ياO لَيلَةًnight أَذكَرَتنيreminded me
يا لَيلَةً أَذكَرَتني
قِدماًlong ago لَيالِيَthe nights of وَصليmy union
قِدماً لَيالِيَ وَصلي
O night that recalled to me
O night that brought back to my mind
the long-ago nights of my union,
Days of past nights of reunion
أَيّامَthe days of عَصرِthe age of التَصابيyouthful dalliance
أَيّامَ عَصرِ التَصابي
بِالغيدِwith graceful beauties تَجمَعُreunites شَمليmy scattered company
بِالغيدِ تَجمَعُ شَملي
the days of youthful dalliance,
In the days of youthful vigor
when I was reunited with graceful beauties,
My comrades gathered round the cauldron
فيamong فِتيَةٍyoung men كَنُجومٍlike stars
في فِتيَةٍ كَنُجومٍ
أَضحَتhad become لَطيفَةَgraceful in شَكلِform
أَضحَت لَطيفَةَ شَكلِ
among young men like stars
Handsome lads like brilliant stars
that were graceful in form,
Of delicate and lovely form
بِغُرفَةٍin a chamber فيin بِناهاits construction
بِغُرفَةٍ في بِناها
تَسموsurpasses النُجومَthe stars بِفَضلِin excellence
تَسمو النُجومَ بِفَضلِ
in a chamber that, in its construction,
In a chamber with walls that reached
surpasses the stars in excellence,
As high as stars of glorious rank
غَرّاءradiant باتَspent the night نَديميmy boon companion
غَرّاء باتَ نَديمي
حَتّىuntil الصَباحmorning وَيُمليand dictates
حَتّى الصَباح وَيُملي
radiant—my boon companion stayed
A charming companion kept me company
until morning, recounting
Till dawn brought sleep to end the night
بِهاin it عَلَيَّto me حَديثاًa tale
بِها عَلَيَّ حَديثاً
عَنِabout المُدامَةِwine يُسليentertains
عَنِ المُدامَةِ يُسلي
to me within it a tale
Speaking to me of wine
of wine, to cheer me:
That soothed away my cares
ظَبيٌa gazelle إِذاwhen ماever تَبَدّىhe appeared
ظَبيٌ إِذا ما تَبَدّى
سَباcaptivated البَراياall creation بِدَلِّwith coy charm
سَبا البَرايا بِدَلِّ
a gazelle who, whenever he appeared,
A gazelle, when it appeared
captivated all creation with his coy grace.
Outshone the bright full moon
يَفتَرُّhe smiles عَنto reveal ذيone possessing غُروبsharp tooth-edges
يَفتَرُّ عَن ذي غُروب
عَذبٌsweet عَنِaway from الراحِwine يُجليdrives one away
عَذبٌ عَنِ الراحِ يُجلي
He smiles, revealing a mouth with sharp-edged teeth,
It burst forth from one sunset
so sweet it draws one away from wine.
To another, sweet and clear
وَيَنثَنيand he sways بِقَوامٍwith a figure
وَيَنثَني بِقَوامٍ
كَخوطlike a slender bough of بانَةِa bān-tree رَملِsand
كَخوط بانَةِ رَملِ
And he sways with a figure
And swayed with a slender shape
like a bān-tree's slender bough in the sand.
Like the letter alif in the sand
مَنwho ليfor me بِرَشفِwith a sip of لَماهُhis dark lips
مَن لي بِرَشفِ لَماهُ
مِنwho ليfor me بِذَلِكَwith that مَنwho ليfor me
مِن لي بِذَلِكَ مَن لي
Who will grant me a sip from his dark lips?
Who could I find to share its pure drink?
Who will grant me that—who will?
Who could I find to share that with me?
ذُوpossessing مُقلَةِthe eye of الريمِthe gazelle وَسنىdrowsy
ذُو مُقلَةِ الريمِ وَسنى
بِلَحظِهاwith its glance رامَhe sought قَتليto kill me
بِلَحظِها رامَ قَتلي
Possessing a gazelle's drowsy eye,
With the gaze of a wanton eye
he sought to kill me with its glance.
It sought to slay me
ماnot زِلتُI ceased أَنقُلI copy عَنهُfrom him
ما زِلتُ أَنقُل عَنهُ
سِحرَthe magic of العُيونthe eyes وَتُمليand they dictate
سِحرَ العُيون وَتُملي
I kept transcribing from him
I went on describing it
the magic of eyes, as they dictated,
Bewitching eyes that made me swoon
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen النَجمُthe star أَهوىsank
حَتّى إِذا النَجمُ أَهوى
لِغَربِهِtoward its setting فيin تَدَلّيdescent
لِغَربِهِ في تَدَلّي
until, when the star sank
Until the star declined
toward its setting, descending,
To its setting in the west
وَأَقبَلand approached الصُبحُdawn لَمّاwhen
وَأَقبَل الصُبحُ لَمّا
مَرَّpassed الدُجىthe darkness فيin تَولّيretreat
مَرَّ الدُجى في تَولّي
and dawn approached, as
And dawn came breaking when
the darkness passed, retreating,
Night’s darkness fled away
غَداhe became بِنارِwith a fire of غَرامٍpassion
غَدا بِنارِ غَرامٍ
بَينَbetween الجَوانِحthe ribs مُصليsetting me ablaze
بَينَ الجَوانِح مُصلي
he was now, with a fire of passion,
It rose between my breasts
setting me ablaze between my ribs.
Like fire, kindling passion
Sol 6.1