أسدَلَdraped الشَّعرُthe hair هَالةًa halo لِلجبينِfor the brow
أسدَلَ الشَّعرُ هَالةً لِلجبينِ
مَنwho مُعينِيmy helper عَلىagainst الهَوىpassionate love مَنwho مُعِينِيmy helper
مَن مُعينِي عَلى الهَوى مَن مُعِينِي
The hair draped a halo around the brow.
My hair cascades like a halo around my forehead
Who will help me against love—who will help me?
Who will aid me against love? Who will aid me?
قَدindeed سَقَىserved a drink خمرةًwine وطَافَand went around بِأُخرىwith another
قَد سَقَى خمرةً وطَافَ بِأُخرى
مِنfrom لحاظٍglances كالباترِlike a cleaving sword المَسنُونِsharpened
مِن لحاظٍ كالباترِ المَسنُونِ
He has served wine and passed around another,
He drank one wine then switched to another
From glances like a sharpened, cleaving sword.
With a glance like an unsheathed sword
لَعِبتtoyed مُقلَتاهhis two eyes فىَّwith me فَهلso is there ليfor me
لَعِبت مُقلَتاه فىَّ فَهل لي
مِنany دَوَاءٍremedy منfrom قبلِbefore أنthat تَفقِدونيyou lose me
مِن دَوَاءٍ من قبلِ أن تَفقِدوني
His two eyes toyed with me—is there for me
His eyelids toyed with me, so is there
Any remedy before you lose me?
A cure for me before you lose me?
ياO رِفَاقيmy companions انظرواlook لشحَالِat the plight (unclear spelling) مُعَنّىًa tormented one
يا رِفَاقي انظروا لشحَالِ مُعَنّىً
قَدindeed جرىflowed طَرفُهhis eye بِدمَعٍwith tears هَتونِcopious
قَد جرى طَرفُه بِدمَعٍ هَتونِ
O my companions, look at the plight of one tormented:
My friends, consider my miserable state
His eye has streamed with copious tears.
My eyes brimmed with tears and became bleary
إنif يَزُرنيhe visits me يَزورُhe visits صَبّاًa lovesick lover قَنوعاًcontent with little
إن يَزُرني يَزورُ صَبّاً قَنوعاً
رَشفةٌa sip مِنof رُضَاsweet saliva (split word) بِهِhis (split-word ending) تَكفِينيsuffices me
رَشفةٌ مِن رُضَا بِهِ تَكفِيني
If he visits me, he visits a lover content with little;
If he visits me, he visits a contented youth
A sip of his sweet saliva is enough for me.
A sip of his affection would suffice me
أكثَرَmade more الشكوىcomplaint مَدمَعشيmy tearful eye (unclear spelling) منthan فُؤَاديmy heart
أكثَرَ الشكوى مَدمَعشي من فُؤَادي
وكَفىand suffices للطَّليقِfor the free man قَيدُthe fetter السَّجينِof the prisoner
وكَفى للطَّليقِ قَيدُ السَّجينِ
My tearful eye voiced more complaint than my heart,
My tears have wept more than my heart
And the prisoner's fetter is enough for the free man.
And restraint suffices the freed captive
اختَفىwas hidden الخَالُthe mole عنكمُfrom you تحتَbeneath سُفلىthe lower one
اختَفى الخَالُ عنكمُ تحتَ سُفلى
شَفَتيهِhis two lips وماyet not اختَفَىwas hidden عَنfrom عُيُونيmy eyes
شَفَتيهِ وما اختَفَى عَن عُيُوني
The mole was hidden from you beneath the lower
The mole has vanished from you beneath
Of his two lips, yet it was not hidden from my eyes.
His lips though not from my eyes
قدindeed سَكِرتُمyou became drunk بِجُرعَةٍon a draught مِنfrom فُؤَاديmy heart
قد سَكِرتُم بِجُرعَةٍ مِن فُؤَادي
وسَكِرناand we became drunk برَقدَةٍon a slumber مِنfrom جُفونِeyelids
وسَكِرنا برَقدَةٍ مِن جُفونِ
You have grown drunk on a draught from my heart,
You were intoxicated by a sip from my heart
And we grew drunk on the slumber of eyelids.
While we by a wink from his eyelids
يَاO كَريمُgenerous one فَكُنso be كَريماًgenerous وَجُدand give freely عَنon behalf of
يَا كَريمُ فَكُن كَريماً وَجُد عَن
نِيme (split-word ending) بِروحيwith my soul ولاand do not تَكُنbe بِالضَّنينِmiserly
نِي بِروحي ولا تَكُن بِالضَّنينِ
O generous one, be generous, and freely give, on behalf of
Oh generous one, be generous and spend
Me, my soul; do not be miserly.
My soul on me and be not stingy
رَبِّmy Lord ماwhat ليhave I ولِلحِسانِand with the fair ones أرَاهُمI see them
رَبِّ ما لي ولِلحِسانِ أرَاهُم
فِيin طِلابيpursuit of me كََأنَّهمas though they عَشِقُونِيthey fell in love with me
فِي طِلابي كََأنَّهم عَشِقُونِي
My Lord, what have I to do with the fair? I see them
My Lord, why do I see them in love with me
In pursuit of me, as though they had fallen in love with me.
My admirers, as if they are lovers?
قدindeed قَدرتُمyou have power فَرَحمَةًthen mercy إِنif قَدَرتُمyou can
قد قَدرتُم فَرَحمَةً إِن قَدَرتُم
وَبِرِفقٍand with gentleness شَانَthe manner (unclear spelling) الكِرَامِof the noble خُذُونِيtake me
وَبِرِفقٍ شَانَ الكِرَامِ خُذُونِي
You have gained power; then show mercy, if you can.
You have decided, so be merciful if you decide
And take me gently, as is the way of the noble.
And gently take me as befits the noble
كَمَنlay in ambush اللِّصُّthe thief فاحذَرواso beware سَلبَthe theft مَاwhat فيin
كَمَن اللِّصُّ فاحذَروا سَلبَ مَا في
ثَغرِهِhis mouth مِنof عُقَيدٍa little necklace دَرٍّpearls ثَمينِprecious
ثَغرِهِ مِن عُقَيدٍ دَرٍّ ثَمينِ
The thief lay in ambush; beware the theft of what is in
Like a thief, so beware of stealing what is
His mouth: a little necklace of precious pearls.
In his mouth of precious pearls and gems
واعذرونيand forgive me إذاif تَلَجلَجَfaltered قَوليmy speech
واعذروني إذا تَلَجلَجَ قَولي
مَنwho مُعِينيmy helper عَلىagainst الهَوىpassionate love مَنwho مُعِينِيmy helper
مَن مُعِيني عَلى الهَوى مَن مُعِينِي
And forgive me if my speech falters:
Forgive me if my words stammer
Who will help me against love—who will help me?
Who will aid me against love? Who will aid me?
فَتهاميfor Tihami الجَمالِof beauty خَيرُthe finest جَميلِa beautiful one
فَتهامي الجَمالِ خَيرُ جَميلِ
وعُيونُand the eyes الجَميلِof the fair one خَيرُthe finest عُيونِeyes
وعُيونُ الجَميلِ خَيرُ عُيونِ
For Tihami, in beauty, is the fairest of the fair,
Competing beauties are the best of beauties
And the fair one's eyes are the finest of eyes.
And the eyes of a beauty are the best eyes
Sol 6.1