بَداhe appeared فَأَراكَthen showed you الشَّمْسَthe sun فيin الغُصْنِthe bough النَّضْرِthe verdant
بَدا فَأَراكَ الشَّمْسَ في الغُصْنِ النَّضْرِ
وعَيْنَيْand the two eyes of مَهاةِa female oryx of الرَّمْلِthe sand فيin القَمَرِthe moon البَدْرِthe full moon
وعَيْنَيْ مَهاةِ الرَّمْلِ في القَمَرِ البَدْرِ
He appeared and showed you the sun in a verdant bough,
The sun appeared to me in the green branch,
and a sand oryx's two eyes within the full moon.
And the eyes of the gazing doe in the full moon.
هِلالُa crescent دُجىًdarkness لَوْلاwere it not for الخَلاخِلُthe anklets فيon الشَّوىthe limbs
هِلالُ دُجىً لَوْلا الخَلاخِلُ في الشَّوى
وظَبْيٌand a gazelle نَقاa sand dune لَوْلاwere it not for المَناطِقُthe girdles فيat الخَصْرِthe waist
وظَبْيٌ نَقا لَوْلا المَناطِقُ في الخَصْرِ
A crescent in darkness, but for the anklets on his limbs,
A new moon in darkness, were it not for the anklets’ tinkling,
and a dune-gazelle, but for the girdles at his waist.
And a gazelle, delicate, were it not for the girdles at her waist.
ويَنْظُمُand he strings عِقْدَthe necklace of الشَّوْقِlonging تِيهاًproudly ونَخْوَةًand haughtily
ويَنْظُمُ عِقْدَ الشَّوْقِ تِيهاً ونَخْوَةً
بِياقُوتِwith the ruby of خَدٍa cheek فَوْقَabove دُرٍّpearl مِنَamong الدُّرِpearls
بِياقُوتِ خَدٍ فَوْقَ دُرٍّ مِنَ الدُّرِ
And he strings the necklace of longing in pride and haughtiness,
And he strings the necklace of longing, confused and tender,
with a cheek's ruby above a pearl among pearls.
With rubies on a cheek, above a porcelain vase.
ومُسْوَدّand black صِدْغٍa temple-lock فَوْقَabove مُحْمَرِّreddened وَجْنَةٍa cheek
ومُسْوَدّ صِدْغٍ فَوْقَ مُحْمَرِّ وَجْنَةٍ
تَرىyou see ذَاكthat one مِنْof مِسْكٍmusk وهاتيكَand that one مِنْof خَمْرِwine
تَرى ذَاك مِنْ مِسْكٍ وهاتيكَ مِنْ خَمْرِ
And a black temple-lock above a reddened cheek:
And darkened temples over reddened, rosy cheeks,
you see the one as made of musk, and the other of wine.
Where musk can be seen, and here is wine.
فَكَمْso how often ياO غَراماًpassion جَائِراًcruel تَرْشُقُyou shoot at الحَشاthe heart
فَكَمْ يا غَراماً جَائِراً تَرْشُقُ الحَشا
بِأَسْهُمِwith arrows of وَجْدٍyearning مِنْfrom فِراقٍseparation ومِنْand from هَجْرِabandonment
بِأَسْهُمِ وَجْدٍ مِنْ فِراقٍ ومِنْ هَجْرِ
How often, O cruel passion, you shoot at the heart
So how, O passionate love, do you pierce the heart,
with arrows of yearning, from separation and abandonment!
With arrows of passion, of parting and estrangement?
وقَفْتُI held فؤاديmy heart بَيْنَbetween هَمٍّworry وحَسْرَةٍand regret
وقَفْتُ فؤادي بَيْنَ هَمٍّ وحَسْرَةٍ
بِذِكْرٍwith remembrance لَهُof him يَجْريthat flows وطَيْفٍand a phantom لَهُof him يَسْريthat travels by night
بِذِكْرٍ لَهُ يَجْري وطَيْفٍ لَهُ يَسْري
I have held my heart between worry and regret,
I stopped my heart between sorrow and regret,
with remembrance of him that flows, and his phantom that travels by night.
