كَمhow often يَهتِكُlays bare الدَمعُthe tears سِرّاًa secret كُنتُI used to أَستُرُهُconceal it
كَم يَهتِكُ الدَمعُ سِرّاً كُنتُ أَستُرُهُ
وَيُمحِلُand makes barren الجَفنُthe eyelid خَدّاًa cheek باتَspent the night يُمطِرُهُraining upon it
وَيُمحِلُ الجَفنُ خَدّاً باتَ يُمطِرُهُ
How often tears expose a secret I had kept concealed,
How often tears lay bare a secret I used to conceal!
while the eyelid lays waste to a cheek it spent the night raining upon.
And the eyelid lays waste a cheek it rained upon all night.
ياO مَنyou who تَبَسَّمَsmiled عَنrevealing دُرٍّpearls يُنَظِّمُهhe strings them
يا مَن تَبَسَّمَ عَن دُرٍّ يُنَظِّمُه
ثَغراًinto a mouth عَلىdespite أَنَّهُthat he بِاللَفظِwith speech يَنثُرُهُhe scatters them
ثَغراً عَلى أَنَّهُ بِاللَفظِ يَنثُرُهُ
O you whose smile reveals pearls you have strung
O you who smiled, revealing pearls you string
into a mouth—though through speech you scatter them.
Into a mouth, though you scatter them in speech.
عُنقودُa grape-cluster صُدغِكَyour sidelock رَجعُthe return اللَحظِthe glance يَعصِرُهُpresses it
عُنقودُ صُدغِكَ رَجعُ اللَحظِ يَعصِرُهُ
خَمراًinto wine بِريقِكَin your saliva شَمسُthe sun الخَدِّthe cheek تَهصِرُهُcrushes it
خَمراً بِريقِكَ شَمسُ الخَدِّ تَهصِرُهُ
The returning glance presses the grape-cluster of your temple-lock
The returning glance presses the grape-cluster of your sidelock
into wine with your saliva; the sun of your cheek crushes it.
Into wine in your saliva; the sun of the cheek crushes it.
ماhow كانَwould have been أَقرَبnear قَلبَthe heart الصَبِّthe lovesick lover مِنto كَلَفٍinfatuation
ما كانَ أَقرَب قَلبَ الصَبِّ مِن كَلَفٍ
لَوif لَمnot يَكُنbe طَرفُكَyour eye السَحّارُbewitching يَسحَرُهُenchants it
لَو لَم يَكُن طَرفُكَ السَحّارُ يَسحَرُهُ
How close the yearning lover’s heart would have come to consuming passion,
How near the lover's heart would have been to infatuation,
had your sorcerous glance not bewitched it.
Had your bewitching eye not been enchanting it.
إِذاwhen تَقاضىhe seeks judgment ومنand the one whom يَهوىhe loves إِلىbefore حَكَمٍa judge
إِذا تَقاضى ومن يَهوى إِلى حَكَمٍ
فالدَمعُthen the tears شاهِدُهُhis witness وَالخَدُّand the cheek مَحضَرُهhis court record
فالدَمعُ شاهِدُهُ وَالخَدُّ مَحضَرُه
When he and the one he loves plead their case before a judge,
When he and the one he loves bring their dispute before a judge,
his tears are his witness, and his cheek the court record.
Then tears are his witness, and the cheek his court record.
أَلقىhe cast عَلىupon النَهَرِthe river الجاريflowing لَهُfor him شَبَكاًa net
أَلقى عَلى النَهَرِ الجاري لَهُ شَبَكاً
يُصطادُis caught فيهِin it مِنَfrom among النُوّارِthe blossoms جَوهَرُهُits jewel
يُصطادُ فيهِ مِنَ النُوّارِ جَوهَرُهُ
He casts a net across the river that flows for him,
He cast a net upon the river flowing for him,
catching in it, from among the blossoms, its jewel.
In which its jewel is caught from among the blossoms.
