قسماI swear بفرطby the excess of تلهبيmy burning وتلهفيand my yearning
قسما بفرط تلهبي وتلهفي
لاsurely (oath prefix) خالفنI shall defy علىover هواكlove for you معنفيmy reproacher
لا خالفن على هواك معنفي
I swear by my fierce burning and yearning:
I shall surely defy my reproacher over my love for you.
أيلومنيdoes he blame me حسداout of envy عليكover you بجهلهin his ignorance
أيلومني حسدا عليك بجهله
ليسis not العذولthe censurer علىconcerning هواكlove for you بمنصفيfair to me
ليس العذول على هواك بمنصفي
Does he blame me, in his ignorance, out of envy over you?
The censurer is not fair to me in my love for you.
ياO راشقاone shooting قلبيmy heart بنبلwith the arrows of لحاظهhis glances
يا راشقا قلبي بنبل لحاظه
يكفيكit suffices you قتليkilling me بالصقيلwith the polished blade المرهفkeen-edged
يكفيك قتلي بالصقيل المرهف
O you who pierce my heart with the arrows of your glances,
killing me with the polished, keen-edged blade should suffice you.
انif كانwere قتليmy slaying ترتضيهyou approve of it صبابةpassionate longing
ان كان قتلي ترتضيه صبابة
دعنيlet me اموتdie جوىof burning heartache بغيرwithout تكلفeffort
دعني اموت جوى بغير تكلف
If my dying of passionate love would please you,
let me die of heartache, without any effort.
اوor كانhad نفسكyour soul حدثتكspoken to you بسلوةof forgetting love
او كان نفسك حدثتك بسلوة
قلبيmy heart يحدثنيtells me بانكthat you are متلفيmy destroyer
قلبي يحدثني بانك متلفي
Or if your soul has whispered to you of forgetting love,
my heart tells me that you will be my death.
ياO هاجريyou who forsake me هلwill there be وقفةa pause ليfor me رحمةout of mercy
يا هاجري هل وقفة لي رحمة
لمnot انسهاI forget it لكto your credit فيon غدthe morrow بالموقفat the gathering for Judgment
لم انسها لك في غد بالموقف
O you who forsake me, will you pause in pity for me—
a kindness I shall not forget tomorrow at Judgment?
اناI فيكwith you مغرىinfatuated بالصبابةwith passionate longing مغرمlove-struck
انا فيك مغرى بالصبابة مغرم
فليدرso let him know بيof me منwhoever لاnot درىknew وليعرفand let him understand
فليدر بي من لا درى وليعرف
I am enthralled by longing for you, utterly love-struck.
So let whoever knew nothing of me learn and understand.
رفقاbe gentle بصبwith a yearning lover فيin الغرامpassionate love متيمenslaved by love
رفقا بصب في الغرام متيم
مضنىwasted حليفa companion of السقمsickness عانcaptive مدنفgravely ill
مضنى حليف السقم عان مدنف
Be gentle with a yearning lover, enslaved by passion,
wasted, sickness's companion, captive and sick unto death.
لاnot يستقرsettles منfrom البكاءweeping قرارهhis repose
لا يستقر من البكاء قراره
وجداout of longing عليكfor you ونارهand his fire لاdoes not تنطفيgo out
وجدا عليك وناره لا تنطفي
He finds no rest for weeping,
out of longing for you; his fire never goes out.
وعلىand in نواكseparation from you فماso there is no لهfor him منany مسعدcomforter
وعلى نواك فما له من مسعد
وعلىand in هواكlove for you فماso there is no لهfor him منany مسعفhelper
وعلى هواك فما له من مسعف
And in separation from you, he has no comforter;
and in his love for you, he has no one to help.
ولقدand indeed اذابhas melted حشاهhis innermost heart لحاشاكmay you be spared (unclear wording) الجوىburning heartache
ولقد اذاب حشاه لحاشاك الجوى
وعلىand for سواكanyone other than you فؤادهhis heart لمnot ينطفhas dripped
وعلى سواك فؤاده لم ينطف
And longing has indeed melted his heart—may yours be spared!
