ياO صاحِfriend كِلنيleave me إِلىto بَيضاءَa fair-skinned woman مِعطارِrichly perfumed
يا صاحِ كِلني إِلى بَيضاءَ مِعطارِ
وَاِرفُقand be gentle بِلَوميin reproaching me فَماfor there is no فيin الحُبِّlove مِنany عارِshame
وَاِرفُق بِلَومي فَما في الحُبِّ مِن عارِ
O friend, leave me to a fair-skinned, richly perfumed woman.
O companion, take me to the fragrant White Land,
And be gentle in reproaching me, for there is no shame in love.
And be gentle with my blame, for there is no shame in love.
لاdo not تَكوِنيsear me إِنَّindeed قَلبيmy heart لَوif تُعاتِبُهُyou reproach it
لا تَكوِني إِنَّ قَلبي لَو تُعاتِبُهُ
عَنfor حُبِّlove of عَبدَةَʿAbda كَالمَكوِيِّlike one branded بِالنارِwith fire
عَن حُبِّ عَبدَةَ كَالمَكوِيِّ بِالنارِ
Do not sear me: my heart, if you reproach it
Do not be harsh if my heart, were you to reproach it,
For loving ʿAbda, is like one branded with fire.
Is like the worshipers of the fire scorched by flame.
طَرفيmy gaze وَسَمعيand my hearing شَهيداهاher two witnesses عَلىagainst بَصَريmy sight
طَرفي وَسَمعي شَهيداها عَلى بَصَري
بِالرِقِّto bondage مِنّيon my part وَنَفسيand my soul ذاتُpossessing إِقرارِacknowledgment
بِالرِقِّ مِنّي وَنَفسي ذاتُ إِقرارِ
My gaze and hearing are her two witnesses against my sight,
My glance and hearing bear witness for my sight,
To my bondage; my soul itself confesses.
With acknowledgment from me—my soul made bare.
فيin الحَيِّthe tribe مِنamong سَرَواتِthe nobles of الحَيِّthe tribe جارِيَةٌa maiden
في الحَيِّ مِن سَرَواتِ الحَيِّ جارِيَةٌ
رَيّاfull-fleshed التَرائِبِthe upper chest فيin طَوقٍa necklace وَأَسوارِand a bracelet
رَيّا التَرائِبِ في طَوقٍ وَأَسوارِ
In the tribe is a maiden from its noblest ranks,
Among the free women is a serf girl
Full-bosomed, wearing a necklace and a bracelet.
With a supple body and jewelry rings in her tender skin.
حَوراءُdark-eyed فيin مُقلَتَيهاher two eyes حينَwhen تُبصِرُهاyou behold her
حَوراءُ في مُقلَتَيها حينَ تُبصِرُها
سِحرٌa spell مِنَof الحُسنِbeauty لاnot مِنfrom سِحرِthe magic of سَحّارِa sorcerer
سِحرٌ مِنَ الحُسنِ لا مِن سِحرِ سَحّارِ
Dark-eyed: in her two eyes, when you behold her,
A houri—when you look upon her face
Is a spell of beauty, not a sorcerer's spell.
Is magic in her beauty, not a sorcerer's spell.
كَأَنَّهاas though she were الشَمسُthe sun قَدindeed فاقَتhave surpassed مَحاسِنُهاher beauties
كَأَنَّها الشَمسُ قَد فاقَت مَحاسِنُها
مَحاسِنَthe beauties of الشَمسِthe sun إِذwhen تَبدوit appears لإِسفارِto shine
مَحاسِنَ الشَمسِ إِذ تَبدو لإِسفارِ
She is like the sun; her beauties have surpassed
She is as though a sun whose beauty surpassed
The sun's beauties when it comes forth to shine.
The beauty of the sun when it rises and sets.
