حُلومُdreams (likely intended: sweet) التَعَتّبِreproach وَالدَلالِand coquetry
حُلومُ التَعَتّبِ وَالدَلالِ
مُرُّbitter التَعَنُّتِobstinacy وَالمَطالِand delay
مُرُّ التَعَنُّتِ وَالمَطالِ
[Sweet] in reproach and coquetry,
bitter in obstinacy and delay.
فيin وَجهِهِhis face وَلِحاظِهِand his glances
في وَجهِهِ وَلِحاظِهِ
ماwhat فيin الغَزالَةِthe sun وَالغَزالِand the gazelle
ما في الغَزالَةِ وَالغَزالِ
In his face and his glances
is what the sun and gazelle possess.
وَلِجَرحِهِand for his wounding جُرحٌa wound سِوىother than
وَلِجَرحِهِ جُرحٌ سِوى
جَرحِthe wounding of الجَوارِحِthe limbs بِالنِبالِwith arrows
جَرحِ الجَوارِحِ بِالنِبالِ
And his wounding leaves a wound unlike
the wounds that arrows deal the limbs.
قَمَرٌa moon هَدانيguided me نورُهُhis light
قَمَرٌ هَداني نورُهُ
لَكِنbut إِلىtoward طُرقِthe paths of الضَلالِerror
لَكِن إِلى طُرقِ الضَلالِ
A moon whose light has guided me—
but toward the paths of error.
ماhow! كانَwould have been أَكمَلَmore perfect حُسنَهُhis beauty
ما كانَ أَكمَلَ حُسنَهُ
لَوif كانَhe had been أَكمَلَmore perfect فيin الفِعالِdeeds
لَو كانَ أَكمَلَ في الفِعالِ
How much more perfect his beauty would have been,
had he been more perfect in his deeds!
لَقَنِعتُI would certainly be content مِنinstead of عِدَةٍa promise وَوَصand union (first part)
لَقَنِعتُ مِن عِدَةٍ وَوَص
لٍcompletion of 'union' بِالخَيالِwith fantasy وَبِالمُحالِand with the impossible
لٍ بِالخَيالِ وَبِالمُحالِ
In place of promise and union, I would settle
for fantasy and the impossible.
عِدنيpromise me وَخَلِّand leave الوَعدَthe promise يَغremain unredeemed (first part)
عِدني وَخَلِّ الوَعدَ يَغ
لَقُcompletion of 'remain unredeemed' مِنكَfrom you فيin رَهنِthe pledge of المِطالِdelay
لَقُ مِنكَ في رَهنِ المِطالِ
Promise me, and let your promise lie
unredeemed, pledged to delay.
خَوَّفتَنيyou frightened me مِمّاwith what يُقاis said (first part)
خَوَّفتَني مِمّا يُقا
لُcompletion of 'is said' فَإِنso if رَضيتَyou are pleased فَماthen not أُباليI care
لُ فَإِن رَضيتَ فَما أُبالي
You frightened me with what might be said;
but if you are pleased, I do not care
زادَincreased اِعتِدالُكَyour shapeliness أَوor أَماturned you (first part)
زادَ اِعتِدالُكَ أَو أَما
لَكَcompletion of 'turned you' عَنfrom سَبيلِthe path of الإِعتِدالِmoderation
لَكَ عَن سَبيلِ الإِعتِدالِ
whether your shapeliness grows or turns
you from the path of moderation.
أَهلاًwelcome بِطَيفٍto a phantom رَسمُهُits custom
أَهلاً بِطَيفٍ رَسمُهُ
قَطعُsevering الحَبائِلِthe snares وَالحِبالِand the ropes
قَطعُ الحَبائِلِ وَالحِبالِ
Welcome to a phantom whose custom
is to sever snares and ropes.
أَنتَyou الهِلالُthe crescent وَلَمand never يَكُنwas
أَنتَ الهِلالُ وَلَم يَكُن
طَيفُthe phantom of البُدورِthe full moons سِوىother than الهِلالِthe crescent
طَيفُ البُدورِ سِوى الهِلالِ
You are the crescent; never was
the phantom of full moons anything but a crescent.
