قمريُّmoonlike الوَجهِof face أَبدىrevealed بضحىin the morning radiance
قمريُّ الوَجهِ أَبدى بضحى
وَجهِهِof his face خَطُّa streak الغَواليof rich perfumes غَبَشاtwilight dimness
وَجهِهِ خَطُّ الغَوالي غَبَشا
The moon-faced one—in the morning radiance
My moon-faced beloved showed at dawn
of his face, a streak of rich perfume revealed twilight.
His cheek lined by lovesickness made sallow
فَأَرانيso it showed me سُبَحّاًprayer beads فيin ذهبٍgold
فَأَراني سُبَحّاً في ذهبٍ
مِنfrom عِذارَيهِhis two sideburns كَماas اِصفَرَّturned yellow العَشاthe dusk
مِن عِذارَيهِ كَما اِصفَرَّ العَشا
So it showed me prayer beads set in gold
So he showed me golden in the morning light
from his two sideburns, as dusk turned yellow.
Like saffron flowers yellowed in the meadow
ضُرِّجتwere crimsoned خدّاهُhis two cheeks حَتّىuntil خِلتُهاI fancied it
ضُرِّجت خدّاهُ حَتّى خِلتُها
عَضَّbit طَرفيmy gaze فيهماinto them both أَوor خَدَشاscratched
عَضَّ طَرفي فيهما أَو خَدَشا
His cheeks were crimsoned, until I fancied
His cheeks were rouged until they seemed a bloom
my gaze had bitten into them or scratched them.
That my glance had fingered, nipped or scratched
وَحَوَتand held عَيناهُhis two eyes خمراًwine لَمnot يَرُحdepart
وَحَوَت عَيناهُ خمراً لَم يَرُح
صاحياًsober مِنfrom سُكرهits intoxication صاحيsober الحَشاthe heart
صاحياً مِن سُكره صاحي الحَشا
And his eyes held wine: none came away
His eyes brimmed wine he’d scarcely recovered from
sober from its intoxication—not even the sober-hearted.
Though awake, like one drunk, eyes bloodshot
فكأَنَّso it was as though الصبحَthe dawn فيon وَجنَتِهhis cheek
فكأَنَّ الصبحَ في وَجنَتِه
قَدhad سَقاهgiven it drink طَرفُهُhis gaze حَتّىuntil اِنتَشىgrew tipsy
قَد سَقاه طَرفُهُ حَتّى اِنتَشى
It was as though the dawn upon his cheek
As though the morn had watered his cheeks’ bloom
had been given drink by his gaze until it grew tipsy.
Till, by his glances, vivified, refreshed
عَشيتmay it grow dim عَينُthe eye امرىءof a person لَمnot تَكتَحِلapply kohl
عَشيت عَينُ امرىء لَم تَكتَحِل
لِلبُكاfrom weeping وَالسهدand sleeplessness فيهover him بِعَشاwith dim sight
لِلبُكا وَالسهد فيه بِعَشا
May anyone's eye grow dim if it has not been kohled
The eye of Ibn al-Ahmar wept unsmeared
with dimness from weeping and sleeplessness over him.
By kohl for sadness and wakefulness
جَدَّstrove earnestly فيat قَتليkilling me حَتّىuntil خِلتُهُI thought him
جَدَّ في قَتلي حَتّى خِلتُهُ
أَنَّهthat he فيهِfor it مِنfrom الدَهرTime اِرتَشاtook a bribe
أَنَّه فيهِ مِن الدَهر اِرتَشا
He strove to kill me until I thought
He tried in killing me until he thought
he had taken a bribe from Time to do it.
That fate itself through him had pierced my flesh
لَمnot يَزَلcease يوشىtales be told بناabout us حَتّىeven
لَم يَزَل يوشى بنا حَتّى
سِحرُthe magic عينيهِof his two eyes بِناabout us فيمنamong those who وَشىtold tales
سِحرُ عينيهِ بِنا فيمن وَشى
Tales about us were told incessantly—even
He never stopped bewitching us until
the magic of his eyes was among those who betrayed us.
His eyes’ sorcery to those he witched
أَينَwhere ليfor me مَلجاًa refuge إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle طرفُهhis gaze
أَينَ لي مَلجاً إِذا ما طرفُه
بجيوشwith armies of السحرmagic نَحوىtoward me جَيَّشاmustered
بجيوش السحر نَحوى جَيَّشا
Where is a refuge for me when his gaze
Where can I flee, if his glance marshals hosts
musters armies of magic against me?
Of spells and against me arrays an army fresh?
