أخفَّ عليكَ من مرِّ النسيمِ
She whispered to me every manner of meaning,
And she inspired in me every sentiment
lighter upon you than the passing breeze:
lighter upon you than the passing of a breeze:
فمنso, some of غزلٍlove verse كأنَّas though السحرَmagic فيهِin it
فمن غزلٍ كأنَّ السحرَ فيهِ
ومنand some of عتبٍreproach كعافيةِlike the recovery السقيمِof the sick man
ومن عتبٍ كعافيةِ السقيمِ
sometimes dalliance, as though magic dwelt within it,
some love verse, as though magic lay within it,
and sometimes tender reproach, like recovery to the sick;
and some reproach, like a sick man's recovery.
ولاand no غيٌّwaywardness سوىexcept غيِّthe waywardness التَّصابيof youthful dalliance
ولا غيٌّ سوى غيِّ التَّصابي
ولاand no عبثٌfrivolity سوىexcept عبثِthe frivolity النديمِof the drinking companion
ولا عبثٌ سوى عبثِ النديمِ
no waywardness but the folly of affecting youth,
And no waywardness save the waywardness of youthful dalliance,
no play but the play of a boon companion.
and no frivolity save a drinking companion's frivolity.
وبتناand we spent the night والكؤوسُand the cups مصففاتٌarranged in rows
وبتنا والكؤوسُ مصففاتٌ
تباهيvie in beauty with الجيدَthe neck بالعقدِwith the necklace النظيمِfinely strung
تباهي الجيدَ بالعقدِ النظيمِ
We spent the night while goblets stood arrayed in rows,
And we spent the night with the cups arrayed,
rivaling the neck adorned with its well-strung necklace.
vying with a neck adorned with a finely strung necklace.
إذاwhen رُحناwe went لهاto them تحنوthey bend tenderly عليناover us
إذا رُحنا لها تحنو علينا
حنوَّthe tenderness المرضعاتِof nursing mothers علىtoward الفطيمِthe weaned child
حنوَّ المرضعاتِ على الفطيمِ
Whenever we approached them, they bent tenderly over us,
When we went to them, they bent tenderly over us,
as nursing mothers bend over a newly weaned child.
with the tenderness of nursing mothers toward a weaned child.
وتخدعناand it beguiles us مدامتُهاtheir wine فتُغضيso they turn a blind eye
وتخدعنا مدامتُها فتُغضي
كماas يُغضيturns a blind eye الحميمُthe intimate friend عنto الحميمِthe intimate friend
كما يُغضي الحميمُ عن الحميمِ
Their aged wine beguiled us, then turned a blind eye,
And their wine beguiles us, so they turn a blind eye,
as one dear friend overlooks another dear friend’s fault.
as one intimate friend turns a blind eye to another.
جلوناهاwe unveiled them وعينُand the eye الفجرِof dawn توحيsends forth
جلوناها وعينُ الفجرِ توحي
لواحظَهاits sidelong glances إلىtoward الليلِthe night البهيمِpitch-black
لواحظَها إلى الليلِ البهيمِ
We unveiled her while the eye of dawn intimated
We unveiled them while the eye of dawn sent
its sidelong glances toward the pitch-black night.
its sidelong glances toward the pitch-black night.
وكانَand was الروضُthe garden مطلولَdew-covered الحواشيat the edges
وكانَ الروضُ مطلولَ الحواشي
وذاكَand that النهرُthe river مصقولَpolished الأديمِthe skin
وذاكَ النهرُ مصقولَ الأديمِ
The garden was drenched with dew along its borders,
And the garden's edges were covered with dew,
and that river’s surface was polished smooth.
and that river's skin was polished smooth.
تعرضَpresented itself للنجومِto the stars علىdespite جفاهاtheir aloofness
تعرضَ للنجومِ على جفاها
فزارتهُso they visited it خيالاتُthe phantoms النجومِof the stars
فزارتهُ خيالاتُ النجومِ
It offered itself to the stars despite their aloofness,
It presented itself to the stars despite their aloofness,
and the stars’ reflected forms came visiting it.
so the phantoms of the stars came to visit it.
ويومٍand a day قدindeed قطعناهُwe passed it حديثاًin conversation
ويومٍ قد قطعناهُ حديثاً
ألذُّsweeter منthan الأمانيwishes للعديمِto the destitute
ألذُّ من الأماني للعديمِ
And one whole day we passed in conversation,
And a day we passed in conversation,
sweeter than hopes are to one bereft,
sweeter than wishes are to a destitute man,
علىdespite إفكِthe lies العواذلِof reproaching women واللواحيand scolding women
على إفكِ العواذلِ واللواحي
وظنةand the suspicion كلّof every أفاكٍinveterate liar أثيمِsinful
وظنة كلّ أفاكٍ أثيمِ
despite the lies of reproachers and fault-finders,
despite the lies of reproaching and scolding women,
and the suspicions of every sinful fabricator.
and the suspicions of every sinful liar.
