وَساعَةِand an hour أُنسٍof companionship قَدindeed قَطَعتُI spent قَصيرَةٍbrief
وَساعَةِ أُنسٍ قَد قَطَعتُ قَصيرَةٍ
كَرَجعَةِlike the return طَرفٍof an eye أَوor كَنُغبَةِlike a sip خائِفِof someone afraid
كَرَجعَةِ طَرفٍ أَو كَنُغبَةِ خائِفِ
Many a brief hour of delight I passed,
And a brief hour of companionship I have spent,
brief as the blink of an eye or a frightened man’s sip.
Like the blink of an eye, or a frightened person's sip.
حَوَتit contained مَجلِساًa gathering فيهِin it المُنىdesires قَدindeed تَجمَّعتhad gathered
حَوَت مَجلِساً فيهِ المُنى قَد تَجمَّعت
غناءٌsong لِذيfor one with سَمعٍhearing وَكَأسٌand a cup لِراشِفِfor a sipper
غناءٌ لِذي سَمعٍ وَكَأسٌ لِراشِفِ
It held a gathering where every desire had assembled:
It held a gathering where desires had come together:
song for one with ears to hear, and wine for one who drinks;
Song for the listener, and a cup for the sipper,
وَصورةُand a form حُسنٍof beauty لَوif تَبَدَّتshe appeared لِراهِبٍto a monk
وَصورةُ حُسنٍ لَو تَبَدَّت لِراهِبٍ
لأنستهُshe would make him forget ماwhat فيin هَيكَلٍa temple وَمصَاحِفِand sacred books
لأنستهُ ما في هَيكَلٍ وَمصَاحِفِ
and beauty embodied—had she appeared before a monk,
And a vision of beauty who, were she to appear to a monk,
she would have made him forget all that temples and scriptures contain.
Would make him forget what is in a temple and sacred books.
غَريبةُrare حُسنٍbeauty بِدعَةٌa marvel فيin جَمالهاher beauty
غَريبةُ حُسنٍ بِدعَةٌ في جَمالها
لَطيفةُdelicate مَعنىًin essence فيهِin it كُلُّall اللَطائِفِthe subtle graces
لَطيفةُ مَعنىً فيهِ كُلُّ اللَطائِفِ
A rare beauty, wondrous and unequalled in her loveliness,
A rare beauty, a marvel in her loveliness,
subtle in essence, containing every subtle charm.
Delicate in essence, where every subtle grace resides.
وَماand not كُنتُI was أَدريI know أَنَّthat للشَمسfor the sun ضرَّةًa rival wife
وَما كُنتُ أَدري أَنَّ للشَمس ضرَّةً
إِلىuntil أَنthat رَأَيتُI saw الشَمسَthe sun ذاتَpossessing السَوالِفِthe sides of the neck
إِلى أَن رَأَيتُ الشَمسَ ذاتَ السَوالِفِ
I never knew the sun could have a rival
And I did not know the sun had a rival wife
until I beheld that sun with flowing side-locks.
Until I saw the sun endowed with a neck.
أَلاtake heed فاغرُبيthen set شَمسَO sun النَهارِof day فَإِنناfor indeed we
أَلا فاغرُبي شَمسَ النَهارِ فَإِننا
غَنيناwe are content بِشمسٍwith a sun نورُهاher light غَيرُnot كاسِفِeclipsed
غَنينا بِشمسٍ نورُها غَيرُ كاسِفِ
Away, then—set, O sun of day! For we
Ah, then set, O sun of day, for we
have no need of you, blessed with a sun whose light is never eclipsed.
Are content with a sun whose light is not eclipsed.
وَياand O بدرُfull moon كُمhow often قَدindeed شبَّهوكَthey likened you بوجههاto her face
وَيا بدرُ كُم قَد شبَّهوكَ بوجهها
لَقَدcertainly غَلِطواthey were mistaken ماnot مشرقٌa radiant one مثلَlike خاسِفِan eclipsed one
لَقَد غَلِطوا ما مشرقٌ مثلَ خاسِفِ
O full moon, how often they have likened you to her face!
And, O full moon, how often they have likened you to her face!
They were surely wrong: the radiant is nothing like the eclipsed.
They were surely mistaken: no radiant one is like an eclipsed one.
وَياand O غُصنُbough كَمhow much تَحكيyou imitate اِعتِدالَupright poise قَوامِهاher figure
وَيا غُصنُ كَم تَحكي اِعتِدالَ قَوامِها
حَكيتَyou imitated وَلَكنand yet أَينَwhere ثقلُthe weight الرَوادِفِthe buttocks
حَكيتَ وَلَكن أَينَ ثقلُ الرَوادِفِ
O branch, how often you mimic her figure’s graceful poise;
And, O bough, how well you imitate her figure's upright poise!
you mimic it—but where are the full, weighty curves behind?
You have imitated her—but where is the weight of her buttocks?
