قَلَمُthe pen of العَارِضِthe cheek-down فَوْقَupon الخَدّthe cheek خَطّwrote
قَلَمُ العَارِضِ فَوْقَ الخَدّ خَطّ
أحْرُفَthe letters of الحسنِbeauty وَبِالدَّاجِيand with darkness نَقَطْdotted
أحْرُفَ الحسنِ وَبِالدَّاجِي نَقَطْ
The pen of his cheek-down wrote upon his cheek
The pen's trace on the cheek drew
the letters of beauty, dotting them with darkness.
Letters of beauty and with coquetry dotted
وَلِوَاوِand for the letter wāw of الصُّدْغِthe temple-lock سِرٌّa secret وَاضِحٌclear
وَلِوَاوِ الصُّدْغِ سِرٌّ وَاضِحٌ
ثَلَّثَmade triangular الشَّكْلَthe shape عَلَىupon سَطْحِthe surface of النُّقَطْthe dots
ثَلَّثَ الشَّكْلَ عَلَى سَطْحِ النُّقَطْ
And the wāw of his temple-lock holds a clear secret:
And to the cheek's dimple a clear secret
it made the shape triangular upon the surface of the dots.
It thrice formed above the surface of the dot
وَلِمُوسَىand for the razor (also Moses) of اللَّحْظِthe glance حُكْمٌa decree نَافِذٌeffective; piercing
وَلِمُوسَى اللَّحْظِ حُكْمٌ نَافِذٌ
كَلَّمَwounded (also spoke to) المهجةَthe heart لَمَّاwhen أنْthat شَرَطْmade an incision (also stipulated)
كَلَّمَ المهجةَ لَمَّا أنْ شَرَطْ
And the razor of his glance has a piercing decree:
And to Musa's glance a penetrating judgment
it wounded the heart when it made its incision.
It spoke to the bowels when it crossed
بدرُa full moon تَمٍّfullness فِيin لَظَىthe flame of الخدّthe cheek أرىI see
بدرُ تَمٍّ فِي لَظَى الخدّ أرى
يَانعblooming الورْدِthe rose بِهِwith it المسكُmusk أخْتَلَطْmingled
يَانع الورْدِ بِهِ المسكُ أخْتَلَطْ
A full moon—in the flame of his cheek I see
Full moon in the dark cheek I see
a rose in bloom, with musk mingled into it.
The fresh rose's bud in it musk mixed
وَبِكَأسِand in the cup of الثغرِthe mouth يَجْلُوpresents قَهْوَةًwine
وَبِكَأسِ الثغرِ يَجْلُو قَهْوَةً
لَيْسَis not إلاَّexcept الْمِسْكَmusk والصهبَاand tawny wine فَقَطْonly
لَيْسَ إلاَّ الْمِسْكَ والصهبَا فَقَطْ
And in the cup of his mouth he offers wine—
And in the lip's cup coffee gleams
nothing but musk and tawny wine alone.
Nothing but musk and amber only
شرطُهُhis condition أنthat لَيْسَnot يَبْقَىsurvives عَاشِقٌa lover
شرطُهُ أن لَيْسَ يَبْقَى عَاشِقٌ
فَاحْمَدِso praise اللَّهَGod علَىfor مَاwhat قَدْindeed شَرَطْhe stipulated
فَاحْمَدِ اللَّهَ علَى مَا قَدْ شَرَطْ
His condition is that no lover should survive;
His condition is that no lover remains
so praise God for what he has stipulated.
So thank God for what He has conditioned
إنْif أضَاءَshines البَدْرُthe full moon يَحْكِيimitates خَدَّهُhis cheek
إنْ أضَاءَ البَدْرُ يَحْكِي خَدَّهُ
قُلْsay لَهُto it يَاO بَدْرُfull moon مَاwhat هَذاَthis الغَلَطْerror
قُلْ لَهُ يَا بَدْرُ مَا هَذاَ الغَلَطْ
If the full moon shines, imitating his cheek,
If the full moon lights up narrating his cheek
say to it, 'O full moon, what is this error?'
Say to it "O moon what is this mistake?"
أوْor تثنَّىsways الغُصْنُthe bough يُبْدِيdisplays عِطفهits side
أوْ تثنَّى الغُصْنُ يُبْدِي عِطفه
قُلْsay لَهُto it يَاO غُصْنُbough قَدْindeed رُمْتَyou sought الشَّطَطْexcess
قُلْ لَهُ يَا غُصْنُ قَدْ رُمْتَ الشَّطَطْ
Or if the bough sways, displaying its side,
Or the branch bends revealing its curve
say to it, 'O bough, you have aimed too far.'
Say to it "O branch you have gone too far!"
أوْor رَنَاgazes الظَّبْيُthe gazelle لِيَحْكِيto imitate لَحْظَهُhis glance
أوْ رَنَا الظَّبْيُ لِيَحْكِي لَحْظَهُ
قُلْsay لَهُto it مَاnot أنْتَyou مِنْof هَذاَthis النَّمَطْkind
قُلْ لَهُ مَا أنْتَ مِنْ هَذاَ النَّمَطْ
Or if the gazelle gazes to imitate his glance,
Or the gazelle called to mimic his glance
say to it, 'You are not of this kind.'
Say to him "You are not of this type!"
يَاO هِلاَلاًcrescent moon فَوْقَabove غُصْنٍa bough ثَغْرُهُhis mouth
يَا هِلاَلاً فَوْقَ غُصْنٍ ثَغْرُهُ
أحْرَزَhas attained الرّفْعَةَeminence عَنْabove دُرّpearls السَقَطْthe fallen ones
أحْرَزَ الرّفْعَةَ عَنْ دُرّ السَقَطْ
O crescent moon above a bough, whose mouth
O crescent above a lip whose mouth
has won eminence above fallen pearls!
Has won in splendor over fallen pearls
لاَdo not تَلُمْblame طرفيmy eye لِدَمْعٍfor tears قَدْalready جَرَىflowed
لاَ تَلُمْ طرفي لِدَمْعٍ قَدْ جَرَى
مِنْbecause of عَذُولِيmy reproacher وَهْوَand it مِنْfrom عَيْنِيmy eye سَقَطْfell
مِنْ عَذُولِي وَهْوَ مِنْ عَيْنِي سَقَطْ
Do not blame my eye for tears that have flowed
Blame not my eyes for tears that flowed
because of my reproacher, though they fell from my eye.
From my passion though from my eyes fell
فَالتمسْso seek عُذْراًan excuse لِصَبٍّfor a lovesick lover وَالِهٍdistraught
فَالتمسْ عُذْراً لِصَبٍّ وَالِهٍ
إنْif يَكُنْhe has بَاحَdisclosed بِسِرٍّwith a secret أوْor خَلَطْspoken confusedly
إنْ يَكُنْ بَاحَ بِسِرٍّ أوْ خَلَطْ
So seek an excuse for a lovesick, distraught lover,
Seek excuse for a crazed lover
if he has disclosed a secret or spoken in confusion.
If he disclosed a secret or mixed
أظْهَرَrevealed الحبَّthe love الَّذِيwhich أضْمَرَهُhe concealed it
أظْهَرَ الحبَّ الَّذِي أضْمَرَهُ
وَإلَيْكَand to you العذرُthe apology مِنْfor ذنْبٍa fault فَرَطْslipped out
وَإلَيْكَ العذرُ مِنْ ذنْبٍ فَرَطْ
He revealed the love that he had concealed;
He revealed the love he harbored
and to you, my apology for a fault that slipped out.
And to you the excuse for a crime neglected
Sol 6.1