فَعَلَتshe did كماjust as فَعَلَتْit did سُلافُpure wine الساقيthe cupbearer
فَعَلَت كما فَعَلَتْ سُلافُ الساقي
هَيفاءُa slender-waisted maiden تَحكِيresembles الغُصنَthe bough فيamong الأَوراقِthe leaves
هَيفاءُ تَحكِي الغُصنَ في الأَوراقِ
She did what the cupbearer's pure wine did—
She did as the cups of the pourer did before
A slender maiden, like a bough among leaves.
Hayfa recounting the branch in the leaves
لَبِسَتْshe donned منَof الوَشيِbrocade البديعِexquisite مَطارِفاًbordered cloaks
لَبِسَتْ منَ الوَشيِ البديعِ مَطارِفاً
ولهاand she has منof الأَسرارِsecrets حَبْكُthe weave نِطاقِa girdle
ولها من الأَسرارِ حَبْكُ نِطاقِ
She donned bordered cloaks of exquisite brocade,
She wore from the excellent brocade wrappers
And secrets formed the weave of her girdle.
And she has from the secrets a weaving of a belt
أَحيَتْshe revived بِزَورتِهاwith her visit فُؤَادَthe heart مُحِبِّهاher lover
أَحيَتْ بِزَورتِها فُؤَادَ مُحِبِّها
مِثلَlike السَّليمِthe snake-bitten person أتاهُcame to him نَفثُblown breath الراقيthe charm-reciter
مِثلَ السَّليمِ أتاهُ نَفثُ الراقي
With her visit she revived her lover's heart,
She revived with her visit the heart of her lover
Like one snake-bitten, reached by a charm-reciter's breath.
Like the invalid who was breathed upon by the healer
بَعَثَsent الحبيبُthe beloved بهاwith her إليَّto me حبيبةًa beloved woman
بَعَثَ الحبيبُ بها إليَّ حبيبةً
هاجَتْshe stirred إليهِtoward him بلابلَpangs الأشواقِlongings
هاجَتْ إليهِ بلابلَ الأشواقِ
The beloved sent her to me as a beloved;
The beloved sent her to me as a sweetheart
She stirred the pangs of longing for him.
She stirred for him the nightingales of passions
مكنونةٌconcealed أَخَذَتshe occupied خُدُورَcurtained chambers صَحائِفٍpages
مكنونةٌ أَخَذَت خُدُورَ صَحائِفٍ
فإذاthen when بَدَتshe appeared أَخَذَتshe occupied خُدُورَcurtained chambers تَراقِcollarbones
فإذا بَدَت أَخَذَت خُدُورَ تَراقِ
Hidden away, she occupied the curtained chambers of pages;
A hidden one who took the breasts of pages
Then, when she appeared, she occupied chambers beneath collarbones.
So when she appeared she took the breasts of springs
أَلقَتْshe cast علىupon بَصَريmy sight وسَمعيand my hearing صَبْوةًpassionate longing
أَلقَتْ على بَصَري وسَمعي صَبْوةً
فكلاهُماso both of them منof عُصبةِthe company العُشَّاقِthe lovers
فكلاهُما من عُصبةِ العُشَّاقِ
She cast passionate longing upon my sight and hearing,
She cast upon my sight and hearing an intoxication
So both are of the company of lovers.
And so both of them are from the troop of lovers
ياO سَيِّداًmaster مَلَكَpossessed النُفوسَthe souls بلُطفِهِthrough his gentleness
يا سَيِّداً مَلَكَ النُفوسَ بلُطفِهِ
فغدَتso they became رقيقةَenslaved to رِقَّةِgentleness الأخلاقِcharacter
فغدَت رقيقةَ رِقَّةِ الأخلاقِ
O master, who won souls through his gentleness,
O master who possessed souls with his kindness
So they became slaves to the gentleness of his character.
And so they became delicate with the delicacy of morals
أَسمعتَهاyou made them hear نظمَverse الحبيبِthe beloved فماand not دَرَتْthey knew
أَسمعتَها نظمَ الحبيبِ فما دَرَتْ
أحبيبُwas it Habib طيٍّTayy أمor حبيبُHabib عِراقِIraq
أحبيبُ طيٍّ أم حبيبُ عِراقِ
You made them hear the beloved's verse, and they could not tell:
Did you hear her composing the verses of the beloved so she knew
Was it Habib of Tayy or Habib of Iraq?
Is the beloved one from Tayy or the beloved one from Iraq?
قدindeed جاءَنيcame to me منكَfrom you المديحُthe praise كأَنَّهُas though it were
قد جاءَني منكَ المديحُ كأَنَّهُ
زَهرٌblossoms يَمُدُّextends لقَفرةٍfor a barren waste بِرِواقِwith a canopy
زَهرٌ يَمُدُّ لقَفرةٍ بِرِواقِ
Your praise has come to me as though it were
Praise has come to me from you as if it is
Blossoms spreading a canopy over a barren waste.
A flower that stretches to a barren woman with a porch
منfrom صَنعةِthe craftsmanship الأَقلامِthe pens كانَwas طِرازُهُits adornment
من صَنعةِ الأَقلامِ كانَ طِرازُهُ
وطِرَازُكمand your adornment منfrom صَنعةِthe craftsmanship الخلاَّقِthe Creator
وطِرَازُكم من صَنعةِ الخلاَّقِ
Its adornment was the handiwork of pens;
The quality of it was from the making of pens
And your adornment is the handiwork of the Creator.
And your quality is from the making of the Creator
Sol 6.1