لَعَمرُكَby your life إِنَّindeed البَيتَthe house بِالقِبَلِat al-Qibal الَّذيwhich
لَعَمرُكَ إِنَّ البَيتَ بِالقِبَلِ الَّذي
مَرَرتُI passed وَلَمand did not أُلمِمI stop briefly عَلَيهِat it لَشائِقُtruly stirring longing
مَرَرتُ وَلَم أُلمِم عَلَيهِ لَشائِقُ
By your life, the house at al-Qibal, which
I passed without stopping there, truly stirs longing.
وَبِالجَزعِand at the valley bend مِنfrom أَعلىthe upper part of الجُنَينَةِal-Junayna مَنزِلٌa dwelling
وَبِالجَزعِ مِن أَعلى الجُنَينَةِ مَنزِلٌ
شَجاroused sorrow حَزَناًgrief صَدريmy breast بِهِbecause of it مُتَضايِقُconstricted
شَجا حَزَناً صَدري بِهِ مُتَضايِقُ
And at the valley bend in upper al-Junayna stands a dwelling
That roused grief; my breast is constricted by it.
كَأَنّيas though I إِذاwhen لَمdo not أَلقَI meet لَيلىLayla مُعَلَّقٌsuspended
كَأَنّي إِذا لَم أَلقَ لَيلى مُعَلَّقٌ
بِسِبَّينِby two ropes أَهفوI sway بَينَbetween سَهلٍlevel ground وَحالِقُand a lofty peak
بِسِبَّينِ أَهفو بَينَ سَهلٍ وَحالِقُ
When I do not meet Layla, I am as though suspended
By two ropes, swaying between level ground and a lofty peak.
عَلىdespite أَنَّنيthat I لَوif شِئتُI wished هاجَتwould stir صَبابَتيmy yearning
عَلى أَنَّني لَو شِئتُ هاجَت صَبابَتي
عَلَيَّupon me رُسومٌruined traces عَيَّfailed فيهاin them التَناطُقُconversation
عَلَيَّ رُسومٌ عَيَّ فيها التَناطُقُ
Yet, if I wished, my yearning would be stirred
Within me by ruins where speech has failed.
لَعَمرُكِby your life إِنَّindeed الحُبَّlove ياO أُمَّmother of مالِكٍMalik
لَعَمرُكِ إِنَّ الحُبَّ يا أُمَّ مالِكٍ
بِقَلبيto my heart يَرانيsees me اللَهُGod مِنهُfrom it لَلاصِقُtruly clinging
بِقَلبي يَراني اللَهُ مِنهُ لَلاصِقُ
By your life, O Umm Malik, love
Clings fast to my heart—God sees what I suffer from it.
يَضُمُّgathers عَلَيَّaround me اللَيلُthe night أَطرافَthe edges of حُبِّكُمlove for you
يَضُمُّ عَلَيَّ اللَيلُ أَطرافَ حُبِّكُم
كَماjust as ضَمَّgathered أَطرافَthe edges of القَميصِthe shirt البَنائِقُthe gussets
كَما ضَمَّ أَطرافَ القَميصِ البَنائِقُ
Night gathers around me the edges of my love for you,
As gussets gather the edges of a shirt.
وَماذاand what عَسىmight الواشونَthe tale-bearers أَنthat يَتَحَدَّثواthey speak
وَماذا عَسى الواشونَ أَن يَتَحَدَّثوا
سِوىexcept أَنthat يَقولواthey say إِنَّنيthat I لَكِwith you عاشِقُin love
سِوى أَن يَقولوا إِنَّني لَكِ عاشِقُ
And what could the tale-bearers speak of,
Except to say that I am in love with you?
نَعَمyes صَدَقَspoke truly الواشونَthe tale-bearers أَنتِyou حَبيبَةٌbeloved
نَعَم صَدَقَ الواشونَ أَنتِ حَبيبَةٌ
إِلَيَّto me وَإِنand even if لَمdid not تَصفُprove kindly مِنكِfrom you الخَلائِقُdispositions
إِلَيَّ وَإِن لَم تَصفُ مِنكِ الخَلائِقُ
Yes, the tale-bearers spoke truly: you are dear
To me, though your ways have not been kind.
أَمُستَقبِليwill it greet me? نَفحُthe breath of الصِباthe east wind ثُمَّthen شائِقيmaking me yearn
أَمُستَقبِلي نَفحُ الصِبا ثُمَّ شائِقي
بِبَردِwith the coolness of ثَناياthe front teeth of أُمَّmother of حَسّانِHassan شائِقُan awakener of longing
بِبَردِ ثَنايا أُمَّ حَسّانِ شائِقُ
Will the east wind's breath greet me, then someone stir my longing
With the coolness of Umm Hassan's front teeth?
كَأَنَّas though عَلىupon أَنيابِهاher canine teeth الخَمرَwine شَجَّهاhe diluted it
كَأَنَّ عَلى أَنيابِها الخَمرَ شَجَّها
بِماءِwith water from سَحابٍclouds آخِرَat the end of اللَيلِthe night غابِقُan evening drinker
بِماءِ سَحابٍ آخِرَ اللَيلِ غابِقُ
As though wine lay upon her canine teeth, diluted
With rainwater at night's end by an evening drinker.
وَماand not ذِقتُهُI tasted it إِلّاexcept بِعَينيwith my eye تَفَرُّساًgazing intently
وَما ذِقتُهُ إِلّا بِعَيني تَفَرُّساً
كَماjust as شيمَwas watched فيin أَعلىthe top of السَحابَةِthe cloud بارِقُa lightning flash
كَما شيمَ في أَعلى السَحابَةِ بارِقُ
And I have tasted it only with my eye, gazing intently,
As one watches a lightning flash high in a cloud.
Translation model: Sol 6.1