بسيفwith the sword of اجفانهhis eyelids تقلّدhe girded himself
بسيف اجفانه تقلّد
فاحذرso beware منof الصارمthe keen sword المهندthe Indian-forged
فاحذر من الصارم المهند
He girded himself with the sword of his eyelids;
With the sword of his eyelashes he is armed
so beware the keen, Indian-forged blade.
So beware of that sharp, polished blade
وهزand he brandished للطعنfor thrusting سمهرياًa slender, rigid spear
وهز للطعن سمهرياً
سمرtawny القناspear-shafts دونهbefore it تقصدbreak apart
سمر القنا دونه تقصد
And he brandished a slender spear to thrust,
And he brandishes, ready to stab
before which tawny spear-shafts break apart.
A spear-like glance, nothing can evade
قدhas ضرجstained الحسنbeauty منهof his خدّاًa cheek
قد ضرج الحسن منه خدّاً
منfrom دمthe blood of عشاقهhis lovers توردgrew rose-red
من دم عشاقه تورد
Beauty has stained a cheek of his;
His beauty has reddened many a cheek
it turned rose-red with his lovers' blood.
With the blood of lovers that fiercely flowed
فمنso, of اقاحdaisies ومنand of شقيقanemones
فمن اقاح ومن شقيق
ونرجسand a narcissus ناعسdrowsy مسهدkept sleepless
ونرجس ناعس مسهد
So, of daisies and of anemones,
Both rose and anemone grace his cheeks
and a drowsy, sleepless narcissus.
And a drowsy narcissus there abode
لهhe has قوامa figure إذاwhen تثنىit sways
له قوام إذا تثنى
رأيتهyou see it فيin الجمالbeauty مفردpeerless
رأيته في الجمال مفرد
His is a figure that, when it sways,
When he sways his figure is slender
you see as peerless in beauty.
In beauty peerless, nothing compared
جمعhe gathered شمالthe entirety of الجمالbeauty لكنbut
جمع شمال الجمال لكن
لشملthe unity of صبرthe patience of المحبthe lover بددhe scattered
لشمل صبر المحب بدد
He gathered all beauty together, but
Though perfection itself he does render
scattered the unity of the lover's patience.
Patience remains, lovers ensnared
دمعيmy tears طليقunfettered وذاكand that قلبيmy heart
دمعي طليق وذاك قلبي
عانa captive بأسرin the captivity of الهوىlove مقيدfettered
عان بأسر الهوى مقيد
My tears are free, while that heart of mine
My tears flow free and so does my heart
is a captive, fettered in love's prison.
To passion's bonds it is shackled, confined
انظرlook إلىat الخدthe cheek وهوand it is نضرfresh and radiant
انظر إلى الخد وهو نضر
تجدyou will find رياضاًgardens بذلكupon that الخدcheek
تجد رياضاً بذلك الخد
Look at the cheek, fresh and radiant;
Behold his radiant cheek, a meadow in its part
you will find gardens upon that cheek.
Gardens therein, for that cheek defined
بداhe appeared فبدرand the full moon of الدجىnight's darkness تجلىshone forth
بدا فبدر الدجى تجلى
مشىhe walked فبانand the bān tree of الحمىthe sanctuary تأودswayed
مشى فبان الحمى تأود
He appeared, and the full moon of night shone forth;
The moon arose, in night's veil arrayed
he walked, and the bān tree of the sanctuary swayed.
He walked, desire itself betrayed
دموعthe tears of عينيmy eye لهاthey have انسجامa free flow
دموع عيني لها انسجام
حينwhen ترىit sees حسنهhis beauty وتشهدand witnesses
حين ترى حسنه وتشهد
The tears of my eye stream freely
My tears, with his beauty, do harmonize
when it sees his beauty and beholds it.
When his grace and charms I surveyed
يبسمhe smiles عنrevealing اشنبa cool, sweet mouth شتيتwith spaced teeth
يبسم عن اشنب شتيت
رضابهhis saliva شهدةhoney from the comb وصرخدand Ṣarkhad wine
رضابه شهدة وصرخد
He smiles, revealing a cool, sweet mouth with spaced teeth;
His lips part with a tempting smile
his saliva is honey from the comb and Ṣarkhad wine.
