مَاwhat لِلْقُدُودِwith the figures المَائِسَاتِthe swaying ones غُصُونَاas boughs
مَا لِلْقُدُودِ المَائِسَاتِ غُصُونَا
المُرْسِلاَتِthose sending إلَىto الْقُلُوبِthe hearts مَنُونَاdeath
المُرْسِلاَتِ إلَى الْقُلُوبِ مَنُونَا
What ails these figures, swaying like boughs,
What ails these slender branches, sending
Sending death into hearts,
Their messages to hearts so tender, bending
السَّاتِرَاتِthose concealing مِنَof الظِّبَاءِthe gazelles مَحَاسِنًاbeauties
السَّاتِرَاتِ مِنَ الظِّبَاءِ مَحَاسِنًا
المُظْهِرَاتِthose displaying مِنَof الدَّلاَلِcoquetry فُنُونَاvaried arts
المُظْهِرَاتِ مِنَ الدَّلاَلِ فُنُونَا
Eclipsing the gazelles' beauties,
To veil their charms from prying eyes, yet rendering
Displaying varied arts of coquetry,
Such arts and spells past comprehending?
الآنِسَاتِthe companionable ones النَّافِرَاتِthose shying away تَدَلُّلاَcoyly
الآنِسَاتِ النَّافِرَاتِ تَدَلُّلاَ
الْمُحْيِيَاتِthose giving life القَاتِلاتِthose killing مُجُونَاwantonly
الْمُحْيِيَاتِ القَاتِلاتِ مُجُونَا
Companionable, yet shying away in coyness,
So shy, yet bold in ways beguiling,
Giving life, killing in wanton play,
Reviving, killing with their smiling;
النَّاعِمَاتِthe soft ones الكَاعِبَاتِthe budding-breasted maidens نَواهِداًwith swelling breasts
النَّاعِمَاتِ الكَاعِبَاتِ نَواهِداً
الفَاتِراتِthe languid ones الفَاتِكَاتِthe deadly ones عُيُونَاin their eyes
الفَاتِراتِ الفَاتِكَاتِ عُيُونَا
Soft and nubile, with swelling breasts,
Soft-voiced, but piercing glances, smiting,
Languid, yet deadly in their eyes,
Calm seeming, yet our souls exciting;
الخَالِبَاتِthose bewitching بِكُلّwith every سِحْرٍspell مُعْجِزٍmiraculous
الخَالِبَاتِ بِكُلّ سِحْرٍ مُعْجِزٍ
عِنْدduring الحَدِيثِconversation عُقُولَنَاour minds والدّينَاand religion
عِنْد الحَدِيثِ عُقُولَنَا والدّينَا
Bewitching, with every miraculous spell,
Bewitching us with magic potions
Our minds and our faith when they speak?
Our minds surrender, and our notions.
قَدْindeed بَدَّلُواthey substituted بَدَلَin place of الرّمَاحِthe spears مَعَاطِفًاsupple forms
قَدْ بَدَّلُوا بَدَلَ الرّمَاحِ مَعَاطِفًا
وَاسْتَعْوَضُواand they took in exchange عِوَضَin place of السُّيُوفِthe swords جُفُونَاeyelids
وَاسْتَعْوَضُوا عِوَضَ السُّيُوفِ جُفُونَا
They have put supple forms in place of spears,
For swords they carry silken robes,
And taken eyelids in place of swords.
Exchanging glances sharp for globes.
خَطَرُواthey swayed along وَقَدْand already سُدِلَتْwere let down ذَوَائِبُهمtheir tresses فَهَلْso, have...?
خَطَرُوا وَقَدْ سُدِلَتْ ذَوَائِبُهم فَهَلْ
أبْصَرْتَyou have seen بَاناًa ban tree يَحْمِلُcarrying المَرْسِينَاthe myrtle
أبْصَرْتَ بَاناً يَحْمِلُ المَرْسِينَا
They swayed along, their tresses let down—have you
With tresses trailing, lo, they venture.
Seen a ban tree bearing myrtle?
Saw you a meteor flaming, scintillate?
وَأرَوْكَand they showed you مِنْfrom صُبْحِthe dawn of الوُجُوهِthe faces أشِعَّةًrays
وَأرَوْكَ مِنْ صُبْحِ الوُجُوهِ أشِعَّةً
لماwhen اسْتَقَلُّواthey rose بِالشُّعُورِwith their hair دُجُونَاdarkness
لما اسْتَقَلُّوا بِالشُّعُورِ دُجُونَا
And they showed you rays from the dawn of their faces,
Or sunrise rays athwart the spheres ascending
When they rose, bearing darkness in their hair.
When they but slightly lift the curtains blending?