وَلَقَدand indeed خَفيتُI have faded كَماjust as خَفيyou have faded (first part)
وَلَقَد خَفيتُ كَما خَفي
تَcompletion of 'you have faded' وَكُلُّناand all of us طَيفُa phantom of الخَيالِimagination
تَ وَكُلُّنا طَيفُ الخَيالِ
And I have faded, just as you have,
and we are both phantoms of imagination.
وَقَدand indeed اِستَرَحناwe have found relief فيكَin you مِنfrom
وَقَد اِستَرَحنا فيكَ مِن
قيلٍ'it was said' مِنَfrom الواشيthe tale-bearer وَقالِand 'he said'
قيلٍ مِنَ الواشي وَقالِ
And with you we have found relief from
the tale-bearer's gossip and chatter.
لِلَهِto God! (admiration) ماhow! أَسراكَyou journey by night مِنas a
لِلَهِ ما أَسراكَ مِن
طَيفٍphantom عَلىin رَغمِdefiance of اللَياليthe nights
طَيفٍ عَلى رَغمِ اللَيالي
God, how you journey by night—
a phantom, in defiance of the nights!
حَيثُwhere الظَلامُdarkness عَجاجَةٌa dust cloud
حَيثُ الظَلامُ عَجاجَةٌ
وَالنَجمُand the stars فيهاwithin it كَالنِبالِlike arrows
وَالنَجمُ فيها كَالنِبالِ
Where darkness is a cloud of dust,
and the stars within it are like arrows.
ماnot حَلَّit alighted إِلّاexcept عابِراًpassing through
ما حَلَّ إِلّا عابِراً
بِأَسِنَّةِthrough the spearheads of القَومِthe people الحِلالِencamped
بِأَسِنَّةِ القَومِ الحِلالِ
It arrived only by passing
through the spearheads of the encamped folk.
أَنّىhow اِهتَدَيتَyou found your way وَدونَناwhile between us
أَنّى اِهتَدَيتَ وَدونَنا
خُرسُmute القَواضِبِkeen-edged swords فيin جِدالِdebate
خُرسُ القَواضِبِ في جِدالِ
How did you find your way, when between us
mute, keen-edged swords were locked in debate?
وَكَأَنَّماand as though ضيقُthe constriction of الغَراpassion (first part)
وَكَأَنَّما ضيقُ الغَرا
مِcompletion of 'passion' مُفَرِّجٌrelieving ضيقَthe narrowness of المَجالِthe passage
مِ مُفَرِّجٌ ضيقَ المَجالِ
And it is as though the straits of passion
ease the narrowness of the way.
وَإِذاand when جَرىflows ماءُthe water of الهَوىlove
وَإِذا جَرى ماءُ الهَوى
جَرَّاemboldens عَلىagainst ماءِthe water of النِضالِcombat
جَرَّا عَلى ماءِ النِضالِ
And when the water of love flows,
it emboldens one against the water of combat.
ياO راكِباًrider ظَهرَthe back of الهَوىlove
يا راكِباً ظَهرَ الهَوى
مِنfrom تَحتِbeneath أَسرارِthe secrets of اللَياليthe nights
مِن تَحتِ أَسرارِ اللَيالي
O rider on the back of love,
from beneath the secrets of the nights,
فَالراكِبُfor the rider of الأَشواقِlongings لَيis not (first part)
فَالراكِبُ الأَشواقِ لَي
سَcompletion of 'is not' يُصيبُهُafflicts him مَسُّthe touch of الكَلالِweariness
سَ يُصيبُهُ مَسُّ الكَلالِ
for he who rides on longings is
not touched by weariness.
ظَمآنُthirsty أَعطَشَهُmade him thirsty الصَباmorning (first part)
ظَمآنُ أَعطَشَهُ الصَبا
حُcompletion of 'morning' وَإِنand even if جَرىflows جَرىflows الزُلالُlimpid water
حُ وَإِن جَرى جَرى الزُلالُ
Thirsty—morning has made him thirstier,
though limpid water flows and flows.
بَدراًa full moon أُوَسِّدُهُI pillow him يَميmy right hand (first part)
بَدراً أُوَسِّدُهُ يَمي
نِيَcompletion of 'my right hand' ثُمَّthen أَلحِفُهُI cover him شِماليmy left hand
نِيَ ثُمَّ أَلحِفُهُ شِمالي
A full moon—I pillow him upon my right
hand, then cover him with my left.
Sol 6.1