بِأبِيwith my father as ransom الظِّبَاءthe gazelles الفَاتِرَاتِlanguid جُفُونَاeyelids
بِأبِي الظِّبَاء الفَاتِرَاتِ جُفُونَا
الفَاتِكَاتِdeadly سَوَالِفًاsides of the neck وَعُيُونَاand eyes
الفَاتِكَاتِ سَوَالِفًا وَعُيُونَا
May my father be their ransom—the gazelles with languid eyelids,
With the languid gazelles whose eyelids are weary,
whose necks and eyes are deadly;
The fatal ones conversing softly with downcast eyes,
المُطْلِعَاتِthose that make rise مِنَfrom الثغُورِthe mouths كَوَاكبًاstars
المُطْلِعَاتِ مِنَ الثغُورِ كَوَاكبًا
المُسْبِلاَتِthose that let fall مِنَfrom الشُّعُورِthe hair دُجُونَاdarkness
المُسْبِلاَتِ مِنَ الشُّعُورِ دُجُونَا
who make stars rise from their mouths,
The stars rising from the passes like planets,
who let darkness fall from their hair;
Our love kindling from the hair like flames.
النَّافِرَاتِthose that shy away تَدَلُّلاًcoquetry وَصيَانَةًand modest reserve
النَّافِرَاتِ تَدَلُّلاً وَصيَانَةً
الآنِسَاتِthe friendly ones تَوَدُّدًاaffection وَمُجَونَاand wantonness
الآنِسَاتِ تَوَدُّدًا وَمُجَونَا
who shy away in coquetry and modest reserve,
Coyly glancing, proudly stepping,
who are friendly in affection and wanton play;
Moons traveling, branches swaying.
الرَّاشِقَاتِthose that shoot مِنَfrom اللَّواَحِظِthe sidelong glances أسْهُمًاarrows
الرَّاشِقَاتِ مِنَ اللَّواَحِظِ أسْهُمًا
المُرْسِلاَتِthose that send إلَىto الْقُلُوبِthe hearts مَنُونَاdeath
المُرْسِلاَتِ إلَى الْقُلُوبِ مَنُونَا
who shoot arrows from their sidelong glances,
When they shake their sleeves no bodies between them
who send death into hearts.
Only a wounded one would be seen leaning.
سَفَرُواthey unveiled وَقَدْand already صبغَdyed الْحَيَاءُmodesty خُدُودَهمtheir cheeks
سَفَرُوا وَقَدْ صبغَ الْحَيَاءُ خُدُودَهم
أرَأيْتَhave you seen? وَرْداًa rose خَالطmingled with النِّسرينَاwhite eglantine
أرَأيْتَ وَرْداً خَالط النِّسرينَا
They unveiled, and modesty had dyed their cheeks;
Black of eyes not darkened with kohl,
have you seen a rose mingling with white eglantine?
True beauty needs no adorning.
وَنَفَرْنَand they shied away غِزْلاَنًاas gazelles وَتِهْنَand they strutted غَوَانِيًاas beauties
وَنَفَرْنَ غِزْلاَنًا وَتِهْنَ غَوَانِيًا
وَسَفَرْنَand they unveiled أقْمَاراas moons وَمِلْنَand they swayed غُصُونَاas branches
وَسَفَرْنَ أقْمَارا وَمِلْنَ غُصُونَا
And they shied away as gazelles and strutted as beauties,
O you who blame, be gentle in reproving,
and unveiled as moons and swayed as branches.
Have mercy on a love-sick soul, confounded.
غِيدٌlissome ones إذَاwhen هَزُّواthey swayed المَعَاطِفَthe body's contours لَنْwill not ترىyou see
غِيدٌ إذَا هَزُّوا المَعَاطِفَ لَنْ ترى
إلاَّexcept صريعًاone fallen بَيْنَهُنَّamong them طَعِينَاpierced
إلاَّ صريعًا بَيْنَهُنَّ طَعِينَا
Lissome ones—when they sway their forms, you will not see
For I who chose love and passion as my creed,
anything but one fallen among them, pierced through.
And law for lovers whosoever yearned.
سُودُblack النَّوَاظرِthe eyes مَاnot اكْتَحَلْنَthey applied kohl بِإثْمِدٍwith antimony
سُودُ النَّوَاظرِ مَا اكْتَحَلْنَ بِإثْمِدٍ
وَالحُسْنُand beauty حَقًاtruly يَغْلِبُsurpasses التَّحْسينَاbeautification
وَالحُسْنُ حَقًا يَغْلِبُ التَّحْسينَا
Black-eyed, they have not used antimony kohl,
The sickness of her eyelids, her glance is sorcery,
and beauty truly surpasses adornment.
Awakening in your heart a hidden fire.
يَاO لاَئِمًاblamer قَدْindeed جَارَacted unjustly فِيin تَعْنِيفِهِhis harsh rebuke
يَا لاَئِمًا قَدْ جَارَ فِي تَعْنِيفِهِ
هَلاَّwhy not رحمتَyou pitied مُتَيَّمًاone enslaved by love مفتُونَاbewitched
هَلاَّ رحمتَ مُتَيَّمًا مفتُونَا
O blamer, who has gone too far in his harsh rebuke,
Her cheeks once bloodied by injustice
why not pity one enslaved by love and bewitched?
