عُذراًpardon فَقَلبيfor my heart ماnot عَلَيهِupon it اِعتِذارan apology
عُذراً فَقَلبي ما عَلَيهِ اِعتِذار
أَنfor having باتَspent the night مَفتوناًentranced بِذاكَby that العِذارthe down along the cheek
أَن باتَ مَفتوناً بِذاكَ العِذار
Pardon me, for my heart owes no apology
My apologies, but my heart has no excuse
For spending the night entranced by that cheek-down.
For being infatuated with that charm
أَسوَدٌblack كَاللَيلِlike the night عَلىupon وَجنَةٍa cheek
أَسوَدٌ كَاللَيلِ عَلى وَجنَةٍ
سُبحانَglory be to مَنthe One who أَطلَعَmade rise مِنهاfrom it بِالنَهارin daylight
سُبحانَ مَن أَطلَعَ مِنها بِالنَهار
Black as night upon a cheek—
As dark as the night on a cheek
Glory to Him who made it rise from that cheek in daylight!
Glory to Him who made the dawn emerge from it
ياO قَلبُheart مُذsince فُوِّقَwas nocked سَهمَthe arrow الرَدىof death
يا قَلبُ مُذ فُوِّقَ سَهمَ الرَدى
نِبالُarrows عَينِهِof his eye فَأَينَso where الفِرارescape
نِبالُ عَينِهِ فَأَينَ الفِرار
O heart, since death's arrow was nocked—
Oh heart, since pierced by the arrow of love
His eye's arrows—where is there escape?
The arrows of his eyes, so where to flee?
سَكرانُdrunk عَطفٍswaying form مِنfrom مَدامِthe wine of الصَباyouth
سَكرانُ عَطفٍ مِن مَدامِ الصَبا
لَكِنyet بِجَفنَيهِin his eyelids بَقاياremnants الخِمارthe hangover
لَكِن بِجَفنَيهِ بَقايا الخِمار
His swaying form is drunk on the wine of youth,
Intoxicated by the charm of youth’s wine
Yet in his eyelids linger traces of a hangover.
Yet his lashes retain traces of kohl
كَيفَhow خَلاصيmy escape مِنfrom هَوىlove of شادِنٍa young gazelle
كَيفَ خَلاصي مِن هَوى شادِنٍ
أَحاطَencircled بِالقَلبِthe heart هَوىًpassion وَاِستَدارand circled around
أَحاطَ بِالقَلبِ هَوىً وَاِستَدار
How can I escape the love of a young gazelle,
How can I be saved from passionate love
When passion has encircled my heart and closed around it?
That has encompassed my heart, surrounding it
ياO قَمَراًmoon فيin القَلبِthe heart أَضحَتhave come to be لَهُfor him
يا قَمَراً في القَلبِ أَضحَت لَهُ
دَقائِقٌsubtleties تَخفىare hidden عَلىfrom كوسِيارKusyar
دَقائِقٌ تَخفى عَلى كوسِيار
O moon, for whom my heart now holds
Oh moon in my heart, you have become
Subtleties hidden from Kusyar.
Minutes concealed even from soothsayers
لاdo not توحِشِmake desolate الطَرفَthe gaze فَأَنتَfor you الَّذيthe one who
لا توحِشِ الطَرفَ فَأَنتَ الَّذي
يَسريjourneys غَراميmy passion نَحوهُtoward him كَيفَwhichever way سارhe travels
يَسري غَرامي نَحوهُ كَيفَ سار
Do not leave my gaze desolate, for you are the one
Do not abandon me, you who
Toward whom my passion journeys, whichever way you go.
My passion flows towards, however it went
ياO مَعشَرَcompany النَفرِof men غَزالُthe gazelle of الحِمىthe sanctuary
يا مَعشَرَ النَفرِ غَزالُ الحِمى
عَلَّمَtaught نَوميmy sleep عَنaway from جُفونيmy eyelids النِفارflight
عَلَّمَ نَومي عَن جُفوني النِفار
O company of men, the gazelle of the sanctuary
Oh companions, the gazelle of my fervor
Has taught my sleep to flee my eyelids.
