ياO صَبوةyouthful passion قَدindeed أَتَتنيcame to me آخرthe end of العُمُرِlife
يا صَبوة قَد أَتَتني آخر العُمُرِ
تَذكرreminding القَلبthe heart ماwhat قَدindeed كانَwas فيin الصِغَرِchildhood
تَذكر القَلب ما قَد كانَ في الصِغَرِ
O youthful passion that has come to me at life's end,
O youth that has come to me at the end of life
reminding the heart of what once was in childhood.
Reminding my heart of what was in childhood
إِنيindeed I كَلفتbecame enamored بِريمof a gazelle قَدindeed تَقنصنيcaught me
إِني كَلفت بِريم قَد تَقنصني
إشراكsnares مقلتهof his eye
إشراك مقلته
Indeed, I am enamored of a gazelle; I was caught
I was burdened with a debt that stripped me
by the snares of his eye.
Allowing me to pluck fresh, blooming, verdant roses
أَباحَhe permitted ليto me قَطفَplucking وَردٍroses يانِعٍripe نَضِرٍfresh
أَباحَ لي قَطفَ وَردٍ يانِعٍ نَضِرٍ
وَرَشفand sipping شهدٍhoney شَهيّdelicious عاطرٍfragrant خَصِرِcool
وَرَشف شهدٍ شَهيّ عاطرٍ خَصِرِ
He let me pluck ripe, fresh roses,
And to sip sweet, fragrant, aromatic nectar
and sip delicious, fragrant, cool honey.
Oh, his beauty and the scent of comfort in his mouth
ياO حُسنَهhis beauty وَأَريجَand the fragrance الراحwine فيin فَمهhis mouth
يا حُسنَه وَأَريجَ الراح في فَمه
كَالمسكlike musk ذُرَّwas sprinkled عَلىupon صافٍpure مِنof الدُرَرِpearls
كَالمسك ذُرَّ عَلى صافٍ مِن الدُرَرِ
How lovely he is! And the fragrance of wine in his mouth
Like musk sprinkled on pure pearls
is like musk sprinkled over pure pearls.
And how wonderful the down on his cheeks showed
وَحَبَّذاand how lovely زَغَبٌsoft down فيon وَجنَتَيهِhis two cheeks بَداappeared
وَحَبَّذا زَغَبٌ في وَجنَتَيهِ بَدا
هُوَit السياجُthe fence عَلىaround رَوضٍa garden مِنof الزَهَرِflowers
هُوَ السياجُ عَلى رَوضٍ مِن الزَهَرِ
And how lovely the down that appeared on his cheeks!
It is the fence around a garden of flowers
It is the fence around a garden of flowers:
A rose that doubles its love twofold
وَردroses يُضاعفmultiply حبيهmy love for him مُضاعَفةmanyfold
وَرد يُضاعف حبيه مُضاعَفة
وَنَرجسand narcissi زينadorned بالتذييلwith long lashes وَالحوَرِand black-and-white eye contrast
وَنَرجس زين بالتذييل وَالحوَرِ
roses that multiply my love for him manyfold,
And a narcissus adorned with pendulous blossoms
and narcissi adorned with long lashes and vivid black-and-white contrast.
In it is a subtle meaning that can only be grasped
وَفيهِand in him مَعنىa meaning لَطيفsubtle لَيسَnot يُدركهperceives it
وَفيهِ مَعنى لَطيف لَيسَ يُدركه
إِلاexcept فَتىa young man مُؤثرgiving preference للعقلto intellect لاnot الصُوَرِoutward forms
إِلا فَتى مُؤثر للعقل لا الصُوَرِ
And in him is a subtle meaning that none perceives
By one who values intellect over superficiality
except a young man who prizes intellect, not outward forms.
An affinity was confirmed between our souls
تَوكَّدَتbecame firmly established بَينَbetween روحيناour two souls مُناسَبَةٌan affinity
تَوكَّدَت بَينَ روحينا مُناسَبَةٌ
لِذَلِكَtherefore اِتَفَقاthe two were in accord فيin الوِردcoming to water وَالصَدَرِand departing from water
لِذَلِكَ اِتَفَقا في الوِرد وَالصَدَرِ
An affinity became firmly established between our two souls;
Thus we agreed on roses and on breasts
thus they were in accord in coming to water and departing.
And in the embrace of our bodies you would see a wonder
وَفيand in تَعانُقthe embrace of جسميناour two bodies تَرىyou see عَجَباًa marvel
وَفي تَعانُق جسمينا تَرى عَجَباً
إِثنانtwo قَدindeed ظَهَراthe two appeared فَرداًas one لِذيto one possessing النَظَرِsight
إِثنان قَد ظَهَرا فَرداً لِذي النَظَرِ
And in the embrace of our two bodies you see a marvel:
Two, who to the observant eye, appeared as one
two have appeared as one to the beholder.
With him I had no need for any singing girl
وَقَدand indeed غنيتI have no need بِهِwith him عَنof كُلany غانِيَةٍbeautiful woman
وَقَد غنيت بِهِ عَن كُل غانِيَةٍ
مَنwhoever أَدرَكattains العَينthe reality itself لاdoes not يَعتَدُّpay heed بِالأثَرِto the trace
مَن أَدرَك العَين لا يَعتَدُّ بِالأثَرِ
And with him I have no need of any beautiful woman;
For he who beholds the spring has no use for footsteps
whoever attains the reality itself pays no heed to its trace.
Partial English translation: 19 of 20 Arabic lines translated.