وردa rose بخدّكupon your cheek أمor شقيقُa red anemone
ورد بخدّك أم شقيقُ
ورضاand contentment (apparently intended: saliva) ثغركyour mouth أمor رحيقُnectar
ورضا ثغرك أم رحيقُ
Is that a rose upon your cheek, or an anemone?
And is that your mouth's [saliva], or nectar?
والغصنand the branch مالbent تعطفاbending gently
والغصن مال تعطفا
أمor قدكyour stature اللدىunclear; apparently supple الرشيقُgraceful
أم قدك اللدى الرشيقُ
Is it a branch that bends gently,
or your [supple], graceful figure?
ياO عاذليmy reprover ماno للسلوfor solace
يا عاذلي ما للسلو
وإلىand to صباباتيmy ardent longings طريقُa path
وإلى صباباتي طريقُ
O my reprover, solace has no...
...path to my ardent longings.
هذاthis العقيقal-Aqiq (place-name; agate pun) فخلنيso leave me be
هذا العقيق فخلني
ينهلpours abundantly منfrom جفنيmy eyelid عقيقagate
ينهل من جفني عقيق
This is al-Aqiq; let me be,
as agate streams from my eyelid.
واقصرand desist فإنيfor I قدalready حملhave borne (continued)
واقصر فإني قد حمل
تI (verb ending) منof الهوىlove ماwhat لاnot أطيقُI can bear
ت من الهوى ما لا أطيقُ
Desist, for I have borne...
...of love more than I can bear.
كبدa liver محرقةscorched وطرand an eye (continued)
كبد محرقة وطر
فcompletion of 'eye' فيin مدامعهits tears غريقُdrowned
ف في مدامعه غريقُ
A scorched liver, and an eye...
...drowned in its tears.
قلقrestless الوسادthe pillow يشوقهawakens his longing
قلق الوساد يشوقه
منfrom ريمa gazelle رامةRamah ماwhatever يشوقُawakens longing
من ريم رامة ما يشوقُ
Restless upon his pillow, he is stirred...
...by whatever charms in the gazelle of Ramah.
وشجand sorrowful إذاwhen غنَّتsang حماdoves (continued)
وشج إذا غنَّت حما
مcompletion of 'doves' حنَّyearned أوor عنَّتappeared بروقlightning flashes
م حنَّ أو عنَّت بروق
And sorrowful: when doves sing...
...he yearns, or when lightning appears.
فلهso he has غرامpassionate love ساكنdwelling in
فله غرام ساكن
أحشاءهhis innards وحشاand a heart خفوقfluttering
أحشاءه وحشا خفوق
For he has a passion dwelling...
...in his innards, and a fluttering heart.
فدعso leave الأسيرthe captive وماand what عناafflicted (continued)
فدع الأسير وما عنا
هhim (word ending) منof الكآبةsorrow ياO طليقfree one
ه من الكآبة يا طليق
So leave the captive to what has afflicted...
...him with sorrow, O free one.
ياO صاحبيmy two companions أتجلَّداam I to show fortitude?
يا صاحبي أتجلَّدا
منfrom بعدafter ماthat افترقparted الفريقthe company
من بعد ما افترق الفريق
O my two companions, am I to show fortitude...
...after the company has parted?
هيهاتfar from it! متسعvast expanse الفضاspace (continued)
هيهات متسع الفضا
ءcompletion of 'space' عليّupon me بعدهمafter their departure يضيقnarrows
ء عليّ بعدهم يضيق
Far from it! The vast expanse of space...
...narrows upon me after their departure.
ياO سلمSalm أنيthat I (apparently intended: I am) والذيby Him who
يا سلم أني والذي
رفعraised السّماءthe sky لكمto you صديقa friend
رفع السّماء لكم صديق
O Salm, I, by Him who...
...raised the sky, am your friend.
كمhow often يشتكيcomplains جورtyranny الرواapparently the haunches (continued)
كم يشتكي جور الروا
دقcompletion of apparent 'haunches' خمركyour wine (apparently intended: your waist) النضوwasted الدقيقslender
دق خمرك النضو الدقيق
How often the tyranny of the [haunches] is lamented...
...by your wasted, slender [waist]!
ولكمand how often إذاwhen سكتfell silent السواthe bracelet (continued)
ولكم إذا سكت السوا
روشىcompletes 'bracelet'; told tales موشحكyour ornamented sash النطوقeloquent
روشى موشحك النطوق
And how often, when the bracelet falls silent,
your eloquent ornamented sash tells tales!
أقسمتI swore بالبيتby the House العتيancient (continued)
أقسمت بالبيت العتي
قcompletion of 'ancient' ومنand by Him who لهto whom it belongs البيتthe House العتيقancient
ق ومن له البيت العتيق
I swear by the Ancient House...
...and by Him to whom the Ancient House belongs,
وبماand by what أراقshed منof الدماblood (continued)
وبما أراق من الدما
ءcompletion of 'blood' صبيحةthe morning of الأضحىthe Feast of Sacrifice مريقone who sheds blood
ء صبيحة الأضحى مريق
and by the blood poured out...
...on the morning of the Feast of Sacrifice by the slaughterer:
للصاحبsurely the lord الملكthe king الجليmajestic (continued)
للصاحب الملك الجلي
لcompletion of 'majestic' بكلof every مكرمةnoble honor خليقworthy
ل بكل مكرمة خليق
surely the lord, the majestic king,...
