هَذيthis يَديmy hand إِنَّindeed الكَواكبَthe stars لاdo not تَديpay blood money
هَذي يَدي إِنَّ الكَواكبَ لا تَدي
أفَتهتديwill you then be guided? إِنif كنتَyou are ممَّنamong those who يهتَديfinds guidance
أفَتهتدي إِن كنتَ ممَّن يهتَدي
Here is my hand: indeed, the stars pay no blood-price.
Here is my hand: surely the stars pay no blood-price.
So will you take heed, if you are one of those rightly guided?
Will you then be guided, if you are among those who find guidance?
كمhow much مِنof دمٍblood هَدرِuncompensated بغيرِwithout جنايةٍan offense
كم مِن دمٍ هَدرِ بغيرِ جنايةٍ
سفكتهُspilled it مقلةُeye قاتلٍa killer مُتعمِّدِdeliberate
سفكتهُ مقلةُ قاتلٍ مُتعمِّدِ
How much innocent blood, shed with impunity,
How much blood, without redress and for no offense,
has been spilled by the eye of a deliberate killer!
has the eye of a deliberate killer spilled!
خُذtake جانباًa side عنaway from وصلِunion سَلمىSalma فيin الهوَىlove
خُذ جانباً عن وصلِ سَلمى في الهوَى
تَسلمُyou will be safe وحِدand turn aside عنfrom حيِّencampment سُعدَىSu‘da تَسعدِyou will be happy
تَسلمُ وحِد عن حيِّ سُعدَى تَسعدِ
Turn aside from union with Salmā in love;
Keep clear of union with Salma in love;
you will be safe. Shun Suʿdā’s encampment, and prosper.
you will be safe; turn aside from Su‘da's encampment, and be happy.
واستجلِهاand behold her unveiled مشنfrom (apparent typo for من) كفِّpalm ظاميparched (figuratively slender) الخصرِthe waist مَعfirst fragment of 'honey-sweet'
واستجلِها مشن كفِّ ظامي الخصرِ مَع
سُولِfinal fragment of 'honey-sweet' اللَّمىthe dusky hue of the lips خَصِرِcool المراشِفthe lips أَغيدِgracefully supple
سُولِ اللَّمى خَصِرِ المراشِف أَغيدِ
Call her forth from the hand of one slender-waisted, honey—
And behold her unveiled from the hand of one slender-waisted, honey-
—sweet and dusky-lipped, delicate-mouthed and languid;
sweet of dusky lips, cool-lipped, supple,
شفقيِّtwilight-like خدِّcheek أحمرٍred صبُحيِّdawnlike ثَغfirst fragment of 'mouth'
شفقيِّ خدِّ أحمرٍ صبُحيِّ ثَغ
رِfinal fragment of 'mouth' أبيضِwhite ليليِّnightlike خالٍmole أسودِblack
رِ أبيضِ ليليِّ خالٍ أسودِ
twilight-red of cheek, dawn-white of
with a twilight-red cheek and a dawnlike
teeth, night-black of beauty mark.
white mouth, and a night-black mole.
يسطُوhe assails علىupon عُشَّاقهِhis lovers مِنfrom قَدِّهِhis stature
يسطُو على عُشَّاقهِ مِن قَدِّهِ
ولِحاظِهِand his glances بمثقَّفٍwith a straightened spear ومهنَّدِand an Indian-steel sword
ولِحاظِهِ بمثقَّفٍ ومهنَّدِ
He assails his lovers—with his figure,
He assails his lovers, making of his stature
and with his glances—with a straightened lance and an Indian blade.
and his glances a straightened spear and an Indian-steel sword.
قالتsaid لنارِto the fire of صبابتيmy ardent longing وجَناتُهُhis cheeks
قالت لنارِ صبابتي وجَناتُهُ
لكِfor you أُسوتيmy example لاdo not تخمُديdie down وتوقَّديand blaze
لكِ أُسوتي لا تخمُدي وتوقَّدي
His cheeks said to the fire of my longing:
His cheeks said to the fire of my longing:
“You have me for your model: do not die—blaze on!”
