ومهفهفand a slender, graceful youth عذبsweet اللمىthe dark hue of the lips
ومهفهف عذب اللمى
سحارةbewitching أجفانهhis eyelids
سحارة أجفانه
A slender one, sweet of dusky lip,
And a slender youth, sweet in his dark lips,
his eyelids bewitching;
Whose eyelids are bewitching.
كالرمحlike a spear مرهفslender; finely fashioned قدهhis figure
كالرمح مرهف قده
واللحظand the glance منهfrom him سنانُهُits spearhead
واللحظ منه سنانُهُ
his stature keen and slender as a lance,
His slender figure is like a spear,
his glance its spearhead.
And his glance is its spearhead.
سلسلتchained منfrom أصداغهhis temples; his temple-locks
سلسلت من أصداغه
قلباa heart يجنgoes mad; conceals جنائهُits harvest; possibly miswritten for 'its inner heart'
قلبا يجن جنائهُ
From his sidelocks he has fettered
His temple-locks have chained
a heart whose very core goes mad.
A heart whose inner core goes mad [reading uncertain].
متبسمsmiling عنrevealing ريقsaliva مبsmiling mouth (first part)
متبسم عن ريق مب
تسمcompletes 'smiling mouth' يروقdelights; enchants جمانُهُits pearls
تسم يروق جمانُهُ
Smiling, he reveals the sweet moisture
Smiling, he reveals the saliva of a mouth
of a smiling mouth whose pearls delight.
That smiles, its pearls enchanting.
أضحىbegan; came to يساقطlets fall; scatters مسمعيmy ear
أضحى يساقط مسمعي
دررpearls العتابof reproach لسانُهhis tongue
درر العتاب لسانُه
His tongue has come to shower my hearing
Into my ear he began to scatter
with pearls of reproach.
Pearls of reproach from his tongue.
ينأىdraws away صدوداin disdain; in rejection والمكاand the place (first part)
ينأى صدودا والمكا
نcompletes 'the place' منwithin; in الفؤادthe heart مكانُهُhis place
ن من الفؤاد مكانُهُ
He keeps his distance in disdain, though
He draws away in disdain, yet his place
his place within my heart remains his place.
Is within the heart.
ماwhat ضرهharmed him لوif كانwere; had been شاresembled (first part)
ما ضره لو كان شا
بهcompletes 'resembled' حسنهhis beauty إحسانُهhis kindness
به حسنه إحسانُه
What harm if his kindness
What harm would it do him, if
had matched his beauty?
His kindness resembled his beauty?
ياO منyou who يلومblame أخاa brother; one afflicted with جوىlove's anguish
يا من يلوم أخا جوى
ماwhat شأنconcern; affair خالone free of love شأنهhis plight; his concern
ما شأن خال شأنه
O you who blame one sick with passion,
O you who blame a brother in love's anguish,
what has one free of it to do with his plight?
What has one free of love to do with his plight?
سكنdwelt in الغرامpassionate love فؤادهhis heart
سكن الغرام فؤاده
فتحركتand so stirred أشجانهhis sorrows
فتحركت أشجانه
Passion has settled in his heart
Passionate love dwelt in his heart,
and set his sorrows stirring.
And so his sorrows stirred.
سرthe secret المتيمof the love-enslaved one فيin الهوىlove
سر المتيم في الهوى
بدموعهthrough his tears إعلانُهُits proclamation
بدموعه إعلانُهُ
The lover’s secret in love—
The secret of one enslaved by love
his tears make it public.
Is proclaimed through his tears.
لاmay not شفdiminish; grow faint وجديmy longing فيin هوىlove
لا شف وجدي في هوى
منfor one who شفنيwasted me away هجرانُهُhis abandonment
من شفني هجرانُهُ
My yearning finds no cure in loving
May my longing never fade in love
one whose desertion wastes me.
For him whose abandonment has wasted me.
