غَانِيَةٌa beautiful woman مِنْamong بَائِعَاتِwomen who sell الهَوَىlove
غَانِيَةٌ مِنْ بَائِعَاتِ الهَوَى
فِيin بُرْدَتَيْهَاher two robes كُلُّall غَضٍّfresh جَمِيلْbeautiful
فِي بُرْدَتَيْهَا كُلُّ غَضٍّ جَمِيلْ
A beautiful woman among those who sell love,
A courtesan among the peddlers of passion
Within her two robes was all that was fresh and fair.
In her chillness, all freshness is beautiful
كَانَwas عَلَيْهَاfor her حُسْنُهَاher beauty فِيin الصِّبَىyouth
كَانَ عَلَيْهَا حُسْنُهَا فِي الصِّبَى
وَيْلًاa curse، فَضَّلتْso she strayed عَنْfrom سَوَاءِthe right course of السَّبِيلْthe path
وَيْلًا، فَضَّلتْ عَنْ سَوَاءِ السَّبِيلْ
Her beauty in youth had been to her
Her beauty adorned her in her youth
A curse, so she strayed from the straight path.
Alas, she strayed from the right path
مَالَتْshe leaned، وَقَالَتْand said: أَنْتَyou يَاO شَاعِرِيmy poet
مَالَتْ، وَقَالَتْ: أَنْتَ يَا شَاعِرِي
صِفْنِيdescribe me، وَقُلْand say هَلْis there لِقَوَامِيfor my figure مَثِيلْan equal؟
صِفْنِي، وَقُلْ هَلْ لِقَوَامِي مَثِيلْ؟
She leaned and said, “You, O my poet,
She leaned towards me and said: "O my poet
Describe me, and say: does my figure have an equal?
Describe me, and say - is there any to match my figure?
أَلَيْسَis it not غَضًّاsupple؟ قُلْتُI said: لَمْnot تُخْطِئِيyou were mistaken
أَلَيْسَ غَضًّا؟ قُلْتُ: لَمْ تُخْطِئِي
لَكِنَّهُbut it لِكُلِّto every رِيحٍwind يَمِيلْbends!
لَكِنَّهُ لِكُلِّ رِيحٍ يَمِيلْ!
Is it not supple?” I said, “You are not mistaken,
Is it not delicate?" I said: "You have not erred
But it bends to every wind!”
But it sways to every wind!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَعَيْنِيand my eye؟ إِنَّهَاindeed it is نَجْمَةٌa star
قَالَتْ: وَعَيْنِي؟ إِنَّهَا نَجْمَةٌ
رَجْرَاجَةٌquivering فِيin ظِلِّthe shade of جَفْنِيmy eyelid الكَحِيلْkohl-dark
رَجْرَاجَةٌ فِي ظِلِّ جَفْنِي الكَحِيلْ
She said, “And my eye? It is a star,
She said: "And my eyes? They are stars
Quivering in the shade of my kohl-dark eyelid.”
Twinkling in the shade of my dark eyelids"
قُلْتُI said: جَمَادٌa lifeless thing كَنُجُومِlike the stars of الدُّجَىnight
قُلْتُ: جَمَادٌ كَنُجُومِ الدُّجَى
عَيْنُكِyour eye، لَاno رَحْمَةٌmercy فِيهَاin it تَسِيلْflows!
عَيْنُكِ، لَا رَحْمَةٌ فِيهَا تَسِيلْ!
I said, “A lifeless thing, like the stars of night,
I said: "Your eyes are devoid of life like the stars of nightfall
Is your eye; no mercy flows within it!”
No mercy flows from them!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَشَعْرِيand my hair كَالدُّجَىlike the darkness فَاحِمٌcoal-black
قَالَتْ: وَشَعْرِي كَالدُّجَى فَاحِمٌ
يَغْفُوslumbers بِهِin it الصَّبُّthe lovesick lover بِلَيْلٍon a night بَلِيلْdamp
يَغْفُو بِهِ الصَّبُّ بِلَيْلٍ بَلِيلْ
She said, “And my hair is coal-black as the night;
She said: "And my hair is dark like the night
The lovesick lover slumbers in it on a damp night.”
On which the youth sleeps soundly at night"
فَقُلْتُso I said: لَمْnot يَسْوَدَّturned black لَوْif لَمْnot يَقَعْfell
فَقُلْتُ: لَمْ يَسْوَدَّ لَوْ لَمْ يَقَعْ
عَلَيْهِupon it مِنْfrom رُوحِكِyour soul ظِلٌّa shadow ظَلِيلْdeep
عَلَيْهِ مِنْ رُوحِكِ ظِلٌّ ظَلِيلْ
So I said, “It would not have turned black had there not fallen
So I said: "It would not have darkened had not
Upon it a deep shadow from your soul.”
The shadow of your spirit fallen on it"
قَالَتْshe said: وَقَلْبِيand my heart؟ إِنَّهُindeed it is طَائِرٌa bird
قَالَتْ: وَقَلْبِي؟ إِنَّهُ طَائِرٌ
فِيin نَبْضِهِits pulse شَدْوٌsong وَفِيهِand in it عَوِيلْwailing
فِي نَبْضِهِ شَدْوٌ وَفِيهِ عَوِيلْ
She said, “And my heart? It is a bird;
She said: "And my heart? It's a bird
In its pulse is song, and within it, wailing.”
With melody in its beats and anguish in it"
فَقُلْتُso I said: حَقًّاtruly إِنَّهُindeed it is طَائِرٌa bird
فَقُلْتُ: حَقًّا إِنَّهُ طَائِرٌ
فَهوَfor it عَلَىat كُلِّevery السَّوَاقِيthe watercourses نَزِيلْa guest!
فَهوَ عَلَى كُلِّ السَّوَاقِي نَزِيلْ!
