وَمُهَفْهَفٍand a slender youth كالُغصنِlike a branch هَزّتْهstirred it الصَّباthe east wind
وَمُهَفْهَفٍ كالُغصنِ هَزّتْه الصَّبا
فَصَباso inclined إِليهِtoward him مِنَfrom الفُتونِenchantment هَوائِيmy desire
فَصَبا إِليهِ مِنَ الفُتونِ هَوائِي
And a slender youth, like a branch stirred by the east wind,
Swaying like a branch, the morning breeze shook him,
so my desire, beguiled, inclined toward him.
Blowing through him desires and passions untamed,
يُوهِيهweakens him حَملُthe weight of وِشَاحِهِhis sash فَتَراهُso you see him منfrom
يُوهِيه حَملُ وِشَاحِهِ فَتَراهُ من
تَرَفِthe softness of النعيمِluxury يَئِنُّhe moans فيin إِخْفاءِsecrecy
تَرَفِ النعيمِ يَئِنُّ في إِخْفاءِ
His sash’s weight weakens him; you see him, from
Bearing his cloak, displaying a contented ease,
luxury’s softness, moaning in secret.
Luxuriating in fortune and living serene.
تَدْمىbleed سوالفُهhis cheeks إِذاwhen لاحظتَهاyou glance at them
تَدْمى سوالفُه إِذا لاحظتَها
بخفيِّwith the subtle كرِّassault of اللَّحظthe glance والإِيماءِand gesture
بخفيِّ كرِّ اللَّحظ والإِيماءِ
His cheeks bleed when you glance at them
When you catch his glances, artful and discreet,
with the subtle assault of glance and gesture.
With a flutter of lashes and hinting smiles sweet,
وكأَنَّand as though عقربَthe scorpion-curl of صُدغِهِhis temple لمَّاwhen انثنتْit bent
وكأَنَّ عقربَ صُدغِهِ لمَّا انثنتْ
قافٌthe letter qāf معلقةٌsuspended بعطفَةِfrom the curve of فاءِthe letter fāʾ
قافٌ معلقةٌ بعطفَةِ فاءِ
And as though the scorpion-curl at his temple, when it bends,
The mole on his cheek seems a dot from the pen
were a qāf suspended from the curve of a fāʾ.
Of a scribe who just stopped at the stroke of a “Fa”.
فإِذاso when نظرتُI gazed إِلىat محاسنِthe beauties of وَجْههِhis face
فإِذا نظرتُ إِلى محاسنِ وَجْههِ
لمnot يَرْوَwas quenched منby نظريmy gazing إِليهِat him ظَمائِيmy thirst
لم يَرْوَ من نظري إِليهِ ظَمائِي
So when I gaze upon the beauties of his face,
When I look on the beauty of his radiant face
my thirst is not quenched by gazing at him.
My eyes find no haven, no resting place.
حازَhe possessed الجَمالُbeauty بأَسْرِهِin its entirety فكأَنَّماso it is as though
حازَ الجَمالُ بأَسْرِهِ فكأَنَّما
قُسِمَتْwere allotted عليهِto him محاسنُthe beauties of الأَشْياءِthings
قُسِمَتْ عليهِ محاسنُ الأَشْياءِ
He has gathered all beauty, as though
On him all perfection of beauty attends
the beauties of all things had been allotted to him.
As though for him solely all graces were made.
متبسِّمٌsmiling عنِto reveal لؤلؤٍpearls رَطبٍmoist حكىresembled
متبسِّمٌ عنِ لؤلؤٍ رَطبٍ حكى
بَرَداًhail تساقَطَfell منْfrom عُقُودِnecklaces of سَماءِthe sky
بَرَداً تساقَطَ منْ عُقُودِ سَماءِ
Smiling, he reveals moist pearls resembling
His smile flashes pearls in the dew softly shed
hail fallen from the necklaces of the sky.
Like stars when at dawn first the heavens are sprayed.
تُغنيsuffices عنِin place of التُّفاحِapples حُمرةُthe redness of خَدِّهِhis cheek
تُغني عنِ التُّفاحِ حُمرةُ خَدِّهِ
وَتَنُوبُand stands in ريقتهُhis saliva عنِfor الصَّهباءِtawny wine
وَتَنُوبُ ريقتهُ عنِ الصَّهباءِ
The redness of his cheek dispenses with apples,
The blush of his cheek would make apples seem faded.
and his saliva takes the place of tawny wine.
His saliva would shame even hailstones of jade.
