أَتَرْغَبَdo you desire فيin الحَيَاةِlife ولَحْظُand the glance of هِنْدِHind
أَتَرْغَبَ في الحَيَاةِ ولَحْظُ هِنْدِ
عَلَيْنَاagainst us مِنْهُfrom it سُلَّتْwas unsheathed أَيٌّwhat an هِنْديIndian blade
عَلَيْنَا مِنْهُ سُلَّتْ أَيٌّ هِنْدي
Do you desire life, when Hind's glance
has drawn against us such an Indian blade?
تَعَرَّضْنَاwe exposed ourselves لِمُقْلَتِهَاto her eye إِلىuntil أَنْthat
تَعَرَّضْنَا لِمُقْلَتِهَا إِلى أَنْ
تَرَاضَعْنَاwe suckled together كُؤُوسَcups of هَوىًlove وَوَجْدِand longing
تَرَاضَعْنَا كُؤُوسَ هَوىً وَوَجْدِ
We exposed ourselves to her eye until
we suckled together at cups of love and longing.
فَهَاتِthen bring علىin اسْمِهَاher name كاسِيmy cup فَأنَّىso how
فَهَاتِ على اسْمِهَا كاسِي فَأنَّى
تُعَدِّىyou let pass by الكَأْسَthe cup مَعْwith ظَمْآنَa thirsty person بَعْدِstill
تُعَدِّى الكَأْسَ مَعْ ظَمْآنَ بَعْدِ
Then bring my cup in her name; how can you
let the cup pass by while someone is still thirsty?
وَوَالِand serve in succession كُؤُوسَهَاher cups حَتَّىuntil تَرَانِيyou see me
وَوَالِ كُؤُوسَهَا حَتَّى تَرَانِي
وَعَيْنِيand my eye لاَnot تَرَاكَsees you وَأَنْتَand you عِنْديwith me
وَعَيْنِي لاَ تَرَاكَ وَأَنْتَ عِنْدي
And keep her cups coming until you see me
while my eye does not see you, though you are with me.
مُدَاماًwine مَاnot الحَبَابُthe bubbles بِهَاin it سِوَاهاother than it
مُدَاماً مَا الحَبَابُ بِهَا سِوَاها
لَهَاfor it مِنْهَاfrom it عَلَيْهَاupon it أَيُّwhat a عَقْدِnecklace
لَهَا مِنْهَا عَلَيْهَا أَيُّ عَقْدِ
Wine, whose bubbles are none other than itself—
for it, from it, upon it: what a necklace!
أُنَاوِلُهَاI hand it نَدِيميَmy drinking companion فَهْوَfor he مِثْلِيlike me
أُنَاوِلُهَا نَدِيميَ فَهْوَ مِثْلِي
وَفِيتُI was true بِعَهْدِهِto his covenant وَوَفَىand he was true بِعَهْدِيto my covenant
وَفِيتُ بِعَهْدِهِ وَوَفَى بِعَهْدِي
I hand it to my drinking companion, for he is like me;
I was true to his covenant, and he was true to mine.
كَتُومُkeeper of السِّرِّthe secret لاَnot ألْقَاهُI find him غَيْرِيother than me
كَتُومُ السِّرِّ لاَ ألْقَاهُ غَيْرِي
إذَاwhen مَاfor emphasis كَانَhe is عِنْدِيَwith me كُنْتُI am وَحْدِيby myself
إذَا مَا كَانَ عِنْدِيَ كُنْتُ وَحْدِي
He keeps the secret; I find him none other than myself.
When he is with me, I am alone.
تَفَرْقَنَاwe parted نَوَىًseparation فَأمَرَّso made bitter حُلْوِيmy sweetness
تَفَرْقَنَا نَوَىً فَأمَرَّ حُلْوِي
وَكَدْرَand clouded بِالتَّفَرُّقِthrough parting صَفْوَthe purity of وُودِّيmy love
وَكَدْرَ بِالتَّفَرُّقِ صَفْوَ وُودِّي
We parted; separation turned my sweetness bitter,
and through parting clouded the purity of my love.
فَلَمْso did not أَرَI see ذَاone with تَهُورٍrecklessness مِثْلَlike طَرْفِيmy eye
فَلَمْ أَرَ ذَا تَهُورٍ مِثْلَ طَرْفِي
عَصَرْتُI wrung الدَّمْعَthe tears مِنْهُfrom it فَجَاءَso came وِرْدِيmy draught
عَصَرْتُ الدَّمْعَ مِنْهُ فَجَاءَ وِرْدِي
So I have seen none as reckless as my eye:
I wrung tears from it, and my draught came forth.
