أقولI say إذwhen قابلنيconfronted me وجهُهُhis face
أقول إذ قابلني وجهُهُ
لاnot سُقيbe given drink الغيثُthe rain صدىa thirsty shade غدْرِtreachery
لا سُقي الغيثُ صدى غدْرِ
I say, when his face confronts me:
When his face met mine,
May no rain be granted to treachery's thirsty shade!
Not a raincloud pouring down a valley's echo,
فماfor not أُراهاI think her أوسقتburdened رِحْمَهاher womb
فما أُراها أوسقت رِحْمَها
أوشاجهhis sinews وهْيwhile she علىin طُهرِpurity
أوشاجه وهْي على طُهرِ
For I do not think she burdened her womb
I see no mercy in it, though plentifully watered,
with his sinews while she was chaste.
Or agreeable, though beautifully featured.
وجهكyour face ياO جعفرJa'far فيin قبحهits ugliness
وجهك يا جعفر في قبحه
أولىmore deserving منthan العورةthe private parts بالسترِof concealment
أولى من العورة بالسترِ
Your face, O Ja'far, in its ugliness,
Your face, Ja'far, in its ugliness
deserves concealment more than the private parts.
Is better hidden than bareness.
كأنماas though تأويtakes shelter إليهin it الدجىnight's darkness
كأنما تأوي إليه الدجى
إذاwhen هيit انفضّتhas scattered عنaway from الفجرِthe dawn
إذا هي انفضّت عن الفجرِ
It is as though night's darkness takes shelter in it
As though nightfall descends
when it scatters away from dawn.
When it emerges at dawn.
محلولكٌpitch-black أحسبI think ديباجَهits brocade
محلولكٌ أحسب ديباجَه
أسففتَهyou powdered it منfrom حُمَمsoot القِدرِthe cooking pot
أسففتَه من حُمَم القِدرِ
Pitch-black; its brocade, I think,
I thought your complexion brocade -
you powdered with soot from the cooking pot.
You've weaved it from a stewpot's grime.
كذبتُI lied بلrather وجهكyour face فيin نورهits radiance
كذبتُ بل وجهك في نوره
واقْلِبْand reverse that نظيرُthe peer القمرthe moon البدرِthe full moon
واقْلِبْ نظيرُ القمر البدرِ
I lied! Rather, your face in its radiance
I lied - your face in its light
—reverse that!—is the peer of the full moon.
Is the full moon's rival reversing.
إخالI suppose ماwhat أُوتيتَyou were given منof حسنهits beauty
إخال ما أُوتيتَ من حسنه
سألتَهyou asked for it فيon ليلةthe night القدْرِof Decree
سألتَه في ليلة القدْرِ
I suppose the beauty you were granted
The beauty you've been granted -
you asked for on the Night of Decree.
You asked for on the Night of Ordainment.
مَفْزَعa refuge إبليسَIblis إليهto it إذاwhen
مَفْزَع إبليسَ إليه إذا
رامhe sought فتونseduction العاتِقthe maiden البِكرthe virgin
رام فتون العاتِق البِكر
Iblis turns to it for refuge when
Iblis takes refuge in it when
he seeks to seduce a virgin maiden.
He aims to seduce the virgin nape.
كمhow many حُرّةٍa freeborn woman قدindeed رامhe sought إصباءَهاto entice her
كم حُرّةٍ قد رام إصباءَها
فماyet not ارعوتْshe inclined منهfrom him إلىto فكرreflection
فما ارعوتْ منه إلى فكر
How many a freeborn woman he has sought to entice,
How many free women has it tried to pervert!
yet she would not incline at his urging even to consider it.
But they gave no heed, lost in thought.
لوif لمnot يُغلْغِلهُhe insinuated it إلىinto قلبهاher heart
لو لم يُغلْغِلهُ إلى قلبها
لرامهhe would have sought it منthrough مطلبٍan approach وعْرdifficult
لرامه من مطلبٍ وعْر
Had he not insinuated it into her heart,
Had it not plunged them deep in their hearts,
he would have sought it by a difficult approach.
