اسمَعhear حَديثَthe tale الدَّواوينthe bureaus الَّتيthat اشتُهِرَتbecame known
اسمَع حَديثَ الدَّواوين الَّتي اشتُهِرَت
منfrom بَعدafter تَنزيهِهاtheir purification باللَّهوِfor frivolity والعِلَلِand faults
من بَعد تَنزيهِها باللَّهوِ والعِلَلِ
Hear the tale of the bureaus that became known
Listen to the tales of the scrolls that were famed
After their former purity, for frivolity and faults.
After exonerating them of frivolity and illness
أضحَتthey have become وكتابُهاand their scribes أقلامُهمtheir pens خلقَتwere created
أضحَت وكتابُها أقلامُهم خلقَت
مَعهمwith them كتابتُهاtheir writing لَيسَتis not تَبَيَّنbecoming clear ليto me
مَعهم كتابتُها لَيسَت تَبَيَّن لي
They have come to this: their scribes' pens were created
They have become while their scrolls their pens created
With them; their writing is not clear to me.
Along with them their writing does not manifest to me
منof كلِّevery مُنعَطفِcurled الصُّدغَينِthe sidelocks مُكتَحلِkohl-lined الطthe (word fragment)
من كلِّ مُنعَطفِ الصُّدغَينِ مُكتَحلِ الط
طَرفَينِtwo eyes مُستَتِرِveiled الخَدَّينِthe cheeks بالخَجَلِby bashfulness
طَرفَينِ مُستَتِرِ الخَدَّينِ بالخَجَلِ
Of every man with curling sidelocks and kohl-lined
From every curve of the two cheeks kohl-lined eyes
Eyes, his cheeks veiled in bashfulness.
Of drooping lids concealing cheeks in shyness
إِذاwhen تَمشىhe walks تَرىyou see فيin قَدِّهِhis figure مَيلاًa sway
إِذا تَمشى تَرى في قَدِّهِ مَيلاً
وبَينَand between فَخذَيهِhis two thighs رُمحٌa spear غيرُnot ذيpossessing مَيَلِa bend
وبَينَ فَخذَيهِ رُمحٌ غيرُ ذي مَيَلِ
When he walks, you see a sway in his figure,
When he walks you see in his neck a tilt
And between his thighs a spear without a bend.
And between his thighs a straight unwavering spear
سَألتُهI asked him الوَصلَunion يَوماًone day فاستَجابَand he responded لَهto it
سَألتُه الوَصلَ يَوماً فاستَجابَ لَه
إِجابةًa response رَدَّنيhe sent me back مِنهاbecause of it عَلىin وَجَلِalarm
إِجابةً رَدَّني مِنها عَلى وَجَلِ
I asked him for union one day, and he responded to it
I asked him for union one day and he obligingly responded
With an answer that sent me back in alarm.
With an answer that spurned me in agitation
حتَّىuntil كشَفتُI revealed لَهto him حالِيmy condition فقَالَand he said إذاthen
حتَّى كشَفتُ لَه حالِي فقَالَ إذا
لوif كانَit were غيرَother than الَّذيwhat نَنحوهُwe aim for it لَمnot تَصِلِyou attain
لو كانَ غيرَ الَّذي نَنحوهُ لَم تَصِلِ
Until I revealed my condition to him; then he said:
Until I revealed my state, and he said: If it were not
'Were it other than what we seek, you would not attain it.
For what we intend, you would not unite
علَيَّbinding on me نَذرٌa vow وأَيمانٌand oaths مُؤكَّدةٌsolemn
علَيَّ نَذرٌ وأَيمانٌ مُؤكَّدةٌ
أنthat لاnot عَلوتُI mount عَلىupon ظَهرٍa back ولاnor كَفَلِa rump
أن لا عَلوتُ عَلى ظَهرٍ ولا كَفَلِ
I am bound by a vow and solemn oaths,
Upon me are vows and oaths confirmed
Never to mount a back or a rump.'
That I not rebel upon a back or shoulder
فقلتُso I said سِرproceed آمِناًsafe مِنfrom نَقضِbreaking عَهدكyour pledge ذاthis
فقلتُ سِر آمِناً مِن نَقضِ عَهدك ذا
فليسَfor it is not هَذاthis الَّذيthat which تَخشاهُyou fear it منof عَمليmy practice
فليسَ هَذا الَّذي تَخشاهُ من عَملي
So I said, 'Proceed, safe from breaking this pledge of yours;
So I said: Go safely, fear no breach of your pact by me
For what you fear is no practice of mine.'
For this is not what you fear from my actions
أخذتُI exacted مِنهfrom him بِثَأرٍin vengeance لَيسَis not يَلزمُنيincumbent on me
أخذتُ مِنه بِثَأرٍ لَيسَ يَلزمُني
أولاin the first place فَمنfor who كانَwas منِّيto me يوسفُYusuf بنson of عَليAli
أولا فَمن كانَ منِّي يوسفُ بن عَلي
I exacted vengeance from him that was no obligation of mine
I took from him a vengeance that does not obligate me
To begin with—for what was Yusuf ibn Ali to me?
Firstly, so who was from me Joseph son of Ali?
إنif كانَhe was أصبَحَhe became مُختَلَّimpaired اليَدينِin both hands فَقَدthen indeed
إن كانَ أصبَحَ مُختَلَّ اليَدينِ فَقَد
أمسَتhave become مُمكنَّةًmade available رِجلاهُhis two legs منto رجُلِa man
أمسَت مُمكنَّةً رِجلاهُ من رجُلِ
If he has become impaired in both hands, then
If he has awoken with paralyzed hands, then
His legs have now become available to a man.
Yesterday his legs were enabled by my legs
وياand O عَبيدَslaves الغَراميلِthe penises التيthat نَزَلَتhave lodged
ويا عَبيدَ الغَراميلِ التي نَزَلَت
بِهمwith them منof المَجدِglory فيon الأَعلىthe highest مِنof القُلَلِthe peaks
بِهم من المَجدِ في الأَعلى مِن القُلَلِ
And O slaves of the penises that have lodged
And O slaves of love which descended
Them on the loftiest peaks of glory:
Upon them from glory at the highest peaks
لَوif كانَit were يُكرمُhonored أيرٌa penis دونَapart from صاحِبهِits owner
لَو كانَ يُكرمُ أيرٌ دونَ صاحِبهِ
لَماthen would not تَخرَّطتُمyou clothed yourselves فيin الوَشيbrocade والحلَلِand fine robes
لَما تَخرَّطتُم في الوَشي والحلَلِ
If a penis were honored apart from its owner,
If an eagle did not honor its fellow
You would not have slipped into brocade and fine robes.
You would not have tattered yourselves in rags and patches
Sol 6.1