عَبَثَتtoyed بِقَلبٍwith the heart عَمِيدِهِof his love-stricken lover لَحَظَاتُهُhis glances
عَبَثَت بِقَلبٍ عَمِيدِهِ لَحَظَاتُهُ
يَاO رَبّLord لاَdo not تَعتُبfind fault عَلَىwith لَحَظَاتِهِhis glances
يَا رَبّ لاَ تَعتُب عَلَى لَحَظَاتِهِ
His glances toyed with the heart of his love-stricken lover.
O Lord, do not find fault with his glances.
رَكِبَhe committed المَآثِمَsins فِيin انتِهَابِplundering نُفُوسِنَاour souls
رَكِبَ المَآثِمَ فِي انتِهَابِ نُفُوسِنَا
فاللهُso God يَجعَلهُنَّcounts them مِنamong حَسَنَاتِهِhis good deeds
فاللهُ يَجعَلهُنَّ مِن حَسَنَاتِهِ
He committed sins in plundering our souls;
So may God count them among his good deeds.
يَاO حُسنَهُhis beauty وَالحُسنُand beauty بَعضُsome صِفَاتِهِof his qualities
يَا حُسنَهُ وَالحُسنُ بَعضُ صِفَاتِهِ
وَالسِّحرُand enchantment مَقصُورٌconfined عَلَىto حَرَكَاتِهِhis movements
وَالسِّحرُ مَقصُورٌ عَلَى حَرَكَاتِهِ
Ah, his beauty—and beauty is but one of his qualities!
And enchantment is confined to his movements.
فَإذَاso when هِلاَلُthe crescent الأفقِof the horizon قاَبَلَfaces وَجهَهُhis face
فَإذَا هِلاَلُ الأفقِ قاَبَلَ وَجهَهُ
أبصَرتَهُyou see it كَالشَّكلِlike an image فِيin مِرآتِهِhis mirror
أبصَرتَهُ كَالشَّكلِ فِي مِرآتِهِ
When the crescent on the horizon faces his face,
You see it like an image in his mirror.
مَاnot زِلتُI ceased أطلُبُseeking للِزَّمَانِto Time وِصَالَهُunion with him
مَا زِلتُ أطلُبُ للِزَّمَانِ وِصَالَهُ
حَتَّىuntil دَنَاhe drew near وَالبُعدُthough distance مِنamong عَاداتِهِhis habits
حَتَّى دَنَا وَالبُعدُ مِن عَاداتِهِ
I kept asking Time for union with him,
Until he drew near, though distance was his habit.
غَفَلَgrew heedless الرَّقِيبُthe watcher فَفُزتُso I won مِنهُfrom him بِنَظرَةٍa glance
غَفَلَ الرَّقِيبُ فَفُزتُ مِنهُ بِنَظرَةٍ
ياO لَيتَهُif only he لَوif دامَremained فِيin غَفَلاتِهِhis lapses of attention
يا لَيتَهُ لَو دامَ فِي غَفَلاتِهِ
The watcher grew heedless, and I won a glance from him.
Oh, if only he had remained heedless!
فَغَفَرتُso I forgave ذَنبَthe sin الهَجرَof desertion فِيهِin him بِلَيلَةٍin return for a night
فَغَفَرتُ ذَنبَ الهَجرَ فِيهِ بِلَيلَةٍ
سُدِلَتwas drawn down عَلَآover مَاwhat كانَhad been مِنof زَلاَّتِهِhis missteps
سُدِلَت عَلَآ مَا كانَ مِن زَلاَّتِهِ
I forgave his sin of desertion in return for a night
Drawn like a veil over all his past missteps.
بِتَناwe spent the night نُشَعشِعُmixing wine وَألعَفَافُand chastity نَدِيمُنَاour drinking companion
بِتَنا نُشَعشِعُ وَألعَفَافُ نَدِيمُنَا
خَمرَينِtwo wines مِنfrom غَزَلِيmy love verse وَمِنand from كلمَاتِهِhis words
خَمرَينِ مِن غَزَلِي وَمِن كلمَاتِهِ
We spent the night mixing—with chastity our drinking companion—
Two wines, one from my love verse and one from his words.
