وَمُهَفهَفٍand a slender youth بَلَغَattained المُنىwishes بِصِفاتِهِthrough his qualities
وَمُهَفهَفٍ بَلَغَ المُنى بِصِفاتِهِ
حَرَكاتُmovements of غُصنِa branch of البانِthe bān tree مِنfrom حَرَكاتِهِhis movements
حَرَكاتُ غُصنِ البانِ مِن حَرَكاتِهِ
And a slender youth who attained his wishes through his qualities;
With gentle swaying, the bending bough attained its wish through his attributes,
The bān bough takes its movements from his.
The movements of the supple branch are from his movements,
فَالشَمسُso the sun تَخجَلُblushes مِنat ضِياءِthe radiance of جَبينِهِhis brow
فَالشَمسُ تَخجَلُ مِن ضِياءِ جَبينِهِ
وَالجُلَّنارُand the pomegranate blossom يَغارُis jealous مِنof وَجناتِهِhis cheeks
وَالجُلَّنارُ يَغارُ مِن وَجناتِهِ
So the sun blushes at the radiance of his brow,
So the sun is shy before the brilliance of his forehead,
And the pomegranate blossom envies his cheeks.
And the bright full moon is jealous of his cheeks.
أَضحىhas become الجَمالُbeauty بِأَسرِهِin its entirety فيin أَسرِهِhis thrall
أَضحى الجَمالُ بِأَسرِهِ في أَسرِهِ
فَكَأَنَّso it is as though يوسُفَYusuf حازَacquired بَعضَsome of صِفاتِهِhis qualities
فَكَأَنَّ يوسُفَ حازَ بَعضَ صِفاتِهِ
All beauty has become his captive,
Beauty in its entirety is captured in his captivity,
So it is as though Yusuf acquired some of his qualities.
So it's as if Joseph attained some of his attributes.
ماnot بانَdeparted ماءُlustre of الحُسنِbeauty فيin سَكَناتِهِhis stillness
ما بانَ ماءُ الحُسنِ في سَكَناتِهِ
ياO عاذِليmy reproacher يَوماًever وَلاnor حَرَكاتِهِhis movements
يا عاذِلي يَوماً وَلا حَرَكاتِهِ
Beauty's lustre never left him in his stillness,
The water of beauty did not appear in his composure,
O my reproacher, nor ever in his movements.
Oh my reproacher someday, not even in his movements.
لاdo not تَطمَعَنever hope ياO عاذِليmy reproacher فيfor سَلوَتيmy forgetting
لا تَطمَعَن يا عاذِلي في سَلوَتي
عَنهُfrom him فَماfor … not أَسلوهُI forget him لاno وَحَياتِهِby his life
عَنهُ فَما أَسلوهُ لا وَحَياتِهِ
Do not ever hope, O my reproacher, that I shall forget
Do not hope, oh my reproacher, for my submission,
Him, for I shall not forget him—no, by his life!
For I will not submit to him, no, not even for his life.