تَفانَيتُI was consumed قِدماًlong ago فيin هَوىlove كُلِّevery أَغيَدgraceful youth
تَفانَيتُ قِدماً في هَوى كُلِّ أَغيَد
لَطيفِdelicate التَثَنّيswaying نادِرَrare الحُسنِbeauty مُفرَدِpeerless
لَطيفِ التَثَنّي نادِرَ الحُسنِ مُفرَدِ
Long ago I was consumed with love for every graceful youth,
I have ardently fallen in love with the gentle sway
delicate in his swaying, of rare and matchless beauty.
Of his rare beauty and peerless grace.
وَماand never عَلِقَتbecame attached to روحيmy soul دَنِياًa base man وَإِنand even if يَكُنhe is
وَما عَلِقَت روحي دَنِياً وَإِن يَكُن
جَميلاًhandsome وَلَكنbut rather ذاpossessing جَلالٍdignity وَسُؤدَدِand nobility
جَميلاً وَلَكن ذا جَلالٍ وَسُؤدَدِ
And my soul has never loved a base man, even if he be
My soul clung not to worldly affairs, though they be
handsome, but rather one of dignity and nobility.
Splendid, but to one with gravity and composure.
وَكانَand was اِبتِدائيmy beginning أَنthat هَويتُI loved محمداًMuhammad
وَكانَ اِبتِدائي أَن هَويتُ محمداً
فَصارَso became اِختِتاميmy ending فيin الهَوىlove بمحمدِwith Muhammad
فَصارَ اِختِتامي في الهَوى بمحمدِ
And my first love was Muhammad,
My love began with Muhammad,
and my last love came to be Muhammad.
So too shall it end with Muhammad.
وَبِالأَعيُنِand by the eyes السُودِblack أُفتُتِنتI was captivated فياso, oh! لَهاfor them!
وَبِالأَعيُنِ السُودِ أُفتُتِنت فيا لَها
سواجيlanguid قَدindeed حَرّكنَthey stirred شَوقاًlonging لمكمدِfor a grief-stricken man
سواجي قَد حَرّكنَ شَوقاً لمكمدِ
And I was captivated by black eyes—oh, those eyes,
With dark eyes I'm smitten, what passion have they sparked
languid, they stirred longing in a grief-stricken man.
Yearning for their sweet gaze I'm filled, my heart kindled.
وَعلّقتُهُand I loved him صَعبَdifficult المقادَةِbeing led آبياًunyielding
وَعلّقتُهُ صَعبَ المقادَةِ آبياً
كَثيرَabundant in التَوقيcaution صَيِّناchaste ذاpossessing تَشَدُّدِstrict restraint
كَثيرَ التَوقي صَيِّنا ذا تَشَدُّدِ
And I loved him, hard to lead and unyielding,
I've tied him, proud and hard to tame,
very wary, chaste, and stern in his restraint.
Lofty aspirations, refined and austere.
كَريمٌgenerous بِتَأنيسٍwith companionship وَتَحديثِand conversation ساعَةٍan hour
كَريمٌ بِتَأنيسٍ وَتَحديثِ ساعَةٍ
بخيلٌmiserly بِتَقبيلٍwith kissing وبِاللَمسِand with touching بِاليَدِwith the hand
بخيلٌ بِتَقبيلٍ وبِاللَمسِ بِاليَدِ
Generous with companionship and an hour's conversation,
Kind in conversation at times,
miserly with kisses and the touch of a hand.
Stingy with kisses and touches of the hand.
وَجاذبتُهُand I tugged at him يَوماًone day فَفَرَّso he fled كَأَنَّهُas though he were
وَجاذبتُهُ يَوماً فَفَرَّ كَأَنَّهُ
غَزالٌa gazelle رَأىsaw منّيfrom me اِحتيالَguile التَصَيُّدِhunting
غَزالٌ رَأى منّي اِحتيالَ التَصَيُّدِ
And one day I tugged at him; he fled as though he were
I pulled him close one day and he shied away
a gazelle that saw in me a hunter's guile.
Like a gazelle sighting a hunter lying in wait.
