أضاءَshone ثغرُthe smiling mouth of سليمىSulayma ليلةَon the night of العلمِal-ʿAlam
أضاءَ ثغرُ سليمى ليلةَ العلمِ
تنسُّمَthe breathing of الصبحdawn فيin داجٍdeep gloom منof الظلمِdarkness
تنسُّمَ الصبح في داجٍ من الظلمِ
Sulayma’s smiling mouth shone on the night at al-ʿAlam,
The beauty of Selma's smile illuminated the night of knowledge
like dawn breathing through deep darkness.
The dawn breathed in a darkness made of shadows
وحدثتنيand she spoke to me بجفنيهاwith her eyelids محاذرةًwarily
وحدثتني بجفنيها محاذرةً
ماnot ليfor me يدٌpower بهماagainst them both منnamely مقلةٍan eye وفمِand a mouth
ما لي يدٌ بهما من مقلةٍ وفمِ
And she spoke to me with her eyelids, warily;
And her eyelids conversed with me cautiously
I am helpless before those two—her eye and mouth.
I have no control over them or their glance and mouth
لاno جاهليةَpaganism فيin الإسلامIslam نعرفهاwe know it
لا جاهليةَ في الإسلام نعرفها
والعينُand the eye عاكفةٌdevoted منهُwithin it علىto صنمِan idol
والعينُ عاكفةٌ منهُ على صنمِ
We know no paganism within Islam,
There is no ignorance in Islam that we know
yet within it the eye remains devoted to an idol.
And the eye is busy worshipping from it an idol
وعيرتنيand she taunted me مشيبيmy gray hair وهيwhile she ضاحكةٌwas laughing
وعيرتني مشيبي وهي ضاحكةٌ
ضحكَthe laughter of الشبابِyouth وماand there is no بالعهدin the interval منany قدمِlong duration
ضحكَ الشبابِ وما بالعهد من قدمِ
She taunted me for my gray hair, laughing
And she mocked my grey hair while she laughs
with youth’s laughter, though those days are not long past.
The laughter of youth, though the era knows no antiquity
نارthe fire of الهمومcares تبزُّrobs الشعرthe hair صبغتهُits color
نار الهموم تبزُّ الشعر صبغتهُ
هذاthis الرَّمادُash بقاياthe remnants of ذلكthat الفحمِcharcoal
هذا الرَّمادُ بقايا ذلك الفحمِ
The fire of cares strips the hair of its color;
The fire of worries dyes the hair its color
this ash is what remains of that charcoal.
This ash is the remnants of that coal
منwhoever يصحبِkeeps company with الدهرtime ينكرfinds unfamiliar لونthe color of لمَّتهُhis locks
من يصحبِ الدهر ينكر لون لمَّتهُ
وهكذاand thus تفعلact الأيَّامthe days باللّممِupon locks
وهكذا تفعل الأيَّام باللّممِ
Whoever keeps company with time finds his locks’ color strange;
Whoever accompanies time will find its color changed
such is what the days do to locks.
And so do days treat hopes
والشيبُand gray hair حليthe adornment of النهىintellect لوif كنتyou were عالمةًaware
والشيبُ حلي النهى لو كنت عالمةً
طرفٌa noble man بلاwithout شيبةٍa gray hair ثوبٌa robe بلاwithout علمِan embroidered stripe
طرفٌ بلا شيبةٍ ثوبٌ بلا علمِ
Gray hair is wisdom’s adornment, if you but knew;
While grey hair is the ornament of maturity, if you were wise
a noble man without gray hair is a robe without an embroidered stripe.
An eyelash without grey hair is a dress without knowledge
كمhow much أكظمُI suppress الوجدpassionate longing لاno سعدىSuʿda بكاظمةٍat Kazima
كم أكظمُ الوجد لا سعدى بكاظمةٍ
معwith الشبابyouth ولاnor سلمىSalma بذيat Dhu سلمِSalam
مع الشباب ولا سلمى بذي سلمِ
How much longing I stifle! No Suʿda at Kazima
How much passion I swallow without a consoler
with youth, nor Salma at Dhu Salam.
With the youth or Selma of peace
خذtake ماwhat ابثكI confide to you عنabout أيامناour days بهماin them both
خذ ما ابثك عن أيامنا بهما
فليسfor he is not عنديin my eyes علىwith regard to سرٍa secret بمتّهَمِunder suspicion
فليس عندي على سرٍ بمتّهَمِ
Take what I confide to you about our days in those two places;
Take what I have confessed about our days in both of them
for I do not mistrust him with a secret.
For I have no secret to someone accusatory
لمdid not تحظَbe favored عينيmy eye بهاwith her والطَّيفُand the phantom يشهدbears witness فيin
لم تحظَ عيني بها والطَّيفُ يشهد في
عزلthe isolation of السهادsleeplessness ولاnor فيin دولةthe reign of الحلمِdreaming
عزل السهاد ولا في دولة الحلمِ
My eye has never enjoyed her—her phantom bears witness—in
My eyes never saw her, though my phantom bears witness
the solitude of sleeplessness, nor in the reign of dreams.
