أَلاAh! قاتَلَmay curse اللَهُGod الهَوىpassion كَيفَhow أَخلَقاhas grown threadbare
أَلا قاتَلَ اللَهُ الهَوى كَيفَ أَخلَقا
وَلَمand not تَلقَهُyou encounter it إِلّاexcept مَشُوباًadulterated مُمَذَّقاwatered down
وَلَم تَلقَهُ إِلّا مَشُوباً مُمَذَّقا
Ah, may God curse passion—how threadbare it has grown!
Alas! May God destroy love—how it was created!
And you find it only adulterated and watered down.
And you will only meet it as troubled and bitter.
وَماand no مِنany حَبيبٍlover يَستَزيدُasks for more حَبيبَهُhis beloved
وَما مِن حَبيبٍ يَستَزيدُ حَبيبَهُ
يُعاتِبُهُreproaches him فيover الوُدَّaffection إِلّاexcept that تَفَرَّقاthe two parted
يُعاتِبُهُ في الوُدَّ إِلّا تَفَرَّقا
And no lover asks more of his beloved,
No lover grows fonder of his love
reproaching him over affection, without the two parting.
Or reproaches her for their affection, without them parting.
أَمَرَّbecame bitter وِصالُunion الغانِياتِlovely women فَأَصبَحَتso it became
أَمَرَّ وِصالُ الغانِياتِ فَأَصبَحَت
فَظاعَتُهايَشجىits harshness brings grief بِهاthrough it مِنwhoever تَمَطَّقاsmacks his lips
فَظاعَتُهايَشجى بِها مِن تَمَطَّقا
Union with lovely women has turned bitter; now
The tryst with singing girls was sweet, but when it was over
its harshness grieves whoever tastes it.
Their vulgarity was revealed, and I took my leave of them in disgust.
تَعَلَّقَbecame attached هَذاthis القَلبُheart لِلحِينِto doom مَعلقاًan object of attachment
تَعَلَّقَ هَذا القَلبُ لِلحِينِ مَعلقاً
غَزالاًa gazelle تَحَلّىadorned itself with عِقدَa necklace دُرٍّpearls وَيارَقاand a bracelet
غَزالاً تَحَلّى عِقدَ دُرٍّ وَيارَقا
This heart has fastened, to its doom, upon an object of love:
For a while this heart hung suspended,
a gazelle adorned with a pearl necklace and a bracelet,
Like a gazelle adorned with a pearl necklace and sapphires.
مِنَof الأَدمwhite-bellied gazelles يعطُوreaches to browse بِالعَشِيِّat evening وَبِالضُحىand at forenoon
مِنَ الأَدم يعطُو بِالعَشِيِّ وَبِالضُحى
مِنَfrom الضالِwild lote trees غُصناًa bough ناعِمَtender النَبتِin growth مُرِقاleafy
مِنَ الضالِ غُصناً ناعِمَ النَبتِ مُرِقا
of the white-bellied kind, reaching at evening and forenoon
The boughs give, in the evening and at dawn,
for a tender-grown, leafy bough of wild lote.
Plucked branches, softly bending, inclining.
أَلُوفاًfond لِأضلالِof the shades of الكِناسِthe lair وَلِلثَرىand of moist earth
أَلُوفاً لِأضلالِ الكِناسِ وَلِلثَرى
إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle ضِياءُradiance الشَمسِthe sun فيin الصَيفِsummer أَشرَقاshines brightly
إِذا ما ضِياءُ الشَمسِ في الصَيفِ أَشرَقا
Fond of its lair’s shade and the moist earth
Thousands for the erring spirits and for the soil
whenever summer’s sunlight shines brightly,
When the sun’s brilliance in summer flares up!
شَجِيtightly filled الحِجلِthe anklet يَغتالُengulfs العَجيزَةَthe hips مُرطُهُits mantle
شَجِي الحِجلِ يَغتالُ العَجيزَةَ مُرطُهُ
وَإِمّاbut as for وَشاحاهُits two sashes عَلَيهِupon it فَأَملَقاso they hang loose
وَإِمّا وَشاحاهُ عَلَيهِ فَأَملَقا
its anklet fits tightly; its mantle engulfs its hips,
The shabby Mullah waylays the helpless old woman—
but its two sashes hang loose upon it.
Now pulling her shawl, now clutching at it.
ضَعِيفاًdelicate قَعِيعَfaint الصَوتِof voice لَذّاًdelightful دَلالُهُits coyness
ضَعِيفاً قَعِيعَ الصَوتِ لَذّاً دَلالُهُ
غَضِيضَlowered سَوامِroving الطَرفِthe gaze فيin المَشِيwalking أَخرَقاawkward
غَضِيضَ سَوامِ الطَرفِ في المَشِي أَخرَقا
Delicate, faint-voiced, with delightful coyness,
Feeble his voice, but pleasant his allure,
its roving gaze lowered, awkward in its walk.
Bashfully glancing, walking with tripping gait.
إِذاwhen بَلَّmoistens الزَعفَرانِsaffron لُبانَهُits breast
إِذا بَلَّ الزَعفَرانِ لُبانَهُ
مَعَtogether with المِسكِmusk يَزدادانِboth increase طيباًin fragrance وَيَعبَقاand both waft fragrance
مَعَ المِسكِ يَزدادانِ طيباً وَيَعبَقا
When saffron moistens its breast,
When saffron and musk are blended,
together with musk, both grow sweeter and waft their scent.
Their scent grows even sweeter and more pungent.
