رشقتpierced فؤاديmy heart بالسهامwith arrows
رشقت فؤادي بالسهام
تلكthose النواعسthe languorous eyes ياO سلامpeace (an exclamation of delight)
تلك النواعس يا سلام
They pierced my heart with arrows—
My heart was struck by arrows
those languorous eyes—how wondrous!
Those gazelles, oh my!
وجناتكyour cheeks التفاحتاthe two apples (continued)
وجناتك التفاحتا
ن[completes 'the two apples'] وقلبand the heart صبكyour ardent lover فيin ضرامblazing fire
ن وقلب صبك في ضرام
Your cheeks are two apples,
And your apple orchards
and your lover's heart is ablaze.
With a heart of molten metal in distress
بينamong الشقائقthe anemones ثغركyour mouth الthe
بين الشقائق ثغرك ال
مفترparted in a smile عنto reveal حببbubbles المدامthe wine
مفتر عن حبب المدام
Amid anemones, your mouth
Between the anemones, your mouth that
parts in a smile, revealing wine's bubbles.
Deceives the beloved and the wine
والصدرand the bosom فيهin it التوأماthe twins (continued)
والصدر فيه التوأما
ن[completes 'the twins'] ووجهكand your face القمرthe moon التمامfull
ن ووجهك القمر التمام
And your bosom holds the twins,
And your chest with the twins
and your face is the moon at its full.
And your face the perfect moon
والقدياand the figure, O غصنbranch الأراthe arak tree (continued)
والقديا غصن الأرا
ك[completes 'arak'] يميسsways gracefully معتدلwell-proportioned القوامin stature
ك يميس معتدل القوام
And your figure, O arak bough,
And the branches of your stature a
sways, well proportioned in form.
Graceful and upright sapling
لمdid not أدرهاI know her مطمومةwith cropped hair
لم أدرها مطمومة
أهيis she الفتاةthe maiden أمor الغلامthe boy
أهي الفتاة أم الغلام
With her hair cropped, I could not tell:
I could not tell
is she a maiden or a boy?
Is she a girl or a boy
صبenamored بمهضومwith one slender الحشاof waist
صب بمهضوم الحشا
وبردفهاand with her rump الرجراجthe quivering هامmadly enamored
وبردفها الرجراج هام
Smitten with the slender-waisted one,
Pour in intoxicated sorrow
and mad for her swaying hips,
And its echo the jingling rose up
فيin حبهاlove of her الدنفthe lovesick one المعthe tormented one (continued)
في حبها الدنف المع
نى[completes 'the tormented one'] لاnot أفيقI regain my senses علىthroughout الدوامall time
نى لا أفيق على الدوام
lovesick and tormented by love of her,
In love with her the passionate
I never regain my senses.
I do not awaken forever
البلبليةthe nightingale-like woman فيamong القياthe songstresses (continued)
البلبلية في القيا
ن[completes 'the songstresses'] البابليةthe Babylonian woman فيin الكلامspeech
ن البابلية في الكلام
Nightingale-like among the songstresses,
The nightingale in singing
Babylonian in her speech;
The Babylon in speech
العامريةthe ʿĀmirī woman قيسهاher Qays المthe mad one (continued)
العامرية قيسها الم
جنون[completes 'the mad one'] دونيbeneath me فيin الغرامpassionate love
جنون دوني في الغرام
the ʿĀmiriyya—her Qays the Mad
The builder compared her
falls short of me in passionate love.
To my madness in passion
آناat times أعذبI am tormented بالملاby reproach (continued)
آنا أعذب بالملا
م[completes 'reproach'] وتارةand at times يحلوis sweet الملامreproach
م وتارة يحلو الملام
At times I am tormented by reproach,
Sometimes sweet in words
and at times reproach is sweet.
And sometimes bitter blame
منwho ليfor me بزورةwith a visit طيفهاher phantom
من لي بزورة طيفها
لوif زارvisited مقلتيmy eyes المنامslumber
لو زار مقلتي المنام
Who could grant me a visit from her phantom,
If only her phantom would visit
were slumber to visit my eyes?
My dreams some night