أَعُيوناًis it eyes? أَدارَهاhe turned them أَمْor عُقارَاwine
أَعُيوناً أَدارَها أَمْ عُقارَا
فَتَرَىso you see النَّاسَthe people حِينَwhen يَرْنُوhe gazes سُكارىdrunk
فَتَرَى النَّاسَ حِينَ يَرْنُو سُكارى
Was it eyes he turned, or wine he passed round?
For you see people drunk whenever he gazes.
كاتِبٌa scribe قَدُّهُhis figure إِلَىto الخَطِّthe written line يُعْزَىis attributed
كاتِبٌ قَدُّهُ إِلَى الخَطِّ يُعْزَى
بارِعٌaccomplished فِيin فُنُونِهِhis arts لاَnot يُبَارَىrivaled
بارِعٌ فِي فُنُونِهِ لاَ يُبَارَى
A scribe whose figure is traced to the written line,
accomplished in his arts, beyond compare.
خَدَمَتْهُserved him رُوحِيmy soul فَأَطْلَقَso he released لِيfor me مِنْfrom
خَدَمَتْهُ رُوحِي فَأَطْلَقَ لِي مِنْ
ناظِرِthe pupil of العَيْنِthe eye جارِياًa flowing stream مِدْرارَاcopious
ناظِرِ العَيْنِ جارِياً مِدْرارَا
My soul served him, and he released for me, from
the pupil of my eye, a copious stream.
وَبَذَلْتُand I offered الهَوَىlove عَلىupon خَطِّthe down on خَدَّيْthe two cheeks of
وَبَذَلْتُ الهَوَى عَلى خَطِّ خَدَّيْ
هِhis (suffix) فَأَبْقَىso he left عَلَيَّupon me مِنْهُfrom it انْكِسَارَاheartbreak
هِ فَأَبْقَى عَلَيَّ مِنْهُ انْكِسَارَا
And I lavished love upon the down on his cheeks,
and from it he left me brokenhearted.
أَصْبَحَتْbecame مُهْجَتِيmy lifeblood ضَرِيبَةَthe tax of جَفْنَيِthe two eyelids of
أَصْبَحَتْ مُهْجَتِي ضَرِيبَةَ جَفْنَيِ
هِhis (suffix) قَدِindeed اسْتَوفاهَاhe exacted it fully وَلَمْand did not يَخْشَfear عارَاdisgrace
هِ قَدِ اسْتَوفاهَا وَلَمْ يَخْشَ عارَا
My lifeblood became a tax due to his eyelids;
he exacted it in full, unafraid of shame.
حَمْلُbearing هَمِّيmy grief بِهِfor him بِغَيْرِwithout وُصُولٍunion
حَمْلُ هَمِّي بِهِ بِغَيْرِ وُصُولٍ
بَجَمِيعِfor all العُشَّاقِthe lovers زادَhas grown اعْتِبارَاas a lesson
بَجَمِيعِ العُشَّاقِ زادَ اعْتِبارَا
Bearing my grief for him without union
has become a greater lesson to all lovers.
ياO شَيِبهَyou who resemble الغَزَالِthe gazelle طَرْفاًin glance وَجِيداًand in neck
يا شَيِبهَ الغَزَالِ طَرْفاً وَجِيداً
وَفُؤَاداًand in heart مُسْتَهْضَماًvulnerable وَنِفَارَاand in skittishness
وَفُؤَاداً مُسْتَهْضَماً وَنِفَارَا
O you who resemble the gazelle in glance and neck,
and in your vulnerable heart and skittishness.
صَنْعَةُthe art of الكِيمياءalchemy صَحَّتْproved true لِعَيْنِيfor my eye
صَنْعَةُ الكِيمياء صَحَّتْ لِعَيْنِي
حِيْنَwhen تَزْدادُyou increase إِذْwhen تَرانِيyou see me احْمِرارَاin redness
حِيْنَ تَزْدادُ إِذْ تَرانِي احْمِرارَا
The art of alchemy has proved true for my eye,
when you blush more deeply on seeing me.
