لَولاwere it not for العذارthe cheek-down وَلَولاand were it not for طَرفكyour gaze الساجيlanguid
لَولا العذار وَلَولا طَرفك الساجي
ماnot باتَspent the night مُضناكyour love-worn one بَينَbetween اليائسthe despairing one الراجيthe hopeful one
ما باتَ مُضناك بَينَ اليائس الراجي
Were it not for the down on your cheeks and your languid gaze,
Without your coquetry, without your alluring glance,
the one you have made lovesick would not have spent the night between despair and hope.
My sorrow for you would not persist between despair and hope.
ياO كَعبةKaaba الحُسنbeauty رُكنpillar الصَبرpatience مُنهَدمcollapsed
يا كَعبة الحُسن رُكن الصَبر مُنهَدم
شُلّتmay it be paralyzed يَمينright hand عذولa reproacher فيكconcerning you حجّاجِargumentative
شُلّت يَمين عذول فيك حجّاجِ
O Kaaba of beauty, the pillar of patience lies collapsed.
O epitome of beauty, pillar of demolished patience,
May the right hand of a reproacher who disputes about you be paralyzed!
The right hand of passion in you is paralyzed as pilgrims.
حَبستyou confined روحيmy soul بِسجنin the prison of البُعدseparation عَنكfrom you فَهَلso, is
حَبست روحي بِسجن البُعد عَنك فَهَل
هَذاthis مَتاعprovision لِحَولٍfor a year غَيرwithout إِخراجِrelease
هَذا مَتاع لِحَولٍ غَير إِخراجِ
You confined my soul in the prison of separation from you; is, then,
You have imprisoned my soul in the jail of distance from you, so is there
this provision for a year, without release?
Gain in a situation other than release?
كَمhow long ذاthis أُعانيI endure قَضاياcases لَوعَةٍburning anguish وَضَنىand wasting sickness
كَم ذا أُعاني قَضايا لَوعَةٍ وَضَنى
فَلَيتَهاso, would that they مِنكَfrom you كانَتthey had been ذاتpossessed of إِنتاجِfruitfulness
فَلَيتَها مِنكَ كانَت ذات إِنتاجِ
How long must I endure the cases of anguish and wasting?
How much do I suffer from the issues of burning agony and sorrow.
Would that they had yielded some fruit from you!
If only they were productive because of you.
إِنif كانَwas هَذاthis رضاpleasure مَولايmy lord فُزتI won بِهِwith it
إِن كانَ هَذا رضا مَولاي فُزت بِهِ
فَوزthe triumph الغَريقthe drowning man مَعwith اِستعلاءrising high أَمواجِwaves
فَوز الغَريق مَع اِستعلاء أَمواجِ
If this is my lord's pleasure, I have won it—
If this is the consent of my Master, I have succeeded in it,
the triumph of a drowning man as the waves rise high.
Like the success of a drowning man with rising waves.
فَياso, O غَنيّاًfree of need عَنof المَعنىmeaning البَديعwondrous ألاpray
فَيا غَنيّاً عَن المَعنى البَديع ألا
رِفقاًbe gentle بِصبٍّwith a passionate lover إِلىfor لُقياكmeeting you مُحتاجِin need
رِفقاً بِصبٍّ إِلى لُقياك مُحتاجِ
So, O you who need no wondrous meaning, pray,
So, O you who have no need for rhetorical embellishment, be gentle
be gentle with a passionate lover who needs to meet you.
With a lover who desperately needs to meet you.
فَأَنتَfor you دُرّةa pearl عقدnecklace الحسنbeauty فيin شَرفhonor
فَأَنتَ دُرّة عقد الحسن في شَرف
يَزينadorns مَعناكyour essence لاno بَلrather دُرّةa pearl التاجِthe crown
يَزين مَعناك لا بَل دُرّة التاجِ
For you are the pearl of beauty's necklace, in a rank of honor
You are a pearl in the necklace of beauty, rather the pearl in the crown
that adorns your essence—no, rather, the pearl of the crown.
