لقدindeed طالَhas been long سعياًstriving للصَباfor youthful passion بالرسائلِthrough letters
لقد طالَ سعياً للصَبا بالرسائلِ
ولمand has not يأنarrived منsince عهدthe days of الصِباyouth عهدُthe time آمِلِof one who hopes
ولم يأن من عهد الصِبا عهدُ آمِلِ
The quest for youthful passion through letters has indeed been long;
He has long sought the youth through messages,
Nor, since the days of youth, has a hopeful one's time arrived.
Yet the era of childhood affection has not arrived hopefully,
ليالٍnights بهاduring them باتَspent the night الحبيبُthe beloved مُجالسيmy companion
ليالٍ بها باتَ الحبيبُ مُجالسي
وطيرand birds التهانيof rejoicing صادحٌsinging فيin المنازلِthe dwellings
وطير التهاني صادحٌ في المنازلِ
Nights when the beloved kept me company,
Nights in which the beloved stayed conversing with me,
And birds of rejoicing sang in the dwellings;
And the birds of joy were clamoring in the dwellings,
وسرّand the secret الدجىof night's darkness مرخىًdraped علىacross الأفقِthe horizon حالكpitch-black
وسرّ الدجى مرخىً على الأفقِ حالك
وترديدُand the repeating ألحانٍof melodies وصوتand the sound عنادلِof nightingales
وترديدُ ألحانٍ وصوت عنادلِ
And night's secret, pitch-black, lay draped across the horizon,
The secret of nightfall sprawling on the horizon somberly
And melodies echoed, with the sound of nightingales.
And the echo of melodies and voice of swallows,
وطافand he went round يديرُpasses around الكأسَthe cup طوراًat times وينثنيand he bends
وطاف يديرُ الكأسَ طوراً وينثني
رَشَاa gazelle ماnot لهhe has فيin حُسْنِهhis beauty منany مُماثِلِequal
رَشَا ما له في حُسْنِه من مُماثِلِ
And he went round, passing the cup at times and bending—
He went around pouring the wine intermittently
A gazelle with no equal in his beauty.
Sprinkling what he has of beauty that has no equal,
فأبصرتُand so I saw فجراًa dawn منfrom ثناياهhis front teeth طالِعاًrising
فأبصرتُ فجراً من ثناياه طالِعاً
وشمْسَينand two suns منfrom راعa shepherd ووجهand the face مناولof a cupbearer
وشمْسَين من راع ووجه مناول
Then I saw a dawn rising from his front teeth,
So I saw a dawn rising from his sides,
And two suns—from a shepherd and a cupbearer's face.
And two suns from a shepherd and a serving face,
وأعطافهand his flanks ماwhat is سَمْهَريّa hard, straight spear مُنازِلٍof a duelist
وأعطافه ما سَمْهَريّ مُنازِلٍ
وألحاظهand his glances ماwhat is هندوانيُّan Indian-made sword باسِلِof a brave warrior
وألحاظه ما هندوانيُّ باسِلِ
And his flanks—what is a duelist's straight spear beside them?
And his cheeks are like a fawn's grazing place,
And his glances—what is a brave warrior's Indian blade beside them?
And his glances are like Indian basil,
كأنَّas though عذاراًcheek-down منهof his جاوزextended beyond خدَّهhis cheek
كأنَّ عذاراً منه جاوز خدَّه
غبوقan evening draught ورودٍof roses فيin الضحىthe forenoon والأصائلand late afternoons
غبوق ورودٍ في الضحى والأصائل
As though his cheek-down, extending beyond his cheek,
As if fresh pure rose in the morning and evening,
Were an evening draught of roses at forenoon and late afternoon.
Passed over his cheek youthfully,
وباتَand spent the night علىon نحْرthe breast الربابof the rabab instrument وثيرهاits soft part
وباتَ على نحْر الرباب وثيرها
يحكّrubs جلابيبَthe robes التهانيof rejoicing لرافلِfor one trailing his garments
يحكّ جلابيبَ التهاني لرافلِ
And on the rabab's breast its soft part lay all night,
And he spent the night on the neck of the lute and its strings,
Rubbing the robes of rejoicing for one who trails his garments.
Relating the garment of joy to the composer,
وتستنطقand make speak العيدانthe lutes طوْراًat times أناملٌfingertips
وتستنطق العيدان طوْراً أناملٌ
كأفلاذِعاجٍlike fragments of ivory منsome خضيبٍhenna-dyed وناِصلِand with dye worn off
كأفلاذِعاجٍ من خضيبٍ وناِصلِ
And at times, fingertips made the lutes speak,
And the fingers evoke intermittently,
Like fragments of ivory, some henna-dyed and some with their dye worn off.
Like the young offspring of a meadow and sprouts
Sol 6.1