ياO بَدرَfull moon دُجىًnight-darkness يَحمِلُهُcarries it غُصنُa branch أَراكarak tree
يا بَدرَ دُجىً يَحمِلُهُ غُصنُ أَراك
ماhow أَعجَبَwondrous ماwhat يَحِلُّbefalls بيupon me حينَwhen أَراكI see you
ما أَعجَبَ ما يَحِلُّ بي حينَ أَراك
O full moon of darkness, borne by an arak branch!
O full moon, gloom carried by a twig I see you on
How wondrous is what befalls me when I see you!
How strange is what happens to me when I see you
لاdo not تَقتُلkill بِالصُدودِwith rejection صَبّاًa lovesick lover يَهواكloves you
لا تَقتُل بِالصُدودِ صَبّاً يَهواك
ماno لِلأَعرابِfor the Bedouins طاقَةٌstrength بِالأَتراكagainst the Turks
ما لِلأَعرابِ طاقَةٌ بِالأَتراك
Do not kill with rejection a lovesick lover who adores you.
Don't kill a passionate lover with aloofness
The Bedouins have no strength against the Turks.
The bedouins cannot handle the Turks
كَمhow often تَقتُلُنيyou kill me وَماand not يَحِلُّis permitted القَتلُkilling
كَم تَقتُلُني وَما يَحِلُّ القَتلُ
كَمhow often تَهجُرُنيyou forsake me وَعِندَand with غَيريsomeone other than me الوَصلُunion
كَم تَهجُرُني وَعِندَ غَيري الوَصلُ
How often you kill me, though killing is not permitted!
How much you kill me, yet killing is not allowed
How often you forsake me, while another enjoys union with you!
How much you avoid me, yet union is found with others
ماnot أَسلوI forget عَنكَaway from you سَيِديmy master ماnot أَسلواI forget
ما أَسلو عَنكَ سَيِدي ما أَسلوا
هَلis there? فيin الدُنياthe world مُمَنَّعٌan unattainable one لاnot يَحلوis alluring
هَل في الدُنيا مُمَنَّعٌ لا يَحلو
I cannot forget you, my master; I cannot forget.
I asked nothing about you my master, I asked nothing
Is there anyone unattainable in this world who is not alluring?
Is anything in life forbidden and not made easy?
أَقسَمتُI swore بِواوِby the letter waw صَدغِtemple-lock هَذاthis الحاجِبchamberlain
أَقسَمتُ بِواوِ صَدغِ هَذا الحاجِب
فيin لامِthe letter lam عِذارِهِhis cheek-down وَنونِand the letter nun الحاجِبthe eyebrow
في لامِ عِذارِهِ وَنونِ الحاجِب
I swore by the waw of this chamberlain's temple-lock,
I swear by the dimple of this eyebrow
in the lam of his cheek-down and the nun of his eyebrow.
By the twist of its excuse and the letter noon of the eyebrow
لَوif عايَنَهُsaw him اِبنُson of مُقلَةٍMuqla وَالصاحِبand al-Sahib
لَو عايَنَهُ اِبنُ مُقلَةٍ وَالصاحِب
قالاthey both said عَجَباًin wonder لَدَيهِbefore him جُلَّexalted is الكاتِبthe scribe
قالا عَجَباً لَدَيهِ جُلَّ الكاتِب
Had Ibn Muqla and al-Sahib seen him,
If it was seen by Ibn Muqla and As-Sāhib
they would have said in wonder before him, 'Exalted is the scribe!'
They would say "How amazing, the best of writers"
ناظِرٌconsidering فيماinto what فَعَلتَهُyou did it بيto me ناظِرan onlooker
ناظِرٌ فيما فَعَلتَهُ بي ناظِر
ياO شَمسُsun ضُحىًforenoon عَلىupon قَضيبٍa branch ناضِرverdant
يا شَمسُ ضُحىً عَلى قَضيبٍ ناضِر
An onlooker considers what you have done to me.
A watcher of what you did to me, a watcher
O sun of the forenoon upon a verdant branch!
Oh morning sun, on a slender twig
كَمhow often يَجرَحُwounds قاتِليmy slayer بِسَيفِwith the sword الناظِرthe eye
كَم يَجرَحُ قاتِلي بِسَيفِ الناظِر
لاno شَكَّdoubt الحُبُّlove ماnot عَلَيهِover it ناظِرan overseer
لا شَكَّ الحُبُّ ما عَلَيهِ ناظِر
How often my slayer wounds me with the sword of his eye!
