ياO وَيحَalas for حَمّادٍHammād أَمِنis it from نَظرَةٍa glance
يا وَيحَ حَمّادٍ أَمِن نَظرَةٍ
راحَhe went away أَسيراًa captive غَيرَnot مَجنوبِled along
راحَ أَسيراً غَيرَ مَجنوبِ
Alas for Hammād! Has a single glance
O woe to Hammad, from a single glance
sent him away a captive, though no one led him?
He became a captive, though unwounded.
لِلَّهِto God (exclamation) ماwhat رانَhas taken hold عَلىover قَلبِهِhis heart
لِلَّهِ ما رانَ عَلى قَلبِهِ
مِنfrom ساحِرِbewitching المُقلَةِthe eye مَشبوبِglowing
مِن ساحِرِ المُقلَةِ مَشبوبِ
By God, what has taken hold of his heart
By Allah, nothing but the sorcerer's eye
from a glowing youth with a bewitching eye!
Had overwhelmed his heart and confounded.
كَأَنَّهُas though he were هاروتُHārūt يَومَon the day اِغتَدىhe went out in the morning
كَأَنَّهُ هاروتُ يَومَ اِغتَدى
يُديرُturns عَينَيهِhis two eyes بِتَقليبِwith repeated turning
يُديرُ عَينَيهِ بِتَقليبِ
As though he were Hārūt when he went out at dawn,
As if Harut himself one day transgressed
turning his eyes this way and that.
And rolled his eyes, practicing his art.
أَغَنَّsweetly nasal-voiced أَحوىdark-lipped لانَwas supple فيin رِقَّةٍdelicacy
أَغَنَّ أَحوى لانَ في رِقَّةٍ
يَختالُstruts فيin الخَزِّsilken cloth وَفيand in الطيبِperfume
يَختالُ في الخَزِّ وَفي الطيبِ
Sweetly nasal-voiced, dark-lipped, supple and delicate,
He sang so sweetly with a delicate voice
he struts in silken cloth and perfume.
Swaying in silk and scent - a beauty's part.
بَداhe appeared لِحَمّادٍto Hammād فَأَبدىso he revealed لَهُto him
بَدا لِحَمّادٍ فَأَبدى لَهُ
شُغلاًa distraction عَنِfrom الدِرياقِthe antidote (wine) وَالكوبِand the cup
شُغلاً عَنِ الدِرياقِ وَالكوبِ
He appeared to Hammād and revealed to him
To Hammad he appeared and showed to him
a distraction from the 'antidote' wine and the cup.
A task unlike medicine and wine.
قادَled النَباطِيَّthe Nabataean إِلىto حَتفِهِhis death
قادَ النَباطِيَّ إِلى حَتفِهِ
نَظرَةُa glance عَينٍof an eye شَطرَtoward مَحبوبِa beloved
نَظرَةُ عَينٍ شَطرَ مَحبوبِ
The Nabataean was led to his death
The glance of the Nabatean's eye drove
by an eye's glance toward a beloved.
To his doom, a glance from eyes divine.
لَمّاwhen رَأىhe saw ماwhat عِندَهُwith him مُعجِباًpleasing
لَمّا رَأى ما عِندَهُ مُعجِباً
حَنَّhe yearned إِلَيهِfor him غَيرَwithout تَعييبِfinding fault
حَنَّ إِلَيهِ غَيرَ تَعييبِ
When he saw how pleasing was what he had,
When he saw what pleased him, approving it,
he yearned for him without finding fault.
He inclined to him, not berating.
يَهذىhe raves بِخَشفٍabout a fawn مُؤنِقٍdelightful مُشرِقٍradiant
يَهذى بِخَشفٍ مُؤنِقٍ مُشرِقٍ
مُقابَلِnoble on both sides الجَدَّينِthe two grandfathers مَنسوبِof known lineage
مُقابَلِ الجَدَّينِ مَنسوبِ
He raves about a delightful, radiant fawn,
Wandering aimlessly, passionately
noble through both grandfathers, of known lineage.
