سلْask سيفَthe sword of ناظرِهhis gaze لماذاwhy سلَّهُhe unsheathed it
سلْ سيفَ ناظرِه لماذا سلَّهُ
وعلىand toward دميmy blood لمَwhy دَلَّهُdirected it قدٌa figure لهُof his
وعلى دمي لمَ دَلَّهُ قدٌ لهُ
Ask the sword of his gaze why he unsheathed it,
Ask the sword of its wielder why it was drawn,
and why his figure directed it toward my blood.
And why it was directed at my blood though faultless.
واستفتِand seek a ruling كيفhow أَباحَhe permitted فيunder شرعِthe law of الهوىlove
واستفتِ كيف أَباحَ في شرعِ الهوى
دمَthe blood of مَنْone who يَهيمُis passionately in love بهwith him وفيمَand on what grounds أَحلّهُhe made it lawful
دمَ مَنْ يَهيمُ به وفيمَ أَحلّهُ
And seek a ruling: how, under love’s law, did he permit
Inquire how it sanctioned shedding the blood,
the shedding of the blood of one who adores him, and on what grounds did he make it lawful?
Of one infatuated with its love unlawfully.
سلْask for عَطفَهhis kindness فعسىfor perhaps لطافةُthe delicacy of عطْفهِhis flank
سلْ عَطفَه فعسى لطافةُ عطْفهِ
تُعديspreads contagiously to قساوةَthe hardness of قلبهhis heart ولعلَّهُand perhaps it will
تُعدي قساوةَ قلبه ولعلَّهُ
Ask for his kindness; perhaps the delicacy of his flank
Ask its blade, mayhap the tenderness of its edge,
may spread to his heart’s hardness—and perhaps it will.
Would temper the hardness of its heart, hopefully.
كَثُرَتْhave multiplied لقسوةِbecause of the hardness of قلبهhis heart جَفَواتهُhis rebuffs
كَثُرَتْ لقسوةِ قلبه جَفَواتهُ
ياAh ماhow أَرقَّfrail وفاءَهhis faithfulness وأَقلَّهُand how scant it is
يا ما أَرقَّ وفاءَه وأَقلَّهُ
His rebuffs have multiplied because his heart is hard.
Numerous were its cruel rebuffs due to the hardness of its heart.
Ah, how frail his faithfulness, and how scant!
Oh how it distressed its devotion and diminished it!
ياO منجداًhelper ناديتهُI called upon him مُستنجداًseeking aid
يا منجداً ناديتهُ مُستنجداً
فيin خَلّتيmy need والمرءُand a man يُنجدُhelps خِلَّهُhis close friend
في خَلّتي والمرءُ يُنجدُ خِلَّهُ
O helper whom I called upon, seeking aid
A supporter did I cry out to in my solitude,
in my need—and a man comes to his friend’s aid—
And a man should support his bosom friend.
سِرْgo حاملاًcarrying سِرّيmy secret فأَنتfor you لحملهِto carry it
سِرْ حاملاً سِرّي فأَنت لحملهِ
أَهلٌwell suited وخفَّفand lighten عنfrom فؤاديmy heart ثِقلَهُits weight
أَهلٌ وخفَّف عن فؤادي ثِقلَهُ
go, carrying my secret, for to bear it you are
Travel discreetly bearing my secret, for you are worthy of its burden,
well suited; and lift its weight from my heart.
And relieve my heart of its heaviness.
وإذاand when وصلتَyou arrive فَغضَّthen avert عنfrom واديthe valley of الغضاghada trees
وإذا وصلتَ فَغضَّ عن وادي الغضا
طَرْفَthe gaze of المريبِone who arouses suspicion وحَيِّand greet عنّيon my behalf أَهلَهُits people
طَرْفَ المريبِ وحَيِّ عنّي أَهلَهُ
And when you arrive, avert from Wadi al-Ghada
And when you arrive, turn away from the valley of estrangement,
your furtive gaze, and greet its people on my behalf.
The glance of suspicion, and greet my people on my behalf.
أَهْدِoffer السَّلامgreetings هديتَmay you be guided aright للرَّشأto the fawn الذيwhom
أَهْدِ السَّلام هديتَ للرَّشأ الذي
أَعطاهgave him قلبيmy heart رُشدَهits good sense فأَضَلّهُthen he led it astray
أَعطاه قلبي رُشدَه فأَضَلّهُ
Offer greetings—may you be guided aright—to the fawn to whom
Convey my greetings as a gift to the one,
my heart gave its good sense, only for him to lead it astray.
Whose heart I endowed with sensibleness but led him astray.
Sol 6.1