مَاnot صَادِحَاتُcooing ones الحَمَامِthe doves فيin القُضُبِthe boughs
مَا صَادِحَاتُ الحَمَامِ في القُضُبِ
وَلاَnor ارْتِفَاعٌrising المُدَامِthe wine بِالْحَبَبِwith bubbles
وَلاَ ارْتِفَاعٌ المُدَامِ بِالْحَبَبِ
Neither the cooing doves among the boughs
Nor the rising of wine with bubbles
إِلاَّexcept لِمَعْنىًfor a meaning إذَاwhen ظَفَرْتَyou attained بِهِwith it
إِلاَّ لِمَعْنىً إذَا ظَفَرْتَ بِهِ
أَلْزَمَكَbound you الحَدُّthe limit صَوْرَةَthe form اللَّعِبِplay
أَلْزَمَكَ الحَدُّ صَوْرَةَ اللَّعِبِ
Is for anything but a meaning: when you grasp it,
The limit binds you to the guise of play.
مِنْfor أَجْلِthe sake of ذَاthis فِيin الجَمَالِbeauty مَاnot نَقَلَتْcarried
مِنْ أَجْلِ ذَا فِي الجَمَالِ مَا نَقَلَتْ
قَوْماًa people عَنِout of الْقَبْضِcontraction بَسْطَةُexpansion الطَّرَبِrapture
قَوْماً عَنِ الْقَبْضِ بَسْطَةُ الطَّرَبِ
For this reason, in beauty, it has not carried
Any people out of contraction—the expansion of rapture.
قَدْindeed شَاهَدُواthey beheld مُطلَقَabsolute الجَمَالِbeauty بِلاَwithout
قَدْ شَاهَدُوا مُطلَقَ الجَمَالِ بِلاَ
رَقِيبِa watchman غَيْرِيَّةٍotherness وَلاَnor حُجُبِveils
رَقِيبِ غَيْرِيَّةٍ وَلاَ حُجُبِ
They have beheld absolute beauty, without
A watchman of otherness or any veils.
فَأَوْلَعُواso they became enamored بِالقُدُودِof the figures مَايِسَةًswaying
فَأَوْلَعُوا بِالقُدُودِ مَايِسَةً
أَعْطَافُهَاtheir flanks وَالمَبَاسِمِand the smiling mouths الشُّنُبِwith fresh, lustrous teeth
أَعْطَافُهَا وَالمَبَاسِمِ الشُّنُبِ
So they became enamored of figures with swaying
Flanks, and of smiling mouths with lustrous teeth.
وَافْتَتَنُواand they were bewitched بِالعُيونِby the eyes إنْif رَمَقتْthey glanced
وَافْتَتَنُوا بِالعُيونِ إنْ رَمَقتْ
تَرْمِيthey shoot قَسّيّاًlike bows بِأَسْهِمِwith arrows الهُدُبِof eyelashes
تَرْمِي قَسّيّاً بِأَسْهِمِ الهُدُبِ
And were bewitched by eyes that, when they glance,
Shoot like bows with arrows of eyelashes.
وَأَسْلَمُواand they surrendered فِيin الهَوىَpassion أَزِّمَّتَهُمْtheir reins
وَأَسْلَمُوا فِي الهَوىَ أَزِّمَّتَهُمْ
طَوْعاًwillingly لِحُكْمِto the rule الكَواعِبِthe budding-breasted maidens العُزُبِthe unmarried ones
طَوْعاً لِحُكْمِ الكَواعِبِ العُزُبِ
And in passion they surrendered their reins,
Willingly to the rule of unmarried, budding-breasted maidens.
مَاnot فِيin خَبَايَاthe hidden recesses غَرَامِpassion أَنْفُسِهِمْtheir souls
مَا فِي خَبَايَا غَرَامِ أَنْفُسِهِمْ
شَائَبِةًa taint مِنْfrom شَوَائِبَthe stains الرِّيَبِdoubt
شَائَبِةً مِنْ شَوَائِبَ الرِّيَبِ
In the secret recesses of their souls' passion there is no
Taint from any of the stains of doubt.
قَدْindeed خُلِقَتْwere created للجَمَالِfor beauty أَعْيُنُهُمْtheir eyes
قَدْ خُلِقَتْ للجَمَالِ أَعْيُنُهُمْ
وطُهِّرَتْand were purified بِالمَدَامِعَwith tears السُّرُبِstreaming
وطُهِّرَتْ بِالمَدَامِعَ السُّرُبِ
Their eyes were created for beauty
And purified with streaming tears.
ماnot لاَحَظُواthey heeded رُتْبَةًa rank تُقَيِّدُهُمْbinds them
ما لاَحَظُوا رُتْبَةً تُقَيِّدُهُمْ
وَهُمْand they جَمِيعاًall together عُمَارَةُthe inhabitants الرُّتَبِthe ranks
وَهُمْ جَمِيعاً عُمَارَةُ الرُّتَبِ
They heeded no rank that would bind them,
Yet all together they are the inhabitants of the ranks.
فَطُفْso circle بِحَانَاaround taverns (word fragment) تِهِمْtheir (word ending) عَسَىperhaps قَبَسٌa spark
فَطُفْ بِحَانَا تِهِمْ عَسَى قَبَسٌ
مِنْfrom بَعْضِsome of كَاسَاتِهِمْtheir cups بِلاwithout لَهَبِflame
مِنْ بَعْضِ كَاسَاتِهِمْ بِلا لَهَبِ
So circle their taverns, in hope of a spark
From some of their cups, without a flame;
تَصْرِفُyou dispel مِنْthrough صَرْفِهَاtheir unmixed wine هُمُومَكَyour cares أَوْor
تَصْرِفُ مِنْ صَرْفِهَا هُمُومَكَ أَوْ
تُصْبحُyou become فِيamong القَوْمِthe company مُلْحَقَjoined النَّسَبِby kinship
تُصْبحُ فِي القَوْمِ مُلْحَقَ النَّسَبِ
With their unmixed wine you may dispel your cares, or
Become one of the company, joined as kin.
وَكُنْand be طُفَيْلَتَهُمْtheir uninvited guest عَلىwith أَدَبٍcourtesy
وَكُنْ طُفَيْلَتَهُمْ عَلى أَدَبٍ
فَمَاfor … not أَرَىI see شَافِعاًan intercessor سِوىَexcept الأَدَبِcourtesy
فَمَا أَرَى شَافِعاً سِوىَ الأَدَبِ
And be their uninvited guest, observing courtesy,
For I see no intercessor but courtesy.
وَإِنْand if تَدَانَيْتَyou draw near مِنْto سُرَادِقِهِمْtheir pavilion
وَإِنْ تَدَانَيْتَ مِنْ سُرَادِقِهِمْ
فَاسْجُدْthen prostrate yourself لِعزِّbefore the majesty الجَمَالِbeauty وَاقْتَرِبِand draw near
فَاسْجُدْ لِعزِّ الجَمَالِ وَاقْتَرِبِ
And if you draw near their pavilion,
Then prostrate yourself before beauty's majesty, and draw near.
وَغِبْand be absent حَنَانَيْكَI beseech you فِيin حُضَورِهِمُtheir presence
وَغِبْ حَنَانَيْكَ فِي حُضَورِهِمُ
عَنْكَfrom yourself فَمنْfor whoever غَابَis absent عَنْهُfrom himself لَمْnot يَغِبِbe absent
عَنْكَ فَمنْ غَابَ عَنْهُ لَمْ يَغِبِ
And be absent, I beseech you, in their presence,
From yourself; for whoever is absent from himself is not absent.
Sol 6.1