بينَbetween الخدودِthe cheeks الحُمرِthe red والأَحداقِand the eyes
بينَ الخدودِ الحُمرِ والأَحداقِ
وفُتورِهِنَّand their languor مَصارعُplaces of death العُشَّاقِof the lovers
وفُتورِهِنَّ مَصارعُ العُشَّاقِ
Between red cheeks and eyes,
Between the rosy cheeks and languorous glances
And their languor, lie the places where lovers perish.
Lovers battle it out
وَعلىand on الخُدودِthe cheeks قلائِدٌnecklaces كمhow many دُونَهاbeneath them
وَعلى الخُدودِ قلائِدٌ كم دُونَها
منof مَوردٍa watering place كالصبَّرِlike aloe مُرِّbitter مَذاقِin taste
من مَوردٍ كالصبَّرِ مُرِّ مَذاقِ
And on the cheeks are necklaces, beneath which lie so many
And on the cheeks are necklaces, inferior
Watering places, bitter as aloe to the taste!
To the bitterness of aloes in taste
ياO عاذليmy reproacher دَعنيleave me فَإِنَّيfor I هائِمٌenraptured
يا عاذلي دَعني فَإِنَّي هائِمٌ
بِهَوىwith love for قُدودٍfigures كالغُصونِlike branches رِشاقِslender
بِهَوى قُدودٍ كالغُصونِ رِشاقِ
O my reproacher, leave me, for I am enraptured
Oh reproacher, leave me be, for I am besotted
By love for figures as slender as branches.
With the love of slender branches, so elegant
يَثنيbends الصبِّاthe east wind أَعطافَهاtheir sides بأَهِلَّةٍwith crescent moons
يَثني الصبِّا أَعطافَها بأَهِلَّةٍ
فاقَتsurpassed بُدورَfull moons التِّمِّfullness فيin الإِشراقِradiance
فاقَت بُدورَ التِّمِّ في الإِشراقِ
The east wind sways their forms, bearing crescent moons
The morning bends its arms gracefully
That outshone moons at their fullest in radiance.
Surpassing the perfect full moon at dawn
غُرِّradiant الَمباسِمthe smiling mouths كَمhow often أَذبنَthey melted حُشاشَتيmy remaining life
غُرِّ الَمباسِم كَم أَذبنَ حُشاشَتي
بِصُموتِwith the silence of حجلٍan anklet أَوor بنُطقِwith the speech of نطاقٍa girdle
بِصُموتِ حجلٍ أَو بنُطقِ نطاقٍ
Radiant of smile—how often they have melted my very soul
How the coy glances have melted my insides
With an anklet’s silence or a girdle’s speech.
With the silence of the doe or the babble of the anklet
منof كُلِّevery مُسِكرةِan intoxicating woman اللَّمَىdarkness of the lips منfrom ثغرهاher mouth
من كُلِّ مُسِكرةِ اللَّمَى من ثغرها
وَخُدودِهاand her cheeks ولحاظهاand her sidelong glances ليfor me ساقِa cupbearer
وَخُدودِها ولحاظها لي ساقِ
Each woman whose dark lips intoxicate, with her mouth
Every intoxicant of beauty, from her mouth
And her cheeks and glances, serves as my cupbearer.
And cheeks and glances inebriates me
تَرميshe shoots at القُلوبَthe hearts بناظرٍwith a glance ماnot للظبُّاfor sword blades
تَرمي القُلوبَ بناظرٍ ما للظبُّا
تأثيرهُits effect فيin مُهجةِthe heart العُشَّاقِof the lovers
تأثيرهُ في مُهجةِ العُشَّاقِ
She strikes hearts with a glance; sword blades lack
Her gaze shoots hearts in a way no gazelle’s
Its power over the hearts of lovers.
Could ever impact the soul of lovers
قَطعتshe cut off طريقَthe path الوصلِof union عنfrom مَهجورِهاher forsaken lover
قَطعت طريقَ الوصلِ عن مَهجورِها
حَتَّىeven بزائرِthrough a visitor طيفِهاher phantom الطَّراَّقِthat comes by night
حَتَّى بزائرِ طيفِها الطَّراَّقِ
She has cut off her forsaken lover’s path to union,
She severed the path of union from her abandoned one
Even through her phantom that comes calling at night.
Even from the phantom of her fleeting image
اللهَfor God’s sake ياO ذاتَwoman with اللَّمىdarkness of the lips فيconcerning عاشِقٍa lover
اللهَ يا ذاتَ اللَّمى في عاشِقٍ
لَعبتَtoyed بمُهجِتهِwith his heart يدُthe hand الأَشواقِof longings
لَعبتَ بمُهجِتهِ يدُ الأَشواقِ
For God’s sake, O dark-lipped one, have mercy on a lover
Oh beauty with languid eyes, what you have done
Whose heart the hand of longing has toyed with.
To a heart in the hands of passions so fervent
Sol 6.1