ألاAh! ياO! حَبَّذاhow lovely وَاللَby God (continued)
ألا يا حَبَّذا وَاللَ
هِ(completes 'God') مَنthe one who أَهدىgave as a gift لِيَto me العِطراperfume
هِ مَن أَهدى لِيَ العِطرا
Ah, how lovely, by God,
is the one who gave me perfume,
وَمَنand the one who أَهدىgave as a gift لِيَto me الرَيحاbasil (continued)
وَمَن أَهدى لِيَ الرَيحا
نَ(completes 'basil') قَدindeed شابَmixed بِهِwith it سِحراmagic
نَ قَد شابَ بِهِ سِحرا
and the one who gave me basil,
having mingled magic with it;
وَمَنand the one who لَيسَdoes not يُواتينيhe obliges me
وَمَن لَيسَ يُواتيني
وإِنand even if كَلَّفتُهُI charged him with يُسراsomething easy
وإِن كَلَّفتُهُ يُسرا
and the one who will not oblige me,
even if I set him an easy task.
يُعاصيhe defies قَسَميmy oath عَمداًdeliberately
يُعاصي قَسَمي عَمداً
وَلاand not أَعصيI disobey لَهُof his أَمراa command
وَلا أَعصي لَهُ أَمرا
He deliberately defies my oath,
yet I disobey no command of his.
وَأَبلىand wasted away حُبُّهُlove for him جِسميmy body
وَأَبلى حُبُّهُ جِسمي
فَقَدso indeed ضِقتُI grew distressed بهِbecause of him صَدراin my breast
فَقَد ضِقتُ بهِ صَدرا
And love for him has wasted my body,
so my breast is tight with anguish over him.
وَمِكسالُand a languid woman الضُحىmidmorning كَالريlike a gazelle (continued)
وَمِكسالُ الضُحى كَالري
مِ(completes 'gazelle') لاno بَلrather تُشبِهُshe resembles البَدراthe full moon
مِ لا بَل تُشبِهُ البَدرا
And a woman languid at midmorning, like a gazelle—
no, rather, she resembles the full moon.
إِذاwhen واجَهتَهاyou face her يَوماًone day
إِذا واجَهتَها يَوماً
تَجُرُّshe trails القَرقَرَthe gown الحَبراornate
تَجُرُّ القَرقَرَ الحَبرا
When you meet her one day,
trailing her ornate gown,
سَقَتكَgave you drink الخَمرَwine عَيناهاher two eyes
سَقَتكَ الخَمرَ عَيناها
وَإِنand even if لَمnot تَشرَبِyou drink الخَمرَwine
وَإِن لَم تَشرَبِ الخَمرَ
her eyes will give you wine to drink,
even though you have drunk no wine.
أُدانيهاI draw near her فَلاyet not تَدنوshe draws near
أُدانيها فَلا تَدنو
وَقَدand indeed أَحَبَبتُهاI loved her بِكراa maiden
وَقَد أَحَبَبتُها بِكرا
I draw close to her, but she does not draw near,
and I loved her when she was a maiden.
تَرىshe deems أَيسرَthe easiest ماwhat أَطلُI ask (continued)
تَرى أَيسرَ ما أَطلُ
بُ(completes 'I ask') مِنof مَعروفِهاher kindness عِسراa hardship
بُ مِن مَعروفِها عِسرا
She deems the easiest thing I ask
of her kindness a hardship.
فَلَيتَso, if only اللَهُGod أَهداهاbestowed her
فَلَيتَ اللَهُ أَهداها
وَأَحدَثناand we brought forth لَهُto Him شُكراthanks
وَأَحدَثنا لَهُ شُكرا
If only God would bestow her on me,
and we could offer Him fresh thanks.
إِذاwhen فارَقتُهاI part from her صَبَّتshe pours
إِذا فارَقتُها صَبَّت
عَلَيَّupon me الهَمَّworry وَالفِكراand brooding
عَلَيَّ الهَمَّ وَالفِكرا
When I part from her, she pours
worry and brooding upon me.
وَإِنand if لاقَيتُهاI meet her كانَتshe was
وَإِن لاقَيتُها كانَت
لَناto us كَالسُكرِlike intoxication أَوor سُكراintoxication
لَنا كَالسُكرِ أَو سُكرا
And if I meet her, she is
to us like intoxication—or intoxication itself.
وَلاand no وَاللَهِby God لاnot أَدريI know
وَلا وَاللَهِ لا أَدري
أَرومُI seek الوَصلَunion أَمor هَجراestrangement
أَرومُ الوَصلَ أَم هَجرا
No, by God, I do not know
whether I seek union or estrangement.
Sol 6.1