قامَتshe rose تُديرُshe passes around سُلافاًchoice wine منfrom مُراشِفهاher lips
قامَت تُديرُ سُلافاً من مُراشِفها
حَبابُهاits bubbles لؤلؤpearls الثَغرِof the mouth الجمانيِّpearl-like
حَبابُها لؤلؤ الثَغرِ الجمانيِّ
She rose to pass around choice wine from her lips,
She arose, turning away her pillow,
Its bubbles the pearls of her pearly mouth,
Her saliva pearls from her perfect mouth.
فيin لَيلَةٍa night منof أَثيثِluxuriant الشعرthe hair حالكةٍpitch-dark
في لَيلَةٍ من أَثيثِ الشعر حالكةٍ
منهاfrom it دَجاgrew dark حندسُthe gloom اللَيلof the night الدَجوجيِّinky-dark
منها دَجا حندسُ اللَيل الدَجوجيِّ
In a pitch-black night of luxuriant hair,
On a night filled with poetry's trappings
From which the gloom of the inky night grew dark.
Where the darkness of night grows denser.
تُريكshe shows you إِنif أَسفرَتshe unveils غرّاءَradiant مائسةًswaying gracefully
تُريك إِن أَسفرَت غرّاءَ مائسةً
بدرَthe full moon السماءof the sky علىupon أَعطافِthe curves خَطيِّof a Khatti lance
بدرَ السماء على أَعطافِ خَطيِّ
If she unveils, radiant and swaying, she shows you
If dawn breaks to you a tentative gray,
The full moon of heaven upon the curves of a Khatti lance.
Like the full moon over the spine of a palm tree,
منfrom أَينَwhere للظَبيfor the gazelle أَنto يَحكيmatch ترائِبَهاher upper chest
من أَينَ للظَبي أَن يَحكي ترائِبَها
وَلَوand even if تشبَّهit resembled ماnot حاكٍan imitator بمحكيِّthe one imitated
وَلَو تشبَّه ما حاكٍ بمحكيِّ
How could a gazelle ever match her bosom?
How can a gazelle describe her qualities?
And even if it resembled her, the imitator is not the original.
Even if it tried, it could not depict her.
كَمhow many لَوعَةٍa pang of longing بتُّI spent the night أُخفيهاI conceal it وأُظهِرُهاand reveal it
كَم لَوعَةٍ بتُّ أُخفيها وأُظهِرُها
فيهاfor her وسِرُّand the secret التَصابيof youthful dalliance غيرُnot مَخفيِّhidden
فيها وسِرُّ التَصابي غيرُ مَخفيِّ
How many a pang I spent the night concealing and revealing
How much yearning have I hidden and revealed
For her—and the secret of youthful dalliance is not hidden.
In it, and the secret of desire remains unhidden.
أَماindeed وَصَعدَةِby the straight lance قدٍّof stature مِنfrom مَعاطِفهاher body’s curves
أَما وَصَعدَةِ قدٍّ مِن مَعاطِفها
وعَضبِand by the keen blade لَحظٍof a glance نضَتهُshe unsheathed it هِندوانيِّIndian-forged
وعَضبِ لَحظٍ نضَتهُ هِندوانيِّ
Indeed, by the spear-like stature of her curving form,
But by her determination and the anger
And by the keen Indian blade of the glance she unsheathed,
Of a moment made firm by an Indian scabbard,
ماnever إِنat all (emphatic) عذلتI reproached علىfor حُبّيmy love الفؤادَthe heart لهاfor her
ما إِن عذلت على حُبّي الفؤادَ لها
إلّاexcept وَجاءَand it came بعُذرٍwith an excuse فيهfor it عُذريِّUdhri (chaste in love)
إلّا وَجاءَ بعُذرٍ فيه عُذريِّ
Never did I reproach my heart for my love of her
When she rebuked my heart's love for her
But it offered an Udhri lover’s excuse for that love.
An excuse came with my own exoneration.
وافَتshe came فأَذكَتand so kindled هُموماًsorrows غيرnot خامدةextinguished
وافَت فأَذكَت هُموماً غير خامدة
وأذكرتنيand reminded me عَهداًa former time غيرَnot مَنسيِّforgotten
وأذكرتني عَهداً غيرَ مَنسيِّ
She came and kindled sorrows still unquenched,
She arrived and rekindled unextinguished concerns
And reminded me of a time never forgotten.
And reminded me of an unforgotten pact.
ياah حبَّذاhow lovely نظرةًa glance هامwas enraptured الفؤادُthe heart بهاby it
يا حبَّذا نظرةً هام الفؤادُ بها
أَزرَتput to shame وعينيكَby your two eyes بالظَبيthe gazelle الكناسيِّsheltering in its thicket
أَزرَت وعينيكَ بالظَبي الكناسيِّ
Ah, how lovely a glance that enraptured the heart!
Would that a glance had made my heart rapturous
It put the thicket-dwelling gazelle to shame—by your eyes!
That visited you, while you wore gazelle anklets.
لَقَدindeed نعمتُI delighted بِوَعدٍin a promise منكfrom you مُنتَظَرٍawaited
لَقَد نعمتُ بِوَعدٍ منك مُنتَظَرٍ
وَنائِلٍand a bounty مِنfrom نظامِNizam الدينal-Din مَقضيِّbestowed
وَنائِلٍ مِن نظامِ الدين مَقضيِّ
I have indeed rejoiced in an awaited promise from you,
I was granted a promised meeting from you, awaited
And in a bounty from Nizam al-Din already bestowed.
And fulfilled by destiny’s tradition.
Sol 6.1