It would have sought more wrong and harm.
أصبحتَyou have become ملهىًa diversion ليfor me ومستهزَأًand a laughingstock
أصبحتَ ملهىً لي ومستهزَأً
ومرتعand a pasture العارمthe unruly منof شعريmy poetry
ومرتع العارم من شعري
You have become my diversion and my laughingstock,
You've become my amusement and mockery,
and a pasture for my unruly verse.
The blind poet's pasture.
أبشرْrejoice بأجرينin two rewards تُوفَّاهماyou will be paid them in full
أبشرْ بأجرين تُوفَّاهما
غداًtomorrow منfrom اللَّهGod لدىat الحشرthe Gathering
غداً من اللَّه لدى الحشر
Rejoice in two rewards you will receive in full
Expect two rewards owed you
tomorrow from God at the Gathering:
Tomorrow from God at the Gathering -
أجرa reward علىfor شكرِكyour thanking ربّthe Lord الورىof creation
أجر على شكرِك ربّ الورى
وأنتand you معذورexcused علىfor الكفرdisbelief
وأنت معذور على الكفر
a reward for thanking the Lord of creation,
Reward for thanking the Lord of Creation,
though you would be excused for disbelief,
Though excused for unbelief,
لأنهbecause He أولاكbestowed on you جلّexalted is اسمهHis name
لأنه أولاك جلّ اسمه
ماwhat لاnot يجازَىcan be repaid عنهfor it بالشكرwith gratitude
ما لا يجازَى عنه بالشكر
because He—exalted be His name—bestowed on you
Since He Who Is called most high
what cannot be repaid with thanks.
Repays not with thanks what's due Him,
وشاهَand He disfigured تصويرَكyour form لمdid not يدّخرhold back
وشاهَ تصويرَك لم يدّخر
عنكfrom you منof التشويهdisfigurement منany ذُخرreserve
عنك من التشويه من ذُخر
And He disfigured your form, holding back
And the King Who shaped you
no reserve of deformity from you.
Spared you no disfigurement from His store.
وأجركand your reward الثانيthe second علىfor خُلّةa quality
وأجرك الثاني على خُلّة
صاحبُهاits possessor المحقوقrightly entitled بالأجرto reward
صاحبُها المحقوق بالأجر
Your second reward is for a quality
Your second reward for a deficiency
whose possessor is rightly entitled to reward:
Whose Master is the wronged, the paid.
تتركyou leave ذاone with الغفلةheedlessness عنof ربهhis Lord
تترك ذا الغفلة عن ربه
وربُّهand his Lord منهby him علىin ذُكْرremembrance
وربُّه منه على ذُكْر
you leave one who was heedless of his Lord
One heedless of his Lord leaves Him,
with his Lord now in his thoughts.
While his Lord remembers him.
يكررhe repeats التسبيحglorification of God منfrom هولthe horror of ماwhat
يكرر التسبيح من هول ما
عاينhe saw منof وجهكyour face ذاhaving عذرan excuse
عاين من وجهك ذا عذر
He keeps glorifying God, appalled by what
He repeats Glory, awed by your face,
he has seen of your face—and he has good reason.
Warranting excuse.
فاركبْso follow سبيلthe path الغيerror ثمthen اقترفcommit
فاركبْ سبيل الغي ثم اقترف
ماwhatever شئتyou wish منof إثمsin ومنand of وزرa burden of guilt
ما شئت من إثم ومن وزر
So follow the path of error, then commit
Ride the road of sin, then perpetrate
whatever you wish of sin and burdens of guilt.
What wrong and sin you wish.
وأْمَنْand feel safe from عقابthe punishment of اللهGod لاdo not تخشَهُfear it
وأْمَنْ عقاب الله لا تخشَهُ
ولاand do not تكنbe منهof it علىin ذعرdread
ولا تكن منه على ذعر
And feel safe from God's punishment; do not fear it,
Fear not God's punishment, dread it not,
nor be in dread of it.
Nor be of it afraid.