...is worthy of every noble honor.
ملكa king رعاياهhis subjects بمنin his refuge (continued)
ملك رعاياه بمن
جاهcompletion of 'in his refuge' ومرعاهand his pasture أنيسwelcoming
جاه ومرعاه أنيس
A king whose subjects dwell...
...in his refuge, and whose pasture is welcoming.
لارزقneither the provision عافيهhis petitioner ولاnor
لارزق عافيه ولا
أخلاقهhis character يوماever تضيقgrows constrained
أخلاقه يوما تضيق
Neither his provision for his petitioner...
...nor his gracious nature is ever constrained.
ساميlofty الصنائعbenefactions تستردare restored (continued)
سامي الصنائع تسترد
دcompletion of 'are restored' بيمنby the blessing of دولتهhis reign الحقوقrightful claims
د بيمن دولته الحقوق
Lofty in benefactions; restored...
...by the blessing of his reign are rightful claims.
طبexpert بامرin the affairs of ممالكrealms الthe (article for 'caliphs')
طب بامر ممالك ال
خلفاءcaliphs فتاقone who tears open رتوقclosed seams
خلفاء فتاق رتوق
Expert in the affairs of the realms of the...
...caliphs, an opener of closed seams.
فبرأيهso by his counsel سدّتwere sealed ثغوbreaches (continued)
فبرأيه سدّت ثغو
رcompletion of 'breaches' مثلماjust as رقعتwere patched خروقrents
ر مثلما رقعت خروق
So by his counsel, breaches are sealed...
...just as rents are patched.
ولماذاand why كذبتlied مخاportents (continued)
ولماذا كذبت مخا
ئلcompletion of 'portents' بارقa flashing cloud برقlightning صدوقtruthful
ئل بارق برق صدوق
And why have the portents...
...of a flashing cloud lied? He is truthful lightning.
جاراهraced him قومsome people فيin العلىthe heights
جاراه قوم في العلى
جهلاin ignorance فكانso he was هوhe himself السبوقُthe one who outstrips
جهلا فكان هو السبوقُ
Others raced him toward the heights...
...in ignorance; he was the one who outstripped them.
فوجارso the den of حاسدهhis envier الحضيthe depths (continued)
فوجار حاسده الحضي
ضcompletion of 'the depths' وجارهand his neighbor حيثwhere الأنوقُthe vulture
ض وجاره حيث الأنوقُ
So his envier's den is in the depths...
...and his neighbor lives where the vulture dwells.
وتراهand you see him مقداماboldly advancing إذاwhen
وتراه مقداما إذا
قامتwas established ليومfor the day of الحربwar سوقُa market
قامت ليوم الحرب سوقُ
And you see him boldly advancing when...
...the market opens for the day of war.
وعليهand upon him درعa coat of mail سردةclosely linked
وعليه درع سردة
ردعstains الدماءblood لهاfor it خلوقُsaffron perfume
ردع الدماء لها خلوقُ
He wears a coat of closely linked mail;
the stains of blood are its saffron perfume.
متهجماcharging fiercely تشقىsuffer ببيwith the bright (continued)
متهجما تشقى ببي
ضcompletion of 'with the bright' طباهunclear; apparently his blade-edges هاماتheads وسوقُand shins
ض طباه هامات وسوقُ
Charging fiercely, bringing grief with the bright...
...[edges of his blades] to heads and shins.
مولايmy lord مجدMajd (glory) الدينal-Din (religion) ياO
مولاي مجد الدين يا
منone whose عهدهhis covenant عقدa bond وثيقُfirm
من عهده عقد وثيقُ
My lord Majd al-Din, O...
...you whose covenant is a firm bond!
إنif تفعلyou do الحسنىgoodness فلاthen no
إن تفعل الحسنى فلا
عجبwonder بكfor you الحسنىgoodness تليقُbefits
عجب بك الحسنى تليقُ
If you do good, it is no...
...wonder: goodness befits you.
فضلmerit وأفضالand benefactions يشيbuilds up (continued)
فضل وأفضال يشي
دcompletion of 'builds up' علاهاtheir heights نصبa monument عريقُof ancient standing
د علاها نصب عريقُ
Merit and benefactions, whose heights are built up...
...by a monument of ancient standing.
هذاthis هوit (emphatic) المدحthe praise الذيthat
هذا هو المدح الذي
أضحىhas become لسامعهto its hearer يروقُdelights
أضحى لسامعه يروقُ
This is the praise that...
...now delights its hearer.
هوit ياO أباAbu (father of) الفضلal-Fadl (excellence) الكريgenerous (continued)
هو يا أبا الفضل الكري
مcompletion of 'generous' وعرضكand your honor المسكmusk السحيقُfinely ground
م وعرضك المسك السحيقُ
It, O generous Abu al-Fadl,...
...and your honor are finely powdered musk.
لاmay you not زلتcease تبقىlive on ماas long as دجىgrew dark
لا زلت تبقى ما دجى
ليلnight وعاقبهand followed it شروقُsunrise
ليل وعاقبه شروقُ
May you never cease to live, so long as night darkens...
...and sunrise follows it.
Sol 6.1