ماذاwhat عليَّupon me إذاif نزلتُI stopped بدارِهاat her house
ماذا عليَّ إذا نزلتُ بدارِها
وأقمتُand I stayed مثلَlike اللصِّthe thief خلفَbehind جِدارهاher wall
وأقمتُ مثلَ اللصِّ خلفَ جِدارها
What blame is mine if I stopped at her house
What fault is mine if I dwelt in her abode
And stayed like a thief behind her wall,
And lingered there like a thief behind her wall?
وقطفتُand I plucked منfrom حُزْنِsorrow الحديقةِthe garden دَمْعةًa tear
وقطفتُ من حُزْنِ الحديقةِ دَمْعةً
وأجَبْتُand I answered كأسيmy cup عنabout سؤالِquestion ثِمارهاher fruits
وأجَبْتُ كأسي عن سؤالِ ثِمارها
And plucked a tear from the garden’s sorrow,
If from the garden of sorrow I plucked a tear
And answered my cup’s question about her fruits,
And my cup gave answer to the questioning of its fruits?
وهمستُand I whispered فيin أذُنear الهَواءِthe air بخفّةٍwith lightness
وهمستُ في أذُن الهَواءِ بخفّةٍ
ليحطِّمَso that it might shatter الشُبّاكَthe window تحتَbeneath سِتارهاher curtain
ليحطِّمَ الشُبّاكَ تحتَ سِتارها
And whispered lightly into the air’s ear,
If I whispered softly in the ear of the breeze
So it might shatter the window beneath her curtain,
To shatter her window pane beneath its curtain,
فَأرَىso I might see الوسادةَthe pillow كيفَhow يغفوfalls asleep طرْفُهاher eye
فَأرَى الوسادةَ كيفَ يغفو طرْفُها
وحَدائقُand gardens البِلّوْرِthe crystal حولَaround إزارهاher wrap!
وحَدائقُ البِلّوْرِ حولَ إزارها!
So I might see the pillow—how her eye falls asleep—
That I might see how her pillow slumbers
And gardens of crystal around her wrap!
And gardens of crystal around her hips?
ماذاwhat عليَّupon me إذاif نَظرْتُI looked بضِحكةٍwith a laugh
ماذا عليَّ إذا نَظرْتُ بضِحكةٍ
للّيلِat the night وهوwhile it يَئِنُّgroans خَوْفَin fear of نَهارهاher day
للّيلِ وهو يَئِنُّ خَوْفَ نَهارها
What blame is mine if I looked with a laugh
What fault is mine if I looked with a smile
At the night as it groans in fear of her day,
On the night as it moaned in fear of her dawn
والنحلُand the bees مشغولٌbusy بجمْعِwith gathering رحيقهِtheir nectar
والنحلُ مشغولٌ بجمْعِ رحيقهِ
منfrom فتنةِallure التفّاحِthe apples فوقupon عِذارهاher cheek
من فتنةِ التفّاحِ فوق عِذارها
And the bees are busy gathering their nectar
While the bees were busy gathering nectar
From the allure of apples upon her cheek,
From the seductions of apples in their bloom?
فَشربتُso I drank حتىuntil أثمَلتنيintoxicated me فكرتيmy thought
فَشربتُ حتى أثمَلتني فكرتي
وَصَحوتُand I awoke أسألُI ask: ماwhat السبيلُthe way لِدارِهاto her house؟
وَصَحوتُ أسألُ: ما السبيلُ لِدارِها؟
So I drank until my thought intoxicated me,
I drank until my mind was dizzy with thought
And awoke asking: what is the way to her house?
And awoke asking: What is the way to her house?
Sol 6.1