إِنif رُحتَyou go تَسأَلُasking عَنabout خِلاليmy traits
إِن رُحتَ تَسأَلُ عَن خِلالي
فيin الحُبِّlove جِسميmy body كَالخِلالِlike a toothpick
في الحُبِّ جِسمي كَالخِلالِ
If you go asking about my traits,
in love my body is like a toothpick.
وَالعَقلُand reason زالَhas departed مِنfrom المِطاthe delay (continued)
وَالعَقلُ زالَ مِن المِطا
لِ(completes 'delay') بِوَعدِover the promise of مَحبوبيmy beloved المُطالِlong-deferred
لِ بِوَعدِ مَحبوبي المُطالِ
And reason has fled through delay
over my beloved's long-deferred promise.
وَالصَحبُand the companions غرّونيthey deceived me فَياso, O
وَالصَحبُ غرّوني فَيا
لِلَّهِGod! (in appeal) مِنwhat (exclamatory) صَحبٍcompanions كآلِlike a mirage
لِلَّهِ مِن صَحبٍ كآلِ
And my companions deceived me—oh,
God, what mirage-like companions!
وَممنّعٍand an unapproachable one يُعطيgives زَكاalms (continued)
وَممنّعٍ يُعطي زَكا
ةَ(completes 'alms') المالِwealth لاnot حقَّthe due of الجمالِbeauty
ةَ المالِ لا حقَّ الجمالِ
And an unapproachable one who pays the alms
on wealth, but not beauty's due.
يَهوىhe loves فُراقيparting from me فَهوَso he لاnot
يَهوى فُراقي فَهوَ لا
ينفكُّceases يَسمَحُgives freely بِالنَوالِwith bounty
ينفكُّ يَسمَحُ بِالنَوالِ
He loves to part from me; he never
ceases to bestow gifts.
وَنواهُand his parting لَمdid not أَسطِعهُI bear it بعafter (continued)
وَنواهُ لَم أَسطِعهُ بع
د(completes 'after') الذوقِtasting منof ثمرِthe fruit of الوِصالِunion
د الذوقِ من ثمرِ الوِصالِ
And I could not bear his parting after
tasting the fruit of union.
بِسَنائِهِwith his radiance وَاللَحظِand the glance يزhe puts to shame (continued)
بِسَنائِهِ وَاللَحظِ يز
ري(completes 'puts to shame') بِالغَزالَةِthe sun وَالغَزالِand the gazelle
ري بِالغَزالَةِ وَالغَزالِ
With his radiance and glance he puts to shame
the sun and the gazelle.
سلبَhe stole النُهىreason وَأَحالَنيand he referred me
سلبَ النُهى وَأَحالَني
بِالوَصلِfor union مِنهُwith him عَلىto المحالِthe impossible
بِالوَصلِ مِنهُ عَلى المحالِ
He stole my reason and referred me,
for union with him, to the impossible.
بِالقَولِwith speech ضَنَّhe was stingy فمهجتيso my heart
بِالقَولِ ضَنَّ فمهجتي
مِنهُbecause of him تَذوبُmelts عَلىupon المَقالِfrying pans (poetic form)
مِنهُ تَذوبُ عَلى المَقالِ
He begrudged speech, so my heart
melts because of him upon the frying pans.
وَإِذاand whenever هَمَمتُI contemplated بِتَركِهِleaving him
وَإِذا هَمَمتُ بِتَركِهِ
لتحجّبbecause of concealment منهon his part بَداhe appeared ليto me
لتحجّب منه بَدا لي
And whenever I think of leaving him
because he veils himself, he appears to me.
وَالصَبرُand patience مَيتٌdead لَمhas not يَمرcrossed (continued)
وَالصَبرُ مَيتٌ لَم يَمر
رَ(completes 'crossed') بِخاطرٍthrough a thought منّيof mine وَبالِand mind
رَ بِخاطرٍ منّي وَبالِ
And patience is dead; it has not crossed
my thoughts or my mind.
وَلَقَدand indeed رناgazed steadily ليat me لَحظُهُhis glance
وَلَقَد رنا لي لَحظُهُ
فَفُتِنتُso I was enchanted بِالسِحرِby magic الحَلالِlawful
فَفُتِنتُ بِالسِحرِ الحَلالِ
And indeed, his glance lingered on me,
and I was enchanted by lawful magic.
وَلَقَدand indeed بَداappeared ليto me ثَغرُهُhis mouth
وَلَقَد بَدا لي ثَغرُهُ
فَاِشتقتُso I longed للعذبِfor sweet water الزُلالِlimpid
فَاِشتقتُ للعذبِ الزُلالِ
And indeed, his mouth appeared to me,
and I longed for sweet, limpid water.
وَمخدّراتٍand veiled maidens هُنَّthey are بالin the
وَمخدّراتٍ هُنَّ بال
عقلِmind الممنَّعِguarded فيin عقالِa fetter
عقلِ الممنَّعِ في عقالِ
And veiled maidens are, within
the guarded mind, held in bonds.
