ذرِleave aside اللومreproach فالعينfor the eye لاnot ترقدُsleeps
ذرِ اللوم فالعين لا ترقدُ
عشيةthat evening عنَّappeared لهاbefore it المرقدthe resting place
عشية عنَّ لها المرقد
Leave reproach, for the eye does not sleep
Cease blame, for the eye finds no rest
that evening, when its resting place appeared before it,
In the evening, though to it belongs the bed.
أوor الكاسthe cup يمزجblends ليfor me صرفهاits unmixed wine
أو الكاس يمزج لي صرفها
بعذبwith the sweetness of لماهhis dusky lips الرشاthe young gazelle الأغيدthe supple, graceful one
بعذب لماه الرشا الأغيد
or when the cup’s unmixed wine is blended for me
Or the cup mixes its pure draught for me
by the graceful gazelle with the sweetness of his dusky lips.
With cool sweet water fresh and limpid.
سبىcaptured العقلreason أحورa dark-eyed beauty ساجيlanguid اللحاظin glances
سبى العقل أحور ساجي اللحاظ
يبيتspends the night يغازلهُcourting him الفرقدthe Farqad star
يبيت يغازلهُ الفرقد
A dark-eyed beauty with languid glances has captured my reason;
Passion has captured my sober mind,
the Farqad star spends the night courting him.
My glances sleep to be caressed by languor.
دعleave aside الأسدthe lion الوردthe tawny one منfrom ذيDhu (place of) الغضاal-Ghada (ghada trees)
دع الأسد الورد من ذي الغضا
غزالa gazelle الصريمةof the thicket مستأسدfierce as a lion
غزال الصريمة مستأسد
Leave aside the tawny lion from Dhu al-Ghada;
Leave the rose to the lion with angry growl,
the thicket’s gazelle is fierce as a lion.
The roe-deer of the meadows turns lion.
غزالُa gazelle غداhas become القلبthe heart مرعىًa pasture لهfor him
غزالُ غدا القلب مرعىً له
علىdespite أنthe fact that دمعيmy tears لهfor him موردُa watering place
على أن دمعي له موردُ
A gazelle for whom the heart has become a pasture,
The roe-deer's heart has become its pasture,
though my tears are his watering place.
Though my tears for it are sources of water.
رقيقُsoft حواشيthe contours of الخدودthe cheeks الرقاقthe delicate ones
رقيقُ حواشي الخدود الرقاق
ولكنَّbut أحشاءهhis inward parts جلمدhard rock
ولكنَّ أحشاءه جلمد
Soft are the contours of his delicate cheeks,
Slender are the pages of its cheeks,
but his inward being is hard rock.
But its entrails are hard as rock.
تطلعhe appeared يفتقsplitting open أكمامهhis bud-sheaths
تطلع يفتق أكمامه
بوجهwith a face هوthat is الطالعthe rising star الأسعدthe most auspicious
بوجه هو الطالع الأسعد
He appeared, bursting his buds open,
It rises, rending its sleeves,
with a face that is the most auspicious rising star.
With a face that is the happiest rising star,
تلفعcloaked itself بالغارin laurel منهfrom him الغويرal-Ghuwayr (the little valley)
تلفع بالغار منه الغوير
واعشبand grew grassy فيamid رندهhis laurels الفدفدُthe barren plain
واعشب في رنده الفدفدُ
Through him, al-Ghuwayr cloaked itself in laurel,
It is clothed in the clouds' garment,
and amid his laurels the barren plain grew green.
While dew drops gleam on its coat.
أحبايmy beloveds والبينwhile separation ملقىlaying down الجرانthe camel’s throat
أحباي والبين ملقى الجران
علىupon القربnearness بالبعدthrough distance لاdo not تبعدواgrow distant
على القرب بالبعد لا تبعدوا
My beloveds—separation has laid its neck down
O my friends, we are thrown to the wild,
upon nearness—do not grow distant through estrangement.
Do not abandon nearness for farness,
إذاif لمdo not تجودواgenerously grant بوصلٍwith union عدواpromise
إذا لم تجودوا بوصلٍ عدوا
فياfor, oh ربماperhaps ينفعhelps الموعدthe promise
فيا ربما ينفع الموعد
If you will not grant union, promise it;
If you are not generous with union,
for, oh, perhaps a promise will help.
Then fulfil the promise at least.
وياand oh ليتماif only علَّلواthey soothed المستهامthe lovesick one
ويا ليتما علَّلوا المستهام
بقربwith the nearness of المزارthe visit وإنeven if أبعدواthey went far away
بقرب المزار وإن أبعدوا
And oh, if only they would soothe the lovesick one
O would that you excused my passion
with a visit near at hand, even if they stay far away.
Because of a visit though far off.
عسىmay الكاسthe cup تعقبbring forth حمراءهاits red wine
عسى الكاس تعقب حمراءها
فيبيضُّso it turns white باللونthrough the color ماwhat سوَّدواthey blackened
فيبيضُّ باللون ما سوَّدوا
May the cup bring forth its red wine,
Maybe the cup will follow its redness
so that, through its color, what they blackened turns white.
With a whiteness that heals their blackness.
Sol 6.1