أَمَالِكَO master of رقِّيmy bondage لاَdo not تَلُمْreproach عَاشِقاًa lover صَبَاfell in love
أَمَالِكَ رقِّي لاَ تَلُمْ عَاشِقاً صَبَا
فَحُسْنُكَfor your beauty لِلأَلْبَابِfor the minds يَاO مُنْيَتِيmy heart's desire سَبَاtook captive
فَحُسْنُكَ لِلأَلْبَابِ يَا مُنْيَتِي سَبَا
O master of my bondage, do not reproach a lover overcome by longing.
For your beauty, O my heart's desire, has taken minds captive.
وَإِنْand if يَكُis ذَنْبِيmy sin فَرْطَthe excess of عِشْقِيmy passionate love فَطَاعَتِيthen my obedience
وَإِنْ يَكُ ذَنْبِي فَرْطَ عِشْقِي فَطَاعَتِي
هَوَاكَyour desire شَفِيعٌan intercessor لِيfor me إِذَاif مِتُّI die مُذْنِباa sinner
هَوَاكَ شَفِيعٌ لِي إِذَا مِتُّ مُذْنِبا
And if my sin is the excess of my love, then my obedience
to your desire is an intercessor for me if I die a sinner.
وَهَبْand suppose أَنَّthat ذاكَthat الحُسْنَbeauty عَنِّيfrom me مُحَجَّبٌveiled
وَهَبْ أَنَّ ذاكَ الحُسْنَ عَنِّي مُحَجَّبٌ
أَلَيْسَhas it not بَرَيَّاهُwith its fragrance سَرَتْdrifted by نَسْمَةُthe breeze of الصِّبَاthe east wind
أَلَيْسَ بَرَيَّاهُ سَرَتْ نَسْمَةُ الصِّبَا
And suppose that beauty is veiled from me:
has not the east wind's breeze drifted by with its fragrance?
فَدَيتُI would ransom with my life حَبِيباًa beloved رَنَّحَset swaying السُّكْرُdrunkenness عِطْفَهُhis flank
فَدَيتُ حَبِيباً رَنَّحَ السُّكْرُ عِطْفَهُ
فَمَاسَso he swayed بِغُصْنٍlike a bough مَاnever رَأَتْhad seen مِثْلَهُits equal الرُّباthe hills
فَمَاسَ بِغُصْنٍ مَا رَأَتْ مِثْلَهُ الرُّبا
I would give my life for a beloved whose flank drunkenness set swaying;
so he swayed like a bough whose equal the hills had never seen.
يُجَرِّدُhe unsheathes مِنْfrom أَجْفَانِهِhis eyelids السُّودِthe black أَبْيضَاًa white blade
يُجَرِّدُ مِنْ أَجْفَانِهِ السُّودِ أَبْيضَاً
أَرَاقَspilled دِمَاthe blood of العُشَّاقِthe lovers طُرّاًall وَمَانَباand never failed to cut
أَرَاقَ دِمَا العُشَّاقِ طُرّاً وَمَانَبا
From his black eyelids he unsheathes a white blade
that spilled the blood of all lovers and never failed to cut.
جَلاَrevealed خَدُّهُhis cheek ليto me كَاسَa cup of رَاحٍwine وَإِنَّمَاand only
جَلاَ خَدُّهُ لي كَاسَ رَاحٍ وَإِنَّمَا
بِدُّرِّwith the pearls of اللَّمَىdusky lips المَعْسُولِhoney-sweet حُسْناًin beauty تَحَبَّباhe endeared himself
بِدُّرِّ اللَّمَى المَعْسُولِ حُسْناً تَحَبَّبا
His cheek revealed to me a cup of wine; and it was only
through the beauty of the pearls in his honey-sweet, dusky lips that he endeared himself.
تَسَتَّرْتُI concealed myself بِالأَسْقَامِbehind ailments فِيهِon his account فَمُذْthen when بَدَاَhe appeared
تَسَتَّرْتُ بِالأَسْقَامِ فِيهِ فَمُذْ بَدَاَ
ظَهَرْتُI became visible كَمَاjust as فيin الشَّمْسِthe sunlight قدْmay يظْهَرْappear الهَباdust motes
ظَهَرْتُ كَمَا في الشَّمْسِ قدْ يظْهَرْ الهَبا
I hid myself behind ailments on his account; then, when he appeared,
I became visible, as dust motes may appear in sunlight.
وَأَكْسَبَنِيand he endowed me حُسْناًwith beauty وَلاَand no غَرْوَwonder إِنَّمَاonly
وَأَكْسَبَنِي حُسْناً وَلاَ غَرْوَ إِنَّمَا
لِكُلِّfor every مَليحٍbeautiful one مِنْهُfrom him مَاwhat قَدْindeed تَكَسَّباhe has acquired
لِكُلِّ مَليحٍ مِنْهُ مَا قَدْ تَكَسَّبا
And he endowed me with beauty—no wonder, for
every lovely one has gained their beauty from him alone.
وَإِنِّيand I am لَذَاكَindeed that المُغْرَمُthe love-stricken one العَاشِقُthe lover الَّذِيwho
وَإِنِّي لَذَاكَ المُغْرَمُ العَاشِقُ الَّذِي
إِلَىtoward غَيْرِother than ذَاكَthat one المُطْلَقِabsolute الحُسْنِin beauty مَاnever صَباyearned
إِلَى غَيْرِ ذَاكَ المُطْلَقِ الحُسْنِ مَا صَبا
And I am indeed that love-stricken lover who
has never yearned for any but that one of absolute beauty.
يُرَنِّحُهُmakes him sway بِالأبْرَقِat al-Abraq الفَرْدِal-Fard (the solitary) بَارِقٌa lightning flash
يُرَنِّحُهُ بِالأبْرَقِ الفَرْدِ بَارِقٌ
وَيُصْبِيْهِand awakens his longing فِيin نَعْمَانَNuʿman مِنْfrom عَلْوَةٍʿAlwah نَباnews
وَيُصْبِيْهِ فِي نَعْمَانَ مِنْ عَلْوَةٍ نَبا
A lightning flash at al-Abraq al-Fard makes him sway,
and in Nuʿman, news from ʿAlwah awakens his longing.
إِذَاif رُمْتَyou seek أَنْto تُبْدِيreveal مَصُونَاتِthe guarded things of سِرِّهِhis secret
إِذَا رُمْتَ أَنْ تُبْدِي مَصُونَاتِ سِرِّهِ
فَحَدِّثْthen speak بِذْاكَin that الحَيِّencampment عَنْabout ذَلِكَthat الخِباtent
فَحَدِّثْ بِذْاكَ الحَيِّ عَنْ ذَلِكَ الخِبا
If you seek to reveal what is kept guarded in his secret,
then speak in that encampment of that tent.
Sol 6.1