وَشادنٍand a young gazelle مُكْتَحِلٍwearing kohl بِسِحْرwith magic
وَشادنٍ مُكْتَحِلٍ بِسِحْر
أَجْفانُهُhis eyelids سَكرىdrunken بغيرِwithout خَمْرِwine
أَجْفانُهُ سَكرى بغيرِ خَمْرِ
And a young gazelle, his eyes kohled with magic,
A slender and magical-eyed one
His eyelids drunk without wine,
Whose eyelids are intoxicated without wine
أَرَقُّmore delicate مِنْthan رِقَّةِthe delicacy of ماءٍwater يَجْريflowing
أَرَقُّ مِنْ رِقَّةِ ماءٍ يَجْري
أَمْلكmore in control بيover me مِنِّيthan I am وَلَيْسَand does not يَدْريknow
أَمْلك بي مِنِّي وَلَيْسَ يَدْري
More delicate than the delicacy of flowing water,
More gentle than gently flowing water
He holds more sway over me than I do, and does not know it,
He has power over me beyond my own will
كَأَنَّهُas though he يقْتُلُنيkills me بِأَمْريat my command
كَأَنَّهُ يقْتُلُني بِأَمْري
آلَيْتُI swore لاnot أَمْلِكُI command عنهُaway from him صَبريmy patience
آلَيْتُ لا أَمْلِكُ عنهُ صَبري
As though he were killing me at my own command.
It's as if he kills me by my own command
I swore I would have no patience apart from him,
I've decided I cannot restrain myself from him
أَوْunless أَسْتَرِدَّI reclaim ماwhat مَضىhas passed مِنْof عُمْريmy life
أَوْ أَسْتَرِدَّ ما مَضى مِنْ عُمْري
نادَمْتُهُI drank with him قَبْلَbefore طُلوعِthe rising of الفَجْرِdawn
نادَمْتُهُ قَبْلَ طُلوعِ الفَجْرِ
Unless I could reclaim what had passed of my life.
Or regain my past life
I drank with him before dawn rose,
I blamed him before dawn's rise
فيunder قَمَرٍa moon كَأَنَّهُas though it were ابْنُthe son of بَدْرa full moon
في قَمَرٍ كَأَنَّهُ ابْنُ بَدْر
فيin ضَوءِthe light of وَصْلٍunion وَظَلامِand the darkness of هَجْرِseparation
في ضَوءِ وَصْلٍ وَظَلامِ هَجْرِ
Under a moon that seemed a full moon's son,
In a moon like the son of the full moon
In the light of union and the darkness of separation.
In the light of union and darkness of separation
كَأَنَّهُas though it إِذْwhen قِسْتُهُI measured it بِفِكْريwith my mind
كَأَنَّهُ إِذْ قِسْتُهُ بِفِكْري
لِأَرْبَعٍwith four nights تَخَلَّفَتْremaining مِنْof شَهْرِa month
لِأَرْبَعٍ تَخَلَّفَتْ مِنْ شَهْرِ
As though, when I measured it in my mind—
It's as if, when I measured him in my thoughts
With four nights remaining in the month,
He missed being four months
فيin طُولِهِits length وَعَرضِهِand its breadth بِفِتْرby a thumb-to-forefinger span
في طُولِهِ وَعَرضِهِ بِفِتْر
حَلَّbefell بِهِit ماwhat حَلَّbefell بيme منof ضُرِّsuffering
حَلَّ بِهِ ما حَلَّ بي من ضُرِّ
A thumb-to-forefinger span in length and breadth—
In his height and width in moderation
The suffering that had befallen me had befallen it.
What befell me of harm befell him
Sol 6.1