هَوَيتُهُI loved him تَحتَbeneath أَطمارٍtattered clothes مُشَعَّثَةٍdisheveled
هَوَيتُهُ تَحتَ أَطمارٍ مُشَعَّثَةٍ
وَطالِبُand the seeker of الدُرِّpearls لاnot يَغتَرُّis deceived بِالصَدَفِby shells
وَطالِبُ الدُرِّ لا يَغتَرُّ بِالصَدَفِ
I loved him beneath tattered, disheveled clothes,
His passion lies beneath ragged blankets,
and the seeker of pearls is not fooled by shells.
And the seeker of pearls is not fooled by shells.
وَخَبَّرَتنيand told me مَعانٍmeanings فيin مَراسِمِهِhis features
وَخَبَّرَتني مَعانٍ في مَراسِمِهِ
بِهِabout him كَماjust as خَبَّرَtold العُنوانُthe heading بِالصُحُفِabout the pages
بِهِ كَما خَبَّرَ العُنوانُ بِالصُحُفِ
And the meanings conveyed by his features told me
And intimations in his manners have told me
of him, as a heading tells of the pages.
About him, as a title page tells of books.
وَلاحَand appeared ليto me مِنamong أَماراتِsigns of الجَمالِbeauty بِهِin him
وَلاحَ لي مِن أَماراتِ الجَمالِ بِهِ
ماwhat كانَwas عَنfrom لَحظِthe gaze of غَيريothers besides me بِالخُمولِthrough obscurity خَفيhidden
ما كانَ عَن لَحظِ غَيري بِالخُمولِ خَفي
And among the signs of beauty in him, I glimpsed
And of the signs of beauty in him I saw
what obscurity had hidden from others' gaze.
What was not from the glance of another concealed.
فَظَلتُso I kept أُرخِصُI make light of ماwhat يُبديهِhe shows it مِنof دَرَنٍgrime
فَظَلتُ أُرخِصُ ما يُبديهِ مِن دَرَنٍ
بِهِon him وَأَدحُضُand I dispel ماwhat يُخفيهِhe conceals it مِنof جَنَفِwaywardness
بِهِ وَأَدحُضُ ما يُخفيهِ مِن جَنَفِ
So I kept making light of the grime he showed
So I deemed cheap what he showed of defects in him
on himself, and dispelling the waywardness he concealed,
And refuted what he hid of fraud in himself.
حَتّىuntil إِذاwhen تَمَّwas perfected مَعنىthe essence of حُسنِهِhis beauty وَبَداand he appeared
حَتّى إِذا تَمَّ مَعنى حُسنِهِ وَبَدا
كَالبَدرِlike the full moon فيin التَمِّfullness أَوor كَالشَمسِlike the sun فيin الشَرَفِexaltation
كَالبَدرِ في التَمِّ أَو كَالشَمسِ في الشَرَفِ
until, when his beauty's essence was perfected and he appeared
Until when the meaning of his beauty was complete
like the moon in its fullness, or the sun in its exaltation,
And appeared like the full moon in the darkness, or like the sun at dawn,
وَلاحَand gleamed كَالصارِمِlike a keen sword المَصقولِpolished أَخلَصَهُpurified it
وَلاحَ كَالصارِمِ المَصقولِ أَخلَصَهُ
تَتَبُّعُthe painstaking care of القَينِthe smith مِنfrom شَينٍblemish وَمِنand from كَلَفِstain
تَتَبُّعُ القَينِ مِن شَينٍ وَمِن كَلَفِ
and gleamed like a polished sword, freed
And it shone like a polished sword, its purity
by the smith's painstaking care from blemish and stain,
Seeking out any speck, however slight.
وَجالَand coursed فيthrough وَجهِهِhis face ماءُthe water of الحَياةِlife كَماjust as
وَجالَ في وَجهِهِ ماءُ الحَياةِ كَما
يَجولُcourses ماءُthe water of الحَياrain فيthrough الرَوضَةِthe meadow الأُنُفِungrazed
يَجولُ ماءُ الحَيا في الرَوضَةِ الأُنُفِ
and the water of life coursed through his face, as
And the water of life flowed on his face
rainwater courses through an ungrazed meadow,
As the water of life flows in a fresh garden.
وَأَولَدَand brought forth الحُسنُbeauty فيin أَحداقِهِhis eyes حَوَراًvivid black-and-white contrast in the eyes
وَأَولَدَ الحُسنُ في أَحداقِهِ حَوَراً
وَضاعَفَand doubled الدَلُّcoquetry ماwhat بِالجِسمِin the body مِنof تَرَفِdelicate softness
وَضاعَفَ الدَلُّ ما بِالجِسمِ مِن تَرَفِ
and beauty brought forth in his eyes a striking contrast of black and white,
And beauty begot houris in his eyes
and coquetry doubled his body's softness,
And increased the charm that was in his body.
أَضحَتbecame بِهِaround him حَدَقُthe eyes of الحُسّادِthe envious مُحدِقَةًencircling
أَضحَت بِهِ حَدَقُ الحُسّادِ مُحدِقَةً
تَرنوgaze إِلَيهِat him بِطَرفٍwith an eye غَيرِnot مُنطَرِفِblinking
تَرنو إِلَيهِ بِطَرفٍ غَيرِ مُنطَرِفِ
the eyes of the envious came to encircle him,
With him, the eyes of jealous detractors
gazing at him with an unblinking eye.
Became wakeful, gazing at him with unblinking eyes.
وَظَلَّand remained كُلُّevery صَديقٍfriend يَرتَضيaccepts سَخطيmy anger
وَظَلَّ كُلُّ صَديقٍ يَرتَضي سَخطي
فيهِover him وَكُلُّand every شَفيقٍwell-wisher يَرتَجيhopes for تَلَفيmy ruin
فيهِ وَكُلُّ شَفيقٍ يَرتَجي تَلَفي
And every friend remained content to incur my anger
And every friend was pleased at my anger with him
over him, and every well-wisher hoped for my ruin.
And every gentle soul hoped for my affection.
ياO! لِلرِجالِto the men for help أَماis there not? لِلحُبِّfor love مُنتَصِرٌa champion
يا لِلرِجالِ أَما لِلحُبِّ مُنتَصِرٌ
لِضُعفِfor the weakness of كُلِّevery مُحِبٍّlover غَيرِnot مُنتَصِفِobtaining justice
لِضُعفِ كُلِّ مُحِبٍّ غَيرِ مُنتَصِفِ
Men, to the rescue! Has love no champion
O you men! Is there no defender of love
to aid every helpless lover denied justice?
To aid the weakness of every loving soul?
ماhow أَطيَبَsweet العَيشَlife لَولاwere it not for أَنَّthat سالِكَهُone who walks its path
ما أَطيَبَ العَيشَ لَولا أَنَّ سالِكَهُ
يُمسيbecomes لِأَسهُمِfor the arrows of كَيدِthe scheming of الناسِpeople كَالهَدَفِlike a target
يُمسي لِأَسهُمِ كَيدِ الناسِ كَالهَدَفِ
How sweet life would be, were it not that whoever walks its path
How good life would be were it not for the fact
ends up like a target for the arrows of people's scheming.
That its traveler becomes the target of people's schemes.
Sol 6.1