Sweet as grapes and juicy fruit combined
ياoh خجلةthe shame of الريمthe gazelle حينwhen يرنوhe gazes
يا خجلة الريم حين يرنو
بأحورwith a dark-pupilled eye ناعسdrowsy واجيدand graceful of neck
بأحور ناعس واجيد
Oh, the gazelle's shame when he gazes
Bashful, lovable, his glance beguiles
with a dark, drowsy eye and a graceful long neck!
The sleepy deer, completely blind
فالبدرfor the full moon والبانةand the bān tree استعاراboth borrowed
فالبدر والبانة استعارا
سناthe radiance of المحياthe face وهزةand the sway of القدthe figure
سنا المحيا وهزة القد
For the full moon and the bān tree borrowed
The full moon and crescent for features
the radiance of his face and the sway of his figure.
His cheeks and charming nose provide
ثغرa mouth كانas though الاقاحdaisies فيهin it
ثغر كان الاقاح فيه
يفترّopens in a smile واللؤلؤand pearls المنضدarranged in rows
يفترّ واللؤلؤ المنضد
A mouth where daisies seem
Lips where pearls were placed at nature's behest
to smile, along with pearls arranged in rows.
Parted with pearls inside espied
فيwithin ذلكthat الثغرmouth كنزa treasure of درّpearls
في ذلك الثغر كنز درّ
بعقربby the scorpion of الصدغthe temple-lock باتremained through the night يرصدbeing watched
بعقرب الصدغ بات يرصد
Within that mouth is a treasure of pearls,
Treasures and gems behind those lips hide
watched through the night by the scorpion of his temple-lock.
Waiting to be taken from pearl-lined coast
سدّدhe aimed عنfrom قوسthe bow of حاجبيهhis two eyebrows
سدّد عن قوس حاجبيه
سهماًan arrow رمانيhe shot me بهwith it فاقصدand killed me outright
سهماً رماني به فاقصد
From the bow of his eyebrows he aimed
Draw your bow with his eyebrows to guide
an arrow; he struck me with it and killed me outright.
Aim your arrow and his cheek accost
مسدّدunerring الرميin shooting افتديهI would ransom him
مسدّد الرمي افتديه
بمهجتيwith my lifeblood رامياًas an archer مسدّدunerring
بمهجتي رامياً مسدّد
Unerring in his shots, I would ransom him
Ransom me, your willing captive made
with my lifeblood—an unerring archer.
A marksman's arrow send with perfect aim
لمdid not ارI see قبلbefore اللحاظthe glances سيفاًa sword
لم ار قبل اللحاظ سيفاً
يقتلkills منwhomever شاءit wills وهوwhile it is مغمدsheathed
يقتل من شاء وهو مغمد
Before his glances, I had never seen a sword
No sword have I seen that while sheathed
that kills whomever it wills while still sheathed.
Could kill whoever it wished to maim
ولائمand a reproacher قدhad عداهpassed him by وجديmy passion
ولائم قد عداه وجدي
فلاso he reproached… منى…me فيfor الهوىlove وفندand called me foolish
فلا منى في الهوى وفند
And a reproacher, untouched by my passion,
My love is lost, though I tried and sought
rebuked me for love and called me foolish.
No joy in passion could I find
بتI spent the night شجياًgrief-stricken وباتand he spent the night خلواًfree
بت شجياً وبات خلواً
منof لوعةthe anguish of الهائمthe love-crazed wanderer المسهدthe sleepless
من لوعة الهائم المسهد
I passed the night grieving; he passed it free
I've become desolate, distraught
of the anguish of the sleepless, love-crazed wanderer.
From a perplexed lover's troubled mind
يقولhe says انthat الهوىlove هوانhumiliation
يقول ان الهوى هوان
طوراat one time بعادestrangement وتارةand at another صدrejection
طورا بعاد وتارة صد
He says that love is humiliation:
He says that love is disgrace
at one time estrangement, at another rejection.
At times distant, then feelings reprise
قلتI said عذابthe torment of الغرامpassionate love عذبsweet
قلت عذاب الغرام عذب
وذوand the possessor of الهوىlove بالغرامthrough passionate love يسعدfinds happiness
وذو الهوى بالغرام يسعد
I said: Love's torment is sweet,
I said love's torment has its grace
and the lover finds happiness in passion.
