يَفديكَransoms you ياO بَدرfull moon صَبّlovesick lover ماwhenever بَخلتyou withheld عَلىfrom
يَفديكَ يا بَدر صَبّ ما بَخلت عَلى
جَفنَيهِhis eyelids بِالنَومwith sleep اِلّاexcept that بِالدُموعِwith tears سنحاhe came forth
جَفنَيهِ بِالنَوم اِلّا بِالدُموعِ سنحا
A lovesick man would ransom you, O full moon; whenever you withheld
You ransom me, O full moon, pouring without stint
Sleep from his eyelids, he came forth with tears.
On my eyelids with sleep, except with tears, times of wakefulness
ماnot زالَceased فيupon صَفحاتِsurfaces الخَدّthe cheek مُجتَهِداstriving diligently
ما زالَ في صَفحاتِ الخَدّ مُجتَهِدا
يُكَرّرhe repeats الوَجدlove's anguish حَتّىuntil فيin الحَشىthe breast رَسخاtook root
يُكَرّر الوَجد حَتّى في الحَشى رَسخا
He kept striving upon the surfaces of the cheek,
Ever busy on the cheeks' pages, repeating passion
Renewing love's anguish until it took root in the breast.
Until it took root, even in the breast's cavity
ياO ممرضيyou who sicken me بِشَقيقwith anemone-red عَمّsuffused وَجنتهhis cheek
يا ممرضي بِشَقيق عَمّ وَجنته
وَجاعِلand placing عَنكَaway from you وَلاand not عقدthe bond الهَوىof love فسخاhe dissolved
وَجاعِل عَنكَ وَلا عقد الهَوى فسخا
O you who sicken me with anemone-red that suffused his cheek,
O healer of my cousin's wound, and undoer
And placing [unclear] away from you; nor has he broken love's bond.
Of the pact of love towards you, not once unloosing it
ماwhat كانَwould have ضرّكharmed you لَوif واصَلتyou kept company with مُكتَئِباa grieving man
ما كانَ ضرّك لَو واصَلت مُكتَئِبا
ماnot حالَturned away عَنكَfrom you وَلاand not عقدthe bond الهَوىof love فسخاhe dissolved
ما حالَ عَنكَ وَلا عقد الهَوى فسخا
What harm would it have done you to keep company with a grieving man,
No harm had it been, had you persisted downcast
Who never turned away from you or dissolved love's bond?
Neither undoing the pact of love towards you
هاbehold أَنتَyou غُصنa bough وَقَلبيand my heart طائِرa bird فَإِذاso if
ها أَنتَ غُصن وَقَلبي طائِر فَإِذا
أَبعَدتهyou drove it away عَنكَfrom you أَوor هَيَّجتُهI roused it صرخاit cried out
أَبعَدته عَنكَ أَو هَيَّجتُه صرخا
Behold, you are a bough and my heart a bird; so if
You distance it from you or stir it up, it will scream
You drive it away from you, or I rouse it, it cries out.
O you who blame me for it, heap me not overmuch,
ياO عاذِليyou who reproach me فيهِfor him لاdo not تَكثرheap up reproaches عَلَيّupon me فَماfor what
يا عاذِلي فيهِ لا تَكثر عَلَيّ فَما
قَدindeed كُنتI used to أَعهدهknow it منof صَبريmy patience اِنتَسخاwas erased
قَد كُنت أَعهده من صَبري اِنتَسخا
O you who reproach me for him, do not press me, for what
For I never knew it deviate from my patience, once committed
I once knew of my patience has been erased.
Perplexed am I, whether to meet it with refusal or consent,
وَاِحيرَتيAlas, my bewilderment! اِنif أَقلI say صلنيbe with me بِصولwith an assault وَاِنand if
وَاِحيرَتي اِن أَقل صلني بِصول وَاِن
أَرضَيتُهI pleased him صَدّhe turned away أَولاor not يَنتهhe desists شمخاhe grew haughty
أَرضَيتُه صَدّ أَولا يَنته شمخا
Alas, my bewilderment! If I say, 'Be with me,' he answers with an assault; and if
And if I gratified it, at first it disdained, or persisted arrogantly
I please him, he turns away—or does not relent, growing haughty.
My lifetime have I passed in hardship, and they claimed
قَضيتI spent دَهريmy lifetime فيin كَربdistress وَقَدand indeed زَعَمواthey claimed
قَضيت دَهري في كَرب وَقَد زَعَموا
بَأَنَّthat أَهلَthe people الهَوىof love فيin شِدَّةِhardship وَرخاand ease
بَأَنَّ أَهلَ الهَوى في شِدَّةِ وَرخا
I have spent my lifetime in distress, though they have claimed
That lovers in time of straits are [found] bent down despondently
That lovers live in hardship and ease.
Partial English translation: 15 of 16 Arabic lines translated.