وَلاَnor كَحَشَايَlike my heart تُقْدَحُis struck فِيهِin it نَارٌa fire
وَلاَ كَحَشَايَ تُقْدَحُ فِيهِ نَارٌ
تُذَكَّرُcalls to mind مَالِكِيهِits masters بِغَيْرِwithout زَنْدِa fire-stick
تُذَكَّرُ مَالِكِيهِ بِغَيْرِ زَنْدِ
Nor anything like my heart, where a fire is struck,
calling its masters to mind without a fire-stick.
أَمَاis there not مِنْany مُسْعَدٍa comforter يَاO سَعْدُSa'd أَشْكُوI lament
أَمَا مِنْ مُسْعَدٍ يَا سَعْدُ أَشْكُو
صَبَابَاتِيmy lovesick yearnings إِلْيهِto him وَفَرْطَand the excess of وَجْديmy passion
صَبَابَاتِي إِلْيهِ وَفَرْطَ وَجْدي
Is there no comforter, O Sa'd, to whom I may lament
my lovesick yearnings and my overwhelming passion?
شَرِبْتُI drank مُدامَthe wine of نُعْمَىbounty مِنْfrom قَدِيمٍlong ago
شَرِبْتُ مُدامَ نُعْمَى مِنْ قَدِيمٍ
مُرَوَّقَةًclear-strained وَلَيْسَتْand it is not ذَاتُpossessing دُرْدِيlees
مُرَوَّقَةً وَلَيْسَتْ ذَاتُ دُرْدِي
I have drunk the wine of bounty since long ago,
clear-strained, with no lees.
فَأَعْجَزَso overwhelmed بَعضُa portion of أًَيْسَرِهَاits least بَنَانِيmy fingertips
فَأَعْجَزَ بَعضُ أًَيْسَرِهَا بَنَانِي
عَلَىdespite بَذْلِيmy giving لَهَاto it مَاwhat فَوْقَbeyond جُهْدِيmy strength
عَلَى بَذْلِي لَهَا مَا فَوْقَ جُهْدِي
So even its slightest portion overwhelmed my fingertips,
though I devoted to it more than my strength allowed.
فَدَيْتُكَmay I be your ransom جَامِعاًa gatherer للْفَضْلِof excellence فيهِin him
فَدَيْتُكَ جَامِعاً للْفَضْلِ فيهِ
يُؤذِّنُcalls out دَائِماًalways مَدْحِيmy praise وَحَمْدِيand my thanks
يُؤذِّنُ دَائِماً مَدْحِي وَحَمْدِي
May I be your ransom, you who gather excellence, in whom
my praise and thanks forever sound their call.
وَمُشْتَاقٍand many a longing lover ذَكَرْتُI mentioned لَهُto him اسمَthe name of لَيْلَىLayla
وَمُشْتَاقٍ ذَكَرْتُ لَهُ اسمَ لَيْلَى
فَهَامَso he became love-mad بِهَاfor her وَذِكْرُand mention of الحُبَّlove يُعْدِيis contagious
فَهَامَ بِهَا وَذِكْرُ الحُبَّ يُعْدِي
And to many a longing lover I mentioned Layla's name;
so he was crazed with love for her—mention of love is contagious.
عَلَيِّupon me لهُfor him وعنْدِيand with me مَاwhat يُرَجَّىis hoped for
عَلَيِّ لهُ وعنْدِي مَا يُرَجَّى
وَبُشْرَىand glad tidings مِنْfrom عَلِيِّAli لَهُfor him وَعِنْدِيand with me
وَبُشْرَى مِنْ عَلِيِّ لَهُ وَعِنْدِي
I owe him, and hold for him, what is hoped for,
and glad tidings from Ali are his, and in my keeping.
لأَنِّيfor I قَبْلُbefore مَنْwhoever قَدْalready جَاءَcame قَبْلِيbefore me
لأَنِّي قَبْلُ مَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ قَبْلِي
هُنَاكَthere وَبَعْدُand after مَنْwhoever قَدْalready جَاءَcame بَعْدِيafter me
هُنَاكَ وَبَعْدُ مَنْ قَدْ جَاءَ بَعْدِي
For I am before whoever came before me
there, and after whoever came after me.
وَلِيand I have فيin مَاwhat يُقالُis said كَلاَمُthe speech of حُرٍّa free man
وَلِي في مَا يُقالُ كَلاَمُ حُرٍّ
وَفِيand in مَالاَwhat is not يُقالُsaid سُكُونُthe stillness of عَبْدِa slave
وَفِي مَالاَ يُقالُ سُكُونُ عَبْدِ
And in what is said, mine is a free man's speech;
and in what is not said, a slave's stillness.
Sol 6.1