فيon خَدِّthe cheek of مَنthe one whom أَهواهُI love him خَيرُthe finest طِرازِembroidery
في خَدِّ مَن أَهواهُ خَيرُ طِرازِ
طَرفيmy gaze بِهِupon it زانٍadulterous وَقَلبِيَand my heart نازيleaping
طَرفي بِهِ زانٍ وَقَلبِيَ نازي
On the cheek of the one I love is the finest embroidery.
In the cheek of the one I love is the best beauty
My gaze sins upon it, and my heart leaps.
My eyes are adorned by it and my heart is delighted
ذاكَthat الَّذيwhich سُبحانَglory be to راقِمِهِits embroiderer فَماfor never
ذاكَ الَّذي سُبحانَ راقِمِهِ فَما
ظَفِرَتobtained بِمُشبِهِهِanything like it يَداthe two hands of بَزّازِa draper
ظَفِرَت بِمُشبِهِهِ يَدا بَزّازِ
That design—glory be to its embroiderer!—never
He whose creator be glorified, none could equal
Have a draper's hands found its like.
The hand of a weaver could not match his work
عَنfrom قَوسِthe bow of حاجِبِهِhis eyebrow رَمىhe shot لَمّاwhen رَناhe gazed
عَن قَوسِ حاجِبِهِ رَمى لَمّا رَنا
فَأَصابَنيand he struck me بِسِهامِwith the arrows of زاهٍa proud one هازيa mocking one
فَأَصابَني بِسِهامِ زاهٍ هازي
From the bow of his eyebrow he shot when he gazed,
From the bow of his eyebrow he glanced at me when he was pleased
And struck me with the arrows of a proud, mocking one.
And hit me with arrows of great desire
ميعادُهُhis promise بِالوَصلِof union بَرقٌlightning خُلَّبٌrainless
ميعادُهُ بِالوَصلِ بَرقٌ خُلَّبٌ
وَوَعيدُهُand his threat بِالهَجرِof abandonment ذوpossessing إِنجازِfulfillment
وَوَعيدُهُ بِالهَجرِ ذو إِنجازِ
His promise of union is rainless lightning,
His promise of union is a brilliant lightning
And his threat of abandonment comes true.
And his threat of separation fulfills its purpose
فَكَأَنَّso it is as though حاجِبَهُhis eyebrow الَّذيwhich مِنهُfrom it رَمىhe shot
فَكَأَنَّ حاجِبَهُ الَّذي مِنهُ رَمى
قَوسٌa bow بَرَتهُshaped it يَدُthe hand of المُجاهِدِthe warrior غازيGhazi
قَوسٌ بَرَتهُ يَدُ المُجاهِدِ غازي
So it is as though his eyebrow, from which he shot,
It is as if his eyebrow from which he shot
Were a bow shaped by the hand of the warrior Ghazi.
Is a bow strung by the hand of a warrior invader
ذاكَthat one الَّذيwho هوhe فيin الصُدورِthe foremost places مُقَدَّمٌgiven precedence
ذاكَ الَّذي هو في الصُدورِ مُقَدَّمٌ
وَسِواهُand others besides him مَدفوعٌpushed back إِلىto الأَعجازِthe rear
وَسِواهُ مَدفوعٌ إِلى الأَعجازِ
He is the one given precedence at the forefront,
He who is foremost in hearts
And everyone else is pushed to the rear.
And all others are relegated behind
فَقِسِيّهso his bows بِشَباتِهاwith their pointed tips قَدindeed أَشبَهَتresembled
فَقِسِيّه بِشَباتِها قَد أَشبَهَت
قَوسَthe bow of السَماءِthe sky بِفَضلِهاin their excellence المُمتازِoutstanding
قَوسَ السَماءِ بِفَضلِها المُمتازِ
Thus his bows, with their pointed tips, have resembled
So his firmness has made his youth resemble
The rainbow in their outstanding excellence.
The bow of the sky in its distinctive excellence
لاno قَوسَbow إِلّاexcept ماwhat بَرَتهُfashioned it يَمينُهُhis right hand
لا قَوسَ إِلّا ما بَرَتهُ يَمينُهُ
شَتّانَhow far apart بَينَbetween السَيفِthe sword وَالعُكّازِand the walking stick
شَتّانَ بَينَ السَيفِ وَالعُكّازِ
There is no bow but what his right hand has fashioned;
No bow except that which his right hand strung
How far apart are the sword and the walking stick!
Far between is the sword and the bowstring
فَهُوَfor he الحَقيقَةُthe genuine article فيin الصِناعَةِthe craft وَحدَهُalone
فَهُوَ الحَقيقَةُ في الصِناعَةِ وَحدَهُ
وَسِواهُand others besides him يَرفُلُstrut فيin ثِيابِgarments of مَخازيdisgrace
وَسِواهُ يَرفُلُ في ثِيابِ مَخازي
For he alone is the true master of the craft,
He alone is the essence in the craft
And everyone else struts in garments of disgrace.
While others parade in pretentious clothes
يَقِظٌvigilant هُوَhe الأُستاذُthe master غَيرُnot مُدافعdisplaced
يَقِظٌ هُوَ الأُستاذُ غَيرُ مُدافع
عَنfrom مَجدِهِhis glory بِمُوازِنٍby a peer وَمُوازِand an equal
عَن مَجدِهِ بِمُوازِنٍ وَمُوازِ
Vigilant, he is the master, never displaced
Awake he is the master, not defending
From his glory by any peer or equal.
