واهاًAh! لأيامfor the days of الشبابِyouth الغضِّtender
واهاً لأيام الشبابِ الغضِّ
ماhow كانwould have been أهناblissful العيشَlife لوif لمnot تمضthey passed
ما كان أهنا العيشَ لو لم تمض
Ah, for the days of tender youth!
Alas for the days of youth's prime,
How blissful life would have been, had they not passed!
How pleasant life would be if they lasted!
نعمتُI lived in bliss فيin ظلالهاtheir shade زماناًfor a time
نعمتُ في ظلالها زماناً
نشوانَintoxicated منْwith سكرthe intoxication of الصباyouth ريّاناfully slaked
نشوانَ منْ سكر الصبا ريّانا
For a time I lived in bliss beneath their shade,
I lived happily in their shade for a time,
Drunk with youth's intoxication, my thirst fully quenched,
Intoxicated with the wine of youth's joy.
أَرودُI seek مازهاwhat bloomed منamong الرياضthe meadows
أَرودُ مازها من الرياض
وَأَردُand I go to drink العذبَthe sweet water منfrom الحياضthe pools
وَأَردُ العذبَ من الحياض
I sought what bloomed in the meadows,
I would pick flowers from the gardens,
And came to drink sweet water from the pools.
And drink the sweetest from the meadows,
وَربَّand many a شقراءَfair-haired woman حَكَتْresembled شمسَthe sun of الضحىmidmorning
وَربَّ شقراءَ حَكَتْ شمسَ الضحى
تختالُstruts فيin بردِthe mantle of الشبابyouth مَرَحاmerrily
تختالُ في بردِ الشباب مَرَحا
And many a fair-haired woman, resembling the midmorning sun,
Many a fair one told the tale of dawn,
Strutted merrily in the mantle of youth.
Swaying coquettishly in the chill of youth.
بيضاءُfair-skinned مثلُlike الدرّةِthe pearl الفريدهْpeerless
بيضاءُ مثلُ الدرّةِ الفريدهْ
أنفاسُهاher breaths طيبةٌsweet برودهْcool
أنفاسُها طيبةٌ برودهْ
Fair-skinned, like a peerless pearl,
White as a precious pearl,
Her breaths were sweet and cool.
Her breath scented with coolness,
هيفاءُslender-waisted لفّاهُfull-thighed نحيلٌslim خصرُهاher waist
هيفاءُ لفّاهُ نحيلٌ خصرُها
ناعمةsoft المتنينِboth sides of the back غضٌّtender ظهرُهاher back
ناعمة المتنينِ غضٌّ ظهرُها
Slender, full-thighed, her waist slim,
Slender of figure, delicate of waist,
Soft on both sides of her spine, tender of back,
Her back soft and tender.
ممشوقةٌtall and slender ليِّنةُsupple الأَعطافِthe body's sides
ممشوقةٌ ليِّنةُ الأَعطافِ
ميادةٌswaying مرتجَّةُquivering الأردافthe buttocks
ميادةٌ مرتجَّةُ الأرداف
Tall and slender, supple of form,
Gentle of limb, swaying of hips,
Swaying, with quivering buttocks.
Her brow shining like the full moon
جبهتُهاher forehead وَضاءَةٌradiant كالبدرِlike the full moon
جبهتُها وَضاءَةٌ كالبدرِ
إذاwhen بداappears لأربعٍafter four وَعشرِand ten
إذا بدا لأربعٍ وَعشرِ
Her forehead was radiant as the full moon,
When it rises on the fourteenth night.
When it appears on the fourteenth night.
Her hair like flickering gold,
وَشعرُهاand her hair كالذهبِlike gold الوهّاجblazing
وَشعرُها كالذهبِ الوهّاج
وَجيدُهاand her neck وَصدرُهاand her chest كالعاجِlike ivory
وَجيدُها وَصدرُها كالعاجِ
And her hair was like blazing gold,
Her cheeks and breasts like ivory.
And her neck and chest were like ivory.
Eyes green as emerald,
عينانtwo eyes خضراوانِgreen كالزبرجدlike peridot
عينان خضراوانِ كالزبرجد
تأْتلقانِboth sparkle كائتلاقِlike the glitter of الفرقدِal-Farqad
تأْتلقانِ كائتلاقِ الفرقدِ
Two green eyes like peridot
Sparkling like topaz,
Sparkled like the star al-Farqad;
Ever casting their magic,
لاnever تفترانِboth falter تغزلانِboth spin السِحْراenchantment
لا تفترانِ تغزلانِ السِحْرا
حبائلاًsnares تكثرُgrow numerous فيهاin them الأسرىthe captives
حبائلاً تكثرُ فيها الأسرى
Never flagging, they spun enchantment
Ensnaring many captives.