صَافَحتُهُI clasped his hand وَاللَّيلُwhile the night يُذكِيkindles تَحتَنَاbeneath us
صَافَحتُهُ وَاللَّيلُ يُذكِي تَحتَنَا
نَارَينِtwo fires مِنfrom نَفَسِيmy breath وَمِنand from وَجَنَاتِهِhis cheeks
نَارَينِ مِن نَفَسِي وَمِن وَجَنَاتِهِ
I clasped his hand, while night kindled beneath us
Two fires, one from my breath and one from his cheeks.
وَضَمَمتُهٌُand I embraced him ضَمَّthe embrace البَخِيلِof a miser لِمَالِهِof his wealth
وَضَمَمتُهٌُ ضَمَّ البَخِيلِ لِمَالِهِ
يَحنُوhe bends tenderly عَلَيهِover it مِنfrom جَمِيعِall جِهَاتِهِits sides
يَحنُو عَلَيهِ مِن جَمِيعِ جِهَاتِهِ
And I embraced him as a miser embraces his wealth,
Bending over it from every side.
أوثَقتُهُI held him fast فِيin سَاعِدَيَّmy two forearms كَأنَّهُas though he were
أوثَقتُهُ فِي سَاعِدَيَّ كَأنَّهُ
ظَبيٌa gazelle خَشِيتُI feared عَلَيهِfor him مِنbecause of نَفَرَاتِهِhis startled flights
ظَبيٌ خَشِيتُ عَلَيهِ مِن نَفَرَاتِهِ
I held him fast in my forearms, as though he were
A gazelle I feared might startle and flee.
وَالقَلبُand the heart يَرغَبُlongs أنto يُصَيَّرbe made سَاعِداًa forearm
وَالقَلبُ يَرغَبُ أن يُصَيَّر سَاعِداً
لِيَفُوزَso it might attain بِالآمَالِthe things hoped for مِنfrom ضَمَّاتِهِhis embraces
لِيَفُوزَ بِالآمَالِ مِن ضَمَّاتِهِ
And my heart longed to become a forearm,
To win what it hoped for from his embraces.
حَتَّىuntil إذَاwhen هَامَfell in love الكَرَىslumber بِجُفُونِهِwith his eyelids
حَتَّى إذَا هَامَ الكَرَى بِجُفُونِهِ
وَامتَدَّand he stretched out فِيin عَضُدَيَّmy two upper arms طَوعَyielding to سِنَاتِهِhis drowsiness
وَامتَدَّ فِي عَضُدَيَّ طَوعَ سِنَاتِهِ
Until, when slumber fell in love with his eyelids,
And he stretched out in my arms, yielding to his drowsiness,
عَزَمَinsisted الغَرَامُpassion عَلَيَّupon me فِيconcerning تَقبِيلِهِkissing him
عَزَمَ الغَرَامُ عَلَيَّ فِي تَقبِيلِهِ
فَجَعَلتُso I fashioned أيدِيhands الطَّوعِof obedience مِنfrom عَزَمَاتِهِits commands
فَجَعَلتُ أيدِي الطَّوعِ مِن عَزَمَاتِهِ
Passion insisted that I kiss him,
So I fashioned hands of obedience from its commands.
وَأبَىbut refused عَفَاchastity (fragment of عفافي) فِيmy (completion of عفافي) أنthat أقَبِّلَI kiss ثغرَهُhis mouth
وَأبَى عَفَا فِي أن أقَبِّلَ ثغرَهُ
والقَلبُwhile the heart مَطوِيٌّfolded عَلَىaround جَمَرَاتِهِits embers
والقَلبُ مَطوِيٌّ عَلَى جَمَرَاتِهِ
But my chastity refused to let me kiss his mouth,
While my heart lay folded around its embers.
فَأعجَبso marvel لِمُلتَهِبِat one ablaze الجَوانِحِin the breast غُلَّةًwith burning thirst
فَأعجَب لِمُلتَهِبِ الجَوانِحِ غُلَّةً
يَشكوhe complains of الظَّمَاthirst وَالماءُwhile water فِيin لَهَوَاتِهِhis throat
يَشكو الظَّمَا وَالماءُ فِي لَهَوَاتِهِ
So marvel at one whose breast is ablaze with thirst:
He complains of thirst, though water is in his throat.