بَينَbetween البَنانِthe fingertips وَصُدْغِهِand his temple-lock المَعْقُودِknotted
بَينَ البَنانِ وَصُدْغِهِ المَعْقُودِ
خَمْرانِtwo wines مِنfrom كَأْسٍa cup وَمِنْand from عَنْقُودِa grape cluster
خَمْرانِ مِن كَأْسٍ وَمِنْ عَنْقُودِ
Between the fingertips and his knotted temple-lock,
Between the teeth and knotted cheek
Are two wines: from a cup and from a grape cluster.
Are two wines - from a cup and from a cluster
هذِيthis one تُدارُis passed around لَناto us بِأَبْيَضِby a fair one ناعِمٍtender
هذِي تُدارُ لَنا بِأَبْيَضِ ناعِمٍ
تَرِفٍdelicate وَتِلْكَand that one تُدارُcirculates فِيin تَوْريدِa rosy flush
تَرِفٍ وَتِلْكَ تُدارُ فِي تَوْريدِ
This is passed round to us by one fair and tender,
One circulated to us in soft white hands
Delicate; and that circulates in a rosy flush.
Luxury, and the other circulated flushed
ساقٍa cupbearer كَأَنَّas though جَبِينَهُhis forehead فِيamid شَعْرِهِhis hair
ساقٍ كَأَنَّ جَبِينَهُ فِي شَعْرِهِ
قَمَرٌa moon تَبَلَّجَshone forth فِيin اللَّيالِيthe nights السُّودِblack
قَمَرٌ تَبَلَّجَ فِي اللَّيالِي السُّودِ
A cupbearer whose forehead, amid his hair, is like
A branch that bent over his waist
A moon that shone forth in the black nights.
So I wondered at the non-existent in the existent
غُصْنٌa bough تَرَنَّحَswayed رِدْفُهُhis haunches فِيat خَصْرِهِhis waist
غُصْنٌ تَرَنَّحَ رِدْفُهُ فِي خَصْرِهِ
فَعَجِبْتُso I marvelled لِلْمَعْدومِat the nonexistent فِيwithin المَوْجودِthe existent
فَعَجِبْتُ لِلْمَعْدومِ فِي المَوْجودِ
A bough whose haunches swayed at his waist—
Clear pearls of the lips, sweet nectar
So I marvelled at the nonexistent within the existent.
Narrow-eyed, wide-browed
وَضَّاحُgleaming دُرِّpearls الثَّغرِthe mouth مَعْسولُhoney-sweet اللَّمَىthe lips' dusky hue
وَضَّاحُ دُرِّ الثَّغرِ مَعْسولُ اللَّمَى
مُتَضايِقُnarrow الأَجْفانِthe eyelids رَحْبُbroad الجِيدِthe neck
مُتَضايِقُ الأَجْفانِ رَحْبُ الجِيدِ
His mouth's pearls gleam; his dusky lips are honey-sweet,
He sways upon cheek’s yellowness his allure
Narrow-lidded, broad of neck.
So much temptation between amorousness and rejecting
يَلْوِيwinds عَلىaround زَرَدِchain-mail links العِذارِthe cheek-down دَلالَهُhis coquetry
يَلْوِي عَلى زَرَدِ العِذارِ دَلالَهُ
كَمْhow many فِتْنَةٍa temptation بَيْنَbetween اللِّوَىal-Liwa وَزَرودِand Zarud
كَمْ فِتْنَةٍ بَيْنَ اللِّوَى وَزَرودِ
He winds his coquetry around his cheek-down's chain mail;
Musk sprouted on his cheek's camphor
How many temptations lie between al-Liwa and Zarud!
