جلالmajesty الحُسنbeauty سَلask حُسنbeauty الجلالmajesty
جلال الحُسن سَل حُسن الجلال
نوىhe intended ليfor me الوصلunion أمor وصلreached النوىseparation ليto me
نوى لي الوصل أم وصل النوى لي
Ask beauty's majesty about majesty's beauty:
The beauty of glory asked the glory of beauty
Did he intend union with me, or has separation reached me?
Did he intend union for me or did the intention of union come to me
زهاhe was proud وسهاand he was heedless يميسhe sways gracefully نعمyes ويرنوand he gazes
زها وسها يميس نعم ويرنو
كغصنlike a branch البانthe bān tree أوor لحظa glance الغزالthe gazelle
كغصن البان أو لحظ الغزال
He is proud and heedless; he sways—yes—and gazes,
It sways gently, yes, and it yearns
Like a bān-tree branch, or a gazelle's glance.
Like a twig of frankincense or the gaze of a gazelle
يلوحgleams جبينهhis brow والشعرand the hair داجdark
يلوح جبينه والشعر داج
كبدرlike a full moon لاحshone فيin غسقdarkness اللياليthe nights
كبدر لاح في غسق الليالي
His brow gleams while his hair is dark,
His forehead gleams and his hair is black
Like a full moon shining in the darkness of nights.
Like a full moon shining in the darkness of nights
يُريكhe shows you جواهرjewels الألفاظwords نثراًin prose
يُريك جواهر الألفاظ نثراً
بثغرwith a mouth قدindeed حوىcontained نظمa string اللآليpearls
بثغر قد حوى نظم اللآلي
He shows you jewels of words in prose,
He shows you the gems of words scattered
With a mouth that holds a string of pearls.
From a mouth that has contained the strings of pearls
تخالyou imagine إذاwhen تبسّمhe smiled فيin جنحdarkness ليلnight
تخال إذا تبسّم في جنح ليل
كأنas though البرقlightning لاحflashed منfrom الهلالthe crescent moon
كأن البرق لاح من الهلال
You would think, when he smiles in the dark of night,
Imagine if he smiles in the wings of night
That lightning has flashed from the crescent moon.
As if lightning flashes from the crescent moon
يلينhe is supple معاطفاًlimbs والقلبand the heart قاسhard
يلين معاطفاً والقلب قاس
وحالand sweet منهfrom him ذاthis بلrather كلevery حالstate
وحال منه ذا بل كل حال
He is supple in his limbs, though his heart is hard,
His cloak is soft while his heart is harsh
And this from him is sweet—indeed, his every state is.
And his state with me - yes, every state
يطيلhe prolongs إذاwhen تباكيتI feigned weeping ابتساماa smile
يطيل إذا تباكيت ابتساما
بذلكwith that عابثاًtoying ياO للرجالmen, to the rescue!
بذلك عابثاً يا للرجال
He prolongs his smile when I feign weeping,
He prolongs his smile if I weep
Toying thus—O men, to the rescue!
Mocking me, oh what a man!
ويُعرضand he turns away فيin هواهlove for him بلاwithout دليلreason
ويُعرض في هواه بلا دليل
عنfrom المضنىthe love-worn one ولكنand yet بالدلالwith coyness
عن المضنى ولكن بالدلال
And in the love he inspires, he turns away without reason,
And he shows no evidence in his love
From the love-worn one, but with coyness.
Of hardship, but only hints
علىover الحُسنbeauty قدindeed ولاّهhe appointed him حتماًcertainly
على الحُسن قد ولاّه حتماً
وحسبيand enough for me أنthat أكونI be منamong المواليthe retainers
وحسبي أن أكون من الموالي
He has surely been appointed ruler over beauty,
He has certainly fallen in love with beauty
And it is enough for me to be among his retainers.
And I’m content to be one of his loyalists
ولاnor أرضىI consent بعتقيto my manumission بعدafter رقّيmy bondage
ولا أرضى بعتقي بعد رقّي
لهto him أبداًever ولوand even if شرطwere stipulated الولاpatronage ليfor me
له أبداً ولو شرط الولا لي
Nor will I accept manumission after my bondage
And I won’t be satisfied with my freedom after my enslavement
To him—ever—even if patronage were stipulated for me.
To him, ever, even if the master frees me
رعاهmay He guard him اللَهGod منas a قمرmoon تسامىrose aloft
رعاه اللَه من قمر تسامى
بآفاقacross the horizons الملاحةloveliness فيin كمالperfection
بآفاق الملاحة في كمال
May God guard him, a moon that has risen high,
May God protect him, he is a rising moon
Across the horizons of loveliness, in perfection.
Sailing the horizons in perfection
يرىhe deems تلفيmy destruction حلالاًlawful بالتجنيthrough unfounded blame
يرى تلفي حلالاً بالتجني
عليماًknowing well أنthat ذاthis منهfrom him حلاwas sweet ليto me
عليماً أن ذا منه حلا لي
He deems my destruction lawful through unfounded blame,
He sees lawful gain in avoiding sin
Knowing that this from him is sweet to me.
Knowing that is lawful for me
أساءdid harm ليto me العذولthe reproacher وقالand he said جهلاًignorantly
أساء لي العذول وقال جهلاً
ليُبديto reveal هلwhether سلوتI ceased to love وماand what بداoccurred ليto me
ليُبدي هل سلوت وما بدا لي
The reproacher wronged me and spoke in ignorance,
The blamer blamed me wrongly and said in ignorance
To reveal whether I had ceased to love, and what had occurred to me:
Revealing: did I ask and what was revealed to me?
أسائلasking? أنتyou بعدafter العذلthe reproach شيئاًanything
أسائل أنت بعد العذل شيئاً
فقلتso I said نعمyes بعذلwith reproach منwhoever أساءdid harm ليto me
فقلت نعم بعذل من أساء لي
“Are you asking for anything after the reproach?”
After blaming, do you ask anything?
So I said, “Yes—with reproach for whoever wronged me.”
I said: yes, the one who blamed me
فقتليso my slaying فيin التصابيyouthful dalliance فيin هواهlove for him
فقتلي في التصابي في هواه
جمالbeauty فيin جمالbeauty فيin جمالbeauty
جمال في جمال في جمال
So my slaying in youthful dalliance, in love for him,
So kill me in competing for his love
Is beauty in beauty in beauty.
Beauty within beauty within beauty
Sol 6.1