Into snares in which captives abounded.
Her moles are dark musk,
والهدبُand the eyelashes فينانٌluxuriant مريعٌlush أَوطفُlong and thick
والهدبُ فينانٌ مريعٌ أَوطفُ
وَفوقهand above them مزججٌfinely arched وَمرهفُand finely tapered
وَفوقه مزججٌ وَمرهفُ
And her lashes were luxuriant, lush, long and thick,
Capped with satin domes.
And above them, a finely arched and tapered brow.
Her cheeks flushed red,
وَخدهاand her cheek مورّدٌrose-tinted أسيلُsmooth
وَخدها مورّدٌ أسيلُ
ولحظُهاand her glance مهندٌan Indian-steel sword صقيلُpolished
ولحظُها مهندٌ صقيلُ
And her cheek was rosy and smooth,
Her glances keen and bright.
And her glance was a polished sword of Indian steel.
Her dimples have a sheen
أماas for الثناياthe front teeth فلهاso they have بريقُa gleam
أما الثنايا فلها بريقُ
منfrom مبسمa smiling mouth كأنهas though it were عقيقُcarnelian
من مبسم كأنه عقيقُ
As for her front teeth, they gleamed
Like dewdrops on a rose,
From a smiling mouth like carnelian,
Or lightning flashes over the horizon.
كالدرِّlike pearls لَمَّاحاًflashing إذاwhen الدرُّthe pearls اتَسقْwere arrayed
كالدرِّ لَمَّاحاً إذا الدرُّ اتَسقْ
أوor كائتلاقِlike the gleam of البرقlightning منfrom خلفِbehind الشفقْthe twilight glow
أو كائتلاقِ البرق من خلفِ الشفقْ
Like pearls flashing when arrayed in a row,
Her breath revives the swooning soul,
Or like lightning gleaming from behind the twilight glow.
Like the scent of rain on flowers.
أنفاسُهاher breaths يصحوsobers up بهاthrough them المخمورُthe drunken man
أنفاسُها يصحو بها المخمورُ
كماas يفوحُgives off fragrance الزَهَرُthe flowers الممطورُrain-drenched
كما يفوحُ الزَهَرُ الممطورُ
Her breath would sober a drunken man,
Between her sorcery and slaughter,
As rain-drenched flowers give off fragrance.
There is an icy torrent, or flower petals white.
كأَنَّas though بينbetween سحرهاher bosom والنحرِand the throat
كأَنَّ بين سحرها والنحرِ
لجةَa deep expanse ماءٍof water أوor بياضَthe whiteness of زهرِflowers
لجةَ ماءٍ أو بياضَ زهرِ
It was as though between her bosom and her throat
From there comes a scent so sweet,
Lay a deep expanse of water, or the whiteness of flowers.
It stirs the deepest feelings.
يسطعwafts up منfrom ثمةthere طيبِsweet ريّاfragrance
يسطع من ثمة طيبِ ريّا
افعلmore affecting فيin النفسthe soul منthan المحيّاthe face
افعل في النفس من المحيّا
From there rose a sweet fragrance,
As if her breast, which I would ransom with my soul,
More stirring to the soul than her face.
Were sunlight gleaming on water.
كأَنَّas though صدرهاher bosom فدتهmay ransom it نفسيmy soul
كأَنَّ صدرها فدته نفسي
لجةُa deep expanse ماءِof water فيin شعاعthe rays of الشمسِthe sun
لجةُ ماءِ في شعاع الشمسِ
Her bosom—may my soul ransom it—was like
Her protruding breasts challenge and entice,
A deep expanse of water in the sun's rays.
Inciting desire and passion.
نهدانِtwo breasts بارزانprotruding للتصديto confront
نهدانِ بارزان للتصدي
دأْبهماtheir habit الإغراءُenticement والتحديand challenge
دأْبهما الإغراءُ والتحدي
Two breasts stood forth, poised to confront;
I saw her wrists and forearms
Their habit was enticement and challenge.
Strike sparks of love like flint.
رأيتُI saw منهاof her معصماًa wrist وَزنداand a forearm
رأيتُ منها معصماً وَزندا
يقتدحانِboth strike sparks للغرامِfor passion زنْداa fire-stick
يقتدحانِ للغرامِ زنْدا
I saw her wrist and forearm,
When her hand clasped mine,
Both striking a fire-stick to kindle passion.