تَخالُyou imagine خِمارَa veil الخَزِّsilk-and-wool fabric مِنfrom فَوقِabove جِيدِهِits neck
تَخالُ خِمارَ الخَزِّ مِن فَوقِ جِيدِهِ
عَلىupon فَرعِthe tip خوطٍa slender stalk مِنof أَباءٍreeds مُعَلَّقاhanging
عَلى فَرعِ خوطٍ مِن أَباءٍ مُعَلَّقا
You would think the silken veil above its neck
You’d think the silk chemise on her shoulders
hung on the tip of a slender stalk among reeds.
Was a twig of willow with trailing black stripes.
يَشُبُّheightens سَوادُthe blackness الفَرعِof the hair مِنهُof it بَياضَهُits whiteness
يَشُبُّ سَوادُ الفَرعِ مِنهُ بَياضَهُ
شُبُوبَthe heightening of سَخابِa bead necklace المِسكِof musk حَلياًjewelry مُبَرَّقاglittering
شُبُوبَ سَخابِ المِسكِ حَلياً مُبَرَّقا
The blackness of its hair heightens its whiteness,
The black of the twig highlights its whiteness,
as a musk-bead necklace sets off glittering ornaments.
As drops of perfume splash white silk.
دَعَتنيsummoned me إِلَيهِtoward it العَينُthe eye بِالخَيفِat al-Khayf مِنof منىMina
دَعَتني إِلَيهِ العَينُ بِالخَيفِ مِن منى
فَهاجَتand stirred لَهُfor it قَلباًa heart عَلُوقاًdeeply attached مُشَوَّقاyearning
فَهاجَت لَهُ قَلباً عَلُوقاً مُشَوَّقا
My eye drew me toward it at al-Khayf in Mina,
She beckoned to me with eyes of desire—
and stirred for it an enamored, yearning heart.
My heart quickened with longing for her.
تُصَرِّفُهُdirects it فِيماtoward whatever اِشتَهَتit desired فَيُطِيعُهاso it obeys it
تُصَرِّفُهُ فِيما اِشتَهَت فَيُطِيعُها
كَماjust as صَرَّفَdirected الراعيthe shepherd المُعِيدَthe seasoned camel المُسَوَّقاbeing driven
كَما صَرَّفَ الراعي المُعِيدَ المُسَوَّقا
The eye directs it toward whatever it desires, and the heart obeys it,
She leads it where she wants, and it obeys her
as a shepherd steers the seasoned camel he drives.
Like a shepherd with grazing sheep, driving them on.
إِذاwhen قُلتُI say مَهلاًhold back لِلفُؤادِto the heart عَنfrom الَّتيthe woman whom
إِذا قُلتُ مَهلاً لِلفُؤادِ عَن الَّتي
دَعَتكَsummoned you إِلَيهاtoward her العَينُthe eye أَغضىlowered its gaze وَأَطرَقاand bowed its head
دَعَتكَ إِلَيها العَينُ أَغضى وَأَطرَقا
When I tell my heart, “Hold back from her
When I say, “Gently, heart, leave her alone,
to whom the eye drew you,” it lowers its gaze and bows its head.
The one whose eyes have lured you,” it looks down and falls silent.
فَوَاللَهِso, by God ماnot إِنemphatic particle أَفتَحُI open الدَهرَever بابَهُits door
فَوَاللَهِ ما إِن أَفتَحُ الدَهرَ بابَهُ
مِنَwith القَولِwords إِلّاexcept that رَدَّنيit turned me back ثُمَّthen أَغلَقاit shut
مِنَ القَولِ إِلّا رَدَّني ثُمَّ أَغلَقا
By God, whenever I open its door
By God, whenever I open the door of speech about it
with words, it turns me back and then shuts it.
It pushes me back and quickly shuts the door.
وَقالَand it said وَقالَتand she said تَستَغِشّانِyou two mistrust ناصِحاًa counselor
وَقالَ وَقالَت تَستَغِشّانِ ناصِحاً
قَديماًlong-standing لعَمريby my life كانَwas مِنthan ذاكَthat أَشفَقاmore caring
قَديماً لعَمري كانَ مِن ذاكَ أَشفَقا
It spoke, and she spoke—you two mistrust a counselor
They keep saying, “He said...she said,” seeking to appease
of long standing, who, by my life, was too caring for that.
An old confidante who was always so concerned about me.
دَعاناًleave us both فَلَمfor not نَسبِقُwe preceded مُحِبّاًa lover بِماin what تَرىyou see
دَعاناً فَلَم نَسبِقُ مُحِبّاً بِما تَرى
فَماso not مِنكَfrom you هَذاthis العَذلُreproach إِلّاanything but تَخَرُّقاfolly
فَما مِنكَ هَذا العَذلُ إِلّا تَخَرُّقا
“Leave us both—we are not the first lovers to act as you see;
They invite, but we won’t be first, you see, to love—
so this reproach of yours is nothing but folly.
Not when this blame from you is but a pretext.
فَقَدfor indeed سَنَّestablished هَذاthis الحُبَّlove مَنwho كانَwas قَبلَناbefore us
فَقَد سَنَّ هَذا الحُبَّ مَن كانَ قَبلَنا
وَقادَand led الصِباyouthful passion المَرءَthe man الكَريمnoble فَأَعنَقاso he hastened
وَقادَ الصِبا المَرءَ الكَريم فَأَعنَقا
For those before us established this love,
Many before us have set this love in motion
and youthful passion led the noble man, so he sped along.”
And led the noble man to love’s submission.
Sol 6.1