قُلsay لِلفَتىto the youth المعصرانيal-Maʿṣarānī لَيسَnot يحسنis becoming فيamong
قُل لِلفَتى المعصراني لَيسَ يحسن في
مَحاسنcharms الذاتof the person إِلّاexcept حشمةmodesty الأَدَبِof good manners
مَحاسن الذات إِلّا حشمة الأَدَبِ
Tell the youth al-Maʿṣarānī: nothing befits
Tell the young man from Ma’asiran that there is no good
A person's charms except the modesty of good manners.
In the beauties of the self except the modesty of manners
لَيسَis not الجَمالbeauty بِمَعشوقbeloved بِلاwithout أَدَبٍgood manners
لَيسَ الجَمال بِمَعشوق بِلا أَدَبٍ
لِأَنّbecause فيin الخَمرwine مَعنىًa quality لَيسَis not فيin العِنَبِgrapes
لِأَنّ في الخَمر مَعنىً لَيسَ في العِنَبِ
Beauty is not beloved without good manners,
Beauty in the beloved is naught without manners
For wine holds a quality absent from grapes.
Because wine has a meaning that grapes do not have
دَعنيleave me فَعسالfor the swaying spear هَذاthis القَدّfigure يَطعننيpierces me
دَعني فَعسال هَذا القَدّ يَطعنني
ماno ليfor me سِوىexcept رِيقكyour saliva المَعسولhoneyed مِنof طَلَبِdesire
ما لي سِوى رِيقك المَعسول مِن طَلَبِ
Leave me be, for the swaying spear of this figure pierces me.
Let me be, O slim one, for this stature wounds me
I desire nothing but your honeyed saliva.
What have I but your sweet spittle to seek?
أَراكَI see you شَهداًhoney وَكَالخَرّوبand like carob آوِنَةًat times
أَراكَ شَهداً وَكَالخَرّوب آوِنَةً
رَطلa raṭl (weight unit) مِنof الحُلوsweetness فيin القِنطارthe qinṭār (large weight unit) مِنof خَشَبِwood
رَطل مِن الحُلو في القِنطار مِن خَشَبِ
I see you as honey, and at times like carob:
I see you as honey, and like dry wood kindling
A raṭl of sweetness in a qinṭār of wood.
A pound of sweetness in a hundredweight of wood