فيin حضرةthe presence of البكريal-Bakri
في حضرة البكري
تلوحgleam شموسsuns كؤسcups سكريmy intoxication
تلوح شموس كؤس سكري
In the presence of al-Bakri,
In the presence of al-Bakri
The suns of the cups of my intoxication gleam,
The cups of wine glow
منfrom حانةthe tavern of البِكرِthe virgin
من حانة البِكرِ
خمرwine قدسٍholiness قدhas صفاbecome clear
خمر قدسٍ قد صفا
From the virgin's tavern.
From the tavern of al-Bikr
Sacred wine has grown clear;
Sacred wine has clarified
بالصفاthrough purity صفاbecame clear لكfor you منfrom صافيpure الخمرwine
بالصفا صفا لك من صافي الخمر
شذاهits fragrance صفاهits purity تراهyou see it
شذاه صفاه تراه
Through purity, pure wine has become clear for you.
With clarity, clarity has purified for you from the pure wine
Its fragrance, its purity—you see it
Its aroma, its clarity, you see it
يجليreveals ربّةthe lady of الخدرthe secluded chamber
يجلي ربّة الخدر
والضحىand morning's brightness والليلand the night
والضحى والليل
Unveiling the lady of the secluded chamber.
It reveals the mistress of intoxication
And morning's brightness and the night,
And the morning and the night
إنif بدتshe appears تنجليunfolds بدالكappears to you
إن بدت تنجلي بدالك
فيin الوجهthe face والشعرand the hair
في الوجه والشعر
If she appears, unfold before you
If she appears, shining through you
In the face and the hair.
In face and hair
فصارso it became منارa beacon of نهارdaylight
فصار منار نهار
ليليmy night طلعةthe rising of البدرthe full moon
ليلي طلعة البدر
So it became a beacon of daylight—
So it became a beacon of daytime
My night, at the full moon's rising
The full moon of her face
منfrom وجههاher face البدريfull-moon-like
من وجهها البدري
كمhow often لاحgleamed صباحmorning صباحmorning
كم لاح صباح صباح
From her moonlike face.
How much a morning, a morning shone
How often it has gleamed, morning after morning—
The light of the starry planet
نورthe light of الكوكبthe star الدرّيpearl-bright
نور الكوكب الدرّي
ذاتshe of قدٍّa figure إنif رناgazes
ذات قدٍّ إن رنا
The light of the pearl-bright star!
With a tall figure, if it rang out
She of the graceful figure—if she gazes
And swayed - but for you with chaste love
وانثنىand sways أماis there not لكfor you بالهوىwith love العذريchaste
وانثنى أما لك بالهوى العذري
خليعcasting off عذارthe bridle
خليع عذار
And sways—do you not feel chaste love?
A shameless flirt
One who has cast off the bridle,
A wonderful, polished, palace doll
بديعwondrous مجلىmanifestation دميةstatue-like maiden القصرof the palace
بديع مجلى دمية القصر
شمسهاher sun بالليلin the night أشرقتshone
شمسها بالليل أشرقت
A wondrous vision of the palace's statue-like maiden.
Its sun shone at night
Her sun shone in the night;
It rose and your union dawned
أطلعتmade rise وصالكunion with you
أطلعت وصالك
فيat مطلعthe breaking of الفجرdawn
في مطلع الفجر
It made union with you rise
At the break of dawn
At the break of dawn.
So the beauty of Layla's night became clear
فبانso appeared عيانplainly جمالthe beauty of ليلىLayla
فبان عيان جمال ليلى
ليلةthe night of القدرdecree
ليلة القدر
So Layla's beauty was plainly revealed
The night of power
On the Night of Decree.
What is the flower's scent
ماnot نفحةthe fragrant breath of الزهرthe flowers
ما نفحة الزهر
سوىbut شذاthe aroma of ندىdew ذاكيstrongly fragrant
سوى شذا ندى ذاكي
The flowers' scented breath is nothing
But the redolence of the bright aroma
But dew's aroma, heady with
Recognized by the perfume
عرفهاher scent العطرfragrant
عرفها العطر
فيميناًso, by an oath قدhas سمىrisen high قسماًa solemn pledge
فيميناً قد سمى قسماً
Her fragrant perfume.
We have named an oath, sworn
So, by an oath, a solemn pledge, exalted is
To your majesty, by the sign of dawn
جلالكyour majesty عنabove آيةthe verse of الفجرdawn
جلالك عن آية الفجر
لياليnights of شعورtresses
ليالي شعور
Your majesty above the verse of dawn:
The nights of her hair
Nights of tresses,
Its plaits ten
ذوائبهاher locks العشرthe ten
ذوائبها العشر
فيin الضفرbraiding والشفعand the even والوترand the odd
في الضفر والشفع والوتر
Her ten locks,
In the braiding, pairing and odd number
In braiding, the even and the odd.
Blessed is the morning of her face
منfrom ضحىthe morning brightness of وجههاher face تباركis blessed
من ضحى وجهها تبارك
فيat الظهرnoon والعصرand the afternoon
في الظهر والعصر
Blessed by the morning brightness of her face,
At noon and afternoon
At noon and in the afternoon.
My dear, my flirtatious eyes
إنسانpupil عيونيof my eyes عذوليmy reproacher
إنسان عيوني عذولي
لاحيthe censurer of الحبّlove فيin خسرloss
لاحي الحبّ في خسر
O pupil of my eyes! My reproacher,
Flashing love in loss
The censurer of love, suffers loss.
O Lord, bless
ياO ربّناour Lord صلّsend blessings علىupon
يا ربّنا صلّ على
عُلىthe heights of مقامthe station of مولىa master
عُلى مقام مولى
O our Lord, send blessings upon
The most high place of my Master
The heights of a master's station,
Who came with the remembrance
قدhas جاءcome بالذكرwith the Reminder
قد جاء بالذكر
ثمّthen واليcontinue bestowing دائماًalways سرمداًeternally
ثمّ والي دائماً سرمداً
Who came with the Reminder.
Then, always and forever
Then continue bestowing, always and eternally,
May Your peace last the duration of time
سلامكyour peace فيthroughout مدّةthe span of الدهرall time
سلامك في مدّة الدهر
وآلand the family كرامnoble
وآل كرام
Your peace throughout all time,
And his noble companions
And upon his noble family,
The purest of chiefs
صحابcompanions غرّradiant الساداتthe masters الطهرthe pure
صحاب غرّ السادات الطهر
ماas long as الشجيthe sorrowful اليافيal-Yafi قدhas شداsung
ما الشجي اليافي قد شدا
Radiant companions, the pure masters,
What an ache the lovesick one felt
As long as the sorrowful al-Yafi sings,
Since he described your beauty
مذsince حداchanted جمالكyour beauty
مذ حدا جمالك
فيin النظمverse والنثرand prose
في النظم والنثر
Since he chanted of your beauty
In verse and prose
In verse and prose,
And cried out, complained, and departed
وصاحand cried out وناحand lamented وراحand went on
وصاح وناح وراح
يشدوsings فيof الهوىlove العذريchaste
يشدو في الهوى العذري
And cried out, lamented, and went on
Singing with chaste love
Singing of chaste love.
Partial English translation: 47 of 48 Arabic lines translated.