بَيْنَbetween لَمَاهُhis lips' dusky hue وَحُمْرَةِand the redness of الخَدِّthe cheek
بَيْنَ لَمَاهُ وَحُمْرَةِ الخَدِّ
خَالٌa beauty spot حَكَىresembled نَحْلَةًa bee عَلىupon شَهْدِhoney
خَالٌ حَكَى نَحْلَةً عَلى شَهْدِ
Between his dusky lips and the redness of his cheek
Between the beauty spot and blush of his cheek
A beauty spot resembles a bee upon honey.
A mole told of a honey bee on the nectar
عَجِبْتُI marveled مِنْهُat him والتٌُّرْكُwhile the Turks تُشْبِهُهُresemble him
عَجِبْتُ مِنْهُ والتٌُّرْكُ تُشْبِهُهُ
كَيْفَhow اعْتَزَىclaimed descent لَحْظُهُhis glance إلىto الهِنْدِIndia
كَيْفَ اعْتَزَى لَحْظُهُ إلى الهِنْدِ
I marveled at him: though the Turks resemble him,
I wondered at it, though the mole resembles it
How did his glance trace its lineage to India?
How quickly its glance reached to India
نَابِغَةًa prodigy; a Nabigha صِرْتُI became فيin مَحَبَّتِهِloving him
نَابِغَةً صِرْتُ في مَحَبَّتِهِ
مِنْfrom فَرْطِthe excess of وَجْدِيmy passion بِصْدْغِهِfor his temple-lock الجَعْدِcurly
مِنْ فَرْطِ وَجْدِي بِصْدْغِهِ الجَعْدِ
I became a Nabigha in loving him,
I became passionate in my love for him
From my overwhelming passion for his curly temple-lock.
From the overflowing of my rapture in his curly side lock
دُونَbarring وِصَالِيmy reaching لِلَثْمِto kiss وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek
دُونَ وِصَالِي لِلَثْمِ وَجْنَتِهِ
دِرْعُa coat of mail عِذَارٍcheek-down مُقَدّرِprecisely measured السَّرْدِthe linking of mail
دِرْعُ عِذَارٍ مُقَدّرِ السَّرْدِ
Between me and a kiss upon his cheek
Without my kissing his lips and cheeks
Stands a coat of cheek-down, its links precisely measured.
A coat of chastity, well-fitting and close knit
هَبْsuppose أَنَّهَاthat it لاِخْضِرَارِهِbecause of its greenness مَنَعَتْbarred access
هَبْ أَنَّهَا لاِخْضِرَارِهِ مَنَعَتْ
كَمْhow much جُهْدِpower مَنْعِwithholding الرَّبِيعِspring لِلوَرْدِof the rose
كَمْ جُهْدِ مَنْعِ الرَّبِيعِ لِلوَرْدِ
Suppose it barred me because his down was green:
As though its greenness had forbidden
What power has spring to withhold the rose?
After much effort of spring to restrain the rose
سَأَلْتُهُI asked him والرِّيِّحُwhile the fragrance يَعْبِقُwafted مِنْfrom
سَأَلْتُهُ والرِّيِّحُ يَعْبِقُ مِنْ
وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek تَارَةًat times وَمِنْand from رَنْدِsweet bay
وَجْنَتِهِ تَارَةً وَمِنْ رَنْدِ
I asked him, as fragrance wafted from
I asked him, while the breeze was fragrant from
His cheek at times, and at times from sweet bay:
His cheek at times, and at others from basil
ذَاthis الطِّيبُfragrance مِنْfrom أَيْنَwhere لِلشَّقِيقِto the anemone أَتَىcame
ذَا الطِّيبُ مِنْ أَيْنَ لِلشَّقِيقِ أَتَى
فَقَالَthen he said مِنْfrom نَدِّاthe dew of خَالِيَmy mole النَّدِّnadd perfume
فَقَالَ مِنْ نَدِّا خَالِيَ النَّدِّ
"Whence came this fragrance to the anemone?"
Whence came this sweet scent to the anemone
He said, "From the dew of my fragrant mole."
He said, from the dew of my cheek, O critic
يَاO لاَئِميِmy reproacher فِيover مَدَامِعٍtears سُكِبَتْwere shed
يَا لاَئِميِ فِي مَدَامِعٍ سُكِبَتْ
قَدْindeed نَثَرَتْscattered دُرَّهَاtheir pearls عَلىupon العِقْدِthe necklace
قَدْ نَثَرَتْ دُرَّهَا عَلى العِقْدِ
O you who blame me for tears poured out,
O you who blame me for tears poured forth
They have scattered their pearls upon the necklace.
Which spilled their pearls upon the necklace
أَضْيَعُmost futile شَيءٍthing مَلاَمَةٌreproach بُذِلَتْoffered
أَضْيَعُ شَيءٍ مَلاَمَةٌ بُذِلَتْ
لِحَاضِرِto one present in الغَيِّfolly غَائِبِabsent from الرُّشْدِgood sense
لِحَاضِرِ الغَيِّ غَائِبِ الرُّشْدِ
The most futile thing is reproach offered
Most wasted thing is blame given
To one present in folly, absent from good sense.
To the soberly rapturous, mindless one
فَأَيْنَwhere, then عَقْلِيmy blood-wit; my reason يَاO قَاتِليmy killer خَطَأًby mistake
فَأَيْنَ عَقْلِي يَا قَاتِلي خَطَأً
أَوْor دِيَتيmy blood-money إِنْif قَتلْتَyou killed بِالعَمْدِdeliberately
أَوْ دِيَتي إِنْ قَتلْتَ بِالعَمْدِ
Where, then, is my blood-wit, O you who killed me by mistake,
Where is my reason, O my killer, wrongly?
Or my blood-money, if you killed deliberately?
Or my blood-money, if you kill intentionally?
لِيI have مُقْلَةٌan eye سَمْحَةُyielding القِيَادِto the rein لَهَاit has
لِي مُقْلَةٌ سَمْحَةُ القِيَادِ لَهَا
مَدَامِعٌtears قَصْرُهَاtheir confinement عَلىto المَدَّswelling flow
مَدَامِعٌ قَصْرُهَا عَلى المَدَّ
I have an eye, readily led, with
I have a gazelle, docile of rein, whose
Tears confined to a swelling flood.
Tears, brief is their stay on the outstretching
زيَادَةُthe rise of النِّيلِthe Nile بَعْضُa fraction of نَاقِصِهَاtheir diminished flow
زيَادَةُ النِّيلِ بَعْضُ نَاقِصِهَا
فَهَلْso, have...? أُمْدَّتْbeen replenished مِنَfrom النَّدَىbounty; dew السَّعْدِيal-Sa'di's
فَهَلْ أُمْدَّتْ مِنَ النَّدَى السَّعْدِي
The Nile's rise is but a fraction of their ebb;
Increase of the Nile is some of its loss
Have they, then, been replenished by al-Sa'di's bounty?
Has it then been extended from happy dew?
Sol 6.1