لمnot أزلI cease مُكثِراًmaking many عليهِof him السُّؤالاrequests
لم أزل مُكثِراً عليهِ السُّؤالا
وجَواباًand as an answer ماnot عندهُwith him ليfor me سِوىexcept لاno
وجَواباً ما عندهُ لي سِوى لا
I never ceased pressing him with requests,
I have always asked him so many questions
and he had no answer for me but “No.”
Yet he answers me with nothing but "no"
كلَّماwhenever رُمتُI sought رشفَsipping معسولِthe honey-sweetness of فيهِhis mouth
كلَّما رُمتُ رشفَ معسولِ فيهِ
هَزَّhe brandished ليat me مِنfrom قوامِهhis stature عسَّالاa quivering spear
هَزَّ لي مِن قوامِه عسَّالا
Whenever I sought to sip the sweetness of his mouth,
Whenever I lean in to sip the sweet honey from his lips
he brandished at me a quivering spear—his own form.
He shakes his slender figure and says "don't!"
وتثنَّىand he swayed عجُباًin conceit وماسضand he strutted (apparent typo) دَلاَلاًcoquettishly
وتثنَّى عجُباً وماسض دَلاَلاً
وانثنَىand he turned مُعرضاًturning away وصالَand he attacked وقَالاand he said
وانثنَى مُعرضاً وصالَ وقَالا
He swayed in self-admiration and strutted coquettishly,
He recoils in wonder and hints at refusal
then turned away in disdain, assailed me, and said:
Then leans in close again to say "come hither"
كانَwas عهديmy understanding بالخمرof wine وهيَwhile it is حرامٌforbidden
كانَ عهدي بالخمر وهيَ حرامٌ
فبماذاso how صارتhas it become عليكَfor you حَلالاlawful
فبماذا صارت عليكَ حَلالا
“I had known wine to be forbidden;
I was used to wine though it is forbidden
so how has it become lawful for you?”
So why did it become permissible with you?
ماnot كأنِّيas though I فيin الحُبِّlove إلاَّexcept فقيهٌa jurist
ما كأنِّي في الحُبِّ إلاَّ فقيهٌ
جئتُهُI came to him ابتغيseeking لديهِin his presence الجِدالاdebate
جئتُهُ ابتغي لديهِ الجِدالا
As though in love I were nothing but a jurist,
It's as if I'm a scholar of love when with him
come to him seeking a debate!
I came to him seeking debate and discourse
أناI قصديmy aim تَقبيلُهُkissing him أرَشاداًwhether right guidance
أنا قصدي تَقبيلُهُ أرَشاداً
كانَwas رشقيmy sipping (apparent typo) رُضابَهُhis saliva أمor ضَلالاerror
كانَ رشقي رُضابَهُ أم ضَلالا
My aim is to kiss him—whether it be right guidance
I meant to kiss him for guidance
to sip his saliva, or error.
Yet my saliva was his harsh rebuke or misguidance
حارَwas baffled منِّيwithin me فيin شرحِexplaining حالَيهِhis two states فكِريmy mind
حارَ منِّي في شرحِ حالَيهِ فكِري
كيفَhow يسطُوhe attacks ليثاًas a lion ويعطوand reaches upward غزالاas a gazelle
كيفَ يسطُو ليثاً ويعطو غزالا
My mind was baffled in explaining his two natures:
My mind was confused in explaining my state to him
how he attacks as a lion and reaches up as a gazelle.
How can a lion spare a gazelle?
إنif اطعتُI obeyed الغَرامَpassion فيهfor him فإنيthen I indeed
إن اطعتُ الغَرامَ فيه فإني
قدindeed عصيتُI disobeyed اللُّوَّامَthe reproachers والعُذَّالاand the censurers
قد عصيتُ اللُّوَّامَ والعُذَّالا
If I have obeyed passion for him, then I
If I obey this passion for him, then I
have disobeyed the reproachers and the censurers.
Have disobeyed the Guide and the Judge
كمhow many لعينيهِhis two eyes have فيin الحشاthe heart لحظاتٍglances
كم لعينيهِ في الحشا لحظاتٍ
مُنتضاتٍdrawn forth عنfrom حاجبيهِhis two brows نبالاas arrows
مُنتضاتٍ عن حاجبيهِ نبالا
How many glances his eyes send into the heart,
How many glances from his eyes in the night club
drawn from his brows as arrows!
Fleeting from under his eyebrows like arrows
ياah لهُfor him مِنof مجاهدٍa warrior فيamong محبيِّlovers of
يا لهُ مِن مجاهدٍ في محبيِّ
هِhim ينُاديcalling بمقلتيهِwith his two eyes النُزالاfor combat
هِ ينُادي بمقلتيهِ النُزالا
Ah, what a warrior he is among those who love
Oh what a warrior he is against my love
him, calling with his eyes for combat!