فَمَتىso when أَفوزُshall I attain بِمنيتيmy heart's desire
فَمَتى أَفوزُ بِمنيتي
وَأَضُمُّand embrace رَبّاتِthe ladies of الحجالِcurtained chambers
وَأَضُمُّ رَبّاتِ الحجالِ
When shall I gain my heart's desire
and embrace the ladies of curtained chambers?
عِشقيmy love الَّذيwhich لاnot يَنتَهيends
عِشقي الَّذي لا يَنتَهي
كَالفَضلِlike the bounty مِنof بَدرِBadr (full moon) الكَمالِperfection
كَالفَضلِ مِن بَدرِ الكَمالِ
My love, which never ends,
is like the bounty of Badr, perfection's full moon.
مولىًa lord تَحَلّىadorned himself بالعلوwith learning (continued)
مولىً تَحَلّى بالعلو
مِ(completes 'learning') فَحالُهُso his station فيin المَجدِglory حاليresplendent
مِ فَحالُهُ في المَجدِ حالي
A lord who adorned himself with learning—
so his station in glory is resplendent.
ملأhe filled العفاةَsupplicants عوارفاًwith favors
ملأ العفاةَ عوارفاً
فالسائلُso the petitioner اِستَغنىgrew rich بِمالِwith money
فالسائلُ اِستَغنى بِمالِ
He filled supplicants with favors,
so the petitioner grew rich with money.
وَجَلاand he polished away صَدايmy rust وشعرهand his verse
وَجَلا صَداي وشعره
فَغَداso he became عَلىin الحالينِboth cases جاليmy polisher
فَغَدا عَلى الحالينِ جالي
And he and his verse polished away my rust;
so in both ways he became my polisher.
وَعلومُهُand his learning كالشمسِlike the sun لbut (continued)
وَعلومُهُ كالشمسِ ل
كن(completes 'but') قَدindeed تنزَّهَis free عَنfrom زَوالِdecline
كن قَد تنزَّهَ عَن زَوالِ
And his learning is like the sun—yet
it is free from decline.
وَكَلامُهُand his speech حِلوٌsweet فَياso, O
وَكَلامُهُ حِلوٌ فَيا
لِلَّهِGod! (in appeal) مِنwhat (exclamatory) سحرٍmagic حَلالِlawful
لِلَّهِ مِن سحرٍ حَلالِ
And his speech is sweet—oh,
God, what lawful magic!
وَكِتابةٌand writing وَبراعَةٌand mastery
وَكِتابةٌ وَبراعَةٌ
تَسموsoars وَتَعلوand rises عَنbeyond مِثالِan equal
تَسمو وَتَعلو عَن مِثالِ
And his writing and mastery
soar and rise beyond compare.
ملأَhe filled المَسامعَthe ears وَالمجاand the assemblies (continued)
ملأَ المَسامعَ وَالمجا
مِعَ(completes 'assemblies') فيin جدىbounty أَوor فيin جِدالِdebate
مِعَ في جدى أَو في جِدالِ
He filled the ears and assemblies
with bounty or debate.
مِنfrom آلthe house of مَخزومMakhzum الكِراthe noble (continued)
مِن آل مَخزوم الكِرا
م(completes 'noble') السائدينَthe foremost أوليpossessors of المَعاليlofty honors
م السائدينَ أولي المَعالي
From the noble house of Makhzum,
the foremost men, possessors of lofty honors.
ياO مَنyou who غَلاwent to extremes فيin وَصفِهِdescribing him
يا مَن غَلا في وَصفِهِ
ثمنُthe worth of الفَضائِلِvirtues فيهِin him غاليhigh
ثمنُ الفَضائِلِ فيهِ غالي
O you who go to extremes in praising him,
the worth of virtues in him is high.
ساميlofty of الذرىsummits فاِسمِعso hear مَديmy praise (continued)
سامي الذرى فاِسمِع مَدي
حي(completes 'my praise') فيهof him ياO فطناًdiscerning one وَعاليand exalted one
حي فيه يا فطناً وَعالي
Lofty of summit—hear my praise
of him, O discerning and exalted one.
مَولايmy lord بدرَBadr الدينِal-Din (of the faith) دعa prayer (continued)
مَولاي بدرَ الدينِ دع
وة(completes 'prayer') مادِحa praiser فيكمof you مواليdevoted
وة مادِح فيكم موالي
My lord Badr al-Din, accept the prayer
of a praiser devoted to you.
وَلَهُand he has مقدّمةُa prelude of المحبlove (continued)
وَلَهُ مقدّمةُ المحب
بَةِ(completes 'love') وَهوَand he للأمداحِof praises تالِa reciter
بَةِ وَهوَ للأمداحِ تالِ
And he has a prelude of love,
and he recites praises.
فَاِسلَمso remain safe وصمand fast وَاِفطرand break your fast واِهand guide (continued)
فَاِسلَم وصم وَاِفطر واِه
دِ(completes 'guide') القاصدينَthe seekers مِنaway from الضَلالِerror
دِ القاصدينَ مِن الضَلالِ
So remain safe, fast, break your fast, and guide
the seekers away from error.
Sol 6.1