أَتراكdo you, I wonder عنfor وَتْرٍa blood-feud وعنand from وَتَرِa bowstring
أَتراك عن وَتْرٍ وعن وَتَرِ
ترميyou shoot القلوبَthe hearts بأَسهمwith arrows of النظرِthe gaze
ترمي القلوبَ بأَسهم النظرِ
Do you, I wonder, for vengeance and from a bowstring,
Do you see me cease my vigil, though love rends my soul,
shoot hearts with the arrows of your gaze?
And shoot hearts with arrows of yearning glance?
كيفhow السبيلُthe way إِلىto طِلابseeking redress for دميmy blood
كيف السبيلُ إِلى طِلاب دمي
والثأْرand vengeance عندat معاقلthe strongholds of الحَوَرthe eyes' black-and-white beauty
والثأْر عند معاقل الحَوَر
What path leads to redress for my blood,
How can I reach my people's blood that calls for vengeance,
when vengeance lies in the strongholds of dark-eyed beauty?
When the enemy finds refuge in mountain fastness?
هيit وَقعةthe battle of الحَدَقthe pupils المِراضthe languid فمِنand so, some
هي وَقعة الحَدَق المِراض فمِن
جُرحٍa wound جبارٍwithout compensation أَوor دمٍblood هَدِرshed without redress
جُرحٍ جبارٍ أَو دمٍ هَدِر
It is the assault of languid eyes, yielding
The wounds of battle attest to thrust of lance and sword -
a wound without compensation or blood shed unavenged.
Resolve goes where no cables the champions' zeal could curb;
تمضيpress on العزائِمthe resolves حيثwhere لاno وَزَرrefuge
تمضي العزائِم حيث لا وَزَر
وَتُفَلُّand are blunted دونshort of معاقِدthe knots of الأُزَُرthe waist-wraps
وَتُفَلُّ دون معاقِد الأُزَُر
Resolves press on where there is no refuge,
Ho friend, look back: reproach mars not our ancient fame,
yet are blunted before the knots of waist-wraps.
Though now your sight accuses my watching eyes of blame.
ياO صاحِfriend راجعْrepeat نظرةًa glance أَمماًfrom nearby
يا صاحِ راجعْ نظرةً أَمماً
فقدِfor indeed اتّهمتI have doubted علىconcerning المهاthe oryxes بصريmy eyesight
فقدِ اتّهمت على المها بصري
O friend, take another close look,
Our spears were quick to challenge, watching well the plain,
for I have doubted my eyesight before the oryxes.
While my eyes for the mountain passes all in vain would search.
بكَرتْcame early تطاعنناjousting with us لواحظُهاtheir glances
بكَرتْ تطاعننا لواحظُها
فتنوبso stand in أَعينناour eyes عنfor الثُّغَرِthe breaches
فتنوب أَعيننا عن الثُّغَرِ
Their glances came early to joust with us,
Their smiles reveal the pearls their lips cannot conceal,
so our eyes stand in for the breaches.
As breasts heave sighs like red bubbles in wine that surge.
وتُرِيand show مباسمهاtheir smiling mouths معاصمهاtheir wrists
وتُرِي مباسمها معاصمها
مَجْلُوَّةًpolished فيin لؤلؤpearls of الثَّغَرِthe mouth
مَجْلُوَّةً في لؤلؤ الثَّغَرِ
Their smiling mouths display their wrists,
Chide not the passion of lovers - little you know
polished amid the pearls of the mouth.
Of my heart's remorseless judge who no plea forgives.
لاno لائمreproacher of العشّاقthe lovers إِنَّهمُindeed they
لا لائم العشّاق إِنَّهمُ
لَيَرَوْنthey surely deem ذنبكyour fault غيرَnot مُغتفَرpardonable
لَيَرَوْن ذنبك غيرَ مُغتفَر
No, you who reproach lovers: they
Can you not see that these are forms the Maker wrought,
surely deem your fault unforgivable.
Who of their beauty framed my passion's Likeness?
أَوماand did you not علمتَknow بأَنهاthat they are صورimages
أَوما علمتَ بأَنها صور
جادتْgave generously بأَنفسهاwith their own selves علىupon الصُّورthe images
جادتْ بأَنفسها على الصُّور
And did you not know that they are images
And wine - like fire unquenched till the fuel expires -
that have lavished their own selves upon images?
I cast it forth but to strike the fuel it cries for!
ومُدامةand wine كالنارlike fire مطفِئهاits quencher
ومُدامة كالنار مطفِئها
غرضٌa target لهاfor it ترميهit pelts him بالشَّررwith sparks
غرضٌ لها ترميه بالشَّرر
And wine like fire—whoever quenches it
Pearls slip smooth in her glass, but are pearls thereby demeaned?
is its target, which it pelts with sparks.
Nay, pearls are cheapened if not strung brightly in order.
يجريflow الحَبابthe bubbles علىover جاجتهاits glass vessel (text uncertain)
يجري الحَباب على جاجتها
والتّبرُand gold خيْرُthe best of مراكبِvessels for الدُّرَرthe pearls
والتّبرُ خيْرُ مراكبِ الدُّرَر
Bubbles course over its glass,
Her hand with the cup - like life - glows till you understand
and gold is the finest vessel for pearls.
The palm's red heat comes not from the wine it proffers.
كالجمرlike embers تلفحit scorches كفthe palm of حاملهاits bearer
كالجمر تلفح كف حاملها
فتظنُّهso you think him منهاbecause of it علىin خطرdanger
فتظنُّه منها على خطر
Like embers, it scorches its bearer's palm,
Think: planet and star glow bright when paired in the sky -
so you think him endangered by it.
Then blame not my joy in her presence if song rises higher!
والكأْسand the cup والساقيand the cupbearer إِذاwhen اقترناthe two come together
والكأْس والساقي إِذا اقترنا
فانظرthen look إلىat المرّيخMars والقمرand the moon
فانظر إلى المرّيخ والقمر
And when the cup and cupbearer come together,
Reproach me not, friend, though passion sets me singing,
behold Mars and the moon.
For silence to her tyranny I could never aspire!
عَذَلاthey both reproached علىfor طربيmy rapture بجائرةٍover a tyrant
عَذَلا على طربي بجائرةٍ
لولاbut for مجيرMujir الدينal-Din لمwould not have تَجُرacted unjustly
لولا مجير الدين لم تَجُر
They both reproached me for my rapture over a tyrant,
who, but for Mujir al-Din, would not have acted unjustly.
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1