سَلهُask him عنabout وَجديmy longing وعنand about كَلفيmy infatuation
سَلهُ عن وَجدي وعن كَلفي
فهُماfor they both عَوناهُhis two helpers علىin تلَفيmy destruction
فهُما عَوناهُ على تلَفي
Ask him about my longing and my infatuation;
Ask him about my love and my suffering,
for both are his helpers in my destruction.
For they both aid me in my demise,
يُوسفيٌّJoseph-like الحُسنِin beauty مُنفردٌunrivaled
يُوسفيٌّ الحُسنِ مُنفردٌ
كانفراديlike my being alone فيهover him بالأَسفِin sorrow
كانفرادي فيه بالأَسفِ
Joseph-like in beauty, he stands alone,
Unique is his beauty like Joseph,
as I stand alone in sorrow over him.
As unique as my sorrow for him,
ماnot لدُرِّfor the pearls of الثَّغرِthe mouth منهof him سِوَىexcept
ما لدُرِّ الثَّغرِ منه سِوَى
ذَلكَthat الَمرجانِthe coral منany صَدَفِshell
ذَلكَ الَمرجانِ من صَدَفِ
The pearls of his mouth have only
Nothing rivals his lips but
that coral for a shell.
That coral inside the shell,
هابطٌlow حظِّيmy fortune بهِwith him وأرَىand I see
هابطٌ حظِّي بهِ وأرَى
أنَّthat فيin عِشقيmy love لهُfor him شَرَفيmy honor
أنَّ في عِشقي لهُ شَرَفي
My fortune with him is low, yet I see
My fortune has declined with him, yet I see
that in my love for him lies my honor.
That to love him is an honor for me,
أيُّهاO البدرُthe full moon الذيwho بَسناwith the radiance of
أيُّها البدرُ الذي بَسنا
وَجههِhis face يجلوdispels دُجاthe gloom of السَّدفِthe night-darkness
وَجههِ يجلو دُجا السَّدفِ
O full moon, who with the radiance
O moon whose face dispels
of his face dispels the gloom of night,
The darkness of the night sky's curtain,
بالذيby that which فيin الخدِّthe cheek مِنof ضرَجٍcrimson coloring
بالذي في الخدِّ مِن ضرَجٍ
والذيand that which فيin القَدِّthe figure مِنof هَيَفِslenderness
والذي في القَدِّ مِن هَيَفِ
by the crimson blush upon your cheek
With that mole on his cheek
and the slender grace of your figure,
And that bend in his waist,
تِهstrut بِخَصرٍwith a waist غيرِnot مُختَصَرٍclasped
تِه بِخَصرٍ غيرِ مُختَصَرٍ
وبِعطِفٍand with a flank غيرِnot مُنعطِفِbending
وبِعطِفٍ غيرِ مُنعطِفِ
strut with a waist no one has clasped,
His waist is anything but small
and a flank that will not bend;
And his body anything but stiff,
وتحكَّمand rule at will فيover حَشاthe heart of وَصِبٍone ailing
وتحكَّم في حَشا وَصِبٍ
مُستَهامٍbewildered by love مُغرمٍenamored دَنِفِwasting away
مُستَهامٍ مُغرمٍ دَنِفِ
and rule at will over a sufferer's heart,
Having mastered the art of allurement
bewildered by love, enamored, wasting away.
And captivated a passionate lover,
عانقَتهُhas embraced him فيكَfor you صَبوَتُهhis yearning
عانقَتهُ فيكَ صَبوَتُه
كاعتناقِlike the embrace of اللاَّمِthe letter lām للأَلفِof the letter alif
كاعتناقِ اللاَّمِ للأَلفِ
His yearning for you has embraced him
His youth embraced you
as lām embraces alif.
As the letter Alif embraces Lam,
ليسَit is not فيin شَرعِthe law of الهوَىlove أبداًever
ليسَ في شَرعِ الهوَى أبداً
واجبٌobligatory أنَّthat المِلاحَthe beautiful ones تفيkeep faith
واجبٌ أنَّ المِلاحَ تفي
Under love's law, it is never
It is never a must in the law of passion
required that the beautiful keep faith.
That feelings should be mutual,
ياO دُموعيmy tears إِنif سكتُّI fall silent أَناI
يا دُموعي إِن سكتُّ أَنا
فَاشرحيthen explain أَنتِyou الهَوىlove وصِفيand describe
فَاشرحي أَنتِ الهَوى وصِفي
O my tears, if I fall silent,
My tears, if I stay silent
then you explain love and describe it.
You explain the love and describe it.
Sol 6.1