غَيْداقَةٌa soft young woman كالرُّؤىlike visions والحُسْنُand beauty مِئْزَرُهاher waist-wrap
غَيْداقَةٌ كالرُّؤى والحُسْنُ مِئْزَرُها
سَبَتْshe took captive فؤاديmy heart وخَطَّتْand she inscribed فيin الهَوىlove قَدَريmy destiny
سَبَتْ فؤادي وخَطَّتْ في الهَوى قَدَري
A soft young beauty, like visions, with beauty for her wrap,
A beauty like visions, her veil an ornament
She took my heart captive and inscribed my destiny in love.
She captivated my heart and determined my fate in love
نورُthe light of المُحيّاthe face كماjust like الينبوعthe spring منfrom فلقٍdaybreak
نورُ المُحيّا كما الينبوع من فلقٍ
قَدْalready حلّarrived منبثقاًwelling forth منfrom هَجْعةِthe slumber of السّحَرِthe predawn hour
قَدْ حلّ منبثقاً من هَجْعةِ السّحَرِ
The light of her face, like a spring from daybreak,
The light of her smile is like a spring bursting
Has come, welling up from the slumber of the predawn hour.
Forth from the still of dawn
النّورُlight روضتُهاher garden والطّهرُand purity ديدنُهاher constant habit
النّورُ روضتُها والطّهرُ ديدنُها
كأنهاas though she were ملَكٌan angel فيin هيئةِthe form of البَشَرِhumankind
كأنها ملَكٌ في هيئةِ البَشَرِ
Light is her garden, and purity her constant way;
Her light is a garden, her purity her way
As though she were an angel in human form.
As if an angel in human form
وصوتُهاand her voice نغمٌa melody يسريflows بهthrough it هدلٌcooing
وصوتُها نغمٌ يسري به هدلٌ
تَشدوsings بِبَحَّتِهin its husky tone أُهْزُوجَةُa song السَّمَرِnighttime companionship
تَشدو بِبَحَّتِه أُهْزُوجَةُ السَّمَرِ
And her voice is a melody through which cooing flows;
Her voice a melody that travels gently
A song of nighttime gatherings sings in its husky tone.
Charming the songbirds in the night
أنفاسُهاher breaths كَخُزامىlike lavender منfrom لُمىLuma انْتَشَرتْwafted
أنفاسُها كَخُزامى من لُمى انْتَشَرتْ
لهاto her انْحَنَتْbowed سامقاتُthe towering plants of الروضِthe garden والزّهَرِand the flowers
لها انْحَنَتْ سامقاتُ الروضِ والزّهَرِ
Her breaths, like lavender, wafted from Luma;
Her breath like breeze in the meadows wafting
The garden's towering plants and flowers bowed to her.
To which the tall trees and flowers bend
وتحتَand beneath ناعِسِdrowsy رِمشٍan eyelash خَدُّهاher cheek نضِرٌfresh and radiant
وتحتَ ناعِسِ رِمشٍ خَدُّها نضِرٌ
يَحْمرُّreddens مِنfrom خَجِلٍshyness إنif جَاسَهُprobed it نَظَريmy gaze
يَحْمرُّ مِن خَجِلٍ إن جَاسَهُ نَظَري
And beneath a drowsy lash, her cheek is fresh and bright,
Under sleepy eyelashes, her cheek blooms
Reddening with shyness if my gaze probes it.
Blushing red if my gaze falls upon it
تمشيshe walks بدربيalong my path وليلُand the night of الشَّعرِthe hair يتبعُهاfollows her
تمشي بدربي وليلُ الشَّعرِ يتبعُها
وتومِئand she inclines الرأسَthe head عَنّيaway from me تَتَّقيshe guards against وَطَريmy desire
وتومِئ الرأسَ عَنّي تَتَّقي وَطَري
She walks along my path, and the night of her hair follows her;
She walks my path but the night of poetry follows her
And she inclines her head away from me, guarding against my desire.
