ياO نازِحاًdistant one لَيسَdoes not يَدنوdraw near
يا نازِحاً لَيسَ يَدنو
وَعاتِباًand reproachful one لَيسَdoes not يَرضىbecome pleased
وَعاتِباً لَيسَ يَرضى
O distant one who does not draw near,
and reproachful one who will not be appeased.
أَمَرتَyou commanded عَينيmy eye فَفاضَتso it overflowed
أَمَرتَ عَيني فَفاضَت
وَمَضجَعيand my bed فَأُقِضّاso it was disturbed
وَمَضجَعي فَأُقِضّا
You commanded my eye, and it overflowed,
and my bed, and it was disturbed.
ياO واحِداًpeerless one وَدُيونيand my debts
يا واحِداً وَدُيوني
فيin حُبِّهِlove for him لَيسَare not تُقضىdischarged
في حُبِّهِ لَيسَ تُقضى
O peerless one! And my debts
in loving him remain unpaid.
أُرقُدsleep هَنيئاًpeacefully فَإِنّيfor I
أُرقُد هَنيئاً فَإِنّي
ماnot ذُقتُI tasted بَعدَكَsince your departure غُمضاsleep
ما ذُقتُ بَعدَكَ غُمضا
Sleep peacefully, for I
have tasted no sleep since you left.
عَطفاًhave pity عَلىon كَبِدٍa liver فيfor love of
عَطفاً عَلى كَبِدٍ في
كَyou رَضَّهاhas crushed it الشَوقُlonging رَضّاa thorough crushing
كَ رَضَّها الشَوقُ رَضّا
Have pity on a liver that, for love of
you, longing has utterly crushed.
أَمرَضتَنيyou made me ill بِجُفونٍwith eyelids
أَمرَضتَني بِجُفونٍ
صَحائِحِsound اللَحظِin their glance مَرضىailing
صَحائِحِ اللَحظِ مَرضى
You made me ill with eyelids
sound in their glance, yet ailing.
أَسِحرُis the magic عَينِكَof your eye ياO قاslay- (fragment of 'my slayer')
أَسِحرُ عَينِكَ يا قا
تِلي-er of me (completes 'my slayer') أَمِor السَيفُthe sword أَمضىsharper
تِلي أَمِ السَيفُ أَمضى
Is your eye's magic, O my slay-
er, or the sword sharper?
لِلَّهِto God (expressing admiration) سالِفُbygone عَيشٍlife
لِلَّهِ سالِفُ عَيشٍ
بِالأَبرَقَينِat al-Abraqayn تَقَضّىpassed away
بِالأَبرَقَينِ تَقَضّى
God bless that bygone life,
spent at al-Abraqayn,
أَيّامَthe days when أَركُضُI galloped طَلقَloose الthe
أَيّامَ أَركُضُ طَلقَ ال
عِنانِrein فيin اللَهوِpleasure رَكضاgalloping
عِنانِ في اللَهوِ رَكضا
the days when I galloped with loose
reins, galloping in pleasure,
وَأَجتَنيand I plucked وَردَrose خَدٍّof a cheek
وَأَجتَني وَردَ خَدٍّ
يَعودُbecomes again بِالقَطفِthrough plucking غَضّاfresh
يَعودُ بِالقَطفِ غَضّا
and plucked a cheek's rose,
which grows fresh again when plucked.
مَضىit passed فَأودَعَso it deposited in قَلبيmy heart
مَضى فَأودَعَ قَلبي
جَوىًburning anguish وَداءًand a malady مُمِضّاagonizing
جَوىً وَداءً مُمِضّا
It passed, leaving in my heart
burning anguish and an agonizing malady.