So I said, “Truly, it is a bird,
So I said: "Truly it's a bird
For it is a guest at every watercourse!”
That nests wherever it desires!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَخَدِّيand my cheek؟ إِنَّهُindeed it is وَرْدَةٌa rose
قَالَتْ: وَخَدِّي؟ إِنَّهُ وَرْدَةٌ
مَاnot خُلِقَتْwas created كَغَيْرِهَاlike others of its kind لِلذُّبُولْfor withering
مَا خُلِقَتْ كَغَيْرِهَا لِلذُّبُولْ
She said, “And my cheek? It is a rose,
She said: "And my cheek? It's a rose
Not created, like others, to wither.”
Created unlike any other - impervious to fading"
قُلْتُI said: هُوَit الوَرْدَةُthe rose، لَكِنَّهَاbut it
قُلْتُ: هُوَ الوَرْدَةُ، لَكِنَّهَا
مُشَاعَةٌfreely available لِكُلِّto every بَاعٍarm يَطُولْthat reaches!
مُشَاعَةٌ لِكُلِّ بَاعٍ يَطُولْ!
I said, “It is a rose, but it
I said: "It is the rose, but
Is open to every arm that reaches!”
It is shared by all who come and go!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَجِسْمِيand my body؟ فَهوَfor it ذَوبُthe melt of النَّدَىdew
قَالَتْ: وَجِسْمِي؟ فَهوَ ذَوبُ النَّدَى
قُلْتُI said: لَوِif العِفَّةُchastity فِيهِwithin it تجولْroams!
قُلْتُ: لَوِ العِفَّةُ فِيهِ تجولْ!
She said, “And my body? It is molten dew.”
She said: "And my body? It's molten dew"
I said, “If chastity roamed within it,
I said: "If modesty roamed it!
كَانَwould be نَقِيًّاpure كَالنَّدَىlike dew، إِنَّمَاbut
كَانَ نَقِيًّا كَالنَّدَى، إِنَّمَا
أَلْقَتْcast بِهِit الشَّهْوَةُlust بَيْنَamid الوُحُولْthe mire!
أَلْقَتْ بِهِ الشَّهْوَةُ بَيْنَ الوُحُولْ!
It would be pure as dew; but
It would be pure as dew, but
Lust has cast it amid the mire!”
Lust has cast it amongst the wolves!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَثَغْرِيand my mouth؟ عِنَبٌgrapes أَحْمَرٌred
قَالَتْ: وَثَغْرِي؟ عِنَبٌ أَحْمَرٌ
لَاثِمُهُthe one who kisses it يَعْصُرُpresses مِنْهُfrom it الشَّمولْwine
لَاثِمُهُ يَعْصُرُ مِنْهُ الشَّمولْ
She said, “And my mouth? Red grapes;
She said: "And my lips? Red grapes
The one who kisses it presses wine from it.”
Whose wine is pressed by their veil"
قُلْتُI said: وَلَكِنِّيَand yet I مَاnot ذُقْتُهُI have tasted it
قُلْتُ: وَلَكِنِّيَ مَا ذُقْتُهُ
يَوْمًاever فَلَاso not أَعْلَمُI know مَاذَاwhat أَقُولْI say!
يَوْمًا فَلَا أَعْلَمُ مَاذَا أَقُولْ!
I said, “And yet I have not tasted it
I said: "But I've never tasted them
Even once, so I do not know what to say!”
So I know not what to say!"
قَالَتْshe said: وَلَكِنِّيَand yet I فَتَّانَةٌbewitching
قَالَتْ: وَلَكِنِّيَ فَتَّانَةٌ
تُؤْخَذُare captured مِنْby سِحْرِthe magic of جَمَالِيmy beauty العُقُولْminds
تُؤْخَذُ مِنْ سِحْرِ جَمَالِي العُقُولْ
She said, “And yet I am bewitching;
She said: "But I am a seducer
Minds are captured by the magic of my beauty.”
Who captures minds with my beauty"
فَقُلْتُso I said: حُسْنُthe beauty of الجِسْمِthe body فَانٍfleeting، وَمَاand no
فَقُلْتُ: حُسْنُ الجِسْمِ فَانٍ، وَمَا
مِنْany دَوْلَةٍreign لِلْحُسْنِfor beauty إِلَّاexcept تَدُولْpasses away
مِنْ دَوْلَةٍ لِلْحُسْنِ إِلَّا تَدُولْ
So I said, “The body's beauty is fleeting; there is no
So I said: "Bodily beauty fades, and
Reign of beauty that does not pass away,
No state of beauty endures but declines"
غَيْرَexcept جَمَالِthe beauty of النَّفْسِthe soul بَيْنَamong الوَرَىhumankind
غَيْرَ جَمَالِ النَّفْسِ بَيْنَ الوَرَى
فَهوَfor it جَمَالٌbeauty خَالِدٌeverlasting لَاnot يَزُولْvanishes
فَهوَ جَمَالٌ خَالِدٌ لَا يَزُولْ
Except the beauty of the soul among humankind—
"Except the beauty of the soul amongst mankind
For it is everlasting beauty that never fades.”
For it is an eternal beauty that will not pass away"
فَيَاso, oh لَهُfor it مِنْof مَجْلِسٍa gathering لِلْهَوَىfor love
فَيَا لَهُ مِنْ مَجْلِسٍ لِلْهَوَى
مَاnot كَانَwas فِيهِin it غَيْرُother than قَالٍ“he said” وَقِيلْand “it was said”!
مَا كَانَ فِيهِ غَيْرُ قَالٍ وَقِيلْ!
So, what a gathering for love it was,
"Oh what a gathering it was for passion!
With nothing in it but talk and more talk!
Where nothing was said but absurdities!"
Sol 6.1