ياO صيرفيّاًmoney-changer هواهlove for him
يا صيرفيّاً هواه
فيin مقلتيmy eye يتصرَّفْholds sway
في مقلتي يتصرَّفْ
O money-changer, whose love
O you who rule my passion
holds sway within my eye.
And in my eyelids make mischief
لوif قابلhe faced الشمسَthe sun كادتit almost
لو قابل الشمسَ كادت
لخجلةٍout of shame منهbecause of him تكسفbe eclipsed
لخجلةٍ منه تكسف
If he faced the sun, it would almost
Were you to meet the sun
be eclipsed out of shame before him.
It would shy away out of bashfulness
لوif أنthat للبدرfor the full moon معشاa tenth (continued next line)
لو أن للبدر معشا
رَcompletes 'a tenth' حُسنهhis beauty لتصلَّفit would swagger
رَ حُسنه لتصلَّف
If the full moon possessed a tenth
If the moon had a dwelling
of his beauty, it would swagger.
It would envy his beauty
رقتgrew delicate حواشيهhis contours حتّىuntil
رقت حواشيه حتّى
تكادthey almost أنto تُتَرشَّفbe sipped
تكاد أن تُتَرشَّف
His contours have grown so delicate
So gentle are his features
that they can almost be sipped.
They seem to dazzle and sparkle
يكادhe almost منfrom فرطexcess لطفٍdelicacy
يكاد من فرط لطفٍ
بالوهمby imagination أنto يُتَخطَّفbe snatched away
بالوهم أن يُتَخطَّف
From his extreme delicacy, he could almost
So exquisite is his charm
be snatched away by imagination.
One could imagine him snatched away
إذاwhen تثنىhe sways تثنَّتthey sway
إذا تثنى تثنَّت
أعطافُهhis flanks تتعطَّفthey bend
أعطافُه تتعطَّف
When he sways, they sway—
When he inclines, his flanks incline
his flanks, bending.
Swaying with subtle grace
وإنand if تهادىhe walks gracefully تهادتthey move gracefully
وإن تهادى تهادت
أردافُهhis buttocks تتردَّفthey follow one another
أردافُه تتردَّف
And if he glides, they glide—
And when he struts, his hips strut
his buttocks, one following the other.
Swaying rhythmically to and fro
فالنورso the radiance والحسنand the beauty فيهin him
فالنور والحسن فيه
كُلٌّeach بكُلٍّwith each تألَّفhas joined
كُلٌّ بكُلٍّ تألَّف
For radiance and beauty within him
For the light and beauty in him
are each united with the other.
Are perfectly combined and blended
وباللّباقةand with elegance والشكand the form (continued next line)
وباللّباقة والشك
لِcompletes 'form' والفتورand languor تزخرفhe became adorned
لِ والفتور تزخرف
And with elegance and comely form
With elegance, allure and languor
and languor he is adorned.
He is ornately adorned
يُزيِّنadorns الخلقَthe outward form منهof him
يُزيِّن الخلقَ منه
خُلقٌcharacter منthan الظرفِrefinement أظرَفmore refined
خُلقٌ من الظرفِ أظرَف
His outward form is adorned
His nature embellishes creation
by a character more refined than refinement itself.
With the finest manners and decorum
ياO مُشبِهَyou who resemble الحُورthe houris لاno بلrather
يا مُشبِهَ الحُور لا بل
أجلُّmore exalted منهاthan them وألطَفand more delicate
أجلُّ منها وألطَف
O you who resemble the houris—no, rather,
O you who resemble houris
you are more exalted than they, and more delicate.
Nay, more sublime and gentle than they
دَعنيlet me أُحبّI love مليحاًa handsome one
دَعني أُحبّ مليحاً
مُحِبُّهhis lover ليسis not يُعنَفis rebuked
مُحِبُّه ليس يُعنَف
Let me love a handsome one—
Let me love a beauty
his lover is not rebuked.
Whose lover is not berated
مَنwhoever لامنيblames me فيfor هواهlove for him
مَن لامني في هواه
فهوthen he is المُعنّىthe tormented one المكلَّفthe burdened one
فهو المُعنّى المكلَّف
Whoever blames me for loving him
If anyone blames me for my passion
is himself the tormented, burdened one.
It is they who pretend and feign
مولايmy lord يُزهىis proud ويَبهىand is radiant
مولاي يُزهى ويَبهى
والرُّوحwhile the soul تضنىwastes away وتتلفand perishes
والرُّوح تضنى وتتلف
My lord is proud and radiant,
My Master is resplendent and radiant
while the soul wastes away and perishes.
While my soul pines and withers away
باللطفwith gentleness يقبضhe seizes روحيmy soul
باللطف يقبض روحي
إنif جئتُهI come to him أتلطَّفI act gently
إن جئتُه أتلطَّف
With gentleness he seizes my soul,
With his gentleness he grasps my soul
if I come to him with gentleness.
Whenever I try to draw near
Sol 6.1