وَنَضتand unsheathed أَلحاظُهhis glances أَنصُلَهاtheir blades
وَنَضت أَلحاظُه أَنصُلَها
فَثَنانيso it restrained me بَطشُهاtheir onslaught أَنthat أَبطِشاI strike
فَثَناني بَطشُها أَن أَبطِشا
And his glances unsheathed their blades;
His glances thronged and bared their blades, so that
so their onslaught held me back from striking.
Their might made me draw my sword and lunge afresh
رَشأٌa young gazelle إِمّاwhenever مَشىhe walked تَحسَبهُyou think him
رَشأٌ إِمّا مَشى تَحسَبهُ
غُصناa branch نيطَwas fastened بهَضبٍto a hill فاِنتَشىso it grew tipsy
غُصنا نيطَ بهَضبٍ فاِنتَشى
A young gazelle—when he walks, you think him
A fawn, when walking, you’d suppose a bough
a branch tied to a hill, swaying drunkenly.
Swaying with graceful shoots, a pine refreshed
ثَقُلَwas weighed down الخَصرُthe waist بردفٍby a rump راجِحٍweighty
ثَقُلَ الخَصرُ بردفٍ راجِحٍ
مِثلَماjust as أَثقَلَتِweighed down الدَلوthe bucket الرِشاthe rope
مِثلَما أَثقَلَتِ الدَلو الرِشا
His waist was weighed down by a weighty rump,
Loins burdened by substantial buttressings
just as the bucket weighs down the rope.
As water buckets burden the water-seller’s sash
فَإذاand when ماemphatic particle ظَلَّremained يَوماًone day قاعِداًseated
فَإذا ما ظَلَّ يَوماً قاعِداً
قاعِداًseated خِلتَهُyou thought him أَوطىءَwas cushioned مِنهُfrom himself فُرُشاbedding
قاعِداً خِلتَهُ أَوطىءَ مِنهُ فُرُشا
And if one day he remained seated,
And when he sits a day his sitting still
seated, you would think him cushioned on bedding made of himself.
Seems softer than a carpet made of fur
خَمَشَتscratched أَلحاظُthe glances عينيof my eye خَدَّهhis cheek
خَمَشَت أَلحاظُ عيني خَدَّه
خَدَّهhis cheek مِثلَماjust as باللَحظِwith a glance قَلبيmy heart خَمشاhe scratched
خَدَّه مِثلَما باللَحظِ قَلبي خَمشا
The glances of my eye scratched his cheek—
His cheek’s glances raked across my eye
his cheek—just as he scratched my heart with a glance.
As if my heart by glancing him were gashed
نَقشَتengraved عَينيmy eye عليهupon it أَسطراًlines
نَقشَت عَيني عليه أَسطراً
أَعرَبَتexpressed عَمّاabout what بِقَلبيin my heart نُقِشاwas engraved
أَعرَبَت عَمّا بِقَلبي نُقِشا
My eye engraved lines upon it,
My eyes etched lines on him and so revealed
expressing what had been engraved in my heart.
What by my heart on them was etched afresh
مُنِعَتwas withheld ثمَّthen تَجلَّتrevealed itself فَدَنَتso it drew near
مُنِعَت ثمَّ تَجلَّت فَدَنَت
رُبَمّاsometimes أَرداكdestroyed you ماwhat قَدhad نَعَشاrevived
رُبَمّا أَرداك ما قَد نَعَشا
It was withheld, then revealed itself and drew near;
Withheld, then showed themselves, drew near
sometimes what revived you can destroy you.
Perhaps to kiss what they had nibbled fresh
أَنتَyou كالبَدرِlike the full moon يُرىis seen اللَيلُthe night بِهِby it
أَنتَ كالبَدرِ يُرى اللَيلُ بِهِ
مؤنساًcomforting طوراًat times وَطوراًand at times موحِشاًforbidding
مؤنساً طوراً وَطوراً موحِشاً
You are like the full moon, by which the night appears
You are like the moon seen now, now not
comforting at times, and at times forbidding.
Lonely awhile, awhile the dark refreshed
كُنbe كَماas شِئتَyou wish فَقَدfor indeed شاءَwilled الهَوىLove
كُن كَما شِئتَ فَقَد شاءَ الهَوى
إِنَّهindeed it يُنفذcarries out فيناin us ماwhatever يَشاit wishes
إِنَّه يُنفذ فينا ما يَشا
Be as you wish, for Love has willed it;
However you desire, for passion’s rule
it carries out in us whatever it wishes.
Prevails, its every whim on us impressed
Sol 6.1