صَوْلَجُcrook لامَيْنِtwo lām letters فيin عِذَارَيْنِtwo cheek-down lines
صَوْلَجُ لامَيْنِ في عِذَارَيْنِ
فيon ذَهَبِيَّيْنِboth golden جَوْهَرِيَّيْنِboth jewel-like
في ذَهَبِيَّيْنِ جَوْهَرِيَّيْنِ
The crook of two lām letters in two lines of cheek-down,
on two golden, jewel-like cheeks.
يَاAh! بِأَبِيwith my father as ransom كَيْفَhow شَفَّنِيit wasted me سَقَماًwith sickness
يَا بِأَبِي كَيْفَ شَفَّنِي سَقَماً
سَوَادُblackness of هَذَيْنِthese two فيin سَنَاradiance of ذَيْنِthose two
سَوَادُ هَذَيْنِ في سَنَا ذَيْنِ
Ah, may my father ransom him! How it has wasted me with sickness—
the blackness of these two amid the radiance of those two!
قَدْindeed زَهَتِhas gleamed الرَّاءُthe letter rāʾ مِنْfrom مُقَبَّلِهِhis kissable mouth
قَدْ زَهَتِ الرَّاءُ مِنْ مُقَبَّلِهِ
فَوْقَabove نِظَامَيْنِtwo strings لُؤْلُؤِيَّيْنِboth pearly
فَوْقَ نِظَامَيْنِ لُؤْلُؤِيَّيْنِ
The rāʾ of his kissable mouth has gleamed
above two pearly strings.
وَاخْتَرَطَand unsheathed الغُنْجُcoquetry مِنْfrom لَواحِظِهِhis sidelong glances
وَاخْتَرَطَ الغُنْجُ مِنْ لَواحِظِهِ
سَيْفَيْنِtwo swords لِلْسِّحْرِfor enchantment بَابِلِيَّيْنِboth Babylonian
سَيْفَيْنِ لِلْسِّحْرِ بَابِلِيَّيْنِ
And coquetry has unsheathed from his glances
two Babylonian swords of enchantment.
يَاO مُرْهَفَيْtwo keen blades of مُقْلَتَيْهِhis two eyes دُونَكُماhere for you both
يَا مُرْهَفَيْ مُقْلَتَيْهِ دُونَكُما
قَلْبِيmy heart فَقُدَّاهُso cleave it, both of you نِصْفَيْنِinto two halves
قَلْبِي فَقُدَّاهُ نِصْفَيْنِ
O two keen blades of his two eyes, here for you both
is my heart; cleave it into two halves.
وَياand O عِذَارَيْهِhis two cheek-down lines هَاكُماtake this, both of you كَبِدِيmy liver
وَيا عِذَارَيْهِ هَاكُما كَبِدِي
فَابْتَدِرَاso rush, both of you نَحْوَهاtoward it بِسَيْفَيْنِwith two swords
فَابْتَدِرَا نَحْوَها بِسَيْفَيْنِ
And O his two lines of cheek-down, take my liver,
then rush toward it with two swords.
أَقْبَلَcame forth الوَرْدُthe rose فَوْقَupon وَجْنَتِهِhis cheek
أَقْبَلَ الوَرْدُ فَوْقَ وَجْنَتِهِ
مِنْfrom غَرْسِplanting لَحْظِglances of العُيونِthe eyes لَوْنَيْنِin two colors
مِنْ غَرْسِ لَحْظِ العُيونِ لَوْنَيْنِ
The rose came forth upon his cheek,
in two colors, planted by the glances of eyes.
وَرَاحَand he went لِلْتِّيهِto swagger فيin مُعَصْفَرَةٍa safflower-dyed robe
وَرَاحَ لِلْتِّيهِ في مُعَصْفَرَةٍ
وَهْوَwhile he مِنَfrom الزَّهْوِpride فيin وِشَاحَيْنِtwo sashes
وَهْوَ مِنَ الزَّهْوِ في وِشَاحَيْنِ
And he went swaggering in a safflower-dyed robe,
while, in his pride, he wore two sashes.
بادَرَhe rushed toward عَيْنيmy eye فَلَمْbut did not يَجِدْfind أَحَداًanyone
بادَرَ عَيْني فَلَمْ يَجِدْ أَحَداً
يَجْعَلُهُto place him بَيْنَهاbetween it وَمَاand (emphatic) بَيْنِيbetween me
يَجْعَلُهُ بَيْنَها وَمَا بَيْنِي
He rushed toward my eye, but found no one
to place between it and me.
