إلَىuntil مَتَىwhen ذَاthis الجَفَاcoldness وَذَاand this الصَّدْrejection
إلَى مَتَى ذَا الجَفَا وَذَا الصَّدْ
يَاO مَنْyou who لِمُغْرَىto one enthralled الفُؤَادِthe heart قَدْindeed صَدّturned away
يَا مَنْ لِمُغْرَى الفُؤَادِ قَدْ صَدّ
How long this coldness and this rejection?
How long will you be so aloof and unkind
O you who have turned away from one whose heart is enthralled!
To one whose heart your love has made blind?
أمَاhas … not? كَفَىsufficed مَاwhat جَرَىflowed بِخَدّيdown my cheek
أمَا كَفَى مَا جَرَى بِخَدّي
مِنْof مَدْمَعٍtears بِالْغَرَامِby passion أُوقِدْwas kindled
مِنْ مَدْمَعٍ بِالْغَرَامِ أُوقِدْ
Has all that flowed down my cheek not sufficed—
Is it not enough, the tears that I have shed,
tears set aflame by passion?
While passion's flames within my eyelids spread?
صَيَّرْتَyou made جَفْنِيmy eyelid غَرِيقَdrowned in دَمْعٍtears
صَيَّرْتَ جَفْنِي غَرِيقَ دَمْعٍ
وَالْقَلْبand the heart فِيin النَّارِthe fire قَدْindeed تَوَقَّدْblazed
وَالْقَلْب فِي النَّارِ قَدْ تَوَقَّدْ
You have left my eyelid drowned in tears,
You made my eyes a fountain of flowing tears,
and the heart has blazed in fire.
While in my heart the fire of love still sears,
رُحْمَاكَyour mercy! رُحْمَاكَyour mercy! بِيupon me فَإِنِّيfor I am
رُحْمَاكَ رُحْمَاكَ بِي فَإِنِّي
مُتَيَّمٌenslaved by love هَائِمٌwandering in love مُسَهَّدْkept sleepless
مُتَيَّمٌ هَائِمٌ مُسَهَّدْ
Your mercy, your mercy upon me, for I am
Have mercy, mercy on my life, for I
enslaved by love, wandering, sleepless.
Am left bewildered, stunned, confounded, dead.
حَمَّلَنِيburdened me الهَجْرُestrangement مِنْكَfrom you مَاwhat لَوْif
حَمَّلَنِي الهَجْرُ مِنْكَ مَا لَوْ
حُمِّلَهwere made to bear it قَاسَيُونُQasiyun لاَنْهَدْwould surely collapse
حُمِّلَه قَاسَيُونُ لاَنْهَدْ
Estrangement from you has burdened me with what, if
The separation you imposed on me would break
Qasiyun were made to bear it, would make it collapse.
The back of mountains, if its weight they had to take.
يَاalas! لِلْهَوَىfor love قَدْindeed أبَاحَsanctioned قَتْلِيmy killing
يَا لِلْهَوَى قَدْ أبَاحَ قَتْلِي
ظَبْيٌa gazelle لَهhe has نَاظِرٌa gaze تَأسَّدْbecame lionlike
ظَبْيٌ لَه نَاظِرٌ تَأسَّدْ
Alas for love! My slaying has been sanctioned
Alas for love that gave you right to end my life,
by a gazelle whose gaze has turned lionlike.
A haughty roe gazed on by lions fierce in strife!
عَبْسِيُّan ʿAbsi (of ʿAbs) أجْفَانِهِhis eyelids المَوَاضِيthe keen-edged
عَبْسِيُّ أجْفَانِهِ المَوَاضِي
لِلتُّرْكِto the Turks تُعْزَىare attributed فَلِمْso why تُهَنَّدْare fashioned as Indian blades
لِلتُّرْكِ تُعْزَى فَلِمْ تُهَنَّدْ
An ʿAbsi—his keen eyelid-blades
My lover frowned at me with eyelids that entice,
are ascribed to the Turks—why, then, are they Indian-forged?
Yet you spurned him: was this a cause for such device?
ثقَّفَstraightened عِطْفًاa flank وَسَنَّand sharpened طَرْفًاa gaze
ثقَّفَ عِطْفًا وَسَنَّ طَرْفًا
فَصَالَthen he charged بِالرُّمْحِwith the spear وَالْمُهَنَّدْand the Indian sword
فَصَالَ بِالرُّمْحِ وَالْمُهَنَّدْ
He straightened his flank and sharpened his gaze,
He charmed me with a look, a turn, and was for me
then charged with the spear and the Indian sword.
