غُلامٌa youth فَوقَbeyond ماwhat أَصِفُI describe
غُلامٌ فَوقَ ما أَصِفُ
كَأَنَّas though قَوامَهُhis figure أَلِفُthe letter alif
كَأَنَّ قَوامَهُ أَلِفُ
A youth beyond what I can describe,
A boy beyond all I describe
As though his figure were the letter alif.
His figure seems a thousand lines
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle مالَhe leans يُرعِبُنيhe frightens me
إِذا ما مالَ يُرعِبُني
أَخافُI fear عَلَيهِfor him يَنقَصِفُhe might snap
أَخافُ عَلَيهِ يَنقَصِفُ
When he leans, he frightens me;
When he sways he fills me with fright
I fear for him, lest he snap.
Lest he diminish and decline
وَأُشفِقُand I worry مِنabout تَأَوِّدِهِhis bending
وَأُشفِقُ مِن تَأَوِّدِهِ
أَخافُI fear يُذيبُهُmelts him التَرَفُluxury
أَخافُ يُذيبُهُ التَرَفُ
And I worry at his bending;
And I fear, from his affection
I fear that luxury will melt him away.
Lest luxury make him pine
سُروريmy joy عِندَهُwith him لُمَعٌflashes
سُروري عِندَهُ لُمَعٌ
وَدَهرِيَand my lifetime كُلَّهُall of it أَسَفُsorrow
وَدَهرِيَ كُلَّهُ أَسَفُ
My joy with him comes in flashes,
In his presence, my joy gleams bright
And all my life is sorrow.
Yet my days are tinged with blight
وَأَمريand my conduct كُلَّهُall of it أُمَمٌmoderate
وَأَمري كُلَّهُ أُمَمٌ
وَحُبِّيَand my love وَحدَهُalone سَرَفُexcess
وَحُبِّيَ وَحدَهُ سَرَفُ
And all my conduct is measured,
All my life consumed with woe
And my love alone is excess.
My love for him rages fires of woe
Sol 6.1