ياO ليلةًnight لاnot أزالI cease أذكرهاI remember it
يا ليلةً لا أزال أذكرها
ماnot نسيتI have forgotten ليلةa night وأشكرهاand I thank it
ما نسيت ليلة وأشكرها
O night that I never cease to remember!
O night I still remember,
I have not forgotten that night, and I give thanks for it.
I have not forgotten a night to thank it.
وفتshe was faithful سليمىSulayma فيهاduring it بموعدto a promised tryst هناhere
وفت سليمى فيها بموعد هنا
إذwhen طرقتshe visited by night والظلامand the darkness يضمرهاconceals her
إذ طرقت والظلام يضمرها
That night, Sulayma kept a promised tryst here,
When I met Slayma in it at an appointment here,
when she visited by night, darkness concealing her.
As she knocked while the darkness was brewing it.
وغابand was absent عناfrom us رقيبناour watcher فصفتso it became serene
وغاب عنا رقيبنا فصفت
وكانand it had been يخشىfeared منهfrom him تكدرهاits being spoiled
وكان يخشى منه تكدرها
Our watcher was gone from us, so the night grew serene;
Our chaperone was absent from us, so I described her,
and we had feared he might spoil its serenity.
And he used to fear his sullying it.
بتناwe spent the night ضجيعينtwo bedfellows فيin ملاحفcoverlets يطbeginning of 'folds them'
بتنا ضجيعين في ملاحف يط
ويهاcompletion of 'folds them' الهوىpassion تارةat times وينشرهاand spreads them out
ويها الهوى تارة وينشرها
We spent the night side by side in coverlets folded
We two lay down in soft bedsheets,
at times by passion, and at times spread out.
And they were sometimes stirred by passion and sometimes spread them.
أنهلI drink deeply منfrom ريقهاher saliva علىin a state of ضماءthirst
أنهل من ريقها على ضماء
صهباءtawny wine فوهاher mouth الشهيdelectable معصرهاits winepress
صهباء فوها الشهي معصرها
I drink deeply from her saliva in my thirst—
I sipped from her saliva on a blazing thirst,
a tawny wine whose press is her delectable mouth.
Her radiant mouth the noble pressed it.
نقليmy drinking relish علىwith شربdrinking ريقهاher saliva قبلkisses
نقلي على شرب ريقها قبل
تشعلkindle نارthe fire of الهوىpassion وتسعرهاand stoke it
تشعل نار الهوى وتسعرها
Kisses are my relish as I drink her saliva,
Relate to me on drinking her saliva before,
kindling the fire of passion and stoking its blaze.
The fire of love blazes and inflames it.
إنif ملis found tiresome لفظa word مكررrepeated فمنىyet the wishes of
إن مل لفظ مكرر فمنى
نفسيmy soul فيin لفظةٍa word تكررهاshe repeats it
نفسي في لفظةٍ تكررها
If a repeated word grows tedious, still the wishes
If my repeated word is from me,
of my soul lie in a word she repeats.
My soul in an expression repeats it.
جاريةٌa maiden ذاتhaving منظرٍan appearance حسنbeautiful
جاريةٌ ذات منظرٍ حسن
أحسنperfected تصويرهاher form مصورهاher maker
أحسن تصويرها مصورها
A maiden of beautiful appearance,
A maid of beautiful appearance,
whose maker fashioned her to perfection.
Her portrayer beautified portraying her.
كالغصنlike a bough قداًin stature والبدرand the full moon إنif سفرتshe unveils her face
كالغصن قداً والبدر إن سفرت
شبيههاher likeness فيamong الظباءthe gazelles أحورهاtheir most vividly black-and-white-eyed one
شبيهها في الظباء أحورها
Like a bough in stature, and the full moon when she unveils;
Like a branch in stature and the full moon, if she travels,
her likeness among gazelles has the darkest pupils and brightest whites.
Her likeness among the gazelles enchants it.
فمنso, of كثيبٍa sand dune واراهconcealed it مئزرهاher waist-wrap
فمن كثيبٍ واراه مئزرها
وبدرand a full moon تمat its fullness غطاهcovered it معجزهاher wrap
وبدر تم غطاه معجزها
Thus she is made of a sand dune concealed by her waist-wrap,
With a prominent bosom and he covered her waist wrapper,
and a full moon covered by her wrap.
And a full moon completed shrouding her.
طيبةnoble الأصلin lineage لستI do not أنسبهاname her ancestry
طيبة الأصل لست أنسبها
مخافةfor fear أنthat يغارmight grow jealous معشرهاher kin
مخافة أن يغار معشرها
Of noble stock—I do not disclose her lineage,
Good stock she is, I do not attribute her
for fear her kin might grow jealous.
Fearing her companions will envy her.
وخافتand she feared الصبحthe dawn أنlest ينمtell tales علىabout
وخافت الصبح أن ينم على
مكانهاher whereabouts ضوءهits light فيشهرهاand so expose her
مكانها ضوءه فيشهرها
And she feared the dawn, lest it betray
And she feared the dawn would sleep in,
her whereabouts with its light, and expose her.
Its light in her place exposing her.
فودعتنيso she bade me farewell عجليin haste وأدمعهاand her tears
فودعتني عجلي وأدمعها
يبلwets أردانهاher sleeves تحدرهاtheir streaming
يبل أردانها تحدرها
So she bade me farewell in haste, while her tears
She bid me goodbye in haste and her tears,
drenched her sleeves as they streamed down.
Wet her cheeks streaming them.
وانصرفتand she departed فيin رداءa cloak مكرمةٍhonor
وانصرفت في رداء مكرمةٍ
وحلتيand two robes of عفةٍchastity تجررهاshe trails it
وحلتي عفةٍ تجررها
And she departed in a cloak of honor,
And she left in an honorable gown,
and two robes of chastity, trailing behind her.
And my state of chastity dragging it.
رداؤهاher cloak الصونmodest reserve والعفافand chastity فماso, not
رداؤها الصون والعفاف فما
تكادalmost manages to عينan eye الأنامِof humankind تنظرهاsee her
تكاد عين الأنامِ تنظرها
Her cloak is modest reserve and chastity, so scarcely
Her gown is modesty and chastity, so the,
can any human eye behold her.
Eyes of people can barely look on her.
Sol 6.1