إنْif أنْكَرَتْdenied قَتْلِيslaying me ظُبَيthe blade-edges of مُقْلَتَيْكَyour two eyes
إنْ أنْكَرَتْ قَتْلِي ظُبَي مُقْلَتَيْكَ
فَلِيthen I have دَمٌblood يَشْهَدُbears witness فِيin وَجْنَتَيْكْyour two cheeks
فَلِي دَمٌ يَشْهَدُ فِي وَجْنَتَيْكْ
If the blades of your eyes deny slaying me,
If my doe-eyed beloved denies she killed me,
then my blood bears witness in your cheeks.
My blood bears witness on her cheeks.
يَاO سَالِبَstealer of الأرْوَاحِsouls فِيin حُبِّهِlove for him
يَا سَالِبَ الأرْوَاحِ فِي حُبِّهِ
هَيْهَاتَfar beyond possibility يَنْجُوescapes أحَدٌanyone مِنْfrom يَدَيْكْyour two hands
هَيْهَاتَ يَنْجُو أحَدٌ مِنْ يَدَيْكْ
O you whose love steals souls,
O you who takes lives when loving,
never can anyone escape your hands.
Alas, none escapes your hands.
جَرَّدْتَyou unsheathed فِيin الأجْفَانِthe eyelids بِيضًاbright swords كَمَاjust as
جَرَّدْتَ فِي الأجْفَانِ بِيضًا كَمَا
هَزَزْتَyou brandished سُمْرَthe brown spears of الخَطّal-Khatt مِنْfrom مَعْطِفَيْكْyour two flanks
هَزَزْتَ سُمْرَ الخَطّ مِنْ مَعْطِفَيْكْ
You unsheathed bright swords in your eyelids, just as
You have bared white swords in the eyelids
you brandished the brown spears of al-Khatt from your flanks.
And shook the braids of your hair.
وَأرْسَلَتْand sent عَيْنَاكَyour two eyes لِيto me أسْهُمًاarrows
وَأرْسَلَتْ عَيْنَاكَ لِي أسْهُمًا
قَدْalready فَوَّقَتْهَاnocked them القَوْسُthe bow مِنْfrom حَاجِبَيْكْyour two eyebrows
قَدْ فَوَّقَتْهَا القَوْسُ مِنْ حَاجِبَيْكْ
And your eyes sent arrows toward me,
Your eyes sent me arrows
which the bow of your eyebrows had already nocked.
Fitted by a bow of your eyebrows.
يَاO وَجْنَةَcheek of الوَرْدِthe rose وَجِيدَand neck of المَهَاthe oryxes
يَا وَجْنَةَ الوَرْدِ وَجِيدَ المَهَا
مَنْwho أنْبَتَmade grow الرَّيْحَانَbasil فِيin عَارِضَيْكْthe sides of your face
مَنْ أنْبَتَ الرَّيْحَانَ فِي عَارِضَيْكْ
O rose-cheeked one with an oryx's neck,
O garden of roses and smooth cheeks,
who made basil grow along your cheeks?
Who planted the basil on your temples?
وَيَاand O مُحَيَّاface of الشَّمْسِthe sun مَنْwho تَوَّجَcrowned الْthe
وَيَا مُحَيَّا الشَّمْسِ مَنْ تَوَّجَ الْ
يَاقُوتَruby بِالْعَنْبَرِwith ambergris مِنْfrom شَامَتَيْكyour two beauty spots
يَاقُوتَ بِالْعَنْبَرِ مِنْ شَامَتَيْك
And O sun-faced one, who crowned the
O you who vitalizes the sun, who crowned
ruby with ambergris from your two beauty spots?
Rubies with amber on your moles?
وَيَاand O رَشًاa fawn يَزْوَرُّturns away عَنْfrom ضَيْغَمٍa lion
وَيَا رَشًا يَزْوَرُّ عَنْ ضَيْغَمٍ
مَنْwho ذَاis it أجَالَset in motion السحرَmagic فِيin نَاظِرَيْكْyour two eyes
مَنْ ذَا أجَالَ السحرَ فِي نَاظِرَيْكْ
And O fawn who turns away from a lion,
O magic that triumphs over spells,
who set magic coursing through your eyes?
