مَاnot أَضَاءshone البَرْقُthe lightning اللَّمُوعُflashing بِنَجْدِin Najd
مَا أَضَاء البَرْقُ اللَّمُوعُ بِنَجْدِ
إِنَّمَاonly ذَاكَthat مِنْfrom تَبَسُّمِthe smile of هِنْدِHind
إِنَّمَا ذَاكَ مِنْ تَبَسُّمِ هِنْدِ
It was not the flashing lightning that shone in Najd;
that came only from Hind’s smile.
وَإِذَاand when قَارَنَaccompany الغَمَامَthe clouds بُرُوقٌflashes of lightning
وَإِذَا قَارَنَ الغَمَامَ بُرُوقٌ
فَهْيَthen they are لَوْif تَعْلَمُونَyou knew مِنْfrom نَارِfire وَجْدِيmy longing
فَهْيَ لَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مِنْ نَارِ وَجْدِي
And when flashes of lightning accompany the clouds,
they are—if you but knew—from the fire of my longing.
سَامَحَmay forgive اللهGod مُقْلَةًan eye فَتَكَتْstruck fatally بِيagainst me
سَامَحَ الله مُقْلَةً فَتَكَتْ بِي
إِنَّindeed قَتْليmy slaying مَاnot كَانَwas مِنْهَاon its part بِقَصْدِwith intent
إِنَّ قَتْلي مَا كَانَ مِنْهَا بِقَصْدِ
May God forgive an eye that slew me;
surely, it did not slay me on purpose.
مَاnot دَرَتْit knew إِذْwhen رَنَتْit gazed بِجَفْنٍwith an eyelid سَقِيمٍailing
مَا دَرَتْ إِذْ رَنَتْ بِجَفْنٍ سَقِيمٍ
فَاتِرٍlanguid أَنْthat ذَلِكَthat السُّقْمَthe sickness يُعْدِيis contagious
فَاتِرٍ أَنْ ذَلِكَ السُّقْمَ يُعْدِي
It did not know, when it gazed with an ailing eyelid,
a languid one, that this sickness is contagious.
لَيْتَهُwould that he بَاعَنِيsold me نُعَاساًdrowsiness تَشَكَّىhe complained of
لَيْتَهُ بَاعَنِي نُعَاساً تَشَكَّى
ثُقْلَهُits weight واشْتَرَىand bought بِهِwith it بَعْضَsome of سُهْدِيmy sleeplessness
ثُقْلَهُ واشْتَرَى بِهِ بَعْضَ سُهْدِي
Would that he had sold me drowsiness, bemoaning
its weight, and bought with it some of my sleeplessness.
يَاO رَشِيقَgraceful القَوَامِstature كَيْفَhow بِرُشْدِيwith my reason
يَا رَشِيقَ القَوَامِ كَيْفَ بِرُشْدِي
وَتَثَنِّىand the swaying of عِطْفَيْكَyour two flanks أَتْلَفَdestroyed رُشْدِيmy reason
وَتَثَنِّى عِطْفَيْكَ أَتْلَفَ رُشْدِي
O you of graceful stature, what of my reason,
when the swaying of your flanks has destroyed my reason?
هَاتِbring كَأْسِيmy cup فِيin حُبِّهِlove of him يَاO نَدِيمِيmy drinking companion
هَاتِ كَأْسِي فِي حُبِّهِ يَا نَدِيمِي
فَهْيَfor it تُعْزَىis ascribed مِنْهُfrom him لِثُغْرٍto a mouth وَخَدِّand a cheek
فَهْيَ تُعْزَى مِنْهُ لِثُغْرٍ وَخَدِّ
Bring me my cup for love of him, O my drinking companion;
for it is traced to his mouth and cheek.
وَاجْلِهَاand unveil it فيin غُلاَلَةٍa sheer robe مِنَof نَضَارٍgold
وَاجْلِهَا في غُلاَلَةٍ مِنَ نَضَارٍ
دَرَزَتْهَاstitched it يَدُthe hand المِزَاجِthe blending بِعِقْدِwith a necklace
دَرَزَتْهَا يَدُ المِزَاجِ بِعِقْدِ
And unveil it in a sheer robe of gold,
which the hand of blending has stitched with a necklace.
Sol 6.1