Opposite cheeks of softness correlating.
يَختَلِسُhe steals away القَلبَthe heart بِإِبرامِهِthrough his vexing
يَختَلِسُ القَلبَ بِإِبرامِهِ
مِنهُfrom him وَإِطماعٍand raising hopes وَتَجنيبِand keeping away
مِنهُ وَإِطماعٍ وَتَجنيبِ
He steals the heart through the vexation
Stealing the heart with his knitting
he brings, through raised hopes and holding aloof.
Of it, and greed and gathering.
مُبَتَّلُwell-proportioned الخَلقِthe physique هَضيمُslender الحَشاthe waist
مُبَتَّلُ الخَلقِ هَضيمُ الحَشا
ذوpossessing شَعَرٍhair كَالكَرمِlike a grapevine غِربيبِjet-black
ذو شَعَرٍ كَالكَرمِ غِربيبِ
Well-proportioned, slender at the waist,
Perfect creation, sweet of disposition
with jet-black hair like a grapevine.
With hair like grapes, so appealing.
أَمرَدُbeardless كَالمَأثورِlike a patterned sword حينَwhen اِستَوىhe reached full growth
أَمرَدُ كَالمَأثورِ حينَ اِستَوى
لَمdid not تَرَهُsee him عَينٌan eye عَلىin حوبِsin
لَم تَرَهُ عَينٌ عَلى حوبِ
Beardless when fully grown, like a patterned sword;
An elegant creature not seen before
no eye has seen him doing wrong.
By any eye, in perfection flowering.
يَمشيhe walks إِذاwhen راحَhe goes out بِرَمّاغَةٍwith a rump
يَمشي إِذا راحَ بِرَمّاغَةٍ
لَجَّتit persisted بِإِصعادٍin rising وَتَصويبِand falling
لَجَّت بِإِصعادٍ وَتَصويبِ
When he goes out, he walks with a rump
He walks with a graceful and measured gait
that keeps on rising and falling,
Made up precisely and aptly.
وَخِصيَةٍand a testicle فيin حُسنِthe beauty of ياقوتَةٍa ruby
وَخِصيَةٍ في حُسنِ ياقوتَةٍ
سيقَتwas brought إِلىto أَصيَدَa proud lord مَحجوبِscreened from view
سيقَت إِلى أَصيَدَ مَحجوبِ
and a testicle as lovely as a ruby
A jewel in the beauty of chastity
borne to a proud lord screened from view.
Taken to hunt forbidden trapping.
يَقولُsays حَمّادٌHammād إِذاwhen ماemphatic particle نَأىhe draws away
يَقولُ حَمّادٌ إِذا ما نَأى
ياO رَبِّmy lord فَرِّجrelieve كَربَthe distress of مَكروبِa distressed one
يا رَبِّ فَرِّج كَربَ مَكروبِ
Hammād says whenever the beloved draws away:
Hammad says when he is apart
'O my lord, relieve a sufferer's distress!
"O Lord, relieve the distress of the troubled."
حَمَّلتَنيyou burdened me with الشَوقَlonging وَباعَدتَنيand you kept me far away
حَمَّلتَني الشَوقَ وَباعَدتَني
ماnot هَكَذاlike this الرَبُّthe master لِمَربوبِtoward a dependent
ما هَكَذا الرَبُّ لِمَربوبِ
You have burdened me with longing and kept me far away;
You have burdened me with desire and distanced me
this is no way for a master to treat his servant.
Is this how a Lord treats the devoted?
رَضيتُI am content with ميعادَكَyour promise ياO سَيِّديmy master
رَضيتُ ميعادَكَ يا سَيِّدي
إِنif لَمnot يَكُنit is ميعادَthe promise of عُرقوبِʿUrqūb
إِن لَم يَكُن ميعادَ عُرقوبِ
I am content with your promise, O my master,
I accept your tryst, my Master
if it is not a promise like ʿUrqūb's.'
If it is not an impossible meeting.