وَميضُa gleam ثَغرa mouth يَفترُّparts in a smile بالثَغرِat the frontier
وَميضُ ثَغر يَفترُّ بالثَغرِ
أَسفرshone فيin رامَةRāma عَلىupon السَفَرِthe travelers
أَسفر في رامَة عَلى السَفَرِ
A gleam from a mouth smiling at the frontier
The glow of his smile parts his lips
Shone in Rāma upon the travelers.
Radiant at dawn for the journey ahead
فاِستَيقِظواso they awoke وَالنُجومُand the stars ماwhat عَهِدواthey had known
فاِستَيقِظوا وَالنُجومُ ما عَهِدوا
فيin الشَرقِthe east وَاللَيلand the night أَبيضwhite الأُزرِthe robes
في الشَرقِ وَاللَيل أَبيض الأُزرِ
So they awoke, while the stars were as they had known them
Awaken, though stars you’ve not known
In the east, and the night was white-robed.
In the east, the night in white robes
قُلتُI said سَناradiance البَدرِthe full moon كَيso that أُغالِطَهُمI might mislead them
قُلتُ سَنا البَدرِ كَي أُغالِطَهُم
وَلَيسَand is not منfrom ثَمّthere مَطلعُthe rising-place البَدرِthe full moon
وَلَيسَ من ثَمّ مَطلعُ البَدرِ
I said, “The full moon’s radiance,” to mislead them,
I said, we have rivaled the full moon
Yet the full moon does not rise from there.
Yet no moon did rise in that sky
أُغمِضI close العَينَthe eye حينَwhen لاحَhe appeared وَماand not
أُغمِض العَينَ حينَ لاحَ وَما
ذَلِكَthat إِلّاexcept لِخَوفfor fear of مَنthe one whom تَدريyou know
ذَلِكَ إِلّا لِخَوف مَن تَدري
I close my eye when he appears, and
I shut my eyes when it shined
That is only for fear of the one you know.
Only for fear of who might see
وَأَرفَعُand I raise الصَوتَthe voice بِالحَديثin conversation عَسىin hopes that
وَأَرفَعُ الصَوتَ بِالحَديث عَسى
يَخفىmay be concealed وَجيبُpounding الفُؤادِthe heart فيin الصَدرِthe breast
يَخفى وَجيبُ الفُؤادِ في الصَدرِ
And I raise my voice in conversation, hoping
And I make my voice loud in talk
The pounding of my heart within my breast will go unheard.
So my heart’s secret stays hid in my chest
كَيفَhow بِأخوالهwith his maternal uncles الصُدورthe chieftains وَهُمand they
كَيفَ بِأخواله الصُدور وَهُم
يَرونَthey see فيin القَتلِkilling أَعظمَthe greatest الذِكرِrenown
يَرونَ في القَتلِ أَعظمَ الذِكرِ
What of his maternal uncles, the chieftains, when they
How can their hearts allow this
See in killing the greatest renown?
When they see killing as greatest honor
وَحَلَّلواand they deemed lawful زينَةًbeauty وَعِندَهُمُand in their view
وَحَلَّلوا زينَةً وَعِندَهُمُ
مُحَرَّمforbidden الخَمرِwine شِدَةِintensity of السُكرintoxication
مُحَرَّم الخَمرِ شِدَةِ السُكر
And they have deemed beauty lawful, though in their view
And they permit what is forbidden
Wine is forbidden for its intense intoxication.
Wine’s intensity, to cloud the mind
أَنتَyou عَلىof أَنthat أَعيشَI may live مُقتَدِراًcapable
أَنتَ عَلى أَن أَعيشَ مُقتَدِراً
ياO قاتِليmy killer لَوif رَعَيتَyou considered فيregarding الأَجرِthe reward
يا قاتِلي لَو رَعَيتَ في الأَجرِ
You have the power to let me live,
You’d have me live oppressed
O my killer, if you would consider the reward.
My killer, if you sought reward
Sol 6.1