أظلومُO Zalum منكِfrom you تعلّمتshe learned ظلميwronging me
أظلومُ منكِ تعلّمت ظلمي
حرباًat war وكانتand she was قبلbefore ذاthis سَلْميmy peace
حرباً وكانت قبل ذا سَلْمي
O Zalum, from you she learned to wrong me,
becoming my war, though before this she was my peace.
كانتshe was بهجريof forsaking me غيرَnot عالمةٍaware
كانت بهجري غيرَ عالمةٍ
فَهَدَيتِهاso you guided her منهُof it إلىto علمِknowledge
فَهَدَيتِها منهُ إلى علمِ
She knew nothing of forsaking me,
so you guided her to knowledge of it.
هذاthis وفاقٌharmony عنarising from مخالفَةٍdiscord
هذا وفاقٌ عن مخالفَةٍ
كالزيرِlike the treble string تُصْلِحُهُyou tune it علىto البمِّthe bass string
كالزيرِ تُصْلِحُهُ على البمِّ
This is harmony born of discord,
like a treble string you tune to the bass.
خودٌa maiden تلقّنُtutors تِرْبَهاher same-aged companion حُجَجاًexcuses
خودٌ تلقّنُ تِرْبَها حُجَجاً
كالبنتِlike a daughter مُصْغِيَةًlistening إلىto الأمِّthe mother
كالبنتِ مُصْغِيَةً إلى الأمِّ
A maiden tutors her companion in excuses,
like a daughter listening to her mother.
والغادتانِand the two graceful maidens تفِيضُoverflow بينهماbetween them
والغادتانِ تفِيضُ بينهما
خُدَعُdeceits الهوىof love وقطيعةُand abandonment الحلمِof good sense
خُدَعُ الهوى وقطيعةُ الحلمِ
And between the two beauties overflow
love's deceits and the abandonment of good sense.
إنَّindeed النّواعمَthe tender maidens فيin العتابِreproach لهاthey have
إنَّ النّواعمَ في العتابِ لها
غَرَضٌa target إليهtoward it جميعُهاall of them تَرْميaim
غَرَضٌ إليه جميعُها تَرْمي
Indeed, tender maidens have, in their reproaches,
a target at which they all aim.
لوif قدْindeed وقفتِyou had looked علىupon ضَنىthe wasting of جَسَديmy body
لو قدْ وقفتِ على ضَنى جَسَدي
لوقفتِyou would have stood باكيةًweeping علىover رسمِa ruined remnant
لوقفتِ باكيةً على رسمِ
Had you looked upon my body's wasting,
you would have stood weeping over a ruin.
ورأيتِand you would have seen أضداداًopposites أذوبُI melt بهاbecause of them
ورأيتِ أضداداً أذوبُ بها
حُرَقاًburning pangs تُشَبّare kindled وأدمعاًand tears تهميpour down
حُرَقاً تُشَبّ وأدمعاً تهمي
And you would have seen the opposites that melt me:
burning pangs kindled, and tears pouring down.
وبنفسيَand with my life as ransom الخودُthe maiden التيwho برِئَتْwas absolved
وبنفسيَ الخودُ التي برِئَتْ
فيin قتلهاher killing of نفسيmy soul منof الإِثمِsin
في قتلها نفسي من الإِثمِ
And I would give my life for the maiden, absolved
of sin in killing my soul.
لمياءُdark-lipped تبسمُshe smiles عنrevealing مُؤشَّرَةٍfinely notched teeth
لمياءُ تبسمُ عن مُؤشَّرَةٍ
تجلوdispel الظلامَthe darkness ببارِقِwith the flash of الظَّلمِthe teeth's moist sheen
تجلو الظلامَ ببارِقِ الظَّلمِ
Dark-lipped, she smiles to reveal finely notched teeth
that dispel darkness with the flash of their moist sheen.
وتخوضُand she plunges into منfrom سَفَهِthe folly of الصِّباyouth مُلَحاًwitty jests
وتخوضُ من سَفَهِ الصِّبا مُلَحاً
فتحلّso she loosens منكfrom you معاقدَthe bonds of الحِلْمِself-restraint
فتحلّ منك معاقدَ الحِلْمِ
And, in youth's folly, she plunges into witty jests,
thus loosening your bonds of self-restraint.
مَرَّتْshe passed تميسُswaying فقلتُso I said هَلquestion marker سَكرَتْshe became drunk
مَرَّتْ تميسُ فقلتُ هَل سَكرَتْ
منfrom ريقهاher saliva بسُلافةِon the pure wine of الكرْمِthe vine
من ريقها بسُلافةِ الكرْمِ
She passed, swaying, and I said, 'Has she grown drunk
on her saliva—the pure wine of the vine?'
كَمُنَعَّمِlike one made tender الأطرافِthe extremities بَلّلَهُmoistened it
كَمُنَعَّمِ الأطرافِ بَلّلَهُ
شَرَقُthe choking of النسيمthe breeze بريقِهِon its saliva الوَسْميof the season's first rains
شَرَقُ النسيم بريقِهِ الوَسْمي
Like a tender-tipped bough, moistened
by the breeze, choking on its first-rain saliva.
Sol 6.1