أَخَذواthey took مَوثِقَa binding pledge العِذارِthe down along the cheek عَلىupon الخَدِّthe cheek
أَخَذوا مَوثِقَ العِذارِ عَلى الخَدِّ
اِتِهَاماout of distrust مِنهُمon their part لِعَهدِof the covenant الجَمالِbeauty
اِتِهَاما مِنهُم لِعَهدِ الجَمالِ
They bound the cheek with a pledge of down,
They took the oath of innocence upon his cheek
out of their distrust of beauty's covenant.
Accusing him of breaking the covenant of beauty
إِنَّماnothing but خَدُّهُhis cheek الحُسامُthe keen sword فَظُلمٌso, an injustice
إِنَّما خَدُّهُ الحُسامُ فَظُلمٌ
حَملُهُits bearing لِلنِجادِof the baldric فيin كُلِّevery حالِcircumstance
حَملُهُ لِلنِجادِ في كُلِّ حالِ
His cheek is but a keen sword—so it is unjust
Yet it was the sword that marked his cheek unfairly
for it to bear a baldric in any circumstance.
He bears it with pride in any case
طالَماhow often زانَتِadorned اللَياليthe nights بُدورٌfull moons
طالَما زانَتِ اللَيالي بُدورٌ
مِنهُof him ماnot زانَتِadorned البُدورُthe full moons اللَياليthe nights
مِنهُ ما زانَتِ البُدورُ اللَيالي
Full moons have so often adorned the nights—
For long the blossoms adorned the nights
moons of his, as no other full moons have adorned them.
With a splendor the nights adorned the blossoms
كانَwas فيin شَمسِthe sun of خَدِّهِhis cheek الوَردُthe rose ضاحٍexposed to sunlight
كانَ في شَمسِ خَدِّهِ الوَردُ ضاحٍ
فَهوَand it الآنَnow قَدalready أَوىtook refuge لِظِلالِin shadows
فَهوَ الآنَ قَد أَوى لِظِلالِ
The rose once basked in the sun of his cheek;
The rose once glowed on his sunlit cheek
and now it has taken refuge in shadows.
But now it has retreated to the shade
نَطَقَspoke الشِعرُpoetry حينَwhen لاحَتit shone forth وَلِمand why لاnot
نَطَقَ الشِعرُ حينَ لاحَت وَلِم لا
تَسجَعُwarble الطَيرُthe birds فيin رَبيعِthe springtime of الجَمالِbeauty
تَسجَعُ الطَيرُ في رَبيعِ الجَمالِ
Poetry spoke when it shone forth—and why should not
Poetry spoke when the new moon appeared - why shouldn't
birds warble in the springtime of beauty?
The birds sing in the springtime of beauty?
راقَhe charmed خَلقاًin physical form وَفاقَand excelled خُلُقاًin character فَقُلناso we said
راقَ خَلقاً وَفاقَ خُلُقاً فَقُلنا
أَنجُمُstars الأُفقِof the horizon أَمor نُجومُstars المَعاليof lofty virtues
أَنجُمُ الأُفقِ أَم نُجومُ المَعالي
He charmed in form and excelled in character, so we said:
He excelled in nature and manners, so we said:
Stars of the horizon, or stars of lofty virtues?
"Is he the brightest star or the star of virtues?"
Sol 6.1