بَيْنَbetween لَمَاهُhis lips' dusky hue وَحُمْرَةِand the redness of الخَدِّthe cheek
بَيْنَ لَمَاهُ وَحُمْرَةِ الخَدِّ
خَالٌa mole حَكَىresembled نَحْلَةًa bee عَلىupon شَهْدِhoneycomb
خَالٌ حَكَى نَحْلَةً عَلى شَهْدِ
Between his lips' dusky hue and the redness of his cheek,
a mole resembled a bee upon honeycomb.
عَجِبْتُI marveled مِنْهُat him والتٌُّرْكُand the Turks تُشْبِهُهُresemble him
عَجِبْتُ مِنْهُ والتٌُّرْكُ تُشْبِهُهُ
كَيْفَhow اعْتَزَىclaimed kinship لَحْظُهُhis glance إلىto الهِنْدِIndia
كَيْفَ اعْتَزَى لَحْظُهُ إلى الهِنْدِ
I marveled at him—the Turks resemble him—
how did his glance claim kinship with India?
نَابِغَةًa prodigy صِرْتُI became فيin مَحَبَّتِهِlove for him
نَابِغَةً صِرْتُ في مَحَبَّتِهِ
مِنْfrom فَرْطِthe excess of وَجْدِيmy passion بِصْدْغِهِfor his sidelock الجَعْدِcurly
مِنْ فَرْطِ وَجْدِي بِصْدْغِهِ الجَعْدِ
I became a prodigy in loving him,
from my overwhelming passion for his curly sidelock.
دُونَbarring وِصَالِيmy reaching him لِلَثْمِfor kissing وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek
دُونَ وِصَالِي لِلَثْمِ وَجْنَتِهِ
دِرْعُa coat of mail عِذَارٍcheek-down مُقَدّرِprecisely measured السَّرْدِthe mail links
دِرْعُ عِذَارٍ مُقَدّرِ السَّرْدِ
Between me and reaching to kiss his cheek
stands a mail-coat of cheek-down, its links precisely measured.
هَبْsuppose أَنَّهَاthat it لاِخْضِرَارِهِbecause of its greenness مَنَعَتْbarred me
هَبْ أَنَّهَا لاِخْضِرَارِهِ مَنَعَتْ
كَمْhow much جُهْدِpower مَنْعِwithholding الرَّبِيعِspring لِلوَرْدِof the rose
كَمْ جُهْدِ مَنْعِ الرَّبِيعِ لِلوَرْدِ
Suppose it barred me because of its greenness—
how much power has spring to withhold the rose?
سَأَلْتُهُI asked him والرِّيِّحُand the fragrance يَعْبِقُwafted مِنْfrom
سَأَلْتُهُ والرِّيِّحُ يَعْبِقُ مِنْ
وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek تَارَةًat times وَمِنْand from رَنْدِlaurel
وَجْنَتِهِ تَارَةً وَمِنْ رَنْدِ
I asked him, as fragrance wafted from
his cheek at times, and from laurel:
ذَاthis الطِّيبُfragrance مِنْfrom أَيْنَwhere لِلشَّقِيقِto the anemone أَتَىcame
ذَا الطِّيبُ مِنْ أَيْنَ لِلشَّقِيقِ أَتَى
فَقَالَthen he said مِنْfrom نَدِّاdew (uncertain reading) خَالِيَmy mole النَّدِّnadd perfume
فَقَالَ مِنْ نَدِّا خَالِيَ النَّدِّ
"Whence came this fragrance to the anemone?"
He said, "From the dew of my fragrant mole."
يَاO لاَئِميِyou who blame me فِيfor مَدَامِعٍtears سُكِبَتْwere poured out
يَا لاَئِميِ فِي مَدَامِعٍ سُكِبَتْ
قَدْalready نَثَرَتْscattered دُرَّهَاtheir pearls عَلىupon العِقْدِthe necklace
قَدْ نَثَرَتْ دُرَّهَا عَلى العِقْدِ
O you who blame me for tears poured out,
they have scattered their pearls upon the necklace.
أَضْيَعُmost wasted شَيءٍthing مَلاَمَةٌreproach بُذِلَتْoffered
أَضْيَعُ شَيءٍ مَلاَمَةٌ بُذِلَتْ
لِحَاضِرِto one present in الغَيِّerror غَائِبِabsent from الرُّشْدِsound judgment
لِحَاضِرِ الغَيِّ غَائِبِ الرُّشْدِ
The most wasted thing is reproach offered
to one present in error, absent from sound judgment.
فَأَيْنَwhere, then عَقْلِيmy reason (also my blood-money) يَاO قَاتِليmy killer خَطَأًby mistake
فَأَيْنَ عَقْلِي يَا قَاتِلي خَطَأً
أَوْor دِيَتيmy blood-money إِنْif قَتلْتَyou killed بِالعَمْدِdeliberately
أَوْ دِيَتي إِنْ قَتلْتَ بِالعَمْدِ
Where, then, is my reason, O you who killed me by mistake,
or my blood-money, if you killed me deliberately?
لِيI have مُقْلَةٌan eye سَمْحَةُyielding القِيَادِthe rein لَهَاit has
لِي مُقْلَةٌ سَمْحَةُ القِيَادِ لَهَا
مَدَامِعٌtears قَصْرُهَاtheir abatement عَلىto المَدَّthe flood
مَدَامِعٌ قَصْرُهَا عَلى المَدَّ
I have an eye, yielding readily to the rein; it has
tears whose very abatement is a flood;
زيَادَةُrise النِّيلِthe Nile بَعْضُa fraction of نَاقِصِهَاtheir diminished flow
زيَادَةُ النِّيلِ بَعْضُ نَاقِصِهَا
فَهَلْthen, were...? أُمْدَّتْwere supplied مِنَfrom النَّدَىbounty السَّعْدِيSa'di's
فَهَلْ أُمْدَّتْ مِنَ النَّدَى السَّعْدِي
the Nile's rise is but a fraction of their diminished flow.
Were they, then, supplied by Sa'di's bounty?
Sol 6.1