بوردby the rose خدَّيكَyour two cheeks والشقيقِand the anemone
بورد خدَّيكَ والشقيقِ
وقدكand your figure الأهيفslender الرشيقِgraceful
وقدك الأهيف الرشيقِ
By the rose of your cheeks and the anemone,
Your cheeks' board and lavender
And by your slender, graceful figure,
And your graceful, delicate perfume
وثقلand the weight of أردافكyour buttocks اللواتيwhich
وثقل أردافك اللواتي
تجفواpress harshly علىupon خَمرِكyour wine (perhaps intended: your waist) الدقيقِslender
تجفوا على خَمرِك الدقيقِ
And by the weight of your buttocks, which
And the heaviness of your thighs that
Press upon your slender waist [uncertain reading],
Flow on your delicate wine
وبالذيand by the One who ركبset الثناياthe front teeth
وبالذي ركب الثنايا
فيin فيكyour mouth دراpearls علىupon عقيقِcarnelian
في فيك درا على عقيقِ
And by the One who set the front teeth
And by the One who mounted the paths
In your mouth, pearls upon carnelian,
In your mouth a pearl on carnelian
لاdo not تمزجنever mix ليfor me الرحيقpure wine إلاّexcept
لا تمزجن لي الرحيق إلاّ
بريقكwith your saliva المسكرintoxicating الرحيقِpure
بريقك المسكر الرحيقِ
Never mix pure wine for me except
Do not mix for me the nectar unless
With your pure, intoxicating saliva.
With your intoxicating radiant nectar
واجعلand make مديحpraise of الهمامthe noble lord صوتيmy song
واجعل مديح الهمام صوتي
علىover صبوحيmy morning draught وفيand at غبوقيmy evening drink
على صبوحي وفي غبوقي
And make praise of the noble lord my song
And make the praise of the passionate my voice
Over my morning draught and at my evening drink.
In my morning and nightfall
قدindeed كانwas سمعيmy hearing لمنtoward whoever يناديcalls out
قد كان سمعي لمن ينادي
جاءhe has come وعينيand my eye إلىtoward الطريقِthe road
جاء وعيني إلى الطريقِ
My ear was turned toward whoever called,
My hearing had been for the one calling
'He has come!' and my eye was on the road:
He came and my eyes to the path
محمودMahmud المَاجدthe noble المرجّىlooked to with hope
محمود المَاجد المرجّى
ذوpossessor of المجدglory والسؤددand nobility العريقِdeep-rooted
ذو المجد والسؤدد العريقِ
Mahmud, noble and looked to with hope,
Mahmoud al-Majid, the hoped for
Possessor of glory and deep-rooted nobility.
Of glory and ancient nobility
علقتI attached myself منهin him بأريحيٍّto a generous man
علقت منه بأريحيٍّ
ذيpossessing خلقa character بالندىfor generosity خليقِsuited
ذي خلق بالندى خليقِ
I have cleaved to a generous soul in him,
I clung to him with comfort
Whose nature is fitted for generosity.
Of manners with dew, well-mannered
رَبَّlord of ثرةٍabundant bounty ووجهٍand a face
رَبَّ ثرةٍ ووجهٍ
ندٍdewy لسؤالهto his petitioners طليقِwelcoming
ندٍ لسؤاله طليقِ
Lord of plenty, with a face
Lord of abundance and a face
Dewy and welcoming to his petitioners.
Helping readily for his request unfettered
ممدحmuch praised تسرحroam freely الأمانيhopes
ممدح تسرح الأماني
فيin روضthe garden of إحسانهhis kindness الأنيقِlovely
في روض إحسانه الأنيقِ
Much praised: hopes roam freely
The praised one imagination roams
In the lovely garden of his kindness.
In the meadow of his graceful kindness
أشجعthe bravest منof those who جالrode forth يومon a day of حربbattle
أشجع من جال يوم حرب
علىon طريsupple نهدٍpowerfully built عتيقِnoble-bred
على طري نهدٍ عتيقِ
The bravest to ride forth on a day of battle
Braver than one who charged on a day of war
On a supple, powerful, noble-bred steed.
On a firm, long-standing hillside
كالماءlike water ينحطplunges downward منfrom علوa height
كالماء ينحط من علو
والنارand fire فيin سرعةthe speed of الحريقِburning
والنار في سرعة الحريقِ
Like water plunging from a height,
Like water cascading down from on high
And like fire in the speed of its burning.
And fire in the speed of blaze
راكبهُits rider رائعawe-inspiring وغادٍand setting out at dawn
راكبهُ رائع وغادٍ
يهزُّhe stirs بالريحwith the wind والبروقِand lightning
يهزُّ بالريح والبروقِ
Its rider is awe-inspiring and sets out at dawn,
His rider sublime and trotting
Stirring with wind and lightning.
Swaying with the wind and lightning
ياO ترحةsorrow of الحاسدthe envier المعنَّىtormented
يا ترحة الحاسد المعنَّى
وفرحةand joy of الأهلkin والصديقِand the friend
وفرحة الأهل والصديقِ
O sorrow of the tormented envier,
O joy of the envious adversary
And joy of kin and friend!
And delight of family and friend
فرجتyou relieved بالبذلthrough giving كلevery همcare
فرجت بالبذل كل هم
هناhere ووسعتand you widened كلevery ضيقِstrait
هنا ووسعت كل ضيقِ
By giving, you relieved every care
You relieved all worries with generosity
Here, and widened every strait.
If a people sleep from rights of generosity
إنif نامsleep قومsome people عنheedless of حقthe duty of جودgenerosity
إن نام قوم عن حق جود
فأنتthen you يقظانawake للحقوقِto rightful dues
فأنت يقظان للحقوقِ
If some people sleep, heedless of generosity's due,
You are awake for rights
Then you are wakeful to rightful dues.
One who sacrifices himself and possessions
يفديكmay he ransom you منhe whose عرضهhis honor مباحfair game
يفديك من عرضه مباح
ومالهand his wealth فيin حمىa protected refuge وثيقِsecure
وماله في حمى وثيقِ
May he whose honor is fair game be your ransom,
In protection and strong covenant
While his wealth lies in a secure refuge.
If people laugh at praise
إنif ضحكlaugh الناسpeople منat مديحa poem of praise
إن ضحك الناس من مديح
رأيتهyou see him منهbecause of it فيin شهيقِgasping
رأيته منه في شهيقِ
If people laugh at a poem of praise,
I saw it from him in a cry
You see him gasping because of it.
You remained for glory as long as I sang
بقيتmay you endure للمجدfor glory ماas long as تغنتsings
بقيت للمجد ما تغنت
ورقاءa gray dove فيin ضمنهاits enclosure الوريقِleafy
ورقاء في ضمنها الوريقِ
May you endure for glory as long as a song is sung
Green, including the leafage
By a gray dove in its leafy shelter.
Partial English translation: 37 of 38 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1