قَسَمًاI swear بِصبْحِby the dawn جَبِينِكَyour brow المُتَنَفِّسِbreathing
قَسَمًا بِصبْحِ جَبِينِكَ المُتَنَفِّسِ
مَاnot شِيبَwas tainted ثَوْبُthe robe مَحَبَّتِيmy love بِتَدَنُّسِwith defilement
مَا شِيبَ ثَوْبُ مَحَبَّتِي بِتَدَنُّسِ
I swear by the breathing dawn of your brow:
By the dawn on your breathing forehead,
the robe of my love has never been tainted with defilement.
My love has not faded or become sullied.
يَاO مَنْyou who إذَاwhen هُزَّتْare swayed مَعَاطِفُthe curves قَدّهِhis stature
يَا مَنْ إذَا هُزَّتْ مَعَاطِفُ قَدّهِ
هَزَأتْmocked بِأعْطَافِat the bends of الغُصُونِthe branches الميَّسِthe swaying ones
هَزَأتْ بِأعْطَافِ الغُصُونِ الميَّسِ
O you whose figure's curves, when set swaying,
O you, who when your necklaces are shaken,
mock the bends of swaying branches.
Mock the branches of smooth myrtle.
أنْفَقْتُI spent كنْزَthe treasure الدَّمْعِof tears فيكَon you وَحَبَّذَاand how fine
أنْفَقْتُ كنْزَ الدَّمْعِ فيكَ وَحَبَّذَا
مَاwhat قَدْalready نَفَقْتُI spent علىon الجمَالِbeauty الأكْيَسِmost discerning
مَا قَدْ نَفَقْتُ على الجمَالِ الأكْيَسِ
I spent the treasure of tears on you—and how fine
I spent the treasure of my tears on you and was pleased
what I have spent on that most discerning beauty!
By what I spent on the most sagacious beauty.
وَهتكتُand I laid bare أمْرَthe matter الحُبّof love فيكَfor you وَطَابَand became sweet لِيto me
وَهتكتُ أمْرَ الحُبّ فيكَ وَطَابَ لِي
خَلْعُcasting off العِذَارِthe bridle عَلَىfor العِذَارِthe cheek-down السُّنْدُسِيsilken
خَلْعُ العِذَارِ عَلَى العِذَارِ السُّنْدُسِي
And I laid bare my love for you, and found it sweet
I disclosed the secret of love for you and it was good for me
to cast off the bridle for that silken cheek-down.
To take off chastity for chastity of silken raiment.
رَشَقَتْshot لحَاظُكyour glances فِيinto فُؤَادِيmy heart أسهُمًاarrows
رَشَقَتْ لحَاظُك فِي فُؤَادِي أسهُمًا
قَدْalready فَوَّقَتْهَاthey nocked them عنْfrom حَوَاجِبِكَyour brows القِسِيّthe bows
قَدْ فَوَّقَتْهَا عنْ حَوَاجِبِكَ القِسِيّ
Your glances shot arrows into my heart,
Your glances shot arrows into my heart
which they had nocked for flight from your bow-like brows.
That surpassed your frowning eyebrows.
حَتَّامَhow long أبذلُshall I expend فِيin هَوَاكَloving you حُشَاشَتِيmy last spark of life
حَتَّامَ أبذلُ فِي هَوَاكَ حُشَاشَتِي
وَتُصَانُand you are kept away عنيfrom me يَاO شَقِيقَtwin الانفسof souls
وَتُصَانُ عني يَا شَقِيقَ الانفس
How long must I expend my life's last spark in loving you,
I lavish my companionship for your love,
while you are kept from me, O twin of souls?
While you are guarded from me, O intimate friend!
لَوْif شِئْتَyou wished مَاnot عَذَّبْتَyou tormented قَلْبًاa heart بِالجفَاwith estrangement
لَوْ شِئْتَ مَا عَذَّبْتَ قَلْبًا بِالجفَا
يَاO مُوحِشًاyou who cause loneliness بسوَاكَwith anyone but you لَمْnot يَتَأنَّسِit found companionship
يَا مُوحِشًا بسوَاكَ لَمْ يَتَأنَّسِ
Had you wished, you would not have tormented a heart with estrangement,
If you wished, you would not torment a heart with estrangement,
O you who leave it desolate—it has found no comfort with anyone but you.
O you who are desolate without you has not been consoled!
أيَحِلُّis it lawful فِيin شَرْعِthe law المَحَبَّةِof love أنَّنِيthat I
أيَحِلُّ فِي شَرْعِ المَحَبَّةِ أنَّنِي
أجْنِيI reap الصدُودَrejection مِنَfrom الظِّبَاءِthe gazelles الأنَّسِthe friendly ones
أجْنِي الصدُودَ مِنَ الظِّبَاءِ الأنَّسِ
Is it lawful under the law of love that I
Is it lawful in the law of love that I
reap rejection from friendly gazelles?
Reap coyness from the gazelles that are intimate?
أَوْor أنْthat يَبِيتَshould spend the night الطرْفthe eye بَعْدَafter رُقَادِهِits sleep
أَوْ أنْ يَبِيتَ الطرْف بَعْدَ رُقَادِهِ
يَرْعَىtending السُّهَادَsleeplessness مِنَfrom العُيُونِthe eyes النُّعَّسِthe drowsy ones
يَرْعَى السُّهَادَ مِنَ العُيُونِ النُّعَّسِ
Or that the eye, after its sleep, should spend the night
Or that after slumber the eyelid in the night
nursing sleeplessness brought on by drowsy eyes?