زَعَمُواthey claimed بِأنَّthat البَدْرَthe full moon حَاكَاهمْmatched them سَنًىin radiance
زَعَمُوا بِأنَّ البَدْرَ حَاكَاهمْ سَنًى
يَاoh هَلْdoes...? تُرَىone wonders لِلْبَدْرِfor the full moon مَاwhat يَعْنُونَاthey mean
يَا هَلْ تُرَى لِلْبَدْرِ مَا يَعْنُونَا
They claimed that the full moon matched them in radiance;
The moon, they claim, has copied their perfection.
Ah, I wonder—does the full moon possess what they mean?
What means the moon by such deception?
مَنْwho لِيfor me بِهِمْwith them وَالعِيسُand the pale camels تَحْمِلهُمْcarry them إلَىto
مَنْ لِي بِهِمْ وَالعِيسُ تَحْمِلهُمْ إلَى
وَادٍa valley عَهِدْتُI knew بِهِin it الجَمَالَbeauty مَصُونَاkept inviolate
وَادٍ عَهِدْتُ بِهِ الجَمَالَ مَصُونَا
Who can bring them to me, while the pale camels carry them to
Who bears me to the vale where I was granted
A valley where I knew beauty kept inviolate?
The treasured pledge of beauty constant?
أأحِبَّتِيO my beloveds حَاشَاfar be it لِمِثْلِيfor one like me أنْthat يُرَىbe seen
أأحِبَّتِي حَاشَا لِمِثْلِي أنْ يُرَى
أبَداًever بِغَيْرِby anything other than جَمَالِكُمْyour beauty مَفْتُونَاcaptivated
أبَداً بِغَيْرِ جَمَالِكُمْ مَفْتُونَا
O my beloveds, far be it that one like me should be seen
My loves, God forbid my eyes should wander,
Ever enthralled by anything but your beauty,
Or my heart worship any but your grandeur!
أوْor أنَّthat قيسَQays القلبِof the heart يَسْلُوforgets his love بَعْدَمَاafter
أوْ أنَّ قيسَ القلبِ يَسْلُو بَعْدَمَا
قَدْindeed ظَلَّhe remained فِيfor ليلىLayla الحِمَىof the sanctuary مَجْنُونَاmad
قَدْ ظَلَّ فِي ليلى الحِمَى مَجْنُونَا
Or that the heart's Qays should forget his love, after
That Qays, crazed by love of Layla tender,
Having remained mad for Layla of the sanctuary.
Should slake his burning heart's surrender!
يَاO صَاحبَيَّmy two companions بمهجتيwith my lifeblood خَمْصَانَةٌa slender-waisted woman
يَا صَاحبَيَّ بمهجتي خَمْصَانَةٌ
قَدْindeed أرْسَلَتْshe released دَمْعِيmy tears المَصُونَthe guarded هَتُونَاpouring down
قَدْ أرْسَلَتْ دَمْعِي المَصُونَ هَتُونَا
O my two companions, my lifeblood for a slender-waisted woman,
My friend, within my heart are traces
Who has set my guarded tears pouring down.
Sent by tears once safely hiding places.
تَرْنُوshe gazes إذَاwhen لَحَظَتْshe glances بِطرْفٍwith an eye نَاعِسٍdrowsy
تَرْنُو إذَا لَحَظَتْ بِطرْفٍ نَاعِسٍ
أوْدَىslew بِيَقْظَتِهِwith its wakefulness الظِّبَاءَthe gazelles العِينَاthe wide-eyed ones
أوْدَى بِيَقْظَتِهِ الظِّبَاءَ العِينَا
She gazes, when she glances, with a drowsy eye
They flow in floods since first he chanced to waken
Whose wakefulness has slain the wide-eyed gazelles.
Some careless eye, its glance not taking.
قَدْindeed أفْرَضَتْshe made obligatory قَتْلَthe killing of الْمُتَيَّمِthe love-enslaved one عنْدَمَاwhen
قَدْ أفْرَضَتْ قَتْلَ الْمُتَيَّمِ عنْدَمَا
أضْحَىbecame مُهَنَّدُthe Indian-steel sword لحظهَاof her glance مَسْنُونَاsharpened
أضْحَى مُهَنَّدُ لحظهَا مَسْنُونَا
She made the slaying of the lovestruck a duty when
My tears decree the death of any gazer
The Indian-steel sword of her glance grew sharp.
Who dares let rest his glance, half-dazed, on her.
تَسْرِيshe journeys by night سُرَىlike the night-journeying of الاقْلاَمthe pens فيماin what تَرْتَضِيshe approves
تَسْرِي سُرَى الاقْلاَم فيما تَرْتَضِي
طَوْعاًwillingly وَهَاand behold هِيَshe بِالضَّنىwith wasting sickness تَبْرِينَاwhittles us away
طَوْعاً وَهَا هِيَ بِالضَّنى تَبْرِينَا
She journeys by night as pens do, through whatever she approves,
They race like quick pens writing as she dictates,
Willingly; and here she is, whittling us away with wasting sickness.
