أخوcompanion of الصبابةardent longing يعلمknows
أخو الصبابة يعلم
ماذاwhat يلاقيencounters المتيمthe love-enthralled one
ماذا يلاقي المتيم
The companion of longing knows
The youthful companion knows
What the love-enthralled one endures.
What the enamored one encounters
ياO لائميmy reproacher لستyou are not تدريaware
يا لائمي لست تدري
خلّleave off الملامةreproach واسلمand be safe
خلّ الملامة واسلم
O my reproacher, you do not know;
O you who blame me, you do not know
Leave off reproach, and be at peace.
Stop the blame and submit
قلبيmy heart أسيرcaptive to غزالٍa gazelle
قلبي أسير غزالٍ
بدرa full moon الجمالbeauty بهin him تمwas perfected
بدر الجمال به تم
My heart is captive to a gazelle,
My heart is captive to a gazelle
A full moon, in whom beauty is complete.
The full moon of beauty has completed it
ظبيa gazelle بعينيهin his two eyes سحرٌmagic
ظبي بعينيه سحرٌ
هاروتHarut منهfrom him تعلمlearned
هاروت منه تعلم
A gazelle with magic in his eyes,
A gazelle, whose eyes contain magic
From whom Harut learned.
Harut learned magic from him
قوامهhis figure سمهريٌa straight, sturdy spear
قوامه سمهريٌ
يهتزsways والطرفand the gaze لهذمa keen blade
يهتز والطرف لهذم
His figure is a straight spear,
His figure is of reddish gold
Swaying, while his gaze is a keen blade.
It sways while the eyelids quiver
منwho منصفيone who grants me justice أوor مجيريone who shelters me
من منصفي أو مجيري
منfrom عادلٍa just one منهby him أظلمI am wronged
من عادلٍ منه أظلم
Who will grant me justice or shelter me
Who of my counselors or helpers
From a just one by whom I am wronged?
Who is just, who has wronged me?
رقيقslender خصرٍof waist ولكنbut
رقيق خصرٍ ولكن
فوادهhis heart ليسdoes not يرحمshow mercy
فواده ليس يرحم
Slender of waist, yet
Delicate of waist but
His heart shows no mercy.
His heart shows no mercy
إذاwhen رآنيhe sees me سقيماًailing
إذا رآني سقيماً
يقولhe says جفنيmy eyelid أسقمmore ailing
يقول جفني أسقم
When he sees me ailing,
When he sees me sick
He says, 'My eyelid is more ailing.'
He says, "My eyelids have weakened"
يضنbegrudges باللثمkisses تيهاًout of conceit
يضن باللثم تيهاً
ولاand not يزالceases ملثمface-veiled
ولا يزال ملثم
He begrudges kisses out of conceit,
He is stingy with a fleeting kiss
And remains with his face veiled.
Yet he remains veiled
أواهah! منfrom خمرwine ريقٍsaliva
أواه من خمر ريقٍ
أوآهah! درٌpearls منظمstrung together
أوآه درٌ منظم
Ah, the wine of his saliva!
Oh, the wine of his saliva
Ah, pearls strung together!
Oh, what a precious sealed wine!
ياO عاذليmy two reproachers استريحاrest, you two
يا عاذلي استريحا
منfrom الملامreproach إلىuntil كمhow long
من الملام إلى كم
O my two reproachers, take your rest
O you who blame me, find rest
From reproach—how much longer?
From blame, how long will it last?
اسمthe name الذيof the one who صيرتنيmade me
اسم الذي صيرتني
ألحاظهhis glances الدعجdeeply dark مغرمlove-struck
ألحاظه الدعج مغرم
The name of him who has made me,
The name that has made me
With his dark glances, love-struck:
Infatuated with his languid glances
فيin عينهits eye خيرthe best داءٍailment
في عينه خير داءٍ
وألفاand two alifs تشبيهa comparison of مبسمa smiling mouth
وألفا تشبيه مبسم
In its eye lies the best ailment,
In his eyes is the best malady
And two alifs of a smiling mouth's likeness.
And a thousand analogies, smiling
ختامهits ending كابتداءٍlike a beginning
ختامه كابتداءٍ
وقلبهand reverse it ياO محكمdiscerning one
وقلبه يا محكم
Its ending is like its beginning;
His ending is like his beginning
And reverse it, O discerning one.
And his heart, O resolute one
وشطرهand half of it فعلa verb أمرٍof command
وشطره فعل أمرٍ
طرداًforward وعكساًand backward تحكمjudge
طرداً وعكساً تحكم
And half of it is an imperative verb,
And his poem is an imperative
Forward and backward—judge!
Repetition and opposite under your command
وبعضand part of شطريهits two halves بحرٌa sea
وبعض شطريه بحرٌ
والعكسand the reverse معشوقa beloved اعلمknow
والعكس معشوق اعلم
And part of its two halves is a sea;
And some of its verses are seas
And its reverse is a beloved—know this.
And the opposite, the beloved, I know
لاnot يعرفنهknows it لسانيmy tongue
لا يعرفنه لساني
وعندand among قوميmy people معظمrevered
وعند قومي معظم
My tongue does not know it,
My tongue does not know him
Yet among my people it is revered.
And he is held in high esteem by my people
فياso, oh لهfor him منof مليجcharming (likely intended: مليح)
فيا له من مليج
رؤياهthe sight of him للعينfor the eye مغنمa prize
رؤياه للعين مغنم
Ah, what a charming one he is!
What smooth commingling he is
The sight of him is a prize for the eye.
Seeing him is a profitable dream
أفديهI would ransom him منas ذيone possessed of جمالٍbeauty
أفديه من ذي جمالٍ
هواهlove for him فيamong الناسpeople قسمshared
هواه في الناس قسم
I would ransom him, one endowed with beauty;
I would ransom him, the one with beauty
Love for him is shared among people.
His love among people is shared
أذابhe melted قلبيmy heart دلالاًwith coyness
أذاب قلبي دلالاً
ولستand I am not بالحبof love متهمaccused
ولست بالحب متهم
He melted my heart with his coyness,
He melted my heart gently
And I am not accused of love.
And I am not accused of love
لهhe has علىupon الحسنbeauty ختمٌa seal
له على الحسن ختمٌ
والحسنand beauty فيهin him تختمhas donned a signet
والحسن فيه تختم
He has a seal upon beauty,
He has the seal of beauty
And in him beauty has donned a signet.
And beauty is sealed in him
Sol 6.1