For lovers, in passion find delight
دعleave المعنىthe tormented lover وماand what يقاسيhe suffers
دع المعنى وما يقاسي
كمhow great بينbetween سالone no longer in love وبينand between مكمدone sick with grief
كم بين سال وبين مكمد
Leave the tormented lover with what he suffers;
Leave such meaning, cease thinking of cost
how far apart are the carefree and the grief-stricken!
What is between flood and dried river bed
ذقtaste لذةthe delight of الحبlove والتصابيand youthful dalliance
ذق لذة الحب والتصابي
لتعذرso you may excuse المغرمthe impassioned lover المفندaccused of folly
لتعذر المغرم المفند
Taste the delight of love and youthful dalliance,
Taste love and affection's accost
so you may excuse the lover accused of folly.
Compared to which all is dull and dead
قلبيmy heart عندamong الحسانthe beauties اضحىhas become
قلبي عند الحسان اضحى
رهنhostage to هوىlove for غادةa graceful maiden واغيدand a supple youth
رهن هوى غادة واغيد
Among the beauties, my heart has become
My heart by his love enslaved
hostage to love for a graceful maiden and a supple youth.
To passion belonging to lover and coquette
أوقدتkindled النارthe fire وجنتاهاher two cheeks
أوقدت النار وجنتاها
لكنهاbut it فيin الحشاthe innermost heart توقدburns
لكنها في الحشا توقد
Her cheeks kindled the fire,
With his cheeks, the fires he braved
yet it burns within my breast.
Though hidden, they in embers beset
وشاحهاher sash جائلmoving loosely بخصرaround a waist
وشاحها جائل بخصر
واهfrail دقيقslender يكادalmost ينقدsnaps
واه دقيق يكاد ينقد
Her sash moves loosely about a waist
His wrapping clings to his waist
so frail and slender it nearly snaps.
Oh how slim, it could easily tear
كمhow many ليلةa night بتI spent the night فيin دجاهاits darkness
كم ليلة بت في دجاها
والنومand sleep عنaway from مقلتيmy eye مشردdriven away
والنوم عن مقلتي مشرد
How many a night I have spent in its darkness,
Many a night in darkness I faced
with sleep driven away from my eye!
While sleep from my eyelids would veer
كأنماas though الجفنthe eyelid وهوwhile it يأبىrefuses
كأنما الجفن وهو يأبى
غمضاًclosing بنجمto a star of السماءthe sky يعقدis bound
غمضاً بنجم السماء يعقد
As though my eyelid, refusing
My eyes refused slumber's embrace
to close, were bound to a star in the sky.
As if the stars themselves would deter
كأنماas though الصبحthe dawn إذwhen جفانيit shunned me
كأنما الصبح إذ جفاني
خافit feared عتابيmy reproach لهdirected at it فابعدso it withdrew far away
خاف عتابي له فابعد
As though the dawn, when it shunned me,
As dawn arrived and departed apace
feared my reproach and kept far away.
It feared my reproach so fled far
ياO نفحةa breath of الشيحwormwood منfrom زرودZarūd
يا نفحة الشيح من زرود
تحملit carries نشرthe scent of العبيرperfume والندand aromatic incense
تحمل نشر العبير والند
O breath of wormwood from Zarūd,
Oh breeze from the loved one, a trace
carrying the scent of perfume and aromatic incense,
Bearing fragrance and dew, confer
عرفتI recognized عرفthe fragrance of الحبيبthe beloved منهاfrom it
عرفت عرف الحبيب منها
والركبand the caravan دونthis side of الغويرal-Ghuwayr هجدslept
والركب دون الغوير هجد
from it I recognized the beloved's fragrance,
I recognized the scent of my dear
while the caravan slept this side of al-Ghuwayr.
While others just emptiness heard
فحدثينيso tell me حديثa tale of شوقlonging
فحدثيني حديث شوق
إلىto الحمىthe sanctuary والعقيقand al-ʿAqīq يسندis traced
إلى الحمى والعقيق يسند
So tell me a tale of longing
Speak to me of yearning and wish
traced to the sanctuary and al-ʿAqīq.
For the fever and ruby beads gird
طابgrew sweet شذاهاits fragrance كأنas though فيهاin it
طاب شذاها كأن فيها
ذكرthe mention of مليكthe sovereign of العلىlofty glory المؤبدeverlasting
ذكر مليك العلى المؤبد
Its fragrance grew sweet, as though it held
Their fragrance is blessed, as if
the mention of glory's everlasting sovereign.
The eternal King's name they referred
Sol 6.1