And musk grows in the dark valleys
نَبَتَتْsprouted عَلىupon الكَافُورِcamphor مِسْكَةُa speck of musk خَالِهِhis mole
نَبَتَتْ عَلى الكَافُورِ مِسْكَةُ خَالِهِ
وَالمِسْكُand musk يَنْبُتُgrows فِيin الظِّبَاءthe gazelles الغِيدِgraceful
وَالمِسْكُ يَنْبُتُ فِي الظِّبَاء الغِيدِ
His mole's musk-speck sprouted upon camphor,
In his eyelids for his lover and enemy
And musk grows in graceful gazelles.
Are two swords of glance and hardened steel
فِيin جَفْنِهِhis eyelid/scabbard لِمُحِبِّهِfor his lover وَعَدُوِّهِand his enemy
فِي جَفْنِهِ لِمُحِبِّهِ وَعَدُوِّهِ
سِيْفانِtwo swords مِنof لَحْظٍa glance وَحَدِّand an edge حَدِيدِiron
سِيْفانِ مِن لَحْظٍ وَحَدِّ حَدِيدِ
In his eyelid, for his lover and his enemy,
One stands over hearts its guide
Are two swords: a glance and an iron edge.
Cutting, and the other by formality
هذاthis one يَقُومُis established عَلىupon القُلُوبِthe hearts دَليلُهُits proof
هذا يَقُومُ عَلى القُلُوبِ دَليلُهُ
قَطْعاًdecisively; by cutting وَذاكَand that السَّيْفُthe sword بِالتَّقْلِيدِby wearing; by imitation
قَطْعاً وَذاكَ السَّيْفُ بِالتَّقْلِيدِ
This one's proof is established upon hearts,
Beware of the Turks, for some of them
Decisively; and that sword's, by being worn.
Have the bodies of gazelles and deeds of lions
إيَّاكَbeware وَالأتْراكَand the Turks إنَّindeed لِبَعْضِهِمْfor some of them
إيَّاكَ وَالأتْراكَ إنَّ لِبَعْضِهِمْ
أَشْخاصَforms غُزْلانٍgazelles وَفِعْلَand the conduct أُسُودِlions
أَشْخاصَ غُزْلانٍ وَفِعْلَ أُسُودِ
Beware the Turks, for some of them have
Their bodies like water except
The forms of gazelles and the deeds of lions.
They carried hearts of solid ice
أَجْسامُهُمْtheir bodies كَالمَاءِlike water إلاَّexcept أَنَّهاthat they
أَجْسامُهُمْ كَالمَاءِ إلاَّ أَنَّها
حَمَلَتْhave borne قُلُوباًhearts مِنof صَفَاhard, smooth stone الجُلْمُودِthe boulder
حَمَلَتْ قُلُوباً مِن صَفَا الجُلْمُودِ
Their bodies are like water, except that they
They inherited the sick body and tortured
Have borne hearts of solid rock.
Our eyelids with tears and sighs
هُمْthey أَوْرَثواbequeathed الجِسْمَthe body السَّقامَsickness وَعَذَّبُواand tormented
هُمْ أَوْرَثوا الجِسْمَ السَّقامَ وَعَذَّبُوا
أَجْفانَناour eyelids بِالدَّمْعِwith tears وَالتَّسْهِيدِand sleeplessness
أَجْفانَنا بِالدَّمْعِ وَالتَّسْهِيدِ
They bequeathed sickness to the body and tormented
I shepherd the stars with my hook, so it's as if
Our eyelids with tears and sleeplessness.
I'm tasked with enumerating and counting
أَرْعَىI watch over الكواكِبَthe stars مُعْوِلاًwailing فَكَأنَّنيso it is as though I
أَرْعَى الكواكِبَ مُعْوِلاً فَكَأنَّني
وُكِّلْتُI was charged بِالتَّعْدادِwith counting وَالتَّعْديدِand lamenting
وُكِّلْتُ بِالتَّعْدادِ وَالتَّعْديدِ
I watch the stars, wailing, so it is as though I
Were charged with counting and lamenting.
Partial English translation: 24 of 26 Arabic lines translated.