فَلاطَفتُهُso I treated him gently حَتّىuntil اِستَكانَhe yielded وَماand not دَرىhe knew
فَلاطَفتُهُ حَتّى اِستَكانَ وَما دَرى
بِأَنَّthat الدَناياbase deeds لاnot تَحُلُّsettle بِمعقَدِin the seat of resolve
بِأَنَّ الدَنايا لا تَحُلُّ بِمعقَدِ
So I treated him gently until he yielded, not knowing
I coaxed him gently until he softened, not knowing
that baseness has no place in my resolve.
That worldly matters cannot be decided in haste.
مُرادِيَmy desire مِنهُfrom him ماwhat يُريدُhe desires وَقَدand indeed كَفىhas sufficed
مُرادِيَ مِنهُ ما يُريدُ وَقَد كَفى
تعهدُّهُhis tending قَلبيmy heart بأُنسٍwith companionship مُجَدَّدِrenewed
تعهدُّهُ قَلبي بأُنسٍ مُجَدَّدِ
What I desire of him is what he desires; enough for me has been
I want of him what he desires, it's enough
his tending my heart with renewed companionship,
That he occupy my heart with joy made new.
وَرُؤيةُand the seeing of عَينيmy eye البَدرَthe full moon عِنديَbeside me طالِعاrising
وَرُؤيةُ عَيني البَدرَ عِنديَ طالِعا
وَتَشنيفُهُand his adorning سَمعيmy hearing بدُرٍّwith pearls مُنَضَّدِstrung in order
وَتَشنيفُهُ سَمعي بدُرٍّ مُنَضَّدِ
and my eye's seeing the full moon rising beside me,
To see his moon-like face appear to me
and his adorning my hearing with pearls strung in order,
And hear his melodious voice like pearls threaded.
وَعلمُand the knowledge of حَبيبيmy beloved أَنَّنيthat I لَستُI am not تارِكاًabandoning
وَعلمُ حَبيبي أَنَّني لَستُ تارِكاً
هَواهُlove for him وَلَوand even if أَنّيthat I أَحُلُّI dwell بِملحديin my grave
هَواهُ وَلَو أَنّي أَحُلُّ بِملحدي
and my beloved's knowing that I shall never forsake
And my beloved knows I'll never abandon
my love for him, even if I dwell in my grave.
His love, even if I am called a heretic.
أُنادِمُI keep company مِنهُfrom him مِلءَfilling عَينيmy eye مَلاحَةًbeauty
أُنادِمُ مِنهُ مِلءَ عَيني مَلاحَةً
وَأَلحَظand I behold مِنهُin him الشَمسَthe sun حَلَّتhas settled بِأَسعَدِin the most auspicious station
وَأَلحَظ مِنهُ الشَمسَ حَلَّت بِأَسعَدِ
I keep him company, his beauty filling my eyes,
I share with him my brimming eyes’ conversation
and behold in him the sun, settled in its most auspicious station.
And receive from him a sun that brings blissful fortune.
وَأَقطُفُand I pluck مِنfrom آدابِهِhis refinement الزَهرَthe flowers يانِعاًin full bloom
وَأَقطُفُ مِن آدابِهِ الزَهرَ يانِعاً
وَأشتمُّand I smell رَيحاناًsweet basil بِخَدٍّon a cheek مُوَرَّدِrose-tinted
وَأشتمُّ رَيحاناً بِخَدٍّ مُوَرَّدِ
And from his refinement I pluck flowers in full bloom,
I pluck from his manners flowers in full bloom
and breathe in sweet basil upon a rose-tinted cheek.
And smell roses on cheeks with a flush saturated.
وَهاand behold أَناI ذاthis one قَدalready رُحتُI departed عَنهُfrom him مُوَدِّعاbidding farewell
وَها أَنا ذا قَد رُحتُ عَنهُ مُوَدِّعا
فَياso, oh! لَيتَif only شِعريmy knowledge هَلwhether لَهُto him بَعدُafterward أَغتَديI go in the morning
فَيا لَيتَ شِعري هَل لَهُ بَعدُ أَغتَدي
And here I am: I have left him, bidding farewell;
And now I must bid him farewell and depart
oh, if only I knew: shall I go to him again in the morning?
Oh how I wonder, will I ever enjoy his company again?
Sol 6.1