وَمُلِحَّةٍand a persistent woman فيin العَذلِreproach ذاتِpossessing نَصيحَةٍsincere counsel
وَمُلِحَّةٍ في العَذلِ ذاتِ نَصيحَةٍ
تَرجوshe hopes for إِنابَةَrepentance ذيone possessed of مُجونٍlicentiousness مارِقِwayward
تَرجو إِنابَةَ ذي مُجونٍ مارِقِ
And a woman, persistent in reproach and full of sincere counsel,
A friend grants wise counsel though love wounds the heart,
And a woman persistent in blame, offering sincere counsel,
hoping for a wayward libertine's repentance,
Hoping to turn a wild straying soul to walk the right path.
Hoping for the repentance of a shameless, renegade rogue,
بَكَرَتshe came early تُبَصِّرُنيshe shows me الرَشادِright conduct وَشيمَتيand my nature
بَكَرَت تُبَصِّرُني الرَشادِ وَشيمَتي
غَيرُother than الرَشادِright conduct وَمَذهَبيand my way وَخَلائِقيand my traits
غَيرُ الرَشادِ وَمَذهَبي وَخَلائِقي
came early to show me right conduct, though my nature,
She admonished me to follow virtue and self-restraint,
She came early to show me the path of rectitude, though my nature
my way and my character are anything but righteous.
Though that right path opposes my nature and character.
Is far from rectitude, as are my creed and my character.
لَمّاwhen أَلَحَّتshe persisted فيin العِتابِreproach زَجَرتُهاI rebuked her
لَمّا أَلَحَّت في العِتابِ زَجَرتُها
فَتَأَخَّرَتso she drew back عَنّيfrom me بِقَلبٍwith a heart خافِقِpounding
فَتَأَخَّرَت عَنّي بِقَلبٍ خافِقِ
When she persisted in her reproaches, I rebuked her,
When her rebukes grew harsh I silenced her,
When she persisted in her reproach, I rebuked her,
so she drew back from me with a pounding heart.
And she retreated from me with a pounding heart.
So she retreated from me with a trembling heart.
كَمhow often رُضتُI trained قَلبيmy heart فَاِعلَميso know وَزَجَرتُهُand I rebuked it
كَم رُضتُ قَلبي فَاِعلَمي وَزَجَرتُهُ
فَرَأىso it deemed اِتِّباعَfollowing الرُشدِright guidance غَيرَnot مُوافِقِagreeable
فَرَأى اِتِّباعَ الرُشدِ غَيرَ مُوافِقِ
How often I have trained my heart—know this—and rebuked it,
How I calmed my heart, she should know. I silenced it
How often have I trained my heart—know this—and restrained it,
but it found following right guidance uncongenial.
When I saw the right course was not to my taste.
But it deemed the pursuit of righteousness unsuitable.
وَمُدامَةٍand wine مِثلِlike الخَلوقِsaffron perfume عَتيقَةٍaged
وَمُدامَةٍ مِثلِ الخَلوقِ عَتيقَةٍ
حُجِبَتit was kept hidden زَماناًfor a time فيin كَنائِسِchurches دابِقِDabiq
حُجِبَت زَماناً في كَنائِسِ دابِقِ
And aged wine, like saffron perfume,
A vintage wine, refined as virtue itself,
And many a vintage wine, like saffron ointment in hue,
was kept hidden for a time in the churches of Dabiq.
Long hidden in dark cellars from prying eyes,
Veiled for an age within the churches of Dabiq,
تَختالُit flaunts itself أَلواناًin colors إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle صُفِّقَتit is decanted
تَختالُ أَلواناً إِذا ما صُفِّقَت
فيinto الكَأسِthe cup تُخرِسُit silences مِنfrom لِسانِthe tongue of الناطِقِthe speaker
في الكَأسِ تُخرِسُ مِن لِسانِ الناطِقِ
It flaunts its colors when it is decanted
Shimmers in hues when poured in a glass -
Parading shifting colors when it is decanted,
into the cup, silencing the speaker's tongue.
It leaves the eloquent mute in mid-speech.
In the cup, silencing the tongue of the eloquent speaker.
ذَهَبِيَّةٌgolden تَختالُit sways proudly فيin جَنَباتِهاits sides
ذَهَبِيَّةٌ تَختالُ في جَنَباتِها
كَالدُرِّlike pearls أَلَّفَهُjoined it together نِظامُthe thread of الراتِقِthe stringer
كَالدُرِّ أَلَّفَهُ نِظامُ الراتِقِ
Golden, it sways proudly along the cup's sides,
A golden wine which glitters in its chalice
A golden essence strutting along its rim,
like pearls joined by a stringer's thread.
Like a perfect pearl strung by a master’s hand.
Like pearls strung together by the jeweler's hand.
