منwho مُنصِفيmy vindicator مِنagainst غَزالِa gazelle التُركِof the Turks ذيpossessing الدَعَجdeep-black eyes
من مُنصِفي مِن غَزالِ التُركِ ذي الدَعَج
وَذيand possessing العُيونِeyes الَّتيthat لَمdid not تَخلُbe free مِنof غَنَجِcoquetry
وَذي العُيونِ الَّتي لَم تَخلُ مِن غَنَجِ
Who will win me justice against the Turks' dark-eyed gazelle,
whose eyes have never been free of coquetry?
خَدّاهُhis two cheeks منfrom أَحمَرِred الياقوتِruby لَونُهُماtheir color
خَدّاهُ من أَحمَرِ الياقوتِ لَونُهُما
لَكِنbut عَقارِبُthe scorpions صُدغَيهِof his two temples مِنَof السَبَجِjet
لَكِن عَقارِبُ صُدغَيهِ مِنَ السَبَجِ
His cheeks take their color from red rubies,
but the scorpions at his temples are of jet.
وَكَيفَand how يَسلَمُescapes unharmed قَلبيmy heart مِنfrom لَواحِظِهِhis glances
وَكَيفَ يَسلَمُ قَلبي مِن لَواحِظِهِ
يَوماًfor a day وَماand not سَفكُهاtheir shedding إِلّاexcept دَمblood المُهَجِof hearts
يَوماً وَما سَفكُها إِلّا دَم المُهَجِ
And how can my heart escape his glances
even for a day, when they shed only hearts' blood?
يَفترُّhe smiles عَنrevealing لُؤلُؤٍpearls رَطبٍmoist وَعَنand revealing بَرَدٍhailstones
يَفترُّ عَن لُؤلُؤٍ رَطبٍ وَعَن بَرَدٍ
وَعَنand revealing أَقاحٍdaisies شَتَيتٍscattered طَيِّبِsweet الأَرَجِfragrance
وَعَن أَقاحٍ شَتَيتٍ طَيِّبِ الأَرَجِ
He smiles, revealing moist pearls and hailstones,
and scattered daisies, sweetly fragrant.
وَماand never تَبَسَّمَhe smiled فيin ظَلماءَa dark night داجِيَةٍpitch-black
وَما تَبَسَّمَ في ظَلماءَ داجِيَةٍ
إِلّاexcept وَأَغنَتand sufficed ثَناياهُhis front teeth عَنِin place of السُرُجِlamps
إِلّا وَأَغنَت ثَناياهُ عَنِ السُرُجِ
Never has he smiled on a pitch-black night
without his front teeth making lamps needless.
كَمhow many ليI have إِذاwhen غابَhe is absent عَنfrom عَينَيَّmy two eyes منof حجَجِarguments
كَم لي إِذا غابَ عَن عَينَيَّ من حجَجِ
فَإِنbut if بَداhe appears اِنقَطَعَتare cut short مِنby هَبَّةٍa gust حُجَجيmy arguments
فَإِن بَدا اِنقَطَعَت مِن هَبَّةٍ حُجَجي
How many arguments I have when he is out of my sight!
But if he appears, a gust cuts short my arguments.
فَسُخطُهُfor his displeasure شِدَّةٌhardship لِلعاشِقينَfor lovers وَفيand in
فَسُخطُهُ شِدَّةٌ لِلعاشِقينَ وَفي
رَوحِthe soothing breath الرِضىof favor مِنهُfrom him عَنهُمwith them راحَةُthe comfort الفَرَجِof relief
رَوحِ الرِضى مِنهُ عَنهُم راحَةُ الفَرَجِ
For his displeasure is hardship for lovers, while in
the soothing breath of his favor toward them lies the comfort of relief.
مِنfrom ضيقِthe narrowness أَجفانِهِof his eyelids سُبلthe paths الهَوىof love اِتَّسَعَتhave widened
مِن ضيقِ أَجفانِهِ سُبل الهَوى اِتَّسَعَت
فَماso there is no عَلىupon عاشِقيهِhis lovers فيهِconcerning him مِنany حَرَجِblame
فَما عَلى عاشِقيهِ فيهِ مِن حَرَجِ
From the narrowness of his eyelids, love's paths have widened,
so his lovers incur no blame for loving him.
ماnot حُسنُthe beauty صَبرِيَof my patience عَنهُaway from him ساعَةًfor an hour حَسَنٌbeautiful
ما حُسنُ صَبرِيَ عَنهُ ساعَةً حَسَنٌ
كَلّاno indeed وَلَيسَand is not اِنهِتاكيmy loss of restraint فيهِfor his sake بِالسَمِجِat all unseemly
كَلّا وَلَيسَ اِنهِتاكي فيهِ بِالسَمِجِ
My graceful patience without him, even for an hour, is no grace;
no indeed—and my loss of restraint for his sake is not unseemly.
ياO مُشهِرَyou who unsheathe السَيفِthe sword فيin الهَيجاءِbattle مُشتَهِراًrenowned
يا مُشهِرَ السَيفِ في الهَيجاءِ مُشتَهِراً
أغمدهsheathe it عَيناكَyour two eyes قَدalready أَغنَتكَhave sufficed you فيamid الرَهَجِthe battle-dust
أغمده عَيناكَ قَد أَغنَتكَ في الرَهَجِ
O you who draw the sword, renowned in battle,
sheathe it: your eyes are already all you need amid battle's dust.
هَواكَlove for you بَحرٌa sea عَميقٌdeep لاno قَرارَbottom لَهُto it
هَواكَ بَحرٌ عَميقٌ لا قَرارَ لَهُ
وَهاand behold أَناI الآنَnow مِنهُof it غُصتُI have plunged فيinto اللُجَجِthe deep waters
وَها أَنا الآنَ مِنهُ غُصتُ في اللُجَجِ
Love for you is a deep sea without a bottom,
and here I am now, plunged into its deep waters.
ياO شادِيَsinger of الشربِthe drinkers قَدindeed رَنَّحتنيyou have made me sway طَرَباًwith rapture
يا شادِيَ الشربِ قَد رَنَّحتني طَرَباً
أَوّاهُah واalas for كَبِديmy liver مِنfrom صَوتِكِyour voice الهَزِجِlilting
أَوّاهُ وا كَبِدي مِن صَوتِكِ الهَزِجِ
O singer for the drinkers, you have made me sway with rapture!
Ah, alas for my liver at your lilting voice!
قُمrise فَاِذبَحِthen slaughter الدنَّthe wine jar ياO ساقيcupbearer عَلىwith عَجَلٍhaste
قُم فَاِذبَحِ الدنَّ يا ساقي عَلى عَجَلٍ
وَعاطِنيهاand pass it to me سُلافاًas pure wine مِنfrom دَمِthe blood المُهَجِof hearts
وَعاطِنيها سُلافاً مِن دَمِ المُهَجِ
Rise, then slaughter the wine jar, cupbearer, in haste,
and pass it to me, pure wine from hearts' blood.
Sol 6.1