أَلاAh ياO خليليmy friend أبرقٌis it lightning? تبدَّىhas appeared
أَلا يا خليلي أبرقٌ تبدَّى
لناto us بالثَّنيَّةِat the mountain pass أَمor دارُthe dwelling of سعديSa'da
لنا بالثَّنيَّةِ أَم دارُ سعدي
Ah, my two companions—is it lightning that has appeared
Ah, my friend, is it lightning that has appeared
to us at al-Thaniyya, or Saʿdā’s abode?
to us at the mountain pass, or Sa'da's dwelling?
أضاءَit shone وقدand already بَسَمتَyou smiled موهناصlate at night (corrupt spelling)
أضاءَ وقد بَسَمتَ موهناص
فقُدَّso was rent قميصُthe shirt of دُجىthe darkness of اللَّيلِthe night قداa rending
فقُدَّ قميصُ دُجى اللَّيلِ قدا
It blazed when she smiled in the dead of night,
It shone as you smiled late at night,
and rent the shirt of night’s gloom from end to end.
so the shirt of night's darkness was rent asunder.
فللَّهِso, by God! ثَغرٌa mouth يُريناshows us إذاwhen
فللَّهِ ثَغرٌ يُرينا إذا
تبسمَit smiles منof ذلكthat الدُرِّpearls عقداa necklace
تبسمَ من ذلك الدُرِّ عقدا
What a wondrous mouth, showing us whenever
By God, what a mouth, which shows us, when
it smiles a necklace made of those pearls!
it smiles, a necklace of those pearls!
حمتforbade رشفهُsipping from it ظبيةٌa gazelle كالهِلالِlike the crescent moon
حمت رشفهُ ظبيةٌ كالهِلالِ
جَبيناًin brow ووجهاصand in face (corrupt spelling) وكَالغُصنِand like a bough قداَّin stature
جَبيناً ووجهاص وكَالغُصنِ قداَّ
A gazelle guards it from every sip—crescent-like
A gazelle forbade sipping from it, like the crescent moon
in brow and face, and bough-like in stature.
in brow and face, and like a bough in stature.
هيshe السَّهمُthe arrow إنif رُمتَyou seek تَقريبَهُbringing it nearer
هي السَّهمُ إن رُمتَ تَقريبَهُ
إِلىto منزِلِthe abode of القَلبِthe heart يزدادُit increases بُعداin distance
إِلى منزِلِ القَلبِ يزدادُ بُعدا
She is the arrow: if you aim to draw her near
She is the arrow: if you seek to bring it nearer
to the heart’s abode, she only grows more distant.
to the heart's abode, it grows more distant.
سَقىmay ... water اللهُGod معهَدهَاher haunt وابِلاًa downpour
سَقى اللهُ معهَدهَا وابِلاً
مُلثاًunceasing وإنeven though هيَshe لمdid not تَرعَkeep عَهداa pledge
مُلثاً وإن هيَ لم تَرعَ عَهدا
May God drench her old abode with a downpour,
May God water her haunt with a downpour,
unceasing—though she herself kept no covenant.
unceasing, even though she has kept no pledge.
إلىuntil كمhow long أُكابدثI endure (corrupt spelling) فيin حُبِّهاloving her
إلى كم أُكابدث في حُبِّها
شُجوناًsorrows وفَرطَand an excess of غرامpassion ووجداand longing
شُجوناً وفَرطَ غرام ووجدا
How long must I endure, for love of her,
How long must I endure, in loving her,
sorrows, consuming passion, and ardent longing?
sorrows, overwhelming passion, and longing?
أأُعرضُshall I turn away? عنfrom دارهاher dwelling بالحمَىin the protected grounds
أأُعرضُ عن دارها بالحمَى
ضلالاًin folly وعنهاand from her بمنin favor of one who حلَّhas settled in نجداNajd
ضلالاً وعنها بمن حلَّ نجدا
Shall I turn from her dwelling at al-Ḥimā
Shall I turn away from her dwelling in the protected grounds,
in folly, and leave her for one settled in Najd?
in folly, and forsake her for one who has settled in Najd?
بفيهاin her mouth رُضابٌsaliva يزيدُincreases القُلوبَthe hearts
بفيها رُضابٌ يزيدُ القُلوبَ
صَدىًparchedness وظماًand thirst كُلَّماwhenever زادَit increases برداin coolness
صَدىً وظماً كُلَّما زادَ بردا
The nectar in her mouth leaves hearts
In her mouth is saliva that makes hearts
ever more parched and thirsty, the cooler it grows.
more parched and thirsty the cooler it grows.
فياso, O سَهمَarrow of أَلحاظِهاher glances ماhow أَسَدَّunerring
فيا سَهمَ أَلحاظِها ما أَسَدَّ
وياand O سُقمَsickness of جِسميmy body بِهاماbecause of her (corrupt form) ماhow أَشداَّsevere
ويا سُقمَ جِسمي بِهاما ما أَشداَّ
O arrow of her glances—how unerring!
So, O arrow of her glances, how unerring!
And O my body’s sickness because of her—how severe!
And O my body's sickness because of her, how severe!