His glory with a partisan or ally
بِالنَزعِwith the bow's draw تَركُضُgallop فيinto الصُدورِthe chests سِهامُهُhis arrows
بِالنَزعِ تَركُضُ في الصُدورِ سِهامُهُ
كَالطِرفِlike a steed حينَwhen يُهَزُّis roused بِالمِهمازِby the spur
كَالطِرفِ حينَ يُهَزُّ بِالمِهمازِ
With the bow's draw, his arrows gallop into chests,
With drawing arrows fly in the hearts
Like a steed roused by the spur.
Like eyelashes when blinked with kohl
شَرُفَتare exalted خَلائِقُهُhis traits الكِرمُnoble فَلَيسَso he is not بِالa (emphatic)
شَرُفَت خَلائِقُهُ الكِرمُ فَلَيسَ بِال
غَمّازِslanderer حاشاهُfar be it from him وَلاnor اللَمّازِthe fault-finder
غَمّازِ حاشاهُ وَلا اللَمّازِ
His noble traits are exalted; he is no
His noble character is generosity so he is not
Slanderer—far be it from him!—nor a fault-finder.
A slanderer or fault finder
أَقنىamassed wealth وَأَفنىand exhausted ماwhat لَهُhe has لِعُفاتِهِfor his petitioners
أَقنى وَأَفنى ما لَهُ لِعُفاتِهِ
وَسِواهُand others besides him رَبُّlord of مَخازِنٍstorehouses وَمَخازيand disgraces
وَسِواهُ رَبُّ مَخازِنٍ وَمَخازي
He amassed wealth and spent all he had on his petitioners,
He spent and exhausted what he had for his chastity
While others are lords of storehouses and shame.
While others are lords of stores and warehouses
ماnot المالُwealth إِلّاexcept ماthat which كَسَبتَyou gained بِهِthrough it العُلىlofty honor
ما المالُ إِلّا ما كَسَبتَ بِهِ العُلى
مِنof مُطرَفٍnewly acquired wealth أَوor مُتلَدٍinherited wealth وَرِكازِand buried treasure
مِن مُطرَفٍ أَو مُتلَدٍ وَرِكازِ
Wealth is only that with which you gain lofty honor,
Wealth is only what you gain by it of highness
Be it newly acquired, inherited, or buried treasure.
From a well-bred horse or a firm statuette
وَهُوَand he الَّذيwho قَدindeed عاقَبَpunished الصُنّاعَthe craftsmen بِالwith the
وَهُوَ الَّذي قَد عاقَبَ الصُنّاعَ بِال
إِزعاجِdismay لَمّاwhen جاءَhe came بِالإِعجازِwith a miraculous feat
إِزعاجِ لَمّا جاءَ بِالإِعجازِ
And he is the one who punished the craftsmen with
And he is the one who punished the craftsmen for
Dismay when he produced a marvel.
Disturbing when he came with miracles
مازالَhas remained فيin كَسبِpursuing العُلىlofty honor مُتَيَقِّظاًvigilant
مازالَ في كَسبِ العُلى مُتَيَقِّظاً
فَكَأَنَّهُso it is as though he بازٍa hawk عَلىupon قُفّازِa glove
فَكَأَنَّهُ بازٍ عَلى قُفّازِ
He has remained vigilant in pursuing lofty honor,
He remained vigilant in earning highness
So he is like a hawk upon a glove.
As if he is a falcon on a gauntlet
عَنfor شُربِthe drink of ساريa night traveler ياO إِلَهيmy God جازِهِreward him
عَن شُربِ ساري يا إِلَهي جازِهِ
خَيرَthe best الجَزاءِreward فَأَنتَfor You خَيرُthe best مُجازيrewarder
خَيرَ الجَزاءِ فَأَنتَ خَيرُ مُجازي
For a night traveler's drink, O my God, reward him
My God reward him for drinking joy
With the finest reward, for You are the finest rewarder.
The best reward for You are the best Requiter
إِنَّindeed الفُتُوَّةَchivalry مِنهُin him باجِحَةٌproud لَدىamid الthe
إِنَّ الفُتُوَّةَ مِنهُ باجِحَةٌ لَدى ال
هَيجاbattle بِسَيفٍwith a sword كَالقَضاءِlike fate جُرازِkeenly cutting
هَيجا بِسَيفٍ كَالقَضاءِ جُرازِ
Indeed, chivalry takes pride in him amid
Indeed gallantry from him is prevailing with
Battle, with a cleaving sword like fate.
A raging sword like destiny's decree
وَالكَأسُand the cup فيin يُمناهُhis right hand يَحكيresembles مَركَباًa boat
وَالكَأسُ في يُمناهُ يَحكي مَركَباً
فيamid مَوجِthe waves of بَحرٍa sea زاخِرٍsurging هَزهازِheaving
في مَوجِ بَحرٍ زاخِرٍ هَزهازِ
And the cup in his right hand resembles a boat
And the cup in his right hand tells of a ship
Amid the waves of a surging, heaving sea.
In the waves of a turbulent clamorous sea
Sol 6.1