ياAh حَبَذاhow delightful شادنa young gazelle فيin ثَغرِهِhis mouth ضَربُthick white honey
يا حَبَذا شادن في ثَغرِهِ ضَربُ
وَمِنand before مَحياهُhis face بَدرa full moon التَمّfullness يَحتَجِبُhides itself
وَمِن مَحياهُ بَدر التَمّ يَحتَجِبُ
Ah, how lovely a young gazelle, with thick white honey in his mouth!
How splendid is he whose cheek is struck when he speaks,
And before his face, the moon at its fullness hides.
And whose bright face the full moon conceals when he smiles,
وَمَنand before لَواحظِهِhis glances الأَسيافthe swords مغمدةsheathed
وَمَن لَواحظِهِ الأَسياف مغمدة
وَمِنand before مَعاطفِهِhis supple form الأَغصانthe branches تَضطَرِبُtremble
وَمِن مَعاطفِهِ الأَغصان تَضطَرِبُ
And before his glances, the swords lie sheathed.
And whose glances have swords sheathed,
And before his supple form, the branches tremble.
And whose cloak is disturbed by branches,
بَدرa full moon وَلَكنand yet سويدdark core القَلبthe heart مَسكَنَهُhis dwelling
بَدر وَلَكن سويد القَلب مَسكَنَهُ
وَحُسنَهُand his beauty بِأَياديby the hands of الطَرفthe gaze مُنتَهبplundered
وَحُسنَهُ بِأَيادي الطَرف مُنتَهب
A full moon, yet the heart's dark core is his dwelling.
A full moon but the heart's core is inhabited by blackness,
And his beauty is plundered by the hands of the gaze.
And his beauty plundered by roving eyes,
نَائيfar away الدِيارthe dwellings بَعيدdistant الوَصلunion مُحتَجبhidden from sight
نَائي الدِيار بَعيد الوَصل مُحتَجب
وَقَلبand the heart of عاشِقِهِhis lover بِالصَدby rejection مُكتَئبdejected
وَقَلب عاشِقِهِ بِالصَد مُكتَئب
Dwelling far away, distant from union, hidden from sight,
Remote from home, veiled from union,
And his lover's heart is dejected by rejection.
And the heart of his lover depressed by firmness,
يَصدhe turns away ثُمَّthen أَراضيهِI seek to please him فَحالتناso our condition
يَصد ثُمَّ أَراضيهِ فَحالتنا
سيانalike لَكنهُyet he يَنَأىdraws away وَأَقتَربand I draw near
سيان لَكنهُ يَنَأى وَأَقتَرب
He turns away, then I seek to please him; so our states
He is firm yet our condition is the same,
are alike, yet he draws away and I draw near.
But he distances himself and comes near,
قَطَعتI crossed جونdark expanses الفَيافيthe deserts وَالقَفارand the wastelands لِكَيso that
قَطَعت جون الفَيافي وَالقَفار لِكَي
أَشفيI heal الفُؤادthe heart الَّذيthat قَدalready مَسَهُtouched it الوَصبpain
أَشفي الفُؤاد الَّذي قَد مَسَهُ الوَصب
I crossed the dark expanses of deserts and wastelands so that
I crossed the empty deserts and wilderness
I might heal the heart that pain has touched.
To heal the heart that sadness has touched,
وَلَيسَand is not قَصديmy purpose سِوىother than أَنيthat I أَقبلI kiss أَعthresh- (word fragment)
وَلَيسَ قَصدي سِوى أَني أَقبل أَع
تاب-olds (word fragment) الدِيارthe dwellings وَلاand not ليfor me غَيرَهُother than it أَرَبdesire
تاب الدِيار وَلا لي غَيرَهُ أَرَب
And my only purpose is to kiss the thresh-
My only desire is to return to the lands of the beloved, I have no other wish,
olds of the dwellings; I have no other desire.
And my outstanding merit has spread through the lands, far and near,
هَذاthis وَفَضليand my merit شَهيرrenowned شاعَspread فيin البَلَدthe land الthe
هَذا وَفَضلي شَهير شاعَ في البَلَد ال
قاصيfar away وَقَدand already كَشفتI lifted عَنfrom وَجهِهِits face الحجبthe veils
قاصي وَقَد كَشفت عَن وَجهِهِ الحجب
All this, though my merit is renowned and its fame has spread through the land
I have uncovered it from veils,
far away, and I have lifted the veils from its face.
But did not attain what I had sought,
فَماyet not ظَفَرتI obtained بِماwith what قَدalready كُنتI had been أَطلبهُI seek it
فَما ظَفَرت بِما قَد كُنت أَطلبهُ
مِنfrom الدِيارthe dwellings وَكانَand was المانعthe obstacle الأَدَبgood manners
مِن الدِيار وَكانَ المانع الأَدَب
Yet I did not obtain what I had been seeking
From the lands, and it was proper behavior that prevented me.
from the dwellings; good manners were the obstacle.
Partial English translation: 17 of 18 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1