رَشِيقَslender; graceful القَامَةِstature النَّضِرهْfresh; blooming
رَشِيقَ القَامَةِ النَّضِرهْ
لَقَدْindeed أَصْمَيْتَyou struck dead بالنَظْرَهْwith a glance
لَقَدْ أَصْمَيْتَ بالنَظْرَهْ
O you of slender, blooming stature,
Slender in stature, fresh and green
You have indeed slain me with a glance.
With a single glance, you made me blind
وَقَدْand indeed سَوَّدْتَyou blackened حَظّيmy luck مِنْfrom
وَقَدْ سَوَّدْتَ حَظّي مِنْ
كَyou (attached pronoun) ياO أَبْهَىmost radiant الوَرَىhumankind غُرَّهْbrow
كَ يا أَبْهَى الوَرَى غُرَّهْ
And you have blackened my luck with
You have darkened my fate, O fairest of creation
you, O fairest-browed of humankind,
With the darkness of moles, eyelashes and dimples
سَوادَblackness الخالِthe mole وَالمُقْلَand the eye (continued)
سَوادَ الخالِ وَالمُقْلَ
ةِcompletion of 'the eye' والعارِضِand the cheek’s down والطُّرَّهْand the forelock
ةِ والعارِضِ والطُّرَّهْ
with the blackness of the mole and the eye,
An old love from one long estranged
and the cheek’s down and the forelock.
In passion though still impassioned
قَديمَlong-standing الهَجْرِestrangement مَنْwho لِفتىًfor a youth
قَديمَ الهَجْرِ مَنْ لِفتىً
قَديمٍlong-standing فيin الهَوَىlove هَجْرَهْhis estrangement
قَديمٍ في الهَوَى هَجْرَهْ
O long given to shunning, who will aid a youth
How often did he meet you with distance and promises and aloofness
whose estrangement in love is long-standing?
How often does he complain while you don't care to unwrap his anguish
فَكَمْso how often تَلقاهُyou meet him بالإِبْعاwith banishment (continued)
فَكَمْ تَلقاهُ بالإِبْعا
دِcompletion of 'banishment' وَالإِيْعَادِand threats والنَّفْرَهْand aversion
دِ وَالإِيْعَادِ والنَّفْرَهْ
How often you meet him with banishment,
We have seen those who attained their love and those who were spurned
and threats and aversion!
But I exceeded them all in suffering
وَكَمْand how often يَشْكُوhe complains وَلاand not تُطْرَis thrown (continued)
وَكَمْ يَشْكُو وَلا تُطْرَ
حُcompletion of 'is thrown' فيinto قُفَّتِهِhis basket كِسْرهْa crumb of bread
حُ في قُفَّتِهِ كِسْرهْ
And how often he complains, yet nothing is thrown
Will you grant or allow
into his basket—not even a crumb.
Just once, a union?
رَأَيْنَاwe have seen مَنْthose who جَنَىwronged وَجَفاand spurned
رَأَيْنَا مَنْ جَنَى وَجَفا
وَلَكِنْand yet زِدْتُI have increased فيin كَرَّهْa return
وَلَكِنْ زِدْتُ في كَرَّهْ
We have seen those who wronged and spurned,
For I have lost all patience and composure
yet I have returned all the more.
Your estrangement has made me hate my very being
فَهَلْso will…? تَمْنَحُyou grant أَوْor تَسْمَحُyou allow
فَهَلْ تَمْنَحُ أَوْ تَسْمَحُ
بِالوَصْلِwith union وَلَوْand even if مَرَّةonce
بِالوَصْلِ وَلَوْ مَرَّة
Will you then grant or permit
My excuse is a moon that shows you
union, even once?
Its radiant cheek
فَقَدْfor indeed أصْبَحْتُI have become لَاnot أمْلِI possess (continued)
فَقَدْ أصْبَحْتُ لَا أمْلِ
كَcompletion of 'I possess' مِنْof صَبْرِيmy patience وَلَاand not even ذَرَّهْan atom
كَ مِنْ صَبْرِي وَلَا ذَرَّهْ
For now I no longer possess
When it mingles with the wine cups
any of my patience—not even an atom.
As it meets their brims
وَقَدْand indeed صَيَّرَنيhas made me هَجْرُestrangement
وَقَدْ صَيَّرَني هَجْرُ
كَyour (attached pronoun) فيinto أُخْتِthe sister ماwhat أكْرَهْI loathe
كَ في أُخْتِ ما أكْرَهْ
And your estrangement has cast me
I see you as Egyptian gold
into the sister of what I loathe.
Above pure silver
عَذِيريmy defender فِيهِconcerning him مِنْagainst قَمَرٍa moon
عَذِيري فِيهِ مِنْ قَمَرٍ
يُرِيكَshows you بِخَدِّهِupon his cheek الزُّهْرَهْVenus
يُرِيكَ بِخَدِّهِ الزُّهْرَهْ
Who will plead my case against him—a moon
who shows you Venus upon his cheek?
إذاwhen قارَنَhe draws near بِالأَكْؤُسِwith the goblets
إذا قارَنَ بِالأَكْؤُسِ
إِذْas يَمْزِجُهَاmixes them ثَغْرَهْhis mouth
إِذْ يَمْزِجُهَا ثَغْرَهْ
When he draws near the goblets,
as his mouth blends their contents,
أَراكَshows you الذَّهَبَthe gold المِصْريَّEgyptian
أَراكَ الذَّهَبَ المِصْريَّ
فَوْقَabove الفِضَّةِthe silver النُّقرهْthe bullion
فَوْقَ الفِضَّةِ النُّقرهْ
he shows you Egyptian gold
above silver bullion.
Partial English translation: 20 of 26 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1