وَاللَهِby God مُذsince طَلَعَتrose عَلَيَّupon me شُموسَهاher suns
وَاللَهِ مُذ طَلَعَت عَلَيَّ شُموسَها
ريضَتwas tamed لَهاto her نَفسيmy soul وَزالَand ceased شُموسَهاits restiveness
ريضَت لَها نَفسي وَزالَ شُموسَها
By God, since her suns rose upon me,
my soul was tamed to her, and its restiveness ceased.
وَالشَمسُand the sun ماwhenever طَلَعَتrises عَلَتsoars أَنوارُهاits radiance
وَالشَمسُ ما طَلَعَت عَلَت أَنوارُها
وَعَراand overtook الكَواكِبُthe stars وَالبُدورُand the full moons خُنوسَهاtheir withdrawal
وَعَرا الكَواكِبُ وَالبُدورُ خُنوسَها
And whenever the sun rises, its radiance soars,
and stars and full moons withdraw from sight.
أَلقَتshe cast عَلىupon قَلبيmy heart المُتَيَّمُlove-stricken لَحظَةًa glance
أَلقَت عَلى قَلبي المُتَيَّمُ لَحظَةً
خَضَعَتbowed لَهاto her روحيmy spirit وَلانَand softened شَريسَهاits fierceness
خَضَعَت لَها روحي وَلانَ شَريسَها
She cast a glance upon my love-stricken heart;
my spirit bowed to her, and its fierceness softened.
رَقَّgrew tender الفُؤادُthe heart لَهاtoward her فَصارَand so became رَقيقُهاher slave
رَقَّ الفُؤادُ لَها فَصارَ رَقيقُها
وَحَنىand bowed لَهاto her رَأسُthe head of العُلوِّloftiness رَئيسُهاher master
وَحَنى لَها رَأسُ العُلوِّ رَئيسُها
My heart grew tender toward her and became her slave;
and her master bowed his lofty head before her.
تُدعىis called الأَسيرَةَthe captive غَيرَexcept أَنَّthat غُزاتُهاher conquerors
تُدعى الأَسيرَةَ غَيرَ أَنَّ غُزاتُها
عادَتbecame لَهاhers أَسرىcaptives تَذوبُmelt away نُفوسَهاtheir souls
عادَت لَها أَسرى تَذوبُ نُفوسَها
She is called a captive, yet her conquerors
became her captives, their souls melting away.
قَدindeed غَيَبوهاthey hid her away فيin السُجونِprisons فَلَمbut it did not يُطِلtake long
قَد غَيَبوها في السُجونِ فَلَم يُطِل
أَنbefore صارَbecame رَبُّthe master of الحَبسِthe prison وَهوَand he حَبيسُهاher captive
أَن صارَ رَبُّ الحَبسِ وَهوَ حَبيسُها
They hid her away in prisons, but it was not long
before the prison's master became her captive.
خَلَصَتshe emerged free تُجَرِّرُtrailing مِنهُfrom it ذَيلَthe train of صِيانَةٍchastity
خَلَصَت تُجَرِّرُ مِنهُ ذَيلَ صِيانَةٍ
هِيَshe مِنهُthrough it فيin لَمَعانِهِits gleam طاووسَهاits peacock
هِيَ مِنهُ في لَمَعانِهِ طاووسَها
She emerged free, trailing from it a train of chastity;
with that gleaming train, she was chastity's peacock.
وَكَذاand likewise الجَمالَbeauty إِذاwhen سَرَتmarched by night أَجنادِهِits armies
وَكَذا الجَمالَ إِذا سَرَت أَجنادِهِ
سالَتflowed بِأَودِيَةِthrough the valleys of القُلوبِhearts تَجوسَهاranging through them
سالَت بِأَودِيَةِ القُلوبِ تَجوسَها
And so it is with beauty: when its armies march by night,
they stream through the valleys of hearts, ranging through them.
مُذsince صَوَّبَتshe aimed نَحويtoward me سِهامَthe arrows of لِحاظِهاher glances
مُذ صَوَّبَت نَحوي سِهامَ لِحاظِها
وَهَنَتgrew weak دُروعُthe armor of مَفاصِليmy joints وَتَروسَهاand their shields
وَهَنَت دُروعُ مَفاصِلي وَتَروسَها
Since she aimed the arrows of her glances toward me,
the armor and shields of my joints have weakened.
