حَسَنٌa handsome one تكاملbecame perfect فيin المحاسنthe graces فاغتدىand so became
حَسَنٌ تكامل في المحاسن فاغتدى
لكمالهbecause of his perfection فيin الحسنbeauty أوحدَthe peerless one عصرِهِof his age
لكماله في الحسن أوحدَ عصرِهِ
A handsome one, perfected in every grace, has become
A perfection of beauty, supreme in graces,
through his perfection in beauty, the peerless one of his age.
Unequalled in comeliness throughout his time.
واللَهِby God ماnot أدريI know بأيِّby which of صفاتهhis qualities
واللَهِ ما أدري بأيِّ صفاته
أسَرَhe captured القلوبَthe hearts فأُوثقتso they were bound فيin أسرِهِhis thrall
أسَرَ القلوبَ فأُوثقت في أسرِهِ
By God, I do not know by which of his qualities
I know not by what quality he has captivated hearts,
he captured hearts, so they were bound in his thrall.
That they are bound fast, enchained in his thrall.
أبوجههwith his face? أمor شَعرِهhis hair أمor نحرِهِhis throat
أبوجهه أم شَعرِه أم نحرِهِ
أمor قدِّهhis stature أمor ردفهhis buttocks أمor خصرِهِhis waist
أم قدِّه أم ردفه أم خصرِهِ
Was it with his face, or his hair, or his throat,
Is it his face, or his hair, or his throat,
or his stature, or his buttocks, or his waist?
Or his stature, or his hips, or his waist?
اللَهُGod صيَّرهmade him خليفةَthe deputy of شمسِهHis sun
اللَهُ صيَّره خليفةَ شمسِه
فيناamong us وأغناناand spared us the need بهthrough him عنfor بدرِهِHis full moon
فينا وأغنانا به عن بدرِهِ
God made him the deputy of His sun
God made him His sun's vicegerent among us,
among us, and through him spared us the need for His full moon.
Enriching us by him, dispensing with the moon.
خَلقٌphysical form وخُلقٌand character زيَّناهboth adorned him وذلَّلاand both humbled
خَلقٌ وخُلقٌ زيَّناه وذلَّلا
عزَّpride النفوسof souls لنهيهto his prohibition ولأمرِهِand to his command
عزَّ النفوس لنهيه ولأمرِهِ
His form and character have adorned him and humbled
Nature and manners graced and gentled him,
the pride of souls before his prohibition and command,
And hearts are humbled at his commands and his prohibitions.
بصيانةٍwith chastity فيin أُنسهhis intimacy وتواضعٍand humility
بصيانةٍ في أُنسه وتواضعٍ
فيin نيلهhis giving وبشاشةٍand cheerfulness فيin كِبرِهِhis pride
في نيله وبشاشةٍ في كِبرِهِ
with chastity in his intimacy, and humility
Chaste in his familiarity, humble in his dignity,
in his giving, and cheerfulness in his pride.
Gracious in his aloofness, majestic in his pride.
فيin طرفهhis glance سحرٌmagic يُشحِّطُناhe drenches us in blood بهwith it
في طرفه سحرٌ يُشحِّطُنا به
فلذاكand therefore حُمرةthe redness خدِّهof his cheek منfrom قَطرِهِits drops
فلذاك حُمرة خدِّه من قَطرِهِ
His glance holds magic with which he drenches us in blood;
His glances have a magic that ravishes us,
thus the redness of his cheek comes from its drops.
Hence the rose-flush of his cheeks from his tears.
لوif جاءcame ناظرُهhis eye ببابلto Babylon لاعترتwould befall
لو جاء ناظرُه ببابل لاعترت
هارُوتَHarut أوor ماروتَMarut أُخذةُthe binding spell of سحرِهِhis magic
هارُوتَ أو ماروتَ أُخذةُ سحرِهِ
If his eye came to Babylon, there would befall
If his observer in Babylon chanced upon him,
Harut or Marut the binding spell of his magic.
He would seize Harut or Marut in the frenzy of his sorcery.
لوif أنَّthat ذاthe possessor of القَرنَينthe two horns فيin ظلماتهhis darkness
لو أنَّ ذا القَرنَين في ظلماته
لاقاهmet him يضحكlaughing لاستضاءhe would have drawn light بثغرِهِfrom his mouth
لاقاه يضحك لاستضاء بثغرِهِ
Had Dhu al-Qarnayn, in his darkness,
Were Zul-Qarnain amid his gloom to meet him,
met him laughing, he would have drawn light from his mouth.
He would laugh, enlightened by his visage's radiance.
إنيindeed I لأحسبنيsurely imagine myself إذاwhen استَنكَهتُهI smell his breath
إني لأحسبني إذا استَنكَهتُه
ملكٌa king تطلَّعpeered فيinto جِرابةthe pouch of عطرِهِhis perfume
ملكٌ تطلَّع في جِرابة عطرِهِ
Indeed, when I smell his breath, I fancy myself
When I act coy before him, I fancy myself
a king peering into his perfume pouch.
An angel peering at the fragrance of his perfumes,
قدindeed ظَنَّhe suspected بيabout me ظنّاًa suspicion ولاbut no وحياتهby his life
قد ظَنَّ بي ظنّاً ولا وحياته
ماnot كانit was بلrather قدindeed ظنَّهhe imagined it فيin سكرِهِhis drunkenness
ما كان بل قد ظنَّه في سكرِهِ
He has harbored a suspicion of me; but no, by his life,
He thought of me with passion, upon my life,
it was not so; rather, he imagined it in his drunkenness.
No indeed, but drunkenness made him think so.
إنَّindeed الوفاءfaithfulness ديانةٌpiety ولقدand indeed يُرىis seen
إنَّ الوفاء ديانةٌ ولقد يُرى
غَدرُtreachery الفَتىof a young man أخزىmore shameful لهto him منthan كُفرِهِhis unbelief
غَدرُ الفَتى أخزى له من كُفرِهِ
Indeed, faithfulness is piety, and it may well be seen
Loyalty is a duty, and a young man's perfidy
that a young man's treachery shames him more than his unbelief.
Is more disgraceful to him than unbelief.
أأمسُّهwould I touch him? بنقيصةٍwith dishonor لِمwhy ذاthis ولوand if
أأمسُّه بنقيصةٍ لِم ذا ولو
مُلِّكتُI were given mastery of عمريmy lifetime زدتُهI would add it فيto عُمرِهِhis lifetime
مُلِّكتُ عمري زدتُه في عُمرِهِ
Would I touch him with dishonor? Why do this? And were
Shall I disparage him for a slight failing? Why should I?
I given mastery over my lifetime, I would add it to his.
If I owned eternal life I would add it to his.
سيّانalike عنديto me نائمٌa sleeper فيin نومهhis sleep
سيّان عندي نائمٌ في نومه
يُجنىa wrong is committed عليهagainst him وميِّتand a dead man فيin قَبرِهِhis grave
يُجنى عليه وميِّت في قَبرِهِ
To me, these are alike: a sleeper in his sleep
It is all one to me, whether he sleeps in his bed
who is wronged, and a dead man in his grave.
While I suffer injustice, or lies dead in his tomb.
Sol 6.1