إنif خانَbetrays عهدَكyour pact منthe one whom تَودُّهْyou love him
إن خانَ عهدَك من تَودُّهْ
ونأَىand goes away فلاthen let not يَحزُنْكgrieve you فَقدُهْhis loss
ونأَى فلا يَحزُنْك فَقدُهْ
If the one you love betrays your pact,
If one you love betrays his oath
and goes away, let his loss not grieve you.
And turns away, don't let his loss upset you
واهجرْهُand forsake him هجرَكَyour forsaking منone whom تُحبِyou love (continued)
واهجرْهُ هجرَكَ من تُحبِ
بُcompletes 'you love' إذاwhen قَضىhe dies وحواهُand encloses him لحدُهْhis grave
بُ إذا قَضى وحواهُ لحدُهْ
And forsake him as you would one you love,
And abandon those who abandon you
when he has died and his grave enfolds him.
When death takes him and lays him in his grave
وإذاand if سُئِلتَyou are asked عَلامَwhy تَهyou forsake (continued)
وإذا سُئِلتَ عَلامَ تَه
جُرهُcompletes 'you forsake him' فَقُلْthen say ماnot صَحَّwas true عهدُهْhis pledge
جُرهُ فَقُلْ ما صَحَّ عهدُهْ
And if you are asked why you forsake
And if asked why you shun him
him, say: 'His pledge was not true.'
Say, his oath was not kept
وعَلامَand why أرغبُI desire فيfor مَلُوfickle (continued)
وعَلامَ أرغبُ في مَلُو
لٍcompletes 'fickle' خَائنٍtreacherous قدalready بانbecame plain زُهدُهْhis indifference
لٍ خَائنٍ قد بان زُهدُهْ
And why should I desire a fickle
Why would I long for a traitor
traitor whose indifference has become plain?
Whose faithlessness is manifest?
واحْذَرand beware مقالةَthe saying منone who يقوsays (continued)
واحْذَر مقالةَ من يقو
لُcompletes 'says' الحبُّlove تخضعُsubmit فيهِin it أُسدُهْits lions
لُ الحبُّ تخضعُ فيهِ أُسدُهْ
And beware the saying of one who
Beware the words of one who says
says: 'In love, even its lions submit.'
Love means you must submit, like lions do
وإذَاand if خضعتَyou submit لمنto one who يخُوbetrays (continued)
وإذَا خضعتَ لمن يخُو
نُكَcompletes 'betrays you' فالإبَاءُthen defiance لِمَنfor whom تُعِدُّهْyou reserve it
نُكَ فالإبَاءُ لِمَن تُعِدُّهْ
And if you submit to one who betrays
If you submit to one who betrays you
you, for whom do you reserve your defiance?
Then dignity belongs to those you value
إنif راعَalarms قلبَكَyour heart هَجرُهُhis desertion
إن راعَ قلبَكَ هَجرُهُ
فغداًthen tomorrow يَلينُsoftens لهُfor it أَشَدُّهْits harshest part
فغداً يَلينُ لهُ أَشَدُّهْ
If his desertion alarms your heart,
If his abandonment troubles your heart
tomorrow even its harshest part will soften for it.
Tomorrow it will soften, though now harsh
والصّبرُand patience سُمٌّpoison ناقعٌdeadly
والصّبرُ سُمٌّ ناقعٌ
لكنَّyet منهُfrom it يُشارُis gathered شُهدُهْits honey
لكنَّ منهُ يُشارُ شُهدُهْ
And patience is a deadly poison,
Patience is bitter poison
yet from it its honey is gathered.
But honey comes from its pressing
وإذاand when صرفتَyou divert القلبَthe heart فَهْthen it (continued)
وإذا صرفتَ القلبَ فَهْ
وَcompletes 'it' كأمسِlike yesterday لاnot يُسطاعُcan be accomplished رَدُّهْits return
وَ كأمسِ لا يُسطاعُ رَدُّهْ
And when you turn your heart away, it is
If you turn your heart away
like yesterday: it cannot be brought back.
As if yesterday cannot be undone
غَالَطتَyou deceived نفسَكَyourself فيهِabout him والand the
غَالَطتَ نفسَكَ فيهِ وال
مَشغُوفُlove-stricken one يَعزُبis absent عنهُfrom him رُشْدُهْhis sound judgment
مَشغُوفُ يَعزُب عنهُ رُشْدُهْ
You deceived yourself about him, and the
You’ve fooled yourself, for the lovesick
love-stricken man's sound judgment deserts him.
Lose their reason when passion takes hold
وظَنَنْتَهand you thought him قَصَدَintended ازدياincrease (continued)
وظَنَنْتَه قَصَدَ ازديا
دَكَcompletes 'your increase' فيin الهَوىpassion وسِواكَand someone other than you قَصْدُهْhis aim
دَكَ في الهَوى وسِواكَ قَصْدُهْ
And you thought he meant to deepen
You thought he aimed to increase
your passion, while someone else was his aim.
Your love, that you were his sole desire
وأنَاand I الفِداءُthe ransom لباخلٍfor a miserly one
وأنَا الفِداءُ لباخلٍ
بالوعدِwith promises والأحلامُand dreams وَعْدُهْhis promise
بالوعدِ والأحلامُ وَعْدُهْ
And I would give my life for one miserly
But I ransom myself for the miser
with promises—dreams are his promise.
With promises, dreams, and words only
أرضَىI am content بباطِلهwith his falsehood ويُقْand disheartens (continued)
أرضَى بباطِله ويُقْ
نِطُنِيcompletes 'disheartens me' تجَهُّمُهhis scowling ورَدُّهْand his rejection
نِطُنِي تجَهُّمُه ورَدُّهْ
I am content with his falsehood, yet
I'm content with his lies and he appeases me
his scowl and rejection drive me to despair.
With his frown and his rejection
لَدْنُsupple القَوامِof form يُعلِّمُteaches الأغthe branches (continued)
لَدْنُ القَوامِ يُعلِّمُ الأغ
صانَcompletes 'the branches' كيفhow تَميسُsway قَدُّهْhis figure
صانَ كيف تَميسُ قَدُّهْ
Supple of form, his figure teaches the
The days teach the overzealous
branches how to sway.
How to bear their frosty treatment
يَفتَرُّsmiles عنrevealing عَذْبsweet المقَّبthe kiss-place (continued)
يَفتَرُّ عن عَذْب المقَّب
بَلِcompletes 'the kiss-place' يُضرمُsets aflame الأحشاءَthe entrails بردُهْits coolness
بَلِ يُضرمُ الأحشاءَ بردُهْ
He smiles, revealing sweet lips,
Turning from the sweet greeting
whose coolness sets the inward parts aflame.
To inflame my heart with their coldness
لاno شكّdoubt لُؤلُؤpearls ثغرِهhis mouth
لا شكّ لُؤلُؤ ثغرِه
منfrom عقدِهhis necklace أوor منهُfrom it عقدُهْhis necklace
من عقدِه أو منهُ عقدُهْ
No doubt the pearls of his mouth
No doubt, the pearls of his lips
come from his necklace—or his necklace from them.
Are from his teeth or his speech
للخَمرِfor wine ريقَتُهُhis saliva وللand for the
للخَمرِ ريقَتُهُ ولل
وردِrose الجنيِّfreshly picked النّضْرِradiant خَدُّهْhis cheek
وردِ الجنيِّ النّضْرِ خَدُّهْ
His saliva belongs to wine, and to the
The wine is the color of his mouth
fresh-picked, radiant rose belongs his cheek.
And the blush of roses, his cheek
Claude 2 is inferred from the historical translator configuration. The original record does not identify its model.