أَحلىsweetest الهوىlove ماthat which تُحِلُّهُaccusations make permissible التُّهَمُthe accusations
أَحلى الهوى ما تُحِلُّهُ التُّهَمُ
باحَthey disclosed بِهِit العاشقونَthe lovers أَوor كَتمُواthey concealed
باحَ بِهِ العاشقونَ أَو كَتمُوا
Sweetest is the love that accusations make permissible,
Whether lovers confess it or conceal it.
أَغْرَىit enticed المُحبّينَthe lovers بِالمَحبّةِinto love فالso the…
أَغْرَى المُحبّينَ بِالمَحبّةِ فال
عذْلreproach كلامٌspeech أسماؤهits names كَلِمُwords
عذْل كلامٌ أسماؤه كَلِمُ
It has enticed lovers into love, so...
Reproach is mere speech, its names only words.
ومُعْرِضٌand one who turns away صرّحspoke plainly الوُشاةُthe slanderers لهto him
ومُعْرِضٌ صرّح الوُشاةُ له
فعلَّمُوهُso they taught him قتْليmy killing وماand they did not علمواknow
فعلَّمُوهُ قتْلي وما علموا
And to one who had turned away, the slanderers spoke plainly;
They taught him to kill me, though they did not know.
سَعَوْاthey strove بناagainst us لاmay not سَعَتْmove بهمbeneath them قَدمٌa foot
سَعَوْا بنا لا سَعَتْ بهم قَدمٌ
فلاso neither لناfor us أصلحواdid they set things right ولاnor لَهُمُfor themselves
فلا لنا أصلحوا ولا لَهُمُ
They worked against us—may their feet never move—
And helped neither us nor themselves.
ضَرُّواthey harmed بِهِجرانِناthrough our separation وماand they did not اِنتَفعواbenefit
ضَرُّوا بِهِجرانِنا وما اِنتَفعوا
وصدّعواand they scattered شَمْلَناour union وماand they did not اِلتأَمواcome together
وصدّعوا شَمْلَنا وما اِلتأَموا
They harmed us through separation and gained nothing;
They scattered our union and never came together themselves.
بِاللّهِby God ياO هاجِريyou who shun me بلاwithout سببٍcause
بِاللّهِ يا هاجِري بلا سببٍ
إِلّاexcept لِقَالَfor what was said الوُشاةُthe slanderers أوor زَعَمُواthey claimed
إِلّا لِقَالَ الوُشاةُ أو زَعَمُوا
By God, you who shun me without cause,
Except for what the slanderers said or claimed,
بِحقِّby the right of مَنthe One who زانَadorned بالدُّجىwith darkness فَلَقthe breaking of dawn الصthe start of “morning”
بِحقِّ مَن زانَ بالدُّجى فَلَق الص
صُبْحِthe end of “morning” علىupon الرُّمحthe spear إنّهindeed it قَسَمُis an oath
صُبْحِ على الرُّمح إنّه قَسَمُ
By the One who adorned the darkness with the breaking of morn...
...ing upon the spear—this is an oath—
وَقالَand He said لِلماءِto the water قِفْstay بوَجْنَتِهِupon his cheek
وَقالَ لِلماءِ قِفْ بوَجْنَتِهِ
فَمَازجso it mingled with النّارِthe fire وهيَwhile it تَضْطرمُblazes
فَمَازج النّارِ وهيَ تَضْطرمُ
And told the water, “Stay upon his cheek,”
So it mingled with fire while the fire blazed:
هلdid قلتَyou say للطَّيْفِto the phantom لاdo not يعاوِدُنيvisit me again
هل قلتَ للطَّيْفِ لا يعاوِدُني
بَعْدَكَafter you أمor قدindeed وَفَىobeyed لكyou الحُلُمُthe dream
بَعْدَكَ أم قد وَفَى لك الحُلُمُ
Did you tell the phantom, “Do not visit me again
After you,” or has the dream obeyed you?
أَمْor قلتَdid you say للَّيْلِto the night طُلْgrow long فأفْرَطand it went too far فيin الطthe start of “obedience”
أَمْ قلتَ للَّيْلِ طُلْ فأفْرَط في الط
طَاعةِthe end of “obedience” حتىuntil إصْبَاحهُits morning ظُلَمُwas darkness
طَاعةِ حتى إصْبَاحهُ ظُلَمُ
Or did you tell the night, “Grow long,” and it went too far in obe...
...dience, until even its morning was darkness?
مَولايَmy lord إنَّindeed الّذيthat which قُذِفْتُI was accused بِهِof
مَولايَ إنَّ الّذي قُذِفْتُ بِهِ
زُورٌfalsehood فَزُرْso visit لاdo not يَرُعْكَlet frighten you قولُهُمُtheir words
زُورٌ فَزُرْ لا يَرُعْكَ قولُهُمُ
My lord, what I have been accused of
Is falsehood; visit me, and do not let their words frighten you.