With memories flowing and visions wandering.
وياand O طَيْفُphantom أَنّىwherever بِتُّI spent the night بِتَّyou spent the night مُضاجِعيmy bedfellow
ويا طَيْفُ أَنّى بِتُّ بِتَّ مُضاجِعي
كَأَنَّكَas though you were ماthat which قَدْalready سارَtraveled فيacross الأَرْضِthe earth مِنْof ذِكْريmy renown
كَأَنَّكَ ما قَدْ سارَ في الأَرْضِ مِنْ ذِكْري
And, O phantom, wherever I spent the night, you spent it beside me,
O specter, how you spend the night in my bed,
as though you were my renown that has already spread across the earth.
As if you had not disappeared from the land and my thoughts.
عَدِمْتُكَmay I be rid of you ياO مَنْyou who رَامَaspired to شِعْريmy poetry سَفاهَةًfoolishly
عَدِمْتُكَ يا مَنْ رَامَ شِعْري سَفاهَةً
مَتىwhen كُنْتَwere you مِنْamong أَقْرانِthe peers of هاروتَHarut فيin السِّحْرِmagic
مَتى كُنْتَ مِنْ أَقْرانِ هاروتَ في السِّحْرِ
May I be rid of you, O you who foolishly aspired to my poetry!
I wished you gone, O you who mocked my poetry foolishly,
When were you ever among Harut's peers in magic?
When were you ever like Harut in sorcery?
وِداديmy love لَهُمْfor them دانٍnear وأَمّاand as for وِدادَهُمْtheir love
وِدادي لَهُمْ دانٍ وأَمّا وِدادَهُمْ
فَفيthen in عُنُقِthe neck of العَنْقاءِthe phoenix أَوor مِنْسَرِthe beak of النَّسْرِthe vulture
فَفي عُنُقِ العَنْقاءِ أَو مِنْسَرِ النَّسْرِ
My love for them is near at hand; but as for their love,
My love for them is lowly, while their love
it lies in the phoenix's neck or the vulture's beak.
Is for the long-necked gazelle or baby ostrich.
وأُمْسِكُand I hold سَهْمَthe arrow of العَتْبِreproach بَيْنَbetween أَنامِليmy fingertips
وأُمْسِكُ سَهْمَ العَتْبِ بَيْنَ أَنامِلي
وأُغْمِدand I sheathe صَمْصَامَthe keen sword of المَلامَةِblame فيin صَدْريmy breast
وأُغْمِد صَمْصَامَ المَلامَةِ في صَدْري
And I hold the arrow of reproach between my fingertips,
And I hold back the arrow of reproach in my fingers,
and I sheathe the keen sword of blame in my breast.
And sheathe the sword of blame in my chest.
وماand not يُحْسِنُdoes well الخِلْخالُthe anklet فيon السّاقِthe leg يَدَّعيit claims
وما يُحْسِنُ الخِلْخالُ في السّاقِ يَدَّعي
بِأَنَّthat لَهُit has حُسْنَthe beauty of القِلادَةِthe necklace فيat النَّحْرِthe throat
بِأَنَّ لَهُ حُسْنَ القِلادَةِ في النَّحْرِ
And it ill befits the anklet on the leg to claim
The anklet on the leg pretends
that it has the beauty of the necklace at the throat.
To have the beauty of the necklace at the throat.
كَأَنَّas though القَناthe spears تَلْقاهُmeet him مِنْfrom أُنْسِهِhis familiarity بِهاwith them
كَأَنَّ القَنا تَلْقاهُ مِنْ أُنْسِهِ بِها
بِتُفّاحَتَيْwith two apples of خَدٍّa cheek ورُمّانَتَيْand two pomegranates of صَدْرِa chest
بِتُفّاحَتَيْ خَدٍّ ورُمّانَتَيْ صَدْرِ
As though the spears, through his familiarity with them, greet him
As if the grapevine received from its intimacy
with two apple-cheeks and two pomegranate-breasts.
Apples of the cheek and pomegranates of the breast.
Sol 6.1