ياO صاحبيmy two companions هذاthis; here is العقيal-ʿAqīq (first part)
يا صاحبي هذا العقي
قcompletes al-ʿAqīq وسرحتاهand its two sarḥ trees وبانُهُand its bān trees
ق وسرحتاه وبانُهُ
My two companions, this is al-ʿAqīq,
O my two companions, here is al-ʿAqīq,
with its two sarḥ trees and its bān.
Its two sarḥ trees and its bān trees.
والجزعand the valley bend منof; from واديthe valley الغضاal-Ghaḍā; ghada trees
والجزع من وادي الغضا
مفتنهbewitching أفنانُهُits boughs
مفتنه أفنانُهُ
And al-Jazʿ in Wādī al-Ghaḍā,
And the bend of Wādī al-Ghaḍā—
whose boughs are its enchantment.
Its boughs are bewitching.
تهتزsway; tremble ليناsoftly; pliantly كالقدوlike slender bodies (first part)
تهتز لينا كالقدو
دcompletes 'slender bodies' إذاwhen أنشئتwere raised; brought forth أغصانُهُits branches
د إذا أنشئت أغصانُهُ
They sway softly, like slender forms,
They sway softly like slender bodies
whenever its branches bend.
When its branches are raised.
وادa valley يضاهيrivals; matches وردroses
واد يضاهي ورد
وشقيقهand its anemones حوذانُهُits buttercups
وشقيقه حوذانُهُ
A valley—its roses
A valley where roses are rivaled,
and anemones are rivaled by its ḥūdhān.
And its anemones too, by its buttercups.
لبستput on; wore بهthere; in it خوفfor fear of البروthe lightning (first part)
لبست به خوف البرو
قcompletes 'lightning' دروعهاtheir armor غدانُهُits lush, leafy trees
ق دروعها غدانُهُ
For fear of lightning, its ponds there
There, for fear of lightning, they put on
have donned their coats of mail.
Their armor—its leafy trees.
وجرىand flowed النسيمthe breeze علىover ثراsoil (first part)
وجرى النسيم على ثرا
هits (attached to 'soil') معتبراconsidering; perhaps miswritten for 'amber-scenting' أردانُهُits sleeves
ه معتبرا أردانُهُ
The breeze coursed over its soil,
The breeze flowed over its soil,
its sleeves trailing loose.
Perfuming its sleeves with amber [reading uncertain].
تلهيكdistract you عنfrom قطعbreaking; cutting الجناthe heart (first part)
تلهيك عن قطع الجنا
نcompletes 'the heart' إذاwhen نظرتyou gazed جنانُهُits gardens
ن إذا نظرت جنانُهُ
It distracts you from traversing Paradise
They distract you from heartbreak
when you behold its gardens.
Whenever you gaze upon its gardens.
فكأنهاso as though they أخلاقthe virtues; the character منof one who
فكأنها أخلاق من
قهرvanquished العداthe enemies سلطانهُhis might; his authority
قهر العدا سلطانهُ
As though they were the virtues of one
Thus they seem like the virtues of one
whose sovereignty has subdued his foes:
Whose might has vanquished the foes:
مجدthe glory الهدىof guidance والديand of religion (first part)
مجد الهدى والدي
نcompletes 'religion' والملكand of kingship المعظمexalted شأنهُhis stature; his standing
ن والملك المعظم شأنهُ
the glory of guidance, religion, and kingly
The glory of guidance and religion,
rule—exalted is his station.
And of kingship, exalted in stature.
ضربa wiry, lean-built man يشقweighs hard; proves arduous علىupon; for الكماthe champions (first part)
ضرب يشق على الكما
ةcompletes 'the champions' ضرابهhis sword-blows; his swordplay وطعانُهُand his spear-thrusts
ة ضرابه وطعانُهُ
A warrior whose blows bear hard
A wiry warrior who sorely burdens the champions
on champions—his striking and thrusting.
With his sword-blows and spear-thrusts.
فالسمرso the tawny lances فيin الحربthe war العواrecurrent; repeatedly fought (first part)
فالسمر في الحرب العوا
نcompletes 'recurrent' علىagainst العداthe enemies أعوانُهُhis helpers
ن على العدا أعوانُهُ
In war at its fiercest, the brown lances
Thus the tawny lances, in recurrent war,
are his allies against the foe;
Are his helpers against the foes.