Are now serene, their grievances redressed.
فَأنَاfor I الَّذِيthe one who اتَّخَذَmade المَحَبَّةَlove وَالهوَىand desire
فَأنَا الَّذِي اتَّخَذَ المَحَبَّةَ وَالهوَى
شَرْعاًa law لأرْبَابِfor the devotees of الْرَامpassion (probable reading) وَدِينَاand a faith
شَرْعاً لأرْبَابِ الْرَام وَدِينَا
For I am the one who has made love and desire
Love of her movements stirred a heart
a law and a faith for the devotees of passion.
That once was still, unto trembling.
وَمَرِيضَةِand a languid one الأجْفَانِthe eyelids سَاحِرُbewitching لحظهَاher glance
وَمَرِيضَةِ الأجْفَانِ سَاحِرُ لحظهَا
يُنْبِيكَtells you عَمَّاabout what فِيin الفُؤَادِthe heart كَمِينَاhidden
يُنْبِيكَ عَمَّا فِي الفُؤَادِ كَمِينَا
And a languid-lidded one—her bewitching glance
When she sways, spear-shafts are her limbs,
tells you what lies hidden in the heart.
When she sings, swords sleep in their sheaths.
مِنْfrom طرفِهَاher gaze السَّفَّاحِblood-shedding; al-Saffah أصبَحَhas become خَدُّهَاher cheek الْthe (continued next line)
مِنْ طرفِهَا السَّفَّاحِ أصبَحَ خَدُّهَا الْ
هَادِيguide; al-Hadi يُرَىis seen نُعْمَانُهُits blood; its Nu'man مَأمُونَاsafe; Ma'mun
هَادِي يُرَى نُعْمَانُهُ مَأمُونَا
From her blood-shedding gaze (al-Saffah), her cheek, the
A sun whose rising crescent bowed down reverently
guide (al-Hadi), now has its blood (Nu'man) seen as safe (Ma'mun).
And now resembles one who limps.
مَعْشُوقَةِadored الحَرَكَاتِthe movements حَرَّكstirred قَدُّهَاher figure
مَعْشُوقَةِ الحَرَكَاتِ حَرَّك قَدُّهَا
قَلْبًاa heart إلَيْهَاtoward her كَانَhad been قَبْلُbefore سَكُونَاstill
قَلْبًا إلَيْهَا كَانَ قَبْلُ سَكُونَا
Her movements adored, her figure stirred
The branch sang melodiously when she bent,
a heart that had felt no stir for her before.
Its rhythm moved the heart to harmony.
وَإذَاand when انْثَنَتْshe bent خِلْتَyou thought الرّمَاحَthe spears مَعَاطفاsupple forms
وَإذَا انْثَنَتْ خِلْتَ الرّمَاحَ مَعَاطفا
وَإذَاand when رَنَتْshe gazed خِلْتَyou thought السُّيُوفَthe swords جُفُونَاeyelids
وَإذَا رَنَتْ خِلْتَ السُّيُوفَ جُفُونَا
And when she bends, you would take spears for supple forms;
Ask not where her tent is if you seek her,
and when she gazes, you would take swords for eyelids.
But look to where beauty is guarded.
شَمْسٌa sun لطلعتهَاat her appearance الهلاَلُthe crescent قَدindeed انْحَنَىbowed
شَمْسٌ لطلعتهَا الهلاَلُ قَد انْحَنَى
أدَباًout of deference فأصبحand so it became يُشْبِهُresembles العُرْجُونَاthe date-cluster stalk
أدَباً فأصبح يُشْبِهُ العُرْجُونَا
A sun—at her appearance the crescent has bowed
And if you wish to see the crescent of her forehead,
out of deference, becoming like a date-cluster stalk.
Look to where the dawn is shining clear.
الوُرْقُthe gray doves غَنَّتْsang إذْwhen تَثَنَّىswayed قَدُّهَاher figure
الوُرْقُ غَنَّتْ إذْ تَثَنَّى قَدُّهَا
طَرَبًاin rapture فَأعْرَبَand so made eloquent لَحْنُهُits melody التلحينَاmelodious singing
طَرَبًا فَأعْرَبَ لَحْنُهُ التلحينَا
The gray doves sang as her figure swayed,
in rapture, and their tune made song eloquent.
لاَdo not تَسْألَنَّyou ask (emphatic) إذَاwhen قَصَدْتَyou make for خِيَامَهَاher tents
لاَ تَسْألَنَّ إذَا قَصَدْتَ خِيَامَهَا
وَاقصدْand head for لحيثُto where تَرَىyou see الجَمَالَbeauty مَصُونَاguarded
وَاقصدْ لحيثُ تَرَى الجَمَالَ مَصُونَا
Do not ask when you make for her tents,
and head to where you see beauty kept inviolate.
وَإذَاand if أرَدْتَyou wish تَرَىyou see هِلاَلَthe crescent of جَبِينِهَاher brow
وَإذَا أرَدْتَ تَرَى هِلاَلَ جَبِينِهَا
فَانْظُرْthen look إلَىto حَيْثُwhere الصَّبَاحthe morning مُبِينَاshining clearly
فَانْظُرْ إلَى حَيْثُ الصَّبَاح مُبِينَا
And if you wish to see the crescent of her brow,
then look to where the morning shines clear.
Partial English translation: 30 of 36 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1