أَنْظُرْlook إِلىat حُسْنِthe beauty of هَذَاthis الطَّائِرِthe bird الهَزِجِthe trilling one
أَنْظُرْ إِلى حُسْنِ هَذَا الطَّائِرِ الهَزِجِ
وَحُسْنِand the beauty of بَهْجَةِthe splendor of زَهْرِthe blossoms of الرَّوْضَةِthe garden البَهجِthe delightful
وَحُسْنِ بَهْجَةِ زَهْرِ الرَّوْضَةِ البَهجِ
Look at the beauty of this trilling bird,
and the lovely radiance of the garden's bright blossoms.
هَاتِيكَthat one تُجْلَىis unveiled وَهَذَاand this one مُطْرِبٌdelighting the listener غَرِدٌmelodious
هَاتِيكَ تُجْلَى وَهَذَا مُطْرِبٌ غَرِدٌ
مِنْfrom فَوْقِatop مِنْبَرِthe pulpit of عُودِthe wood of المَنْدَلmandal, an aromatic wood الأَرجِfragrant
مِنْ فَوْقِ مِنْبَرِ عُودِ المَنْدَل الأَرجِ
That lies unveiled; this is a sweet, melodious singer,
atop the pulpit of fragrant mandal wood.
فَعَاطِنِيso serve me يَاO رَشِيقَslender of القَدُstature مَاwhat اعْتَصَرَتْhas pressed out
فَعَاطِنِي يَا رَشِيقَ القَدُ مَا اعْتَصَرَتْ
يَدُthe hand of المَلاَحةِbeauty لِيfor me مِنْfrom طَرْفِكَyour glance الغَنِجِthe coquettish
يَدُ المَلاَحةِ لِي مِنْ طَرْفِكَ الغَنِجِ
So serve me, O slender of form, what
beauty's hand has pressed for me from your coquettish glance.
فَمَاfor—not المُدَامَةُwine فيin سَلْبِstealing العُقُولِthe minds بِهَاthrough it
فَمَا المُدَامَةُ في سَلْبِ العُقُولِ بِهَا
مَاnot لسُّكْرُthe intoxication (unclear reading) أَسْلَبُmore ravishing مِنْthan عَيْنَيْكَyour two eyes للمُهَجِto souls
مَا لسُّكْرُ أَسْلَبُ مِنْ عَيْنَيْكَ للمُهَجِ
For wine, in its stealing away of minds,
is no more soul-stealing in its intoxication than your eyes.
صِرْفاًundiluted فإنْbut if رُمْتَyou desire مَزْجاًa mixture يَاO مُنَىdesire of أَمَلِيmy hope
صِرْفاً فإنْ رُمْتَ مَزْجاً يَا مُنَى أَمَلِي
دَعْهَاlet it بِرِقَّةِwith the tenderness of وَجْدِيmy passion فِيْكَfor you تَمْتَزِجِmingle
دَعْهَا بِرِقَّةِ وَجْدِي فِيْكَ تَمْتَزِجِ
Undiluted! But if you wish to mix it, O desire of my hope,
let it mingle with the tenderness of my passion for you.
كَمْhow often بِتُI spent the night فيin لَيْلَةٍa night أَرْيَاجُهَاits fragrances غَلَبَتْsurpassed
كَمْ بِتُ في لَيْلَةٍ أَرْيَاجُهَا غَلَبَتْ
عَلىdespite التشَعُّثِdisarray ضَوءَthe light of الشَّمْسِthe sun فِيin السُّرُجِthe lamps
عَلى التشَعُّثِ ضَوءَ الشَّمْسِ فِي السُّرُجِ
Many a night I spent, its fragrances surpassing,
despite their disarray, the sunlight in the lamps.
صَرَخْتُI cried out فِيْهَاwithin it بِإِسْمِكَwith your name كَيْso that أُصَبِّرَهَاI may console it
صَرَخْتُ فِيْهَا بِإِسْمِكَ كَيْ أُصَبِّرَهَا
مِنْof لُؤلُوءٍpearl بَعْدَafter ماthat كَانَتْit had been مِنَof السَّيَجِblack jet (probable reading)
مِنْ لُؤلُوءٍ بَعْدَ ما كَانَتْ مِنَ السَّيَجِ
I cried your name within it, to console it [perhaps: transform it]
into pearl, after it had been black jet [reading uncertain].
