أمقَلِّداًO one adorning جيديmy neck بِعقدِwith a necklace of نِظامهْhis verse
أمقَلِّداً جيدي بِعقدِ نِظامهْ
وَمَشنِّفاًand adorning سَمعيmy hearing بَدُرِّwith the pearls of كَلامهْhis speech
وَمَشنِّفاً سَمعي بَدُرِّ كَلامهْ
O one adorning my neck with the necklace of his verse,
And decking my hearing with the pearls of his speech,
وَمُنزِهاًand delighting طَرفيmy gaze بِرَونَقِwith the splendor of حبرِهِhis ink
وَمُنزِهاً طَرفي بِرَونَقِ حبرِهِ
لَماwhen تَجلَّىshone forth النُورُthe light ضِمنَwithin ظَلامِهْits darkness
لَما تَجلَّى النُورُ ضِمنَ ظَلامِهْ
And delighting my gaze with the sheen of his ink,
When light shone forth within its darkness,
وَمنبِّهاًand awakening فكريmy mind بِحُسنِwith the beauty of قَريضهِhis poetry
وَمنبِّهاً فكري بِحُسنِ قَريضهِ
وَأَناwhile I المطاشthe dazed one بسحرهby its magic وَمَدامِهْand its wine
وَأَنا المطاش بسحره وَمَدامِهْ
And awakening my mind with the beauty of his poetry,
While I am dazed by its magic and its wine—
أَفديI would ransom الهِلالthe crescent الكامِلperfect النُورthe light الَّذيwhich
أَفدي الهِلال الكامِل النُور الَّذي
فيat صَدرِthe outset of غرَّتهِits first appearance وَفىattained بِتمامِهْto its fullness
في صَدرِ غرَّتهِ وَفى بِتمامِهْ
I would give my life for the crescent, perfect in radiance, which
At its very first appearance attained its fullness.
أَهدىhe presented إليَّto me عَروسَa bride of نَظمٍverse قَدalready جَلتshe unveiled
أَهدى إليَّ عَروسَ نَظمٍ قَد جَلت
وَجهاًa face رَأَيتُI saw الحسنَbeauty تحتَbeneath لِثامِهْits veil
وَجهاً رَأَيتُ الحسنَ تحتَ لِثامِهْ
He gave me a bride of verse, who had unveiled
A face whose beauty I saw beneath its veil.
عَربيةٌan Arab maiden نَزَلَتshe alighted عَليَّupon me فهيَّجتand she stirred
عَربيةٌ نَزَلَت عَليَّ فهيَّجت
فيin الحَيِّthe tribe صَبوةَthe passion of شَيخِهِits old man وَغُلامِهْand its youth
في الحَيِّ صَبوةَ شَيخِهِ وَغُلامِهْ
An Arab maiden came to me and stirred
Within the tribe the passion of its old man and its youth.
بَثَتshe poured forth مِنof الأَشواقِthe longings ماwhat لَمdid not يُعدِنِيinfect me
بَثَت مِن الأَشواقِ ما لَم يُعدِنِي
مِماof what لَقَدindeed شَعَرَتshe felt بَحرِّthe heat of ضَرامِهْits blaze
مِما لَقَد شَعَرَت بَحرِّ ضَرامِهْ
She poured forth longings that had not touched me,
From those whose blazing heat she had indeed felt.
شَوقٌa longing عَلىat الذِكرىremembrance يَهِيجُflares فَيَنثَنيand so returns
شَوقٌ عَلى الذِكرى يَهِيجُ فَيَنثَني
قَلبيmy heart رَهينَcaptive to هُيامهits consuming love وَسقامِهْand its sickness
قَلبي رَهينَ هُيامه وَسقامِهْ
A longing flares at remembrance, and once more
My heart falls captive to its passion and its sickness.
هَذاthis كِتابُa letter of مُتَيَّمٍone enslaved by love أَلقىhe sent بِهِthrough it
هَذا كِتابُ مُتَيَّمٍ أَلقى بِهِ
نيرانَthe fires of صَبوتِهِhis passion وَبَردَand the coolness of سَلامِهْhis greeting
نيرانَ صَبوتِهِ وَبَردَ سَلامِهْ
This is a love-stricken man's letter; through it he sent
The fires of his passion and the coolness of his greeting.
طُوِيَتْwere folded عَلىover قَلبيmy heart صَفائحُthe sheets of طِرسِهِhis parchment
طُوِيَتْ عَلى قَلبي صَفائحُ طِرسِهِ
وَسَوادُand the blackness of عَينيmy eye كانَwas مسكَthe musk of خِتامِهْits seal
وَسَوادُ عَيني كانَ مسكَ خِتامِهْ
The sheets of his parchment were folded over my heart,
And the black of my eye was the musk of its seal.
Sol 6.1