مُذsince سَبانِيtook me captive بدرٌa full moon بقلبيin my heart مُقِيمٌdwelling
مُذ سَبانِي بدرٌ بقلبي مُقِيمٌ
صارbecame جسْمِيmy body كخَصْرِهlike his waist فيin المِحَاقِthe dark of the moon
صار جسْمِي كخَصْرِه في المِحَاقِ
Since a full moon dwelling in my heart took me captive,
my body, like his waist, has waned into the dark of the moon.
حاكمٌa ruler جُنْدُهhis troops المِلاحُthe beautiful جميعاًall together
حاكمٌ جُنْدُه المِلاحُ جميعاً
ذُوpossessing لِواءٍa banner منof شَعْرِهhis hair الخَفَّاقِfluttering
ذُو لِواءٍ من شَعْرِه الخَفَّاقِ
A ruler whose troops are all the beautiful,
with a banner of his fluttering hair.
جامعٌcombining رِقَّةَthe delicacy of الحجازِthe Hijaz وسْحْرَand the enchantment of الشَّal-Shām (first part)
جامعٌ رِقَّةَ الحجازِ وسْحْرَ الشَّ
امِal-Shām (completion) حُسْناًin beauty فيin سِلْكِthe thread of لُطْفِthe grace of العِراقِIraq
امِ حُسْناً في سِلْكِ لُطْفِ العِراقِ
Combining the delicacy of the Hijaz and the enchantment of al-Shām,
in beauty, strung on the thread of Iraq’s grace.
سرَقstole الغُصْنُthe branch لِنَهُhis suppleness فلهذاso for this
سرَق الغُصْنُ لِنَهُ فلهذا
لَزِمَتْهُclung to it جِنايَةُthe crime of السُّرَّاقِthieves
لَزِمَتْهُ جِنايَةُ السُّرَّاقِ
The branch stole his suppleness; for this,
the guilt of thieves clung to it.
قامstood فيin جَنَّةِthe paradise of الرِّياضِthe gardens بكأسٍwith a cup
قام في جَنَّةِ الرِّياضِ بكأسٍ
فأباحso he freely offered المُدامَthe wine بينamong الرِّفاقِthe companions
فأباح المُدامَ بين الرِّفاقِ
He stood in the paradise of gardens with a cup,
then freely shared the wine among the companions.
بثلاثٍwith three مِنهُنَّof them طَلَّقhe divorced هَمِّىmy sorrow
بثلاثٍ مِنهُنَّ طَلَّق هَمِّى
دونwithout ماany رَجْعَةٍrevocation لذاكfor that الطَّلاقِdivorce
دون ما رَجْعَةٍ لذاك الطَّلاقِ
With three of them, he divorced my sorrow,
without any revocation of that divorce.
فيin مجالٍa space كالخَصْرِlike the waist فيهin it اخْتِصارٌcompactness
في مجالٍ كالخَصْرِ فيه اخْتِصارٌ
دارَcircled فيهwithin it النُّدْمانُthe drinking companions مِثْلَlike النِّطاقِthe girdle
دارَ فيه النُّدْمانُ مِثْلَ النِّطاقِ
In a space as compact as a waist,
the drinking companions circled within it like a girdle.
ذُوpossessing عيونٍeyes لأجْلِهاfor their sake النَّرْجِسُthe narcissus الغَضُّfresh
ذُو عيونٍ لأجْلِها النَّرْجِسُ الغَضُّ
اصْفَرَّturned yellow وأمْسَىand became منamong جُمْلةِthe company of العُشَّاقِthe lovers
اصْفَرَّ وأمْسَى من جُمْلةِ العُشَّاقِ
He has eyes for whose sake the fresh narcissus
turned yellow and became one of the lovers.
ماnot رَثَتْthey showed pity فيin الهوىlove لِسائِلfor the flow of دَمْعِيmy tears
ما رَثَتْ في الهوى لِسائِل دَمْعِي
تحسَبُthey think الدَّمْعَtears خِلْقَةًan innate feature فيin المَآقِيthe eyes’ inner corners
تحسَبُ الدَّمْعَ خِلْقَةً في المَآقِي
They showed no pity, in love, for my flowing tears;
they think tears a natural feature of the eyes’ inner corners.