وَأَغيدَand a graceful youth لَيِّنَsupple الأَعطافِthe limbs رَخصٍtender
وَأَغيدَ لَيِّنَ الأَعطافِ رَخصٍ
كَحيلِkohl-dark الطَرفِthe eye ذيpossessing عُنقٍa neck طَويلِlong
كَحيلِ الطَرفِ ذي عُنقٍ طَويلِ
And a graceful youth, supple-limbed and tender,
With soft and pliant limbs, and flexible grace,
Kohl-dark of eye, with a long neck;
Like the bending neck of the roe in its pace,
تَرىyou see ماءَdewy freshness الشَبابِyouth بِوَجنَتَيهِon his two cheeks
تَرى ماءَ الشَبابِ بِوَجنَتَيهِ
يَلوحُit gleams كَرَونَقِlike the sheen of السَيفِthe sword الصِقيلِpolished
يَلوحُ كَرَونَقِ السَيفِ الصِقيلِ
You see youth’s dew upon his cheeks,
Behold the dew of youth on his cheek appears
Gleaming like the sheen of a polished sword.
Bright as the sheen of the sword when it nears.
مِنَof ابناءِsons of الغَطارِفِnoble lords قَيصَرِيَّof Caesar’s stock الthe
مِنَ ابناءِ الغَطارِفِ قَيصَرِيَّ ال
عُمومَةِpaternal uncles حينَwhen يُنسَبُhis lineage is traced وَالخُؤولِand maternal uncles
عُمومَةِ حينَ يُنسَبُ وَالخُؤولِ
A son of noble lords, of Caesar’s stock on
A Caesar he is in the family's line,
His paternal and maternal sides, when his lineage is traced.
When his ancestry is reckoned and defined,
كَأَنَّas though أَديمَهُhis skin نِصفاًhalf بِنِصفٍwith half
كَأَنَّ أَديمَهُ نِصفاً بِنِصفٍ
مِنَof الذَهَبِgold الدِلاصِburnished أَوor الوَذيلِsilver
مِنَ الذَهَبِ الدِلاصِ أَو الوَذيلِ
As though his skin, in equal halves,
His person so lovely, you'd think it combined,
Were made of burnished gold or silver.
Gold and silver thrice purified and refined.
وَرُبَّتَماand sometimes أُكَرِّرُI repeatedly turn فيهِupon him طَرَفيmy gaze
وَرُبَّتَما أُكَرِّرُ فيهِ طَرَفي
فَأَحسَبُso I think أَنَّهُthat he مِنof عَظمِbone فيلِan elephant
فَأَحسَبُ أَنَّهُ مِن عَظمِ فيلِ
And sometimes I turn my gaze on him again and again,
Often I glance at him, rapt and amazed,
So I fancy he is made of elephant ivory.
Deeming his legs to be from an elephant grazed,
عَلىwith قَدٍّstature سَواءِwell-proportioned لاnot قَصيرٍshort
عَلى قَدٍّ سَواءِ لا قَصيرٍ
فَتَحقِرُهُso you would scorn him وَلاnor هُوَhe بِالطَويلِtall
فَتَحقِرُهُ وَلا هُوَ بِالطَويلِ
Of well-proportioned stature—not so short
With a shape evenly balanced, not too long
That you would scorn him, nor is he tall;
To despise, nor too short, but a medium strong,
وَلَكِنand yet بَينَbetween ذَلِكَthat فيin اِعتِدالٍmoderation
وَلَكِن بَينَ ذَلِكَ في اِعتِدالٍ
كَغُصنِlike a branch of البانِthe bān tree فيin قُربِthe vicinity of المَسيلِthe watercourse
كَغُصنِ البانِ في قُربِ المَسيلِ
But between the two, in perfect balance,
Like a supple banana twig near a stream,
Like a bān-tree branch near a watercourse.
Swaying graceful to catch the sun's beam.
يَحِنُّhe yearns إِلَيَّtoward me مُطِّرِفاًfinding it novel لِشَكليby my appearance
يَحِنُّ إِلَيَّ مُطِّرِفاً لِشَكلي
وَيُكثِرُand he makes frequent ليfor me الزِيارَةَvisits بِالأَصيلِin the late afternoon
وَيُكثِرُ لي الزِيارَةَ بِالأَصيلِ
He yearns for me, intrigued by my appearance,
He comes up wooing me with shape so fine,
And often visits me in the late afternoon.
Visiting me often, a dear friend of mine.
أَتىhe came يَوماًone day إِلَيَّto me بِزِقٍّwith a skin خَمرٍof wine
أَتى يَوماً إِلَيَّ بِزِقٍّ خَمرٍ
شَمولِall-pervading الرِيحِin fragrance كَالمِسكِlike musk الفَتيلِrolled into a twist
شَمولِ الرِيحِ كَالمِسكِ الفَتيلِ
One day he came to me with a skin of wine,
One day he brought me wine in a pot,
Its fragrance all-pervading, like a twist of musk,
Fragrant as musk, the aroma redolent, hot,
لِيَشرَبِهاto drink it مَعيwith me وَيَبيتَand spend the night عِنديat my place
لِيَشرَبِها مَعي وَيَبيتَ عِندي
فَيَثبُتَso it may become firm بَينَناbetween us وُدُّthe affection of الخَليلِthe close friend
فَيَثبُتَ بَينَنا وُدُّ الخَليلِ
To drink it with me and spend the night at my place,
To drink it with me and rest by my side,
So a close friend’s love might be made firm between us.
That the love of true friends may by us abide.
وَجاءَتand she came أُمُّهُhis mother مَعَهُwith him فَكاناso the two were
وَجاءَت أُمُّهُ مَعَهُ فَكانا
كَأُمِّlike the mother of الخِشفِthe fawn وَالرَشَأِand the young gazelle الكَحيلِkohl-eyed
كَأُمِّ الخِشفِ وَالرَشَأِ الكَحيلِ
And his mother came with him; the two were
Then came his mother walking with him there,
Like a doe and her kohl-eyed fawn.
Like a partridge with chicken in watchful care.
تُوَصّينيshe enjoins me بِهِconcerning him وَتَقولُand she says أَخشىI fear
تُوَصّيني بِهِ وَتَقولُ أَخشى
عَلَيهِfor him البَردَthe cold فيin اللَيلِthe night الطَويلِlong
عَلَيهِ البَردَ في اللَيلِ الطَويلِ
She bids me care for him and says, “I fear
She cautioned about him while the night is long,
The cold for him throughout the long night.”
Lest he catch cold, he being frail and young.
فَقُلتُso I said حَماقَةًfoolishness مِنّيon my part وَنوكاًand stupidity
فَقُلتُ حَماقَةً مِنّي وَنوكاً
فَدَيتُكَmay I be your ransom لَستُI am not مِنamong أَهلِthe people of الشُمولِwine
فَدَيتُكَ لَستُ مِن أَهلِ الشُمولِ
Then I said—in my folly and stupidity—
“May I be your ransom! I am not a wine-drinker.”
فَأَيَّةُso what a غِرَّةٍheedlessness سُبحانَglory be to رَبّيmy Lord
فَأَيَّةُ غِرَّةٍ سُبحانَ رَبّي
لَوif only اِنّيthat I كُنتُI had been مِنamong أَهلِthose endowed with العُقولِreason
لَو اِنّي كُنتُ مِن أَهلِ العُقولِ
What heedlessness! Glory be to my Lord—
If only I had been among those with sense!
Partial English translation: 24 of 28 Arabic lines translated.
Sol 6.1