هِيَit is الوَجنَةُthe cheek الحَمراءُcrimson وَالشَفَةُand the lip اللَمياdark-tinted
هِيَ الوَجنَةُ الحَمراءُ وَالشَفَةُ اللَميا
لَقَدindeed تَرَكانيthey both left me فيin الهَوىlove مَيِّتاًdead حَيّاalive
لَقَد تَرَكاني في الهَوى مَيِّتاً حَيّا
It is the crimson cheek and the dusky lip—
It is the crimson cheek and the dusky lip:
Together they have left me, in love, living yet dead.
The two have indeed left me dead yet alive in love.
هُماthe two of them أَلبَساthey both clothed جسميmy body سَقاماًsickness وَأَورَثاand they both bequeathed
هُما أَلبَسا جسمي سَقاماً وَأَورَثا
فُؤاديmy heart غَراماًpassion حِملُهُits burden الصَبَّthe lovelorn قَدindeed أَعياhas exhausted
فُؤادي غَراماً حِملُهُ الصَبَّ قَد أَعيا
They clothed my body in sickness and bequeathed
They both clothed my body in sickness and bequeathed
My heart a passion whose burden has exhausted the ardent lover.
To my heart a passion whose burden has exhausted the lovelorn.
فَمِنso from مُهجَتيmy heart نارٌfire وَمِنand from مُقلَتيmy eye حَياrain
فَمِن مُهجَتي نارٌ وَمِن مُقلَتي حَيا
مَتىwhenever اِشتعلَتblazes هَذيthis one تَزيدincreases ذاthat one جرياin flowing
مَتى اِشتعلَت هَذي تَزيد ذا جريا
From my soul comes fire, and from my eye comes rain;
From my heart comes fire, and from my eye comes rain;
Whenever this fire flares, that rain flows all the more.
Whenever this fire flares, it makes that rain flow more.
وَبيand I am lovesick for مَنone who إِذاwhen ناجَيتهI confide in him ذُبتُI melt هَيبَةًin awe
وَبي مَن إِذا ناجَيته ذُبتُ هَيبَةً
وَجانَبتُهُand I avoid him جَهراًopenly وَهمتُand I am enamored بِهِwith him خِفياsecretly
وَجانَبتُهُ جَهراً وَهمتُ بِهِ خِفيا
I love one whom, when I speak with him in secret, I melt in awe;
And I am lovesick for one; when I confide in him, I melt in awe.
I shun him openly, while secretly wandering lost in love for him.
I avoid him openly, but secretly am mad with love for him.
مَليحٌhandsome إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) لاحَhe appears أَبهتَhe stuns منwhoever رَناgazes
مَليحٌ إِذا ما لاحَ أَبهتَ من رَنا
فَأَردىso he slays الَّذيthe one whom أَنأىhe keeps distant وَأَحياand he revives الَّذيthe one whom حيّاhe greets
فَأَردى الَّذي أَنأى وَأَحيا الَّذي حيّا
A beauty who, whenever he appears, leaves all who gaze dumbfounded:
A handsome one—whenever he appears, he stuns whoever gazes;
He slays the one who draws away and revives the one who offers greeting.
He slays the one he keeps distant, and revives the one he greets.
عَليمٌdeeply aware بنِيّاتِof the intentions of النُفوسِthe souls وَماand what حَوَتthey contain
عَليمٌ بنِيّاتِ النُفوسِ وَما حَوَت
كَأَنَّas though لَهُhe has مِنfrom نَحوِthe direction of أَسرارِهاtheir secrets وَحياa revelation
كَأَنَّ لَهُ مِن نَحوِ أَسرارِها وَحيا
He knows the intentions of souls and all they contain,
He knows the intentions of souls and all they hold,
As though he had received a revelation concerning their secrets.
As though he had a revelation from the realm of their secrets.
تَجَمَّعَتcame together الأَضدادُthe opposites فيهِin him مَحاسِناًas beauties
تَجَمَّعَت الأَضدادُ فيهِ مَحاسِناً
فَعبستُهُso his frown مَوتٌdeath وَبَسمَتُهand his smile مَحياlife
فَعبستُهُ مَوتٌ وَبَسمَتُه مَحيا
Opposites have come together in him as beauties:
Opposites have gathered in him as beauties:
His frown is death, while his smile is life;
His frown is death, and his smile is life.
وَغُرَّتُهُand his brow بَدرٌa full moon وَطُرَّتُهُand his forelock دُجىًnight's darkness
وَغُرَّتُهُ بَدرٌ وَطُرَّتُهُ دُجىً
وَأَعطافُهand his flanks ظَمأىthirsty وَأَردافُهand his hips رَيّاwell-watered
وَأَعطافُه ظَمأى وَأَردافُه رَيّا
His brow is a full moon, while his forelock is darkness;
His brow is a full moon, and his forelock is night's darkness;
His waist is parched and slender, while his haunches are lush and full.
