سقانيhe gave me drink بكأسيfrom the two cups of ريقهhis saliva ومدامهand his wine
سقاني بكأسي ريقه ومدامه
ولولاand were it not for الكرىslumber ماnot نلتI attained لثمa kiss upon لثامهِhis veil
ولولا الكرى ما نلت لثم لثامهِ
He gave me drink from the twin cups of his saliva and his wine.
But for slumber, I would never have gained a kiss upon his veil.
ليfor me اللهGod منagainst قلبٍa heart إذاwhen ماemphatic particle رشفتهُI sipped it
لي الله من قلبٍ إذا ما رشفتهُ
تمادىgrew more intense بذاكthrough that البردcoolness حرُّthe heat of أوامهِits thirst
تمادى بذاك البرد حرُّ أوامهِ
God help me with a heart that, whenever I sip his saliva,
Finds its burning thirst growing fiercer from that coolness;
وجفنٍand an eyelid حماهdenied it لذَّةَthe pleasure of الغمضclosing the eyes جفنهُhis eyelid
وجفنٍ حماه لذَّةَ الغمض جفنهُ
وبدَّلand replaced مرُّthe bitterness of السهدsleeplessness حلوthe sweetness of منامهِits sleep
وبدَّل مرُّ السهد حلو منامهِ
And an eyelid his eyelid denied the pleasure of closing,
While bitter wakefulness replaced the sweetness of its sleep.
منamong الغيدthe graceful beauties لوif بلَّتgained hold يدايmy two hands بلحظهof his glance
من الغيد لو بلَّت يداي بلحظه
لصلبتُI would surely be harsh علىtoward عشَّاقهhis lovers بحسامهِwith his sword
لصلبتُ على عشَّاقه بحسامهِ
One of the graceful beauties—if my hands could grasp his glance,
I would be harsh toward his lovers with his sword.
تكلَّمspoke حجلاهhis two anklets ونمَّand told tales ابتسامهhis smile
تكلَّم حجلاه ونمَّ ابتسامه
فواحرباso, alas for my anguish منfrom حجلهhis anklet وابتسامهِand his smile
فواحربا من حجله وابتسامهِ
His two anklets spoke, and his smile told tales;
Oh, the anguish his anklet and his smile bring!
وبيand I am afflicted with ألفٌan alif (ا) منfrom قدّهِhis stature عظمُgreatness of الأسىthe sorrow
وبي ألفٌ من قدّهِ عظمُ الأسى
بهاbecause of it وعذارٍand cheek-down شفَّwore away قلبيmy heart بلامهِwith its lām (ل)
بها وعذارٍ شفَّ قلبي بلامهِ
An alif from his stature afflicts me; great is the anguish
It brings, and cheek-down wears away my heart with its lām.
وقدand indeed باتspent the night فيin خفضease منof العيشlife آمنٍsecure
وقد بات في خفض من العيش آمنٍ
فماso what ضرَّهُwould harm him لوif نلتُI attained ضمِّan embrace of قوامهِhis form
فما ضرَّهُ لو نلتُ ضمِّ قوامهِ
And he has spent the night secure in a life of ease;
So what harm would it do him if I could embrace his form?
لقدindeed حفظkept القلبthe heart المشوقfilled with longing عهودهits pledges
لقد حفظ القلب المشوق عهوده
وضيَّعand disregarded سمعيmy hearing فيهconcerning him فرطthe excess of ملامهِreproach over him
وضيَّع سمعي فيه فرط ملامهِ
Indeed, the yearning heart has kept its pledges,
And my ears have disregarded excessive reproach over him.
حكىresembled وجههُhis face صبحَthe dawn of السُّرورjoy وشعرهُand his hair
حكى وجههُ صبحَ السُّرور وشعرهُ
كليلlike the night of الأسىsorrow فيin طولهits length وظلامهِand its darkness
كليل الأسى في طوله وظلامهِ
His face resembled the dawn of joy, and his hair
Was like sorrow’s night in its length and darkness.
وماand whatever أنسَI forget لاnot أنسَI forget الصباyouth وملاعباًand playgrounds
وما أنسَ لا أنسَ الصبا وملاعباً
يشيرgestures إليهاtoward them نازحone far away بسلامهِwith his greeting
يشير إليها نازح بسلامهِ
Whatever I forget, I shall not forget youth and the playgrounds
To which one far away waves his greeting.
