طَمحَتshe yearned إليكtoward you فماand how ألذَّsweet طماحَهاher yearning
طَمحَت إليك فما ألذَّ طماحَها
هيفاءُa slender-waisted maiden راضَtamed لكfor you الغرامُlove جماحَهاher unruliness
هيفاءُ راضَ لك الغرامُ جماحَها
She yearned for you—how sweet her yearning!
I yearned for you, how sweet was my yearning!
A slender-waisted maiden whose wildness love has tamed for you.
Heifa, happy with your love, spread her wings.
وحبَتكand she granted you للتقبيلfor kissing منهاof hers وَجنةًa cheek
وحبَتك للتقبيل منها وَجنةً
تحميshe guards بعقربwith the scorpion-curl of صدغِهاher temple تفّاحهاher apples
تحمي بعقرب صدغِها تفّاحها
And she offered you a cheek of hers to kiss,
She wished to kiss you, so she guarded her apple cheek
Guarding its apple with the scorpion-curl of her temple.
with the sting of her temple.
خوطيّةُtwig-slender العطفينِthe two flanks ذاتُpossessing موشحٍa sash-bearing waist
خوطيّةُ العطفينِ ذاتُ موشحٍ
منهof it علىupon غُصنٍa bough تديرُshe winds وشاحهاher sash
منه على غُصنٍ تديرُ وشاحها
Twig-slender at both flanks, her girdled waist
The soft-limbed beauty wore a gown
Is a bough around which she winds her sash.
that floated like a scarf on a branch.
مجدولةٌfinely formed بيضاءُfair راثقةُfresh and blooming الصباyouth
مجدولةٌ بيضاءُ راثقةُ الصبا
ملكتshe captured علىover أهلthe people of الورىhumankind أرواحهاtheir souls
ملكت على أهل الورى أرواحها
Finely formed and fair, in youth's fresh bloom,
She was smooth and white, a graceful gazelle,
She has captured the souls of all humankind.
who captivated all souls.
وبمسقَطand at the foot of العلمينِthe two landmarks غازلتُI courted الدمىdoll-like beauties
وبمسقَط العلمينِ غازلتُ الدمى
فَعَلقتُهاso I fell for them مرضىailing; languishing العُيونthe eyes صحاحهاtheir sound ones
فَعَلقتُها مرضى العُيون صحاحها
And at the foot of the two landmarks I courted the doll-like beauties;
In the land of knowledge, I flirted with girls
So I fell for them, their eyes languishing though sound.
and captured the hearts of the lovesick.
منamong كلِّevery صاحيةِsober الشمائلdemeanor لمnot يزلcease
من كلِّ صاحيةِ الشمائل لم يزل
سكرُintoxication الدلالِcoquetry بماwith what يطيلُprolongs مراحهاher merriment
سكرُ الدلالِ بما يطيلُ مراحها
Each sober in her ways, yet ever
The charm of her features always intoxicated me
Coquetry's intoxication prolongs her mirth.
with lingering sweetness.
زفَّتshe ushered إليَّto me كخدِّهاlike her cheek عِنبيَّةًgrape-wine
زفَّت إليَّ كخدِّها عِنبيَّةً
خضبتit stained بلونِwith the color of الراحthe wine منهاof her راحهاher palm
خضبت بلونِ الراح منها راحها
She ushered grape-wine to me, red as her cheek;
She came to me like her cheek, a juicy grape
It stained her palm with the hue of wine.
whose color reddened with the wind's caress.
وتروَّحتand was refreshed ذاتُDhāt; place of الأراكِal-Arāk; the arak trees بنفحةٍby a waft
وتروَّحت ذاتُ الأراكِ بنفحةٍ
منهاfrom it فشاقَso it stirred longing in عبيرهاits perfume مرتاحهاone breathing it in
منها فشاقَ عبيرها مرتاحها
And Dhāt al-Arāk was refreshed by a waft
The gentle-natured one was perfumed
From it; its perfume stirred longing in whoever breathed it.
with a breeze that spread her fragrance.
وإلىand to أبيAbu; father of الهاديal-Hadi; the guide بعثتُI sent بمثلهاwith its like
وإلى أبي الهادي بعثتُ بمثلها
فيin الحسنbeauty ماnot استجلىunveiled سواهُanyone but him ملاحهاits beauties
في الحسن ما استجلى سواهُ ملاحها
And to Abu al-Hadi I sent something like it
And to my father Al-Hadi I sent one like her
In beauty; none but he has unveiled its beauties.
whose beauty outshone all others.
لأغرَّfor a radiant man يبسطُhe extends فيin المكارمnoble deeds راحةًa palm
لأغرَّ يبسطُ في المكارم راحةً
بيضاءwhite تمتاحُdraws up, as from a well الورىhumankind مِصلاحهاits means of well-being
بيضاء تمتاحُ الورى مِصلاحها
For a radiant man who, in noble deeds, extends a hand,
So he might spread comfort and ease
White, from which humankind draws its well-being.
with his pure white acts of generosity,
ماno استَغلَقتbecame locked fast لبنيfor the sons of المكارِمnoble deeds حاجةٌa need
ما استَغلَقت لبني المكارِم حاجةٌ
إلاَّexcept that وكانand were بنانُهhis fingertips مفتاحهاits key
إلاَّ وكان بنانُه مفتاحها
No need of the sons of noble deeds was ever locked shut,
and unlock every noble need
But his fingertips were its key.
with the key of his charity.
Sol 6.1