Calling out with his lashes "to battle!"
لمdid not يقاتِلhe fight إلاَّexcept بمنُكسِراتِwith downcast ones
لم يقاتِل إلاَّ بمنُكسِراتِ
ومراضٍand ailing ones مِنَof الجُفونِthe eyelids كَساليsluggish
ومراضٍ مِنَ الجُفونِ كَسالي
He fought only with downcast
He fights only with languid, drowsy eyes
and sickly, languid eyelids.
With tears flowing from the lids as weapons
نصرتهُgave him victory عليهمُover them فاتراتٌlanguid glances
نصرتهُ عليهمُ فاتراتٌ
كلَّماwhenever أرخصَhe cheapened النفُّوَسlives تَغَالىhe grew dearer
كلَّما أرخصَ النفُّوَس تَغَالى
Languid glances gave him victory over them;
The uncaring support him over me
the more he cheapened lives, the dearer he grew.
Whenever the souls become cheap, he becomes dear
كُلُّevery حربِbattle لهُin his favor وَلَيستand is not عليهِagainst him
كُلُّ حربِ لهُ وَلَيست عليهِ
وسمعناand we have heard بهاof it تكونُit is سِجالاalternating in victory
وسمعنا بها تكونُ سِجالا
Every battle goes his way, never against him,
Every war is for him and not against him
though we have heard that victory in war alternates.
Though we hear it said to be mere squabbling
هِمتُI became lovesick منهُbecause of him بهائمٍwith one enamored بجفاهُof his own cruelty
هِمتُ منهُ بهائمٍ بجفاهُ
هاجرٍan aloof one هجريَmy forsaking الرُّقادَsleep وصِالاas union
هاجرٍ هجريَ الرُّقادَ وصِالا
I fell in love with one enamored of his own cruelty,
I am tempted by his indifference to roam
aloof, with my forsaking sleep serving as union.
To forsake sleep and join those who are parted
هازئاًmocking بالغُصونِthe boughs عطفاًin his supple waist وبالكِثand the dunes (word begins)
هازئاً بالغُصونِ عطفاً وبالكِث
بانِcompletion of 'dunes' ردفاًin his haunches وبالرَّماحِand the spears اعتِدالاin uprightness
بانِ ردفاً وبالرَّماحِ اعتِدالا
Mocking boughs with his supple waist, and the sand dunes
Mocking the branches as he walks with a sway
with his haunches, and spears with his upright stature,
And the spears as he stands with poise
وبضوءِand the light of الصبَّاحِdawn ثغراًin his mouth وبالظَّلand the darkness (word begins)
وبضوءِ الصبَّاحِ ثغراً وبالظَّل
ماءِcompletion of 'darkness' شَعراًin his hair وبالبُدورِand the full moons جمَالاin beauty
ماءِ شَعراً وبالبُدورِ جمَالا
and dawn's light with his mouth, and darkness
And the morning light on his cheek and the shady
with his hair, and full moons with his beauty.
Tresses as water and moles as beauty
ماnot شَجانيdid it grieve me فَقديmy loss لحبَّةِof the kernel of قلبيmy heart
ما شَجاني فَقدي لحبَّةِ قلبي
عندماwhen صاغَهاhe fashioned it بخديَّهِon his two cheeks خالاas a mole
عندما صاغَها بخديَّهِ خالا
The loss of my heart's kernel did not grieve me,
It did not pain me to lose the apple of my eye
when he fashioned it into a mole on his cheeks.
When he shaped it with his mole
قامَhe rose يسعَىwalking بكأسِهwith his cup فرآيناso we saw
قامَ يسعَى بكأسِه فرآينا
فيin يمينِthe right hand of الهِلالِthe crescent للشمَّسِfor the sun هالاa halo
في يمينِ الهِلالِ للشمَّسِ هالا
He rose and walked with his cup, and we saw
He busied himself with his cup until we saw
in the crescent's right hand a halo for the sun.
The crescent moon as a halo around the sun
وثناهand bent him سُكرُthe intoxication of الشَّبابِyouth فخِلناso we imagined
وثناه سُكرُ الشَّبابِ فخِلنا
هُhim قَصيباًa slender reed أصابencountered ريحاًa wind شَمالاnortherly
هُ قَصيباً أصاب ريحاً شَمالا
Youth's intoxication made him sway, so we imagined
The drunkenness of youth distracted us
him a slender reed caught in a north wind.
