لاno وعهدby the days of الصباyouth وعيشand by the life of هواهاlove for her
لا وعهد الصبا وعيش هواها
ياO اخاbrother of الوجدlonging لاnot هويتI loved سواهاanyone but her
يا اخا الوجد لا هويت سواها
No, by the days of youth and a life lived in love for her,
O brother in longing, I have loved no other.
اتراهاdo you think she ترقّwill take pity يوماone day لصبّon a lovesick man
اتراها ترقّ يوما لصبّ
مقلتاهhis two eyes تودlong انthat لوif only تراهاsee her
مقلتاه تود ان لو تراها
Do you think she will one day pity a lovesick man
whose two eyes long to behold her?
ضلwent astray فيin الحبlove عنover هواهاlove for her عذوليmy reproacher
ضل في الحب عن هواها عذولي
مذsince رأىhe saw آيverses حسنهاher beauty وتلاهاand recited them
مذ رأى آي حسنها وتلاها
My reproacher lost his way in love for her,
since he saw the verses of her beauty and recited them.
اناI لمhave not اسلهاforget her وانand even if كانwas يوماone day
انا لم اسلها وان كان يوما
اضمرsecretly harbored الغيرanother سلوةforgetfulness ونواهاand intended it
اضمر الغير سلوة ونواها
I have not forgotten her, even if one day
another secretly harbored forgetfulness and intended it.
وهواهاand by love for her لوeven if بالبعادthrough separation شوتنيshe scorched me
وهواها لو بالبعاد شوتني
ماnot سلاهاforgot her الفؤادthe heart لاno وقلاهاand hated her
ما سلاها الفؤاد لا وقلاها
By love for her, even if she scorched me with separation,
my heart would not forget her—no, nor hate her.
ياO خليليmy two friends فهيfor she تعلمknows ماwhat بيis in me
يا خليلي فهي تعلم ما بي
فلاهاunclear as written; probably 'then ask her, both of you' انwhether كانwas قلبيmy heart سلاهاforgot her
فلاها ان كان قلبي سلاها
O my two friends, she knows what ails me;
then [ask her] whether my heart has forgotten her.
كلevery ذيpossessing سكرsugar تبدتbecame apparent مذاقاin taste
كل ذي سكر تبدت مذاقا
ماexception marker عداexcluding ريقsaliva ثغرهاher mouth ولماهاand her lips' duskiness
ما عدا ريق ثغرها ولماها
Every sweet thing has revealed its flavor,
except the moisture of her mouth and her dusky lips.
فهيfor she بالجيدin her neck كالغزالةlike the gazelle (also: the sun) حسناin beauty
فهي بالجيد كالغزالة حسنا
وعلىand above ضوئهاits light يفوقsurpasses سناهاher radiance
وعلى ضوئها يفوق سناها
In the beauty of her neck she is like a gazelle,
yet her radiance outshines the sun's light.
خدهاher cheek الاحمرred الاسيلsmooth حمتهguarded it
خدها الاحمر الاسيل حمته
سودthe black ones الحاظهاher glances ببيضwith the white ones ظباهاtheir sword-edges
سود الحاظها ببيض ظباها
Her red, smooth cheek is guarded
by her black glances with their white sword-edges.
باردcool ريقهاher saliva كذاlikewise الجفنthe eyelid منهاof hers
بارد ريقها كذا الجفن منها
فاترlanguid صانguarded حسنهاher beauty وحماهاand protected her
فاتر صان حسنها وحماها
Cool is the moisture of her mouth; her eyelid, too,
is languid, guarding her beauty and protecting her.
مهجتيmy soul قدalready قضتdied غراماof passion ومنهاand from her
مهجتي قد قضت غراما ومنها
ماnot قضتfulfilled بالوصالthrough union يوماever مناهاits wishes
ما قضت بالوصال يوما مناها
My soul has died of passion, yet from her
it has never had its wishes fulfilled through union.
اناI مغرىinfatuated بهاwith her ولاand may no عاشlive صبlovesick man
انا مغرى بها ولا عاش صب
عابfound fault with فيin الحسنbeauty خالهاher mole واباهاand rejected her
عاب في الحسن خالها واباها
I am infatuated with her; may no lovesick man live
who finds her mole wanting in beauty and rejects her.
هيshe فيin مصرهاher Egypt (or city) زليخةZulaikha حسنbeauty
هي في مصرها زليخة حسن
ليتif only بالوصلwith union راودتshe wooed لفتاهاto her young man
ليت بالوصل راودت لفتاها
In her Egypt she is beauty's Zulaikha;
if only she would woo her young man into union!
رققتنيshe made me frail بهجرهاthrough her desertion وجفتنيand she spurned me
رققتني بهجرها وجفتني
فتعجبso marvel لرقتيat my frailty وجفاهاand her harshness
فتعجب لرقتي وجفاها
She made me frail through her desertion and spurned me;
so marvel at my frailty and her harshness.
عاذلاهاher two reproachers تحدثاthey both spoke بيabout me لماwhen
عاذلاها تحدثا بي لما
علمانيthey both knew me انthat لاnot اخونI betray هواهاlove for her
علماني ان لا اخون هواها
Her two reproachers spoke of me when
they knew I would not betray my love for her.
ماnot كفاهاsufficed her ماwhat قدalready جرىflowed منof دموعيmy tears
ما كفاها ما قد جرى من دموعي
منof دموعيmy tears ماwhat قدalready جرىflowed ماnot كفاهاsufficed her
من دموعي ما قد جرى ما كفاها
What has flowed of my tears has not sufficed her;
of my tears, what has flowed has not sufficed her.
حبذاhow welcome! كلماall that ترومshe seeks وتهوىand she desires
حبذا كلما تروم وتهوى
اناI راضcontent انif كانis قتليmy being killed رضاهاher contentment
انا راض ان كان قتلي رضاها
How welcome is all she seeks and desires!
I am content if killing me brings her contentment.
Sol 6.1