لَمَاكَyour lips' dusky hue وَالخَدُّand the cheek النَّضِرْfresh and radiant
لَمَاكَ وَالخَدُّ النَّضِرْ
ماءُthe water of الحَياةِlife وَالخَصِرْand coolness
ماءُ الحَياةِ وَالخَصِرْ
Your dusky lips and radiant cheek
are the water of life and coolness.
أَخَذْتَنِيyou seized me ياO تارِكِيْmy forsaker
أَخَذْتَنِي يا تارِكِيْ
أَخْذَthe seizing of عَزِيزٍa mighty one مُقْتَدِرْpowerful
أَخْذَ عَزِيزٍ مُقْتَدِرْ
You seized me, O my forsaker,
as one mighty and powerful seizes.
أَحلْتَyou referred سُلْوانِيmy consolation عَلىto
أَحلْتَ سُلْوانِي عَلى
ضامِنِa guarantor قَلْبٍa heart مُنْكَسِرْbroken
ضامِنِ قَلْبٍ مُنْكَسِرْ
You referred my consolation to
a guarantor—a broken heart.
وَنِمْتَand you slept عَنheedless of ذِيone with أَرَقٍsleeplessness
وَنِمْتَ عَن ذِي أَرَقٍ
إِذْاwhen غَفاdozed النَّجْمُthe star سَهِرْhe stayed awake
إِذْا غَفا النَّجْمُ سَهِرْ
And you slept, heedless of a sleepless one
who keeps vigil when the star dozes.
وَماءُand the water of عَيْنَيَّmy two eyes التَقَىmet
وَماءُ عَيْنَيَّ التَقَى
لاmay ... not بَرِحَتْdepart عَلىby قَدَرْdestiny
لا بَرِحَتْ عَلى قَدَرْ
And the waters of my eyes have met—
may you never depart!—as fate decreed.
ماnot نُصِبَتْwere set أَشْراكُthe snares of أَلْfirst fragment of 'your glances'
ما نُصِبَتْ أَشْراكُ أَلْ
حاظِكَremaining fragment of 'your glances' إِلاَّexcept لِلْحَذِرْfor the wary
حاظِكَ إِلاَّ لِلْحَذِرْ
The snares of your
glances were set only for the wary.
قَلْبِيmy heart عَلىover التُّرْكِthe Turks بِهin him
قَلْبِي عَلى التُّرْكِ بِه
ذَاthis البَدَوِيِّBedouin يَفْتَخِرْboasts
ذَا البَدَوِيِّ يَفْتَخِرْ
My heart, in rivalry with the Turks,
boasts of this Bedouin.
وَلِيُّheir to عَهْدِthe reign of البَدْرِthe full moon إِنْif
وَلِيُّ عَهْدِ البَدْرِ إِنْ
غابَhe is absent فَإِنِّيthen indeed I مُنْتَظِرْam waiting
غابَ فَإِنِّي مُنْتَظِرْ
He is the full moon's heir; if
he is absent, I am waiting.
خَلَعْتُI cast off إِذْwhen بايَعْتُهُI pledged allegiance to him
خَلَعْتُ إِذْ بايَعْتُهُ
عِذَارَthe bridle of مَنone who لاdoes not يَعْتَذِرْmake excuses
عِذَارَ مَن لا يَعْتَذِرْ
I cast off, when I pledged him allegiance,
the bridle of one who makes no excuse.
عُقّدَةُa knot of قافٍthe letter qāf صُدْغُهُhis temple-curl
عُقّدَةُ قافٍ صُدْغُهُ
تَحُلُّunties عِقْدَthe bond of المُصْطَبِرْthe steadfast one
تَحُلُّ عِقْدَ المُصْطَبِرْ
His temple-curl, a qāf-shaped knot,
unties the steadfast one's bond.
فِيin خَلْقِهِhis form وَخُلْقِهِand his character
فِي خَلْقِهِ وَخُلْقِهِ
طَبْعُthe nature of الغَزالِthe gazelle وَالنَّمِرْand the leopard
طَبْعُ الغَزالِ وَالنَّمِرْ
In his form and in his character
are the natures of gazelle and leopard.
تَرْعاهُwatch over him أَحْداقُthe pupils of القَنَاthe spears
تَرْعاهُ أَحْداقُ القَنَا
فَكَيْفَماso whichever way سَارَhe goes تَسِرْthey go
فَكَيْفَما سَارَ تَسِرْ
The spears' eyes watch over him;
so whichever way he goes, they go.
إِنَّindeed طَرِيقَthe path of نَاظِريmy gaze
إِنَّ طَرِيقَ نَاظِري
إِلَىto مُحَيَّاهُhis face خَطِرْperilous
إِلَى مُحَيَّاهُ خَطِرْ
Indeed, the path of my gaze
to his face is perilous.
Sol 6.1