بِأَبيmay my father be ransom ظَبيٌa gazelle لعَهدa pledge قَدalready نَبَذhe cast aside
بِأَبي ظَبيٌ لعَهد قَد نَبَذ
جَبَذَتpulled عَيناهُhis two eyes قَلبيmy heart فَانجَبَذso it was drawn
جَبَذَت عَيناهُ قَلبي فَانجَبَذ
May my father be ransom for a gazelle who has cast a pledge aside.
By the gazelle whose covenant feet defied,
His eyes tugged at my heart, and it yielded to their pull.
My heart was caught and with it fled.
كُلُّevery ذيpossessor of حُسنٍbeauty تَرىyou see أَمثالَهُothers like him
كُلُّ ذي حُسنٍ تَرى أَمثالَهُ
غَيرexcept مَحبوبيmy beloved فَهوَfor he فيin الحُسنِbeauty فَذpeerless
غَير مَحبوبي فَهوَ في الحُسنِ فَذ
You see the like of everyone endowed with beauty,
All beauty you see of like ilk,
Except my beloved, for he is peerless in beauty.
None but my beloved in beauty excels.
ياO غَريبَrare in الحُسنِbeauty إِنّيindeed, I سائِلٌa beggar
يا غَريبَ الحُسنِ إِنّي سائِلٌ
وَزَكاةُand the alms of الحُسنِbeauty تُعطىare given منto whoever شَحَذbegs
وَزَكاةُ الحُسنِ تُعطى من شَحَذ
O you of rare beauty, I am a beggar,
O you rare in beauty, hear my plea
And beauty's alms are given to whoever begs.
For beauty's alms are for those who implore.
قالَhe said ماwhat تَبغِيdo you seek فَقُلتُso I said قُبلَةًa kiss
قالَ ما تَبغِي فَقُلتُ قُبلَةً
تَشعَبُmends القَلبَthe heart الَّذيthat صارَhas become فِلَذfragments
تَشعَبُ القَلبَ الَّذي صارَ فِلَذ
He said, “What do you seek?” I said, “A kiss
Said he, what do you wish? I said, a kiss
To mend the heart that has fallen to pieces.”
That would sew up the heart torn to shreds.
قالَhe said خُذهاtake it ثُمthen لاnot يَأخُذُهاwill take it
قالَ خُذها ثُم لا يَأخُذُها
أَحدٌanyone منّيfrom me وَلاnor كانَhad أَخَذtaken
أَحدٌ منّي وَلا كانَ أَخَذ
He said, “Take it; then it shall not be taken
He said take it, let none else
From me by anyone, nor has anyone taken it before.”
Take from me what you have seized.
فَرَشفتُso I sipped مِنfrom لُماهُhis dusky lips سَلسَلاًsweet, clear water
فَرَشفتُ مِن لُماهُ سَلسَلاً
وَحَلاليand it was sweet to me ذَلِكَthat الرَشفُsipping وَلَذand was delicious
وَحَلالي ذَلِكَ الرَشفُ وَلَذ
So from his dusky lips I sipped sweet, clear water,
I sipped from his sweet lips
And that sipping was sweet to me and delicious.
Lawful that draught and how sweet the taste!
فَاختَبَطتُso I fell into a frenzy فَأَتواso they came يَرقُونَنيreciting charms over me
فَاختَبَطتُ فَأَتوا يَرقُونَني
حَسِبُواthey thought أَنthat بِيafflicting me مِنfrom الجِنِّthe jinn الأَخَذpossession
حَسِبُوا أَن بِي مِن الجِنِّ الأَخَذ
Then I fell into a frenzy, so they came reciting charms over me.
Then dazed was I, they rushed to revive me,
They thought I was possessed by the jinn.
Thinking some jinn had brought me low.
قالhe said كُفُّواstop ماnot بِهِin him مِنany جُنَّةٍmadness
قال كُفُّوا ما بِهِ مِن جُنَّةٍ
إِنَّماit is only that سَهمِيَmy arrow فيهِinto him قَدalready نَفذpenetrated
إِنَّما سَهمِيَ فيهِ قَد نَفذ
He said, “Stop! There is no madness in him;
He said, stop! In him no madness lies,
It is only that my arrow has pierced him.
My arrow it was that struck its mark.
إِنَّهُindeed, he لَمّاwhen رَمَتهُshot at him مُقلَتيmy eye
إِنَّهُ لَمّا رَمَتهُ مُقلَتي
وَصلَreached السَهمُthe arrow إِلىto أَقصىthe farthest end of القُذَذthe fletching
وَصلَ السَهمُ إِلى أَقصى القُذَذ
For when my eye shot at him,
When my glances assailed and laid him low
The arrow sank in to the very end of its fletching.
The shaft reached its destination true.
لِيسَis not داءُthe sickness of الحُبِّlove يشفىhealed بِالرُقىby incantations
لِيسَ داءُ الحُبِّ يشفى بِالرُقى
لاno وَلاnor يَنفَعُhelps تَعليقُhanging العوَذamulets
لا وَلا يَنفَعُ تَعليقُ العوَذ
Love's sickness is not cured by incantations,
No incantations can cure love's ache
No, nor does hanging amulets help.
No talismans ward off love's strike.
بلrather شِفاءُthe cure for الحُبِّlove وَصلٌunion عاجِلٌimmediate
بل شِفاءُ الحُبِّ وَصلٌ عاجِلٌ
وَاعتِناقٌand an embrace وَاجتماعٌand a coming together مُستَلَذdelightful
وَاعتِناقٌ وَاجتماعٌ مُستَلَذ
Rather, love's cure is union without delay,
Nay, love's cure is a swift embrace,
And an embrace, and a delightful coming together.”
A clasp and union of delight.
Sol 6.1