يَاO نَاعِمَsoft الخَدّthe cheek بَلْrather يَاO نَاعِسَdrowsy الطَّرْفِthe gaze
يَا نَاعِمَ الخَدّ بَلْ يَا نَاعِسَ الطَّرْفِ
سَلَبْتَyou robbed جَفْنيmy eyelid الكرَىsleep بالدَّعْجِwith wide, dark eyes والوَطْفِand long, thick lashes
سَلَبْتَ جَفْني الكرَى بالدَّعْجِ والوَطْفِ
O soft-cheeked one—rather, O languid-eyed one—
You robbed my eyelid of sleep with dark eyes and luxuriant lashes.
سَفَرْتَyou unveiled عَنْfrom وَجَهِكَyour face الوَضَّاحِradiant فَأسْتَتَرَتْand so it hid itself
سَفَرْتَ عَنْ وَجَهِكَ الوَضَّاحِ فَأسْتَتَرَتْ
شَمْسُthe sun الضُّحَىof midmorning مِنْbecause of سَنَىthe radiance خديْكَyour two cheeks بالخَسْفِin eclipse
شَمْسُ الضُّحَى مِنْ سَنَى خديْكَ بالخَسْفِ
You unveiled your radiant face, and then was hidden
the midmorning sun, eclipsed by the radiance of your cheeks.
قَاسُوكَthey compared you بالبدْرِto the full moon لوْif صَحَّwere sound القِيَاسُthe comparison وقَدْand indeed
قَاسُوكَ بالبدْرِ لوْ صَحَّ القِيَاسُ وقَدْ
نُزّهْتَyou were kept free إذْwhen أخطأواthey erred عَنْfrom خِطَّةِthe condition الكَسْفِeclipse
نُزّهْتَ إذْ أخطأوا عَنْ خِطَّةِ الكَسْفِ
They likened you to the full moon—if that comparison were sound—yet
you were spared the fate of eclipse; they were mistaken.
يَاO مُمْرِضِيyou who sicken me بِجُفُونٍwith eyelids كُنْتُI was أحْسبهَاI thought them
يَا مُمْرِضِي بِجُفُونٍ كُنْتُ أحْسبهَا
لَمَّاwhen عَدَتْنِيthey infected me سَقَاماًwith illness أنَّهَاthat they تَشْفِيheal
لَمَّا عَدَتْنِي سَقَاماً أنَّهَا تَشْفِي
O you who sicken me with eyelids I had thought,
when they infected me with illness, would heal.
إنيindeed I لأعْجَبُI truly marvel إذْwhen أرْجُوI hope for شِفَاa cure سَقَمِيmy illness
إني لأعْجَبُ إذْ أرْجُو شِفَا سَقَمِي
مِنْfrom مُقْلَتَيْكَyour two eyes وفِيهَاand therein آيَةُthe sign الحَتْفِdeath
مِنْ مُقْلَتَيْكَ وفِيهَا آيَةُ الحَتْفِ
Indeed I marvel that I hope for a cure for my illness
from your two eyes, though within them lies the sign of death.
كَحَّلْتَyou lined with kohl جَفْنِيmy eyelid بِمِيلِwith a kohl-stick السُّهْدِsleeplessness فَأتَّصَلَتْand so became continuous
كَحَّلْتَ جَفْنِي بِمِيلِ السُّهْدِ فَأتَّصَلَتْ
مَسَافَةُthe span البُعْدِseparation الخُلْفِbreach of promise بِالخُلْفِwith breach of promise
مَسَافَةُ البُعْدِ الخُلْفِ بِالخُلْفِ
You lined my eyelid with sleeplessness's kohl-stick, and unbroken grew
the span of separation, broken promise upon broken promise.
ياO لَيِّنَsupple العِطْفِthe flank وَاوُthe letter wāw الصُّدْغِthe temple إذْwhen عُلِمَتْit was recognized
يا لَيِّنَ العِطْفِ وَاوُ الصُّدْغِ إذْ عُلِمَتْ
مَاwhat بَالُهَاis the matter with it لَمْnot تَكُنْit was كَالْوَاوِlike the letter wāw فِيin العَطْفِjoining
مَا بَالُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ كَالْوَاوِ فِي العَطْفِ
O supple-flanked one, your wāw-shaped temple-curl, once recognized—
why was it not like the letter wāw in joining?
عَجِبْتُI marvelled مِنْat عَدْلِthe uprightness خَدّيmy cheek كيفَhow جَرَّحَهُwounded it
عَجِبْتُ مِنْ عَدْلِ خَدّي كيفَ جَرَّحَهُ
دَمْعٌtears جَرَىflowed وَرَمَاهُand pelted it الجَفْنُthe eyelid بالقَذْفِwith slander
دَمْعٌ جَرَى وَرَمَاهُ الجَفْنُ بالقَذْفِ
I marvelled at my cheek's uprightness—how was it wounded
by flowing tears, and pelted with slander by the eyelid?
يَاO فِتْنَتِيmy temptation فِتْنَةٌa rebellion منfrom خَدّهِhis cheek ظَهَرَتْappeared
يَا فِتْنَتِي فِتْنَةٌ من خَدّهِ ظَهَرَتْ
مِنْfrom خَارِجِيّa Kharijite rebel عِذَارٍsideburn جَاءَcame فيin زَحْفِan advance
مِنْ خَارِجِيّ عِذَارٍ جَاءَ في زَحْفِ
O my temptation, a rebellion arose from his cheek,
from a Kharijite sideburn that came marching forward.
لاَnot أكْذِبُI lie to اللَّهَGod ثَوْبُthe robe الصَّبْرِpatience مُنْقَطِعٌtorn
لاَ أكْذِبُ اللَّهَ ثَوْبُ الصَّبْرِ مُنْقَطِعٌ
لَكِنْbut أرَقِّعُهُI patch it إنْif جَادَhe is generous بِالْعَطْفِwith affection
لَكِنْ أرَقِّعُهُ إنْ جَادَ بِالْعَطْفِ
I tell God no lie: the robe of patience is torn;
yet I shall patch it if he is generous with affection.
Sol 6.1