أَمِنis there ... against فتكِdeadly assault ذاتِthe wearer of القُلبِthe bracelet لِلقَلبِfor the heart حاجِبُa guardian
أَمِن فتكِ ذاتِ القُلبِ لِلقَلبِ حاجِبُ
وَأَسهُمُهاand her arrows الأَلحاظُthe glances وَالقَوسُand the bow حاجِبُan eyebrow
وَأَسهُمُها الأَلحاظُ وَالقَوسُ حاجِبُ
Is there a guardian for the heart against the bracelet-wearer's deadly assault?
Is there safety from the slaying glance of she
And her arrows are glances, and the bow an eyebrow.
Whose arrows are her eyes, her bows her eyebrows?
هِلاليّةٌa Hilali woman باتَspent the night الهِلالُthe crescent moon لِتاجِهاof her crown
هِلاليّةٌ باتَ الهِلالُ لِتاجِها
حَسُوداًenvious وَغارَتand grew jealous مِنof حُلاهاher jewels الكَواكِبُthe stars
حَسُوداً وَغارَت مِن حُلاها الكَواكِبُ
A Hilali beauty—her crown kept the crescent all night
Crescent-like, the crescent moon envied the crown
Envious, while the stars grew jealous of her jewels.
Upon her head, and the stars grew jealous of her beauty.
إِذاif شِئتَyou wish شَمساًa sun وَسطَamid جُنحٍnight's gloom فِعِندَماthen when
إِذا شِئتَ شَمساً وَسطَ جُنحٍ فِعِندَما
تَحُفُّsurround بِذاكَaround that الخَدِّcheek تِلكَthose الذَوائِبُtresses
تَحُفُّ بِذاكَ الخَدِّ تِلكَ الذَوائِبُ
If you wish for a sun amid night's gloom, look when
If you seek a sun amid wings, behold
Those tresses frame that cheek.
When those tresses enfold that cheek, the stray locks.
يُسالِمُmakes peace with قَلبيmy heart لَفظُهاher speech وَابتِسامُهاand her smile
يُسالِمُ قَلبي لَفظُها وَابتِسامُها
وَأَجفانُهاand her eyelids فيat كُلّevery حينٍmoment تُحارِبُwage war
وَأَجفانُها في كُلّ حينٍ تُحارِبُ
Her speech and her smile make peace with my heart,
My heart makes peace with her words and smile
While her eyelids wage war at every moment.
While her lashes ever wage war.
إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) تَجلّىshines forth حُسنُهاher beauty غَلَبَovercomes الحِجاreason
إِذا ما تَجلّى حُسنُها غَلَبَ الحِجا
وَفُلّتand are routed مِنof الصَبرِpatience الجَميلِnoble كَتائِبُbattalions
وَفُلّت مِن الصَبرِ الجَميلِ كَتائِبُ
When her beauty shines forth, it overwhelms reason,
When her beauty shines forth, yearning prevails,
And the battalions of noble patience are routed.
Washing away seemly patience in streams.
وَلِمand why لاnot وِمِنand from أَعطافِهاher flanks وَجُفُونِهاand her eyelids
وَلِم لا وِمِن أَعطافِها وَجُفُونِها
تُهَزّare brandished العَواليthe lances أَوor تُسَلُّare drawn القَواضِبُthe keen swords
تُهَزّ العَوالي أَو تُسَلُّ القَواضِبُ
And why not, when from her flanks and her eyelids
Why not, when her figure and her eyes
Lances are brandished, or keen swords drawn?
Can haul up the lofty or drag down the swift ships?
مُوَرَّدُthe rose-red hue of خَدَّيهاher two cheeks لِدَمعيto my tears مُشابِةٌsimilar
مُوَرَّدُ خَدَّيها لِدَمعي مُشابِةٌ
وَناحِلُand the slenderness of خِصرَيهاher waist's two sides لِجسمِيto my body مُناسِبُcorresponding
وَناحِلُ خِصرَيها لِجسمِي مُناسِبُ
The rose-red hue of her cheeks resembles my tears,
The rose of her cheek is well-suited for my tears;
And her slender waist is a match for my body.
