زَهَرَاتُكِyour blossoms الحمرُred التيwhich أسْلَمْتِهاyou handed them over
زَهَرَاتُكِ الحمرُ التي أسْلَمْتِها
بيديَwith the two hands of مودِّعةٍa woman bidding farewell يمينَthe right hand of مُودِّعِa man bidding farewell
بيديَ مودِّعةٍ يمينَ مُودِّعِ
Your red blossoms, which you handed over
Your red flowers that you handed over
With a woman's two parting hands into a parting man's right hand.
As a farewell with your bidding right hand
لمَّاwhen وصلتُI reached إلىto المصيفِthe summer resort حملْتُهاI carried them
لمَّا وصلتُ إلى المصيفِ حملْتُها
كالطِّفْلِlike the child نَامَfell asleep علىon ذِرَاعِthe arm of المرضعِthe nursing woman
كالطِّفْلِ نَامَ على ذِرَاعِ المرضعِ
When I reached the summer resort, I carried them
When I reached the summer house, I carried them
Like a child asleep on a nursing woman's arm.
Like a child who slept on the wet nurse's arm
أمْشيI walk بهاwith them فَوْقَover الرِّمالَthe sands كأنَّنِيas though I
أمْشي بها فَوْقَ الرِّمالَ كأنَّنِي
أمشيI walk بطَيْفٍwith a phantom فيin الظَّلَامِthe darkness مُقَنَّعِveiled
أمشي بطَيْفٍ في الظَّلَامِ مُقَنَّعِ
I walk with them across the sands, as though I
I walk with them over the sands as if
Were walking with a veiled phantom in the dark.
I walk with a specter in the dark, masked
مَضْمُومَةَgathered together الورَقاتِthe petals طيَّwithin غِلَالَةٍa gauzy veil
مَضْمُومَةَ الورَقاتِ طيَّ غِلَالَةٍ
وُسِمَتْwas stamped بطابَعِwith the mark of ذوقكِyour taste المترفِّعِrefined
وُسِمَتْ بطابَعِ ذوقكِ المترفِّعِ
Their petals gathered within a gauzy veil,
Folded petals, covered in a gown
Stamped with the mark of your refined taste.
Stamped with your refined taste
مَحْجُوبَةًveiled كَأَمِيرَةٍlike a princess شرقيةٍEastern
مَحْجُوبَةً كَأَمِيرَةٍ شرقيةٍ
فيin هَوْدَجٍa howdah أَسْتَارُهُits curtains لمnot تُرْفَعِwere raised
في هَوْدَجٍ أَسْتَارُهُ لم تُرْفَعِ
Veiled like an Eastern princess
Veiled like an oriental princess
In a howdah whose curtains had not been raised.
In a bridal carriage, its curtains not raised
حتىuntil إذاwhen أويْتُهاI sheltered them بَعْدَafter السُّرَىthe night journey
حتى إذا أويْتُها بَعْدَ السُّرَى
وخَلَعْتُand I stripped off عنهاfrom them لِبسَةَthe garb of المتمنِّعِthe coy one
وخَلَعْتُ عنها لِبسَةَ المتمنِّعِ
Until, when I sheltered them after the night journey,
Until I brought them after nightfall
And stripped them of the coy one's garb,
And removed from them the dress of the aloof
هَشَّتْthey rejoiced لآنيتيat my vase وأشْرَقَand shone لَوْنُهَاtheir color
هَشَّتْ لآنيتي وأشْرَقَ لَوْنُهَا
وَتَرَدَّدَتْand wafted أنْفَاسُهاtheir breaths فيin مَضْجَعِيmy sleeping place
وَتَرَدَّدَتْ أنْفَاسُها في مَضْجَعِي
They greeted my vase gladly, and their color shone,
They awoke for my hands and their color shone
And their breaths wafted through my sleeping place.
And their breaths mingled in my bed
وَمَضَتْand they continued تُخَالِسُنِيstealing glances at me حَيِيَّshy لحاظهاtheir glances
وَمَضَتْ تُخَالِسُنِي حَيِيَّ لحاظها
لاnot تَشْتَكِيcomplaining of سَهْرًاsleeplessness وَفَرْطَand excessive تَطَلُّعِgazing
لا تَشْتَكِي سَهْرًا وَفَرْطَ تَطَلُّعِ
And they kept stealing shy glances at me,
And they passed, stealing my conscious side
Not complaining of sleeplessness or excessive gazing.
