سمائيmy sky فيin جُفونكِyour eyelids والجبينِand the brow
سمائي في جُفونكِ والجبينِ
فحسنُكِfor your beauty منهُfrom it تعزيةُconsolation for الحزينِthe sorrowful
فحسنُكِ منهُ تعزيةُ الحزينِ
My sky is in your eyelids and brow.
My heavens are in your eyelids and forehead,
For from your beauty comes solace for the sorrowful.
For your beauty is the solace of the sorrowful.
وماand not شِعريmy poetry سِوىother than خَفَقانthe beating of قلبيmy heart
وما شِعري سِوى خَفَقان قلبي
وقدand indeed عرفَhas known الحنانَtenderness منَfrom الحنينlonging
وقد عرفَ الحنانَ منَ الحنين
And my poetry is nothing but my heart's beating,
My poetry is but the fluttering of my heart,
And it has learned tenderness from longing.
That has come to know tenderness from yearning.
ومنكِand from you الوحيُinspiration والتَّنزيلُand revelation فيهin it
ومنكِ الوحيُ والتَّنزيلُ فيه
كتَنزيلٍlike a revelation منfrom الرُّوحِthe Spirit الأمينthe trustworthy
كتَنزيلٍ من الرُّوحِ الأمين
And from you come its inspiration and revelation,
Revelation and inspiration flow from you,
Like revelation from the Trustworthy Spirit.
Like the descent of the Trustworthy Spirit.
أيحرمُنيdoes it deny me? النهارُdaylight أقلَّthe slightest شيءٍthing
أيحرمُني النهارُ أقلَّ شيءٍ
وفيand in الليلِthe night البهيمِpitch-dark تُؤانسينيyou keep me company
وفي الليلِ البهيمِ تُؤانسيني
Does daylight deny me even the slightest thing,
Does the day forbid me the slightest thing,
While in the pitch-dark night you keep me company?
While at night, oh glorious one, you comfort me?
فليتَso, if only الليلَthe night حلمٌa dream مستمرٌّunending
فليتَ الليلَ حلمٌ مستمرٌّ
فيستَغنيso he has no need السخيُّthe generous one عنof الضنينthe miser
فيستَغني السخيُّ عن الضنين
If only night were an unending dream,
If only the night were an unending dream,
So the generous might have no need of the miser.
So the generous could dispense with stinginess.
فواso, oh! شوقيmy longing إلىfor الليلِthe night المُوافيthat comes
فوا شوقي إلى الليلِ المُوافي
بطيفٍwith a dream-vision حقَّthe due for تسهيديkeeping me sleepless يَفينيpays me in full
بطيفٍ حقَّ تسهيدي يَفيني
Oh, how I long for the night that comes
Oh how I yearn for the coming night,
With a dream-vision that pays me my due for sleeplessness!
With a true apparition to soothe and content me.
وفيand in الأحلامِdreams لذاتٌpleasures تقضَّتhave passed
وفي الأحلامِ لذاتٌ تقضَّت
كأجملِlike the loveliest ماwhat يكونُcan be منof اليقينcertainty
كأجملِ ما يكونُ من اليقين
And in dreams, pleasures have run their course,
And in dreams are pleasures fulfilled;
Like the loveliest of all that is certain.
The most beautiful of what is certain.
رأيتكِI saw you ياO بخيلةُstingy woman فيin مَناميmy sleep
رأيتكِ يا بخيلةُ في مَنامي
مُقبِّلتيkissing me وخصرُكِand your waist فيin يمينيmy right hand
مُقبِّلتي وخصرُكِ في يميني
I saw you, O stingy woman, in my sleep,
I saw you in my dream, oh stingy one,
Kissing me, with your waist in my right hand.
Kissing me, your waist in my right hand.
فأوَّلُso the first قبلةٍkiss كانتwas لعينيfor my eye
فأوَّلُ قبلةٍ كانت لعيني
وعشرٌand ten بعدَهاafter it ملأتfilled جبينيmy brow
وعشرٌ بعدَها ملأت جبيني
The first kiss was for my eye,
The first kiss was for my eyes,
And ten after it filled my brow.
And ten more after filled my forehead.
أَليis it mine? فيin يقظةٍwakefulness تقبيلُkissing ثغرٍlips
أَلي في يقظةٍ تقبيلُ ثغرٍ
وخدٍّand a cheek أضعفاthe two have weakened قلبيmy heart ودينيand my faith
وخدٍّ أضعفا قلبي وديني
May I, when awake, kiss the lips
In wakefulness, is the kissing of lips
And cheek that have weakened my heart and my faith?
That weakened my heart and faith the same?
وقدand indeed أعَرضتِyou turned away نافرةًrecoiling لقوليat my words
وقد أعَرضتِ نافرةً لقولي
تعاليcome ياO مليحةُlovely woman قبِّلينيkiss me
تعالي يا مليحةُ قبِّليني
Yet you turned away, recoiling at my words:
You turned away disdainfully from my words,
Come, lovely woman, kiss me.
"Come, oh beautiful one, and kiss me."
وتحتand beneath المجسدِthe undergarment الشفَّافِthe sheer نهدٌa breast
وتحت المجسدِ الشفَّافِ نهدٌ
مَدَدتُI stretched out إليهtoward it كفَّthe palm of المُستدينthe borrower
مَدَدتُ إليه كفَّ المُستدين
And beneath the sheer undergarment is a breast;
And beneath the diaphanous chemise, a breast
I stretched toward it a borrower's hand.
I stretched my begging hand toward.
وإماand whenever جئتُI came ألمسهُto touch it مَشُوقاًyearning
وإما جئتُ ألمسهُ مَشُوقاً
رَدَدتِyou pushed back يَديmy hand بياwith 'O' أميmy mother ارحمينيhave mercy on me
رَدَدتِ يَدي بيا أمي ارحميني
And whenever I came to touch it, yearning,
And when I came desiring to touch it,
You pushed my hand away, saying, 'Mother, have mercy on me!'
You pushed away my hand, "Oh mother, have mercy on me!"
وكمand how often منthrough طوقِهِits neckline أدخَلتُI inserted زَهراًflowers
وكم من طوقِهِ أدخَلتُ زَهراً
لانشقَso I might inhale منهfrom it ريَّاthe fragrance of الياسمينjasmine
لانشقَ منه ريَّا الياسمين
And how often I slipped flowers through its neckline,
How many necklaces I strung with flowers
To breathe from it the fragrance of jasmine.
That your jasmine perfume burst open!
فديتُI would give my life for بخيلةَa stingy woman حرمتshe denied كريماًa generous man
فديتُ بخيلةَ حرمت كريماً
يساعِدُهاhe helps her علىin صونِsafeguarding الثمينwhat is precious
يساعِدُها على صونِ الثمين
I would give my life for a stingy woman who denied a generous man,
I ransom stingy one who deprived a generous man,
Who helps her safeguard what is precious.
Helping her guard what is precious.
Sol 6.1