وَغَزالand a gazelle كَناسِهِhis covert المرانُspear-shafts
وَغَزال كَناسِهِ المرانُ
ماnot لِقَلبfor any heart مِنfrom مُقلَتيهِhis two eyes أَمانُsafety
ما لِقَلب مِن مُقلَتيهِ أَمانُ
And a gazelle whose covert lies among spears—
no heart is safe from his two eyes.
ذيpossessed of نَواسswaying tresses كَأَنَّهاas though they were ظُلمةdarkness الشرidolatry (beginning)
ذي نَواس كَأَنَّها ظُلمة الشر
كcompletes ‘idolatry’ وَوَجهand a face كَأَنَّهُas though it were الإِيمانfaith
ك وَوَجه كَأَنَّهُ الإِيمان
With swaying tresses like the darkness of idolatry,
and a face as though it were faith itself.
فَكَأَنso it is as though العذارcheek-down فيon صَفحةthe surface الخcheek (beginning)
فَكَأَن العذار في صَفحة الخ
دcompletes ‘cheek’ كَفورan unbeliever فيat جيدِهِhis neck فُرقانthe Qur’an
د كَفور في جيدِهِ فُرقان
So the down upon his cheek seems
an unbeliever with the Qur’an at his neck.
وَكَأَناand as though we were مِنthrough أُنسِهِhis companionship وَمَحياand countenance
وَكَأَنا مِن أُنسِهِ وَمَحيا
هُhis بِرَوضin a garden تَظلناshade us الأَفنانthe boughs
هُ بِرَوض تَظلنا الأَفنان
And through his companionship and countenance, we seem
to be in a garden whose boughs shade us.
خَدُّهُhis cheek الوَردthe rose وَالبَنَفسَجand the violet صَدtemples (beginning)
خَدُّهُ الوَرد وَالبَنَفسَج صَد
غاهcompletes ‘his two temples’ لِعَينيto my eyes وَثَغرهُand his mouth الأُقحُوانthe daisy
غاه لِعَيني وَثَغرهُ الأُقحُوان
His cheek is a rose; his temples are violets
to my eyes, and his mouth a daisy.
وَكَأَنَّand as though النَديّthe gathering وَالكاسand the cup تَجلىshone forth
وَكَأَنَّ النَديّ وَالكاس تَجلى
فيهِwithin it أُفقa sky نُجومِهِits stars الندمانthe drinking companions
فيهِ أُفق نُجومِهِ الندمان
And the gathering, with the cup gleaming
within it, seems a sky whose stars are the drinking companions.
وَكَأنand as though الأَنفاسthe breaths مِنهُfrom him نَسيمa breeze
وَكَأن الأَنفاس مِنهُ نَسيم
وَكَأَناand as though we were إِذاwhen شَداhe sings أَغصانboughs
وَكَأَنا إِذا شَدا أَغصان
And his breaths seem a breeze,
and when he sings, we seem like boughs.
وَكَأَنand as though الندمانthe drinking companions فيin دَوحةa spreading tree اللَهrevelry (beginning)
وَكَأَن الندمان في دَوحة اللَه
وcompletes ‘revelry’ غُصونbranches ثَمارهاtheir fruits الكِتمانsecrecy
و غُصون ثَمارها الكِتمان
And the drinking companions seem, in revelry’s spreading tree,
branches whose fruit is secrecy.
يَتَعاطُونthey pass among themselves أَكؤُسcups العَتبreproach إِذas طاwent round (beginning)
يَتَعاطُون أَكؤُس العَتب إِذ طا
فَcompletes ‘went round’ عَلَيهُمamong them بِهاwith them (the cups) المُنىwishes وَالأَمانand safety
فَ عَلَيهُم بِها المُنى وَالأَمان
They exchange cups of reproach, as
wishes and safety carry the cups round to them.
ياah! سَقاmay rain water ذَلِكَthat الزَمانtime وَحَياand may it greet
يا سَقا ذَلِكَ الزَمان وَحَيا
هit مَلثa lingering raincloud مِنof الرِضىcontentment هتانpouring steadily
ه مَلث مِن الرِضى هتان
Ah, may that time be watered and greeted
by a lingering downpour of contentment.
زَمَنa time كُلُهُall of it رَبيعspring وَعَيشand a life
زَمَن كُلُهُ رَبيع وَعَيش
غُصنُهُits bough يانعripe الجنىthe fruit فينانِlush with foliage
غُصنُهُ يانع الجنى فينانِ
A time all spring, and a life
whose bough was lush, its fruit ripe.
مرpassed ليfor me بِالشَئامin Syria وَالشَوقand longing غُصنa bough
مر لي بِالشَئام وَالشَوق غُصن
وَشَبابيand my youth يَزينهُadorns it العُنفُوانِyouthful vigor
وَشَبابي يَزينهُ العُنفُوانِ
A time I spent in Syria, when longing was a bough,
and youthful vigor adorned my youth.
اِبنaged عَشرten وَأَربَعand four وَثَمانand eight
اِبن عَشر وَأَربَع وَثَمان
هِيَthey (the years) عيدa feast وَبَعضَهاand some of them مَهرَجانِa Mihrajan festival
هِيَ عيد وَبَعضَها مَهرَجانِ
I was ten and four and eight years old—
those years were a feast, and some a Mihrajan festival.
Sol 6.1