How my killer wounds me with the sword of sight
Without doubt, love has no overseer.
Without doubt, love is not blameworthy to its watcher
لاno راحَهُrest ليfor me بِغَيرِwithout شُربِdrinking الراحِwine
لا راحَهُ لي بِغَيرِ شُربِ الراحِ
مِنfrom ذيone possessing هَيَفٍslenderness of waist يَطوفُgoes around بِالأَقداحِwith the cups
مِن ذي هَيَفٍ يَطوفُ بِالأَقداحِ
I have no rest without drinking wine,
No comfort for me but to drink from the comforter
from a slender-waisted one who goes round with the cups.
From the swaying cup revolving with cups
يَبدوhe appears كَالصُبحِlike dawn وَهيَand it كَالمِصباحِlike a lamp
يَبدو كَالصُبحِ وَهيَ كَالمِصباحِ
سَكرانَdrunken الطَرفِthe gaze ذوpossessing فُؤادٍa heart صاحِsober
سَكرانَ الطَرفِ ذو فُؤادٍ صاحِ
He appears like dawn, and it is like a lamp,
Appearing like dawn, and it like a lantern
drunken of gaze, yet with a sober heart.
Intoxicated of glance, with a sober heart
ياO وَردَةَrose خَدِّهِhis cheek وَفَيكِand in you كَالخالِlike a beauty mark
يا وَردَةَ خَدِّهِ وَفَيكِ كَالخالِ
هَلhas ...? جاءَcame بِمِثلِهِwith his like الزَمانُtime الخاليbygone
هَل جاءَ بِمِثلِهِ الزَمانُ الخالي
O rose of his cheek, with a mole-like mark within you!
Oh freckle of his cheek, oh beauty spot like a mole
Has bygone time ever brought his like?
Did time ever bring its equal, empty time?
هَذاthis لاnot حُسنُbeauty رَبَّةِmistress of الخِلخالِthe anklet
هَذا لا حُسنُ رَبَّةِ الخِلخالِ
ماnot فيamong الثَقَلَينِhumans and jinn مِنany قَلبٍheart خالِempty
ما في الثَقَلَينِ مِن قَلبٍ خالِ
This is beauty, not the beauty of a woman with an anklet.
This is not the beauty of the anklets' mistress
Among humans and jinn, not a single heart is empty.
In the two worlds there is no heart left empty
أَرضىI am content إِنif كُنتَyou are بِاِنتِهاكيwith dishonoring me تَرضىyou are pleased
أَرضى إِن كُنتَ بِاِنتِهاكي تَرضى
هَلhas ...? صَيَّرَنيmade me هَواكَlove for you إِلّاexcept أَرضاearth
هَل صَيَّرَني هَواكَ إِلّا أَرضا
I am content if dishonoring me pleases you.
I am pleased if you are pleased with my ruin
Has love for you made me anything but earth?
Did your love make me anything but in ruin?
وَجناتُcheeks خَدُّكِyour cheek الصَحاحِthe healthy المَرضىthe sick
وَجناتُ خَدُّكِ الصَحاحِ المَرضى
أَقضيI meet نَحبيmy death وَحاجَتيand my desire ماnot تُقضىis fulfilled
أَقضي نَحبي وَحاجَتي ما تُقضى
Your cheeks, healthy yet sickly—
The gardens of your cheeks, prime and pleasing
I meet my death, while my desire remains unfulfilled.
I spend my time in misery, and my need is not fulfilled
ياO سَيفَsword لِحاظِهِhis glances وَياand O رُمحَspear القَدthe stature
يا سَيفَ لِحاظِهِ وَيا رُمحَ القَد
مَنwho طَرَزَembroidered بِالعِذارِwith cheek-down ساحِthe expanse الخَدthe cheek
مَن طَرَزَ بِالعِذارِ ساحِ الخَد
O sword of his glances, and O spear of his stature!
Oh sword of his smiles, oh spear of the cheek
Who embroidered the cheek's expanse with cheek-down?
Who embroidered the excuse with the field of the cheek?
هَذاthis الرَيحانُsweet basil ثُمَّthen هَذاthis الوَردthe rose
هَذا الرَيحانُ ثُمَّ هَذا الوَرد
ماnot قَطُّever جَنَيتُهُI plucked it وَلِلَّهِand to God الحَمِدpraise
ما قَطُّ جَنَيتُهُ وَلِلَّهِ الحَمِد
This is sweet basil, then this is the rose.
