أَماindeed وَالشِفاهby the lips اللُعسdusky والأَعينand the eyes النُعسِdrowsy
أَما وَالشِفاه اللُعس والأَعين النُعسِ
لَقَدsurely جُبِلتwas fashioned طَبعاًby nature علىupon حبِّهاlove for her نَفسيmy soul
لَقَد جُبِلت طَبعاً على حبِّها نَفسي
Indeed, by the dusky lips and languid eyes,
With lips of weariness and eyes of sleepiness,
My soul was surely fashioned by nature to love her.
Indeed, my soul was created with love for her.
يؤنِّبنيreproach me اللوّامُthe faultfinders فيهاover her سَفاهةًfoolishly
يؤنِّبني اللوّامُ فيها سَفاهةً
وَلاand neither وَحشَتيmy unease للائمينfor the blamers ولاnor أنسيmy solace
وَلا وَحشَتي للائمين ولا أنسي
The faultfinders foolishly reproach me over her,
The blamers rebuke me for foolishness about her,
And the blamers bring me neither unease nor solace.
Yet I care not for blamers nor feel loneliness.
يَقولونَthey say قدindeed غاليتَyou have gone too far فيin عِشقكyour love of الدُمىidols (beautiful women)
يَقولونَ قد غاليتَ في عِشقك الدُمى
وهلand is there مُشتَرٍa buyer للحسنof beauty بالثَمنat the price البَخسِpaltry
وهل مُشتَرٍ للحسن بالثَمن البَخسِ
They say, “You have gone too far in your love of idols.”
They say you have overvalued love for the slender one,
And can anyone buy beauty at a paltry price?
Can beauty be bought at a paltry price?
وَبيand I am smitten with مَنone who إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle رنَّحتshe sways عِطفthe flank of قدِّهاher figure
وَبي مَن إِذا ما رنَّحت عِطف قدِّها
فَماthen not رنَّحتshe sways إِلّاexcept قَضيباًa slender branch علىupon دِعسِa sandhill
فَما رنَّحت إِلّا قَضيباً على دِعسِ
And I am smitten with one who, whenever she sways her waist,
I have one who, when she sways her supple neck,
Sways nothing but a slender branch upon a sandhill.
Sways nothing but a twig upon a dune.
وإِنand if نشرتshe unfurls يَوماًone day ذوائبَthe tresses of فرعهاher hair
وإِن نشرت يَوماً ذوائبَ فرعها
فَماthen not نشرتshe unfurls إلّاexcept ظَلاماًdarkness علىover شَمسِa sun
فَما نشرت إلّا ظَلاماً على شَمسِ
And if one day she unfurls the tresses of her hair,
And when she once let down her dangling tresses,
She unfurls only darkness over a sun.
Let down only darkness upon the sun.
تَقولُshe says إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle جرَّدتshe unsheathes سيفَthe sword of لحظِهاher glance
تَقولُ إِذا ما جرَّدت سيفَ لحظِها
خُذواtake (plural) حِذركمyour precautions ياO معشرcompany of الجنِّthe jinn والإِنسِand humankind
خُذوا حِذركم يا معشر الجنِّ والإِنسِ
She says, whenever she unsheathes the sword of her glance:
She says, when she bares the sword of her glance,
“Be on your guard, O company of jinn and humankind!”
"Take heed, O Jinn and mankind!"
جنيتُI plucked ثِمارthe fruits of الوَصلِunion منfrom روضthe garden of حسنِهاher beauty
جنيتُ ثِمار الوَصلِ من روض حسنِها
فَفزتُso I gained بحلوِwith the sweetness of المُجتَنىthe harvested fruit طيِّبِgood in الغَرسِthe planting
فَفزتُ بحلوِ المُجتَنى طيِّبِ الغَرسِ
I plucked the fruits of union from the garden of her beauty,
I plucked fruits of union from the garden of her beauty,
And so gained a sweet harvest from a fine planting.
And won the sweetest fruits from the choicest tree.
وَكَمand many a لَيلةٍnight عرَّستُI lodged for the night فيهاduring it برَبعِهاin her abode
وَكَم لَيلةٍ عرَّستُ فيها برَبعِها
فَفاقَتso it surpassed بطيبin the sweetness of المُلتَقىthe meeting ليلةthe night of العرسِthe wedding
فَفاقَت بطيب المُلتَقى ليلة العرسِ
And many a night I lodged in her abode,
How many a night I wedded with her in her sanctuary,
So, in the sweetness of our meeting, it surpassed the wedding night.
Surpassing the wedding night in sweet intimacy.
وَنادَمتُهاand I drank with her قَبلَbefore المزاجdilution وبعدهand after it
وَنادَمتُها قَبلَ المزاج وبعده
بحمراءَwith red wine مثلlike الوَردthe rose صَفراءyellow كالوَرسِlike wars (a yellow dye)
بحمراءَ مثل الوَرد صَفراء كالوَرسِ
And I drank in her company, before dilution and after,
I revelled with her before and after carousing
Wine red as the rose, yellow as wars dye.
With red wine like rose, yellow like wheat stalk.
Sol 6.1