بَدرُthe full moon الدُّجىnight's darkness شَمسُthe sun الضُّحَىthe forenoon
بَدرُ الدُّجى شَمسُ الضُّحَى
غادَرَleft جِسميmy body شَبَحاa wraith
غادَرَ جِسمي شَبَحا
The full moon of night's darkness, the sun of morning,
The full moon of dusk, the sun of dawn
has left my body a wraith.
Left my body as a specter
قَلبيmy heart بِهِbecause of him قَدindeed كادَnearly مِنfrom
قَلبي بِهِ قَد كادَ مِن
طولِlong duration of البِلىwasting أَنto يُمصَحاbe worn away
طولِ البِلى أَن يُمصَحا
My heart, because of him, has nearly, from
My heart almost perished from
long wasting, been worn away.
The length of separation
يَحكيresembles القَضيبَthe slender branch فيupon الكَثيthe sand dune (first fragment)
يَحكي القَضيبَ في الكَثي
بِ(completes 'sand dune') كُلَّماwhenever تَرَنَّحاhe sways
بِ كُلَّما تَرَنَّحا
He resembles a slender branch upon the sand dune
It tells of the staff in the thicket
whenever he sways.
With every sigh
ساحِرُan enchanter طَرفٍof the glance مِنهُfrom him هاHarut (first fragment)
ساحِرُ طَرفٍ مِنهُ ها
روتُ(completes 'Harut') اِنثَنىturned away مُفتَضِحاdisgraced
روتُ اِنثَنى مُفتَضِحا
An enchanter with his glance, from whom Harut
The sorcerer of a glance from it
turned away, disgraced.
I saw the bowed forehead disgraced
لِحاظُthe glances مُردِbeardless youths التُّركِthe Turks أمkeener (first fragment)
لِحاظُ مُردِ التُّركِ أم
ضى(completes 'keener') مِنthan ظُباsword-edges ذَويthose with اللّحىbeards
ضى مِن ظُبا ذَوي اللّحى
The glances of beardless Turks are keener
The horsemen's gown from Turkish cloth
than the sword-edges of bearded men,
Is it gone from gazelles with beards?
حينَwhen يُديرونَthey turn بِهاwith them
حينَ يُديرونَ بِها
فيin حَومَةِthe thick of الحَربِbattle الرَحاthe millstone
في حَومَةِ الحَربِ الرَحا
when with them they turn
When they wave it
the millstone in the thick of battle.
In the ferocity of battle
يَفتَرُّparts in a smile فوهُhis mouth عَنto reveal سَناradiance
يَفتَرُّ فوهُ عَن سَنا
البَرقِlightning إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle لَمَحاit flashes
البَرقِ إِذا ما لَمَحا
His mouth parts in a smile, revealing the radiance
Its mouth gapes revealing
of lightning when it flashes.
The lightning when it glimpsed
سُبحانَglory to مَنthe One who أَودَعَplaced وَجcheeks (first fragment)
سُبحانَ مَن أَودَعَ وَج
نَتَيهِ(completes 'his two cheeks') تِلكَthose المُلَحاcharms
نَتَيهِ تِلكَ المُلَحا
Glory to Him who placed in his cheeks
Glory to Him who placed in His
those charms!
Cheeks those touches
كَأَنَّماas though نَكهَتهُhis breath
كَأَنَّما نَكهَتهُ
مِسكٌmusk أَريجٌfragrant نَفَحاwafted forth
مِسكٌ أَريجٌ نَفَحا
It is as though his breath
As if its taste were
were fragrant musk wafting forth.
Musk and pleasant fragrance diffused
مُعَربِدُriotous اللّحاظِthe glances مِنfrom
مُعَربِدُ اللّحاظِ مِن
سُكرِintoxication of هَواهُhis love ماnot صَحاhe sobered up
سُكرِ هَواهُ ما صَحا
Riotous in his glances, from
Confused by the gown from
the intoxication of his love he has never sobered.
The intoxication of his love restored
ماnot العَيشُlife إِلّاexcept قَهوَةٌwine
ما العَيشُ إِلّا قَهوَةٌ
حَمراءُred تَنفيbanishes التَرَحاsorrow
حَمراءُ تَنفي التَرَحا
Life is nothing but wine,
Life is but red coffee
red, banishing sorrow.
That drives away fatigue
وَهيَand it is التَّيthe one that تَجلِبُbrings مِنfrom
وَهيَ التَّي تَجلِبُ مِن
كلِّevery النَواحيquarter الفَرَحاjoy
كلِّ النَواحي الفَرَحا
And it is what brings, from
And it is that which attracts
every quarter, joy.
Joy from all directions
فَكُنso be لَهاto it مُعتَنِقاًembracing
فَكُن لَها مُعتَنِقاً
مغتَبِقاًdrinking in the evening مُصطَبِحاdrinking in the morning
مغتَبِقاً مُصطَبِحا
So embrace it,
So be for it an embracer
drinking in the evening and the morning.
An impassioned waker at dawn
ياO حَبَّذاhow delightful السُكرُdrunkenness بِشُرby drinking (first fragment)
يا حَبَّذا السُكرُ بِشُر
بِها(completes 'drinking it') إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle طَفَحاit brims over
بِها إِذا ما طَفَحا
Ah, how delightful is drunkenness from drinking it
How good is sugar drunk
when it brims over!
With it when it overflows
يوسيhe heals أَذىhurt of الخُمارِthe hangover بِالwith the
يوسي أَذى الخُمارِ بِال
خَمرِwine إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جُرِحاhe is wounded
خَمرِ إِذا ما جُرِحا
He heals the hurt of the hangover with
It heals the pain of grapes with
wine whenever he is wounded.
Wine when injured
يَلقىfinds بِهاthrough it النَدمانُthe drinking companion مِنof
يَلقى بِها النَدمانُ مِن
نَيلِattaining المُنىwishes ماwhatever اِقتَرَحاhe desires
نَيلِ المُنى ما اِقتَرَحا
Through it, the drinking companion finds
With it the sorrowful gain from
the fulfillment of whatever wishes he desires.
Attaining what they yearned for
فَهيَfor it is مَحلٌّa receptacle قابِلٌcapable
فَهيَ مَحلٌّ قابِلٌ
لِأَنto يَهيجَstir up البُرَحاburning anguish
لِأَن يَهيجَ البُرَحا
For it is a fitting vessel
So it is a place accepting
to stir up burning anguish.
To arouse transported rapture
أَعيَتbaffled صِفاتُهاits qualities نَحاmasters (first fragment)
أَعيَت صِفاتُها نَحا
ريرَ(completes 'masters') العُقولِof intellect الفُصَحاthe eloquent
ريرَ العُقولِ الفُصَحا
Its qualities have baffled the brilliant
Its qualities tire the minds
and eloquent minds.
Of the most eloquent explicators
Sol 6.1