رشأٌa young gazelle رشفتI sipped رضابهhis saliva أوor ثعلبa fox
رشأٌ رشفت رضابه أو ثعلب
ماnot للمحبِّfor the lover إلىto رضاهhis favor بلوغattainment
ما للمحبِّ إلى رضاه بلوغ
A young gazelle whose saliva I sipped—or a fox?
Whether it's a young gazelle or a fox,
The lover has no way to reach his favor.
The lover has no path to satisfaction.
حلوsweet اللمىthe lips’ dusky tint متمنّعcoy يعطيكhe gives you منfrom
حلو اللمى متمنّع يعطيك من
طرفِthe tip of اللسانِthe tongue حلاوةًsweetness ويروغand slips away
طرفِ اللسانِ حلاوةً ويروغ
Sweet are his dusky lips; coy, he gives you from
The charming beloved plays hard to get, giving you
the tip of his tongue, sweetness—and slips away.
Sweetness from the tip of his tongue, then slips away.
لاnot مثلlike أقلامpens بيمنىin a right hand سعدهاtheir good fortune
لا مثل أقلام بيمنى سعدها
لفظاًin wording وفضلاًand in bounty كلهنَّall of them بليغeloquent
لفظاً وفضلاً كلهنَّ بليغ
Not so the pens whose fortune lies in a right hand:
None can match the pens of Sa'd in their grace,
in wording and bounty, each is eloquent.
Eloquence and excellence, all sublime.
لسطورهاfor their lines صبغa dye يردّrestores شبيبةyouth
لسطورها صبغ يردّ شبيبة
منَّاamong us وللنعمىand for the blessings لديهwith him سبوغabundance
منَّا وللنعمى لديه سبوغ
Their lines have a dye that restores youth
Their lines imbue youthful vigor in us
among us; with him, blessings abound.
While for them virtue itself gushes forth.
نبغتhave excelled فضائلهhis virtues وجدوىand the bounty of كفّهhis hand
نبغت فضائله وجدوى كفّه
ناهيكenough for you نابغةgenius لهhis ونبوغand brilliance
ناهيك نابغة له ونبوغ
His virtues and the bounty of his hand have excelled;
His merits and helpfulness stand out,
his genius and brilliance suffice you.
Not to mention his own talent and brilliance.
فليهنهso may it gladden him العيدthe feast السعيدjoyous لمثلهfor one like him
فليهنه العيد السعيد لمثله
مِدَحpraises تساغare made palatable لواردٍfor one who comes to drink وتسوغand go down easily
مِدَح تساغ لواردٍ وتسوغ
So may the joyous feast gladden him; for one like him
So let this joyous feast do justice to one like him,
praises are made palatable to one who comes to drink, and go down easily.
With praise pleasing for host and guests alike.
منfrom جودهِhis generosity ذهبٌgold ومنand from ألفاظهhis words
من جودهِ ذهبٌ ومن ألفاظه
دُرَرٌpearls تباحare made freely available لناto us ونحنand we نصوغwe fashion
دُرَرٌ تباح لنا ونحن نصوغ
From his generosity comes gold, and from his words
From his generosity, gold; from his words,
pearls, freely offered to us—and we fashion them.
Glistening pearls for us to string and polish.
Sol 6.1