عنديwith me لهمfor them مُقْلَةٌan eye يحجّبُهَاthat veils it الدthe start of “tears”
عندي لهم مُقْلَةٌ يحجّبُهَا الد
دَمعُthe end of “tears” وأُذنٌand an ear شِعَارُهَاwhose mark is الصَّمَمُdeafness
دَمعُ وأُذنٌ شِعَارُهَا الصَّمَمُ
For them I have an eye veiled by te...
...ars, and an ear whose habit is deafness.
إِنْif يَحسِدونيthey envy me فلاthen I do not أَلُومُهُمblame them
إِنْ يَحسِدوني فلا أَلُومُهُم
مِثْلُكَone like you تَسْمُوrise لحُسْنِهِtoward his beauty الهِمَمُaspirations
مِثْلُكَ تَسْمُو لحُسْنِهِ الهِمَمُ
If they envy me, I do not blame them:
For beauty like yours, aspirations rise.
رأوكَthey saw you ليfor me جنَّةًa garden مُزَخْرَفَةًadorned
رأوكَ لي جنَّةً مُزَخْرَفَةً
ماthey did not وجدواfind مثلَهاits like ولاnor عَدِمُواwere they deprived
ما وجدوا مثلَها ولا عَدِمُوا
They saw you as an adorned garden for me;
They found none like it, though they were not deprived.
فَاِخْتَلَقُواso they fabricated وَاِفترواand they slandered فَلَيْتَهُمso would that they
فَاِخْتَلَقُوا وَاِفتروا فَلَيْتَهُم
حينwhen رأواthey saw ماwhat رأيتُI saw فيكin you عَمُواhad gone blind
حين رأوا ما رأيتُ فيك عَمُوا
So they invented lies and slandered; I wish they
Had gone blind when they saw what I saw in you.
فَأينَso where كانَwere المُمَوِّهونthe deceivers وَقَدwhen already
فَأينَ كانَ المُمَوِّهون وَقَد
وَحَّدhad made one قلبيmy heart هَوَاكَyour love قبْلَهُمُbefore them
وَحَّد قلبي هَوَاكَ قبْلَهُمُ
Where were those deceivers, when
My heart had already made your love its one devotion?
ليfor me حُرْمَةthe standing الصّابرِof the patient one الشكورِthe grateful one وماand I did not
لي حُرْمَة الصّابرِ الشكورِ وما
أحدثْتُintroduce ديناًa creed تُلْغَىthat would annul لهfor it الحُرُمُsacred bonds
أحدثْتُ ديناً تُلْغَى له الحُرُمُ
I have the standing of one who is patient and grateful, and I
Have introduced no new creed that would annul sacred bonds.
خَبّرَنيhe informed me شاهدٌa witness بِزُورهِمof their falsehood
خَبّرَني شاهدٌ بِزُورهِم
وأنتand you خصْميmy adversary وحِلْمُكَand your forbearance الحَكَمُthe judge
وأنت خصْمي وحِلْمُكَ الحَكَمُ
A witness told me of their falsehood,
Yet you are my adversary, and your forbearance is the judge.
ياO قمراًmoon أصْبَحَتْhave become محاسِنُهُits beauties
يا قمراً أصْبَحَتْ محاسِنُهُ
تَنْهَبُthey plunder ألبابَناour minds وتقْتَسِمُand divide
تَنْهَبُ ألبابَنا وتقْتَسِمُ
O moon, whose beauties have come to
Plunder and divide our minds:
فيكin you مَعَانٍqualities لوif أنّهاthey جُمِعَتْwere gathered
فيك مَعَانٍ لو أنّها جُمِعَتْ
فيin الشمسthe sun لَمwould not يَغْشَcover نُورَهاits light الظُّلَمُdarkness
في الشمس لَم يَغْشَ نُورَها الظُّلَمُ
You possess qualities that, were they gathered
In the sun, darkness would never cover its light.
تمشيyou walk فتُرْدِيand bring down القضيبَthe slender branch منfrom أَسَفٍsorrow
تمشي فتُرْدِي القضيبَ من أَسَفٍ
وتكْسِفُand you eclipse البدرَthe full moon حينwhen تبتسمُyou smile
وتكْسِفُ البدرَ حين تبتسمُ
You walk and, from sorrow, bring down the slender branch;
And when you smile, you eclipse the full moon.
وتُخْجِلُand put to shame الرَّاحَwine منكof yours أربعةٌfour things
وتُخْجِلُ الرَّاحَ منك أربعةٌ
خَدٌّa cheek وثَغْرٌand teeth ومُقْلَةٌand an eye وفَمُand a mouth
خَدٌّ وثَغْرٌ ومُقْلَةٌ وفَمُ
Four things of yours put wine to shame:
A cheek, teeth, an eye, and a mouth.
ياO ربّLord خُذْtake ليfor me مِنَfrom الوُشاةِthe slanderers إذاwhen
يا ربّ خُذْ لي مِنَ الوُشاةِ إذا
قامُواthey stand وقُمْناand we stand لَدَيْكَbefore You نَحْتَكِمُto seek judgment
قامُوا وقُمْنا لَدَيْكَ نَحْتَكِمُ
Lord, give me justice against the slanderers when
They and I stand before You to plead our case.
Sol 6