Not complaining of wakefulness or excessive yearning
هيَthey أنْتِyou، أحْلَامٌdreams تغازلُflirt with نَاظِرِيmy gaze
هيَ أنْتِ، أحْلَامٌ تغازلُ نَاظِرِي
وَتَصُبُّand pour حُلْوَthe sweetness of حَدِيثِهَاtheir speech فيinto مِسْمَعِيmy ear
وَتَصُبُّ حُلْوَ حَدِيثِهَا في مِسْمَعِي
They are you—dreams that flirt with my gaze,
It is you, dreams flirting with my sight
And pour the sweetness of their speech into my ear.
And pouring the sweetness of their talk in my hearing
هيَthey أنْتِyou، أطْيَافٌphantoms تعانِقُembrace مُهجَتِيmy heart
هيَ أنْتِ، أطْيَافٌ تعانِقُ مُهجَتِي
وتَفِرُّand flee حينَwhen تُحِسُّthey feel حُرْقَةَthe burning of أضْلُعِيmy ribs
وتَفِرُّ حينَ تُحِسُّ حُرْقَةَ أضْلُعِي
They are you—phantoms that embrace my heart,
It is you, specters embracing my mind
And flee when they feel the burning of my ribs.
And fleeing when feeling the heat of my ribs
أمْسَتْthey spent the evening تُعابِثُنِيteasing me ومِلْءُand filling شِفَاهِهَاtheir lips
أمْسَتْ تُعابِثُنِي ومِلْءُ شِفَاهِهَا
مِنْfrom مُغْرَيَاتِكِyour enticements بَسْمَةٌa smile لِتَوَلُّعِيfor my ardor
مِنْ مُغْرَيَاتِكِ بَسْمَةٌ لِتَوَلُّعِي
By evening they were teasing me, and their lips brimmed
They toy with me, and their lips are full
With one of your lures—a smile for my ardor.
Of your allure, a smile for my craving
ومكرتِand you schemed مكَركِyour scheme ياO حبيبةُbeloved وانقضىand passed
ومكرتِ مكَركِ يا حبيبةُ وانقضى
ليليmy night، وأنتِand you لديَّbeside me ساهرةٌstaying awake معيwith me
ليلي، وأنتِ لديَّ ساهرةٌ معي
And you worked your wiles, beloved, and so passed
And you plotted, my love, and my night passed
My night, with you beside me, awake with me.
While you are awake with me
أرسلتِهاyou sent them عينًاa spying eye عَلَيَّupon me رقيبةًwatchful
أرسلتِها عينًا عَلَيَّ رقيبةً
تأتيكِthey come to you بالخبرِwith the news العجيبِstrange الممتِعِdelightful
تأتيكِ بالخبرِ العجيبِ الممتِعِ
You sent them as a watchful eye upon me,
You sent them as an eye watching over me
To bring you strange, delightful news.
To bring you the wondrous, enjoyable news
تُحصيthey count حَراكيَmy movements إنif مشيتُI walk لشرفتيto my balcony
تُحصي حَراكيَ إن مشيتُ لشرفتي
وتعدand count خطويmy steps إنif رجعتُI return لموضِعِيto my place
وتعد خطوي إن رجعتُ لموضِعِي
They count my movements if I walk to my balcony,
To count my motions if I went to my balcony
And count my steps if I return to my place.
And number my steps if I returned to my place
شهِدَتْthey bore witness بأنيthat I مُذsince تركتُكI left you حائرٌbewildered
شهِدَتْ بأني مُذ تركتُك حائرٌ
متفرِّدٌalone بصَبَابتيwith my ardent longing فيin مخْدعِيmy bedchamber!!
متفرِّدٌ بصَبَابتي في مخْدعِي!!
They bore witness that, since I left you, I am bewildered,
They witnessed that since I left you, confused
Alone with my ardent longing in my bedchamber!
Alone with my youthfulness in my abode!!
Sol 6.1