للهِto God belongs سِرُّa secret جَمالٍof beauty أنْتِyou مَعْناهُits meaning
للهِ سِرُّ جَمالٍ أنْتِ مَعْناهُ
حَسبيenough for me بهِwith it وكَفَىand it suffices أنّيthat I مُعَنَّاهُthe one tormented by it
حَسبي بهِ وكَفَى أنّي مُعَنَّاهُ
To God belongs a secret of beauty whose meaning you are.
God has a secret of beauty, you are its meaning
It suffices me; enough that I am tormented by it.
It suffices me, and enough that I yearned for it
مَنْwho ليfor me بظبيٍwith a gazelle فُؤاديmy heart دونَshort of صَوْنَتِهِhis guarded seclusion
مَنْ لي بظبيٍ فُؤادي دونَ صَوْنَتِهِ
عَنْfrom ناظِريmy gaze والثُّريّاand the Pleiades دونَbeneath مَثْواهُhis dwelling
عَنْ ناظِري والثُّريّا دونَ مَثْواهُ
Who can bring me a gazelle, guarded beyond my heart's reach
Who can protect my heart without its protection
From my gaze, with the Pleiades beneath his dwelling?
From my onlooker, and nestle it from its settling place
غُزيِّلٌa little gazelle غَزلَتْspun ألحاظُهُhis glances جَسَديmy body
غُزيِّلٌ غَزلَتْ ألحاظُهُ جَسَدي
أرقُّfiner منthan غَزَليmy love verse فيin لُطفِthe subtlety of مَعْناهُits meaning
أرقُّ من غَزَلي في لُطفِ مَعْناهُ
A little gazelle whose glances have spun my body
A gazelle, whose glances entwine my body
Finer than my love verse in the subtlety of its meaning.
I am more gentle than its gentleness in its meaning's subtlety
ساجِيlanguid الجُفونِthe eyelids وَقاحُbrazen الوَجْهِthe face ماجِنُهُwanton in it
ساجِي الجُفونِ وَقاحُ الوَجْهِ ماجِنُهُ
مفرَّغُunburdened البالِthe mind عَمَّنْof whoever باتَspends the night يَهواهُloves him
مفرَّغُ البالِ عَمَّنْ باتَ يَهواهُ
Languid-lidded, brazen-faced and wanton,
Of sleepy eyelids and shameless face, obscene is he
Unconcerned with the one who spends the night loving him.
Empty of mind, from the one he loved at night
يَفْتَرُّhe parts his lips عنrevealing مَبْسمٍa smiling mouth ياoh ماhow أُمَيْلِحَهُdaintily charming it is
يَفْتَرُّ عن مَبْسمٍ يا ما أُمَيْلِحَهُ
يَجُولُswirls فيهِwithin it رُضابٌsaliva ماhow أُحَيْلاهُexquisitely sweet it is
يَجُولُ فيهِ رُضابٌ ما أُحَيْلاهُ
He smiles, revealing a mouth—oh, how daintily charming!
He smiles a smile, oh how coquettish it is!
Within it swirls saliva—how exquisitely sweet!
Flirtations ramble in it, oh how crafty!
كالوَرْدِlike a rose وَجْنَتُهُhis cheek والشَّهْدِand honey رِيقَتُهُhis saliva
كالوَرْدِ وَجْنَتُهُ والشَّهْدِ رِيقَتُهُ
والسِّلْكِand a pearl-string مَبْسِمُهُhis smiling mouth والمِسْكِand musk ريَّاهُhis fragrance
والسِّلْكِ مَبْسِمُهُ والمِسْكِ ريَّاهُ
His cheek is like a rose, his saliva like honey,
Like a rose its dimple, and honey its saliva
And his smiling mouth like a string of pearls, his fragrance like musk.
