بتّI spent the night فيin الهوىlove ثملاًintoxicated
بتّ في الهوى ثملاً
صاحيsober بسكرthrough the drunkenness of الوجدrapture
صاحي بسكر الوجد
I spent the night intoxicated with love,
I was drunk with love,
sober through the drunkenness of rapture.
Awake with the intoxication of passion,
يضربsets forth الهوىlove مثلاًan example
يضرب الهوى مثلاً
فيّin me بعشقيthrough my love وحديmyself alone
فيّ بعشقي وحدي
Love sets forth an example
Love gives me an example,
in me, through my love alone.
Of my love and solitude.
أعشقI adore الجمالاbeauty إنif أرَI see الغزالاthe gazelle
أعشق الجمالا إن أرَ الغزالا
قدindeed دناdrew near دلالاin coy grace
قد دنا دلالا
I adore beauty when I see the gazelle
I love beauty if I see a gazelle,
who has drawn near in coy grace.
That has come near fluttering.
ريمٌa gazelle إنif دناhe drew near قتلاhe slew
ريمٌ إن دنا قتلا
باللحظwith the glance ضاريravening الأسدthe lion
باللحظ ضاري الأسد
A gazelle who, when he draws near, slays
Rime if it comes near it kills,
with a glance the ravening lion.
With a glance that makes the lion flee.
هزّhe swayed قدّهhis stature أسلاlances
هزّ قدّه أسلا
لعاشقيهto his lovers مرديdeadly
لعاشقيه مردي
He swayed his lance-like form,
It bent its neck submissively,
deadly to his lovers.
To its lovers bending.
فانثنيthen he bent ومالاand swayed بالجفونwith the eyelids صالاhe charged
فانثني ومالا بالجفون صالا
يرشقhe shoots النبالاthe arrows
يرشق النبالا
Then he bent and swayed; with his eyelids he charged,
It then bowed and inclined,
shooting arrows.
With its eyelids drawing together yearning.
روضthe garden of خدّهhis cheek خجلاwas abashed
روض خدّه خجلا
منهbefore it غضيضُtender الوردِthe rose
منه غضيضُ الوردِ
His cheek's garden—abashed
It shoots arrows,
before it is the tender rose.
The garden of its cheek turned red with shyness,
والطلاand wine غداbecame وجلاfearful
والطلا غدا وجلا
منof ريقهhis saliva الماورديrosewater-like
من ريقه الماوردي
And wine grew fearful
Dew came and the rose bud
of his rosewater saliva.
Blushed from its saliva.
فاقhe surpassed المسكmusk خالاin beauty mark والغصنand the bough اعتدالاin upright poise
فاق المسك خالا والغصن اعتدالا
والبدرand the full moon اكتمالاin perfection
والبدر اكتمالا
He surpassed musk in his beauty mark, and the bough in his poise,
It surpassed musk in moles and the branch in flexibility,
and the full moon in perfection.
And the full moon in perfection,
غزليmy love verse قدindeed غداbecame غزلاspun yarn
غزلي قد غدا غزلا
ينسجit weaves حسنbeautiful البردthe mantle
ينسج حسن البرد
My love verse has become spun yarn,
My love poem has become a love poem,
weaving a beautiful mantle.
In which the beauty of this land is woven.
فيهfor him عفتI scorned منwhoever عزلاreproached (reading uncertain)
فيه عفت من عزلا
فيin هزلهhis jest والجدّand earnestness
في هزله والجدّ
For him I scorned whoever reproached me,
In it chastity from isolation,
in his jest and in earnest.
In its jest and seriousness.
بأبيwith my father as ransom غزالاa gazelle ينثنيhe bends دلالاin coy grace
بأبي غزالا ينثني دلالا
يكسفhe eclipses الهلالاthe crescent moon
يكسف الهلالا
May my father be ransom for a gazelle bending in coy grace,
By my father the gazelle bends fluttering,
eclipsing the crescent moon.
Eclipsing the crescent moon.
سلّhe unsheathed لحظهhis glance فعلاso it rose
سلّ لحظه فعلا
علىabove الحسامthe keen blade الهنديIndian
على الحسام الهندي
He unsheathed his glance, and it rose
Its glance had an effect,
above the Indian blade,
On the Indian scimitar,
حيثsince صبّهhis lovesick lover قتلاhe slew
حيث صبّه قتلا
بالعينwith the eye لاnot بالأيديwith the hands
بالعين لا بالأيدي
for he slew his lovesick lover
Where he poured death,
with the eye, not with hands.
With the eyes not the hands.
فيagainst المحبّthe lover صالاhe charged يقطعhe severs الوصالاunion
في المحبّ صالا يقطع الوصالا
وصلُناour union استحالاbecame impossible
وصلُنا استحالا
He charged at the lover, severing union;
In the lover it meets and separates,
our union became impossible.
Our connection became impossible,
مشربthe drinking-source of الغرامpassionate love فلاso it will not
مشرب الغرام فلا
يصفوrun clear لصبٍّfor a lovesick lover بعديafter me
يصفو لصبٍّ بعدي
The spring of passion, then, will not
The drink of passion so,
run clear for a lovesick lover after me,
It does not clear for any lover after me.
إذsince وردتهI approached it to drink عللاfor another draught
إذ وردته عللا
وطابand was sweet فيهin it ورديmy drinking
وطاب فيه وردي
since I came to it for another draught,
As its water was diseased,
and my drinking there was sweet.
And my rose thrived in it.
منwhoever يكنmay be تحالاseeking sweetness (reading uncertain) فيهin it ماتdied حالاat once
من يكن تحالا فيه مات حالا
سقماًfrom sickness وانتحالاand wasting away
سقماً وانتحالا
Whoever seeks sweetness in it dies at once,
Who claims in it he dies immediately,
of sickness and wasting.
Sick and falsely.
حبlove منsince ألستAm I not? بلىYes indeed
حب من ألست بلى
كانwas هواهlove for him عهديmy covenant
كان هواه عهدي
Love since 'Am I not?'—'Yes':
The love of am I not yes,
loving him was my covenant.
His love was my pact.
منهfrom him كمhow much ضنىwasting sickness وبلاand affliction
منه كم ضنى وبلا
قلّدنيhe hung upon my neck كالعقدِlike a necklace
قلّدني كالعقدِ
How much wasting sickness and affliction from him
From it how much he resented and tested me,
he hung about my neck like a necklace!
He collared me like a necklace.
انعمI am at ease فيهin it بالاat heart لمdid not أخفI fear وبالاill consequence
انعم فيه بالا لم أخف وبالا
لاno ولاnor نكالاpunishment
لا ولا نكالا
I am content at heart in it; I feared no ill consequence,
Relish in it without fear or trials,
no, nor any punishment.
No, no hardships.
Sol 6.1