ياO عَذبةَsweet الوَصْلِunion والصدودِand rejection وياand O
يا عَذبةَ الوَصْلِ والصدودِ ويا
أَعْبَقَmore fragrant ثَغْراًof mouth مِنthan ابنةِdaughter الدَّنِّthe wine jar
أَعْبَقَ ثَغْراً مِن ابنةِ الدَّنِّ
O you, sweet in union and rejection, and O
O gentle union and repulsion, and O
One whose mouth is more fragrant than the daughter of the wine jar!
The sweetest mouth of the daughter of lowliness
وand لمdid not أَذُقْهI taste it ولاnor سَمِعتُI heard بمَنْof anyone who
و لم أَذُقْه ولا سَمِعتُ بمَنْ
ذاقَtasted ولكِنّهand yet it كذاthus ظَنِّيmy belief
ذاقَ ولكِنّه كذا ظَنِّي
And I have not tasted it, nor heard of anyone
I have not tasted it nor heard of one
Who tasted it; yet such is my belief.
Who has, but such is my guess
بَلىَyes تعشَّقتُهاI loved her passionately بِلاwithout حرَجٍscruple
بَلىَ تعشَّقتُها بِلا حرَجٍ
كانexisted وقبّلتُهاand I kissed her ولاand not أَكْنيI speak euphemistically
كان وقبّلتُها ولا أَكْني
Yes, I loved her passionately, without any scruple
Yes, I fell in love with her without shyness
Whatsoever; and I kissed her—I speak without euphemism.
As if I had kissed her, though I did not
ولمand did not تكنbe قبْلتيmy kiss موافَقةًagreed to
ولم تكن قبْلتي موافَقةً
بلrather خِلْسةًfurtively نِلتُهاI obtained it بِلاwithout إِذنِpermission
بل خِلْسةً نِلتُها بِلا إِذنِ
And my kiss was not with her consent;
My kiss was not with her consent
Rather, I gained it furtively, without permission.
Rather I stole it from her secretly without permission
ياO دَجْنَdarkness ليلٍof night بداappeared علىover قَمَرٍa moon
يا دَجْنَ ليلٍ بدا على قَمَرٍ
وبدرَand a full moon تِمٍّat its fullest يغيبdisappears فيin دَجْنِdarkness
وبدرَ تِمٍّ يغيب في دَجْنِ
O darkness of night that appeared over a moon,
O dark night that appeared over a moon
And a full moon disappearing into darkness,
And a full moon that sets into darkness
وغصنَand a branch بانٍof a bān tree يميسsways gracefully فوقَabove نقاًa sand dune
وغصنَ بانٍ يميس فوقَ نقاً
أعجِبْhow wondrous بِهِat it منas a نقاsand dune ومِنand as a غُصْنِbranch
أعجِبْ بِهِ من نقا ومِن غُصْنِ
And a bān-tree branch swaying above a sand dune—
And a branch bending over a soft sand dune
How wondrous that dune and that branch!
More wondrous than the dune or the branch
ياO حَسَناًbeautiful one كامِلَperfect in الصّفاتِqualities إِذاwhen
يا حَسَناً كامِلَ الصّفاتِ إِذا
لَمnot يُضْحِhas become خَلْقٌany creature بِكامِلِperfect in الحُسْنِbeauty
لَم يُضْحِ خَلْقٌ بِكامِلِ الحُسْنِ
O beautiful one, perfect in your qualities, when
O perfect beauty, when
No creature has attained perfect beauty!
No creature matches perfect beauty
حَسْبُكenough for you حُسْنٌbeauty غدتhave become بدائِعهُits marvels
حَسْبُك حُسْنٌ غدت بدائِعهُ
أوسعَvaster مِنthan فِطنتيmy discernment ومِنand than ذِهْنيmy mind
أوسعَ مِن فِطنتي ومِن ذِهْني
Enough for you is a beauty whose marvels have become
Your beauty alone, whose wonders
Vaster than my discernment and my mind.
Are broader than my wit and mind
كمhow long ذاthis التجنِّيunjust treatment عليَّagainst me ظالمةًacting unjustly
كم ذا التجنِّي عليَّ ظالمةً
وكمand how often علىupon حَتْفِdeath مهجتيmy heart أَجْنيI do harm
وكم على حَتْفِ مهجتي أَجْني
How long will you keep wronging me so cruelly?
How much wronging me unjustly
And how often do I bring death upon my heart?
And how much anguish for my love
أتَسْتَحِّلينdo you deem lawful فيin الجفاestrangement سَقَميmy sickness
أتَسْتَحِّلين في الجفا سَقَمي
أمor تستَطيبِينyou relish فيin الهوىlove غَبْنيmy loss
أم تستَطيبِين في الهوى غَبْني
Do you deem my sickness lawful in your estrangement,
Do you make lawful in your disdain my sickness
Or relish my loss in love?
Or do you enjoy in passion my loss
مالَكwhy do you لاnot تَهدِمِينyou tear down مُنعِمةًgraciously
مالَك لا تَهدِمِين مُنعِمةً
مِنsome of ظُلْمِكِyour injustice المستِطيلoverbearing ماwhat يَبْنيit builds
مِن ظُلْمِكِ المستِطيل ما يَبْني
Why do you not graciously tear down
Why do you not destroy me with kindness
Some of what your overbearing injustice builds?
From your oppressive wrong that does not build
وَيْلاهalas for me وَيلاهalas for me ياO ظَلومُcruel one أماis it not
وَيْلاه وَيلاه يا ظَلومُ أما
يكفِيكit suffices you ماwhat قدalready سلبِتِهyou stole it مِنّيfrom me
يكفِيك ما قد سلبِتِه مِنّي
Alas for me, alas for me, O cruel one! Is not
Woe, woe to you oppressor, is it not enough
What you have already stolen from me enough for you?
What you have already taken from me
تَلوُّناfickleness فيin الهوىlove ومَعْتِبةًand reproach
تَلوُّنا في الهوى ومَعْتِبةً
كذاكlike that حَقّاًtruly تلوُّنُshape-shifting الجنِّthe jinn
كذاك حَقّاً تلوُّنُ الجنِّ
Fickleness in love, and reproach—
We varied in love and blame
Such, truly, is the shape-shifting of the jinn.
So in truth vary the Jinn
مُنِّيgrant a favor ولوand even if only بالسّلامِwith a greeting منعِمةًgraciously
مُنِّي ولو بالسّلامِ منعِمةً
ثمthen اخِلطيmingle ماwhat مَنَنْتyou granted بالمَنِّwith reproachful reminders of your favor
ثم اخِلطي ما مَنَنْت بالمَنِّ
Favor me, graciously, if only with a greeting,
Grant me a greeting of kindness
Then mingle what you have granted with reproachful reminders of your favor.
Then mix what you granted with reproach
Sol 6.1