Taught my sleep to flee from my eyelids
ماnot حَلَّلَتmade lawful غَيرَother than سُلَيمىSulayma دَميmy blood
ما حَلَّلَت غَيرَ سُلَيمى دَمي
لاmay not طالبَdemand اللَهُGod سُلَيمىSulayma بِثارfor blood-vengeance
لا طالبَ اللَهُ سُلَيمى بِثار
None but Sulayma has made my blood lawful to shed;
None but Sulayma legitimized shedding my blood
May God never exact blood-vengeance from Sulayma.
May Allah make Sulayma avenge it
ناظِرُهُhis eye يُظهِرُreveals ليto me قُدرَةًpower
ناظِرُهُ يُظهِرُ لي قُدرَةً
وَطَرفُهُand his gaze يَرمُقُنيregards me بِاِنكِسارwith meekness
وَطَرفُهُ يَرمُقُني بِاِنكِسار
His eye reveals its power to me,
His glance shows me power
Yet his gaze regards me with meekness.
While his eyes glance at me submissively
لَوif صالَassailed بِاللَحظِwith a glance عَلىagainst حَيدَرٍHaydar
لَو صالَ بِاللَحظِ عَلى حَيدَرٍ
ماnot حَمَلَتwould have held راحَتُهُhis palm ذاDhu (possessor of) الفِقارal-Fiqar (sword-name)
ما حَمَلَت راحَتُهُ ذا الفِقار
Had he assailed Haydar with a glance,
If his eyes met Haydar’s
His hand would not have held Dhu al-Fiqar.
His hand could not carry that sword
هَذاthis الَّذيthe one who يَسبيtakes captive عُقولَthe minds of الوَرىhumankind
هَذا الَّذي يَسبي عُقولَ الوَرى
مِنfrom لَحظِthe glance of عَينَيهِhis eyes الحَذارَbeware الحِذارbeware
مِن لَحظِ عَينَيهِ الحَذارَ الحِذار
This is the one who takes people's minds captive;
He who captures the minds of all people
Beware, beware the glance of his eyes!
With a glance of his cautious, cautious eyes
لَوif عَلِمَknew العاذِلُthe reproacher وَجديmy ardent longing بِهِfor him
لَو عَلِمَ العاذِلُ وَجدي بِهِ
جاءَwould come مِنَfrom التَفنيدِcensure ليto me بِاعتِذارwith an apology
جاءَ مِنَ التَفنيدِ لي بِاعتِذار
If the reproacher knew my longing for him,
If the blamer knew my passion for him
He would come to me with an apology for his censure.
He would come apologize to me
وَيلاهُalas for me مِنfrom حُبِّlove of حِجازِيَّةٍa Hijazi woman
وَيلاهُ مِن حُبِّ حِجازِيَّةٍ
آباؤُهاher forefathers السُمرُthe tawny ones العَواليthe tall ones نِزارNizar
آباؤُها السُمرُ العَوالي نِزار
Alas for my love of a Hijazi woman,
Woe to him from the love of a Hejazi girl
Her forefathers, tall and tawny, are of Nizar.
Whose fathers are the lofty, highborn people of Nizar
وَدَّهِلالُthe crescent wished الأُفقof the horizon لَوif only أَنَّهُthat it
وَدَّهِلالُ الأُفق لَو أَنَّهُ
أَصبحَbecame فيon ساعِدِthe forearm of سُعدىSu'da سِوارa bracelet
أَصبحَ في ساعِدِ سُعدى سِوار
The crescent on the horizon wished that it
The horizon would glow ruby
Might become a bracelet on Su'da's forearm.
If it found itself on Sauda’s arm as a bracelet
قَدindeed ساعَفَhas favored الوَقتُthe time لِشُربِfor drinking العَقارwine
قَد ساعَفَ الوَقتُ لِشُربِ العَقار
ياO لِلنَدامىfor the drinking companions البِدارَhasten البِدارhasten
يا لِلنَدامى البِدارَ البِدار
The hour has favored the drinking of wine;
The time for drinking wine has doubled
O drinking companions, hasten, hasten!
Oh for the regrets, the regrets, the regrets
Sol 6.1