لِمَwhy لاnot أُصِرّI persist علىin البَطَالَةِidleness والهَوَىand love
لِمَ لا أُصِرّ على البَطَالَةِ والهَوَى
وعلىand to بَرْدِcoolness شَبِيْبَتيmy youth وإِزَارِهاand its waist-wrap
وعلى بَرْدِ شَبِيْبَتي وإِزَارِها
Why should I not hold fast to idleness and love,
Why do I not insist on idleness and passion
And to my youth’s coolness and its waist-wrap?
And on the coolness of my youth and its cloak?
وإذاand when تراءَتْappeared للقِيَانِto the singing girls مَحَاسِنيmy charms
وإذا تراءَتْ للقِيَانِ مَحَاسِني
طَمِحَتْlifted eagerly إليّtoward me بِلَحْظِهاwith their gaze أبصارُهاtheir eyes
طَمِحَتْ إليّ بِلَحْظِها أبصارُها
And when my charms appear to the singing girls,
And if maidens reveal their beauties before me,
Their eyes lift toward me with their gaze.
Their glances yearn for me.
ولوand even if أنّthat عيداناًlutes بغيرِwithout ضَوَارِبِfemale players
ولو أنّ عيداناً بغيرِ ضَوَارِبِ
قابَلْنَنيthey faced me لتَحَرّكَتْwould surely stir أَوْتَارُهاtheir strings
قابَلْنَني لتَحَرّكَتْ أَوْتَارُها
And even if lutes, with no women to play them,
If limbs without rhythmic motions
Were to face me, their strings would surely stir.
Were to meet me, their strings would be set in motion.
Sol 6.1