In the isolation of bliss or in the state of the dream
ولستand I do not أشكوcomplain سوىexcept سلسالthe clear stream of ريقتهاher saliva
ولست أشكو سوى سلسال ريقتها
فإنَّfor indeed نارthe fire of الجوىpassionate anguish فيin مائهاher water الشَّيمِunclear as written; perhaps 'cold'
فإنَّ نار الجوى في مائها الشَّيمِ
I complain of nothing but the clear stream of her saliva,
And I complain of nothing but the chain of her saliva
for longing’s fire lies in her [cold?] water.
For the fire of love is in its water a disgrace
وأزمةand a famine فيin الهوىlove جادwas generous الخيالthe phantom بهاduring it
وأزمة في الهوى جاد الخيال بها
وهناًlate at night فكانso was الغنىwealth فيهاin it أخاthe brother of العدمِdestitution
وهناً فكان الغنى فيها أخا العدمِ
And amid love’s famine, the phantom was generous
And there was crisis in love, the imagination brought it
late at night—there, wealth was brother to want.
And so was destitution in it the brother of nonexistence
ضيفٌa guest ألمَّpaid a visit ونحرand the slaughter of الدمعtears بغيتهُhis desire
ضيفٌ ألمَّ ونحر الدمع بغيتهُ
وبغيةand the desire of الضَّيفthe guest نحرthe slaughter of الشاءsheep والغنمِand sheep and goats
وبغية الضَّيف نحر الشاء والغنمِ
A guest who came, seeking the slaughter of tears,
A guest came in pain and shed tears in his love
while a guest seeks the slaughter of sheep and goats.
And the love of a guest is the sacrifice of sheep and cattle
يسعىhe hastens لشمسينtoward two suns منnamely وجهٍa face وضوءand the radiance of طلاًwine
يسعى لشمسين من وجهٍ وضوء طلاً
خلالamid صبحينtwo dawns منnamely كأسٍa cup ومبتسمِand a smiling mouth
خلال صبحين من كأسٍ ومبتسمِ
He hastens toward two suns: a face and wine’s radiance,
Seeking two suns from a face and ablution for deprivation
amid two dawns: a cup and a smiling mouth.
Through two dawns from a cup and smile
وحجبتهاand screened her العواليthe tall spears فهيso they are سارقةstealing
وحجبتها العوالي فهي سارقة
معانيthe qualities of الهيفslenderness الموموقcherished والهضمِand a slim waist
معاني الهيف الموموق والهضمِ
And tall spears screened her; they steal
The high places screened her, so she is a thief
the essence of cherished slenderness and a slim waist.
Of the meanings of the compatible and digestible carpet
كمhow many ريعwas startled سربٍa herd فلمyet did not آمنI feel safe ولاnor جزعتshe was frightened
كم ريع سربٍ فلم آمن ولا جزعت
وطالand grew long ليلٌa night فلمyet did not تسهرshe stays awake ولمand did not أنمِI sleep
وطال ليلٌ فلم تسهر ولم أنمِ
How often a herd was startled, yet I felt no safety and she no alarm.
How much a flock's pasture, but I never felt safe or panicked
And night grew long: she kept no vigil, and I did not sleep.
And a long night, but she never stayed up while I did not sleep
يبقىremain مساحبthe trailing hems of برديهاher two cloaks وماand what وطئتshe trod
يبقى مساحب برديها وما وطئت
وطالand grew long ليلٌa night فبمso for what reason? تسهرshe stays awake ولمand did not أنمِI sleep
وطال ليلٌ فبم تسهر ولم أنمِ
The trailing hems of her two cloaks remain, and the ground she trod.
What remains is the memory of her coolness that I never trod
And night grew long—so why does she keep vigil, while I have not slept?
And a long night, so what does she stay up for when I did not sleep
ولائمٍand a reproacher فيconcerning العلىlofty honors والغيدand graceful women قلتI said لهto him
ولائمٍ في العلى والغيد قلت له
لوif ذقتَyou tasted طعمthe savor of الهوىlove والمجدand glory لمnot تلمِyou reproach
لو ذقتَ طعم الهوى والمجد لم تلمِ
To one who blamed me over lofty aims and graceful women, I said:
Blaming in the high and low places, I told him
Had you tasted the savor of love and glory, you would not reproach me.
If you tasted the flavor of love and glory, you would not blame
ماnot صبوتيmy passion صبوةٌa passion يرجىis hoped for السلوrelease from love لهاfor it
ما صبوتي صبوةٌ يرجى السلو لها
كأنهاas though it were نشوةthe intoxication of الكنديal-Kindi بالكرمِwith generosity
كأنها نشوة الكندي بالكرمِ
My passion is not a love one may hope to forget;
My morning drink is no drink that hopes for berries
it is like al-Kindi’s intoxication with generosity.
As if it were the intoxication of wine with generosity
Sol 6.1