He is a mere boy who got a bit lost
وَعذُوليand my reproacher علىfor هواهُloving him لَحانيcensured me
وَعذُولي على هواهُ لَحاني
وأرىand I deem العَذلَreproach فيover هَواهُloving him محُالاabsurd
وأرى العَذلَ في هَواهُ محُالا
My reproacher censured me for loving him,
My jealousy over his love blamed me
yet I deem reproach for loving him absurd.
And I see no fault in his love
أَلِفَhe became accustomed to اللَّومَreproach فيin الهوىlove والتَّجنيّand unjust accusations
أَلِفَ اللَّومَ في الهوى والتَّجنيّ
وأُناجيهِand I commune with him وهوwhile he is مُوَسىMusa النَّوَالاin bounty
وأُناجيهِ وهو مُوَسى النَّوَالا
He is accustomed to reproach and unjust accusations in love,
He is accustomed to blame in love and coyness
and I commune with him—Musa in his bounty.
While I whisper to him as he feigns sleep
مَلِكٌa king جَلَّis too exalted أَنfor يدُانيهِto rival him ملَكٌan angel
مَلِكٌ جَلَّ أَن يدُانيهِ ملَكٌ
جَلَّbe he great أوor قلَّbe he small رِفعةًin rank وجَلاَلاand majesty
جَلَّ أو قلَّ رِفعةً وجَلاَلا
A king too exalted for any angel to rival him,
A king too glorious to be condemned by a king
however great or small in rank and majesty.
Too exalted or base in status and grandeur
كُلمَّاwhenever زادَhe increased فيin المعاليlofty honors عُلُوّاًin height
كُلمَّا زادَ في المعالي عُلُوّاً
زادَincreased كيوانٌKaywan (Saturn) مِنbecause of عُلاهُhis loftiness استِفالاin lowliness
زادَ كيوانٌ مِن عُلاهُ استِفالا
The higher he rises in the heights of honor,
The higher he rose in glory and pride
the lower Kaywan sinks beneath his height.
The humbler he became like a servant
ذوpossessed of يَمينِa right hand إنif جادhe gives generously أوor جالhe charges بَثَّتit scatters
ذو يَمينِ إن جاد أو جال بَثَّت
فيamong الأنامِhumankind الأَرزاقَlivelihoods والآجَالاand appointed deaths
في الأنامِ الأَرزاقَ والآجَالا
He has a right hand that, whether he gives or charges, scatters
With his generous right hand, if he gives or withholds
livelihoods and appointed deaths among mankind.
He spreads rizq and apportions lives among the people
فَتَراهُso you see him بالسيَّبِwith bounty كالسيَّفِas with the sword يُحييhe gives life
فَتَراهُ بالسيَّبِ كالسيَّفِ يُحيي
ويُميتُand he deals death العُفاةsuppliants والأبطالاand champions
ويُميتُ العُفاة والأبطالا
Thus, with bounty as with the sword, you see him give life
You see him with the sword give life
and deal death—to suppliants and champions, respectively.
And take the lives of the wrongdoers and heroes
ياO بُغاةَseekers of الندىbounty إلىfor كَمhow long تَحثوyou urge on (verb begins)
يا بُغاةَ الندى إلى كَم تَحثو
نَplural verb ending الَمطاياthe mounts فَتَفطعونَand so you cross (apparent typo) الرُمالاthe sands
نَ الَمطايا فَتَفطعونَ الرُمالا
O seekers of bounty, how long will you urge
Oh you rebels calling others to ascend the high dunes
your mounts onward, cutting across the sands?
How long will you roam the deserts?
قَدindeed كُفيِتمyou have been provided for إذاwhen وصَلتمُyou reach دِمَشقاًDamascus
قَد كُفيِتم إذا وصَلتمُ دِمَشقاً
فَأنيخوُاso make your mounts kneel بِهاin it وَحطُّواand set down الرِّحالاthe saddles
فَأنيخوُا بِها وَحطُّوا الرِّحالا
You have all you need once you reach Damascus;
It is enough for you to reach Damascus
so make your mounts kneel there and set down your saddles.
Then settle there and unload your burdens
لَيسَthere is not فيamong الخَلقcreation منanyone who يَقومُtakes charge برزقٍof sustenance
لَيسَ في الخَلق من يَقومُ برزقٍ
غَيرَexcept موسىMusa بَعدَafter الإِلَهِGod تَعالىexalted is He
غَيرَ موسى بَعدَ الإِلَهِ تَعالى
Among all creation, none provides sustenance
None can guarantee rizq other than
except Musa, after God—exalted is He.
Moses after God the Exalted
Sol 6.1