وَساعَةِand an hour أُنسٍof delight قَدindeed قَطَعتُI spent قَصيرَةٍbrief
وَساعَةِ أُنسٍ قَد قَطَعتُ قَصيرَةٍ
كَرَجعَةِlike the blink طَرفٍof an eye أَوor كَنُغبَةِlike a sip خائِفِof a frightened person
كَرَجعَةِ طَرفٍ أَو كَنُغبَةِ خائِفِ
And a brief hour of delight I spent,
A fleeting hour of intimacy I shared,
Like the blink of an eye or a frightened one's sip.
Like a flutter of eyelids or a timid glance of fear,
حَوَتit contained مَجلِساًa gathering فيهِin which المُنىwishes قَدalready تَجمَّعتhad gathered
حَوَت مَجلِساً فيهِ المُنى قَد تَجمَّعت
غناءٌsinging لِذيfor one with سَمعٍhearing وَكَأسٌand a cup لِراشِفِfor a sipper
غناءٌ لِذي سَمعٍ وَكَأسٌ لِراشِفِ
It held a gathering where wishes had come together:
It brought together a gathering filled with wishes
Song for the listener, and a cup for the sipper,
Of song for one who listens and wine for one who quaffs.
وَصورةُand a form حُسنٍof beauty لَوif تَبَدَّتshe appeared لِراهِبٍto a monk
وَصورةُ حُسنٍ لَو تَبَدَّت لِراهِبٍ
لأنستهُshe would make him forget ماwhat فيin هَيكَلٍa temple وَمصَاحِفِand sacred books
لأنستهُ ما في هَيكَلٍ وَمصَاحِفِ
And a vision of beauty—were she to appear to a monk,
If an image of beauty appeared to a monk,
She would make him forget all in the temple and sacred books.
It would make him forget all in church and scriptures.
غَريبةُa rarity حُسنٍof beauty بِدعَةٌan unprecedented marvel فيin جَمالهاher beauty
غَريبةُ حُسنٍ بِدعَةٌ في جَمالها
لَطيفةُdelicate مَعنىًin essence فيهِin it كُلُّall اللَطائِفِthe graces
لَطيفةُ مَعنىً فيهِ كُلُّ اللَطائِفِ
A rare beauty, a marvel in her loveliness,
A strange kind of beauty, unique in its charm,
Delicate in essence, wherein every grace resides.
Delicate in meaning, encompassing all subtleties.
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَدريI know أَنَّthat للشَمسthe sun has ضرَّةًa co-wife
وَما كُنتُ أَدري أَنَّ للشَمس ضرَّةً
إِلىuntil أَنthat رَأَيتُI saw الشَمسَthe sun ذاتَpossessing السَوالِفِthe sides of the neck
إِلى أَن رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ ذاتَ السَوالِفِ
And I had not known the sun had a co-wife,
I did not know the sun had any flaws,
Until I saw the sun with a woman's neck.
Until I saw the sun with braided hair.
أَلاah! فاغرُبيso set شَمسَO sun النَهارِof day فَإِنناfor indeed we
أَلا فاغرُبي شَمسَ النَهارِ فَإِننا
غَنيناwe have all we need بِشمسٍwith a sun نورُهاher light غَيرُnot كاسِفِeclipsed
غَنينا بِشمسٍ نورُها غَيرُ كاسِفِ
Ah, set, O sun of day, for we
Oh foreign sun of daylight, we
Have all we need in a sun whose light is never eclipsed.
Are content with a sun whose light is not veiled.
وَياand O بدرُfull moon كُمhow often قَدindeed شبَّهوكَthey likened you بوجههاto her face
وَيا بدرُ كُم قَد شبَّهوكَ بوجهها
لَقَدindeed غَلِطواthey were mistaken ماnot مشرقٌa radiant one مثلَlike خاسِفِan eclipsed one
لَقَد غَلِطوا ما مشرقٌ مثلَ خاسِفِ
And O full moon, how often they have likened you to her face!
And oh moon, how often they likened you to her face,
They were indeed mistaken: the radiant is not like the eclipsed.
They were wrong, no dawning is like one in eclipse.
وَياand O غُصنُbough كَمhow much تَحكيyou imitate اِعتِدالَthe poise قَوامِهاof her figure
وَيا غُصنُ كَم تَحكي اِعتِدالَ قَوامِها
حَكيتَyou have imitated وَلَكنand yet أَينَwhere ثقلُthe weight الرَوادِفِof the buttocks
حَكيتَ وَلَكن أَينَ ثقلُ الرَوادِفِ
And O bough, how well you mimic her figure's poise!
Oh branch, however much you portray her slender figure,
You have copied her—but where is the weight of her buttocks?
You portray, but where is the heavy fruit.
Sol 6.1