يلاحظنيhe glances at me وألحظهُand I glance at him كلاناboth of us
يلاحظني وألحظهُ كلانا
كماas نَظَرَgazed اليتيمُthe orphan إلىat اليتيمِthe orphan
كما نَظَرَ اليتيمُ إلى اليتيمِ
He gazed at me, and I at him—both of us
He would glance at me, and I at him—both of us
like one orphan gazing upon another.
as one orphan gazes at another.
وماand not أنسىI forget مواعدهُhis promised meetings وقوليand my saying
وما أنسى مواعدهُ وقولي
عسىperhaps يومٌa day أهنأُI rejoice بالعقيمِin the barren one
عسى يومٌ أهنأُ بالعقيمِ
I never forget his promised meetings, nor my saying:
And I do not forget his promised meetings and my saying:
“Perhaps one day I shall find joy in the barren.”
"May a day come when I rejoice in the barren one."
ولاand not أنسىI forget بكائيmy weeping يومَthe day غنىhe sang
ولا أنسى بكائي يومَ غنى
إذاwhen غضبتْgrew angry عليكَwith you بنوthe sons of تميمِTamim
إذا غضبتْ عليكَ بنو تميمِ
Nor do I forget my weeping on the day he sang:
Nor do I forget my weeping on the day he sang:
“If the sons of Tamim should grow angry with you,
"When the sons of Tamim grow angry with you."
فياso O ريحانَsweet basil كلِّof every فتىًyoung man شجيِّsorrowing
فيا ريحانَ كلِّ فتىً شجيِّ
حبيبٍa beloved أوor خليلٍan intimate friend أوor كليمِa conversation companion
حبيبٍ أو خليلٍ أو كليمِ
then, O fragrant basil of every heartsick youth—
So, O sweet basil of every sorrowing young man,
beloved, friend, or interlocutor!
whether beloved, intimate friend, or companion in speech,
وياand O ملكَking القلوبِof hearts وقدand indeed أراهُI see him
ويا ملكَ القلوبِ وقد أراهُ
علاhas risen منهاfrom them علىupon العرشِthe throne العظيمِmighty
علا منها على العرشِ العظيمِ
O king of hearts—and indeed I see him
and O king of hearts, whom I see
risen above them upon the Mighty Throne—
risen from among them onto the mighty throne:
لقدindeed عذبتنيyou tormented me بالهجرِwith abandonment ظلماًunjustly
لقد عذبتني بالهجرِ ظلماً
فهلso is there ليfor me منsomeone who يعينُhelps علىagainst الظلومِthe oppressor
فهل لي من يعينُ على الظلومِ
you have unjustly tormented me by abandoning me;
you have indeed tormented me unjustly with abandonment;
is there anyone to help me against the male ostrich?
so is there anyone to help me against the oppressor?
وماand not أبقيتَyou spared يومَthe day صددتَyou turned away روحيmy soul
وما أبقيتَ يومَ صددتَ روحي
فماso what تبقىremains منof الجسدِthe body الرميمِdecaying
فما تبقى من الجسدِ الرميمِ
You spared nothing of me when you fastened my saddle—
And you did not spare my soul the day you turned away;
so what can remain of a body gone to decay?
so what remains of this decaying body?
أحاطَsurrounded بكَaround you الوشاةُthe slanderers وكنتَand you were تدريaware
أحاطَ بكَ الوشاةُ وكنتَ تدري
غوايةَthe misleading wiles كلِّof every شيطانٍdevil رجيمِaccursed
غوايةَ كلِّ شيطانٍ رجيمِ
Slanderers surrounded you, though you knew
Slanderers surrounded you, though you knew
the seductions of every accursed devil.
the misleading wiles of every accursed devil.
فماso what لكَwith you حلتَyou turned aside عنfrom عهدِthe pledge التصابيof youthful dalliance
فما لكَ حلتَ عن عهدِ التصابي
وماand not عهدُthe pledge التصابيof youthful dalliance بالذميمِblameworthy at all
وما عهدُ التصابي بالذميمِ
What ails you, that you turned from the covenant of youthful passion,
Why, then, have you forsaken the pledge of youthful dalliance,
when the covenant of youthful passion is not blameworthy?
when the pledge of youthful dalliance is not blameworthy?
تباركَblessed be منHe who أعدَّprepared لكلِّfor every صبٍّlovesick lover
تباركَ من أعدَّ لكلِّ صبٍّ
عذولاًa reprover منfrom among لئيمٍa base person أوor كريمِa noble person
عذولاً من لئيمٍ أو كريمِ
Blessed is He who has appointed for every ardent lover
Blessed be He who prepared for every lovesick lover
a reproacher, whether ignoble or noble.
a reprover, whether base or noble.
