وَحَياتِكُمْby your lives فيin عِزِّكُمْyour glory وَهَوانيand my abasement
وَحَياتِكُمْ في عِزِّكُمْ وَهَواني
قَسَماًan oath بِهِby it الشَّانِيthe hater يُعَظِّمُexalts شَانيmy standing
قَسَماً بِهِ الشَّانِي يُعَظِّمُ شَاني
By your lives, in your glory and my abasement—
an oath by which even my enemy exalts my standing.
ياO سَاكِنيdwellers of نُعْمانNuʿmān ماnot عُرِفَwas known الهَوَىlove
يا سَاكِني نُعْمان ما عُرِفَ الهَوَى
لَوْلاكُمُwere it not for you يَاO سَاكِنيdwellers of نُعْمانِNuʿmān
لَوْلاكُمُ يَا سَاكِني نُعْمانِ
O dwellers of Nuʿmān, love would not have been known
but for you, O dwellers of Nuʿmān.
سَلَّتْunsheathed ظِباؤُكُمُyour gazelles الظُّبَىthe sword-blades مِنْfrom أَعْيُنٍeyes
سَلَّتْ ظِباؤُكُمُ الظُّبَى مِنْ أَعْيُنٍ
إِنْسَانُهَاtheir pupils طِيبَsweetness of الكَرىsleep أَنْسَانِيmade me forget
إِنْسَانُهَا طِيبَ الكَرى أَنْسَانِي
Your gazelles drew sword-blades from eyes
whose pupils made me forget the sweetness of sleep.
هَلَّاwhy not رَعينَthey kept عُهُودَنَاour pledges يَوْمَthe day of النَّوَىparting
هَلَّا رَعينَ عُهُودَنَا يَوْمَ النَّوَى
وَالرَّعْيُand grazing مَنْسُوبٌattributed إلىto الغِزلانِgazelles
وَالرَّعْيُ مَنْسُوبٌ إلى الغِزلانِ
Why did they not keep our pledges on the day of parting,
when grazing is the province of gazelles?
وَبِمُهْجَتِيand with my lifeblood وَسْنَانَa drowsy one يَسْطُوattacks قَدُّهhis figure
وَبِمُهْجَتِي وَسْنَانَ يَسْطُو قَدُّه
وَاللَّحْظُand the glance مِنْهُfrom him بِذَابِلٍwith a slender lance وَسْنَانِand a spearhead
وَاللَّحْظُ مِنْهُ بِذَابِلٍ وَسْنَانِ
And I would give my lifeblood for a drowsy one whose figure strikes,
and whose glance does too, with a slender lance and a spearhead.
بِاللّهِby God يَاO أَعْطافَهُhis curves وَنُهودَهُand his breasts
بِاللّهِ يَا أَعْطافَهُ وَنُهودَهُ
مَنْwho أَنْبَتَmade grow الرُّمَّانَpomegranates فيin المُرَّانِlance-wood
مَنْ أَنْبَتَ الرُّمَّانَ في المُرَّانِ
By God, O his curves and his breasts,
who made pomegranates grow on lance-wood?
جَمْرَانِtwo embers مِنْfrom وَجْدِيmy longing بِهِfor him وَصُدُودِهand his turning away
جَمْرَانِ مِنْ وَجْدِي بِهِ وَصُدُودِه
جَعلاboth made دُمُوعيَmy tears فيهِfor him كالمَرْجَانِlike coral
جَعلا دُمُوعيَ فيهِ كالمَرْجَانِ
Two embers—from my longing for him and his turning away—
have made my tears for him like coral.
وَبِوجْنَتَيْهِand on his two cheeks وَعَارِضَيْهِand the sides of his face بُرُوقflashes of lightning مَنْwhoever
وَبِوجْنَتَيْهِ وَعَارِضَيْهِ بُرُوق مَنْ
نَظرتْlooked لَواحظُهُhis glances لَهُfor him مَرْجَانِtwo meadows
نَظرتْ لَواحظُهُ لَهُ مَرْجَانِ
And on his cheeks and jawlines are flashes; whoever
turns his gaze there has two meadows before him.
عَجَبيmy wonder لِثُعبانٍat a serpent يَجُولُroams عَلىover نَقَاthe sand-dune of
عَجَبي لِثُعبانٍ يَجُولُ عَلى نَقَا
أَرْدَافِهِhis buttocks فيin الحُبِّlove كَيْفَhow حَوَانِيit enfolded me
أَرْدَافِهِ في الحُبِّ كَيْفَ حَوَانِي
I marvel at a serpent roaming over the sand-dune
of his buttocks: how has it enfolded me in love?
وَلِعاذِليَّand at my two reprovers وَقَدْand already بَداappeared فيon خَدِّهhis cheek
وَلِعاذِليَّ وَقَدْ بَدا في خَدِّه
مِنْfrom خَطِّهِhis facial down لامَانtwo lām letters لِمْwhy لامَانيthey both blamed me
مِنْ خَطِّهِ لامَان لِمْ لامَاني
And at my two reprovers, though on his cheek have appeared
two lām letters traced by his down—why have they blamed me?
Sol 6.1