ياO; a particle of direct address صَبوةpassion; an amorous yearning قَدindeed; marking the completed action أَتَتنيhas come to me آخرthe end; latter part العُمُرِof life
يا صَبوة قَد أَتَتني آخر العُمُرِ
تَذكرremembers القَلبthe heart ماwhat; that which قَدonce; marking past completion كانَwas فيin الصِغَرِyouth; early age
تَذكر القَلب ما قَد كانَ في الصِغَرِ
O passion that has come to me at the end of life,
the heart remembers what once was in youth.
إِنيindeed I كَلفتhave become passionately enamored بِريمwith a gazelle-like beloved قَدindeed; marking the completed action تَقنصنيhas ensnared me
إِني كَلفت بِريم قَد تَقنصني
إشراكthe snares; traps مقلتهof his gaze
إشراك مقلته
I have fallen in love with a gazelle who has ensnared me
in the snares of his gaze.
أَباحَhe permitted; granted ليto me قَطفَthe plucking وَردٍof a rose يانِعٍripe; fully blossomed نَضِرٍfresh and radiant
أَباحَ لي قَطفَ وَردٍ يانِعٍ نَضِرٍ
وَرَشفand the sipping شهدٍof honey شَهيّdelicious; sweet عاطرٍfragrant خَصِرِcool
وَرَشف شهدٍ شَهيّ عاطرٍ خَصِرِ
He granted me the plucking of a ripe, radiant rose,
and the sipping of sweet, fragrant, cool honey.
ياoh; introducing an exclamation حُسنَهhow beautiful he is وَأَريجَand the fragrance الراحof wine فيin; upon فَمهhis mouth; his lips
يا حُسنَه وَأَريجَ الراح في فَمه
كَالمسكlike musk ذُرَّsprinkled; scattered عَلىover صافٍsomething pure and limpid مِنof; consisting of الدُرَرِpearls
كَالمسك ذُرَّ عَلى صافٍ مِن الدُرَرِ
Oh, his beauty—and the wine’s perfume upon his lips,
like musk sprinkled over a pure strand of pearls!
وَحَبَّذاand how lovely زَغَبٌfine down; first beard-growth فيupon وَجنَتَيهِhis two cheeks بَداappeared
وَحَبَّذا زَغَبٌ في وَجنَتَيهِ بَدا
هُوَit السياجُis the hedge; enclosing fence عَلىaround رَوضٍa garden مِنof الزَهَرِblossoms; flowers
هُوَ السياجُ عَلى رَوضٍ مِن الزَهَرِ
How lovely, too, the down appearing upon his cheeks:
a hedge enclosing a garden of blossoms.
وَردroses; the bloom of his cheeks يُضاعفredouble; multiply حبيهone’s love for him مُضاعَفةa redoubling; many times over
وَرد يُضاعف حبيه مُضاعَفة
وَنَرجسand narcissi; a figure for his eyes زينadorned بالتذييلwith dark edging, like lashes وَالحوَرِand intense white-and-black contrast of the eyes
وَنَرجس زين بالتذييل وَالحوَرِ
Roses that redouble one’s love for him,
and narcissi adorned with dark-fringed, lustrous eyes.
وَفيهِand within him مَعنىa meaning; inward significance لَطيفsubtle and refined لَيسَis not يُدركهperceived or comprehended by him
وَفيهِ مَعنى لَطيف لَيسَ يُدركه
إِلاexcept; only فَتىa youth; young man مُؤثرone who prefers and prizes للعقلthe mind or intellect لاnot الصُوَرِoutward forms and appearances
إِلا فَتى مُؤثر للعقل لا الصُوَرِ
Within him lies a subtle meaning, perceived
only by a youth who prizes the mind, not outward forms.
تَوكَّدَتbecame firmly established بَينَbetween روحيناour two souls مُناسَبَةٌan affinity; correspondence
تَوكَّدَت بَينَ روحينا مُناسَبَةٌ
لِذَلِكَtherefore; for that reason اِتَفَقاthe two agreed; were in harmony فيin الوِردcoming to the water; arrival وَالصَدَرِand returning; departure
لِذَلِكَ اِتَفَقا في الوِرد وَالصَدَرِ
A deep affinity has grown firm between our two souls;
therefore they agree in coming and going.
وَفيand in تَعانُقthe embracing جسميناof our two bodies تَرىyou see; behold عَجَباًa wonder; something astonishing
وَفي تَعانُق جسمينا تَرى عَجَباً
إِثنانtwo persons قَدindeed; marking the completed action ظَهَراhave appeared فَرداًas a single one لِذيto whoever possesses النَظَرِsight; the faculty of looking
إِثنان قَد ظَهَرا فَرداً لِذي النَظَرِ
And in the embrace of our two bodies you behold a wonder:
two who appear as one to anyone who looks.
وَقَدand indeed غنيتI have become independent of; needed no other بِهِthrough him; because of him عَنfrom; without need of كُلevery; any غانِيَةٍbeautiful woman
وَقَد غنيت بِهِ عَن كُل غانِيَةٍ
مَنwhoever أَدرَكattains; reaches العَينthe reality itself; the thing in its very presence لاdoes not يَعتَدُّcount as important; pay heed بِالأثَرِto the trace or indirect sign
مَن أَدرَك العَين لا يَعتَدُّ بِالأثَرِ
Through him I have no need of any beautiful woman;
whoever attains the reality itself pays no heed to its trace.
Translation model: Sol 5.6