مَنwho لِصَبّfor a lovesick man لَمnot يَنَلattain أَرَباa desire
مَن لِصَبّ لَم يَنَل أَرَبا
مُستهلّwelling up الدَمعthe tears هاطلُهtheir downpour
مُستهلّ الدَمع هاطلُه
Who will help a lovesick man whose wish is unfulfilled,
Who for a youth gained no profit
Whose tears well up and pour down?
With flowing tears his conduct
ذوpossessed of غَرامٍpassion سامَهُafflicted him with شَجَناsorrow
ذو غَرامٍ سامَهُ شَجَنا
وَهَوىand love of الآرامthe white gazelles قاتلُهhis slayer
وَهَوى الآرام قاتلُه
A man whose passion has burdened him with sorrow,
Lovesick, his longing stung him
And love of white gazelles is his slayer.
Passion for the gentle folk did in him
وَاللواحيand the reproaching women حمّلتهburdened him with عَناanguish
وَاللواحي حمّلته عَنا
لَمnot يَزَلhas ceased دَوماًalways يَواصلُهkeeps coming to him
لَم يَزَل دَوماً يَواصلُه
And the reproaching women have burdened him with anguish,
My heart, pledged, has borne him troubles
Which never ceases, ever haunting him.
Ceaselessly does it chain and shackle him
وَيحalas for قَلبيmy heart ظَلّremained مُرتهناheld captive
وَيح قَلبي ظَلّ مُرتهنا
وَالظباand the gazelles تيهاhaughtily تُماطلُهkeep it waiting
وَالظبا تيها تُماطلُه
Alas for my heart, still held captive,
A gazelle whose necklace was torn
While the gazelles haughtily keep it waiting.
Tempting hearts, her glances ravage them
وَغَزالand a gazelle هزّswayed قَدّa stature قَناspear shafts
وَغَزال هزّ قَدّ قَنا
فتنَbewitched الأَلبابminds ناحلُهhis slender figure
فتنَ الأَلباب ناحلُه
And a gazelle swayed a spear-like form;
My father, gracefully created was he
His slender figure bewitched minds.
A moon, in its phases it rises
بِأَبيwith my father as ransom مِنهُof him بَديعwondrous سَناradiance
بِأَبي مِنهُ بَديع سَنا
قَمرa moon تَزهوshine in splendor مَنازلُهits lunar mansions
قَمر تَزهو مَنازلُه
My father be ransom for his wondrous radiance—
His rosy cheek, fruitful its bounty
A moon whose mansions shine in splendor.
High, beyond doubt, over its like it ascends
خَدّهُhis cheek الوَرديrosy طابَwas sweet جَنىfruit
خَدّهُ الوَردي طابَ جَنى
جَلّis exalted عَنabove رَيبmisfortune يُنازلُهassails him
جَلّ عَن رَيب يُنازلُه
Sweet is the fruit of his rosy cheek;
I shielded whom censured he an ear
He is too exalted for misfortune to assail him.
Until I could dispute with him
صُنتI guarded عَمَّنfrom whoever لامنيreproached me أذناan ear
صُنت عَمَّن لامني أذنا
رَيثَماwhile أَنيthat I أُجادلُهargue with him
رَيثَما أَني أُجادلُه
I shielded my ear from whoever reproached me,
Wine, a cup with a pleasing lip
While I argued with him.
Can its peer be found, I wonder
وَمدامand the wine الثَغرof the lips كَأسa cup هَناbliss
وَمدام الثَغر كَأس هَنا
أَتُرىcan you imagine نِدّاًa peer يُماثلُهmatches it
أَتُرى نِدّاً يُماثلُه
And the wine of his lips is a cup of bliss:
Other than what I hoped for from him
Can you imagine a peer to match it,
And the trust of glory I spent on him
غَيرexcept ماwhat أَملتhave hoped for فيهin him مُنىhopes
غَير ما أَملت فيه مُنى
وَأَمينand the trusted keeper المَجدof glory باذلُهits bestower
وَأَمين المَجد باذلُه
Save what my hopes have sought in him?
When my poem is read before him
And glory's trusted keeper bestows it.
Do its attributes of praise charm him?
مَنone who إِذاwhen أَتلوI recite لَدَيهِbefore him ثَناpraise
مَن إِذا أَتلو لَدَيهِ ثَنا
رَتّلتintoned مَدحيmy praise شَمائلُهhis noble qualities
رَتّلت مَدحي شَمائلُه
When I recite praise before this man,
My soul, how much love we gave him
His virtues intone my song of praise.
When the rain of his passion sought us
أَريحيّopenhanded كَمhow many حباhe bestowed منناfavors
أَريحيّ كَم حبا مننا
منfrom ندىًbounty جادَتpoured freely هَواطلُهits showers
من ندىً جادَت هَواطلُه
A generous soul—how many favors he has bestowed,
He has gained every beauty
From bounty whose showers pour so freely!
When his superior merits shone
كُلّevery مَعنىquality حازَهُhe possessed it حسناwas beautiful
كُلّ مَعنى حازَهُ حسنا
عِندَماwhen باهَتvied proudly فَضائلُهhis virtues
عِندَما باهَت فَضائلُه
Every quality he possessed was beautiful,
He is rain of righteousness if we stray
When his virtues vied in glory.
His factors shine victorious
فَهوَfor he is غَيثrain البرِّof goodness إِنif هَتَناpours down
فَهوَ غَيث البرِّ إِن هَتَنا
لَمَعتflashed بَطشاَwith might عَواملُهhis spear-points
لَمَعت بَطشاَ عَواملُه
For he is the rain of goodness; whenever it pours,
Does not rise or find bliss here, or purpose
His spear-points flash with might.
Made triumphant by his attempts
لاmay he never اِنبرَىbe worn down يَلقىfinding هناbliss وَمنىand hopes
لا اِنبرَى يَلقى هنا وَمنى
ظافِراًvictorious فيماin whatever يُحاولُهhe attempts it
ظافِراً فيما يُحاولُه
May he never be worn down, finding bliss and fulfilled hopes,
Victorious in whatever he attempts.
Partial English translation: 28 of 30 Arabic lines translated.