طَلَعَrose البَدرُthe full moon جَانبَbeside الكَرخِal-Karkh
طَلَعَ البَدرُ جَانبَ الكَرخِ
فِيin دُجَاthe darkness of الغَيهَبِthe pitch-black night
فِي دُجَا الغَيهَبِ
The full moon rose beside al-Karkh,
in the gloom of the pitch-black night.
ولَوَىand he curled لاَمَthe letter lām صَدغِهِhis temple-lock المَرخِthe supple
ولَوَى لاَمَ صَدغِهِ المَرخِ
دَبَّcrept كَالعَقرَبِlike a scorpion
دَبَّ كَالعَقرَبِ
And he curled the lām of his supple temple-lock;
it crept like a scorpion.
مُذرَنَاsince he gazed فَاتِراًlanguidly بِأجفَانِهِwith his eyelids
مُذرَنَا فَاتِراً بِأجفَانِهِ
بَا'Babylonian' (first fragment) بِلِيُّ'Babylonian' (second fragment) المُقَلthe eyes
بَا بِلِيُّ المُقَل
Ever since he gazed languidly with his eyelids—
the Babylonian-eyed one—
وَالجَوَىand love's anguish فِيin فُؤَادِthe heart of هَيمَانِهِhis lovesick lover
وَالجَوَى فِي فُؤَادِ هَيمَانِهِ
يَشتَكِيcomplains مِنof وجلdread
يَشتَكِي مِن وجل
love's anguish in his lovesick lover's heart
has complained of dread.
وَسطَهُhis waist شَدَّهُhe tightened it بِتِيهَانِهِwith his swagger
وَسطَهُ شَدَّهُ بِتِيهَانِهِ
فَوقَabove رِدفِthe haunch of الكَفَلthe rump
فَوقَ رِدفِ الكَفَل
He cinched his waist with his swagger,
above the swell of his rump.
ارخِloosen مَاwhat قَدalready شَدَدَتَهُyou tightened it ارخِloosen
ارخِ مَا قَد شَدَدَتَهُ ارخِ
يَاO رَشَاgazelle-fawn الرَّبرَبِthe herd
يَا رَشَا الرَّبرَبِ
Loosen what you have tightened—loosen it,
O gazelle-fawn of the herd!
لَكَyou have لَحظٌa glance نَفُوذٌpiercing كالشَّرخlike a blade
لَكَ لَحظٌ نَفُوذٌ كالشَّرخ
صائبُunerring المَضرَبِin striking
صائبُ المَضرَبِ
You have a glance that pierces like a blade,
unerring in its strike.
يَاO هِلاَلاًcrescent حَوتَهenclosed him أزرَارُهُhis buttons
يَا هِلاَلاً حَوتَه أزرَارُهُ
فَاتَّخَذهَاso he made them فَلَكa celestial sphere
فَاتَّخَذهَا فَلَك
O crescent enclosed by his buttons,
who made them his celestial sphere;
وَسَناًand a radiance مِنfrom سَنَاهُhis brilliance أنوَارُهُhis lights
وَسَناً مِن سَنَاهُ أنوَارُهُ
تَحتَbeneath داجيgloomy الحَلكthe blackness
تَحتَ داجي الحَلك
and a radiance whose lights come from his brilliance,
beneath the gloomy blackness.
لِحَبِيبِكَfor your lover فِيكَin you إعذَارُهhis excuse
لِحَبِيبِكَ فِيكَ إعذَارُه
مِثلُlike مَاas أنَّthat لكَyou have
مِثلُ مَا أنَّ لكَ
Your lover has his excuse in you,
just as you have yours.
لَكَyou have مَولاَيَmy lord سطوَةُthe might of الرُّخّthe roc
لَكَ مَولاَيَ سطوَةُ الرُّخّ
إذwhen هُوَit لَمnot يُغلَبwas defeated
إذ هُوَ لَم يُغلَب
Yours, my lord, is the roc's might,
when it has not been defeated;
وَلِمُضنَاكَand for your love-worn one ذُلَّةُthe abasement of الفَرخِthe fledgling
وَلِمُضنَاكَ ذُلَّةُ الفَرخِ
وَهوَwhile it فِيin المِخلَبِthe talon
وَهوَ فِي المِخلَبِ
and your love-worn lover has the fledgling's abasement,
while it is in the talon.
مَاwhat لِطَيريwith my bird بِالبُعدِinto the distance قَدalready شَطَّاit strayed far
مَا لِطَيري بِالبُعدِ قَد شَطَّا
زالَit departed عَنfrom وَكرِهِits nest
زالَ عَن وَكرِهِ
Why has my bird strayed so far away?
It has departed from its nest.
إنif يكُنit has فِيon مَسِيرِهِits journey أبطَاbeen slow
إن يكُن فِي مَسِيرِهِ أبطَا
فَهوَthen that is مِنpart of عُذرِهِits excuse
فَهوَ مِن عُذرِهِ
If it has been slow on its journey,
then that is its excuse.
أوor يَكُنit has فِيon طَرِيقِهِits path أخطَاgone astray
أو يَكُن فِي طَرِيقِهِ أخطَا
قُلتُI said فِيin أثرِهِits wake
قُلتُ فِي أثرِهِ
Or if it has gone astray on its path,
I said in its wake:
إنif يَقَعfalls ذَاthis الطُّوَيرُlittle bird فيinto فَخّa trap
إن يَقَع ذَا الطُّوَيرُ في فَخّ
أوor يَجِيcomes مُنصبّplunging down
أو يَجِي مُنصبّ
If this little bird falls into a trap,
or comes plunging down,
كَانَwould be هَذاthis بَخاًsplendid! عَلىupon بَخّsplendid!
كَانَ هَذا بَخاً عَلى بَخّ
أيyes وَحَقّby the sanctity of النَّبِيthe Prophet
أي وَحَقّ النَّبِي
this would be splendid twice over—
yes, by the Prophet's sanctity!
بِأبِيmay my father be ransom شَادِنٌa young gazelle بِهِthrough him نَارِيmy fire
بِأبِي شَادِنٌ بِهِ نَارِي
وَبِهِand through him جَنَّتيmy paradise
وَبِهِ جَنَّتي
May my father be ransom for a fawn—through him burns my fire,
and through him comes my paradise.
وَدُمُوعُand the tears of العَينِthe eye أنهَارِيmy rivers
وَدُمُوعُ العَينِ أنهَارِي
وَالضَّنَاand wasting sickness حُلَّتِيmy robe
وَالضَّنَا حُلَّتِي
And the eye's tears are my rivers,
and wasting sickness is my robe.
كَلَّمَاwhenever فاضَoverflowed دَمعِيmy tears الجَارِيflowing
كَلَّمَا فاضَ دَمعِي الجَارِي
صِحتُI cried out مُلهَبِaflame
صِحتُ مُلهَبِ
Whenever my flowing tears overflowed,
I cried out, aflame,
حَيثُwhere نادىcalled out الحبيبُthe beloved بالفتخِwith languor (sense uncertain here)
حَيثُ نادى الحبيبُ بالفتخِ
دَمَعَتِيmy tear اسكُبِpour forth!
دَمَعَتِي اسكُبِ
where the beloved called out languidly:
My tear, pour forth!
Translation model: Sol 6.1