I never cease picking it, and praise is to God
I have never plucked it, and praise be to God!
Your glances make me drunk, and my heart confused
أَلحاظُكَyour glances شيركوهُShirkuh وَقَلبيand my heart شاوَرShawar
أَلحاظُكَ شيركوهُ وَقَلبي شاوَر
أَهوَجُreckless فيin عَذابِهِits torment قَدalready خامَرhas connived
أَهوَجُ في عَذابِهِ قَد خامَر
Your glances are Shirkuh, and my heart is Shawar.
I rave in its torment, it has overwhelmed me
Reckless, he has connived in its torment.
I am dying of love, and for me is another discourse
قَدindeed مُتُّI have died هَوىًof love وَليand I have حَديثٌa tale آخَرanother
قَد مُتُّ هَوىً وَلي حَديثٌ آخَر
إِنif كُنتَyou are مَسيحاًChrist فَإِنَّنيthen indeed I am عازَرLazarus
إِن كُنتَ مَسيحاً فَإِنَّني عازَر
I have died of love, and I have another tale:
If you are the Messiah, then I am Lazarus
If you are Christ, then I am Lazarus.
Oh what a pity for the shaker, the soft and gentle one
وَيلاهُalas! عَلىfor المُهَفِّفِthe slender one المَيّاسِthe swaying one
وَيلاهُ عَلى المُهَفِّفِ المَيّاسِ
ماhow أَحسَنَهُbeautiful he is وَلَوand even if بِقَلبٍwith a heart قاسِhard
ما أَحسَنَهُ وَلَو بِقَلبٍ قاسِ
Alas for the slender, swaying one!
How good he is, even to a hardened heart
How beautiful he is, even with a hard heart!
He trembles as if he is the rod of the staff
يَهتَزُّhe sways كَأَنَّهُas though he قَضيبُa branch الآسِmyrtle
يَهتَزُّ كَأَنَّهُ قَضيبُ الآسِ
سَكرانَdrunk وَلَمand has not يَذُقtaste حُمَيّاheady wine of الكاسِthe cup
سَكرانَ وَلَم يَذُق حُمَيّا الكاسِ
He sways as though he were a myrtle branch,
Intoxicated, though he never tasted fermented drinks
drunk, though he has not tasted the cup's heady wine.
She expressed wonder at her passionate lovers and said:
قَلَتshe said عَجَباًin wonder لِعاشِقيهاto her lovers مَهرُMahr
قَلَت عَجَباً لِعاشِقيها مَهرُ
هَلis ...? غَيرَother than دِمائِكُمyour blood لِدِمائيfor my blood مَهرُa dowry
هَل غَيرَ دِمائِكُم لِدِمائي مَهرُ
Mahr said to her lovers in wonder:
Is my blood price anything but your blood?
Is anything but your blood a dowry for my blood?
Remembrance in my time has no mention
ماno لِلتَذكيرِfor masculinity فيin زَمانيmy time ذِكرُmention
ما لِلتَذكيرِ في زَماني ذِكرُ
مِنfrom نورِlight of الشَمسِthe sun يَستَمِدُّdraws البَدرُthe full moon
مِن نورِ الشَمسِ يَستَمِدُّ البَدرُ
In my time, masculinity gets no mention.
The full moon draws light from the sun
The full moon draws its light from the sun.
The whore desires only the paramours
القَحبَةُthe whore لَمdid not تَرِدdesire سِوىexcept المُردانِthe beardless youths
القَحبَةُ لَم تَرِد سِوى المُردانِ
وَالمُكتَئِبُand the dejected المُحِبُّlover شَيخٌan old man فانِwasting away
وَالمُكتَئِبُ المُحِبُّ شَيخٌ فانِ
The whore wanted none but beardless youths.
While the sorrowful lover is transient
And the dejected lover is an old man wasting away.
Can the stumbler repent with a cup?
هَلwill ...? عَرقَلَةٌArqala يَتوبُrepent بِفِنجانٍwith a cup
هَل عَرقَلَةٌ يَتوبُ بِفِنجانٍ
مَنwho قَرَّبَbrought near مالِكاًMalik إِلىto رَضوانِRidwan
مَن قَرَّبَ مالِكاً إِلى رَضوانِ
Will Arqala repent with a cup?
Who brings an angel closer to satisfaction?
Who brought Malik close to Ridwan?
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.