وَكَمْand how often فَتَحْتُI opened لِضَيْفِfor the guest of الطَّيْفِthe dream-vision مِنْout of سَرَفِيmy extravagance
وَكَمْ فَتَحْتُ لِضَيْفِ الطَّيْفِ مِنْ سَرَفِي
بَابَthe gate of المَنَايَاdeath فَأَنْبَاso he announced (unclear reading) عَمَّىhe obscured (unclear reading) لَمْdid not يَلِجِenter
بَابَ المَنَايَا فَأَنْبَا عَمَّى لَمْ يَلِجِ
And how often, in my extravagance, I opened for the phantom guest
the gate of death; [text unclear]—it did not enter.
وَكَمْand how often سَأَلْتُI asked حُدَاةَthe drivers of العِيسِthe pale camels أَنْto يَقِفُواstop
وَكَمْ سَأَلْتُ حُدَاةَ العِيسِ أَنْ يَقِفُوا
فيat رَسْمِthe traces of مَنْزِلِهِhis dwelling أَوْor سَفْحِthe foot of مُنْعَرَجِa bend
في رَسْمِ مَنْزِلِهِ أَوْ سَفْحِ مُنْعَرَجِ
And how often I asked the drivers of pale camels to stop
at the traces of his dwelling, or the foot of a bend.
وكَمْand how often بَذَلْتُI gave جَميِعِيmy whole self غَيْرَwithout being مُكْتَرِثٍconcerned
وكَمْ بَذَلْتُ جَميِعِي غَيْرَ مُكْتَرِثٍ
وَصُنْتُand I guarded سِرِّكَyour secret فيin قَلْبٍa heart عَلَيْكَfor you شَجِيsorrowful
وَصُنْتُ سِرِّكَ في قَلْبٍ عَلَيْكَ شَجِي
And how often I gave my whole self, without a care,
and guarded your secret in a heart grieving for you.
وَشِمْتُand I watched بَرْقاًlightning عَلىover الجَرْعَاءِthe sandy plain أَخْفَقَmore flickering مِنْthan
وَشِمْتُ بَرْقاً عَلى الجَرْعَاءِ أَخْفَقَ مِنْ
قَلْبِيmy heart عَلَيْكَover you وَجَفنٍand an eyelid فِيكَfor you مُخْتَلِجِtrembling
قَلْبِي عَلَيْكَ وَجَفنٍ فِيكَ مُخْتَلِجِ
And I watched lightning over the sandy plain, flickering more than
my heart over you, and an eyelid trembling for you.
حَتَّىuntil سَمِعُتُI heard لِكَfor you البُشْرَthe good news لِتَهْنَأَmay you rejoice قَدْindeed
حَتَّى سَمِعُتُ لِكَ البُشْرَ لِتَهْنَأَ قَدْ
ذُكِرْتَyou were mentioned ثَمَّthere عَلىdespite مَاwhat فِيكَis in you مِنْof عِوَجِcrookedness
ذُكِرْتَ ثَمَّ عَلى مَا فِيكَ مِنْ عِوَجِ
Until I heard: 'Good news for you! Rejoice: you have
been mentioned there, despite the crookedness within you.
وَصَارَand came to be ثَبْتُكَyour record فيin مَجْرَىthe course of تَحَنُّنِcompassion فِيin
وَصَارَ ثَبْتُكَ في مَجْرَى تَحَنُّنِ فِي
إِيْجَابِaffirmation of سِرِّىmy secret مِنْfrom نَفْسٍa soul عَلىupon نَهَجِa path
إِيْجَابِ سِرِّى مِنْ نَفْسٍ عَلى نَهَجِ
And your record now follows the course of compassion, in
affirming my secret, from a soul upon a path.'
فَلَمْso did not أَقُلْI say لِلصَّبَاto the east wind مِنْfrom بَعْدِهَاafter it احْتَمِلِيcarry
فَلَمْ أَقُلْ لِلصَّبَا مِنْ بَعْدِهَا احْتَمِلِي
لِلَمِّfor the reunion of شَخْصِيmy being وَلاَnor نَحْوَtoward الخِيَامِthe tents عُجِيturn
لِلَمِّ شَخْصِي وَلاَ نَحْوَ الخِيَامِ عُجِي
So thereafter I did not tell the east wind, 'Carry
my being toward reunion,' nor, 'Turn toward the tents.'
Sol 6.1