Tends the lamps from the drowsy eyes?
أor (first part) َوْor (second part) أنَّنِيthat I أعْتَاضُtake in exchange يَاO كُلَّall المُنَىdesires
أ َوْ أنَّنِي أعْتَاضُ يَا كُلَّ المُنَى
بِالصَّبْرِwith patience عَنْinstead of لَثْمِkissing الثغُورِthe mouths اللُّعَّسِthe dark-lipped ones
بِالصَّبْرِ عَنْ لَثْمِ الثغُورِ اللُّعَّسِ
Or that I should take in exchange, O all I desire,
Or that I replace, O epitome of wishes,
patience in place of kissing dusky lips?
Patience for kissing the miserable lips?
مَنْwho لِيfor me بِبَدْرٍwith a full moon قَدْalready جَلاَmade gleam كأسthe cup الطِّلاَof wine
مَنْ لِي بِبَدْرٍ قَدْ جَلاَ كأس الطِّلاَ
فيin كَوْكَبٍa star فَمَحَاand so erased ظَلاَمَthe darkness الحِنْدِسِof pitch-black night
في كَوْكَبٍ فَمَحَا ظَلاَمَ الحِنْدِسِ
Who will bring me a full moon who made the wine-cup gleam
Who do I have like a full moon that shone a cup of liquor
within a star, and erased the gloom of pitch-black night?
In a planet and erased the darkness of chamomile?
غُصْنٌa branch وَلَكِنْand yet بِالفُكَاهَةِwith wit مُثْمِرٌfruit-bearing
غُصْنٌ وَلَكِنْ بِالفُكَاهَةِ مُثْمِرٌ
بَدرٌa full moon وَلَكِنْand yet بِالْمَلاَحَةِin beauty مُكْتَسِclothed
بَدرٌ وَلَكِنْ بِالْمَلاَحَةِ مُكْتَسِ
A branch, yet bearing the fruit of wit;
A branch, but fruitful with jest,
a full moon, yet clothed in beauty.
A full moon, but gathered with agreeableness.
لمnot أنْسَهُI have forgotten him إذْwhen زَفَّescorted as a bride بِكْرَa virgin مُدَامَةٍwine
لم أنْسَهُ إذْ زَفَّ بِكْرَ مُدَامَةٍ
لأجَلّto the noblest of نُدْمَانٍdrinking companions بِأبهَجِin the most joyous مَجْلسِgathering
لأجَلّ نُدْمَانٍ بِأبهَجِ مَجْلسِ
I have not forgotten him, when he escorted virgin wine as a bride
I did not forget him when he approached with a young wine-bearer
to the noblest of drinking companions, in the most joyous gathering.
For the sake of the joy of an auspicious assembly,
وَسَعَىand he went about بِشَمْسٍwith a sun فِيin سَمَاءِthe sky زُجَاجَةٍof a glass
وَسَعَى بِشَمْسٍ فِي سَمَاءِ زُجَاجَةٍ
وَأدَارَand he circulated رَاحًاwine فِيin مَحَاجِرِthe eye sockets نَرْجِسِof narcissus
وَأدَارَ رَاحًا فِي مَحَاجِرِ نَرْجِسِ
And he went about with a sun in the heaven of a glass,
And he flowed with a sun in the sky of a flask
and passed wine around in the sockets of narcissus eyes.
And turned the wind in the nostrils of narcissus,
وَغَدَاand he began يُغَاِزلُنِيflirting with me بِسِحْرِwith the magic لَوَاحِظٍof glances
وَغَدَا يُغَاِزلُنِي بِسِحْرِ لَوَاحِظٍ
أزْرَتْcast shame بِألحَاظِon the glances of الجَوَارِيthe coursing gazelles الكُنَّسِsheltering in coverts
أزْرَتْ بِألحَاظِ الجَوَارِي الكُنَّسِ
And he began to flirt with me through the magic of glances
And he came to flirt with me with the magic of a seducer’s glance,
that shamed the glances of fleet gazelles in their coverts.
Adorned with the ogling of smooth-skinned maidens.
فَسَكَرْتso I grew drunk لَمَّاwhen أنْthat سُقِيتُI was given to drink بِلَحْظِهِwith his glance
فَسَكَرْت لَمَّا أنْ سُقِيتُ بِلَحْظِهِ
أضعَافَmany times more مَاwhat أُسْقِيتُهI was given it to drink بِالاكؤسِin cups
أضعَافَ مَا أُسْقِيتُه بِالاكؤسِ
So I grew drunk when I was given his glance to drink,
So I got drunk when I was given to drink from his glance
many times more than from what I was served in cups.
More than what I was given to drink from cups.
عَنِّيaway from me بِكَاسِكَwith your cup يَاO نَدِيمُdrinking companion فَإنَّمَاfor it is only
عَنِّي بِكَاسِكَ يَا نَدِيمُ فَإنَّمَا
سُكْرِيmy drunkenness بِكَاسِfrom the cup of جُفُونِهِhis eyelids فيin مَجْلِسِيmy gathering
سُكْرِي بِكَاسِ جُفُونِهِ في مَجْلِسِي
Keep your cup away from me, O drinking companion, for
Spare me your cup, O boon companion, for I am only
in my gathering, I am drunk only on the cup of his eyelids.
Drunk from the cup of his eyelids in my sitting place.
Sol 6.1