The bees of her waist aptly fit my body.
فَكَمso how many وَصلَةٍa bond فيin الحُبِّlove بَينيbetween me وَبَينَهاand between her
فَكَم وَصلَةٍ في الحُبِّ بَيني وَبَينَها
وَلَكِنَّنيyet I مَهماhowever تَوَسَّلتُI plead خائِبُam disappointed
وَلَكِنَّني مَهما تَوَسَّلتُ خائِبُ
So many bonds of love lie between me and her,
What bonds of love thus link her to me!
Yet however I plead, I am disappointed.
Yet, however I supplicate, disappointed am I.
فَياso, oh وَيحَpity for مُشتاقٍa yearning lover تَذَلّلَhumbled himself للهَوىbefore love
فَيا وَيحَ مُشتاقٍ تَذَلّلَ للهَوى
وَقَدthough indeed شَمَختrose high فِيin العِزِّhonor مِنهُthrough him المَراتِبُthe ranks
وَقَد شَمَخت فِي العِزِّ مِنهُ المَراتِبُ
Ah, pity the yearning lover who humbled himself before love,
Woe to the ardent lover who humbles himself to passion
Though through him the ranks of honor had risen high.
While the highest ranks disdain him!
تَهابُfear الأُسُودُthe lions الغُلبُthick-necked حَدَّthe edge of سِنانِهِhis spearhead
تَهابُ الأُسُودُ الغُلبُ حَدَّ سِنانِهِ
وَلَكِنَّهُyet he لِلشادِنِof the gazelle-fawn الغِرِّinnocent هائِبُis afraid
وَلَكِنَّهُ لِلشادِنِ الغِرِّ هائِبُ
Thick-necked lions fear his spearhead's edge,
Lions fear defeat by another’s fangs,
Yet he fears the innocent gazelle-fawn.
Yet to the brazen hyena they turn coward.
وَيَسبيand takes captive كُماةَchampions البَأسِvalor فيin حَومَةِthe thick of الوَغىbattle
وَيَسبي كُماةَ البَأسِ في حَومَةِ الوَغى
وَتَسبيهِand take him captive بِالغُنجِwith coquetry الحِسانُthe beauties الكَواعِبُthe full-bosomed maidens
وَتَسبيهِ بِالغُنجِ الحِسانُ الكَواعِبُ
And he takes valiant champions captive in the thick of battle,
On the battle’s heated plain they capture the heroes,
While full-bosomed beauties take him captive with coquetry.
While singers lead away the lovely-eyed gazelles.
رَعىmay preserve اللَهُGod قَلبِيmy heart ماhow أَتَمَّcomplete وَفاءَهُits loyalty
رَعى اللَهُ قَلبِي ما أَتَمَّ وَفاءَهُ
إِذاwhen صَدَّturns away خِلُّa dear friend أَوor تَغَيَّرَchanges صاحِبُa companion
إِذا صَدَّ خِلُّ أَو تَغَيَّرَ صاحِبُ
May God preserve my heart—how complete its loyalty,
God guard my heart in its faithfulness
When a dear friend turns away or a companion changes!
When a boon companion changes or turns cool.
تَفَرَّدَstands alone بِالإِخلاصِin sincerity فيin مِلّةِthe creed of الهَوىlove
تَفَرَّدَ بِالإِخلاصِ في مِلّةِ الهَوى
وَقَدthough indeed كَثُرَتhave multiplied فيamong العاشِقِينthe lovers الشَوائِبُimpurities
وَقَد كَثُرَت في العاشِقِين الشَوائِبُ
It stands alone in devotion to the creed of love,
It has uniquely adhered, in love’s creed,
Though impurities have multiplied among lovers.
While so many lovers mix in strange ways.
Sol 6.1