Adorning your essence, not just a pearl in a necklace.
أَهواهI love him نَحويّa grammarian لَفظٍspeech فارِسيّPersian حلىadornments
أَهواه نَحويّ لَفظٍ فارِسيّ حلى
يريكshows you حاجبهhis eyebrow أَفعالdeeds زجّاجِZajjaj
يريك حاجبه أَفعال زجّاجِ
I love him: a grammarian in speech, Persian in adornment;
I am infatuated with the charming words of Persian poetry
his eyebrow shows you the deeds of Zajjaj.
That show you the actions of a skillful glassblower.
سَلَكتُI followed فيin حُبّهlove for him مِنهاجa path ذيone possessed of وَلَهٍlove's bewilderment
سَلَكتُ في حُبّه مِنهاج ذي وَلَهٍ
وَهَلand is there لِسالكfor a traveler ذاthis المِنهاجpath مِنany هاجيreviler
وَهَل لِسالك ذا المِنهاج مِن هاجي
In loving him, I followed the path of one distraught with love;
I have followed the path of passionate love for you,
and is there anyone to revile a traveler on this path?
Can someone on this path have a guide?
فدىًa ransom لآسfor the myrtle عذاريهhis two cheek-locks فؤادa heart شجٍgrieving
فدىً لآس عذاريه فؤاد شجٍ
ناجيconfiding in الغَرامpassion وَلَكنbut لَيسَis not بِالناجيat all saved
ناجي الغَرام وَلَكن لَيسَ بِالناجي
May a grieving heart be ransom for the myrtle of his two cheek-locks—
I sacrifice the agony of my heart, though a secretive lover,
confiding in passion, yet not saved.
A lover of passion, but not one who achieves his desires.
قالواthey said تَعذّرhe became unattainable فاِسلوso forget عَنaway from هَواهlove for him وَقَدand already
قالوا تَعذّر فاِسلو عَن هَواه وَقَد
بَداappeared لَهُمto them مِنهُfrom him بَدرa full moon التمّfullness فيin داجيa dark night
بَدا لَهُم مِنهُ بَدر التمّ في داجي
They said, 'He is unattainable; forget your love for him,' though
They said his love was impossible, for the full moon in its splendor
a moon in its fullness had appeared to them from him amid darkness.
Had appeared to them while still crescent.
نعمyes هُوَhe اللَيلthe night إِلّاexcept أنَّthat ظُلمتهhis darkness
نعم هُوَ اللَيل إِلّا أنَّ ظُلمته
ضاءتshone بِنورwith the light of سِراجa lamp مِنهُfrom him وَهّاجِblazing
ضاءت بِنور سِراج مِنهُ وَهّاجِ
Yes, he is the night, except that his darkness
Yes, it is the night, except that its darkness
shone with the light of a lamp blazing forth from him.
Was illuminated by the radiant lamp within it.
فَقيلso it was said فيin سندسfine silk خضرٍgreen نَرىwe see قَمَراa moon
فَقيل في سندس خضرٍ نَرى قَمَرا
وَرُبّماand perhaps قيلit was said فيin إِكليلa circlet دِيباجِbrocade
وَرُبّما قيل في إِكليل دِيباجِ
So it was said, 'We see a moon in fine green silk,'
So it was said about green silk that we see the moon in it,
and perhaps it was said, 'In a circlet of brocade.'
And at times said about a bejeweled crown.
وَقُلتand I said مُذwhen نِلتI attained مِنfrom تاريخهhis chronogram أَرباًan aim
وَقُلت مُذ نِلت مِن تاريخه أَرباً
سطرa line مِنof المسكmusk فيon طرسa sheet مِنof العاجِivory
سطر مِن المسك في طرس مِن العاجِ
And I said, when I achieved my aim in his chronogram:
And I have said since gaining experience in his chronicles,
'A line of musk on a sheet of ivory.'
A line of musk on a page of ivory.
Sol 6.1