His flanks are thirsty, and his hips are well-watered.
أَعارَhe lent اِعتِدالاًupright grace كُلَّevery غُصنٍbranch كَمثلِjust like ماwhat
أَعارَ اِعتِدالاً كُلَّ غُصنٍ كَمثلِ ما
أَعارَhe lent السَنىradiance وَالناضِرَand fresh beauty الشَمسَthe sun وَالظَبياand the gazelle
أَعارَ السَنى وَالناضِرَ الشَمسَ وَالظَبيا
He lent perfect poise to every branch, just as
He lent upright grace to every branch, just as
He lent radiance and freshness to the sun and the gazelles.
He lent radiance and fresh beauty to the sun and the gazelle.
وَأَخجلَand he shamed نورَthe light of الشَمسِthe sun لَماwhen تَقابَلاthe two faced one another
وَأَخجلَ نورَ الشَمسِ لَما تَقابَلا
فَحُمرتُهُso its redness إِذwhen غابَit set منfrom فَرطthe excess of ماhow much اِستَحياit felt ashamed
فَحُمرتُهُ إِذ غابَ من فَرط ما اِستَحيا
He made the sunlight blush when the two met;
And he shamed the sunlight when the two faced one another;
Its redness as it vanished came from the depth of its shame.
Its redness as it set came from its overwhelming shame.
عَجِبتُI marveled لِخالٍat a mole حَلَّsettled فيin وَسطِthe middle of أَنفِهِhis nose
عَجِبتُ لِخالٍ حَلَّ في وَسطِ أَنفِهِ
وَعَهديand my recollection بِهِof it وَسطَamid الخُدودِthe cheeks يرىis seen وَشياas embroidery
وَعَهدي بِهِ وَسطَ الخُدودِ يرى وَشيا
I marvel at a beauty mark settled in the middle of his nose,
I marveled at a mole settled in the middle of his nose,
For I had always known it amid cheeks, appearing there as ornament.
Though I had known it to appear as embroidery amid cheeks.
وَلَكنَّماand yet خَدّاهُhis two cheeks فيهِover it تَغايَراgrew mutually jealous
وَلَكنَّما خَدّاهُ فيهِ تَغايَرا
هَوىًout of love فَاِبتَغىso it sought مِنof وَجهِهِhis face أَوسَطَthe most central of الأَشياthe things
هَوىً فَاِبتَغى مِن وَجهِهِ أَوسَطَ الأَشيا
But his two cheeks quarreled over it
But his two cheeks grew jealous of one another over it
Out of desire, so it sought the very midpoint of his face.
Out of love, so it sought the very center of his face.
وَحُسنُand the beauty of الفَتىthe youth فيin الأَنفthe nose وَالأَنفُand the nose عاطِلٌunadorned
وَحُسنُ الفَتى في الأَنف وَالأَنفُ عاطِلٌ
فَكَيفَso how إِذاwhen ماever (emphasis) الخالُthe mole كانَwas لَهُfor it طَياa fold (sense unclear here)
فَكَيفَ إِذا ما الخالُ كانَ لَهُ طَيا
A young man's beauty lies in the nose—and the nose is unadorned;
And a youth's beauty lies in his nose, even when the nose is bare;
How then, when a beauty mark becomes its adornment?
How much more, then, when the mole adds a fold to its beauty?
أَياO باخِلاstingy one حَتّىeven بِتَقبيلِwith the kissing of كَفِّهِhis palm
أَيا باخِلا حَتّى بِتَقبيلِ كَفِّهِ
عَلىto مَنone who سَخاgave generously حَتّىeven بِحوباهwith his soul فيin الدُنياthis world
عَلى مَن سَخا حَتّى بِحوباه في الدُنيا
O you who are too miserly even to let me kiss his palm,
O miser who begrudges even a kiss upon his palm
Toward one who has been generous even with his very soul in this world!
To one who freely gave even his soul in this world:
أَلَمdid you not تَدرِknow أَنّيthat I طوعُobedient to حُسنِكَyour beauty دائِماًalways
أَلَم تَدرِ أَنّي طوعُ حُسنِكَ دائِماً
وَقَلبيَand my heart لاdoes not يَعصِيكdisobey you أَمراًin a command وَلاnor نَهياin a prohibition
وَقَلبيَ لا يَعصِيك أَمراً وَلا نَهيا
Do you not know that I am forever obedient to your beauty,
Do you not know that I am always at your beauty's command,
And that my heart disobeys you in neither command nor prohibition?
And my heart disobeys you neither in command nor in prohibition?
