ماnot كنتُI was أولَthe first مُغرمِinfatuated lover مغرورِbeguiled
ما كنتُ أولَ مُغرمِ مغرورِ
بأغنَّby a sweet, nasal-voiced one سحَّارِbewitching اللِّحاظِglances غريرِguileless
بأغنَّ سحَّارِ اللِّحاظِ غريرِ
I was not the first infatuated lover beguiled
I was not the first infatuated fool
By a sweetly nasal-voiced innocent with spellbinding glances.
Bewitched by the alluring charms of a beautiful gaze,
يفترُّparts his lips مُبتسماًsmiling وأبكيand I weep فاعتجبso marvel
يفترُّ مُبتسماً وأبكي فاعتجب
للؤلُؤِat the pearls المنظومِstrung والَمنثورِand scattered
للؤلُؤِ المنظومِ والَمنثورِ
He parts his lips in a smile while I weep—so marvel
Who smiles coyly while I weep in wonder
At the pearls, strung and scattered.
At pearls both strung and scattered.
رَشأُa young gazelle يُريكَshows you إذاwhen تجلَّىappears وانثَنىand sways
رَشأُ يُريكَ إذا تجلَّى وانثَنى
قَمَراًa moon علىupon غُصنٍa bough منof البَلُّورِcrystal
قَمَراً على غُصنٍ من البَلُّورِ
A young gazelle who, when he appears and sways, shows you
His cheek blossoms as he turns to you
A moon upon a bough of crystal.
Revealing a moon on a bough of crystal,
الثَّغرُthe mouth منهof him وخدُّهand his cheek وجبينُهand his brow
الثَّغرُ منه وخدُّه وجبينُه
للنَّورِfor blossoms بلrather للنَّارِfor fire بلrather للنُّورِfor light
للنَّورِ بل للنَّارِ بل للنُّورِ
His mouth, his cheek, and his brow
His lips, cheek, and brow shine
Are blossom—rather, fire—rather, light.
With light - nay, with fire - nay, with light!
أغنتهُspared him عنfrom حملِcarrying السِّلاحِweapons لواحظٌglances
أغنتهُ عن حملِ السِّلاحِ لواحظٌ
طَبعَforged القُيونُthe smiths لهاfor them سُيوفَswords فُتورٍlanguor
طَبعَ القُيونُ لها سُيوفَ فُتورٍ
Glances spared him the need to carry weapons,
His alluring glance has spared him from bearing arms -
For which the smiths forged swords of languor.
His eyes by nature sheathe languorous swords.
لمdid not ينتصرtriumph وهوَwhile he is الُمحاربُthe warrior دهرَهُall his life
لم ينتصر وهوَ الُمحاربُ دهرَهُ
إلاَّexcept بِذابلِwith a slender lance جَفنِهhis eyelid المكسورِdowncast
إلاَّ بِذابلِ جَفنِه المكسورِ
He never triumphed, though a warrior all his life,
In his lifelong battle he was not victorious
Save with the slender lance of his downcast eyelid.
Save by the fallen eyelid and broken lance.
مُتناقضُcontradictory الأوصافِthe traits يُعربُreveals تيهُهhis pride
مُتناقضُ الأوصافِ يُعربُ تيهُه
وحَياؤُهُand his modesty عنabout عاجزٍone helpless وقديرِand powerful
وحَياؤُهُ عن عاجزٍ وقديرِ
His traits are contradictory: his pride reveals,
Contradictory traits betray his wandering,
Together with his modesty, one helpless yet powerful.
And his shyness reveals power and impotence.
بالطرفِwith his glance يسحرُenchants وهوwhile he is مِنfrom سُكرِintoxication الصبَّاyouth
بالطرفِ يسحرُ وهو مِن سُكرِ الصبَّا
وخُمارِهand its hangover فيin صُورةِthe guise of المخمورِone drunk
وخُمارِه في صُورةِ المخمورِ
With his glance he enchants, though youth's intoxication
With his eyes he bewitches, drunk on youth,
And its hangover leave him looking drunk.
His veil portrays the image of the wine-soaked.
لمdid not أدرِI know ممَّfrom what يفوحُwafts ليto me طِيبُsweetness الشَّذاthe scent
لم أدرِ ممَّ يفوحُ لي طِيبُ الشَّذا
فَأَميلُso I sway مَيلَthe swaying of الُمنتشيthe intoxicated one الَمسرورِdelighted
فَأَميلُ مَيلَ الُمنتشي الَمسرورِ
I cannot tell whence the sweet scent wafts to me,
I know not from whence wafts such sweet fragrance -
So I sway like one intoxicated and delighted:
Is it his rosy cheek, his mole, or camphor lips?
منfrom خدِّهhis cheek الورديِّrosy أوor منfrom خالهِhis mole الthe
من خدِّه الورديِّ أو من خالهِ ال
نَدِّيscented with nadd perfume أوor منfrom ثَغرهِhis mouth الكافوريcamphor-scented
نَدِّي أو من ثَغرهِ الكافوري
From his rosy cheek, or from his mole,
O lightning, uncover the tenderness beneath the rough exterior,
Scented with nadd, or from his camphor-scented mouth?
And gather the pearls of dew from the coat of the shy gazelle.
ياO برقُlightning حلَّبأبرقِunfasten at Abraq الحنانشal-Hananash (unclear reading) عنfrom
يا برقُ حلَّبأبرقِ الحنانش عن
كثَبِclose by عُرَىloops جَيبِcollar الحياrain الَمزرُورbuttoned
كثَبِ عُرَى جَيبِ الحيا الَمزرُور
O lightning, at Abraq al-Hananash, unfasten—
Prepare the arrows of charm while the quiver lies open
From close by—the loops of rain's buttoned collar.
To adorn the neck of the statuesque and slender one.
وأعِدand restore جُمانَpearls الطِّلِّthe dew وهوَwhile it is مُنضَّدُneatly arranged
وأعِد جُمانَ الطِّلِّ وهوَ مُنضَّدُ
عِقداًa necklace لِجيدِfor the neck of البانةِthe ban-tree الَممطورrain-drenched
عِقداً لِجيدِ البانةِ الَممطور
And restore the pearls of dew, neatly strung,
When the hills came into view, scenting
As a necklace for the rain-drenched ban-tree's neck.
An aroma on the horizon like musk dispersed.
وإذand when الثنيَّةُthe mountain pass أشرفتcame into view وشممتand you smelled منfrom
وإذ الثنيَّةُ أشرفت وشممت من
أَرجائهاits surroundings أرجاًa fragrance كنشرlike the waft of عبيرشperfume (unclear spelling)
أَرجائها أرجاً كنشر عبيرش
And when the pass comes into view, and you breathe in from
Ask of her sloping speech, where is the elevated discourse
Its surroundings a scent like the waft of perfume,
Beyond the train of the passing western breeze?
سَلask هضبَهاits crag المنصوبَupraised أينَwhere حديثُهاits tale الthe
سَل هضبَها المنصوبَ أينَ حديثُها ال
مرفوعُraised عنfrom ذيلِthe hem of الصبَّاthe east wind المجرورِtrailing
مرفوعُ عن ذيلِ الصبَّا المجرورِ
Ask its upraised crag: where is its tale,
Raised from the east wind's trailing hem?
Partial English translation: 26 of 28 Arabic lines translated.