تُجْرَحُare wounded خَدَّاهُhis two cheeks مِنْby مُلاحَظَتِيmy gazing
تُجْرَحُ خَدَّاهُ مِنْ مُلاحَظَتِي
ياO رَبِّmy Lord فَاحْكُمْso judge لَهُin his favor عَلَىagainst عَيْنيmy eye
يا رَبِّ فَاحْكُمْ لَهُ عَلَى عَيْني
His two cheeks are wounded by my gazing;
O Lord, judge for him against my eye.
لاmay not وَاخَذَhold accountable اللَهُGod مَنْthe one whom هَوِيتُI loved وَلَوْeven if
لا وَاخَذَ اللَهُ مَنْ هَوِيتُ وَلَوْ
قَدَّcleaved فُؤَاديmy heart هَوَاهُlove of him شَطْرَيْنِinto two halves
قَدَّ فُؤَادي هَوَاهُ شَطْرَيْنِ
May God not punish the one I love, even if
love of him has cleft my heart into two halves.
يَمْطُلُdelays repaying كُلَّall العِبادِpeople دَيْنَهُمُthe debt owed them
يَمْطُلُ كُلَّ العِبادِ دَيْنَهُمُ
وَهْوَyet he مُلَبّىًheeded بِذَلكَfor that الدَّيْنِdebt
وَهْوَ مُلَبّىً بِذَلكَ الدَّيْنِ
He delays paying everyone what he owes them,
yet he is heeded for that debt.
مِنْfrom أَيْنَwhere لِلْبَدْرِfor the full moon حُسْنُbeauty of صُورَتِهِhis form
مِنْ أَيْنَ لِلْبَدْرِ حُسْنُ صُورَتِهِ
وَقَدُّهُand his stature لِلْقَضِيبِfor the slender branch مِنْfrom أَيْنِwhere
وَقَدُّهُ لِلْقَضِيبِ مِنْ أَيْنِ
Where could the full moon find the beauty of his form,
and where could the slender branch find his stature?
قُلْsay لِسَمِيِّto the namesake of الوَصِيِّthe Legatee ياO ثانِيَsecond القَطْthe rain (first part)
قُلْ لِسَمِيِّ الوَصِيِّ يا ثانِيَ القَطْ
رِcompletion of 'rain' وَيَاand O ثالِثَthird الرَّبِيعَينِthe two springs
رِ وَيَا ثالِثَ الرَّبِيعَينِ
Say to the Legatee's namesake: O second rain,
and O third beside the two springs!
وَياand O هِلالاًcrescent moon بَدَتْappeared مَطَالِعُهُits rising points
وَيا هِلالاً بَدَتْ مَطَالِعُهُ
فِيin أُفْقِhorizon of بَدْرَيْنِtwo full moons تَغْلِبِيَّيْنِboth Taghlibi
فِي أُفْقِ بَدْرَيْنِ تَغْلِبِيَّيْنِ
And O crescent whose risings have appeared
on the horizon of two Taghlibi full moons!
مَاhow أَرْطَبَlush العَيْشَlife فيin ذَرَاكَyour shelter وَمَاand how
مَا أَرْطَبَ العَيْشَ في ذَرَاكَ وَمَا
أَهْنَاsweet النَّدىbounty فيin جَنَابِكَyour domain الْلَّيْنِgentle
أَهْنَا النَّدى في جَنَابِكَ الْلَّيْنِ
How lush is life in your shelter, and how
sweet is bounty in your gentle domain!
عَلَوْتَyou surpassed فيin المَجْدِglory كلَّevery مَكْرُمَةٍnoble distinction
عَلَوْتَ في المَجْدِ كلَّ مَكْرُمَةٍ
كُنْتَyou were بِهاthrough it ثالِثَthird السِّماكَيْنِthe two Simāk stars
كُنْتَ بِها ثالِثَ السِّماكَيْنِ
You have surpassed in glory every noble distinction;
through it you were a third beside the two Simāk stars.
