ساحرbewitching الطرفthe gaze سقيمlanguid جفنهhis eyelid
ساحر الطرف سقيم جفنه
قمريُّmoonlike الوجهthe face ليليُّnightlike الشعرthe hair
قمريُّ الوجه ليليُّ الشعر
His glance is bewitching, his eyelid languid;
His gaze bewitches; his eyelid is languid.
moon-bright his face, night-dark his hair;
His face is moonlike; his hair is like night.
ناحلslender الخصرthe waist ثقيلheavy ردفهhis buttocks
ناحل الخصر ثقيل ردفه
مائسswaying القدthe stature ردينيُّRudayni-spear-like الخطرthe swaying gait
مائس القد ردينيُّ الخطر
slender his waist, heavy his haunches;
His waist is slender; his buttocks are heavy.
swaying his figure, spear-like his bearing.
His figure sways, with the sway of a Rudayni spear.
نافرshunning عنيaway from me وقلبيand my heart سكنهhis dwelling
نافر عني وقلبي سكنه
صفوةthe choicest الودof love إذاwhen قالhe speaks غدرhe betrays
صفوة الود إذا قال غدر
He shuns me, though my heart is his dwelling;
He shuns me, yet my heart is his dwelling.
the purest in love—yet when he pledges, he betrays.
Love's choicest one—when he speaks, he betrays.
هلdoes يراعيhe honors ذمةa pledge منone who ودناloved us
هل يراعي ذمة من ودنا
لاno وهيهاتand far be it الوفاfaithfulness ممنfrom one who غدرbetrayed
لا وهيهات الوفا ممن غدر
Will one who loved us honor love’s covenant?
Does one who loved us honor a pledge?
No—far indeed is fidelity from one who betrayed.
No! Fidelity is far from one who betrayed.
طولthroughout ليليmy night وصلهunion with him منتظرawaited
طول ليلي وصله منتظر
ليلةa night منof وصلهunion with him ألفa thousand شهرmonths
ليلة من وصله ألف شهر
All my long night I await his union;
All through my night, I await union with him.
one night of his union is worth a thousand months.
One night of union with him is a thousand months.
ياO غضيضdowncast الطرفthe gaze هبgrant ليto me نظرةa glance
يا غضيض الطرف هب لي نظرة
إنindeed أعراضكyour turning away أدهىmore grievous وأمرand more bitter
إن أعراضك أدهى وأمر
O you of lowered gaze, grant me one glance;
O downcast-eyed one, grant me a glance.
your turning away is more dire and more bitter.
Indeed, your turning away is more grievous and more bitter.
عجباًhow wondrous! فيin خدكyour cheek النارthe fire وفيand in
عجباً في خدك النار وفي
مهجتيmy heart منهاfrom it لهيبa blaze وشررand sparks
مهجتي منها لهيب وشرر
How wondrous! In your cheek is the fire, while in
How wondrous! In your cheek is fire, and in
my soul are its blaze and sparks.
My heart, from it, are a blaze and sparks.
فاتنيescaped me بعضsome of رشاديmy good sense فيin الهوىlove
فاتني بعض رشادي في الهوى
إنindeed عذاليmy reproachers لقدcertainly قالواthey said كفرhe disbelieved
إن عذالي لقد قالوا كفر
Some of my good sense deserted me in love;
Some of my good sense escaped me in love.
my reproachers have indeed declared it unbelief.
Indeed, my reproachers have said, 'He has disbelieved.'
صدقواthey spoke truly غابvanished رشاديmy good sense فيin الهوىlove
صدقوا غاب رشادي في الهوى
وعلاقاتand the entanglements الهوىof love إحدىone of الكبرthe greatest calamities
وعلاقات الهوى إحدى الكبر
They spoke true: my good sense vanished in love,
They spoke truly: my good sense vanished in love.
and love’s entanglements are among the gravest sins.
And love's entanglements are one of the greatest calamities.
وإذاand when ذكرتهI remind him عهدthe time of الصباyouth
وإذا ذكرته عهد الصبا
قالhe says ليto me تلكthose ألاعيبgames الصغرof childhood
قال لي تلك ألاعيب الصغر
Whenever I reminded him of youth’s covenant,
And when I remind him of the days of youth,
he told me, “Those were childhood games.”
He says to me, 'Those are childhood games.'
وإذاand when استعطفهbegs him for pity القلبthe heart علىfor
وإذا استعطفه القلب على
فعلthe deed of عينيهhis two eyes تعاطىhe takes hold فعقرthen he slays
فعل عينيه تعاطى فعقر
And when the heart begs him for mercy over
And when the heart implores his pity for
what his eyes have done, he reaches out—and hamstrings me.
What his eyes have done, he seizes and slays.
ياO امامimam الحسنof beauty هلquestion particle منتظرawaited
يا امام الحسن هل منتظر
لمnot تزلyou cease to be عنديto me الامامthe imam المنتظرthe awaited one
لم تزل عندي الامام المنتظر
O imam of beauty, is there another awaited one?
O imam of beauty, are you the awaited one?
For me, you have always been the Awaited Imam.
To me, you have always been the awaited imam.
وإذاand when أشكوI complain لهto him قرحthe wound الهوىof love
وإذا أشكو له قرح الهوى
قالhe says ليto me صلِّinvoke blessings علىupon خيرthe best of البشرhumankind
قال لي صلِّ على خير البشر
And when I complain to him of love’s wound,
And when I complain to him of love's wound,
he tells me, “Bless the best of humankind.”
He tells me, 'Send blessings upon the best of humankind.'
