والعودُand the lute فيin كفthe palm of النديمthe boon companion بسرwith the secret of ماwhat
والعودُ في كف النديم بسر ما
تُلقيconvey لناto us منهfrom it الأناملthe fingertips قدhas جَهَرْproclaimed aloud
تُلقي لنا منه الأنامل قد جَهَرْ
And the lute in the boon companion's palm has proclaimed the secret of what
The lute in the drinker's hand reveals
The fingertips draw from it for us.
Through fingers what tunes to us it yields
غنَىsang عليهupon it الطيرthe birds وهوwhile it was بدوحهin its spreading tree
غنَى عليه الطير وهو بدوحه
والآنand now غنَّىsang فوقهabove it ظبيa gazelle أغَرْbright-browed
والآن غنَّى فوقه ظبي أغَرْ
Birds sang upon it while it was in its spreading tree;
The birds sang over it while in the grove
And now a bright-browed gazelle sings above it.
Now a deer sings over it with antlers curved
عودa lute ثوىnestled حجرin the lap of القضيبthe slender bough رعىrecalled لهfor him
عود ثوى حجر القضيب رعى له
أيامthe days كاناthey both were فيin الرياضthe gardens معwith الشَّجَرْthe trees
أيام كانا في الرياض مع الشَّجَرْ
A lute nestled in a slender bough's lap, recalling for him
A stick of wood that suffered the strikes of stone
The days when both were in the gardens with the trees.
In meadows it grew with trees in years gone
لاnot سيماthe like لماwhen رأىit saw منfrom ثغرهِhis mouth
لا سيما لما رأى من ثغرهِ
زهراًblossoms وأينand where الزهرthe blossoms منcompared with تلكthose الدُرَرْpearls
زهراً وأين الزهر من تلك الدُرَرْ
Especially when it saw in his mouth
Especially when from its hole emerged
Blossoms—yet what are blossoms beside those pearls?
A flower - and what a flower from gems so pearly!
ويظنand it thinks أنthat عذارهhis cheek-down منfrom آسهits myrtle
ويظن أن عذاره من آسه
ونظنand we think تفاحthe apples of الخدودthe cheeks منamong الثمَرْthe fruits
ونظن تفاح الخدود من الثمَرْ
It thinks that his cheek-down comes from its myrtle,
It thinks its fragrance comes from its misery
And we reckon the apples of his cheeks among the fruits.
While we think apples of cheeks are the fruit
يسبيtakes captive القلوبthe hearts بلفظهwith his speech وبلحظهand with his glance
يسبي القلوب بلفظه وبلحظه
وَافِتْنَتيAh, my bewitchment! بينbetween التكلمspeaking والنظرْand looking
وَافِتْنَتي بين التكلم والنظرْ
He takes hearts captive with his speech and his glance;
It captivates hearts with its words and gaze
Ah, how I am bewitched between his speech and his gaze!
And I am smitten 'twixt speaking and sight
قدhave قيّدتهbound him لأُنسناfor our delight أوتارهits strings
قد قيّدته لأُنسنا أوتاره
كالظبيlike the gazelle قُيِّدwas tethered فيin الكناسthe covert إذاwhen نَفَرْit took fright
كالظبي قُيِّد في الكناس إذا نَفَرْ
Its strings have bound him for our delight,
I have bound it so we may find comfort
Like a gazelle tethered in its covert when it takes fright.
Like a deer bound in a snare when it takes flight
لمnot يُبلَbe tried قلبيmy heart قبلَbefore سمعhearing غنائهhis singing
لم يُبلَ قلبي قبلَ سمع غنائه
بمعذَّرby a downy-cheeked youth سلبstole العقولthe minds وماand did not اعتذرْoffer an excuse
بمعذَّر سلب العقول وما اعتذرْ
My heart, before hearing his song, had never been tried
Never did my heart thrill before it heard
By a downy-cheeked youth who stole minds and offered no excuse.
Its songs that steal minds without excuse made
جَسَّprobed القلوبthe hearts بجَسّهby his fingering أوتارَهُits strings
جَسَّ القلوب بجَسّه أوتارَهُ
حتىso that كأنas though قلوبناour hearts بَيْنamong الوتَرْthe string
حتى كأن قلوبنا بَيْن الوتَرْ
He probed hearts by fingering its strings,
It probed hearts with probing of its strings
So that our hearts seemed to lie among the strings.
As though our hearts lay between each string
نمّتrevealed لناto us ألحانهits melodies بجميعabout all ماthat which
نمّت لنا ألحانه بجميع ما
قدhad أودعتdeposited فيهwithin it القلوبthe hearts منof الفكرْthoughts
قد أودعت فيه القلوب من الفكرْ
Its melodies revealed to us all that
Its melodies awakened in us all
The hearts had stored within it of their thoughts.
That hearts for contemplation hoard and bring
ياO صامتاsilent one والعودwhile the lute تحتbeneath بنانهhis fingertips
يا صامتا والعود تحت بنانه
يُغنيكsuffices you نطقthe voice of الخُبرexperience فيهin it عنin place of الخَبَرْa report
يُغنيك نطق الخُبر فيه عن الخَبَرْ
O silent one, while the lute lies beneath his fingertips,
O silent one, though the lute beneath fingers
The voice of experience within it suffices you without a report.
Sings, the touch reports more than speech delivers
أغنىsufficed غناؤكyour singing عنinstead of مدامكyour wine ياoh ترىdo you think?
أغنى غناؤك عن مدامك يا ترى
هلis it? منfrom لحاظكyour glances أمor بنانكyour fingertips ذاthis السَّكَرْintoxication
هل من لحاظك أم بنانك ذا السَّكَرْ
Your singing has made your wine needless; I wonder:
Does your singing, I wonder, or your melodies
Is this intoxication from your glances or your fingertips?
Make me drunk, or your strings and their quivers?
باحتdivulged أناملكyour fingertips اللدانsupple بكلabout all ماthat which
باحت أناملك اللدان بكل ما
كانwas المتيمthe love-stricken one فيin هواهhis passion قدhad سَتَرْconcealed
كان المتيم في هواه قد سَتَرْ
Your supple fingertips have divulged all that
Your gentle fingers revealed all that was
The love-stricken one had concealed in his passion.
In the enamored heart concealed and hidden
ومقاتلٍand a warrior ماdid not سَلَّunsheathe غيرother than لحاظهhis glances
ومقاتلٍ ما سَلَّ غير لحاظه
والرمحَand the spear هزّbrandished منfrom القوامthe stature إذاwhen خطرْhe swayed
والرمحَ هزّ من القوام إذا خطرْ
And a warrior who unsheathed nothing but his glances,
No warrior unsheathed except his glance
And brandished the spear of his stature whenever he swayed:
And a spear from the waist when battle quickened
دانَتْsubmitted لهto him مناfrom among us القلوبthe hearts بطاعةin obedience
دانَتْ له منا القلوب بطاعة
والسيفand the sword يملكgives dominion to ربهits master مهماwhatever قَهَرْhe subdues
والسيف يملك ربه مهما قَهَرْ
Our hearts submitted to him in obedience,
Our hearts bowed to him in obedience
And the sword gives its master dominion over whatever he subdues.
And the sword rules its Lord no matter who conquered
Sol 6.1