باكَرتُهاI drank it at dawn مِنfrom كَفِّthe hand of أَغيَدَlithe شادِنٍa fawn
باكَرتُها مِن كَفِّ أَغيَدَ شادِنٍ
حَسَنِbeautiful in التَنَغُّمِmelodious singing فَوقَbeyond سُؤلِthe wish of العاشِقِthe lover
حَسَنِ التَنَغُّمِ فَوقَ سُؤلِ العاشِقِ
I drank it at dawn from the hand of a lithe fawn,
I drank it from the palm of a slender-waisted cupbearer,
I drank it at dawn from the hand of a slender fawn,
whose sweet singing surpassed a lover's wish.
Who sings more sweetly than a lover’s sigh.
Sweet of melody, surpassing the lover's desire.
مُتَعَقرِبِscorpion-curled الصُدغَينِthe two temple-locks فيin لَحَظاتِهِhis glances
مُتَعَقرِبِ الصُدغَينِ في لَحَظاتِهِ
فِتَنٌseductions لَهاbelonging to them مَقرونَةٌcoupled لِبَواثِقِwith calamities
فِتَنٌ لَها مَقرونَةٌ لِبَواثِقِ
His temple-locks curl like scorpions; in his glances
The amorous glance of his dark eyes
With side-locks curled like scorpions; in his glances
lie seductions of their own, coupled with calamities.
Seduces, luring men to forbidden sips.
Lie temptations linked to sharp calamities.
مُتَخَرسِنٍdressed in Khurasani fashion دينُthe faith of النَصارىthe Christians دينُهُhis faith
مُتَخَرسِنٍ دينُ النَصارى دينُهُ
ذيwearing قُرطُقٍa short tunic لَمnot يَتَّصِلbe joined بِبَنائِقِto gussets
ذي قُرطُقٍ لَم يَتَّصِل بِبَنائِقِ
He dresses in Khurasani fashion; his faith is the Christians' faith.
Though a Christian, the faith of Christians is not his faith,
Adorned with an earring, the faith of the Christians is his faith,
He wears a short tunic with no gussets attached.
An infidel, he never sought baptismal waters.
Clad in a tunic fitted tight without gussets.
لَبِقٍsuave بَديعِwondrous الحُسنِbeauty لَوif كَلَّمتَهُyou spoke to him
لَبِقٍ بَديعِ الحُسنِ لَو كَلَّمتَهُ
لَنَبَذتَyou would surely fling دينَكَyour faith كُلَّهُall of it مِنfrom حالِقِa lofty height
لَنَبَذتَ دينَكَ كُلَّهُ مِن حالِقِ
He is suave and wondrously beautiful; if you spoke to him,
A beauty, elegant in form - if you spoke to him
Refined, of marvelous beauty—if you were to speak to him,
you would fling your entire faith from a lofty height.
You would renounce your faith entirely in an instant.
You would cast your entire religion down from a precipice.
وَاللَهِby God لَولاwere it not for أَنَّنيthat I مُتَخَوِّفٌafraid
وَاللَهِ لَولا أَنَّني مُتَخَوِّفٌ
أَنthat أُبتَلىI be afflicted بِإِمامِby a ruler جَورٍtyranny فاسِقِimpious
أَن أُبتَلى بِإِمامِ جَورٍ فاسِقِ
By God, were I not afraid
By God! Were it not for the fear
By God, were it not that I fear
of being afflicted by a tyrannical, impious ruler,
That I would fall to an unjust and profligate ruler,
Being tested by a tyrannical, corrupt ruler,
لَتَبِعتُهُI would surely follow him فيin دينِهِhis faith وَدَخَلتُهُand I would enter it
لَتَبِعتُهُ في دينِهِ وَدَخَلتُهُ
بِبَصيرَةٍwith insight فيهِinto it دُخولَthe entry of الوامِقِthe lover
بِبَصيرَةٍ فيهِ دُخولَ الوامِقِ
I would follow him in his faith and enter it,
I would adopt his religion and enter it
I would have followed him in his faith and entered it,
with clear insight into it, as a lover enters.
With clear-sighted discernment like a diving falcon.
With clear insight, entering as a lover enters.
إِنّيindeed I لَأَعلَمُI surely know أَنَّthat رَبّيmy Lord لَمnot يَكُنbe
إِنّي لَأَعلَمُ أَنَّ رَبّي لَم يَكُن
لِيَخُصَّهُto single him out إِلّاexcept بِدينٍwith a faith صادِقِtrue
لِيَخُصَّهُ إِلّا بِدينٍ صادِقِ
I know full well that my Lord would not
I know well my Lord singled out no creed
For I know well that my Lord would not
have favored him with anything but a true faith.
Other than the true faith as worthy and sincere.
Single him out for such beauty unless his religion were true.
Sol 6.1