ياO خليليmy friend قدalready تزايدhas increased فيin كاKā- (beginning of Kānūn)
يا خليلي قد تزايد في كا
نونnūn (completion of Kānūn) شوقيmy longing إلىfor لظىblaze تموزTammūz
نون شوقي إلى لظى تموز
O my friend, there has grown in Kā-
O my beloved, my longing for the heat of July has increased
nūn my longing for the blaze of Tammūz.
So give me it, pure red, for nothing dispels the chill from my bones except old age
فاسقنيهاso give it to me to drink حمراءred صرفاًunmixed فماfor nothing يذbeginning of ‘dispels’
فاسقنيها حمراء صرفاً فما يذ
هبcompletion of ‘dispels’ بردchill الأعجازthe buttocks غيرexcept العجوزthe old woman (aged wine)
هب برد الأعجاز غير العجوز
So pour it for me, red and unmixed, for nothing dis-
Like melting ice from the palm of a lover
pels the chill of the buttocks but the old woman.
Whose gaze is frozen like ice
كمذابlike molten الأبريزpure gold منfrom كفthe hand أحوىdark of
كمذاب الأبريز من كف أحوى
الطرفthe eye المىdark-lipped كجامدlike solid الأبريزpure gold
الطرف المى كجامد الأبريز
Like molten pure gold, from the hand of one dark of
With a beauty distinguished by its charm that
eye, dark-lipped, like solid pure gold.
Sets it apart from all others with distinction
ذيpossessing جمالbeauty يمتازstands apart بالحسنin loveliness أنto
ذي جمال يمتاز بالحسن أن
يدركbe recognized عمنapart from those who سواهare other than him بالتمييزthrough discernment
يدرك عمن سواه بالتمييز
Endowed with beauty, so distinguished in loveliness as to be
Honor exalted until it humbled every lover
Recognized apart from all others through discernment.
For the humiliation of the lover is the love of the noble
عزّwas exalted حتىuntil أذلَّhumbled كلevery محبlover
عزّ حتى أذلَّ كل محب
إنindeed ذلabasement المحبthe lover حبlove العزيزthe exalted one
إن ذل المحب حب العزيز
So exalted was he that he humbled every lover;
Indeed, the lover’s abasement is love for the exalted one.
Partial English translation: 8 of 10 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1