الشَمسُthe sun تَدنوdraws near وَلاand does not تَصطادُensnare ناظِرَهاits beholder
الشَمسُ تَدنو وَلا تَصطادُ ناظِرَها
وَلَوand if بَدَتshe appeared هِيَshe herself صادَتwould ensnare كُلَّevery نَظّارِgazer
وَلَو بَدَت هِيَ صادَت كُلَّ نَظّارِ
The sun draws near but does not ensnare its beholder;
The sun comes near but snares no viewers,
And were she herself to appear, she would ensnare every gazer.
Yet if she appeared, she'd snare all who look.
وَلوَand if تَراهاyou saw her إِذاwhen أَلقَتshe cast off مَجاسِدَهاher garments
وَلوَ تَراها إِذا أَلقَت مَجاسِدَها
وَأَبرَزَتand bared عَنfrom لَبانٍa bosom غَيرِnot خَوّارِslack
وَأَبرَزَت عَن لَبانٍ غَيرِ خَوّارِ
And if you saw her when she cast off her garments
If you could see her when she reveals her bosom
And bared a bosom firm, not slack,
And bare arms that know no shame or bashfulness.
حَسِبتَهاyou would think her فِضَّةًsilver بَيضاءَwhite فيin ذَهَبٍgold
حَسِبتَها فِضَّةً بَيضاءَ في ذَهَبٍ
ياO حُسنَهاher loveliness فِضَّةًsilver فيin مُذهَبٍsomething gilded جارِflowing
يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ
You would think her white silver set in gold.
You'd think her purest silver in gold.
Oh, how lovely she is—silver in flowing gold!
Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!
كَأَنَّas though رِيقَتَهاher saliva صَهباءُtawny wine صافِيَةٌclear
كَأَنَّ رِيقَتَها صَهباءُ صافِيَةٌ
ياO حُسنَهاher loveliness فِضَّةًsilver فيin مُذهَبٍsomething gilded جارِflowing
يا حُسنَها فِضَّةً في مُذهَبٍ جارِ
Her saliva is like clear, tawny wine.
As though her spittle were liquid white silver.
Oh, how lovely she is—silver in flowing gold!
Oh, her beauty—silver in liquefied gold!
ماwhat بالُthe matter with عَبدَةَʿAbda عَنّيapart from me اليَومَtoday صابِرَةًpatient
ما بالُ عَبدَةَ عَنّي اليَومَ صابِرَةً
وَلَستُand I am not عَنهاapart from her وَإِنand even if شَطَّتshe is far away بِصَبّارِat all patient
وَلَستُ عَنها وَإِن شَطَّت بِصَبّارِ
How can ʿAbda bear being without me today,
Why is my Abda patient with me today
While I cannot bear being without her, even if she is far away?
When I cannot bear her absence, though she chide me with reproach?
عَشِقتُI loved فاهاher mouth وَعَينَيهاand her two eyes وَرُؤيَتَهاand the sight of her
عَشِقتُ فاها وَعَينَيها وَرُؤيَتَها
عِشقَwith the love of المُصَلّينَthose who pray جَنّاتٍgardens لأَبرارِfor the righteous
عِشقَ المُصَلّينَ جَنّاتٍ لأَبرارِ
I loved her mouth, her eyes, and the sight of her,
I loved her mouth, her eyes, the sight of her—
As those who pray love gardens for the righteous.
A love like the pious love the gardens of Paradise.
فَالعَينُso the eye مِنّيof mine عَنِfrom النِسوانِwomen صائِمَةٌfasting
فَالعَينُ مِنّي عَنِ النِسوانِ صائِمَةٌ
حَتّىuntil يَكونَis عَلىupon الحَوراءِthe dark-eyed woman إِفطاريmy breaking of the fast
حَتّى يَكونَ عَلى الحَوراءِ إِفطاري
So my eye fasts from women,
My eyes practice fasting from all women
Until I break my fast on the dark-eyed beauty.
Until they break fast with that houri.