فإِذْاthen when ماever (emphasis) أَلْقَيْتُI cast أُكْسِيرَthe elixir of لَحْظِيmy glance
فإِذْا ما أَلْقَيْتُ أُكْسِيرَ لَحْظِي
فِيinto لُجَيْنِthe silver of الخُدُودِthe cheeks صارَit became نُضارَاpure gold
فِي لُجَيْنِ الخُدُودِ صارَ نُضارَا
Then whenever I cast the elixir of my glance
into the silver of your cheeks, it turns to pure gold.
رُبَّmany a لَيْلٍnight كَشَعْرِهِlike his hair مُسْتَطيلٍlong
رُبَّ لَيْلٍ كَشَعْرِهِ مُسْتَطيلٍ
حَلَّتِalighted العِيْسُthe pale camels فِيin ذُراهُits heights المَدارَاthe orbit
حَلَّتِ العِيْسُ فِي ذُراهُ المَدارَا
Many a night, long as his hair,
the pale camels alighted in its lofty orbit.
أَرْقَصَتْهَاmade them dance الحُدَاةُthe camel-drivers إِذْwhen خامَرَتْهَاsuffused them
أَرْقَصَتْهَا الحُدَاةُ إِذْ خامَرَتْهَا
خَمْرُthe wine of سَيْرٍtravel لَمْdid not تُبْقِleave مِنْهُfrom it خُمارَاa hangover
خَمْرُ سَيْرٍ لَمْ تُبْقِ مِنْهُ خُمارَا
The camel-drivers made them dance when they were suffused
by the wine of travel, which left no hangover.
لَيلَةًa night لاَdo not تَغُورُset أَنْجُمُهاits stars الغُرُّthe radiant
لَيلَةً لاَ تَغُورُ أَنْجُمُها الغُرُّ
إِذْاwhen أَنْجَدَwent upland الدَّلِيلُthe guide وَغَارَاand went into lowlands
إِذْا أَنْجَدَ الدَّلِيلُ وَغَارَا
A night whose radiant stars do not set,
when the guide crosses uplands and descends into lowlands.
غُيِّرَwas transformed الِّليلُthe night فْالمَجَرَّةُand the Milky Way فَرْقٌa hair-parting
غُيِّرَ الِّليلُ فْالمَجَرَّةُ فَرْقٌ
أَشْيَبٌgray-haired وَالهِلاَلُand the crescent يَحْكِيresembles عِذارَاa sideburn
أَشْيَبٌ وَالهِلاَلُ يَحْكِي عِذارَا
Night was transformed: the Milky Way was a parting
streaked with gray, and the crescent resembled a sideburn.
قَصْدُنَاour destination أَسْعَدٌAsʿad فَلَيسَso not نُبَالِيwe care
قَصْدُنَا أَسْعَدٌ فَلَيسَ نُبَالِي
أَنْthat رَكِبْناwe braved فِيfor ابْنِIbn (son of) الخَطِيرِal-Khaṭīr الخِطارَاdanger
أَنْ رَكِبْنا فِي ابْنِ الخَطِيرِ الخِطارَا
Asʿad is our destination, so we do not care
that we have braved danger for Ibn al-Khaṭīr.
ماجِدٌa noble man صَوَّرَfashioned المُهَيْمِنُthe Guardian يُمْنَاthe right hand of
ماجِدٌ صَوَّرَ المُهَيْمِنُ يُمْنَا
هُhis (suffix) مِنَfrom اليُمْنِgood fortune وَاليَسَارَand the left hand اليَسَارَاwealth
هُ مِنَ اليُمْنِ وَاليَسَارَ اليَسَارَا
A noble man: the Guardian fashioned his right hand
from good fortune, and his left from wealth.