والبيضand the bright swords إنeven if خانتbetrayed; failed سواother than (first part)
والبيض إن خانت سوا
هhim (completing 'other than him') فإنهاthen indeed they إخوانُهُhis brothers
ه فإنها إخوانُهُ
and the white blades, though they betray all but him,
And the bright swords, though they betray others,
are his brothers.
Are his brothers.
وتراهand you see him مشفوعdoubled; paired العطاgiving (first part)
وتراه مشفوع العطا
ءcompletes 'giving' مردداrepeated; renewed إحصانُهُhis protection; his safeguarding
ء مرددا إحصانُهُ
You see each gift of his followed by another,
You see him with his gifts redoubled,
his beneficence ever renewed.
His protection granted time and again.
كالغيثlike rain يتبعis followed by وبلهits downpour
كالغيث يتبع وبله
قيin (apparently miswritten for في) سحبهits clouds تهتانُهُits ceaseless rainfall
قي سحبه تهتانُهُ
Like rain, whose cloudburst is followed
Like rain whose downpour is followed
in its clouds by steady showers.
Within its clouds by ceaseless showers.
ضاقتgrew narrow; dwindled لناfor us; to us أعذارهhis excuses
ضاقت لنا أعذاره
وترحبتand grew spacious أعطانُهُhis watering grounds
وترحبت أعطانُهُ
His excuses have narrowed for us,
His excuses to us have grown few,
while his hospitable quarters open wide.
While his watering grounds have broadened.
والملكand the kingdom ثابتةfirm; established بهthrough him
والملك ثابتة به
وبرأيهand through his judgment أركانُهُits pillars
وبرأيه أركانُهُ
The realm stands firm through him,
And the kingdom stands firm through him,
and through his judgment its pillars stand.
Its pillars upheld by his judgment.
دعleave aside ذكرmention ماضيهits past; his past وخذand take; receive
دع ذكر ماضيه وخذ
كرماgenerosity يفيضpours forth بنانهhis fingers; his fingertips
كرما يفيض بنانه
Leave off the mention of bygone men, and take
Leave its past unmentioned, and receive
largesse pouring from his fingertips.
The generosity his fingers pour forth.
فلقدfor indeed محتeffaced; swept away أزمانهمtheir times
فلقد محت أزمانهم
معdespite; with حسنهاtheir beauty أزمانهhis times
مع حسنها أزمانه
For his age has erased their ages,
For their times have been swept away,
however fair those ages were.
For all their splendor, by his own.
وإذاand when احتبىsat with knees drawn up كالبدرlike the full moon حفsurrounded (first part)
وإذا احتبى كالبدر حف
فcompletes 'surrounded' سريرهhis throne; his couch ضيفانهhis guests
ف سريره ضيفانه
And when he sits, moonlike, his couch is ringed
And when he sits with knees drawn up, like the full moon,
about by his guests.
His guests surround his throne.
أبصرتyou beheld كسرىKisrā جالساseated
أبصرت كسرى جالسا
يزهىglories; takes pride بهin him أيوانهhis īwān; his vaulted hall
يزهى به أيوانه
You behold Khosrow seated,
You behold Kisrā seated,
his īwān resplendent through him.
His īwān glorying in him.
ياO محسناbenefactor لمdid not يقتصرhold back; limit himself
يا محسنا لم يقتصر
فيin مدحهpraising him حسانهhis Ḥassān
في مدحه حسانه
O benefactor, in whose praise
O benefactor, your Ḥassān has held nothing back
his Ḥassān has not fallen short.
In praising you.
ضمنguaranteed الإِلهGod لكfor you البقاlasting life (first part)
ضمن الإِله لك البقا
ءcompletes 'lasting life' فماso how يجلّis exalted; is great ضمانهعHis guarantee (final ع appears stray)
ء فما يجلّ ضمانهع
God has guaranteed you enduring life—
God has guaranteed you lasting life—
how august is His guarantee!
How exalted is His guarantee!