أحنُّI yearn إلىfor عصرthe time of الشبابyouth ووصلهand its companionship
أحنُّ إلى عصر الشباب ووصله
وأبكيand I weep جوىًburning grief منfrom هجرهits desertion وانصرامهِand its passing
وأبكي جوىً من هجره وانصرامهِ
I yearn for the days of youth and its companionship,
And weep with burning grief at its desertion and passing.
صفاwas clear صفوَwith the clarity of لينthe softness of الماءwater جسماًin body وقلبهand his heart
صفا صفوَ لين الماء جسماً وقلبه
كصمِّlike solid masses of الصفاsmooth rock قاسٍhard علىtoward مستهامهِthe one love-maddened by him
كصمِّ الصفا قاسٍ على مستهامهِ
His body has water’s limpid softness, but his heart
Is hard as solid rock toward the one madly in love with him.
سقىmay water اللهGod سفجيthe two slopes of (probable reading) قاسيونQasioun وسهمهand its Sahm
سقى الله سفجي قاسيون وسهمه
وماand whatever ضمَّembraced خيفاthe two lower slopes of كهفهits cave ومقامهِand its shrine
وما ضمَّ خيفا كهفه ومقامهِ
May God water Qasioun’s two slopes and its Sahm,
And what the two lower slopes of its cave and shrine embrace,
ملثّاًunceasing rain إذاwhen ماemphatic particle عمَّcovered صدرthe breast of تنوفةٍa wilderness
ملثّاً إذا ما عمَّ صدر تنوفةٍ
أزالremoved يدthe hand of الإمحالdrought وجهُthe face of غمامهِits cloud
أزال يد الإمحال وجهُ غمامهِ
With unceasing rain: whenever it covers a wilderness’s breast,
The face of its cloud banishes drought’s hand.
وبارقةand a lightning flash فيamong السحيthe clouds (probable reading) منfrom دونin front of شمسهits sun
وبارقة في السحي من دون شمسه
كمنديلlike a kerchief of ساقٍa cupbearer معلمٍpatterned فوقabove جامهِhis goblet
كمنديل ساقٍ معلمٍ فوق جامهِ
And a lightning flash among the clouds, before its sun,
Is like a cupbearer’s patterned kerchief above his goblet.
وقدand indeed ألبستclothed كفُّthe hand of النسيمthe breeze غديرهits pool
وقد ألبست كفُّ النسيم غديره
دروعاًcoats of mail رماهنَّshot at them الحياthe rain بسهامهِwith its arrows
دروعاً رماهنَّ الحيا بسهامهِ
And the breeze’s hand has clothed its pool
In coats of mail that the rain has struck with its arrows.
نمومٌa tattler ضميرthe inner self of الماءthe water لاnot يكتمconceals القذىthe mote
نمومٌ ضمير الماء لا يكتم القذى
لصدرِto the breast of محبٍّa lover بائحٍopenly speaking بغرامهِof his passion
لصدرِ محبٍّ بائحٍ بغرامهِ
The water’s heart is a tattler, revealing every mote
To the breast of a lover who openly declares his passion.
إذاwhen رقصتdanced هيفthe slender ones of الغصونthe boughs وصفَّقتand clapped
إذا رقصت هيف الغصون وصفَّقت
جداولهاtheir streams زهواًin exultation بشدوto the song of حمامهِits doves
جداولها زهواً بشدو حمامهِ
When the slender boughs dance and are applauded
By their streams, exulting in the song of its doves.
وياand oh حبَّذاhow lovely مرّthe passage of النسيمthe breeze علىover الحشاthe heart
ويا حبَّذا مرّ النسيم على الحشا
علىdespite أنهthe fact that it أعدىinfected الحشاthe heart بسقامهِwith its sickness
على أنه أعدى الحشا بسقامهِ
And oh, how lovely the breeze’s passing over the heart,
Though it has infected the heart with its sickness.
إذاwhen موَّهgilded الماءthe water الشُّعاعthe sunlight بنارهwith its fire
إذا موَّه الماء الشُّعاع بناره
عجبتI marveled لبردat the coolness of الماءthe water تحتbeneath ضرامهِits blaze
عجبت لبرد الماء تحت ضرامهِ
When the sunlight gilds the water with its fire,
I marvel at the water’s coolness beneath its blaze.
ووجهand the face of الضحىthe forenoon طلقcheerful الأسرَّةthe facial lines ضاحكsmiling
ووجه الضحى طلق الأسرَّة ضاحك
كوجهlike the face of صفيّSafi الدينal-Din يومon the day of سلامهِhis greeting
كوجه صفيّ الدين يوم سلامهِ
And morning’s face is bright-browed and smiling,
Like Safi al-Din’s face on the day of his greeting.
Translation model: Sol 6.1