Spear-armed and mail-clad with his sorcery.
قَلَّدَهُcommissioned him الطَّرْفُthe gaze سَلْبَthe stealing of رُوحِيmy soul
قَلَّدَهُ الطَّرْفُ سَلْبَ رُوحِي
يَاO حَبَّذاَhow splendid! الفَاتِكُthe slayer المُقَلَّدْthe commissioned one
يَا حَبَّذاَ الفَاتِكُ المُقَلَّدْ
His gaze commissioned him to steal my soul;
With his eyes he stole my soul, O excellent thief!
oh, how splendid the commissioned slayer!
I stole a kiss from him, and he cried out in grief,
غَصَبْتُهُI took from him by force قُبْلَةًa kiss فَنَادَىthen he cried out
غَصَبْتُهُ قُبْلَةً فَنَادَى
عَلَيْكَincumbent upon you فِيمَاfor what فَعَلْتَهُyou did it الْحَدْthe prescribed penalty
عَلَيْكَ فِيمَا فَعَلْتَهُ الْحَدْ
I wrested a kiss from him, and he cried:
"This wrong of yours deserves a thousand strokes, on cheek
'You owe the prescribed penalty for what you have done!'
Or lips, if such your fancy seek!"
فَقُلْتُso I said خُذْهَاtake it بِألْفِfor a thousand ألْفٍthousand
فَقُلْتُ خُذْهَا بِألْفِ ألْفٍ
فِيon الثَّغْرِthe lips إنْif شِئْتَyou wish أوْor عَلَىon الخَدْthe cheek
فِي الثَّغْرِ إنْ شِئْتَ أوْ عَلَى الخَدْ
I said, 'Take it back a thousand thousandfold,
I said, "I have no power the penalty to pay,
on the lips, if you wish, or on the cheek.'
That kiss I stole by force - stolen goods should be restored, they say."
فَقَالَthen he said مَاnot بِالقِصَاصِby retaliation أقْضِيI pass judgment
فَقَالَ مَا بِالقِصَاصِ أقْضِي
فَقُلْتso I said مَالِيI have no بِذَاكَin that مِنْany يَدْpower
فَقُلْت مَالِي بِذَاكَ مِنْ يَدْ
He said, 'I do not judge by retaliation.'
He said, "By God, you are a brigand for sure!
I said, 'I have no power over that.
A thief can only be stopped short by punishment severe."
وَإنَّمَاand only نِلْتُI obtained ذَاكَthat غَصْبًاby force
وَإنَّمَا نِلْتُ ذَاكَ غَصْبًا
وَالْحُكْمُand the ruling فِيon الغَصْبِforcible seizure عِنْدَنَاamong us الرَّدْrestitution
وَالْحُكْمُ فِي الغَصْبِ عِنْدَنَا الرَّدْ
I only obtained that by force,
He set aflame my heart, "More fire!" he said in jest,
and our ruling on forcible seizure is restitution.'
I said "Enough!" He said "Then add some to the test!"
فَقَالَthen he said هَيْهَاتَfar from it! أنْتَyou لِصٌّa thief
فَقَالَ هَيْهَاتَ أنْتَ لِصٌّ
وَاللِّصُّand the thief لاَdoes not يَنْتَهِيdesist بِلاَwithout حَدْa prescribed penalty
وَاللِّصُّ لاَ يَنْتَهِي بِلاَ حَدْ
He said, 'Far from it! You are a thief,
O noble men, have mercy on a man brought low,
and a thief will not desist without the prescribed penalty.'
Scorned by his critics envied by his foe,
أوْجَدَhe created فِيin بَاطِنِيmy inner being لَهِيبًاa blaze
أوْجَدَ فِي بَاطِنِي لَهِيبًا
وَقَالَand he said هَزْلاًin jest أوْجَدْتُI have created أوْجِدْcreate!
وَقَالَ هَزْلاً أوْجَدْتُ أوْجِدْ
He created a blaze within me,
Who moans in loneliness for one who was his friend,
and said in jest, 'I have created—now create!'
And whom in love he cherished and defended,
فَقُلْتُso I said حَسْبِيenough for me فَقَالَthen he said كَلاَّno!
فَقُلْتُ حَسْبِي فَقَالَ كَلاَّ
فَقُلْتُso I said زِدْنِيgive me more فَقَالَthen he said إعْتَدْget used to it!
فَقُلْتُ زِدْنِي فَقَالَ إعْتَدْ
I said, 'Enough for me!' He said, 'No!'
Who left him lost in flames of passion's fire
I said, 'Give me more!' He said, 'Get used to it!'