ويُديرُand turns عيْناًan eye فيin حَديقَةِa garden of نَرْجِسٍnarcissi
ويُديرُ عيْناً في حَديقَةِ نَرْجِسٍ
كَسَوادِlike the blackness of يأْسٍdespair فيin بياضِthe whiteness of رجاءِhope
كَسَوادِ يأْسٍ في بياضِ رجاءِ
And he turns an eye in a garden of narcissi,
In his narcissus eyes flashes a darkness of care
like despair’s blackness within hope’s whiteness.
Through the white of a hope chastely afraid.
فَامْزُجْso mix بِمائِكَwith your water خَمْرَthe wine of كأْسِكَyour cup واسقِنيand give me drink
فَامْزُجْ بِمائِكَ خَمْرَ كأْسِكَ واسقِني
فلَقَدْfor indeed مَزَجتُI have mixed مَدامِعيmy tears بدمائِيwith my blood
فلَقَدْ مَزَجتُ مَدامِعي بدمائِي
So mix your cup’s wine with your water, and give me drink,
So pour out your wine and make merry with me,
for I have mixed my tears with my blood.
For I've mingled my tears with my blood utterly.
وَاشْرَبْand drink عَلَىamid زَهْرِthe blossoms of الرِّياضِthe gardens مُدامةًwine
وَاشْرَبْ عَلَى زَهْرِ الرِّياضِ مُدامةً
تَنْفيbanishes الهُمومَcares بِعاجِلِwith immediate السَّراءِjoy
تَنْفي الهُمومَ بِعاجِلِ السَّراءِ
And drink wine amid the gardens’ blossoms,
Drink deep of life’s rapture with no thought of pain.
that banishes cares with immediate joy.
Flee grief, flee trouble, tomorrow’s unborn, unseen.
لَطُفَتْit grew subtle فَصَارتْso it came to منfrom لطيفِthe subtlety of محلِّهاits dwelling
لَطُفَتْ فَصَارتْ من لطيفِ محلِّها
تجريflow مجاريthe courses of الرُّوحِthe spirit فيthrough الأَعْضاءِthe limbs
تجري مجاري الرُّوحِ في الأَعْضاءِ
It grew subtle and, through the subtlety of its dwelling,
Refined to the essence through the places it ran,
came to flow along the spirit’s courses through the limbs.
It flows through his body as spirit through man.
وكأَنَّand as though مِخنَقَةًa choker عليهاupon it جَوهَرٌgems
وكأَنَّ مِخنَقَةً عليها جَوهَرٌ
ماwhat lies بَيْنَbetween نارٍfire رُكِّبَتْwas set وَهَواءِand air
ما بَيْنَ نارٍ رُكِّبَتْ وَهَواءِ
And it is as though a gem-studded choker
His ruby lips wear the gem of his soul
had been set between fire and air.
Set between fire and air, wind and flame.
وَيَظَلُّand remains صبَّاغُthe dyer of المِزاجِthe blend محكَّماًempowered
وَيَظَلُّ صبَّاغُ المِزاجِ محكَّماً
فيin نَقْضِundoing حُمرتهاits redness بأَيديwith the hands of الماءِwater
في نَقْضِ حُمرتها بأَيدي الماءِ
And the blend’s dyer remains empowered
While perfectly balanced the mixture remains
to undo its redness with the hands of water.
Proof against all that those pure tints could stain.
وَكَأَنَّهاand as though it وكأَنَّand as though حاملَthe bearer of كأْسهاits cup
وَكَأَنَّها وكأَنَّ حاملَ كأْسها
إِذwhen قامَhe rose يجْلوهاhe displays it عَلىto النُّدَماءِthe drinking companions
إِذ قامَ يجْلوها عَلى النُّدَماءِ
And the wine and the bearer of its cup call to mind,
He carries his glass like the star of the morn
when he rises to display it to his drinking companions,
Risen to toast the deserted domain.
شمسُthe sun of الضُّحىforenoon رَقَصَتْit danced فَنَقَّطَthen dotted وجهَهاits face
شمسُ الضُّحى رَقَصَتْ فَنَقَّطَ وجهَها
بدرُthe full moon of الدُّجَىnight’s darkness بِكواكِبِwith the stars of الجَوزاءِOrion
بدرُ الدُّجَى بِكواكِبِ الجَوزاءِ
the forenoon sun dancing, its face then dotted
The sun of good fortune glowed full on his face
by the full moon of night with the stars of Orion.
The moon of misfortune branded his brow.
Sol 6.1