لاno شَيءَthing أَحسَنُlovelier مِنهاthan her يَومَon the day قُلتُI said لَهاto her
لا شَيءَ أَحسَنُ مِنها يَومَ قُلتُ لَها
فيin خَلوَةِseclusion العَينِthe eye مِنfrom واشٍa tale-bearer وَمِغيارِand a jealous man
في خَلوَةِ العَينِ مِن واشٍ وَمِغيارِ
Nothing was lovelier than she on the day I said to her,
Nothing is more beautiful than when I said to her
In seclusion, beyond a tale-bearer's or jealous man's gaze:
In private, with no spies or lurkers near:
ياO عَبدَʿAbd (shortened ʿAbda) لاdo not تَقتُلينيkill me إِنَّنيindeed I am رَجُلٌa man
يا عَبدَ لا تَقتُليني إِنَّني رَجُلٌ
إِنif تُطلَبيyou are pursued بِدَميfor my blood لاnot تَسبِقيyou outrun ثاريmy vengeance
إِن تُطلَبي بِدَمي لا تَسبِقي ثاري
O ʿAbda, do not kill me; I am a man—
"Oh Abda, do not kill me, for I am but a man.
If you are pursued for my blood, you will not outrun my vengeance.
If you seek blood-vengeance for me, do not outdo my vengeance."
وَلَوand if تَحَرَّجتِyou felt scruples مِنabout قَتليkilling me بِلاwithout تِرَةٍa wrong to avenge
وَلَو تَحَرَّجتِ مِن قَتلي بِلا تِرَةٍ
لَمnot تَقتُلينيyou kill me جِهاراًopenly غَيرَwithout إِسرارِconcealment
لَم تَقتُليني جِهاراً غَيرَ إِسرارِ
And had you scrupled to kill me with no wrong to avenge,
Had she felt embarrassment at killing me without cause,
You would not have killed me openly, without concealment.
She'd not have killed me openly, only secretly.
قالَتshe said وَلاand no ذَنبَfault ليis mine إِنif كُنتُI am جارِيَةًa maiden
قالَت وَلا ذَنبَ لي إِن كُنتُ جارِيَةً
قَدindeed خَصَّنيsingled me out بِالجَمالِwith beauty الخالِقُthe Creator الباريthe Maker
قَد خَصَّني بِالجَمالِ الخالِقُ الباري
She said: It is no fault of mine if I am a maiden
She replied, "I've done no wrong by being a slave girl
Whom the Creator, the Maker, has singled out for beauty.
Whom the Creator blessed with beauty divine.
فَصاغَنيso He fashioned me صيغَةًa form نِصفَينِtwo halves مِنof ذَهَبٍgold
فَصاغَني صيغَةً نِصفَينِ مِن ذَهَبٍ
نِصفيhalf of me وَنِصفيand half of me كَدِعصِlike a mound الرَملَةِof sand الهاريcrumbling
نِصفي وَنِصفي كَدِعصِ الرَملَةِ الهاري
So He fashioned me in a twofold form: of gold
He shaped me flawless like a figure of gold—
Is half of me; the other is like a crumbling sand mound.
Half of me and half of me like a swift wild cow.
إِذاwhen بَدَيتُI appear رَأَيتَyou see الناسَthe people كُلَّهُمُall of them
إِذا بَدَيتُ رَأَيتَ الناسَ كُلَّهُمُ
يَرمونَthey direct نَحويtoward me بِأَسماعٍwith ears وَأَبصارِand eyes
يَرمونَ نَحوي بِأَسماعٍ وَأَبصارِ
Whenever I appear, you see all the people
When I appear, you see all people
Turning their ears and eyes toward me.
Cast their hearing and sight eagerly toward me.
قَتَلتُI slay مَنwhoever كانَis قُدّاميbefore me بِحَسرَتِهِthrough his anguish
قَتَلتُ مَن كانَ قُدّامي بِحَسرَتِهِ
وَجُنَّand goes mad مَنwhoever كانَis خَلفيbehind me عِندَat إِدباريmy turning away
وَجُنَّ مَن كانَ خَلفي عِندَ إِدباري
I slay whoever stands before me through his anguish,
I slay those before me with their own passion,
And whoever stands behind me goes mad when I turn away.
And those behind me become crazed when I turn my back."
Sol 6.1