My heart fluttered helplessly.
لماwhen أَخذتُI took كفَّهاher hand بكفيin my hand
لما أَخذتُ كفَّها بكفي
رفَّfluttered لهاfor her الفؤادُthe heart أيّwhat a رفِّflutter
رفَّ لها الفؤادُ أيّ رفِّ
When I took her hand in mine,
No hidden passion but stirred,
My heart fluttered for her—how it fluttered!
No hidden desire but sparked.
لماnot يبقremained عرقٌa vein ساكنstill إلاّexcept نبضْthrobbed
لما يبق عرقٌ ساكن إلاّ نبضْ
وَلاnor دفينٌsomething buried مِنْamong مُنىwishes إلاّexcept انتفضْstirred
وَلا دفينٌ مِنْ مُنى إلاّ انتفضْ
Not one quiet vein failed to pulse,
Her eyes spoke their magic,
Nor one buried wish failed to stir.
How eloquent are eyes when they look!
تكلَّمتْspoke بسحرهاwith their enchantment العيونُthe eyes
تكلَّمتْ بسحرها العيونُ
ماhow أبلغَeloquent العيونَthe eyes إذْwhen تبينُthey express themselves
ما أبلغَ العيونَ إذْ تبينُ
Her eyes spoke through their enchantment;
Lovelier hands than hers for rest or touch
How eloquent eyes are when they express themselves!
Cannot be found, softer than damask silk.
أَحسنُloveliest كفٍhand راحةpalm وَخمساand five fingers
أَحسنُ كفٍ راحة وَخمسا
تخالُyou would think منfrom نعومةsoftness دمقساfine white silk
تخالُ من نعومة دمقسا
The loveliest hand, in palm and all five fingers,
I thought to draw her to my breast,
You would take it for fine white silk, so soft it was.
Then feared to cast her in the flames.
هممتُI intended أنto أضمّهاclasp it لصدريto my chest
هممتُ أن أضمّها لصدري
فخفتُso I feared أنthat أُرميI would be cast بهاby it فيinto الجمرِthe embers
فخفتُ أن أُرمي بها في الجمرِ
I thought of pressing it to my chest,
Until her hands entwined in mine,
But feared it would cast me into the embers.
And breast pressed close to breast.
حتىuntil إذاwhen ماemphatic particle نديَgrew moist الكفَّانِthe two palms
حتى إذا ما نديَ الكفَّانِ
واشتبكَand intertwined البنانُthe fingers بالبنانwith the fingers
واشتبكَ البنانُ بالبنان
Until, when both palms grew moist,
Our breaths grew short, hearts pounded,
And fingers entwined with fingers,
Veins pulsed, passions overflowed.
وَعلّتِand rose الأنفاسُthe breaths والتراقيand the collarbones
وَعلّتِ الأنفاسُ والتراقي
وَدرَّتِand flowed freely العروقُthe veins والمآقيand the eye-corners
وَدرَّتِ العروقُ والمآقي
And breaths swelled and collarbones rose,
Her cheeks flushed red,
And veins surged, and tears streamed from the corners of her eyes,
Her breasts heaved and trembled.
وَقدand already تلظَّىblazed خفراًwith bashfulness خدّاهاher two cheeks
وَقد تلظَّى خفراً خدّاها
وارتجَّand quivered فوقabove صدرهاher chest نهداهاher two breasts
وارتجَّ فوق صدرها نهداها
And her cheeks had blazed with bashfulness,
She sighed like one faint with rapture,
And her breasts quivered above her chest,
And quivered like one pierced with arrows.
تنفستْshe breathed كالرشإlike a gazelle fawn المبهورِbreathless
تنفستْ كالرشإ المبهورِ
وارتعشتْand she trembled كَرعشةِlike the shiver of المقرورone chilled by cold
وارتعشتْ كَرعشةِ المقرور
She breathed like a breathless gazelle fawn,
Her hand slipped from mine
And trembled like one chilled by cold.
Like a reveller drained of wine.
وَكانand was سلُّthe withdrawal of كفِّهاher hand منfrom كفِّيmy hand
وَكان سلُّ كفِّها من كفِّي
كخطفِlike snatching كأْسِthe cup of الشاربِthe drinker المشتفِّdraining the last drops
كخطفِ كأْسِ الشاربِ المشتفِّ
And the withdrawal of her hand from mine was
Like snatching the cup from a drinker draining its last drops.
Partial English translation: 60 of 62 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1