ساحِرُa magician of الفَضْلِexcellence أَلَّفَunited النَّفْسَthe soul وَالطِّرْand the page (continued)
ساحِرُ الفَضْلِ أَلَّفَ النَّفْسَ وَالطِّرْ
سَcompletion of 'page' ظَلاَماًdarkness مُحْلَولِكاًpitch-black وَنَهارَاand daylight
سَ ظَلاَماً مُحْلَولِكاً وَنَهارَا
A wizard of excellence, he united soul and page—
pitch-black darkness and daylight.
يُحْسَدُis envied الأسْمَرُthe brown one (spear) الطَّوِيلُthe long بِيُمْنَاin the right hand of
يُحْسَدُ الأسْمَرُ الطَّوِيلُ بِيُمْنَا
هُhis (suffix) إِذَاwhen ماever (emphasis) اسْتَمَدَّhe dips in ink سُمْراًbrown ones (pens) قِصارَاshort
هُ إِذَا ما اسْتَمَدَّ سُمْراً قِصارَا
The long brown spear is envied in his right hand
whenever he dips short brown pens in ink.
مُلْحِقِيyou who bring me abreast بِالَّذِينَwith those whom عَثَّرَنِيmade me stumble دَهْfate (continued)
مُلْحِقِي بِالَّذِينَ عَثَّرَنِي دَهْ
رِيَmy (completes 'my fate') عَنْshort of شَأْوِهِمْtheir reach أُقِيُلI pardon العِثَارَاthe stumbles
رِيَ عَنْ شَأْوِهِمْ أُقِيُل العِثَارَا
You who bring me abreast of those my fate made me stumble
short of matching—I pardon its stumbles.
قَدْalready جَلاَunveiled خاطِرِيmy imagination جوارِيmaidens of مَعانٍmeanings
قَدْ جَلاَ خاطِرِي جوارِي مَعانٍ
عُرُباًloving إِنْif فَضَضْتُهَاI deflower them أَبْكارَاvirgins
عُرُباً إِنْ فَضَضْتُهَا أَبْكارَا
Already my imagination has unveiled maidens of meaning,
loving, still virgins when I deflower them.
لَمْdid not أُطِلهاI lengthen it وَكُلُّand every غُصْنٍbranch قَصِيرٍshort
لَمْ أُطِلها وَكُلُّ غُصْنٍ قَصِيرٍ
لاَdoes not يُعَنِّيweary مَنْwhoever يَجْتَنِيgathers الأثْمارَاthe fruits
لاَ يُعَنِّي مَنْ يَجْتَنِي الأثْمارَا
I have not made it long; every short branch
spares the gatherer of fruit any toil.
لَوif نَظَمْتُI strung الشِّعْرَىSirius العَبُورَthe Crossing Star مَديحاًas praise
لَو نَظَمْتُ الشِّعْرَى العَبُورَ مَديحاً
كانَit would be أوْلَىmore fitting مِنْthan نَظْمِيَmy stringing الأَشْعارَاverses
كانَ أوْلَى مِنْ نَظْمِيَ الأَشْعارَا
Were I to string Sirius, the Crossing Star, into praise,
it would be more fitting than my stringing verses.
رَبِّmy Lord هَبْنِيgrant me شُكْراًgratitude لَهُto him فَلَقَدfor indeed قَلَّhe adorned (continued)
رَبِّ هَبْنِي شُكْراً لَهُ فَلَقَد قَلَّ
دَنِيme (completes 'adorned me') أنْعُماًfavors جِساماًimmense كِبَارَاgreat
دَنِي أنْعُماً جِساماً كِبَارَا
Lord, grant me gratitude to him: he has adorned me
with favors immense and great.
وَكَماand as زِدْتَهُYou increased him عُلُوّاًin eminence وَفَضْلاًand in excellence
وَكَما زِدْتَهُ عُلُوّاً وَفَضْلاً
لاَdo not تَزِدْincrease حَاسِدِيهِhis enviers إِلاَّexcept تَبارَاin ruin
لاَ تَزِدْ حَاسِدِيهِ إِلاَّ تَبارَا
And as You have increased his eminence and excellence,
increase his enviers in nothing but ruin.
Sol 6.1