خُذُواtake عَنْfrom تَثَنِّيswaying الغُصْنِthe branch أَخْبَارَtidings قَدِّهِhis figure
خُذُوا عَنْ تَثَنِّي الغُصْنِ أَخْبَارَ قَدِّهِ
وَلاَand not سِيْمَاthe like (with lā: especially) عَنْfrom بَانِbān trees نَجْدٍNajd وَرَنْدِهِand its laurels
وَلاَ سِيْمَا عَنْ بَانِ نَجْدٍ وَرَنْدِهِ
Take tidings of his figure from the branch's swaying,
And especially from the bān trees of Najd and its laurels.
وَلاَand do not تَسْأَلُواask عَنْabout فَاتِكَاتِdeadly ones لَحِاظِهِhis glances
وَلاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ فَاتِكَاتِ لَحِاظِهِ
وَأَسْيَافِهَاand their swords إِلاَّexcept حُشَاشَةَthe last remnant of life عَبْدِهِhis slave
وَأَسْيَافِهَا إِلاَّ حُشَاشَةَ عَبْدِهِ
And ask no one about his deadly glances
And their swords, save the last spark of life in his slave.
تَعَشَّقْتُهُI loved him passionately عِشْقَthe love of السِّقَامِsickness لِجَفْنِهِfor his eyelid
تَعَشَّقْتُهُ عِشْقَ السِّقَامِ لِجَفْنِهِ
وَعِشْقَand the love of الصَّدِيthe parched one الظَّمْآنِthe thirsty مَنْهَلَthe watering-place وَرْدِهِhis rose
وَعِشْقَ الصَّدِي الظَّمْآنِ مَنْهَلَ وَرْدِهِ
I loved him as sickness loves his eyelid,
And as a parched, thirsty man loves the watering-place of his rose.
وَمَاand not كُنْتُI was أَدْرِيI know قَبْلَbefore وَسْنَانِdrowsy جَفْنِهِhis eyelid
وَمَا كُنْتُ أَدْرِي قَبْلَ وَسْنَانِ جَفْنِهِ
بِأَنَّthat كَلاَلَthe dullness of السَّيْفِthe sword أَمْضَىkeener لِحَدِّهِfor its edge
بِأَنَّ كَلاَلَ السَّيْفِ أَمْضَى لِحَدِّهِ
And before seeing his drowsy eyelid, I had not known
That a sword's dullness makes its edge keener.
وَلاَnor لَذَّةًpleasure لِلسُّكْرِin drunkenness مِنْfrom قَبْلِbefore عِشْقِهِlove for him
وَلاَ لَذَّةً لِلسُّكْرِ مِنْ قَبْلِ عِشْقِهِ
إِلىuntil أَنْthat سَقَانِيgave me to drink نَاظِرِيmy eye كَأْسَcup خَدِّهِhis cheek
إِلى أَنْ سَقَانِي نَاظِرِي كَأْسَ خَدِّهِ
Nor had I known the delight of drunkenness before loving him,
Until my eye gave me the cup of his cheek to drink.
وَدَانٍand near وَلَكِنْand yet بَيْنَbetween نَوْمِيmy sleep وَنَاظِرِيand my eye
وَدَانٍ وَلَكِنْ بَيْنَ نَوْمِي وَنَاظِرِي
مِنَof البُعْدِdistance مَاas much as بَيْنَbetween الوَفَاءِfulfillment وَوَعْدِهِand his promise
مِنَ البُعْدِ مَا بَيْنَ الوَفَاءِ وَوَعْدِهِ
And he is near, yet between my sleep and my eye
Lies as much distance as between fulfillment and his promise.
وَكَيْفَand how تَدَانِيهِcloseness to him وَبَيْنِيand between me وَبَيْنَهُand between him
وَكَيْفَ تَدَانِيهِ وَبَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ
مَسَافَةُa distance of هَجْرٍestrangement وَاصَلَتْhas continued نَقْضَthe breaking of عَهْدِهِhis pledge
مَسَافَةُ هَجْرٍ وَاصَلَتْ نَقْضَ عَهْدِهِ
And how can I draw near him, when between me and him
Lies a distance of estrangement, prolonging the breach of his pledge?
وَقَدْand indeed كُنْتَyou were (context suggests I was) أَرْجُوI hope أَنَّthat طَرْفِيmy eye يُطِيعُنِيobeys me
وَقَدْ كُنْتَ أَرْجُو أَنَّ طَرْفِي يُطِيعُنِي
إِلىuntil أَنْthat رَأيْتُI saw القَلْبَthe heart مِنْamong بَعْضِsome of جُنْدِهِhis troops
إِلى أَنْ رَأيْتُ القَلْبَ مِنْ بَعْضِ جُنْدِهِ
And I had hoped that my eye would obey me,
Until I saw the heart among his troops.
فَلاَso no طَرْفَeye إِلاَّexcept تَحْتَbeneath رَايةِthe banner of شَعْرِهِhis hair
فَلاَ طَرْفَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ رَايةِ شَعْرِهِ
وَلاَand no قَلْبَheart إِلاَّexcept تَحْتَbeneath مَعْقُودِknotted بَنْدِهِhis standard
وَلاَ قَلْبَ إِلاَّ تَحْتَ مَعْقُودِ بَنْدِهِ
So there is no eye except beneath the banner of his hair,
And no heart except beneath his knotted standard.
Sol 6.1