ياO عاذِليmy reproacher أَقصِرdesist فَكَمfor how much تَتعَبُyou grow weary
يا عاذِلي أَقصِر فَكَم تَتعَبُ
فيin سَلوَتيmy forgetting تَطمَعُyou hope ياO أَشعَبُAshʿab
في سَلوَتي تَطمَعُ يا أَشعَبُ
O my reproacher, desist—how much you weary yourself!
O my critic, be brief, for how much do you suffer
You hope I will forget him, O Ashʿab.
In my pleasure you aspire, O uncouth one
هَيهاتَfar from possible أَنthat أَسلُوَI forget عَنabout شادِنٍa young gazelle
هَيهاتَ أَن أَسلُوَ عَن شادِنٍ
فيin حُبِّهِlove for him العاتِبُthe reproacher لاdoes not يَعتُبُfind fault
في حُبِّهِ العاتِبُ لا يَعتُبُ
Never could I forget a young gazelle,
Alas! I will not desist from one who brings me joy
for loving whom even the reproacher finds no fault.
The lover, though blamed, does not complain
وَجديmy passion مُجِدٌّearnest فيin هَواهُlove for him وَإِنand even though
وَجدي مُجِدٌّ في هَواهُ وَإِن
كانَis بِقَلبيwith my heart حُبُّهُlove for him يَلعَبُplays
كانَ بِقَلبي حُبُّهُ يَلعَبُ
My passion is earnest in loving him, even though
My passion brings me glory, though
love for him plays with my heart.
His love but toys with my heart
بيI am smitten with مِنfrom بَنيsons of التُركِthe Turks هَضيمُslender الحَشاthe waist
بي مِن بَني التُركِ هَضيمُ الحَشا
أَحوَرُdark-eyed with bright whites مَعسولُhoney-sweet اللَمىthe lips’ dusky hue أَشنَبُbright-toothed
أَحوَرُ مَعسولُ اللَمى أَشنَبُ
I am smitten with a Turk, slender of waist,
I'm of the valiant Turks, large of eyes,
dark-eyed, with honey-sweet dusky lips and gleaming teeth.
Curly-haired, honey-lipped, prim-nosed
يَبدوhe appears فَيَجلوand so reveals قَمَراًa moon وَجهُهُhis face
يَبدو فَيَجلو قَمَراً وَجهُهُ
مِنfrom صُدغِهِhis temple-lock فيon خَدِّهِhis cheek عَقرَبُa scorpion
مِن صُدغِهِ في خَدِّهِ عَقرَبُ
He appears, and his face reveals a moon;
His face shines like the moon then glows
from his temple-lock, a scorpion lies upon his cheek.
A scorpion lurks on his cheek and temple
فيin سَرجِهِhis saddle يَنسابُglides مِنfrom فَرعِهِhis tresses
في سَرجِهِ يَنسابُ مِن فَرعِهِ
الثُعبانُthe serpent فَوقَover الحِقفِthe sand dune إِذwhen يَركَبُhe rides
الثُعبانُ فَوقَ الحِقفِ إِذ يَركَبُ
In his saddle, from his tresses there glides
On his steed a snake winds round his branch
the serpent over the sand dune as he rides.
Crawling atop the crupper as he rides
عَنrevealing بَرَدٍhailstones يَبسِمُsmiles أَوor لُؤلُؤٍpearls
عَن بَرَدٍ يَبسِمُ أَو لُؤلُؤٍ
وَعَنand revealing أَقاحٍchrysanthemums ثَغرُهُhis mouth الأَشنَبُbright-toothed
وَعَن أَقاحٍ ثَغرُهُ الأَشنَبُ
Hailstones or pearls are bared in a smile,
His smile hints at pearls or camphor
and chrysanthemums, by his bright-toothed mouth.
His gap-toothed mouth, a new moon
حاجِبُهُhis eyebrow يُغنيهِspares him the need عَنfor قَوسِهِhis bow
حاجِبُهُ يُغنيهِ عَن قَوسِهِ
وَلَحظُهُand his glance السَهمُthe arrow فَماso not يُحجَبُis blocked
وَلَحظُهُ السَهمُ فَما يُحجَبُ
His eyebrow spares him the need for his bow;
His brow makes his bow redundant
and his glance is the arrow, so it is never blocked.
His glance, an undeflected arrow
وَقَدُّهُand his figure أَطعَنُmore piercing مِنthan رُمحِهِhis spear
وَقَدُّهُ أَطعَنُ مِن رُمحِهِ
وَلَحظُهُand his glance مِنthan سَيفِهِhis sword أَضرَبُharder-hitting
وَلَحظُهُ مِن سَيفِهِ أَضرَبُ
And his figure is more piercing than his spear,
His height makes his lance more piercing
and his glance strikes harder than his sword.
His gaze, a slashing sword
هاروتُHarut فيin بابِلَBabylon مِنat نَفثِهِhis breathing forth
هاروتُ في بابِلَ مِن نَفثِهِ
لِلسِّحرِof magic مِنfrom أَجفانِهِhis eyelids يَعجَبُmarvels
لِلسِّحرِ مِن أَجفانِهِ يَعجَبُ
Harut in Babylon, at his breathing forth
In Babylon, Harut by his breath
of magic from his eyelids, marvels.
Marvels magicians with his eyelids
كَأَنَّهُas though he were وَالرَّاحُand the wine فيin كَفِّهِhis palm
كَأَنَّهُ وَالرَّاحُ في كَفِّهِ
شَمسُthe sun الضُحىmidmorning قابَلَهاfaced it كَوكَبُa star
شَمسُ الضُحى قابَلَها كَوكَبُ
It is as though he, with wine in his palm,
As if he, the zephyr in his palm
were the midmorning sun faced by a star.
The rising sun opposed by a planet
Sol 6.1