فالخزيfor disgrace قدalready أُسلفتَهُyou have been paid it in advance عاجلاًnow
فالخزي قد أُسلفتَهُ عاجلاً
فأتِso do الذيwhatever تهوىyou desire منof الأمرِaction
فأتِ الذي تهوى من الأمرِ
For disgrace has been paid to you in advance, here and now;
Shame you have advanced, so take
so do whatever deeds you desire.
What you desire of the matter.
وفيand in أبيAbu الفضلal-Fadl علىbesides دائهhis ailment
وفي أبي الفضل على دائه
بليةan affliction فيin مصدرthe outlet of الجَعْرdung
بلية في مصدر الجَعْر
And Abu al-Fadl, besides his ailment,
In Abul Fadl is a bane
has an affliction at the outlet of his dung.
In my fountainhead of verse,
ليسthere is no لهاfor it شافٍhealer لدىat هَيْجهاits flare-up
ليس لها شافٍ لدى هَيْجها
غيرُother than دموعِthe tears of الكَمرpenile heads العُجْرswollen
غيرُ دموعِ الكَمر العُجْر
It has no healer when it flares up
With no remedy for its ferment
save the tears of swollen cockheads,
But a goblet's flowing tears -
منfrom كلevery فطحاءَbroad, flat head علتْsurmounted مُدمَجاًa stout shaft
من كل فطحاءَ علتْ مُدمَجاً
يُربيis greater علىthan القبضةa fist والشبرِand a handspan
يُربي على القبضة والشبرِ
from every broad, flat head atop a stout shaft
Tears from each wide-eyed gazelle,
that exceeds a fist and a handspan.
All grace and wrist upraised.
ولوand if ترىyou saw الرِّجسthe filthy wretch علىon أربعfour limbs
ولو ترى الرِّجس على أربع
أمامbefore فحلٍa stud مُوثَقfirmly knit الأسرthe bodily frame
أمام فحلٍ مُوثَق الأسر
And if you could see the filthy wretch on all fours
If you could see the filth on four feet
before a firmly built stud:
Facing a mounted, tethered stallion,
تخلّلُpasses through الفيشةُthe cockhead هُلْباًcoarse hair لهof his
تخلّلُ الفيشةُ هُلْباً له
قدalready عمَّhas covered منهfrom him شَرَجthe opening of الدُّبرthe anus
قد عمَّ منه شَرَج الدُّبر
the cockhead threads through his coarse hair,
Their rods boring them deeply,
which has spread over his anal opening.
Spreading the anus' foulness wide,
تَنوسsway منهfrom him وذَحاتُthe dung-clots of استِهhis arse
تَنوس منه وذَحاتُ استِه
كأنهاas though they أفئدةthe hearts of الجُزرslaughtered camels
كأنها أفئدة الجُزر
The dung-clots on his arse sway from him
Sneezes erupting, violent lusts
like the hearts of slaughtered camels.
Like the viscera of beasts of prey,
وهْوand he لماbecause of what يلتذُّhe enjoys منfrom نيكهhis being fucked
وهْو لما يلتذُّ من نيكه
أنفاسُهُhis breaths تَصْعَدrise فيin الصدرthe chest
أنفاسُهُ تَصْعَد في الصدر
And from the pleasure he takes in being fucked,
As they enjoy the pounding,
his breaths surge up in his chest.
Their breaths mounting in their chests -
أقسمتI swore بالمقسمِby Him who swears فيin وحيهِHis revelation
أقسمت بالمقسمِ في وحيهِ
وآيِهِand His verses بالشفعby the even والوترand the odd
وآيِهِ بالشفع والوتر
I swear by Him who swore in His revelation
I swear by the Oath-Maker in His verse,
and His verses, by the even and the odd:
By the even and odd verses,
لأتركنI shall surely make المِسْخthe misshapen creature أحدوثةًa tale
لأتركن المِسْخ أحدوثةً
سائرةcirculating تبقىthat endures يدthe span of الدهرِtime
سائرة تبقى يد الدهرِ
I shall surely make this misshapen creature a tale
I will leave the hybrids rutting
that circulates and endures as long as time.
To last until the end of days.
Sol 6.1