مَنْwho عاذِرُone who excuses المُشْتاقِthe yearning lover منْfrom عاذِلٍa reproacher
مَنْ عاذِرُ المُشْتاقِ منْ عاذِلٍ
فيin حُبِّlove of ظَبْيٍa gazelle أشْنَبٍwith fresh, white teeth ألعَسِdark-lipped
في حُبِّ ظَبْيٍ أشْنَبٍ ألعَسِ
Who will defend the yearning lover against a reproacher
Who can blame the lover for his longing
for loving a bright-toothed, dark-lipped gazelle?
For the love of a fawn-like, slender beauty?
قالَhe said بَداappeared عارِضُهُhis cheek-down فاسْلُهُso forget him
قالَ بَدا عارِضُهُ فاسْلُهُ
كَيْفَhow ورَوْضُwhile the garden الحُسْنِof beauty مِنهُwith it كُسِيwas clothed
كَيْفَ ورَوْضُ الحُسْنِ مِنهُ كُسِي
He said, “His cheek-down has appeared, so forget him.”
He said her cheek appeared, so ask her
How could I, when beauty’s garden has been clothed in it?
How the garden of beauty can be concealed?
لَمّاwhen غَدَتْbecame وجْنَتُهُhis cheek جَنَّةًa paradise
لَمّا غَدَتْ وجْنَتُهُ جَنَّةً
مَحْفُوفَةًsurrounded بالوَرْدِby roses والنَّرجِسِand narcissi
مَحْفُوفَةً بالوَرْدِ والنَّرجِسِ
When his cheek became a paradise,
When her cheeks became a garden,
surrounded by roses and narcissi,
Surrounded by roses and narcissi,
وجالَand coursed فِيهاthrough it رِيقُهُhis saliva كوْثَراًas Kawthar
وجالَ فِيها رِيقُهُ كوْثَراً
أكْملَهاperfected it الرَّحْمنُthe All-Merciful بالسُّنْدُسِwith fine silk
أكْملَها الرَّحْمنُ بالسُّنْدُسِ
and his saliva coursed through it as Kawthar,
And his saliva flowed in it copiously,
the All-Merciful perfected it with fine silk.
Completed by the Merciful with lilies.
فكيفَso how لاnot أبْغِيI seek خُلُوداًeternal life بِهاin it
فكيفَ لا أبْغِي خُلُوداً بِها
والخُلْدُand eternal life أقْصَىthe utmost مُبْتَغىdesire of الأنفُسِsouls
والخُلْدُ أقْصَى مُبْتَغى الأنفُسِ
So how could I not seek eternal life in it,
How can I not seek eternity with it?
when eternal life is the utmost desire of souls?
For eternity is the utmost desire of souls.
Sol 6.1