أَحيىrevived بِمَوعِدِهِwith his promised tryst قَتيلَone slain وُعودِهِhis promises
أَحيى بِمَوعِدِهِ قَتيلَ وُعودِهِ
رَشَأٌa gazelle fawn يَشوبُmingles وِصالُهُhis union بِصُدودِهِwith his rejection
رَشَأٌ يَشوبُ وِصالُهُ بِصُدودِهِ
With his promised tryst he revived one slain by his promises—
He brought the slain back to life with his promise
A fawn whose union mingles with his rejection.
A young man whose union is marred by his aloofness
قَمَرٌa moon يَفوقُsurpasses البَدرَthe full moon فيin أَوصافِهِhis qualities
قَمَرٌ يَفوقُ البَدرَ في أَوصافِهِ
وَعَلىand above الغَزالِthe gazelle بِمُقلَتَيهِwith his two eyes وَجيدِهِand his neck
وَعَلى الغَزالِ بِمُقلَتَيهِ وَجيدِهِ
A moon surpassing the full moon in his qualities,
A moon that outshines the full moon in his qualities
And surpassing the gazelle in his eyes and neck.
And surpasses the gazelle in his glances and cheeks
ياoh لَيتَهُwould that he يَعِدُpromises المَلالَweariness فَإِنَّهُfor he
يا لَيتَهُ يَعِدُ المَلالَ فَإِنَّهُ
ماnot زالَceased ذاpossessed of لَهَجِfondness بِخُلَّفِfor breaking وُعودِهِhis promises
ما زالَ ذا لَهَجِ بِخُلَّفِ وُعودِهِ
If only he would promise to grow weary, for he
If only he would promise to banish tedium, for he
Has never ceased to be bent on breaking his promises.
Remains eloquent in breaking his vows
يَفتَرُّsmiles عَنrevealing عَذبِsweet الرِضاcontentment بِحَياتِناby our lives
يَفتَرُّ عَن عَذبِ الرِضا بِحَياتِنا
فيin وَردِهِhis rose المَوتُdeath دونَbarring وُرودِهِreaching it
في وَردِهِ المَوتُ دونَ وُرودِهِ
He smiles, revealing sweet contentment—by our lives!
He distracts from the sweetness of consent with our lives
Death lies in his rose, barring the way to it.
In his roses, death without his presence
بَرَدٌhail يُذيبُmelts others وَلاyet does not يَذوبُmelt وَرُبَّماand sometimes
بَرَدٌ يُذيبُ وَلا يَذوبُ وَرُبَّما
أَذكىkindled زَفيرَthe sigh الوَجدِof longing شَفُّthe sheerness بُرودِهِof his robes
أَذكى زَفيرَ الوَجدِ شَفُّ بُرودِهِ
Hail that melts others, yet does not melt; and sometimes
An icy wind that melts but does not itself melt, and sometimes
The sheerness of his robes kindles the sigh of longing.
Rekindles the sigh of ardour with its coolness
لَمdid not أَنسَهُforget him إِذwhen جاءَhe came يَسحَبُtrailing ذَيلَهُhis hem
لَم أَنسَهُ إِذ جاءَ يَسحَبُ ذَيلَهُ
وَاللَيلُand the night يَرفُلُstruts فيin فُضولِthe ample folds بُرودِهِof its robes
وَاللَيلُ يَرفُلُ في فُضولِ بُرودِهِ
I have not forgotten him as he came trailing his hem,
I did not forget him when he came pulling his train
While night strutted in the ample folds of its robes.
As the night paraded in the excess of its chill
وَكَذاكَand likewise لَمdid not تَنَمِsleep النُجومُthe stars مَخافَةًfor fear
وَكَذاكَ لَم تَنَمِ النُجومُ مَخافَةً
مِنof أَنthat يُعانيmight strive at الصُبحَthe dawn فَكُّloosening قُيودِهِits fetters
مِن أَن يُعاني الصُبحَ فَكُّ قُيودِهِ
And the stars, too, stayed awake, for fear
Likewise, the stars did not sleep for fear
That dawn might strive to break its fetters.
