وقالand he said أيضاًalso:
وقال أيضاً:
الخفيفthe khafīf poetic meter
الخفيف
And he also said:
This is a sigh echoing in the chambers of my heart
The khafīf meter
Like the rhythms of a rebab
هذهthis أنةٌa moan تجاوبُechoes فيin أنحاءthe reaches of صدريmy breast
هذه أنةٌ تجاوبُ في أنحاء صدري
كدمدماتlike the rumblings of الربابthe clouds
كدمدمات الرباب
This is a moan echoing through the reaches of my breast,
Or the lamentations of a lover in a ruined abode
like the rumblings of clouds,
When he saw the ruins after a long estrangement
أوor نواحlamentation المحبّthe lover فيamid الطللthe ruins الباليweathered
أو نواح المحبّ في الطلل البالي
رأىhe saw الرسمthe dwelling’s traces بعدafter طولa long duration of اغترابabsence from home
رأى الرسم بعد طول اغتراب
or a lover’s lament amid the weathered ruins,
This is a tear for the departed hope
who saw their traces after a long absence.
And love, passion and youth
هذهthis دمعةa tear علىfor الأملhope الراحلdeparted
هذه دمعة على الأمل الراحل
والحبand love والهوىand passion والشبابand youth
والحب والهوى والشباب
This is a tear for departed hope,
Oh my beloved, you have spurned and wounded me
and love, passion, and youth.
And marked my heart with the bitterness of torment
ياO حبيبيmy beloved لقدindeed رميتyou shot فاصميتthen you killed outright
يا حبيبي لقد رميت فاصميت
وسمتand you subjected الفؤادthe heart سوءthe cruelty of العذابtorment
وسمت الفؤاد سوء العذاب
O my beloved, you have shot and killed me outright,
If only the one who has wronged us
and subjected the heart to cruel torment.
Had not been pleased by the song of my youth
ولوand even if أنthat الذيthe one who تجنىacted unjustly عليناagainst us
ولو أن الذي تجنى علينا
ألمdid … not? يرضهاplease her طريرthe fresh bloom of شبابيmy youth
ألم يرضها طرير شبابي
And even if the one who wronged us...
I know not what has turned her against us
Did the bloom of my youth not please her?
Was she not pleased by the song of my youth?
لستI am not أدريI know ماذاwhat يغيرهاchanges her عناaway from us
لست أدري ماذا يغيرها عنا
ألمdid … not? يرضهاplease her طريرُthe fresh bloom of شبابيmy youth
ألم يرضها طريرُ شبابي
I do not know what turns her away from us.
If one calls us to nobility, a caller
Did the bloom of my youth not please her?
Among the people, I would precede my peers
إنif دعاناhe called us إلىto المكارمnoble deeds داعٍa caller
إن دعانا إلى المكارم داعٍ
كنتI was فيamong القومthe people سابقاahead of أترابيmy peers
كنت في القوم سابقا أترابي
If a caller summoned us to noble deeds,
I am like a lion when roused, and like a gazelle
I was ahead of my peers among the people.
Gentle in my tenderness and mild in my discourse
أناI كالليثlike the lion إذwhen أهيجُI rage وكالوand like the wood- (word continues)
أنا كالليث إذ أهيجُ وكالو
رشانpigeon (word continuation) فيin رقتيmy tenderness ولينِand the gentleness of خطابيmy speech
رشان في رقتي ولينِ خطابي
I am like a lion when I rage, and like the wood-
pigeon in my tenderness and the gentleness of my speech.
Partial English translation: 16 of 18 Arabic lines translated.