ماnot بَدرُthe full moon وَجهكَyour face كالبدورِlike the full moons إِذاwhen اِتّسقit becomes full
ما بَدرُ وَجهكَ كالبدورِ إِذا اِتّسق
فيin لَيلِthe night طرّتكَyour forelock الّتيwhich تَحكيresembles الغَسَقdusk
في لَيلِ طرّتكَ الّتي تَحكي الغَسَق
Your face's moon is unlike other moons when it waxes full
Your face gleams like the full moons when they shine
In the night of your forelock, which resembles dusk.
In your night whose darkness tells many a tale.
رُمحُthe spear القوامِthe stature سَبىcaptivated الغصونَthe branches فكلُّهاso all of them
رُمحُ القوامِ سَبى الغصونَ فكلُّها
خَجلاًin shame تثنّىbent مُذsince بَداappeared الخدّthe cheek الأنِقthe lovely one
خَجلاً تثنّى مُذ بَدا الخدّ الأنِق
The spear of your stature captivated the branches, so all of them
The slender shape put branches to shame, so they bent
Have bent bashfully ever since the lovely cheek appeared.
In shyness, since the delicate cheek revealed itself.
بِبَريقِwith the gleam درٍّpearls مِنfrom نواجذِback teeth ريقهِhis saliva
بِبَريقِ درٍّ مِن نواجذِ ريقهِ
نَفثٌa puff مِنَof الصهباءِtawny wine موقعهُits effect أرَقmore delicate
نَفثٌ مِنَ الصهباءِ موقعهُ أرَق
With the gleam of pearls from his teeth, his saliva
With a sparkle from a precious pearl on his temples
Is a breath of tawny wine, more delicate in its effect.
A breath blows from the young gazelle, softening the most wakeful.
ياO مَنone who سَبىcaptured حُسنَthe beauty الظّباgazelles وَذويand those possessing الصباyouth
يا مَن سَبى حُسنَ الظّبا وَذوي الصبا
هبّblew الصّباthe east wind مِنfrom عَرفكمyour fragrance فَصباso yearned الأرقthe sleepless one
هبّ الصّبا مِن عَرفكم فَصبا الأرق
O you who stole the gazelles' beauty and captivated the young,
O you who captured the gazelle’s beauty and the youths’ grace,
The east wind blew from your fragrance, and the sleepless one yearned.
May the zephyr blow from your hills, and tenderness keep me awake.
ياO ذاthis الفَتىyoung man مَنwho ذاthis one الّذيwho أَفتاكَgave you a ruling فيon
يا ذا الفَتى مَن ذا الّذي أَفتاكَ في
سَفكِshedding الدماblood بِصوارمwith keen swords منfrom ذيthese الحَدقeyes
سَفكِ الدما بِصوارم من ذي الحَدق
O young man, who was it that gave you leave to
O boy with the sword, who has misguided you to
Shed blood with keen swords from these eyes?
Spill blood with sharp blades and piercing eyes?
فَدعso leave الرّشاthe fawn منّيfrom me الحَشاthe inmost heart سلبَstole الرشاguidance (continued)
فَدع الرّشا منّي الحَشا سلبَ الرشا
دَcompletion of 'guidance' وَقَدand already نَشاgrew up دعleave مَنwhoever وَشىslandered لَكنbut كَرِقlike parchment
دَ وَقَد نَشا دع مَن وَشى لَكن كَرِق
So leave the fawn—he robbed my heart of guid-
Leave impudence and recklessness; they have caused misery.
ance, and has grown; leave the slanderer—but, like parchment,
Leave the one who has misled you, but worry and sorrow remain.
وَسَطamid النوىseparation وَسطamid الجَوىanguish كَبديmy liver كوىseared
وَسَط النوى وَسط الجَوى كَبدي كوى
حقّاًtruly غَوىstrayed باغيthe seeker السوىanother والعمدُand deliberate intent حُقwas established
حقّاً غَوى باغي السوى والعمدُ حُق
Amid separation, amid anguish, he scorched my liver.
In the midst of purpose, in the midst of passion, my liver was burned.
Truly, whoever seeks another has strayed; deliberate intent is proved.
Truly led astray by the rebel who missed the proper path.
قَسَماًan oath بِميمِby the letter mīm محبّتيmy love وَبِحائِهاand by its letter ḥāʾ
قَسَماً بِميمِ محبّتي وَبِحائِها
وَبِميمِand by the letter mīm موتيmy death تَبدوit appears معwith واوٍthe letter wāw لحقfollowed
وَبِميمِ موتي تَبدو مع واوٍ لحق
I swear by the mīm of my love and by its ḥāʾ,
I swear by the “m” of my love and her “h”,
And by my death's mīm, appearing with a wāw that followed,
And by the “m” of my death which shows with the “w” of sincerity.
وَبدالِand by the letter dāl دالٍcoursing فيwithin الجوانحِthe ribs وقدهُhis blaze
وَبدالِ دالٍ في الجوانحِ وقدهُ
مَنwhoever قالَsaid كلّall الحسنِbeauty أَنتyou لَقَدindeed صَدقspoke truly
مَن قالَ كلّ الحسنِ أَنت لَقَد صَدق
And by the dāl of one whose flame courses within my ribs:
And by the “d” of longing in my soul which
Whoever said, 'You are all beauty,' spoke truly.
Whoever said “You are beauty entire” spoke truth.
Sol 6.1