عِذَارُكَyour cheek-down مِنْof نَدٍّaromatic perfume يَجلُّis exalted عَنِabove النِدّan equal
عِذَارُكَ مِنْ نَدٍّ يَجلُّ عَنِ النِدّ
وَرِيقُكَand your saliva شَهْدٌhoney لاno كَرامةَhonor لِلشَّهْدِfor honey
وَرِيقُكَ شَهْدٌ لا كَرامةَ لِلشَّهْدِ
Your cheek-down is of aromatic perfume, beyond any equal.
Your blame from an adversity that rises above adversity,
And your saliva is honey—yet honey deserves no honor.
And your saliva is honey, and honey has no generosity.
وَلَحْظُكَand your glance سَيْفٌa sword كَيْفَhow أَصْبَحَhas become قاطِعاًcutting
وَلَحْظُكَ سَيْفٌ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحَ قاطِعاً
وَليْسَyet there is not لَهُfor it واللّهby God فيin الحُسنِbeauty مِنْany (emphatic) حَدِّlimit
وَليْسَ لَهُ واللّه في الحُسنِ مِنْ حَدِّ
And your glance is a sword—how has it become so sharp,
Your glance is a sword, how did it become so cutting?
when, by God, there is no limit to its beauty?
By God it has no limit in beauty.
حَبيبيَmy beloved شَرّفنيhonor me بِكَتبكwith your writing مُنْعِماًgraciously
حَبيبيَ شَرّفني بِكَتبك مُنْعِماً
فَقَدْfor indeed حَسُنَتْis commendable شَرْعاًunder sacred law مُكَاتَبَةُcorrespondence العَبْدِthe slave
فَقَدْ حَسُنَتْ شَرْعاً مُكَاتَبَةُ العَبْدِ
My beloved, graciously honor me by writing to me;
My beloved, honor me with your writings, bestowing favor,
for correspondence with a slave is commendable in sacred law.
For corresponding with a slave is beautiful in law.
رَعىmay protect اللّهGod بَدْراًa full moon زارvisited مِنْfrom غَيْرِabsence of مَوْعدٍan appointment
رَعى اللّه بَدْراً زار مِنْ غَيْرِ مَوْعدٍ
سَأَشْكُرI shall thank مَحْبُوباًa beloved يَزُورُvisits بِلاwithout وَعْدِa promise
سَأَشْكُر مَحْبُوباً يَزُورُ بِلا وَعْدِ
May God guard a full moon who visited without appointment.
May God shepherd the full moon who visited without appointment,
I shall thank a beloved who visits without a promise.
I will thank the beloved who visits without a promise.
وَيُصْبِحُand at morning becomes لِلإخْلاصِfor al-Ikhlas (Sincerity) قَلْبِيmy heart تَالياًreciting
وَيُصْبِحُ لِلإخْلاصِ قَلْبِي تَالياً
وَيُمْسِيand at evening becomes لِسَانِيmy tongue تَالياًreciting سُورةَa surah (chapter) الحَمْدِPraise (al-Hamd)
وَيُمْسِي لِسَانِي تَالياً سُورةَ الحَمْدِ
And in the morning my heart recites al-Ikhlas (Sincerity),
And becomes in the morning sincerely my heart reciting,
and in the evening my tongue recites Surah al-Hamd (Praise).
And becomes in the evening my tongue reciting Surat Al-Hamd.
وَللّهand to God (in admiration) جِيرانٌneighbors علىon أَيْمَنِthe right-hand side الحِمَىthe sanctuary
وَللّه جِيرانٌ على أَيْمَنِ الحِمَى
لَهُمْfor them أَبداًalways مِنّيfrom me حُنُوٌّtenderness علىdespite بُعْديmy distance
لَهُمْ أَبداً مِنّي حُنُوٌّ على بُعْدي
And—God be praised—what neighbors on the sanctuary's right!
And for God neighbors on the right side of the sanctuary,
I always feel tenderness for them, despite my distance.
For them from me always affection in my distance.
لقدindeed حَملتْcarried رِيحُwind الصَّباthe east breeze مِنْfrom دِيارِهمْtheir dwellings
لقد حَملتْ رِيحُ الصَّبا مِنْ دِيارِهمْ
أَحاديثَtales تَرْويهنّit recounts them عَنْfrom عَذبِsweet-scented الرَّنْدِthe laurel
أَحاديثَ تَرْويهنّ عَنْ عَذبِ الرَّنْدِ
Indeed, the east wind has carried from their dwellings
The wind of morning carried from their dwellings,
tales it recounts from the sweet-scented laurel.
Conversations that quench related from the delicious randa.
فَأَهْدتْso it bestowed إلىupon قَلْبيmy heart سُرُوراًjoy علىdespite النَّوىseparation
فَأَهْدتْ إلى قَلْبي سُرُوراً على النَّوى
فياso, O حُسْنَbeauty ماwhat تُمْلِيit dictates وياand, O طِيبَsweetness ماwhat تُهِدْيit gives
فيا حُسْنَ ما تُمْلِي ويا طِيبَ ما تُهِدْي
So it bestowed joy upon my heart despite separation;
So it brought to my heart happiness upon purpose,
so how lovely what it dictates, and how sweet what it gives!
How good is what it dictates and how good is what it gives.
أياO سادةًmasters ملّواgrew weary فَمِلْتُyet I inclined إليْهِمtoward them
أيا سادةً ملّوا فَمِلْتُ إليْهِم
وَخَانُواand they betrayed وَليwhile I have قَلْبٌa heart مُقيمٌsteadfast علىto العَهْدِthe pledge
وَخَانُوا وَلي قَلْبٌ مُقيمٌ على العَهْدِ
O masters who grew weary, yet I inclined toward them,
Oh masters, they filled up so I leaned toward them,
and they were faithless, while my heart remains true to the pledge.
And they betrayed while my heart remains loyal to the covenant.
تُرىI wonder يَسْمَحُpermits الدَّهرُTime الضَّنينُmiserly بِقُرْبِكُمْnearness to you
تُرى يَسْمَحُ الدَّهرُ الضَّنينُ بِقُرْبِكُمْ
وَأَحْظىand I am favored بِكُمْwith you ياO جِيرةَneighbors العَلمِthe mountain الفَرْدِsolitary
وَأَحْظى بِكُمْ يا جِيرةَ العَلمِ الفَرْدِ
Will miserly Time, I wonder, permit nearness to you,
Will time, the resentful, allow your nearness?
and shall I enjoy your company, O neighbors of the solitary mountain?
And I find favor with you, O unique learned neighbor.
إذاif لَمْnot يَكُنْbe لِيfor me عِنْدَكُمْwith you ياO أَحبّتيmy loved ones
إذا لَمْ يَكُنْ لِي عِنْدَكُمْ يا أَحبّتي
مَحَلٌّa place وَلاnor قَدْرٌesteem فَإنّthen indeed لَكُمْfor you عِنْديwith me
مَحَلٌّ وَلا قَدْرٌ فَإنّ لَكُمْ عِنْدي
If, my loved ones, I have with you neither
If I have no place or value with you, my loved ones,
a place nor esteem, then you have both with me.
Then for you with me is a place.
Sol 6.1