فمٌa mouth وثَغْرٌand teeth وشَنَبْand the teeth’s cool sweetness
فمٌ وثَغْرٌ وشَنَبْ
كأْسٌa cup وخمرٌand wine وحَبَبْand bubbles
كأْسٌ وخمرٌ وحَبَبْ
A mouth, teeth, and cool sweetness;
Lips and chin and mustache,
a cup, wine, and bubbles.
A cup and wine and love,
واحَربَاهalas for my ruin! مِنْfrom شادنٍa young gazelle
واحَربَاه مِنْ شادنٍ
لمdid not يُرْضهsatisfy him منيfrom me الحَرَبdespoilment
لم يُرْضه مني الحَرَب
Alas, my ruin at a young gazelle’s hands,
And he fought me with spears
who was not content with despoiling me.
That did not satisfy me in war,
مُوَلَّدone of mixed descent ليسnot لهto him
مُوَلَّد ليس له
إِلاّexcept إِلىto الحسنbeauty نَسَبlineage
إِلاّ إِلى الحسن نَسَب
A youth of mixed descent, with no
Born only to beauty,
lineage save one traced to beauty.
Of noble lineage,
يَضْحكhe smiles منfrom مُسَدّساhexagonal cells (word continues)
يَضْحك من مُسَدّسا
تcompletion of 'hexagonal cells' النحلthe bees فيهنّin them الضَرَبthick white honey
ت النحل فيهنّ الضَرَب
He smiles, revealing hexagonal
He laughs from the dimples
cells of bees, with thick white honey within.
Where bees were stung,
ماnot إِنemphasis after 'not' حمانيhe denied me ثغرَهhis mouth
ما إِن حماني ثغرَه
إِلاّexcept سبانيhe took me captive ونَهَبand plundered
إِلاّ سباني ونَهَب
He never denied me his mouth
No sooner did his mouth protect me
without taking me captive and plundering me.
Than he insulted me and plundered,
ولاnor مشىhe walked تهادياًswaying gracefully
ولا مشى تهادياً
إِلاexcept مشىwent القلبُthe heart خَبَبْat a trot
إِلا مشى القلبُ خَبَبْ
Nor did he walk with a graceful sway
And walked only swaying
without my heart breaking into a trot.
While my heart fluttered,
هلis there? سببٌa means إِلىto الرِّضاfavor
هل سببٌ إِلى الرِّضا
ياO عاتباًone who reproaches بلاwithout سببa reason
يا عاتباً بلا سبب
Is there a way to win your favor,
Is there any way to consent
O you who reproach me without cause?
O you who blame without cause?
تُنْكِرنيyou deny me قتليmy being killed وفيand in
تُنْكِرني قتلي وفي
يَديكyour two hands منof قتليmy being killed سَبَبa means
يَديك من قتلي سَبَب
You deny that I am slain, yet
You deny me though my murder
in your hands lies a means of killing me.
Is caused by your own hand,
ماwhat ليَwith me أَبكيI weep for قاتليmy killer
ما ليَ أَبكي قاتلي
ياO لَلرجالto the men (an appeal) لِلْعجبat the wonder
يا لَلرجال لِلْعجب
Why do I weep for my killer?
Why should I weep for my killer?
O men, what a wonder!
Oh, what wonders can men do!
كأَنّas though عينيّmy two eyes إِذاwhen
كأَنّ عينيّ إِذا
دميmy blood علىover دمعيmy tears انسكبspilled
دمي على دمعي انسكب
As though my two eyes, when
As if when my blood
my blood spills over my tears,
Poured onto my tears,
يداthe two hands of أَمينAmin (trustee) الدينal-Din (the faith)
يدا أَمين الدين
تهميpour forth باللُّجَيْنwith silver والذَّهَبand gold
تهمي باللُّجَيْن والذَّهَب
were Amin al-Din’s two hands,
O trustee of the faith,
pouring forth silver and gold.
Beware of beauty and gold.
Sol 6.1