رَشأa young gazelle قَدindeed زانَهُadorned him الحورthe eyes’ black-and-white contrast
رَشأ قَد زانَهُ الحور
غُصنٌa bough مِنfrom فَوقِهِabove it قَمرُa moon
غُصنٌ مِن فَوقِهِ قَمرُ
A young gazelle graced with eyes of striking black and white;
A bough with a moon above it;
قمرa moon مِنamong سحبهits clouds الشَعَرُthe hair
قمر مِن سحبه الشَعَرُ
ثَغرٌteeth فيin فيهِhis mouth أَمor دُررُpearls
ثَغرٌ في فيهِ أَم دُررُ
A moon with hair for its clouds;
Teeth in his mouth, or pearls?
حالَinterposed بَينَbetween الدرthe pearls وَاللَعسِand the lips’ dark hue
حالَ بَينَ الدر وَاللَعسِ
خَمرةwine مَنwhoever ذاقَهاtasted it سكراgrew drunk
خَمرة مَن ذاقَها سكرا
Between the pearls and the dusky lips lay
Wine—whoever tasted it grew drunk.
رجةٌa quiver بِالرِدفin the haunches أَمor كَسَلُlanguor
رجةٌ بِالرِدف أَم كَسَلُ
ريقةٌsaliva بالثغرat the mouth أمor عَسَلُhoney
ريقةٌ بالثغر أم عَسَلُ
A quiver in his haunches, or languor?
Saliva at his mouth, or honey?
وَردةa rose بِالخَدon the cheek أَمor خَجَلُa blush
وَردة بِالخَد أَم خَجَلُ
كَحَلٌnatural darkness of the eyelids بِالعَينat the eye أَمor كُحلُkohl
كَحَلٌ بِالعَين أَم كُحلُ
A rose on his cheek, or a blush?
Natural darkness around his eye, or kohl?
ياoh لَهاfor them (exclamatory) مِنof أَعينeyes نُعُسdrowsy
يا لَها مِن أَعين نُعُس
جَلَبتbrought للناظرِto the beholder السَهَراsleeplessness
جَلَبت للناظرِ السَهَرا
Oh, what drowsy eyes!
They brought sleeplessness to the beholder.
مُذsince نَأىwent far away عَنfrom مُقلَتيَّmy two eyes سَنيa radiant one
مُذ نَأى عَن مُقلَتيَّ سَني
ماnot أُذيقاthey both were made to taste لَذةsweetness الوَسنِdrowsiness
ما أُذيقا لَذة الوَسنِ
Since the radiant one withdrew from my sight,
Neither eye has tasted the sweetness of slumber.
طالَhas lasted long ماwhat أَلقاهI endure it مِنof شَجَنsorrow
طالَ ما أَلقاه مِن شَجَن
عَجباًhow wondrous! ضدانtwo opposites فيin بَدنِa body
عَجباً ضدان في بَدنِ
The sorrow I endure has lasted long.
How wondrous—two opposites in one body!
بِفُؤاديin my heart جذوةُan ember القبسthe flame
بِفُؤادي جذوةُ القبس
وَبِعَينيand in my eye الماءُthe water مُنفَجِراgushing forth
وَبِعَيني الماءُ مُنفَجِرا
In my heart, an ember of fire;
And in my eye, water gushing forth.
قَدindeed أَتانيcame to me اللَهُGod بِالفَرجwith relief
قَد أَتاني اللَهُ بِالفَرج
إِذwhen دَناdrew near منيto me أَبوAbu (father of) الفَرَجal-Faraj (relief)
إِذ دَنا مني أَبو الفَرَج
God has indeed brought me relief,
When Abu al-Faraj drew near me.
قَمَرٌa moon قَدindeed حَلَّhas settled فيin المُهَجِhearts
قَمَرٌ قَد حَلَّ في المُهَجِ
كَيفَhow لاnot يَخشىhe fears مِنof الوَهجthe blazing heat
كَيفَ لا يَخشى مِن الوَهج
A moon that has settled in hearts—
How can he not fear the blaze?
غَيرهsomeone other than him لَوif صابَهُstruck him نَفسيmy breath
غَيره لَو صابَهُ نَفسي
ظَنهُhe would think it مِنfrom حَرّهits heat شرراsparks
ظَنهُ مِن حَرّه شررا
If my breath struck someone other than him,
He would take it for sparks because of its heat.
نصبَhe set العَينينِthe two eyes ليfor me شَرَكاa snare
نصبَ العَينينِ لي شَرَكا
فَاِنثَنىthen he turned away وَالقَلبand the heart قَدalready ملَكاhe captured
فَاِنثَنى وَالقَلب قَد ملَكا
He set his two eyes as a snare for me,
Then turned away, having already captured my heart—
قمرa moon أَضحىbecame لَهُfor him فلكاa celestial sphere
قمر أَضحى لَهُ فلكا
قالَhe said ليto me يَوماًone day وَقَدand already ضَحِكاhe laughed
قالَ لي يَوماً وَقَد ضَحِكا
A moon for whom my heart became a celestial sphere.
One day he said to me, laughing:
أَتجيdo you come? مِنfrom أَرضِthe land of أَندلسal-Andalus
أَتجي مِن أَرضِ أَندلس
نَحوَtoward مصرEgypt تَعشقyou love passionately القَمَراthe moon
نَحوَ مصر تَعشق القَمَرا
“Do you come from the land of al-Andalus
Toward Egypt, to love the moon?”
Sol 6.1