That dawn would free them from their fetters
بِمُدامَةٍwith wine صَفراءَyellow يَحمِلُcarries شَمسَهاits sun
بِمُدامَةٍ صَفراءَ يَحمِلُ شَمسَها
بَدرٌa full moon يَغارُis jealous البَدرُthe full moon عِندَat سُعودِهِhis good fortune
بَدرٌ يَغارُ البَدرُ عِندَ سُعودِهِ
With golden wine, whose sun is borne
With a yellow wine whose sun
By a full moon whom the full moon envies in his good fortune.
Is a full moon that envies its rising
كَأسٌa cup كَأَنَّas though مُدامَهاits wine مِنfrom ريقِهِhis saliva
كَأسٌ كَأَنَّ مُدامَها مِن ريقِهِ
كَرماًout of generosity وَيَلثُمُناand kisses us شَفيقُtender خُدودِهِhis cheeks
كَرماً وَيَلثُمُنا شَفيقُ خُدودِهِ
A cup whose wine seems drawn from his saliva,
A cup whose wine seems to be from his saliva
Out of generosity; and his tender cheeks kiss us.
A generosity that kisses us on his cheeks
حَتّىuntil تَحَكَّمَheld sway فيover النُجومِthe stars نُعاسُهاtheir drowsiness
حَتّى تَحَكَّمَ في النُجومِ نُعاسُها
وَالتَذَّand delighted كُلُّevery مُسَهَّدٍsleepless one بِهُجودِهِin his slumber
وَالتَذَّ كُلُّ مُسَهَّدٍ بِهُجودِهِ
Until the stars were mastered by their drowsiness,
Until drowsiness overpowered the stars
And every sleepless one delighted in his slumber.
And each pillow was busy with its occupant
وَرَأىand saw الصَباحَthe dawn تَخَلُّصاًrelease مِنfrom أَسرِهِits captivity
وَرَأى الصَباحَ تَخَلُّصاً مِن أَسرِهِ
وَأَتىand came يَكُرُّcharging عَلىagainst الدُجىthe darkness بِعَمودِهِwith its shaft of light
وَأَتى يَكُرُّ عَلى الدُجى بِعَمودِهِ
And dawn saw release from its captivity,
And morning saw itself freed from captivity
And came charging at darkness with its shaft of light.
And came winding over the darkness with its pillars
قَمَرٌa moon أَطاعَobeyed الحُسنَbeauty مِنهُof him وَجهُهُhis face
قَمَرٌ أَطاعَ الحُسنَ مِنهُ وَجهُهُ
حَتّىuntil كَأَنَّas though الحُسنَbeauty بَعضُpart of جُنودِهِhis troops
حَتّى كَأَنَّ الحُسنَ بَعضُ جُنودِهِ
A moon whose face beauty obeyed,
A moon that obeyed the beauty of his face
Until beauty seemed part of his army.
As if beauty were part of his armies
أَناI فيin الغَرامِpassionate love شَهيدُهُhis martyr ماwhat ضَرَّهُwould harm him
أَنا في الغَرامِ شَهيدُهُ ما ضَرَّهُ
لَوif أَنَّthat جَنَّةthe paradise وَصلِهِof union with him لِشَهيدِهِfor his martyr
لَو أَنَّ جَنَّة وَصلِهِ لِشَهيدِهِ
I am his martyr in love; what harm would it do him
In love I am its martyr, nothing harmed him
If the paradise of union with him were for his martyr?
If only its paradise were for its martyr
ياO يوسُفَJoseph العَصرِof the age الَّذيwhose أَناI فيin الهَوىlove
يا يوسُفَ العَصرِ الَّذي أَنا في الهَوى
يَعقوبُهُhis Jacob بَثّيmy lament إِلىto داوُدِهِhis David
يَعقوبُهُ بَثّي إِلى داوُدِهِ
O Joseph of the age, whose, in love, I am
O Joseph of the age, I who am madly in love
Jacob—my lament is addressed to his David.
Am Jacob, conveying my sorrows to his David
Sol 6.1