لاdo not تَقولُواyou say سَلاhe forgot his love وملَّand he grew weary هَواناour love
لا تَقولُوا سَلا وملَّ هَوانا
وتسلَّىand he found solace عنfrom حُبِّناour love بسِواناin someone other than us
وتسلَّى عن حُبِّنا بسِوانا
Do not say, “He has forgotten us and wearied of our love,
and turned from loving us to take comfort in another.”
كيفَhow يَسلُوكُمcould he forget you ويصبرُand he endures عنكمwithout you
كيفَ يَسلُوكُم ويصبرُ عنكم
منone who يَرَىhe sees سيِّئاتِكمyour misdeeds إحساناkindness
من يَرَى سيِّئاتِكم إحسانا
How could he forget you and bear your absence,
he who sees your wrongs as kindness?
لاno وذُلِّيby my abasement لعزِّكمbefore your glory ماdid not لَوىturn يوone day (first part)
لا وذُلِّي لعزِّكم ما لَوى يو
ماًone day (completion) إلىtoward غيرِكمanyone other than you فُؤاديmy heart عِناناa rein
ماً إلى غيرِكم فُؤادي عِنانا
No—by my abasement before your glory—not for a day
has my heart turned its reins toward anyone but you.
كيفَhow يخفَىcan be hidden وَجديmy passion لديكُمfrom you وقَدwhen already أصbecame (first part)
كيفَ يخفَى وَجدي لديكُم وقَد أص
بحَbecame (completion) دمعيmy tears عنfor لوعتيmy burning anguish تُرجُماناan interpreter
بحَ دمعي عن لوعتي تُرجُمانا
How can my passion be hidden from you, when
my tears have become an interpreter of my burning grief?
قَسماًI swear بعدَafter بعدِكمyour separation وجَفاكمand your coldness
قَسماً بعدَ بعدِكم وجَفاكم
لمdid not يُفارِقleave ليَfor me البُكاweeping أجفاناeyelids
لم يُفارِق ليَ البُكا أجفانا
I swear, since your departure and your coldness,
weeping has never left my eyelids.
لاdo not تظنُّواyou think زَفيرَthe sighing of قلبيَmy heart مُذsince أَحyou burned (first part)
لا تظنُّوا زَفيرَ قلبيَ مُذ أَح
رَقتُمُyou burned (completion) الصَّبرَpatience فيهِwithin it إلاَّexcept دُخاناsmoke
رَقتُمُ الصَّبرَ فيهِ إلاَّ دُخانا
Do not take my heart’s sighs—since you burned
the patience within it—for anything but smoke.
ياO أخِلاَّيmy dear friends بat العقيقِal-Aqiq وجِيراand my neighbors (first part)
يا أخِلاَّي ب العقيقِ وجِيرا
نيmy neighbors (completion) بنجدٍin Najd حُيِّيتُمُmay you be greeted جيراناas neighbors
ني بنجدٍ حُيِّيتُمُ جيرانا
O my friends at al-Aqiq, and my neighbors
in Najd—greetings to you, neighbors!
وزَمانيand my time بat الُمنحنىal-Munhana ومَغانيand the haunts
وزَماني ب الُمنحنى ومَغاني
هِits وذاكَand that الحمىsanctuary سُقيتَmay you be watered زماناtime
هِ وذاكَ الحمى سُقيتَ زمانا
And my days at al-Munhana and its haunts,
and that sanctuary—may rain bless you, O days!
أربُعٌabodes كنتُI was قَدalready أخذتُI took منَfrom اللَّهrevelry (first part of اللهو)
أربُعٌ كنتُ قَد أخذتُ منَ اللَّه
وِrevelry (completion of اللهو) بِقَطعِconcerning the ending of اللَّذَّاتِdelights فيهاtherein أماناa pledge of safety
وِ بِقَطعِ اللَّذَّاتِ فيها أمانا
Abodes where I had taken from revelry
a pledge against delights ever ending there.
لمdid not أَزَلI cease لاهياًdallying بكلِّwith every رشيقٍslender beauty
لم أَزَل لاهياً بكلِّ رشيقٍ
يتثنَّىhe sways فَيُخجلُand so he shames الأغصاناthe branches
يتثنَّى فَيُخجلُ الأغصانا
I was ever dallying with each slender beauty
who swayed and put the branches to shame.
ذُوendowed with معانٍcharms دلالُهُhis coquetry لمdid not يُغادرِleave
ذُو معانٍ دلالُهُ لم يُغادرِ
لِسواهُfor anyone other than him فيin وسطِthe midst of قلبيmy heart مَكاناa place
لِسواهُ في وسطِ قلبي مَكانا
One endowed with charms, whose coquetry left
no place for another within my heart.
أيُّهاO النَّابِلُthe archer الذيwho عنfrom فؤاديmy heart
أيُّها النَّابِلُ الذي عن فؤادي
سَهمُthe arrow of عينيهhis two eyes لمnot يكنwas يَتَوانىholding back
سَهمُ عينيه لم يكن يَتَوانى
O archer, never from my heart
has the arrow of your eyes held back.
لكَyou have قدٌّa figure بغيرهِwithout it لمnot تكنyou were تَعyou knew (first part)
لكَ قدٌّ بغيرهِ لم تكن تَع
رِفُyou knew (completion) فيin خَوضِكyour plunging into الحُروبَwars الطِّعاناspear-thrusting
رِفُ في خَوضِك الحُروبَ الطِّعانا
Yours is a figure without which you would never
have known spear-thrusting when you plunged into wars.
مُذonce تيَّقنتَyou were certain أنَّهُthat it was الرُّمحُthe spear ركَّبyou fitted (first part)
مُذ تيَّقنتَ أنَّهُ الرُّمحُ ركَّب
تَyou fitted (completion) منfrom الُمقلَتينِthe two eyes فيهinto it سِناناa spearhead
تَ من الُمقلَتينِ فيه سِنانا
Once you knew for certain it was a spear, you fitted
it with a spearhead made from your two eyes.
جُرتَyou acted unjustly لَّماwhen مَلكتَyou gained power فاعدلso be just فماfor how أقugly (first part)
جُرتَ لَّما مَلكتَ فاعدل فما أق
بحَugly (completion) منfrom حُسنِthe beauty of شَخصكَyour person العُدواناinjustice
بحَ من حُسنِ شَخصكَ العُدوانا
You grew unjust when you gained power; be just—for how
ugly is injustice from someone as fair as you!
ماnot اتخَّذتَyou took المِلاحَthe beauties جُنداًan army إلىuntil أنthat
ما اتخَّذتَ المِلاحَ جُنداً إلى أن
قُمتَyou rose بالحُسنِthrough beauty بينَهُمamong them سُلطاناas a sultan
قُمتَ بالحُسنِ بينَهُم سُلطانا
You did not take the beauties as your army until
you rose through beauty as a sultan among them.
Translation model: Sol 6.1