وَأَهيَفَand a slender-waisted youth زادَincreased الوَعكُfever سكرةَthe drunkenness of طَرفِهhis gaze
وَأَهيَفَ زادَ الوَعكُ سكرةَ طَرفِه
فَياso, O رَبِّmy Lord أَمرِضنيmake me ill بِماwith whatever شِئتYou will واشفِهِand heal him
فَيا رَبِّ أَمرِضني بِما شِئت واشفِهِ
And a slender youth—the fever deepened his gaze’s drunkenness.
His intoxicated eyes increased my love-sick heartache,
So, my Lord, make me ill however You will, and heal him.
So my Lord, make me sick with what You will and cure him.
غَزالٌa gazelle غَريرٌguileless غَرَّنيbeguiled me فَرطُthe excess of حُسنِهِhis beauty
غَزالٌ غَريرٌ غَرَّني فَرطُ حُسنِهِ
واطمعنيand made me hope فيfor عَطفِهِhis affection لينُthe suppleness of عِطفهhis flank
واطمعني في عَطفِهِ لينُ عِطفه
An innocent gazelle: his surpassing beauty beguiled me,
A tender, deer-like gazelle, his great beauty made me love-sick,
And his flank’s suppleness made me hope for his affection.
And his gentle charm made me hope for his affection.
وَحَمَّلَنيand made me bear مِنout of حُبِّهِlove for him لُطفthe delicacy of خَصرِهِhis waist
وَحَمَّلَني مِن حُبِّهِ لُطف خَصرِهِ
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تثنّىhe bent مائِساًswaying gracefully ثقلُthe weight of رَدفِهِhis haunches
إِذا ما تثنّى مائِساً ثقلُ رَدفِهِ
And his waist’s delicacy made me bear, out of love for him,
He burdened me with his love and the slenderness of his waist,
Whenever he bent, swaying gracefully, the weight of his haunches.
When he bent sideways, the weight of his hips burdened him.
وَأَعجَبُand I marvel مِنat عِشقِthe love of القُلوبِhearts لِطَرفِهِfor his gaze
وَأَعجَبُ مِن عِشقِ القُلوبِ لِطَرفِهِ
وَماand not زالَceased يَرميshoots كُلَّevery قَلبٍheart بِحَتفِهِwith its doom
وَما زالَ يَرمي كُلَّ قَلبٍ بِحَتفِهِ
And I marvel at hearts’ love for his gaze,
And I wonder more at the hearts' love for his glance,
Though it never ceases to strike each heart with its doom.
He kept shooting arrows at every heart with his eyelashes.
يُعَنِّفنيrebukes me فيfor الحُزنِgrief عِندَat مَغيبِهِhis absence
يُعَنِّفني في الحُزنِ عِندَ مَغيبِهِ
سَليمُunscathed الحَشاat heart ماnot ذاقَhas tasted فِرقةَseparation from الفهِhis beloved
سَليمُ الحَشا ما ذاقَ فِرقةَ الفهِ
I am rebuked for grief at his absence
He blames me for sadness when he is absent,
By one unscathed at heart, who has never tasted parting from his beloved.
Safe and sound never tasted the separation.
وَلَمّاand when بَداhe appeared بَدراًas a full moon أَمِنتُI felt safe from مَحاقَهُhis waning
وَلَمّا بَدا بَدراً أَمِنتُ مَحاقَهُ
وَلَكِنَّand yet ليI have وَجداًanguish عَلَيهِfor him لكسفِهbecause of his eclipse
وَلَكِنَّ لي وَجداً عَلَيهِ لكسفِه
And when he appeared as a full moon, I feared no waning for him,
When the full moon appeared, I felt reassured of its eclipse,
Yet I grieve for him over his eclipse.
But I do grieve for its disappearance and waning.
وَلَيلَةَand one night بِتناwe spent the night نَرشُفُsipping الراحwine عَلَّهاperhaps it
وَلَيلَةَ بِتنا نَرشُفُ الراح عَلَّها
تُعلِّلُoffers distraction عَنfrom فيهِhis mouth وَعَنand from طيبthe sweetness of رَشفهsipping from it
تُعلِّلُ عَن فيهِ وَعَن طيب رَشفه
And one night we spent sipping wine, hoping it
We spent a night drinking wine till dawn,
Might distract us from his mouth and the sweetness of sipping from it.
Speaking of nothing but his mouth and sweet sipping.
يَطوفُcirculates بِهاwith it الساقيthe cupbearer فَيرتاحُso he eagerly inclines نَحوَهاtoward it
يَطوفُ بِها الساقي فَيرتاحُ نَحوَها
وَيَمنَعهand prevents him مِنfrom شُربِهاdrinking it فَرطُthe extremity of ضَعفِهِhis weakness
وَيَمنَعه مِن شُربِها فَرطُ ضَعفِهِ
The cupbearer carries it round, and he eagerly turns toward it,
The cup-bearer circles around it, inclining towards it,
Yet his extreme weakness keeps him from drinking it.
Yet his weakness prevents him from drinking it.
يَخافُhe fears حُميّاهاits intoxicating heat وَلَمand did not يُملِfill كَأَسَهاits cup
يَخافُ حُميّاها وَلَم يُملِ كَأَسَها
وَيأمَنand he feels safe مِنهاfrom it مِلءa full measure in فيهِhis mouth وَطَرفِهِand his gaze
وَيأمَن مِنها مِلء فيهِ وَطَرفِهِ
He fears its fiery strength, though he has not filled its cup,
He fears its heat but cannot get enough of its cup,
Yet has no fear of it filling his mouth and gaze.
Trusting not its fullness or his mouth and glance.
أُغالِطُI deceive myself عَنaway from وَردِroses بخدَّيهِon his cheeks ناضِرfresh
أُغالِطُ عَن وَردِ بخدَّيهِ ناضِر
وَأُكثِرand I do much مِنof تَقبيلkissing وَردa rose بكفّهin his palm
وَأُكثِر مِن تَقبيل وَرد بكفّه
I distract myself from the fresh roses on his cheeks,
I pretend not to notice the blossoming roses on his cheeks,
And lavish kisses on a rose in his palm.
And I often kiss the rose in his palm.
فَلَيتَso, if only حِماميmy death كانَhad عاجَلَforestalled وردَهhis fever’s attack
فَلَيتَ حِمامي كانَ عاجَلَ وردَه
وَلَمand not تَعجَلِhasten الحُمّىthe fever عليهupon him بقطفِهby plucking him
وَلَم تَعجَلِ الحُمّى عليه بقطفِه
If only my death had forestalled his fever’s attack,
I wish my dove had quickly arrived with its message,
And fever had not hastened upon him to pluck him.
And the fever had not hastily plucked it with its fingers.
أَلَمَّتit visited بأَوطانupon the homelands of الجَمالِbeauty فَأَصبَحَتand so it began
أَلَمَّت بأَوطان الجَمالِ فَأَصبَحَت
تُغَيِّرُchanges مَعنىthe meaning of الحُسنِbeauty إِنif لَمnot تُعَفّهefface it
تُغَيِّرُ مَعنى الحُسنِ إِن لَم تُعَفّه
It descended upon beauty’s homelands, and began
It touched the abodes of beauty, so they became
To change the meaning of beauty, if not erase it.
Changing the meaning of beauty if they are not gentle.
Sol 6.1