مذsince بداappeared باهيradiant المحيّاthe countenance
مذ بدا باهي المحيّا
فاختفىand so vanished البدرthe full moon المنيرthe luminous
فاختفى البدر المنير
Since the radiant-faced one appeared,
Since the radiant beauty appeared
The luminous full moon vanished.
And the bright full moon disappeared
حينwhen لاحhe shone forth أشهدI bear witness اَنّيthat I حسناًbeauty منّيfrom me
حين لاح أشهد اَنّي حسناً منّي
بالعينin the eye نورlight الحسنof beauty
بالعين نور الحسن
When he shone forth, I bear witness that I am beauty from myself.
When the beauty I bear witness to appeared
In the eye, the light of beauty.
The beauty's light filled my eyes
أفتنيgive me a ruling غيبنيmake me absent أحضرنيbring me into presence
أفتني غيبني أحضرني
لاnot أرىI see الوجهthe face الحسنthe beautiful
لا أرى الوجه الحسن
Give me a ruling; make me absent; bring me into presence.
It distracted me, made me disappear, brought me back
I do not see the beautiful face.
I cannot see the beautiful face
لاحhe shone forth صاحcried out منfrom سكرتيmy intoxication مَدَدْhelp مددْhelp
لاح صاح من سكرتي مَدَدْ مددْ
زينبZaynab الحسنof beauty ورياand Rayya
زينب الحسن وريا
He shone forth; a cry rose from my intoxication: “Help! Help!”
It appeared, called out intoxicating me
Zaynab of beauty, and Rayya,
Zainab's beauty and fragrance
منهfrom him حسناًbeauty تستعيرshe borrows
منه حسناً تستعير
فيin صباحa morning تستجليshe beholds clearly باهيradiant الحسنin beauty
في صباح تستجلي باهي الحسن
Borrow beauty from him.
From it I borrow beauty
At dawn she beholds the one radiant in beauty,
In the morning, the beautiful radiance is revealed
منfrom معنىthe essence لدنsupple الغصنthe bough
من معنى لدن الغصن
إذas يثنِّيhe bends بالتثنّيwith swaying القدّthe figure اللدنيthe supple
إذ يثنِّي بالتثنّي القدّ اللدني
From the essence of the supple bough.
With meaning from the sapling branch
As he bends his supple figure in a sway,
As it sways gently with its tenderness
فازدرىand so he disdained زاهيflourishing الفننthe bough
فازدرى زاهي الفنن
أينwhere مَنone who مِنfrom صبوتيmy yearning وجداًpassion وجدhas felt
أين مَن مِن صبوتي وجداً وجد
He disdained the flourishing bough.
So the elegant ignored the skilled
Where is one who has felt the passion of my yearning?
Where is the one who found my youth, sincerity and passion
مغرمa lover الغيدof graceful maidens مهيّاmade ready
مغرم الغيد مهيّا
لجنانٍfor gardens فيin سعيرblazing fire
لجنانٍ في سعير
A lover of graceful maidens, made ready
The passionate lover, radiant
For gardens amid blazing fire,
Of gardens in inferno
حيثwhere راحhe went ذاpossessed of حزنsorrow تحتunder الرهنbondage
حيث راح ذا حزن تحت الرهن
للبينfor separation سهدsleeplessness الجفنof the eyelid
للبين سهد الجفن
Where he went sorrowful, held in bondage.
Where one in sorrow went under pledge
Separation leaves the eyelid sleepless.
For separation, the eyelid fell asleep
أرَّقنيhe kept me awake ذوَّقنيhe made me taste فيin عينيmy eye
أرَّقني ذوَّقني في عيني
بالكرىthrough slumber طيبthe sweetness الوسنof drowsiness
بالكرى طيب الوسن
He kept me awake, made me taste in my eye
It made me sleepless, gave me pain in my eyes
Through slumber, the sweetness of drowsiness.
With wind, the aroma of plants
حالstate حالchanged وافتيand my affliction لاحٍa reproacher ألدobstinately contentious
حال حال وافتي لاحٍ ألد
ماسhe swayed كالغصنlike the bough جنياripe for plucking
ماس كالغصن جنيا
The state has changed, and my bane is an obstinate reproacher.
The condition came and met me, radiance appeared
He swayed like a bough ripe for plucking,
Smooth as a sapling branch
فيin ربىthe hills الروضof the garden النضيرthe lush
في ربى الروض النضير
حينwhen فاحhe breathed fragrance محبوبيmy beloved وبداand appeared يجليhe reveals
حين فاح محبوبي وبدا يجلي
On the hills of the lush garden.
When my beloved appeared and his beauty shone through
When my beloved breathed fragrance and appeared, unveiling himself,
With inclination and tenderness
بالميلwith leaning والتثنّيand swaying
بالميل والتثنّي
بالعجبwith self-admiration عطفاًa flank يثنيhe bends إذas يسبيhe captivates
بالعجب عطفاً يثني إذ يسبي
With leaning and swaying,
With wonder, he looked back as he captivated
With pride he bends his flank, as he captivates
In his love, green plants
فيin هواهlove for him خضرgreen growth الدمنthe dungheaps
في هواه خضر الدمن
كمhow many لهto him فيin الروضةthe garden غصنa bough سجدprostrated itself
كم له في الروضة غصن سجد
In love for him, the green growth of dungheaps.
How many branches in the garden bowed down
How many a bough in the garden has prostrated itself before him!
Our full moon, sun of passion
بدرناour full moon شمسthe sun الحميّاof wine
بدرنا شمس الحميّا
لاحshone forth للكأسfor the cup يديرhe passes around
لاح للكأس يدير
Our full moon, the sun of wine,
Appeared for the cup he turns
Shone forth, passing the cup around.
He took me to the meadows, O beloved one
صرفunmixed راحwine أوردنيbring me to drink ياO ذاpossessor of الحبّlove
صرف راح أوردني يا ذا الحبّ
فيin الحانthe tavern صافيclear الدنthe wine jar
في الحان صافي الدن
Give me unmixed wine to drink, O possessor of love,
In beautiful melodies
In the tavern, the wine jar’s clear wine.
For art, take from me as he comes closer
للفنّfor the art خذtake عنّيfrom me إذas يدنيhe brings near
للفنّ خذ عنّي إذ يدني
لصفاto purity خيرthe best of السننthe ways
لصفا خير السنن
For this art, learn from me, as he draws one near
To sincerity, the best of morals
To the purity of the finest ways.
He won, attained, the passionate lover, my rose
فازtriumphed حازattained ذوone with لوعةburning yearning حانيmy tavern وردcame to
فاز حاز ذو لوعة حاني ورد
He triumphed and attained—the yearning one who came to my tavern.
Partial English translation: 34 of 35 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1