And for none but you has his heart bled.
لاnot يشتكيhe complains لسوىto any but الدموعtears مصابهhis affliction
لا يشتكي لسوى الدموع مصابه
وعذولهand his reproacher مماby what بهafflicts him لاnot يشتفيis satisfied
وعذوله مما به لا يشتفي
He confides his affliction to none but tears;
and his reproacher is not satisfied by his suffering.
لمnot تدرyou know فيماin what ذاinterrogative complement ابيتI spend the night منof الهوىlove
لم تدر فيما ذا ابيت من الهوى
وعلىand for سواكanyone other than you دموعهhis tears لمnot تذرفwere shed
وعلى سواك دموعه لم تذرف
You do not know how I pass the night in love;
and his tears have never been shed for anyone but you.
فاستهدso seek guidance فيin اتلافdestroying مهجتهhis life's blood وقلand say
فاستهد في اتلاف مهجته وقل
عرضتyou exposed نفسكyourself للبلاto affliction فاستهدso seek guidance فيin (ending unclear)
عرضت نفسك للبلا فاستهد في
So seek guidance in destroying his life's blood, and say:
“You exposed yourself to affliction, so seek guidance in...” [ending unclear]
قلsay للمعنفto the reproacher عنfor هواهhis love بجهلهin his ignorance
قل للمعنف عن هواه بجهله
زدincrease منin ملامكyour blame ياO عذولcensurer وعنفand rebuke harshly
زد من ملامك يا عذول وعنف
Say to the man who ignorantly reproaches him for his love:
“Increase your blame, O censurer, and rebuke me harshly!
وحديثand the tale of هاتيكthose المناطقgirdles ليto me أعدrepeat
وحديث هاتيك المناطق لي أعد
وبذكرand with mention of ذاكthat القرطearring سمعيmy hearing شنّفadorn
وبذكر ذاك القرط سمعي شنّف
And repeat to me the tale of those girdles;
and adorn my hearing with mention of that earring.”
منwho ليfor me بهwith him ذهبيgolden لونthe color of خدهhis cheek
من لي به ذهبي لون خده
دينارهhis dinar عنfrom ناظريmy gaze لمnot يصرفis turned away
ديناره عن ناظري لم يصرف
Who will bring me him whose cheek is golden in hue?
His dinar has never passed out of my sight.
رشأa young gazelle محياهhis face يريكshows you اذاwhen انثنىhe sways
رشأ محياه يريك اذا انثنى
بدراa full moon علىupon غصنa branch بغيرwithout تكلفaffectation
بدرا على غصن بغير تكلف
A young gazelle whose face, when he sways, shows you
a full moon upon a branch, without affectation.
ساقa cupbearer عنin place of المصباحthe lamp بغنيdispenses with (likely يغني) وجهa face
ساق عن المصباح بغني وجه
وعنand in place of النديمthe boon companion بقولهwith his speech المستظرفwitty
وعن النديم بقوله المستظرف
A cupbearer whose face makes a lamp needless,
and whose witty speech replaces a boon companion.
وتنوبand take the place عنof اقداحهhis goblets احداقهhis eyes
وتنوب عن اقداحه احداقه
والريقand the saliva منهfrom him عنin place of السلافthe choicest wine القرقفshiver-inducing wine
والريق منه عن السلاف القرقف
And his eyes take the place of his goblets,
and his saliva replaces choice wine that makes one shiver.
فكأنماso it is as though اعتصرwas pressed المدامwine بثغرهin his mouth
فكأنما اعتصر المدام بثغره
اوor فيهin it اودعwas deposited ذلكthat السرsecret الخفيhidden
او فيه اودع ذلك السر الخفي
So it is as though wine had been pressed within his mouth,
or that hidden secret had been lodged there.
Sol 6.1