مَنْwhoever قَاسَcompared جَدْوَاكَyour bounty بِالغَمامِwith the raincloud فَماthen did not
مَنْ قَاسَ جَدْوَاكَ بِالغَمامِ فَما
أَنْصَفَjudge fairly فيin الحُكْمِjudgment بَيْنَbetween شَكْلَيْنِtwo counterparts
أَنْصَفَ في الحُكْمِ بَيْنَ شَكْلَيْنِ
Whoever compared your bounty with the raincloud has not
judged fairly between two counterparts.
أَنْتَyou إِذاwhen جُدْتَyou give ضَاحِكٌsmiling أَبَداًalways
أَنْتَ إِذا جُدْتَ ضَاحِكٌ أَبَداً
وَهْوَwhile it إِذاwhen جَادَit gives دَامِعُtearful العَيْنِthe eye
وَهْوَ إِذا جَادَ دَامِعُ العَيْنِ
You always smile when you give,
while it, when it gives, has a tearful eye.
يَوْمَاكَyour two days يَوْمَانِtwo days فيin سِجَالِهِماtheir alternation
يَوْمَاكَ يَوْمَانِ في سِجَالِهِما
ضِدَّانِtwo opposites قَدْhave وُكِّلاboth been entrusted بِضِدَّيْنِwith two opposites
ضِدَّانِ قَدْ وُكِّلا بِضِدَّيْنِ
Your two days are two days that, in their alternation,
are opposites, entrusted with two opposing ends.
يَوْمَانِtwo days يَمْشيwalks الأَنامُhumankind بَيْنَهُماbetween them both
يَوْمَانِ يَمْشي الأَنامُ بَيْنَهُما
قِسْمَيْنِin two groups بَيْنَbetween الفَلاحِprosperity والحَيْنِand doom
قِسْمَيْنِ بَيْنَ الفَلاحِ والحَيْنِ
Two days between which humankind walks
in two groups, between prosperity and doom.
حَلْفاًI swear لَقَدْsurely حُزْتَyou attained كلَّevery مَكْرُمَةٍnoble distinction
حَلْفاً لَقَدْ حُزْتَ كلَّ مَكْرُمَةٍ
وَالحَلْفُand an oath بِالْمَيْنِwith falsehood لَيْسَis not بِالْمَيْنِfalsehood (emphatic)
وَالحَلْفُ بِالْمَيْنِ لَيْسَ بِالْمَيْنِ
I swear, you have attained every noble distinction;
and an oath sworn with falsehood is no falsehood.
يَنْظُرُsees مِنْكَin you الأَنَامُhumankind بَدْرَa full moon of دُجىًdarkness
يَنْظُرُ مِنْكَ الأَنَامُ بَدْرَ دُجىً
وَصارِماًand a keen sword فَاتِكَdeadly الغِرَارَيْنِboth cutting edges
وَصارِماً فَاتِكَ الغِرَارَيْنِ
Humankind sees in you a full moon in darkness,
and a keen sword, deadly on both edges,
والشَّمسُand the sun لمَّاwhen بَرَزتyou appeared بارِزَةًunveiled
والشَّمسُ لمَّا بَرَزت بارِزَةً
والأَسدَand the lion الباسطَstretching out الذِّراعَينِboth forelegs
والأَسدَ الباسطَ الذِّراعَينِ
and the sun, unveiled when you appeared,
and the lion stretching out its forelegs.
زِينَwas adorned بِكَby you الشِّعْرُpoetry فَهْوَso it يَرْفُلُstruts in finery مِنْthrough
زِينَ بِكَ الشِّعْرُ فَهْوَ يَرْفُلُ مِنْ
مَدْحِكَpraising you فيin حُلَّتَيْنِtwo robes مِنْof زَيْنِbeauty
مَدْحِكَ في حُلَّتَيْنِ مِنْ زَيْنِ
Poetry is adorned by you, and it struts, thanks to
praise of you, in two robes of beauty.
زَادَincreased جَمَالُthe beauty of القَرِيضِverse يَاO ابْنَson of أَبيAbu الهَيْal-Hayja’ (first part)
زَادَ جَمَالُ القَرِيضِ يَا ابْنَ أَبي الهَيْ
جَاءِal-Hayja’ (completion) لَمَّاwhen أَتَاكَit came to you ضِعْفَيْنِtwofold
جَاءِ لَمَّا أَتَاكَ ضِعْفَيْنِ
The beauty of verse grew, O son of Abu al-Hayja’,
twofold when it came to you.
Sol 6.1