اِسقِنيgive me to drink الراحَthe wine عَلىbefore وَجface (first fragment)
اِسقِني الراحَ عَلى وَج
هٍface (final fragment) رَأَيناهُwe saw it نَظيفاspotless
هٍ رَأَيناهُ نَظيفا
Pour me wine before a face
Quench my soul with the breeze on the cheek
Pour me the wine to toast a face
we have seen to be spotless,
We saw it clean
That we have witnessed, fair and pure;
مِنfrom وَصيفٍa young male servant بِأَبيwith my father as ransom ذاthat (first fragment)
مِن وَصيفٍ بِأَبي ذا
كَthat (final fragment) وَبِالأُمِّand with the mother as ransom وَصيفاa young male servant
كَ وَبِالأُمِّ وَصيفا
from a young servant—may my father ransom that
From a cupbearer with my father of virtues
From a young page—by my father’s life,
one, and my mother too—such a servant!
And with the mother virtuous
And by my mother—what a page!
مِنfrom among مَهاoryxes الديوانِthe chancery قَدalready قُلwas adorned (first fragment)
مِن مَها الديوانِ قَد قُل
لِدَwas adorned (final fragment) شَذراًgold beads وَشُنوفاand earrings
لِدَ شَذراً وَشُنوفا
One of the chancery's oryxes, already adorned
From the inkwells of the office, he took
A wild gazelle of the Royal Court,
with gold beads and earrings,
For Dhu Shanatра some papers and pens
Adorned with beads and earrings gold;
لابِساًwearing فَوقَover القَميصِthe shirt الthe
لابِساً فَوقَ القَميصِ ال
جَونَdark قُبطِيّاًan Egyptian linen garment خَفيفاlight
جَونَ قُبطِيّاً خَفيفا
wearing over his shirt—
Wearing over his shirt the
Who wears, draped over his chemise,
the dark one—a light Egyptian linen garment.
Light Coptic robe
A dark and light-weight Coptic gown.
تَضحَكُlaugh الأَقلامُthe pens مِنهُat him
تَضحَكُ الأَقلامُ مِنهُ
كُلَّماwhenever خَطَّhe writes الصَحيفاthe page
كُلَّما خَطَّ الصَحيفا
The pens laugh at him
The pens laugh at him
The reed pens chuckle in his hand
whenever he writes upon the page.
Whenever he writes on a paper
Whenever he inscribes the scroll;
أَسرَعُthe quickest الناسِof people مَلالاًto grow bored
أَسرَعُ الناسِ مَلالاً
إِنif تَسَلyou ask شَيئاًsomething طَفيفاtrifling
إِن تَسَل شَيئاً طَفيفا
The quickest of people to grow bored
The quickest of people to boredom
The quickest of mankind to tire
if you ask for some trifling thing.
If you ask him something trivial
Should you request a trifling thing.
غَيرَexcept أَنّيthat I قَدindeed أَرىI find قَلmy heart (first fragment)
غَيرَ أَنّي قَد أَرى قَل
بيmy heart (final fragment) بِهِtoward him بَرّاًkind رَؤوفاcompassionate
بي بِهِ بَرّاً رَؤوفا
Yet I do find my heart
Except my heart sees in him kindness
Yet I perceive this heart of mine
kind and compassionate toward him.
Kindling in the heart my love
To him is charitable and kind.
مُسعِرٌkindling فيin القَلبِthe heart حُبَّيtwo loves (first fragment)
مُسعِرٌ في القَلبِ حُبَّي
نِdual ending of 'two loves' تَليداًold; long-standing وَطَريفاand new
نِ تَليداً وَطَريفا
He kindles in my heart two loves,
Customary and gentle
He kindles in my chest two loves:
an old one and a new.
And I told Amru
One ancient, one that’s freshly grown.
وَلَقَدand indeed قُلتُI said لِعَمروٍto Amr
وَلَقَد قُلتُ لِعَمروٍ
بَعدَafter كِتمانيmy concealment خَريفاan autumn; a year
بَعدَ كِتماني خَريفا
And indeed I said to Amr,
After hiding it for some time
And truly I confided to ‘Amr,
after hiding it for an autumn:
Do you see the gazelle that I loved
After a harvest kept concealed:
ماwhat تَرىyou think of الظَبيَthe gazelle الَّذيwhom أَحI loved him (first fragment)
ما تَرى الظَبيَ الَّذي أَح
بَبتُهُI loved him (final fragment) حُبّاًwith love عَنيفاfierce
بَبتُهُ حُبّاً عَنيفا
What do you think of the gazelle whom I
With ardent love
"Do you not see the fawn I love
loved with a fierce love?
Do you see my heart stumbling
With passion violent and deep?
ماwhat تَرىyou think of إِخفاقَfluttering قَلبيmy heart
ما تَرى إِخفاقَ قَلبي
فيin هَواهُlove for him وَالوَجيفاand the pounding
في هَواهُ وَالوَجيفا
What do you think of my heart's fluttering
In his love and desire
Do you not see my heart’s distress,
in love for him, and its pounding?
For his persistence has been long
Its trembling pulse for his desire?
فَلَقَدfor indeed طالَhas lasted long تَماديpersistence
فَلَقَد طالَ تَمادي
هِhis وَقَدand indeed خِفتُI feared الحُتوفاdeaths; fatal ends
هِ وَقَد خِفتُ الحُتوفا
For indeed his persistence has lasted long,
And I feared privation
For his disdain has lingered long,
and I have feared death.
He said what is hidden from him
And I have come to fear my doom."
قالَhe said ماnot يَخفىis hidden عَلَيهِfrom him
قالَ ما يَخفى عَلَيهِ
ذاكَthat إِنif كانَhe is ظَريفاperceptive; refined
ذاكَ إِن كانَ ظَريفا
He said: He is not unaware
If he is wise
He said: "This is not hid from him,
of that, if he is perceptive.
If he possesses wit and charm."
Partial English translation: 25 of 26 Arabic lines translated.