لَناwe have قَدَمٌa foothold فيin ساحَةِthe arena of الحُبِّlove راسِخfirmly rooted
لَنا قَدَمٌ في ساحَةِ الحُبِّ راسِخ
وَحُكمٌand a decree لِمسلاةِfor the solace of المُحبينَlovers ناسِخُannulling
وَحُكمٌ لِمسلاةِ المُحبينَ ناسِخُ
We have a firm foothold in love’s arena,
We have a firm foothold in the field of love,
and a decree annulling lovers’ solace.
And a ruling to comfort lovers established.
وَلَوand if أَنَّthat قَلبيmy heart رامَsought عَقداًa pact لسلوَةٍfor forgetfulness
وَلَو أَنَّ قَلبي رامَ عَقداً لسلوَةٍ
لَكانَthen there would be لَهُfor it مِنfrom حاكمthe judge of العشقِpassionate love فاسِخُan annuller
لَكانَ لَهُ مِن حاكم العشقِ فاسِخُ
And were my heart to seek a pact with forgetfulness,
Even if my heart desired to form a pact for solace,
it would find an annuller in love’s judge.
It would have from the master of passion an annulment.
وَليand I have مِنamong بَنيthe sons of الأَتراكِthe Turks أَهيفُslender-waisted شادنٌa young gazelle
وَلي مِن بَني الأَتراكِ أَهيفُ شادنٌ
لَهُhe has نَسَبٌa lineage فيin آلِthe house of خاقانَKhaqan باذِخُlofty
لَهُ نَسَبٌ في آلِ خاقانَ باذِخُ
And among the Turks I have a slender-waisted young gazelle,
And I have from the Turkish people a tall and slender beloved
whose lofty lineage belongs to the house of Khaqan.
With lineage among the house of Khagan prominent.
يلينُhe is gentle كَلاماًin speech وَهوَwhile he is قاسٍhard فؤادُهُhis heart
يلينُ كَلاماً وَهوَ قاسٍ فؤادُهُ
وَيَدنوand he draws near اتضاعاًin humility مِنهُon his part وَالأَنفُwhile the nose شامِخُis held high
وَيَدنو اتضاعاً مِنهُ وَالأَنفُ شامِخُ
He is gentle in speech, yet hard of heart,
Gentle in speech though his heart is harsh,
and approaches humbly, though his nose is held high.
He approaches with humility though his nose is haughty.
بِوَجهٍwith a face يَلوحُgleams الحُسنُbeauty مِنfrom قَسماتِهِits features
بِوَجهٍ يَلوحُ الحُسنُ مِن قَسماتِهِ
وَقَدٍّand a figure كَغُصنِlike a branch of البانِthe bān (moringa) tree وَالبانُwhile the bān-tree شارِخُis in its youthful prime
وَقَدٍّ كَغُصنِ البانِ وَالبانُ شارِخُ
With a face from whose features beauty gleams,
With a face whose beauty radiates from its features,
and a figure like a bān-tree’s branch, the tree in its youthful prime.
And a neck like a banana branch with ripening clusters.
وَرِدفٌand a rump حماهُguarded it أَنthat يُنالَit be reached بِنَظرَةٍby a glance
وَرِدفٌ حماهُ أَن يُنالَ بِنَظرَةٍ
مِنof الشعرِthe hair المضفورِbraided أَسودُa black serpent سالِخُsloughing its skin
مِن الشعرِ المضفورِ أَسودُ سالِخُ
And a rump shielded from even a glance
His shoulders protect him from being attained with a glance
by a black, sloughing serpent of braided hair.
Of the braided black hair cascading down his back.
إِذاwhen ماever (emphatic) رَناhe gazes يَوماًone day إِلَيهِtoward it أَخوa brother of الهَوىpassion
إِذا ما رَنا يَوماً إِلَيهِ أَخو الهَوى
تَلَقّاهconfronts him مِنهُfrom it نافِثُa spitter of السُمِّvenom نافِخُhissing
تَلَقّاه مِنهُ نافِثُ السُمِّ نافِخُ
If a lover should one day gaze upon it,
When the brother of passion looked upon him one day,
a venom-spitter confronts him from there, hissing.
He was met with venom spewing from his breath.
أَياah عَجَباًwhat a wonder للحُبِّat love كَمhow much ذاthis (emphatic) أكنُّهُI conceal it
أَيا عَجَباً للحُبِّ كَم ذا أكنُّهُ
وَأكتمُهُand I keep it secret وَالوَجدwhile yearning بِالحُبِّof love صارِخُcrying aloud
وَأكتمُهُ وَالوَجد بِالحُبِّ صارِخُ
Ah, the wonder of love! How I conceal it,
Oh, the wonders of love! How much I harbor it
and keep it secret, while yearning proclaims love aloud!
And conceal it, while ardently consumed by it!
تملَّكَنيhas possessed me هَذاthis الهَوىpassion فَكَأَنَّماso it is as though
تملَّكَني هَذا الهَوى فَكَأَنَّما
بِهِwith it نَحوtoward قَلبيmy heart مِنamong دَواعيهits lures ناتِخُan archer
بِهِ نَحو قَلبي مِن دَواعيه ناتِخُ
This passion has possessed me, as though
This passion has possessed me, as if
one of its lures were an archer shooting it toward my heart.
Through its urges it cleaves towards my heart.
وَقَدand indeed حَلَّhas descended بيupon me ماwhat لَوif يحُلُّshould befall أَقلُّهُits least part
وَقَد حَلَّ بي ما لَو يحُلُّ أَقلُّهُ
بِيذبلَupon Yadhbul أَمسىit would become وَهوَwhile it is فيin الأَرضِthe earth سايِخُsinking
بِيذبلَ أَمسى وَهوَ في الأَرضِ سايِخُ
And a torment has befallen me whose slightest part, if it struck
And I have been afflicted with that, if but a little of it
Yadhbul, would leave it sinking into the earth.
Afflicted another, it would leave him withered on the ground.
فَفيso in مُهجَتيmy heart نارٌa fire عَلىupon الكبدِthe liver وَقدهاits blaze
فَفي مُهجَتي نارٌ عَلى الكبدِ وَقدها
وَمِنand from مُقلَتيmy eye ماءٌwater عَلىupon الخَدِّthe cheek ناضِخُgushing
وَمِن مُقلَتي ماءٌ عَلى الخَدِّ ناضِخُ
So in my heart is a fire, its blaze upon my liver,
So in my innermost being there is a fire scorching my liver,
and from my eye, water gushes over my cheek.
While from my eyelids pours water gushing down my cheek.
Sol 6.1