Till love had made of him its own desire,
يَاO لَلرِّجَالِmen, to the rescue! ارْحَمُواhave mercy on كَئِيبًاa grieving man
يَا لَلرِّجَالِ ارْحَمُوا كَئِيبًا
رَقَّfelt pity لَهُfor him شَامِتٌa gloater وَحُسَّدْand enviers
رَقَّ لَهُ شَامِتٌ وَحُسَّدْ
O men, have mercy on a grieving man
Abandoned, calling on his God alone,
whom even an ill-wisher and the envious have pitied.
While love has left him in oblivion thrown.
يَحِنُّhe yearns فِيin غَوْرِهِhis lowland لِنَجْدٍfor Najd
يَحِنُّ فِي غَوْرِهِ لِنَجْدٍ
صَوَّبَهُbrought him down فِيin الهَوَىlove وَصَعَّدْand raised him up
صَوَّبَهُ فِي الهَوَى وَصَعَّدْ
He yearns in his lowland for Najd,
By day, by night, his heart is burning coal,
which has brought him low in love and raised him high.
Extinguished by tears that from his eyelids roll.
وَطَارَand he flew مِنْfrom شَوْقِهِhis longing إلَىuntil أنْthat
وَطَارَ مِنْ شَوْقِهِ إلَى أنْ
أقْعَدَهُleft him seated and helpless الحُبُّlove كُلَّevery مَقْعَدْresting place
أقْعَدَهُ الحُبُّ كُلَّ مَقْعَدْ
And he flew, driven by his longing, until
Sickness wasted him till he was but a ghost,
love left him helpless in every resting place.
Hidden from shame and from unfriendly boast.
مُشَرَّدٌan outcast فِيin الهَوَىlove يُنَادِيhe calls out
مُشَرَّدٌ فِي الهَوَى يُنَادِي
اللَّهَGod! اللَّهَGod! فِيconcerning المُشَرَّدْthe outcast
اللَّهَ اللَّهَ فِي المُشَرَّدْ
An outcast in love, he calls out:
So was he melted down, as if he were a paste
'For God's sake, for God's sake—have mercy on the outcast!'
Poured into water, that dissolves and will not last.
يُمْسِيhe spends the evening وَيُضْحيand spends the morning حَرِيقَburning قَلْبٍheart
يُمْسِي وَيُضْحي حَرِيقَ قَلْبٍ
هَامِيpouring سَحابِclouds الجُفُونِthe eyelids مُكْمَدgrief-stricken
هَامِي سَحابِ الجُفُونِ مُكْمَد
He spends evening and morning with his heart ablaze,
And when his love at length was turned to hate,
the clouds of his eyelids pouring, grief-stricken.
He left this life; was ever known so dire a fate?
ذَابَmelted حَشَاهُhis innards فَسَالَthen flowed دَمْعًاas tears
ذَابَ حَشَاهُ فَسَالَ دَمْعًا
أمَاdo … not? تَرَىyou see لَوْنَهُits color مُوَرَّدْrose-red
أمَا تَرَى لَوْنَهُ مُوَرَّدْ
His innards melted and flowed as tears;
do you not see their rose-red hue?
أنْحَلَهُmade him thin سُقْمُهُhis sickness إلَىuntil أنْthat
أنْحَلَهُ سُقْمُهُ إلَى أنْ
أخْفَاهُhid him عَنْfrom عُذَّلٍreproachers وَعُوَّدْand sickbed visitors
أخْفَاهُ عَنْ عُذَّلٍ وَعُوَّدْ
His sickness made him thin until
it hid him from reproachers and visitors to the sick.
وَقَدْand indeed تَلاَشَىhe dwindled away وَذَابَand melted حَتَّىso that
وَقَدْ تَلاَشَى وَذَابَ حَتَّى
لَوْif صُبَّhe were poured فيinto المَاءِthe water مَاnot تَجَسَّدْwould take solid form
لَوْ صُبَّ في المَاءِ مَا تَجَسَّدْ
And he has dwindled and melted away so completely
that, if poured into water, he would not take solid form.
وَفَارَقَتْهُand left him الحَيَاةُlife لَمَّاwhen
وَفَارَقَتْهُ الحَيَاةُ لَمَّا
بُدّلَhe was given in exchange بَعْدَafter الوِصَالِunion بِالصَّدْwith rejection
بُدّلَ بَعْدَ الوِصَالِ بِالصَّدْ
And life left him when
after union, he was given rejection instead.
Partial English translation: 42 of 50 Arabic lines translated.