Who cast that sorcery in your eyes?
حَتَّامَhow long لاَnot تَلْوِيgive heed عَلَىto مَنْone who يَرَىsees
حَتَّامَ لاَ تَلْوِي عَلَى مَنْ يَرَى
أنَّthat النَقَاthe sand dune تَحْتَbeneath لِوَىthe curve of سَالِفَيْكْyour neck's two sides
أنَّ النَقَا تَحْتَ لِوَى سَالِفَيْكْ
How long will you refuse to heed one who sees
Hatim, do not blame those who see
that the sand dune lies beneath the curves of your neck?
The stars submit to your wrists.
أوْدَىbrought death بِهِupon him السقمsickness فَهَلْso will تَشْفِهِyou heal him
أوْدَى بِهِ السقم فَهَلْ تَشْفِهِ
فَإنَّمَاfor only الرَّاحَةُrelief فِيin رَاحَتَيْكْyour two palms
فَإنَّمَا الرَّاحَةُ فِي رَاحَتَيْكْ
Sickness has killed him; will you heal him?
Sickness has worn him out. Can you heal him?
For relief lies in your palms alone.
For comfort lies only in your peace.
وَمَاتَand he died فِيin الحُبّlove وَلاَand no مُنْعِشٌreviver
وَمَاتَ فِي الحُبّ وَلاَ مُنْعِشٌ
إلاّexcept ارْتشَافsipping الرَّاحِwine منfrom مَرْشِفَيْكْyour two lips
إلاّ ارْتشَاف الرَّاحِ من مَرْشِفَيْكْ
And he died of love, and nothing can revive him
He died of love, none can revive him,
except sipping wine from your lips.
Except to sip the wind from your drink.
إنْif شِئْتَyou wish عَذّبْtorment أوْor فَنَعِّمْthen grant bliss رِضًىwith contentment
إنْ شِئْتَ عَذّبْ أوْ فَنَعِّمْ رِضًى
فَالنَّارُfor fire وَالجَنَّةُand Paradise فِيin وَجْنَتَيْكْyour two cheeks
فَالنَّارُ وَالجَنَّةُ فِي وَجْنَتَيْكْ
If you wish, torment or grant bliss—I am content;
If you wish, torment or be kind,
for fire and Paradise are in your cheeks.
For hell and heaven lie in your cheeks.
أوْor شِئْتَyou wish عَافِrestore health أوْor فَزِدْthen increase فِيin ضَنًىwasting sickness
أوْ شِئْتَ عَافِ أوْ فَزِدْ فِي ضَنًى
فالسقمfor sickness وَالصحّةand health فِيin مُقْلَتَيْكْyour two eyes
فالسقم وَالصحّة فِي مُقْلَتَيْكْ
Or, if you wish, heal or deepen the wasting sickness;
If you wish, heal or add to his woes,
for sickness and health are in your eyes.
For sickness and health lie in your eyes.
بِاللَّهِby God هَلْcan ...? يَرْجُوhope for أخُوone possessed of صَبْوَةٍpassionate longing
بِاللَّهِ هَلْ يَرْجُو أخُو صَبْوَةٍ
خَلاَصَrelease of قَلْبِa heart وَهْوَwhile it is رَهْنٌheld in pledge لَدَيْكْin your keeping
خَلاَصَ قَلْبِ وَهْوَ رَهْنٌ لَدَيْكْ
By God, can a lover hope
By God, can a love-sick heart hope
for a heart's release, while it lies pledged in your keeping?
For freedom while hostage to you?
أجْرَىmade flow لَكَfor you الدَّمْعَtears سَبِيلاًas a free offering كَمَاjust as
أجْرَى لَكَ الدَّمْعَ سَبِيلاً كَمَا
قَدْindeed حَبَّسَdedicated as an endowment الأحشَاءَthe innermost parts طوعاًwillingly عَلَيْكْto you
قَدْ حَبَّسَ الأحشَاءَ طوعاً عَلَيْكْ
He made his tears flow for you as a free offering, just as
He let tears flow like water to you,
he has willingly dedicated his innermost parts to you.
And willingly dammed his soul for your sake.
Sol 6.1