أَغرىurged المَدامعthe tear ducts بِالبُكاto weeping
أَغرى المَدامع بِالبُكا
وَنَهىand forbade الجُفونthe eyelids عَنfrom الغُموضclosing
وَنَهى الجُفون عَن الغُموض
It urged the eyes to weep,
Tears are enticed to weep,
and forbade the eyelids to close—
And eyelids deterred from gloom.
بَرقlightning سَريعswift خَفقهُits flickering
بَرق سَريع خَفقهُ
فَكَأَنَّهُso, as though it were نَبضpulse المَريضthe sick person
فَكَأَنَّهُ نَبض المَريض
a lightning flash, swift in its flickering,
A swift lightning flickered,
as though it were a sick person's pulse.
As if it were the pulse of an ailing man.
أَسرىtraveled by night فَأَذكَرَنيthen reminded me لَياnights (beginning of ليالي)
أَسرى فَأَذكَرَني لَيا
ليending of 'nights' (ليالي) الوَصلunion بِالرَوضin the meadow الأَريضlush and spacious
لي الوَصل بِالرَوض الأَريض
It traveled by night, reminding me of the nights
He journeyed, so reminded me of past nights,
of union in the lush, spacious meadow.
When union in the gentle garden was mine.
فَأَطارso sent flying قَلبيmy heart ذكرَهُنtheir memory
فَأَطار قَلبي ذكرَهُن
وَماand not قَدرتI was able عَلىto النُهوضrising
وَما قَدرت عَلى النُهوض
So their memory sent my heart flying,
Thoughts of him made my heart take flight,
and I could not rise.
And I could not rise up.
هَلاwhy not أَستَحيI feel shy مِنbefore ثَغرmouth مَنthe one whom
هَلا أَستَحي مِن ثَغر مَن
أَهوىI love وَمَنand from (read as وَمِن) ذاكَthat الوَميضgleam
أَهوى وَمَن ذاكَ الوَميض
Should I not feel shy before the mouth of the one
Should I not be shy of the mouth I love
I love, and before that gleam?
And he who was that fleeting vision?
أَهدىbestowed إِلىupon جسميmy body الضَناwasting sickness
أَهدى إِلى جسمي الضَنا
مِنfrom جِفنِهِhis eyelid الدَنفailing الغَضيضdowncast
مِن جِفنِهِ الدَنف الغَضيض
He bestowed wasting sickness upon my body
He brought exhaustion to my body
from his languid, downcast eyelid—
With his tender, delicate glance.
ظَبيٌa gazelle رَخيمmellow حَديثِهِhis speech
ظَبيٌ رَخيم حَديثِهِ
يَلهيكdistracts you عَنfrom لَحنmelody القَريضpoetry
يَلهيك عَن لَحن القَريض
a gazelle, mellow of speech,
A gentle, well-spoken gazelle,
who distracts you from the melody of poetry.
Who distracts you from the song of the lute.
قَدindeed رَقَّgrew delicate درpearls تَغَزُليmy love verse
قَد رَقَّ در تَغَزُلي
فيupon خَدِهِhis cheek الفُضيsilvery البَضيضsoft and fair
في خَدِهِ الفُضي البَضيض
The pearls of my love verse grew delicate
The pot of my love for him boiled over
upon his silvery, tender cheek,
On his smooth, shining cheek.
حَتّىuntil لَقَدindeed كادَتalmost قَواrhymes (beginning of قوافيه)
حَتّى لَقَد كادَت قَوا
فيهِending of 'its rhymes' (قوافيه) تَسيلflow مِنfrom العُروضpoetic meter
فيهِ تَسيل مِن العُروض
until indeed its rhymes almost
My poems were nearly pouring
flowed out of the meter.
Their metre from this ode.
فَكَأَنَّso, as though نَظميmy verse مِنfrom دُموtears (beginning of دموعي)
فَكَأَنَّ نَظمي مِن دُمو
عيending of 'my tears' (دموعي) أَوor دُموعيmy tears مِنfrom قَريضيmy poetry
عي أَو دُموعي مِن قَريضي
So it was as though my verse were made of my tears,
So it’s as if my rhymed verse
or my tears were made of my poetry.
Were my tears or the blood of my heart.
Sol 6.1