أُحْكُمْrule فَفِيكَfor in you العَذَابُtorment عَذْبُsweet
أُحْكُمْ فَفِيكَ العَذَابُ عَذْبُ
مَاno بَعْدَafter حُلْوِsweetness of الخِطَابِspeech خَطْبُdistress
مَا بَعْدَ حُلْوِ الخِطَابِ خَطْبُ
Rule, for in you torment is sweet.
I gently come to you with a poem
After sweet speech, there is no distress.
Soft words of sweet affection in the air
لِيI have وَلَهُlovesick yearning فِيin هَوَاكَlove for you فَارَhas boiled over
لِي وَلَهُ فِي هَوَاكَ فَارَ
وَدَمْعُand the tears of صَبٍّa lovesick lover عَلَيْكَfor you صَبُّpouring forth
وَدَمْعُ صَبٍّ عَلَيْكَ صَبُّ
My yearning has boiled over with love for you,
Tears of longing, pain of separation
And a lovesick lover’s tears stream down for you.
Yet in you I find my only solace
وَمَاand not تَنَزَّهْتُI took delight فِيكَin you حَتَّىuntil
وَمَا تَنَزَّهْتُ فِيكَ حَتَّى
فِيكَin you نُزِّهْتُI was purified حِينَwhen أَصْبُوI yearn
فِيكَ نُزِّهْتُ حِينَ أَصْبُو
And I took no delight in you until
A flash of your smile lights up my life
In you I was purified while I yearned.
O you who ask about the pleasant breeze
وَأَمْكَنَنِيand gave me access مِنْto لَمَاكَyour dusky lips بَرْقٌa lightning flash
وَأَمْكَنَنِي مِنْ لَمَاكَ بَرْقٌ
مِنَfrom الحَيَاthe rain لاَnot يَكَادُnearly يَخْبُوfades
مِنَ الحَيَا لاَ يَكَادُ يَخْبُو
And a lightning flash gave me access to your dusky lips,
His shirt is soaked with the scent of union
Born of rain, scarcely fading.
That is the greeting of my beloved, so dear
يَاO سَائِليyou who ask me عَنْabout شَذَاfragrance of نَسِيمٍa breeze
يَا سَائِلي عَنْ شَذَا نَسِيمٍ
قَمِيصُهُits shirt بِالوِصَالِwith union رَطْبُmoist
قَمِيصُهُ بِالوِصَالِ رَطْبُ
O you who ask me about a breeze’s fragrance,
In his promise, veils are lifted near
Its shirt is moist with union.
When he appears, greens refresh those in despair
ذَاكَthat سَلاَمُgreeting of الحَبِيبِthe beloved وَافَىhas arrived
ذَاكَ سَلاَمُ الحَبِيبِ وَافَى
فِيin عَهْدِهِits promise لِلِّثَامِto kissing قُرْبُnearness
فِي عَهْدِهِ لِلِّثَامِ قُرْبُ
That is the beloved’s greeting, now arrived;
My critic returned with gentle grace
In its promise, a kiss is near.
As though a soft wind flowed from his place
إِذَاwhen تَجَلَّىhe reveals himself عَلَىto النَّدَامىthe drinking companions
إِذَا تَجَلَّى عَلَى النَّدَامى
فَهْوَthen he is لَهُمْfor them خُضْرَةٌverdure وَشُرْبُand drink
فَهْوَ لَهُمْ خُضْرَةٌ وَشُرْبُ
When he reveals himself to the drinking companions,
He hid his betrayal, showed his excuse
He is their verdure and their drink.
For to the lover, all barriers diffuse
وَعَاذِلِيand my reproacher عَادَreturned لِيto me بِلُطْفٍwith gentleness
وَعَاذِلِي عَادَ لِي بِلُطْفٍ
تَكَادُalmost مِنْهُfrom it الصِّبَاthe east wind تَهِبُblows
تَكَادُ مِنْهُ الصِّبَا تَهِبُ
And my reproacher returned to me with a gentleness
From which the east wind almost blows.
أَضْمَرَhe harbored غَدْراًtreachery فَعَادَbut it became عُذْراًan excuse
أَضْمَرَ غَدْراً فَعَادَ عُذْراً
إذْwhen رُفِعَتْwere lifted للمُحِبِّfor the lover حُجْبُveils
إذْ رُفِعَتْ للمُحِبِّ حُجْبُ
He harbored treachery, but it became an excuse,
When veils were lifted for the lover.
Partial English translation: 14 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1