كمmany a غادةgraceful maiden غازلتهاI courted her ومفارقيand my hair-partings
كم غادة غازلتها ومفارقي
سودblack وماand not خطstreaked المشيبgray hair ذؤابتيmy forelock
سود وما خط المشيب ذؤابتي
How many a graceful maiden I courted, while my parted hair
How many a beauty have I courted, and then parted from,
Was black, and gray had not yet streaked my forelock.
Grey-haired, though the ink of youth still stains my fingers.
حوراءdark-eyed beauty منfrom among وحشwild creatures الصراةal-Sarat غريرةٍguileless
حوراء من وحش الصراة غريرةٍ
تصبيcaptivates الحليمthe sober-minded دعوتهاI called her فأجابتso she answered
تصبي الحليم دعوتها فأجابت
A dark-eyed, guileless gazelle of al-Sarat,
A gazelle-eyed darling from the sands of Sirah,
Who beguiles the sober-minded—I called her, and she answered.
Whose soft voice soothed my soul when she responded
بتناwe spent the night جميعاًtogether فيin ملاءةa mantle عفةٍchastity
بتنا جميعاً في ملاءة عفةٍ
ورقيبناand our watcher ناءٍfar away وإزرِand a waist-wrap صيانةself-restraint
ورقيبنا ناءٍ وإزرِ صيانة
We spent the night together in a mantle of chastity
To my call. We met in modest seclusion,
And a wrap of self-restraint, our watcher far away.
With propriety our chaperone and veil.
نشكوwe lament هواناour love والتصونand chaste reserve حاجزٌa barrier
نشكو هوانا والتصون حاجزٌ
ماthe space بينناbetween us فعنوso they yielded لهto it بالطاعةin obedience
ما بيننا فعنو له بالطاعة
We lamented our love, while chaste reserve stood as a barrier
I complain of my weakness; virtue stands guard
Between us; so they yielded to it in obedience.
Between us, so I submit to it obediently.
حتىuntil إذاwhen أبدىrevealed الصباحmorning جبينهits brow
حتى إذا أبدى الصباح جبينه
وتكلمتand spoke ورقاءa gray dove فوقatop أراكةan arak tree
وتكلمت ورقاء فوق أراكة
Until, when morning revealed its brow,
When dawn raised its brows
And a gray dove spoke atop an arak tree,
And the leaves stirred above our dalliance,
نهضتshe rose مودعةbidding farewell وأودعتand she deposited الحشاthe heart
نهضت مودعة وأودعت الحشا
منيof me تلهبblazing جمرةan ember لذاعةsearing
مني تلهب جمرة لذاعة
She rose to bid farewell, and left within the heart
She rose to leave me, and bade farewell to our trysting-place,
Of me the blaze of a searing ember.
Though in my heart still burns love's ember.
ياO ليلةnight ماhow كانwas أقصرهاshort it was وياand oh
يا ليلة ما كان أقصرها ويا
لهفيmy longing عليهاfor it ليلةa night لوif only طالتit had lasted longer
لهفي عليها ليلة لو طالت
O night, how short it was! And oh,
Oh what a brief night it was! Oh how
My longing for it—a night, if only it had lasted longer!
I yearn for her on a night that might be longer!
Sol 6.1