يرنوhe gazes وملءand the fullness of لحاظهhis glances أسدlions
يرنو وملء لحاظه أسد
فهدFahd وماand what أدراكcan make you know ماwhat فهدFahd
فهد وما أدراك ما فهد
He gazes, with lions filling his glances—
He aims and his eyes are full of lion's ferocity
Fahd—and what can tell you what Fahd is?
What do you know of ferocity, O Fahd?
يستلُّhe draws منfrom جفنيهhis two eyelids ذاone bearing شطبgrooves
يستلُّ من جفنيه ذا شطب
شحذتhas sharpened مضاربthe striking portions حدهof its edge الهندIndia
شحذت مضارب حده الهند
He draws from his eyelids a grooved blade;
He wields a sharp Indian sword
India has whetted its cutting edges.
Whose blade's edge has been sharpened
وسنانdrowsy طرفof gaze يسترقُّhe enslaves بهwith it
وسنان طرف يسترقُّ به
ولهانlovesick قلبٍheart شفَّهwore it thin الوجدpassionate longing
ولهان قلبٍ شفَّه الوجد
Drowsy-eyed, he enslaves with that gaze
With teeth that stealthily draw blood
a lovesick heart that longing has worn thin.
And a tender heart softened by passion
وأميرand a prince حسنٍof beauty باتhas come to be تحجبهscreening him
وأمير حسنٍ بات تحجبه
ملدsupple ones المعاطفof flank لاnot القناthe spears الملدthe supple ones
ملد المعاطف لا القنا الملد
And a prince of beauty, now screened
And a handsome prince who remains veiled
by supple bodies, not supple spears.
By covers, not veils of coquetry
قدindeed رحتI went at dusk منهfrom him بمدمعwith a tearful eye هطلٍstreaming
قد رحت منه بمدمع هطلٍ
وكماand just as أروحI go at dusk بمثلهwith the like of it أغدوI go at dawn
وكما أروح بمثله أغدو
I have left him at dusk, my eye streaming tears;
I left him in tears of downpour
and as I leave at dusk, so I go at dawn, weeping alike.
And as I depart I return in the same way
أوهىhe weakened قوايَmy strength وهدّand shattered منsome of جلديmy endurance
أوهى قوايَ وهدّ من جلدي
وأخوand the brother of الهوىlove لولاwere it not for الهوىlove جلدsteadfast
وأخو الهوى لولا الهوى جلد
He sapped my strength and shattered my endurance;
Exhausting my strength and shedding my skin
and the lover, but for love, would be steadfast.
Were it not for passion, passion's brother would be staunch
يصبيكcaptivates you وجهٌa face أبيضٌwhite يققٌpure white
يصبيك وجهٌ أبيضٌ يققٌ
شرقٌradiant وفرعand hair منهof him مسودblack
شرقٌ وفرع منه مسود
A face of pure, dazzling whiteness captivates you,
A white face smiles at you
radiant, while his hair is black.
Radiant, though its branch is dark
العينthe eye منfrom عينthe eye المهاthe oryx سرقتwas stolen
العين من عين المها سرقت
والخدand the cheek يحسدenvies لونهits color الوردthe rose
والخد يحسد لونه الورد
His eye was stolen from the oryx's eye;
The eye stole its look from the doe's eye
and the rose envies the color of his cheek.
And the cheek envies the rose's complexion
حسنانtwo beauties قدindeed حسناhave become beautiful بهin him وهماand they both are
حسنان قد حسنا به وهما
خدٌّa cheek وقدٌّand a figure كادalmost ينقدُّsplits apart
خدٌّ وقدٌّ كاد ينقدُّ
Two beauties have found beauty in him, and they are:
A beautiful pair they are
a cheek and a figure that almost snaps apart.
A cheek and a nape almost snapped
ياO سعدSa'd منwho ليfor me فيin الهوىlove بأخٍwith a brother
يا سعد من لي في الهوى بأخٍ
يرعىhonors ذمامthe covenant of الحبlove ياO سعدSa'd
يرعى ذمام الحب يا سعد
O Sa'd, who will find me a brother in love
O Saad! Who can I find in love to be a brother
who honors love's covenant, O Sa'd?
Who tends to the rein of passion, O Saad?
يلقاكhe meets you سلسsmooth القولof speech ذاpossessing ملقflattery
يلقاك سلس القول ذا ملق
وضميرهand his conscience متجثمa lair نكدof malice
وضميره متجثم نكد
He meets you, smooth of speech and full of flattery,
He meets you with smooth talk
while his conscience is a lair of malice.
While inside he is a grumpy soul
نورNur (light) يفيضfloods أهابهhis skin غسقdarkness
نور يفيض أهابه غسق
منهfrom him استعارborrowed سوادهhis blackness العبدthe slave
منه استعار سواده العبد
Nur—'Light'—whose skin is flooded with darkness—
From him overflows an obscuring light
from him the slave borrowed his blackness.
From which the servant borrowed his darkness
Sol 6.1