نَفَذَتpierced لَهاof hers بَينَbetween الجَوانِحِthe ribs نَظرَةًa glance
نَفَذَت لَها بَينَ الجَوانِحِ نَظرَةً
فيهاconcerning it يَظَلُّremains الطِبُّmedicine جالينوسَهاits Galen
فيها يَظَلُّ الطِبُّ جالينوسَها
A glance of hers pierced between my ribs,
in whose treatment even Galen remains baffled.
باتَتshe spent the night تُقَلِّبُturning about فيin ضَعيفِdelicate بَنانِهاher fingertips
باتَت تُقَلِّبُ في ضَعيفِ بَنانِها
أَسَداًa lion تَضيقُare cramped بِهِby him الأُسودُthe lions وَخيسَهاand their thicket
أَسَداً تَضيقُ بِهِ الأُسودُ وَخيسَها
She spent the night turning in her delicate fingertips
a lion who crowds the other lions and their thicket.
هَيهاتَhow impossible أَطمَعَI hope بِالثَباتِto stand firm أَمامَهاbefore her
هَيهاتَ أَطمَعَ بِالثَباتِ أَمامَها
بَلrather يَجذِبُdraws الصَوانُflint مَغناطيسَهاher magnet
بَل يَجذِبُ الصَوانُ مَغناطيسَها
Vain is my hope of standing firm before her;
indeed, her magnet draws even flint.
مَنwho ذاis it that يُعارِضُهاcontends with her بِمَلِكِover the rule of عَبيدِهاher slaves
مَن ذا يُعارِضُها بِمَلِكِ عَبيدِها
مَذفوقُsince atop عَرشِthe throne of الحُسنِbeauty كانَwas جُلوسَهاher sitting
مَذفوقُ عَرشِ الحُسنِ كانَ جُلوسَها
Who could dispute her rule over her slaves,
since she took her seat atop beauty's throne?
شاهَدتُI beheld مِنهاin her مَنظَراًa sight تَحياrevives بِهِthrough it
شاهَدتُ مِنها مَنظَراً تَحيا بِهِ
روحُa soul وَلَوeven if بَلَغَreached الفِصالُseparation نَسيسَهاits last breath
روحُ وَلَو بَلَغَ الفِصالُ نَسيسَها
I beheld in her a sight that would revive
a soul, though separation had brought it to its last breath.
وَسَرَقتُand I stole نَظماًa string of verse مِنfrom مَباسِمِthe smiles of ثَغرَهاher mouth
وَسَرَقتُ نَظماً مِن مَباسِمِ ثَغرَها
دُرَراًpearls يَعِزُّis ennobled بِمِثلِهاby their like قاموسَهاher ocean
دُرَراً يَعِزُّ بِمِثلِها قاموسَها
And I stole a string of verse from the smiles of her mouth—
pearls whose like lends glory to her ocean.
قُلsay لِلخَليلِto Khalil يَتيهُhe struts فيin فَيحائِهِhis Fayha
قُل لِلخَليلِ يَتيهُ في فَيحائِهِ
وَيَروضُand tames كُلَّevery كَريمَةٍnoble beauty وَيَسوسَهاand governs her
وَيَروضُ كُلَّ كَريمَةٍ وَيَسوسَها
Tell Khalil, who struts in his Fayha
and tames each noble beauty and governs her,
وَيَرودُand roams مَرَجَّتُهاher Marja عَشِيَّةَon the evening of سُبتِهاher Sabbath
وَيَرودُ مَرَجَّتُها عَشِيَّةَ سُبتِها
وَلَهُand he has بِكُلِّat every مَحَطَّةٍstopping-place جاسوسَهاits spy
وَلَهُ بِكُلِّ مَحَطَّةٍ جاسوسَها
and roams her Marja on the evening of her Sabbath,
with a spy in his service at every stopping-place,
وَيَصيدُand hunts عَفرَthe tawny ones of ظِبائِهاher gazelles فيin كِنسِهاtheir coverts
وَيَصيدُ عَفرَ ظِبائِها في كِنسِها
وَإِلَيهِand to him تَجبيpays tribute جوبَرٍJobar وَكَنيسَهاand its synagogue
وَإِلَيهِ تَجبي جوبَرٍ وَكَنيسَها
and hunts her tawny gazelles within their coverts,
while Jobar and its synagogue pay him tribute:
أَظَنَنتُdid you suppose شَطرَthe portion of الحُبَّlove خَصَّكَwas reserved for you مُفرَداًalone
أَظَنَنتُ شَطرَ الحُبَّ خَصَّكَ مُفرَداً
وَسِواكَand others besides you فيin إِقسامِهِits apportionment مَبخوسَهاshortchanged of it
وَسِواكَ في إِقسامِهِ مَبخوسَها
Did you think love's portion was reserved for you alone,
and all the rest shortchanged in its division?
