Qais al-Mulawah also known as Majnoon Laila was the desperate lover who was denied his beloved in marriage. He devoted his whole life writing poetry about Laila, so enamored and sad over their forbidden and unconsummed love that he became crazy, therefore earning his famous epithet “Majnoon” (possessed / crazy).
The title of this poem is “When we met”, it speaks of their encounter when he came back after years of traveling.
Before Qais was about to travel, Laila had asked him where he was going. He replied that he was going to spread his poetry, make a living and come back. Laila asked him when he would be returning, he answered that he doesn’t know.
و لما تلاقينا على سفح رامة
When we met on top of the hill
وجدتُ بنان العامرية أحمرا
I found her fingers were red
فقلت خضبت الكف بعد فراقنا؟
I asked : “Did you dye your palms celebrating our falling apart?”
(A girl would have her hands painted in red henna when she was about to get married. Therefore he is asking if her fingers are red because she is engaged to someone.)
فقالت معاذ الله ذلك ما جرا
She told me: “No i swear to God that never happened,
but when I saw you leaving…
بكيت دماً حتى بللت به الثرا
I cried tears of blood until I wet the sand,
مسحت بأطراف البنان مدامعي
with my fingers I wiped my tears
فصار خضاباً بالأكف كما ترا
so I got this red dye on my hands, as you see…”
areudirty
discoholicmusic
origamiaround
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
