وَأَهيَفِand a slender one القَدِّof figure بِالقُلوبِwith the hearts هَفاset aflutter
وَأَهيَفِ القَدِّ بِالقُلوبِ هَفا
أَورَدَنيbrought me to وَردُthe rose خَدِّهِof his cheek تَلَفاruin
أَورَدَني وَردُ خَدِّهِ تَلَفا
And a slender-waisted one set hearts aflutter;
With tender glances my heart is captivated and slain
The rose of his cheek brought me to ruin.
By his rosy cheek that brought me delight and pain
فَصرتُso I became يَعقوبَهُhis Jacob هَوىًpassion وَجَوىًand heartache
فَصرتُ يَعقوبَهُ هَوىً وَجَوىً
وَصارَand he became ليfor me يوسُفاًa Joseph فَواso, oh! أَسَفاsorrow!
وَصارَ لي يوسُفاً فَوا أَسَفا
So I became his Jacob in passion and heartache,
I became like Yaqoob, longing and yearning for him
And he became my Joseph—oh, what sorrow!
And he became my Yusuf, alas my longing in vain
وَاللَهby God لَوif جادَwas generous بِالزِيارَةِwith a visit ليto me
وَاللَه لَو جادَ بِالزِيارَةِ لي
مَنthe one who أَناI مِنهُbecause of him عَلىon شَفاًa brink لِشَفاwould surely heal
مَن أَنا مِنهُ عَلى شَفاً لِشَفا
By God, if he graciously granted me a visit,
By God, if he would visit me, oh what elation
He who brought me to the brink would surely heal me.
Yet I am unworthy of his affection
إِنif ماجَhe sways رَدَّhe sends back القَضيبَthe bough مُنخَذِلاًvanquished
إِن ماجَ رَدَّ القَضيبَ مُنخَذِلاً
أَوor لاحَhe shines forth راحَdeparts الهِلالُthe crescent مُنخَسِفاeclipsed
أَو لاحَ راحَ الهِلالُ مُنخَسِفا
If he sways, he sends the bough back vanquished;
When he turns his gaze, my strength starts to wane
Or if he shines forth, the crescent departs eclipsed.
As the crescent moon starts to curve and wane
كَمhow often جَرَحَhe wounded القَلبَthe heart بِاللِحاظِwith glances وَكَمand how often
كَم جَرَحَ القَلبَ بِاللِحاظِ وَكَم
جَرَحتُI wounded بِاللَحظِwith a glance خَدَّهُhis cheek تَرَفاbecause of its delicacy
جَرَحتُ بِاللَحظِ خَدَّهُ تَرَفا
How often he wounded the heart with glances, and how often
How his glances make my heart ache and bleed
I wounded his cheek with a glance, so delicate it was.
While my admiring eyes make his cheek flush red
كَأَنَّماas though جِسمُهُhis body لِرِقَّتِهِbecause of its delicacy
كَأَنَّما جِسمُهُ لِرِقَّتِهِ
ماءُwater صَفاًof rock لَكِنbut الفُؤادُthe heart صَفاrock
ماءُ صَفاً لَكِن الفُؤادُ صَفا
It is as though his body, for its delicacy,
His body is like water of such gentleness
Were water from rock—yet his heart is rock.
But my heart for him burns with eagerness
ياO عامِرَyou who fill القَلبِthe heart بِالغَرامِwith passion أَجِرshelter
يا عامِرَ القَلبِ بِالغَرامِ أَجِر
مُتَيَّماًa lovesick one صَبرُهُhis patience الجَميلُbeautiful عَفاhas faded
مُتَيَّماً صَبرُهُ الجَميلُ عَفا
O you who fill the heart with passion, shelter
O you who fills hearts with passion, have mercy
A lovesick man whose beautiful patience has faded.
On this long suffering lover, his patience did tire
جاءَcame عَذوليmy reproacher جَهلاًignorantly يُكَلِّفُنيdemanding of me
جاءَ عَذولي جَهلاً يُكَلِّفُني
عَنكَaway from you سُلُوّاًforgetfulness فَزادَنيso he increased my كَلَفاinfatuation
عَنكَ سُلُوّاً فَزادَني كَلَفا
My reproacher came, ignorantly demanding of me
My ignorant critic questions my devotion for you
That I forget you—yet he deepened my infatuation.