And silk its smile, and musk its scent
بدرٌa full moon ولكنْbut سَوادُthe blackness العَيْنِthe eye مَطلَعُهhis rising-place
بدرٌ ولكنْ سَوادُ العَيْنِ مَطلَعُه
ظَبْيٌa gazelle ولكنbut سُوَيْداthe dark core القَلْبِthe heart مَرْعاهُhis pasture
ظَبْيٌ ولكن سُوَيْدا القَلْبِ مَرْعاهُ
A full moon, yet his rising-place is the eye's dark pupil;
A full moon but the blackness of eyes is its rise
A gazelle, yet his pasture is the heart's dark core.
A gazelle but the darkness of heart is its pasture
يَهتزُّhe sways عنwith قامَةٍa stature سُبحانَglory to مُبدِعهاits Maker
يَهتزُّ عن قامَةٍ سُبحانَ مُبدِعها
قدindeed تُوِّجَتْhas been crowned وَجْنةًa cheek تبارَكَblessed is اللهُGod
قد تُوِّجَتْ وَجْنةً تبارَكَ اللهُ
He sways, revealing a stature—glory to its Maker—
It sways a stature, glory to its Creator
That has been crowned with a cheek: blessed be God!
It has been crowned a heavenly garden, blessed is God
لولاwere it not for تَجنِّيهِhis unjust cruelty قُلْتُI would have said الخُلدُthe eternal Garden مَنْشؤُهُhis birthplace
لولا تَجنِّيهِ قُلْتُ الخُلدُ مَنْشؤُهُ
وأنَّand that رِضْوانَRidwan فيin الفِردَوْسِParadise رَبَّاهُreared him
وأنَّ رِضْوانَ في الفِردَوْسِ رَبَّاهُ
Were it not for his unjust cruelty, I would say the eternal Garden was his birthplace,
If not for its bashfulness, I would say eternity is its origin
And that Ridwan had reared him in Paradise.
And that ridwan in paradise fostered it
شُوَيْدِنٌa little fawn صاغَهُfashioned him بارِيهِhis Maker مِنْfrom فِتَنٍtemptations
شُوَيْدِنٌ صاغَهُ بارِيهِ مِنْ فِتَنٍ
أعْدَىmost hostile الخطوبِof calamities علىto الإنسانhumankind مَرآهُthe sight of him
أعْدَى الخطوبِ على الإنسان مَرآهُ
A little fawn his Maker fashioned out of temptations;
An idol, its Creator formed it of temptations
The sight of him is the calamity most hostile to humankind.
The most hostile of calamities to man is its sight
أستَغفرُI ask forgiveness of اللهَGod بلrather أدْنىthe least of مَلامِحِهhis features
أستَغفرُ اللهَ بل أدْنى مَلامِحِه
ألَذُّmost delightful ماwhat حَوَتِcontained الدُّنياthe world وأشْهاهُand its most desirable
ألَذُّ ما حَوَتِ الدُّنيا وأشْهاهُ
I ask God's forgiveness! Rather, the least of his features
I seek God's forgiveness, but its slightest features
Is the most delightful thing the world contains, and the most desirable.
Are the most delightful the world contains, and most wondrous
ياO جنَّةًa paradise عَذَّبَتْtormented قَلْبيmy heart بِنِعمَتِهاwith its bliss
يا جنَّةً عَذَّبَتْ قَلْبي بِنِعمَتِها
فَماand how أمَرَّbitter جَناهاits fruit ليto me وأحْلاهُand how sweet it is
فَما أمَرَّ جَناها لي وأحْلاهُ
O paradise that tormented my heart with its bliss,
Oh you garden who has tortured my heart with its bliss
And how bitter its fruit is to me, and how sweet!
So the bitterness of its foliage is not bitter to me
تَمَنَّتِwished النَّفسُthe soul لوthat تَحْظَىit might attain بُمنْيَتِهاwith its wish
تَمَنَّتِ النَّفسُ لو تَحْظَى بُمنْيَتِها
أعَزُّhardest to attain ماwhat لِمُحِبٍّfor a lover ماwhat تَمَنَّاهُhe wished for it
أعَزُّ ما لِمُحِبٍّ ما تَمَنَّاهُ
The soul wished it could attain its desire;
The soul desired that if it obtained its wishes
What a lover wishes for is hardest to attain.