وَحَسِبتُand you supposed ماnot فيin الرَكبِthe caravan غَيرَother than خَليلَهاher Khalil
وَحَسِبتُ ما في الرَكبِ غَيرَ خَليلَها
وَأَديبَand Adib ذَلِكَthat one وَحدَهُhe alone نَقريسَهاher connoisseur
وَأَديبَ ذَلِكَ وَحدَهُ نَقريسَها
And did you think the caravan held none but her Khalil
and Adib, her one and only connoisseur?
أَوَإِنand even if قَطَعتُI have passed الأَربَعينَforty أَيَنبَغيshould it be
أَوَإِن قَطَعتُ الأَربَعينَ أَيَنبَغي
أَنthat تَستَويbe equal غِزلانِهاher gazelles وَتِيوسَهاand her billy goats
أَن تَستَوي غِزلانِها وَتِيوسَها
And even if I have passed forty, should
her gazelles and her billy goats be deemed alike?
أَوماand have you not عَلِمَتknown الأَربَعينَforty رِجالِهاits men
أَوما عَلِمَت الأَربَعينَ رِجالِها
نِعمَexcellent are الفَوارِسَthe horsemen إِذwhen يَفورُseethes وَطيسَهاits battle-furnace
نِعمَ الفَوارِسَ إِذ يَفورُ وَطيسَها
And do you not know that men of forty
are splendid horsemen when battle's furnace seethes?
وَهُمand they الجَهابِذَةُthe experts الأَساتِذَةُthe masters الأُلىwho
وَهُم الجَهابِذَةُ الأَساتِذَةُ الأُلى
لَيسواare not أُصيبيةlittle boys تُعادُare repeated دُروسَهاtheir lessons
لَيسوا أُصيبية تُعادُ دُروسَها
They are the experts, the masters, who
are no little boys whose lessons must be repeated.
وَهَمّوand they إِذاwhen ضَمَّتهُموgathered them أَعراسُهاher wedding-feasts
وَهَمّو إِذا ضَمَّتهُمو أَعراسُها
مِثلَlike الضَراغِمِthe lions ضَمَّهاgathered them عَريسَهاtheir lair
مِثلَ الضَراغِمِ ضَمَّها عَريسَها
And when her wedding-feasts bring them together,
they are like lions gathered in their lair.
أَيَكونَcan he be مِثليone like me شاعِراًa poet وَأَكونُand I be مِنamong those who
أَيَكونَ مِثلي شاعِراً وَأَكونُ مِن
لَمdid not يَجتَذِبهُattract him مِنَamong الوُجوهِfaces أَنيسَهاtheir charming ones
لَم يَجتَذِبهُ مِنَ الوُجوهِ أَنيسَها
Can one like me be a poet, yet be among those
whom no charming face has drawn?
ماnot زالَceased سُلطانُthe sultan of الجَمالِbeauty مَحكَماfirmly established
ما زالَ سُلطانُ الجَمالِ مَحكَما
تَأَتيهِcome to him مِنfrom كُلِّall القُلوبِhearts مُكوسَهاtheir tribute-dues
تَأَتيهِ مِن كُلِّ القُلوبِ مُكوسَها
Beauty's sultan still rules supreme;
from every heart its tribute comes to him.
Sol 6.1