حماني وصلَ أبناءِ القسوس

حماني وصلَ أبناءِ القسوس

بحبِّ الفُرسِ بهروزُ المجوسي

بحبِّ الفُرسِ بهروزُ المجوسي

He kept me from intimacy with the sons of priests—

The priests brought together the children of Hamani

Behrouz the Magian, through his Persian love's decree, / Kept me from the sons of priests and their company.

Behruz the Magian, through love of the Persians.

With love of the Persians did Bahroz the Magian shine

Pure in his birth from that chaotic stain, / Which Christians for their clergy license and ordain.

نقيّ في الولادةِ عن مشوشٍ

نقيّ في الولادةِ عن مشوشٍ

يرخّصهُ النصارى للقُسوس

يرخّصهُ النصارى للقُسوس

Pure of birth, free of the confused mingling

Pure in birth from any stain

And from the Jews' filth at the circumcision rite, / Who suck the pus and pour it in the chalice bright.

That Christians permit their priests;

Licensed by the Christians for priesthood

If one praises the True Faith with glory and with might, / He says, 'My creed avoids him as a parasitic mite.'

وعن دنَس اليهود لدى اختتان

وعن دنَس اليهود لدى اختتان

يمصُّ القيحَ يُسكبُ في القدوس

يمصُّ القيحَ يُسكبُ في القدوس

And free of Jewish defilement at circumcision,

And from the filth of the Jews in circumcision

A noble scion of the Kanus clan, / Far above La'us in the ranks of man.

Where one sucks the pus poured into the Qadus.

He sucks the pus, pours it out on the Holies

Estranged from Hind, Rabab, and all that crew, / From Umm al-Junaydib and Lamis too.

وإن قيلَ الحنيفُ حمّى وعزّاً

وإن قيلَ الحنيفُ حمّى وعزّاً

يقل ديني تجنّبهُ كسوسِ

يقل ديني تجنّبهُ كسوسِ

And if one says, “The Hanif is a refuge and an honor,”

And if it is said the Hanif had fever and honor

Pious of soul, in radiant tunic dressed, / Graceful in stature as a gazelle at rest.

He says, “My faith is to shun him like woodworm.”

He says my religion avoids it like leprosy

I poured out a lover’s grief for him to hear, / Upon a Thursday, when the meeting time was near.

شريف النجر من رهطِ الكنوس

شريف النجر من رهطِ الكنوس

تناءى في المناصب عن لعوسِ

تناءى في المناصب عن لعوسِ

Noble of lineage, from the clan of al-Kanus,

Noble stock from the tribe of Kanus

I said, while trembling with a fearful start, / 'Even a meager union satisfies my heart.'

Far removed in rank from La'us,

He held office far from the vile

By Ashfahr, Yanid, and the river’s stream, / By Mah and Mehrar, and the truth they deem.

وهندٍ والربابِ وفرتناهم

وهندٍ والربابِ وفرتناهم

وعن أم الجُنَيدبِ مع لميس

وعن أم الجُنَيدبِ مع لميس

And Hind, al-Rabab, and their Fartana,

And a Hindu and a harp-player and their wantonness

By what the groups recite in Basyag’s page, / The book of Zarud, the Magian sage.

And from Umm al-Junaydib, along with Lamis.

And the mother of Junaydib with her noisiness

By holy Mehregan and Nowruz’s right, / And by the sword that glimmers in the light.

تقيّ النفسِ أزهرُ قرطقيّ

تقيّ النفسِ أزهرُ قرطقيّ

رشيق القدّ كالظبي النعوس

رشيق القدّ كالظبي النعوس

Devout of soul, radiant, qurtaqi—perhaps tunic-clad,

Devout of soul, the brightest Qarmatian

By verses read in Sharwin’s ancient crease, / And tales of Ramin and his lover Vis.

Graceful of figure, like a drowsy gazelle.

Slender of form like a roebuck, shy and skittish

Speak but a word to make my spirit whole, / For your estrangement fevers deep my soul.

شكوتُ إليه كربةَ مستهّامٍ

شكوتُ إليه كربةَ مستهّامٍ

وكان لقاؤنا يوم الخميس

وكان لقاؤنا يوم الخميس

I complained to him of a lovesick man's anguish,

I complained to him of the trouble of Mistaham

He said, 'Away, you scoundrel, get you hence! / Seek you one whose faith allows no touching of the sense?'

And our meeting was on Thursday.

And our meeting was on Thursday

فقلتُ ونحن في وجلٍ شديد

فقلتُ ونحن في وجلٍ شديد

رضينا من وصالكَ بالخسيسِ

رضينا من وصالكَ بالخسيسِ

So I said, while we were in great fear:

So I said while in terrible anguish

“We are content with the least of your intimacy.

We were content with your company, worthless as it was

بأشفَهرٍ ويا نيدٍ ونهر

بأشفَهرٍ ويا نيدٍ ونهر

وحقِّ الماهِ والمهرار بيسِ

وحقِّ الماهِ والمهرار بيسِ

By Ashfahr, and O Nid, and Nahr,

By Ashvahar and Ya Nid and Nahr

And by the sanctity of Mah and Mahrar Bis,

And the truth of the new moon and Miharar Bays

بما يتلونَ في البسياق زُمراً

بما يتلونَ في البسياق زُمراً

كتابَ زرودِ داعيةِ المجوسِ

كتابَ زرودِ داعيةِ المجوسِ

By what they recite in the Basyaq in groups—

By what they recite in bands

The book of Zarud, preacher of the Magians—

The book of Zurvan, summoner of the Magians

بحقِّ المهر كانِ ونؤكروز

بحقِّ المهر كانِ ونؤكروز

ومرحف امساه الكبيسِ

ومرحف امساه الكبيسِ

By the sanctity of Mihrkan and Nu'kruz,

By the truth of Mihr Kan, and Nukruz

And the intercalary Marhaf Amsah,

And Marduf named it Kabbis

وما يتلون في شروين دستي

وما يتلون في شروين دستي

ومن حرداب رامين وويس

ومن حرداب رامين وويس

And what they recite in Sharwin Dasti,

And what they recite in Shurwin Dusti

And from Hardab, Ramin, and Wis—

And from Hardab Ramin and Ways

لما كلّمتني ورددتَ نفسي

لما كلّمتني ورددتَ نفسي

فإنّي من جفائِكَ في رسيس

فإنّي من جفائِكَ في رسيس

I implore you: speak to me and restore my soul,

When you spoke to me and restored my soul

For I am in lingering anguish from your coldness.”

Surely I am, because of your coldness, in grief

فقالَ إليك عنّي يا دفهري

فقالَ إليك عنّي يا دفهري

أترجو مَن يدينُ بلا مسيسِ

أترجو مَن يدينُ بلا مسيسِ

Then he said, “Away from me, O Dafhari!

So he said to me, O Dafari

Do you hope for one whose creed is ‘no touching’?”

Do I hope for one who worships without Messiah?