صبّa lovesick man تولّعbecame enamored بالأتراكof the Turks معذورexcused
صبّ تولّع بالأتراك معذور
وليسand not فيin بذلهhis giving للروحof the soul تبذيرsquandering
وليس في بذله للروح تبذير
A lovesick man enamored of the Turks is excused,
The Turks’ infatuation with boys is understandable,
nor is his giving up his soul a waste.
And indulging it does not dissipate the soul.
همthey عنwithout البيضgleaming swords والسمرand dusky spears اكتفواwere content صلفاout of pride
هم عن البيض والسمر اكتفوا صلفا
بأعيُنwith eyes وقُدودand figures ماno بذاin this زورfalsehood
بأعيُن وقُدود ما بذا زور
In their pride, they dispense with gleaming swords and dusky spears,
They cared not for the pale or the dark-skinned,
in favor of eyes and figures—there is no falsehood in this.
With burning, sleepless eyes that hold no deceit.
كتمتI concealed وجديmy passion بهمfor them دهراًfor ages فأظهرthen revealed
كتمت وجدي بهم دهراً فأظهر
إغراءenticement دمblood لهfor it فيon الخدthe cheek تحذيرa warning
إغراء دم له في الخد تحذير
I hid my passion for them for ages, until it was revealed
I concealed my love for them for an age and revealed
by blood's lure, with its warning upon the cheek.
A bloody passion that warns upon the cheek.
كمmany a قدindeed تعبّثtoyed بيwith me منfrom بينهمamong them رشأyoung gazelle
كم قد تعبّث بي من بينهم رشأ
يسبيtakes captive الحشاthe heart منهfrom him تأنيسreassurance وتنفيرand repulsion
يسبي الحشا منه تأنيس وتنفير
Many a young gazelle among them has toyed with me;
How many a wisp of down has toyed with me,
his friendliness and his rebuffs alike take the heart captive.
Who would turn gentleness itself to aversion and disgust!
يلوحshines والزَّمطand the zamṭ cap أرخيwas let down فوقabove وجنتهhis cheek
يلوح والزَّمط أرخي فوق وجنته
هُدباًa fringe وسالفهand his sidelock ليfor me منهfrom him تخييرa choice
هُدباً وسالفه لي منه تخيير
He gleams, his zamṭ cap lowered above his cheek
He flashes his raven tresses above his cheek
in a fringe; he lets me choose between it and his sidelock.
In waves that offer me a bewildering choice.
كأنهas though he were قمرa moon قدindeed لاحappeared فيin شفقtwilight
كأنه قمر قد لاح في شفق
وكادand almost منfrom شعرهhis hair يغشاهshrouds him ديجورdeep darkness
وكاد من شعره يغشاه ديجور
He is like a moon that has appeared in twilight,
He is like a moon that has appeared in the dusk,
and the darkness of his hair almost shrouds him.
And his hair threatened to overwhelm him in darkness.
سرىjourneyed by night فؤاديmy heart بليلthrough the night الشعرthe hair مُختلساًfurtively stealing
سرى فؤادي بليل الشعر مُختلساً
وَصلاًunion وقدand had غرّهbeguiled it للوجهof the face تنويرradiance
وَصلاً وقد غرّه للوجه تنوير
My heart journeyed through the night of his hair, stealing
My heart stole away in the night of poetry
a tryst, beguiled by the radiance of his face.
Yearning and made drunk by the radiance of his face.
وتاهand lost its way فيin سيرهits journey وجداًout of passion فصاحthen cried تُرىI wonder
وتاه في سيره وجداً فصاح تُرى
فيin ذاكthat أعذرam I excused? قالsaid الناسthe people معذورexcused
في ذاك أعذر قال الناس معذور
And, lost in passion on its journey, it cried, 'I wonder—
It lost its way in passion and cried out—
am I excused for that?' The people said, 'Excused!
For that, they say, it may be forgiven.
ماnot أنتyou أولthe first سارnight traveler غرّهbeguiled him قمرa moon
ما أنت أول سار غرّه قمر
كمmany a كانwas قبلكbefore you بالأقمارby moons مغرورbeguiled
كم كان قبلك بالأقمار مغرور
You are not the first night traveler beguiled by a moon;
You are not the first to be fooled by a moon.
many before you have been beguiled by moons.'
How many before you were misled by moons!
ياO مَنyou who تمنطقgirded yourself فوقabove الخصرthe waist يدفعpushes out منout of
يا مَن تمنطق فوق الخصر يدفع من
تيهpride ذُيولاًtrailing hems بهاthrough them للقلبfor the heart تعثيرtripping
تيه ذُيولاً بها للقلب تعثير
O you who gird yourself above the waist, sweeping out, in
O you who wraps his waist in a belt, repelling
pride, trailing hems that make the heart stumble:
The skirts' confusion from disturbing the heart!
أرخيتyou loosened بالشّدby tightening إذwhen قوّيتهyou made it firm جَلَديmy fortitude
أرخيت بالشّد إذ قوّيته جَلَدي
وقوةand the force الشدof tightening تُرخيloosens ذاكthat مشهورwell known
وقوة الشد تُرخي ذاك مشهور
By tightening it, when you made it firm, you loosened my fortitude;
I let down my hair when you took off your shirt,
and the force of tightening loosens—that is well known.
For loosening what is bound is well known.
Sol 6.1