While she makes naked all our souls' states.
شَمْسٌa sun تَجَلَّىshone forth نُورُهَاher light فَأضَلَّنَاand so led us astray
شَمْسٌ تَجَلَّى نُورُهَا فَأضَلَّنَا
وَبِمَاand by what أضَلَّتْنَاshe led us astray غَدَتْshe came to تَهْدِينَاguide us
وَبِمَا أضَلَّتْنَا غَدَتْ تَهْدِينَا
A sun whose light shone forth and led us astray;
A sun whose rays at first misled us,
And by what led us astray, she now guides us.
Then by misleading did proceed to lead us.
وَبِقَوْسِand with the bow of حَاجِبِهَاher eyebrow وَعَقْرَبِand the scorpion-curl of صُدْغِهَاher temple
وَبِقَوْسِ حَاجِبِهَا وَعَقْرَبِ صُدْغِهَا
كَتَبَinscribed الجَمَالُbeauty النُّونَthe letter nun وَالتَنْوِينَاand nunation marks
كَتَبَ الجَمَالُ النُّونَ وَالتَنْوِينَا
And with her eyebrow's bow and her temple's scorpion-curl,
By her eyebrow's bow, her cheek's star brightly beaming,
Beauty inscribed the letter nun and the marks of tanwin.
Wrote the lines of beauty, all-redeeming.
وَافَتْshe arrived تَزُفُّushering in procession عَرُوسَthe bride of كَأسٍa winecup خِلْتُهَاI fancied her
وَافَتْ تَزُفُّ عَرُوسَ كَأسٍ خِلْتُهَا
روضًاa garden أدِيرَwas passed around بِرَوْضِهِin its garden النِّسْرِينَاthe wild roses
روضًا أدِيرَ بِرَوْضِهِ النِّسْرِينَا
She came, ushering a winecup's bride; I fancied her
She came veiled, carried like a cup I've sipped from,
A garden, where wild roses were passed around.
A meadow fenced about with jasmine dripping.
وَغَدَاand he began يُطَارِحُهَاexchanging with her الغنَاءَsinging مُهَفْهَفٌa slender-waisted youth
وَغَدَا يُطَارِحُهَا الغنَاءَ مُهَفْهَفٌ
سَلَبَhe robbed الغُصُونَthe boughs بِمَعْطِفَيْهِwith his two curving sides اللِّينَاof suppleness
سَلَبَ الغُصُونَ بِمَعْطِفَيْهِ اللِّينَا
And a slender youth began exchanging songs with her,
The singing breeze discloses her, light drifting,
Who robbed the boughs of suppleness with his two curving sides.
Bare branches in its robes her beauty sifting.
ظبيٌa gazelle تَرَىyou see ألْحَاظَهُhis glances صِيداًlions غَدَتْthey have come to
ظبيٌ تَرَى ألْحَاظَهُ صِيداً غَدَتْ
تَسْتَوْطِنُinhabit الأهْدَابَthe eyelashes مِنْهُof him عَرِينَاas a lair
تَسْتَوْطِنُ الأهْدَابَ مِنْهُ عَرِينَا
A gazelle whose glances you see as lions that have come
A wild gazelle, her glances hunters seeking prey,
To inhabit his eyelashes as their lair.
Her lashes settle, nesting in her eyes' twin gray.
كَالْوَرْدِlike the rose خَداًin cheek وَالغَزَالِand the gazelle لَوَاحِظًاin glances
كَالْوَرْدِ خَداً وَالغَزَالِ لَوَاحِظًا
وَالْغُصْنِand the bough قَداًin stature وَالْهِلاَلِand the crescent moon جَبِينَاin forehead
وَالْغُصْنِ قَداً وَالْهِلاَلِ جَبِينَا
Like the rose in cheek and the gazelle in glances,
Cheeks of a rose, gazed on by the deer, entrancing,
And the bough in stature and the crescent in brow.
A branch her waist, her brow a crescent glancing.
سَلَبَhe stole الغَزَالَةَthe sun حسنَهَاher beauty وَأعَارَهَاand he lent her
سَلَبَ الغَزَالَةَ حسنَهَا وَأعَارَهَا
طَرْفًاa glance فَأهْدَتْso she bestowed لِلْغَزَالِupon the gazelle فُنُونَاmanifold graces
طَرْفًا فَأهْدَتْ لِلْغَزَالِ فُنُونَا
He stole the sun's beauty and lent her
The wild deer robbed of her beauty, borrowed
A glance; so she bestowed manifold graces on the gazelle.
Her eyes, and taught the deer new arts unsorrowed.
Sol 6.1