Take me as your example: do not die down, but blaze!
حمراءُred wine عاصِرُهاher presser قديمٌancient عصرهُhis age
حمراءُ عاصِرُها قديمٌ عصرهُ
بقيتshe remained علىthrough مرَّthe passing of الزَّمانِtime السَّرمدِeverlasting
بقيت على مرَّ الزَّمانِ السَّرمدِ
A red wine—ancient was her vintner, primordial his age;
A red wine, ancient the age of her presser,
she has endured throughout everlasting time.
she has endured through the passing of everlasting time.
هيَshe جوهرٌessence محضٌpure إليهِto it تنتهيyou ultimately arrive
هيَ جوهرٌ محضٌ إليهِ تنتهي
وبهِand with it إذاwhen فكَّرتَyou ponder فيهاabout her تَبتَديyou begin
وبهِ إذا فكَّرتَ فيها تَبتَدي
She is pure essence: in her all thought comes to rest,
She is pure essence, to which you come at last,
and from her, when you contemplate her, thought begins.
and with which, when you ponder her, you begin.
نَشرتshe spread علىover قُضبِshoots الزُّمرُّدِemerald فَاحِماcoal-black
نَشرت على قُضبِ الزُّمرُّدِ فَاحِما
نَسَجتshe wove عليهِover it لهاfor herself سُجوفَveils زَبرجَدِchrysolite
نَسَجت عليهِ لها سُجوفَ زَبرجَدِ
She spread coal-black fruit upon emerald boughs
She spread coal-blackness over emerald shoots;
and wove herself curtains of chrysolite over them.
over it she wove herself veils of chrysolite.
وتعنَّستand she aged unwed فيin خدرِهاher secluded chamber لمَّاwhen انجلَتshe was unveiled
وتعنَّست في خدرِها لمَّا انجلَت
فرأتthen she saw لحاظَglances العينِthe eye منهاfrom her فيin اليدِthe hand
فرأت لحاظَ العينِ منها في اليدِ
She lingered a maiden in her bower; when she was unveiled,
And she aged unwed in her chamber; when she was unveiled,
the eye’s glances beheld, from her there in the hand,
she saw the eye's glances issuing from her in the hand.
ياقوتهُhis ruby فيin دُرَّةٍa pearl قدalready رُصِّعتhas been studded
ياقوتهُ في دُرَّةٍ قد رُصِّعت
بمُجمَّعِwith a cluster مِنof لُؤلؤِpearls ومنضَّدِand arranged in rows
بمُجمَّعِ مِن لُؤلؤِ ومنضَّدِ
her ruby set within a pearl,
His ruby, in a pearl that has been studded
inlaid with a clustered, ordered array of pearls.
with pearls clustered and arranged in rows.
راحٌwine تروحُgoes forth الرُّوحُthe soul واجدةًfinding بهاthrough her
راحٌ تروحُ الرُّوحُ واجدةً بها
وَجداecstasy وتفقِدُand loses كلَّevery رُوحٍspirit مُكمدِgrief-stricken
وَجدا وتفقِدُ كلَّ رُوحٍ مُكمدِ
Wine that carries the spirit away, enraptured by her—
Wine: through her the soul goes forth, finding
away in ecstasy—and makes every grief-stricken spirit vanish.
ecstasy and shedding every grief-stricken spirit.
يُمسيspends the evening المديرُthe cupbearer لهاfor her يطوفُgoes round بجامدٍwith something solid
يُمسي المديرُ لها يطوفُ بجامدٍ
مِنof فضَّةٍsilver وبذائبٍand with something molten منof عَسجَدِgold
مِن فضَّةٍ وبذائبٍ من عَسجَدِ
At evening her cupbearer circles round with something solid
Her cupbearer spends the evening going round with solid
of silver, and something molten of gold.
silver, and with molten gold.
