لاNo وَحبّيكَby your love لاnot عَبدتُكَI worshipped you سِرّاًin secret
لا وَحبّيكَ لا عَبدتُكَ سِرّاً
ليلُthe night صُدْغَيْكَyour two temples صَيَّرَturned اللّيْلَthe night ظُهْراnoon
ليلُ صُدْغَيْكَ صَيَّرَ اللّيْلَ ظُهْرا
No, by your love, I have not worshipped you in secret.
The night of your two temples has turned the night to noon.
وَضحَbecame clear الأمرُthe matter واِستَوىand became equal النّاسُthe people فيهِin it
وَضحَ الأمرُ واِستَوى النّاسُ فيهِ
وافْتَضَحْناand we were exposed فَالحَمدُso praise لِلّهِto God شُكراin thanks
وافْتَضَحْنا فَالحَمدُ لِلّهِ شُكرا
The matter is clear, and everyone knows it alike.
And we stand exposed—so praise and thanks be to God.
أَيُّهَاO الصَّاحيانِyou two sober ones منfrom كَأسِthe cup عَينٍan eye
أَيُّهَا الصَّاحيانِ من كَأسِ عَينٍ
غازَلَتْنِيflirted with me حَتّىuntil تَطَغَّمْتُI grew witless سُكراwith drunkenness
غازَلَتْنِي حَتّى تَطَغَّمْتُ سُكرا
O you two still sober from an eye’s cup,
an eye that flirted with me till I grew witless with drink,
أُعْذُراexcuse me, you two إِنْif أَرَدتُماyou two wish أَوor فَلُوماthen blame me, you two
أُعْذُرا إِنْ أَرَدتُما أَو فَلُوما
فيfor بَديعٍa wondrous beauty حَسبيenough for me عِذاراهُhis two lines of cheek-down عُذراas an excuse
في بَديعٍ حَسبي عِذاراهُ عُذرا
excuse me if you wish, or else blame me
for loving a wondrous beauty—his twin lines of cheek-down are excuse enough for me.
وَاِطْلُبَاand seek, you two لِلجُحودِfor denial غَيريsomeone other than me فَإِنّيfor I
وَاِطْلُبَا لِلجُحودِ غَيري فَإِنّي
لَستُI am not مِمّنone of those who يُحِبُّloves فيin الحُبِّlove سِتراconcealment
لَستُ مِمّن يُحِبُّ في الحُبِّ سِترا
And seek another to deny love, for I
am not one who loves concealment in love.
أَناI مِنfor أَجلِthe sake of خَدِّهِhis cheek دِنْتُI professed devotion لِلنّاto the fire (continued)
أَنا مِن أَجلِ خَدِّهِ دِنْتُ لِلنّا
رِ(completes ‘fire’) وَفيand in خَالِهِhis mole عَبدْتُI worshipped الشِّعْرَىSirius
رِ وَفي خَالِهِ عَبدْتُ الشِّعْرَى
For the sake of his cheek, I embraced the worship of fire,
and in his mole I worshipped Sirius.
فَضَلاليso my straying بَعدَafter الهُدىright guidance فيin هَوَاهُlove for him
فَضَلالي بَعدَ الهُدى في هَوَاهُ
هوَit عِنديin my judgment خَيرٌbetter وَأَعظَمُand greater أَجراin reward
هوَ عِندي خَيرٌ وَأَعظَمُ أَجرا
So my straying, after guidance, through love for him
is, to me, better and greater in reward.
Sol 6.1