صادَhe hunted الأُسودthe lions بِمُقلةwith an eye وَسَناءِlanguid
صادَ الأُسود بِمُقلة وَسَناءِ
وَسَباand he captivated العُقولthe minds بِطَلعةwith a countenance وَسَناءِand radiance
وَسَبا العُقول بِطَلعة وَسَناءِ
He hunted lions with a languid eye,
The blacks hunted with their eyelids and teeth,
And captivated minds with his countenance and radiance.
And plundered minds with their appearance and beauty.
وَأَتىand he came بِأَزرقin the blue of ثَوبِهِhis robe مُتَوَشِحاًdraped
وَأَتى بِأَزرق ثَوبِهِ مُتَوَشِحاً
فَكَأَنَّهُso, as if he were بَدرa full moon بَداappeared بِسَماءِin a sky
فَكَأَنَّهُ بَدر بَدا بِسَماءِ
And he came draped in his blue robe,
He came, dressed in his blue garment,
As though he were a full moon appearing in the sky.
Like a full moon rising in the sky.
خَجلتblushed شُموسthe suns الأُفقthe horizon مِنهُbefore him عِندَماwhen
خَجلت شُموس الأُفق مِنهُ عِندَما
وافىhe arrived بِتلكwith that الطَلعةcountenance الحَسناءِlovely
وافى بِتلك الطَلعة الحَسناءِ
The suns of the horizon blushed before him when
The suns of the horizon were shy before him
He arrived with that lovely countenance.
When he came with that graceful stature.
وَالقَضبand the boughs خَرتfell سُجَّداًprostrate لَماwhen بَداhe appeared
وَالقَضب خَرت سُجَّداً لَما بَدا
مُتَخَطِراًswaying proudly بِالقامةwith the stature الهَيفاءِslender
مُتَخَطِراً بِالقامة الهَيفاءِ
And the boughs fell prostrate when he appeared,
The branches bowed down when
Swaying proudly with his slender figure.
He strode by with his tall, slender figure.
وَبِلَيلand in the night of طَرتهِhis forelock ضَللتI went astray وَإِنَّنيand indeed I
وَبِلَيل طَرتهِ ضَللت وَإِنَّني
مِنfrom صُبحthe dawn of غُرتهِhis brow وَجَدتI found هدائيmy guidance
مِن صُبح غُرتهِ وَجَدت هدائي
And in the night of his forelock I lost my way, yet I
Lost in the night of his tresses, I was-
Found my guidance in the dawn of his brow.
The dawn of his face led me back.
فَتَباركso blessed be الرَحمَنthe All-Merciful ماhow أَحلاهُsweet he is مِنas a
فَتَبارك الرَحمَن ما أَحلاهُ مِن
رَشاءfawn غَداhas come to يَرعاهُHe tends him فيwithin الأَحشاءِthe entrails
رَشاء غَدا يَرعاهُ في الأَحشاءِ
Blessed be the All-Merciful—how sweet he is, a
So blessed is the Merciful for what beautiful
Fawn whom He now tends within the breast!
Gazelle he created, grazing in the meadows!
ماnot كُنتI was أَحسَبI supposed قَبلbefore صَيدthe capture الظَبيthe gazelle ليof me
ما كُنت أَحسَب قَبل صَيد الظَبي لي
إِنthat الأُسودthe lions فَرائسprey لِظباءِto gazelles
إِن الأُسود فَرائس لِظباءِ
I never thought, before the gazelle captured me,
Before hunting the gazelle, I never thought
That lions were prey to gazelles,
That the blacks were prey to the whites.
حَتّىuntil طَعنتI was pierced بأَسمرby a dusky spear مِنfrom قَدِهِhis stature
حَتّى طَعنت بأَسمر مِن قَدِهِ
وَقَتَلتand I was slain مِنfrom أَلحاظِهِhis glances بِظِباءِby sword-edges
وَقَتَلت مِن أَلحاظِهِ بِظِباءِ
Until I was pierced by the dusky spear of his stature,
Until I stabbed with my brown spear
And slain by sword-edges from his glances.
And killed with my white arrows.
فَإِذاso when رَناhe gazes وَإِذاand when اِنثَنىhe sways لاdo not تَذكُرواyou all mention
فَإِذا رَنا وَإِذا اِنثَنى لا تَذكُروا
بيضwhite الظِباthe sword-edges مَعwith صَعدةa spear سَمراءِdusky
بيض الظِبا مَع صَعدة سَمراءِ
So when he gazes, and when he sways, do not mention
So when he moans and when he swoons, remember not
White sword-edges beside a dusky spear.
The whites along with the tawny browns!
سُلطانa sultan حسنof beauty فيin المَلاحةloveliness قَدهُhis stature
سُلطان حسن في المَلاحة قَدهُ
قَدindeed خَصَهُhe distinguished it مِنfrom شِعرِهِhis hair بِلِواءِwith a banner
قَد خَصَهُ مِن شِعرِهِ بِلِواءِ
In loveliness, his stature is a sultan of beauty;
The sultan of beauty with his neck is one
He has distinguished it with a banner of his hair.
Whose hair distinguished him with a banner.
وَبِوَجنَتَيهِand on his two cheeks عَجائبwonders مِنamong بَعضِهاsome of them
وَبِوَجنَتَيهِ عَجائب مِن بَعضِها
نارa fire يَشبflares up ضرامهاits blaze بِالماءِwith water
نار يَشب ضرامها بِالماءِ
And on both his cheeks are wonders, among them
In his cheeks, wonders, some of which
A fire whose blaze flares up with water.
Are fire whose embers are lit by water!
قَمرa moon بِأَعلاin the heights of جَلقJilliq مُستَوطنdwelling
قَمر بِأَعلا جَلق مُستَوطن
وَمَنازلand the abodes الأَقمارthe moons فيin العَلياءِthe heights
وَمَنازل الأَقمار في العَلياءِ
A moon dwelling in the heights of Jilliq,
A moon at the highest horizon residing
And the moons' abodes are on high.
With the stations of moons in the Highest.
كَمhow often رُمتI sought مِنهُfrom him قُربةcloseness فَتَجيبنيthen they answer me
كَم رُمت مِنهُ قُربة فَتَجيبني
أَلحاظُهُhis glances اللاتيwhich سَفَكنَthey shed دِمائيmy blood
أَلحاظُهُ اللاتي سَفَكنَ دِمائي
How often I sought closeness to him, only to be answered by
How many times have I been hit by his glances -
His glances, which shed my blood.
Those glances that spilled my blood!
مَنwhoever رامَseeks يَحيىYahya فَليَمُتthen let him die فيin حُبِهِlove for him
مَن رامَ يَحيى فَليَمُت في حُبِهِ
حَتّىso that يَعدُّhe is counted غَداًtomorrow مِنamong الأَحياءِthe living
حَتّى يَعدُّ غَداً مِن الأَحياءِ
Whoever seeks Yahya, let him die in love for him,
Whoever wants to live should die in his love
So that tomorrow he may be counted among the living.
So he can count himself with the living tomorrow!
Sol 6.1