Adding to my burden, my longing renewed
اُكفُفstop مَلاميreproaching me وَلاand do not تَزِدincrease أَلَميmy pain
اُكفُف مَلامي وَلا تَزِد أَلَمي
حَسبِيَenough for me ماwhat بيis within me مِنَof الهَوىpassion وَكَفىand that suffices
حَسبِيَ ما بي مِنَ الهَوى وَكَفى
Stop reproaching me, and do not increase my pain;
Stop blaming me, do not add to my pain
The passion within me is enough for me—enough!
My love for you is enough, do not rend me in twain
قَدindeed كَتَبَhas written الحُسنُBeauty بِالعِذارِwith the cheek-down عَلىupon
قَد كَتَبَ الحُسنُ بِالعِذارِ عَلى
كاغِدِthe paper تُفّاحِof the apple خَدِّهِof his cheek أَلِفاan alif
كاغِدِ تُفّاحِ خَدِّهِ أَلِفا
With his cheek-down, Beauty has written upon
Beauty itself wrote with coyness and charm
The paper of his apple-cheek an alif.
On the apple of his cheek, sentences to entrance
كَأَنَّهُas though it عاشِقٌa lover لِوَجنَتِهِof his cheek
كَأَنَّهُ عاشِقٌ لِوَجنَتِهِ
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle تَقابَلاthe two faced each other وَقَفاthey stood still
حَتّى إِذا ما تَقابَلا وَقَفا
As though it were a lover of his cheek,
As if he were a lover of his own beauty
Until, when the two faced each other, they stood still.
When they met they just paused and stood unmovingly
نالَattained مِنَof الحُسنِbeauty فَوقَbeyond مُنيَتِهِhis wish
نالَ مِنَ الحُسنِ فَوقَ مُنيَتِهِ
فَعاجِزٌso incapable عَنهُregarding him كُلُّeveryone مَنwho وَصَفاdescribed
فَعاجِزٌ عَنهُ كُلُّ مَن وَصَفا
He gained beauty beyond his wish;
His beauty exceeds all possible depiction
So everyone who describes him fails to do him justice.
Leaving all who would describe it without conviction
دَبَّتcrept علىupon خَدِّهِhis cheek عَقارِبُscorpions صُدhis two temples (first fragment)
دَبَّت على خَدِّهِ عَقارِبُ صُد
غَيهِhis two temples (completion) فَخافَتthen they feared مِنfrom نارِهِits fire التَلَفاdestruction
غَيهِ فَخافَت مِن نارِهِ التَلَفا
Across his cheek crept the scorpions of his
The scorpions of his braided hair crawled down his cheek
Two temples; they feared destruction from its fire.
Fearing the sting of his flame, they did not dare creep
فَاِنعَطَفَتso they bent back خيفَةَfor fear of الحَريقِburning وَلَوand if
فَاِنعَطَفَت خيفَةَ الحَريقِ وَلَو
كانَhe were يَخافُfearing الحَريقَburning لانعَطَفاhe would surely bend
كانَ يَخافُ الحَريقَ لانعَطَفا
So they bent back for fear of burning; and if
So they turned away, fearing to be burned
He feared burning, he too would bend.
If but fire made them fear, they would not have turned
نَقطِفُwe pluck مِنfrom وَجهِهِhis face جَنىfruit جنةgarden الthe (article)
نَقطِفُ مِن وَجهِهِ جَنى جنة ال
حُسنِbeauty فَيَزدادُso it increases كُلَّماwhenever قُطِعاit is plucked
حُسنِ فَيَزدادُ كُلَّما قُطِعا
We pluck from his face the fruit of the garden of
We pluck the fruits of his beauty again and again
Beauty; it grows more abundant whenever it is plucked.
Yet from his cheeks the harvest will never wane
Sol 6.1