She turns her head from me cautious of my passion
وأبْلَجُand gleaming white المْهْوِthe crystal مفتانٌenchanting بِبَسْمَتِهاthrough her smile
وأبْلَجُ المْهْوِ مفتانٌ بِبَسْمَتِها
بَرَدٌhail مُقيمٌdwelling بِفيهاin her mouth فَرّfled مِنْfrom خَفَرِbashfulness
بَرَدٌ مُقيمٌ بِفيها فَرّ مِنْ خَفَرِ
And gleaming crystal enchants through her smile:
Dazzled am I by her smile
Hail, dwelling in her mouth, has fled from bashfulness.
Its chill settled on her mouth fleeing all caution
وفيand in العُيونِthe eyes أقامَestablished السِّحْرُenchantment مَمْلَكَةًa kingdom
وفي العُيونِ أقامَ السِّحْرُ مَمْلَكَةً
تُراودُentice الطّرفَthe gaze آياتٌwondrous signs مِنَof الحَوَرِthe eyes' black-and-white beauty
تُراودُ الطّرفَ آياتٌ مِنَ الحَوَرِ
And in her eyes, enchantment has established a kingdom;
In her eyes magic built its kingdom
Wonders of bright, dark-pupilled eyes entice the gaze.
Messengers of heavenly maidens tempt her glance
تَضَوّعَwafted fragrantly العِطْرأنساماًthe perfume as breezes بِنَكهَتِهاwith her breath's scent
تَضَوّعَ العِطْرأنساماً بِنَكهَتِها
خَوْدٌa tender maiden ، رَمَتْنيshe struck me وأفْشَتand she divulged فيin الهوىlove خَبَريmy story
خَوْدٌ ، رَمَتْني وأفْشَت في الهوى خَبَري
Perfume wafted as breezes scented with her breath.
Her scent exhaled fragrances in its sweetness
A tender maiden struck me and disclosed my story in love.
Love, she shot me and revealed my secret passion
ميَّادَةswaying القَدِّthe figure كالألحانِlike melodies فيin نَغَمٍa tune
ميَّادَة القَدِّ كالألحانِ في نَغَمٍ
غيداءُslender and graceful عاتِكَةٌrosy-complexioned تَخْتالُshe walks proudly فيin خَدَرِlanguor
غيداءُ عاتِكَةٌ تَخْتالُ في خَدَرِ
Swaying of figure, like melodies within a tune,
Her slender waist is like melodies in a tune
Graceful and rosy, she walks proudly in languor.
Swaying coquettishly in her veil
استعْطفُI coax البوحَthe outpouring شِعراًas verse كَيْso that أرتّلهُI may chant it
استعْطفُ البوحَ شِعراً كَيْ أرتّلهُ
لحناًas a melody يُكفْكِفُwipes away دمعاًtears نزَّseeped مِنfrom وَتَريmy string
لحناً يُكفْكِفُ دمعاً نزَّ مِن وَتَري
I coax an outpouring into verse so that I may chant it,
I implore poetry to chant it
As a melody that wipes away tears that seeped from my string.
A song that will draw a tear from my soul
بأيِّwith what وعيٍawareness أصوغُI shape الحَرفَthe written word مُتْعِبَتيyou who weary me
بأيِّ وعيٍ أصوغُ الحَرفَ مُتْعِبَتي
وقَدْand already رمانيhas cast me الجَوىlove's anguish فيinto لُجَّةِthe deep waters of الخَوَرِweakness
وقَدْ رماني الجَوى في لُجَّةِ الخَوَرِ
With what presence of mind can I shape the word, you who weary me,
With what awareness can I shape this troubled verse
When love's anguish has cast me into the deep waters of weakness?
When burning love has plunged me into the abyss
لاdo not تَعْذلونيreproach me فَإنيfor I am مُدْنَفٌlovesick وَلِهٌdistraught with longing
لا تَعْذلوني فَإني مُدْنَفٌ وَلِهٌ
إنَّindeed الكَرىsleep فرَّfled مِنْfrom لَيليmy night ومِنْand from سَهَريmy vigil
إنَّ الكَرى فرَّ مِنْ لَيلي ومِنْ سَهَري
Do not reproach me, for I am lovesick and distraught with longing;
Blame me not, for I am distraught and crazed
Indeed, sleep has fled my night and my vigil.
For fate has fled my night and my vigil
Sol 6.1