The most honourable thing for a lover is what it desires
مَنْwho ليfor me عَلىto assuage غُلَّتيmy burning thirst بِرَشْفِwith a sip ذيone with أُشُرٍfine tooth serrations
مَنْ لي عَلى غُلَّتي بِرَشْفِ ذي أُشُرٍ
كأنَّماas though أُشْرِبتْwere steeped in شَهْداًhoney ثَناياهُhis front teeth
كأنَّما أُشْرِبتْ شَهْداً ثَناياهُ
Who can soothe my burning thirst with a sip from one with finely serrated teeth,
Who can give me in my fervour a mouthful of the bashful
As though his front teeth had been steeped in honey?
As if I was made to drink honey its dimples
دبَّتْcrept عَلىover خَدِّهِhis cheek للصُّدْغِbelonging to the temple عَقربُهُits scorpion
دبَّتْ عَلى خَدِّهِ للصُّدْغِ عَقربُهُ
فَقَدْand indeed حَسَتْsipped عنfrom جَنَىthe fruit of وَهْمٍfancy حُمَيَّاهُits intoxicating heat
فَقَدْ حَسَتْ عن جَنَى وَهْمٍ حُمَيَّاهُ
His temple's scorpion crept across his cheek,
There crept on his cheek, a scorpion to the sideburns
And it has sipped its intoxicating heat from the fruit of fancy.
So it perceived from the fruits of fanciful, ardent love
ياO بَدْرَfull moon سَعْدٍof good fortune هَدىguided نَفْسيmy soul لِضِلَّتِهاto its error
يا بَدْرَ سَعْدٍ هَدى نَفْسي لِضِلَّتِها
وظَبْيَand gazelle بُعْدٍof estrangement لِقَلْبيto my heart ساقَbrought بَلْواهُits affliction
وظَبْيَ بُعْدٍ لِقَلْبي ساقَ بَلْواهُ
O full moon of good fortune who led my soul astray,
Oh full moon of fortune! It guided my straying soul
And gazelle of estrangement who brought my heart its affliction,
And gazelle of distance! It led my heart to its affliction
رُحْماكَyour mercy! فيtoward عاشِقٍa lover قدindeed عادَhas become آمِرَهُthe one commanding him
رُحْماكَ في عاشِقٍ قد عادَ آمِرَهُ
بالحُبِّto love مَنْthe one who كانused to جَهلاًin ignorance عنهُfrom it يَنهاهُforbid him
بالحُبِّ مَنْ كان جَهلاً عنهُ يَنهاهُ
Have mercy on a lover! Now he is commanded
Have mercy on a lover whom love had commanded
To love by one who once, in ignorance, forbade him it.
With love, he who was ignorant of it, it prohibits him
خَلَعتُI cast off فيكَbecause of you عِذاريmy bridle إذْwhen بَداbecame clear عُذُريmy excuse
خَلَعتُ فيكَ عِذاري إذْ بَدا عُذُري
فيin مَنظرٍa sight قَدْindeed وَشَىembroidered فيهِin it عِذاراهُhis two cheek-locks
في مَنظرٍ قَدْ وَشَى فيهِ عِذاراهُ
I cast off my bridle for you as my excuse became clear
I have unveiled my excuse for you since my excuse appeared
In a sight embroidered by his twin cheek-locks.
In a spectacle which has inscribed within it excuses
نَمْsleep مِلْءَthe fullness of عَينيكَyour two eyes ياO مَنْyou who ظَلَّkept on يُسْهِرُنيkeeping me awake
نَمْ مِلْءَ عَينيكَ يا مَنْ ظَلَّ يُسْهِرُني
إنif رُمْتُI seek عَنْكَaway from you سُلُوّاًforgetfulness زادَنيmay give me more اللهُGod
إن رُمْتُ عَنْكَ سُلُوّاً زادَني اللهُ
Sleep your eyes' fill, O you who have kept me wakeful;
Sleep happily, O you who kept me awake
If I seek to forget you, may God give me still more!
If I ever keep away from you, may God increase me in wakefulness
Sol 6.1